The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours |
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 | CHAPTER I. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun |  |
As men ar be thare qualiteis
Inclynit to diuersiteis,
Mony ȝarnys for till heir
Off tymes þat befor þaim wer,
Staittis changeit and þe greis;
Quharfor of sic antiquiteis
Thai þat set haly þare delite
Gestis or storyis for to write,
Outhir in metere or in prose,
Flurist fairly thare purpose
With qwaynt and curiouse circumstance,
For to raise hertis in plesance,
And þe heraris till exsite
Be wit or will to do þare delite;
As Gwydo de Calumpna quhile,
The pohete Omere and Virgile,
Fairly formyt there tretyss,
And curiously dytit there storyis.
Sum vsit bot in plane maner
Off aire done dedis thar mater
To writ, as did Dares of Frigy,
That wrait of Troy all þe story,
Bot in till plane and opin stile,
But curiouse wordis or subtile.
Herefor I haue set myn entent,
My wit, my will and myn assent,
Fra þat I sene had storyis seire
In cornyklis, as þai writtin were,
Thare mater in to forme to draw
Out of Latyne in Inglis saw.
For storyis to heire ar dilectable,
Suppose þat sum be nocht bot fable;
And set to þis I gif my will,
My wit I ken sa skant þartill
That I drede saire þame till offend
That can me and my work amend,
Gif I writ ouþer maire or lese,
Bot as þe story beris witnes;
For, as I said, rude is my wit
And febill to put all my writ,
Gif clerkis bring þaim to knawlage
Off þe Latyne in oure langage,
Till ilk manis vnderstanding
For diuersnes of thare changeing;
Sa that throuch foly or nysetee
I dout confoundit for to be.
Inclynit to diuersiteis,
Mony ȝarnys for till heir
Off tymes þat befor þaim wer,
Staittis changeit and þe greis;
Quharfor of sic antiquiteis
Thai þat set haly þare delite
Gestis or storyis for to write,
Outhir in metere or in prose,
Flurist fairly thare purpose
With qwaynt and curiouse circumstance,
For to raise hertis in plesance,
And þe heraris till exsite
Be wit or will to do þare delite;
As Gwydo de Calumpna quhile,
The pohete Omere and Virgile,
Fairly formyt there tretyss,
And curiously dytit there storyis.
Sum vsit bot in plane maner
Off aire done dedis thar mater
4
That wrait of Troy all þe story,
Bot in till plane and opin stile,
But curiouse wordis or subtile.
Herefor I haue set myn entent,
My wit, my will and myn assent,
Fra þat I sene had storyis seire
In cornyklis, as þai writtin were,
Thare mater in to forme to draw
Out of Latyne in Inglis saw.
For storyis to heire ar dilectable,
Suppose þat sum be nocht bot fable;
And set to þis I gif my will,
My wit I ken sa skant þartill
That I drede saire þame till offend
That can me and my work amend,
Gif I writ ouþer maire or lese,
Bot as þe story beris witnes;
For, as I said, rude is my wit
And febill to put all my writ,
Gif clerkis bring þaim to knawlage
Off þe Latyne in oure langage,
Till ilk manis vnderstanding
For diuersnes of thare changeing;
Sa that throuch foly or nysetee
I dout confoundit for to be.
Bot, lordis, gif youre curtasy
Forbeire me in þis ieperdy,
And fra thare brēth wald me defend,
That can repreve and will nocht mend,
Haiffand excusit my sempilnes,
Sen̄ þat I set my besynes
Till all youre plesance generaly,
Suppose this tretise simpilly
I maid at þe instance of a larde
That has my seruice in his warde,
Schir Iohne of Wemys be rycht name,
A worthy knycht and of gud fame,
Albeid his lordschip be nocht like
To gretare lordis in þe kinrik,
He mone of neid be personer
Off quhat kin blame sa euer I beire;
Syne throuch his bidding and counsaill
Off det I spendit my travale;
For all honest det suld be
Qwyt with possibilite,
And bowsumnes, that, as þe wice
Sayis, is better þan sacrifice;
For in þe sacrifice þe slayne,
And nocht þe slaare, tholis þe pane;
Sa þat þe slaare haif þe meid,
The pane is soft he tholis in deid.
Than suld with rycht þe meid be maire
That sufferis in him self þe saire,
Quhare bowsumnes makis fredome thrall,
And lyking vnder aw to duell,
Now as bondage vnder law,
Bot at lyking grace suld knaw.
Thus set I in like assay
Wilfully my det to pay:
Symple or sufficient quheþer it be
To bowsumnes ay ȝeild I me.
Forbeire me in þis ieperdy,
And fra thare brēth wald me defend,
That can repreve and will nocht mend,
Haiffand excusit my sempilnes,
Sen̄ þat I set my besynes
6
Suppose this tretise simpilly
I maid at þe instance of a larde
That has my seruice in his warde,
Schir Iohne of Wemys be rycht name,
A worthy knycht and of gud fame,
Albeid his lordschip be nocht like
To gretare lordis in þe kinrik,
He mone of neid be personer
Off quhat kin blame sa euer I beire;
Syne throuch his bidding and counsaill
Off det I spendit my travale;
For all honest det suld be
Qwyt with possibilite,
And bowsumnes, that, as þe wice
Sayis, is better þan sacrifice;
For in þe sacrifice þe slayne,
And nocht þe slaare, tholis þe pane;
Sa þat þe slaare haif þe meid,
The pane is soft he tholis in deid.
Than suld with rycht þe meid be maire
That sufferis in him self þe saire,
Quhare bowsumnes makis fredome thrall,
And lyking vnder aw to duell,
Now as bondage vnder law,
Bot at lyking grace suld knaw.
Thus set I in like assay
Wilfully my det to pay:
Symple or sufficient quheþer it be
To bowsumnes ay ȝeild I me.
8
And, for I will nane beire þe blame
Off my defalt, þis is my name
Be bapteme, Andro of Wyntoune,
Off Sanct Androis a channoune
Regular, bot nocht forthy
Off þame all þe leste worthy;
Bot of þare grace and þar fawour
I wes but merit maid priour
Off þe Inche within Lochlevin,
Berand þarof my titill evin,
Of Sanct Androis diocy,
Betuix þe Lummondis and Wynarty.
The titill of þis tretise haill
I will be callit Originall,
For þat begynnyng sall mak cleire
Be plane procese oure matere.
Off my defalt, þis is my name
Be bapteme, Andro of Wyntoune,
Off Sanct Androis a channoune
Regular, bot nocht forthy
Off þame all þe leste worthy;
Bot of þare grace and þar fawour
I wes but merit maid priour
Off þe Inche within Lochlevin,
Berand þarof my titill evin,
Of Sanct Androis diocy,
Betuix þe Lummondis and Wynarty.
The titill of þis tretise haill
I will be callit Originall,
For þat begynnyng sall mak cleire
Be plane procese oure matere.
| CHAPTER I. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun | |