 | To the Richt High Lodvvik Duke of Lenox |  |
As I went throw ane wood sauage,
As did Æneas to Carthage,
Compast with clouds about,
I wanderd, and I wist not quhair,
As ane mad man, into dispair:
astonisht to wyn out.
The wode wes gret, and wondrous lang,
Of lenth and largitude,
The treis thairof, war stark and strang,
And full of fortitude:
Amasing, and gasing,
Thir treis for to behald,
So schenlie, and menelie,
Thair tops thay did dounfald.
As did Æneas to Carthage,
Compast with clouds about,
I wanderd, and I wist not quhair,
As ane mad man, into dispair:
astonisht to wyn out.
The wode wes gret, and wondrous lang,
Of lenth and largitude,
The treis thairof, war stark and strang,
And full of fortitude:
Amasing, and gasing,
Thir treis for to behald,
So schenlie, and menelie,
Thair tops thay did dounfald.
I saw the Ashtre and the Aik,
That Æolvs gart yeild and zaik,
By his maist bitter blast,
Thocht thay were strang, he gart thame stoup
And all the trees into that troup,
That war affixit fast:
The storme so bitterlie brake out,
as wonder wes to se,
The boriall blasts, with mony schout,
In that forrest did fle:
Not caldly, bot baldlie,
Thay thudit throw the treis,
With rairding, and fairding,
On hie the fier fleis.
That Æolvs gart yeild and zaik,
By his maist bitter blast,
Thocht thay were strang, he gart thame stoup
And all the trees into that troup,
That war affixit fast:
The storme so bitterlie brake out,
as wonder wes to se,
The boriall blasts, with mony schout,
In that forrest did fle:
Not caldly, bot baldlie,
Thay thudit throw the treis,
With rairding, and fairding,
The air, wes than vntemperat,
And with rubie skies, ranculat,
Mixit with weit and wind,
And euery fleing foul that fed,
Ran bissilie hame to thair bed,
Rest and repose to find,
Not onely fleing fouls I say,
Bot beists of diuers kynds,
Laich on the ground, richt lawly lay,
Amasit in thair mynds:
Sum shaking, and quaking,
For feir, as I esteeme,
Oretowting, and rowting,
Into that storme extreme.
And with rubie skies, ranculat,
Mixit with weit and wind,
And euery fleing foul that fed,
Ran bissilie hame to thair bed,
Rest and repose to find,
Not onely fleing fouls I say,
Bot beists of diuers kynds,
Laich on the ground, richt lawly lay,
Amasit in thair mynds:
Sum shaking, and quaking,
For feir, as I esteeme,
Oretowting, and rowting,
Into that storme extreme.
The Lyon and the Leopard,
From louping, and scouping war skard,
And faine for to fall doun,
And als, the awfull Vnicorne,
For all his bost, wes not forborne,
Thocht he wes nixt the croun:
Likwais the Beir, that bitter beist,
Wes fellonlie afraid,
And all the Wolfis, ran west and eist,
Trowing to be betraid:
Deploring, and roring,
Wes in that wildernes,
Sum lying, sum trying,
The cours of cairfulnes.
From louping, and scouping war skard,
And faine for to fall doun,
And als, the awfull Vnicorne,
For all his bost, wes not forborne,
Thocht he wes nixt the croun:
Likwais the Beir, that bitter beist,
Wes fellonlie afraid,
And all the Wolfis, ran west and eist,
Trowing to be betraid:
Deploring, and roring,
Wes in that wildernes,
Sum lying, sum trying,
The cours of cairfulnes.
The Drummadrareis left thair feists,
With Tygers and tyrannius beists,
Thay war so faine to flit,
Thair wes the fals Camelion,
With the big Eliphant anon,
A beist of bodie grit,
Howbeid, he be maist corpolent,
Zit durst he not repose,
Quhair he wes wont for to frequent,
The storme so strangely rose:
Thir two now, did go now,
Sum solit pairt to find,
To waird thame, and gaird thame,
From bitter blaists of wind.
With Tygers and tyrannius beists,
Thay war so faine to flit,
Thair wes the fals Camelion,
With the big Eliphant anon,
A beist of bodie grit,
Zit durst he not repose,
Quhair he wes wont for to frequent,
The storme so strangely rose:
Thir two now, did go now,
Sum solit pairt to find,
To waird thame, and gaird thame,
From bitter blaists of wind.
The Hart, with his fair forked horns,
Quhois pikes is sharpe, as ony thorns:
Richt lawly did doun ly,
So fast the Deir ran to his den,
His coulour, I culd skantlie ken,
Or portrature espy.
The wilie Tod came by me to,
With violence and speid,
For feir the he Fox, left the scho,
He wes in sick a dreid:
Quhiles louping, and scowping,
Ouer bushis, banks, and brais,
Quhiles wandring, quhiles dandring,
Like royd and wilzart rais.
Quhois pikes is sharpe, as ony thorns:
Richt lawly did doun ly,
So fast the Deir ran to his den,
His coulour, I culd skantlie ken,
Or portrature espy.
The wilie Tod came by me to,
With violence and speid,
For feir the he Fox, left the scho,
He wes in sick a dreid:
Quhiles louping, and scowping,
Ouer bushis, banks, and brais,
Quhiles wandring, quhiles dandring,
Like royd and wilzart rais.
The Wildbair, that wanhappie beist,
Quhois tusks of lenth, war at the leist,
Ane quarter lang and mair,
Into ane furie, he ran fast,
Throw all the placis quhair he past,
With mony rout and rair:
Also the Wood Dog, did sicklike,
The storme for till eschew,
This cruell and tyrannius tyke,
Vpon the hard treis knew:
No swaging, his raging,
Micht mittigat or meis,
Sick badnes, and madnes,
Throw kind he did aqueis.
Quhois tusks of lenth, war at the leist,
Ane quarter lang and mair,
Into ane furie, he ran fast,
Throw all the placis quhair he past,
With mony rout and rair:
Also the Wood Dog, did sicklike,
The storme for till eschew,
This cruell and tyrannius tyke,
Vpon the hard treis knew:
No swaging, his raging,
Micht mittigat or meis,
Sick badnes, and madnes,
The Wildcat worst of all the laue,
Into that pairt I did persaue,
Fleing for his refuge,
The storme was so outragius,
And with rumlings oragius,
That I for feare did gruge:
Than out that come the akquart Aip,
That Murgens wont to mak,
Richt narowly I saw him scaip,
Vnbreking of his bak:
He hang so, and flang so,
Fast felterd be the feit,
His haist than, had maist than,
Cost him ane winding sheit.
Into that pairt I did persaue,
Fleing for his refuge,
The storme was so outragius,
And with rumlings oragius,
That I for feare did gruge:
Than out that come the akquart Aip,
That Murgens wont to mak,
Richt narowly I saw him scaip,
Vnbreking of his bak:
He hang so, and flang so,
Fast felterd be the feit,
His haist than, had maist than,
Cost him ane winding sheit.
Out come the gyrnen Gennet syne,
With vther twasum in a tryne,
All of ane quantitie,
For faircenes, sum fell on thair face,
So raschely thay ran out thair race,
To keip gud companie:
Thair wes na bus, culd hald them bak,
So trimly thay culd scoup,
Nor yet no Tike, culd them oretak,
So lichtlly thay did loup:
Not playing, but braying,
To se that tempest than,
Amaisdlie, and baisdlie,
Richt bissilie thay ran.
With vther twasum in a tryne,
All of ane quantitie,
For faircenes, sum fell on thair face,
So raschely thay ran out thair race,
To keip gud companie:
Thair wes na bus, culd hald them bak,
So trimly thay culd scoup,
Nor yet no Tike, culd them oretak,
So lichtlly thay did loup:
Not playing, but braying,
To se that tempest than,
Amaisdlie, and baisdlie,
Richt bissilie thay ran.
Thair wes the Pikit Porcapie,
The Cunning, and the Con all thrie,
Merchen amangs the rest,
I wat thay wantit na gud will,
To ryn with all speid possibill,
Quhill thay wan to thair nest:
Also the Hare I haue forzet,
The spediest of all,
His hasty rinning maid him het,
Nane neidit him to call:
Not tyring, nor myring,
Among the mossis deipe,
Bot tichtly, and richtly,
His awin cours he did keipe.
The Cunning, and the Con all thrie,
Merchen amangs the rest,
I wat thay wantit na gud will,
To ryn with all speid possibill,
Also the Hare I haue forzet,
The spediest of all,
His hasty rinning maid him het,
Nane neidit him to call:
Not tyring, nor myring,
Among the mossis deipe,
Bot tichtly, and richtly,
His awin cours he did keipe.
Out come the Edder at the last,
Vpon his wamb crieping ful fast,
Seikand ane hole to hyde him,
Bot becaus he was venimus,
And for to touch contagius,
No beist wald byde beside him:
Vpon his wamb thus wayis he went,
Maist miserablie thair,
For na beist with him wald frequent,
Nor cum vndir his snair:
Thay dred so, and fled so,
From his societie,
That nane thair, his wane thair
Wald support or supplie.
Vpon his wamb crieping ful fast,
Seikand ane hole to hyde him,
Bot becaus he was venimus,
And for to touch contagius,
No beist wald byde beside him:
Vpon his wamb thus wayis he went,
Maist miserablie thair,
For na beist with him wald frequent,
Nor cum vndir his snair:
Thay dred so, and fled so,
From his societie,
That nane thair, his wane thair
Wald support or supplie.
The Basilique that beist maling,
Of Serpents quhilk is countit King,
Ran quhill he wes the war,
Thair was the Viper, and th' aspect,
With the serpent Cheliderect,
Quhois stink is felt a far:
Thair was the serpent Cencrastus,
A beist of filthy braith,
And als the Serpent Cerastus,
Quhois byte brings sudden deith:
Thir Vipers, and cripers,
amang the grene gars lay,
Doun louring, and couring,
Quhill storme wes went away.
Of Serpents quhilk is countit King,
Ran quhill he wes the war,
Thair was the Viper, and th' aspect,
With the serpent Cheliderect,
Quhois stink is felt a far:
Thair was the serpent Cencrastus,
A beist of filthy braith,
And als the Serpent Cerastus,
Quhois byte brings sudden deith:
Thir Vipers, and cripers,
amang the grene gars lay,
Doun louring, and couring,
The Fumart and the Fittret straue,
The deip and howest hole to haue,
That wes in all the wood,
About the trie ruts thir twa ran,
Zit all in vaine na thing thay wan,
Bot did thole mony thud:
For cauld they war discomfeist clene,
The schowrs wer sa seueir,
Bot I who was ane pure Pilgren
And half ane stronimeir:
Forschew thair, and knew thair,
Sic tempest suld betyde,
Than ran I, and wan I,
In ane hole me to hyde.
The deip and howest hole to haue,
That wes in all the wood,
About the trie ruts thir twa ran,
Zit all in vaine na thing thay wan,
Bot did thole mony thud:
For cauld they war discomfeist clene,
The schowrs wer sa seueir,
Bot I who was ane pure Pilgren
And half ane stronimeir:
Forschew thair, and knew thair,
Sic tempest suld betyde,
Than ran I, and wan I,
In ane hole me to hyde.
Out come the Quhitteret furthwith,
Ane littill beist of lim and lith,
And of ane sober schaip,
To haue ane hole he had grit hast,
Zit in the wood thair was nane wast,
To harberie that iaip:
Than out that come the Modiwart,
Ane beist throw nature blind,
Quho fast the eirth culd scraip and scart,
Rest and refuge to finde:
Quhiles dodling, and todling,
Vpon fowr prettie feit,
Quhiles scrubbing, quhiles rubbing,
The ground quhair it was weit.
Ane littill beist of lim and lith,
And of ane sober schaip,
To haue ane hole he had grit hast,
Zit in the wood thair was nane wast,
To harberie that iaip:
Than out that come the Modiwart,
Ane beist throw nature blind,
Quho fast the eirth culd scraip and scart,
Rest and refuge to finde:
Quhiles dodling, and todling,
Vpon fowr prettie feit,
Quhiles scrubbing, quhiles rubbing,
The ground quhair it was weit.
Thir beists heir befoir nominat,
May esilie be numerat,
The calcull is bot small,
For by thir beists I saw anew,
Quhois nams befoir I neuir knew,
Nor how men did thame call:
Sick beists as I had seene before,
Thair names I did reteene,
Bot thair wes mony in that store,
That I had neuer seene:
Sum mikill, sum littill,
Of mony syndrie sort,
That hantit, and plantit,
That place to be thair port.
May esilie be numerat,
The calcull is bot small,
For by thir beists I saw anew,
Quhois nams befoir I neuir knew,
Sick beists as I had seene before,
Thair names I did reteene,
Bot thair wes mony in that store,
That I had neuer seene:
Sum mikill, sum littill,
Of mony syndrie sort,
That hantit, and plantit,
That place to be thair port.
Sum proper were of portrature,
Of lith and lim, pretie and pure,
and hantsum to behald,
Quhois nams, I na wais culd expreme,
Nor to my iudgement weill esteme,
The flox into that fald:
It wes ane wonder for to se,
So gret ane multitude,
Without all mediocritie,
Amangst the treis that stud:
Eschewing, the dewing,
Of ranie Orion,
That dropit, and knopit,
Baith vpon tre and stone.
Of lith and lim, pretie and pure,
and hantsum to behald,
Quhois nams, I na wais culd expreme,
Nor to my iudgement weill esteme,
The flox into that fald:
It wes ane wonder for to se,
So gret ane multitude,
Without all mediocritie,
Amangst the treis that stud:
Eschewing, the dewing,
Of ranie Orion,
That dropit, and knopit,
Baith vpon tre and stone.
Quhat farlie than thocht fouls that fleis,
With gret pains and perplexiteis,
War greuously tormentit,
Quhen gret wild beists, of lim and lith,
Imployd with pissance strenth and pith,
For feir, thame selfis absentit:
And into hols and bors thame hyd,
The storme for till eschew,
For quhy, the wind, with mony quhyd,
Maist bitterly thair blew:
With quhirling, and dirling,
The fudder fell so thick,
Doun dryuing, and ryuing,
The leiues that thay did lick.
With gret pains and perplexiteis,
War greuously tormentit,
Quhen gret wild beists, of lim and lith,
Imployd with pissance strenth and pith,
For feir, thame selfis absentit:
And into hols and bors thame hyd,
The storme for till eschew,
For quhy, the wind, with mony quhyd,
Maist bitterly thair blew:
With quhirling, and dirling,
The fudder fell so thick,
The leiues that thay did lick.
First Iovis foule, the Eagill fair,
I saw discend down from the air,
Syne to the wood went he,
The Hiron and the fleing Hairt,
Come fleing from ane vther pairt,
beside him for to be:
Ane fellon tryne, com at his taill,
Fast flichtren throw the skise,
Bot suddenly, that scull did skaill,
Thairfore thay war mair wise:
Than fled thay, and sched thay,
Euery ane from ane vdder,
Doun louching, and coutching,
To fle the flichts of fudder.
I saw discend down from the air,
Syne to the wood went he,
The Hiron and the fleing Hairt,
Come fleing from ane vther pairt,
beside him for to be:
Ane fellon tryne, com at his taill,
Fast flichtren throw the skise,
Bot suddenly, that scull did skaill,
Thairfore thay war mair wise:
Than fled thay, and sched thay,
Euery ane from ane vdder,
Doun louching, and coutching,
To fle the flichts of fudder.
The fierie Dragon, flew on hie,
Out throw the skies, richt cutterlie,
Syne to the ground come doun,
Into ane furie fast he flew,
To haue an hald, him to reskew,
As strangers to ane toun:
Nixt come the Gorgoull and the Graip,
Twa feirfull fouls indeid,
Quho vsis oft to like and laip,
The blud of bodies deid:
Thame druging, and ruging,
With thair maist cruell clukis,
Sik hashing, and knashing,
Cums not of clenlie cukis.
Out throw the skies, richt cutterlie,
Syne to the ground come doun,
Into ane furie fast he flew,
To haue an hald, him to reskew,
As strangers to ane toun:
Nixt come the Gorgoull and the Graip,
Twa feirfull fouls indeid,
Quho vsis oft to like and laip,
The blud of bodies deid:
Thame druging, and ruging,
With thair maist cruell clukis,
Sik hashing, and knashing,
Cums not of clenlie cukis.
The Airne and the Goshalk syne,
That dentely had wont to dyne,
On Pairtrik and on Pliuer,
With feir, thair famin wes forzet,
With blasts of wind thay war so bet,
And lancit throw the liuer:
With the schairp speir of apetyte,
Howbeid, thair harts was perst
Yit thay for meit, caird not ane myte,
Nor zit no succour cerst:
So fain than, vnslain than,
Thameselfs they wald haue keipit,
That surelie, maist purelie,
Vpon the ground thay creipit.
That dentely had wont to dyne,
On Pairtrik and on Pliuer,
With feir, thair famin wes forzet,
And lancit throw the liuer:
With the schairp speir of apetyte,
Howbeid, thair harts was perst
Yit thay for meit, caird not ane myte,
Nor zit no succour cerst:
So fain than, vnslain than,
Thameselfs they wald haue keipit,
That surelie, maist purelie,
Vpon the ground thay creipit.
Quhat suld I say, the Gok, the Gled,
With speidie flycht, richt fast thay fled,
From feding on the plaine,
And thair I saw the milke quhyte Swan,
Conuoy the Wodcock and the Cran,
Of quhome thay war richt faine:
The Bisset and the Corbe baith,
Flew fast befoir the laue,
Laith war thay to kep ony skaith,
Or ony harme to haue:
So slelie, and frelie,
From dangers thay thame fred,
In speiding, exceiding,
All vthers into tred.
With speidie flycht, richt fast thay fled,
From feding on the plaine,
And thair I saw the milke quhyte Swan,
Conuoy the Wodcock and the Cran,
Of quhome thay war richt faine:
The Bisset and the Corbe baith,
Flew fast befoir the laue,
Laith war thay to kep ony skaith,
Or ony harme to haue:
So slelie, and frelie,
From dangers thay thame fred,
In speiding, exceiding,
All vthers into tred.
The Houlet and the Herison,
Out of the airt Septentrion,
Come with ane feirfull voce,
The Houlet had sick awfull cryis,
Thay corrospondit in the skyis,
As wind within a boce:
Quhois cryis and clamours terius,
I compair to the zell,
Of that gret tike Cyberius,
The cruell hound of hell:
Quhois zouling, and gouling,
I haue na will to heir,
Sick singing, and springing,
Is irksum to the eir.
Out of the airt Septentrion,
Come with ane feirfull voce,
The Houlet had sick awfull cryis,
Thay corrospondit in the skyis,
As wind within a boce:
Quhois cryis and clamours terius,
I compair to the zell,
Of that gret tike Cyberius,
The cruell hound of hell:
Quhois zouling, and gouling,
Sick singing, and springing,
Is irksum to the eir.
The Arrondell so swift of flicht,
Doun on the land richt law did licht,
So sore he wes oprest,
The Alcions lykwais left the See,
And to the schore richt fast culd flee,
For to recouer rest:
The Calicrat, that lytle thing,
Bot, and the hony Bie,
That wont before, to skip and spring,
Into the air so hie:
With mumming, and bumming,
The Bee now seiks his byke,
Quhils stinging, quhils flinging,
From hole to hole did fyke.
Doun on the land richt law did licht,
So sore he wes oprest,
The Alcions lykwais left the See,
And to the schore richt fast culd flee,
For to recouer rest:
The Calicrat, that lytle thing,
Bot, and the hony Bie,
That wont before, to skip and spring,
Into the air so hie:
With mumming, and bumming,
The Bee now seiks his byke,
Quhils stinging, quhils flinging,
From hole to hole did fyke.
The Cygonie, that foul so whyte,
Quhilk at the Serpents hes despyte,
Come granen to the ground,
And Mamuks, that byds euer mair,
And feids into the cristall air,
Deid on the feilds wer found:
The Gru, before me thair apeirs,
Quhois legs wer lang and syde,
From the Septentrion quhilk reteirs,
Into the winter tyde:
This foul now, did zoull now,
As it had bene ane beist,
Quhyls quhinging, quhyls cringing,
With paine it wes so preist.
Quhilk at the Serpents hes despyte,
Come granen to the ground,
And Mamuks, that byds euer mair,
And feids into the cristall air,
Deid on the feilds wer found:
The Gru, before me thair apeirs,
Quhois legs wer lang and syde,
From the Septentrion quhilk reteirs,
Into the winter tyde:
This foul now, did zoull now,
As it had bene ane beist,
Quhyls quhinging, quhyls cringing,
With paine it wes so preist.
The Tuquheit and the Sterling than,
Togidder with the Pelican,
Flew in ane randell richt,
The Piet and the Papingo,
With the Goldspink I saw thame go,
Syne laich thay did doun licht:
Behaulding thir horrible things,
Almaist, my eis grew blind,
To se thair pretie spirtlet wings,
So felterd with the wind:
Dispairit, I stairit,
Vp to the element,
Behalding, thair walding,
How thay in ordour went.
Togidder with the Pelican,
Flew in ane randell richt,
With the Goldspink I saw thame go,
Syne laich thay did doun licht:
Behaulding thir horrible things,
Almaist, my eis grew blind,
To se thair pretie spirtlet wings,
So felterd with the wind:
Dispairit, I stairit,
Vp to the element,
Behalding, thair walding,
How thay in ordour went.
The Merle and the Mauice trig,
Flew from the bush quher thay did big,
Syne tuke thame to the flicht,
The Osill and the Rosignell,
The Phœnix and the Nichtingell,
Twa fouls baith fair and bricht:
Quhois pretie wings I did persaue,
So spurtlit and so spred,
Thir fouls, I couit faine to haue,
So clerlie thay war cled:
Thair hew so, furth schew so,
To my twa mortall eis,
That I thair, stud by thair,
Contempling to the treis.
Flew from the bush quher thay did big,
Syne tuke thame to the flicht,
The Osill and the Rosignell,
The Phœnix and the Nichtingell,
Twa fouls baith fair and bricht:
Quhois pretie wings I did persaue,
So spurtlit and so spred,
Thir fouls, I couit faine to haue,
So clerlie thay war cled:
Thair hew so, furth schew so,
To my twa mortall eis,
That I thair, stud by thair,
Contempling to the treis.
The Stainzell, and the Schakerstane,
Behind the laue, war left alane,
With waiting on thair marows,
The snype, with sundry vther fouls,
With cairfull cries, laments and youls,
And specially pure Sparrows:
The meikill fouls war not to mene,
So meikill as the small,
Zit thay did meikill to mentene,
Thair bodies out of thrall:
Fast fallowing, with wallowing,
And mony cairfull cry,
Intransit, I pansit,
Thair panis for till espy.
Behind the laue, war left alane,
With waiting on thair marows,
The snype, with sundry vther fouls,
With cairfull cries, laments and youls,
And specially pure Sparrows:
The meikill fouls war not to mene,
So meikill as the small,
Zit thay did meikill to mentene,
Thair bodies out of thrall:
And mony cairfull cry,
Intransit, I pansit,
Thair panis for till espy.
The Hobbie and the Hedder bluter,
Aloud the Gæ to be thair tuter,
Thame to conduct and gyde,
The Cucko and the Couchet can,
The Lawrok and the littill wran,
Had sikker be thair syde:
And mairatour I tell to zow,
The Pown I did persaue,
Togidder with the turtill Dow,
The last of all the laue:
This fidder, togidder,
Vnto the wood ar went:
Sum murning, and turning,
Into the firmament.
Aloud the Gæ to be thair tuter,
Thame to conduct and gyde,
The Cucko and the Couchet can,
The Lawrok and the littill wran,
Had sikker be thair syde:
And mairatour I tell to zow,
The Pown I did persaue,
Togidder with the turtill Dow,
The last of all the laue:
This fidder, togidder,
Vnto the wood ar went:
Sum murning, and turning,
Into the firmament.
Of ilk perticuler fowle to treit,
It war ouir tedious to repeit,
Quhairfore I thocht it best,
In this cathaloge to conuene
Ane bonie nomber, bot I mene,
Renouncing all the rest:
Bot as I spak to zow before,
Tuitching the multitude,
I wat thair was ten thousand score
Of birds and beists maist brude:
To ken tham, or pen tham,
My wit it wes to waik,
Or zit thair, to sit thair,
On sik consaits to glaik.
It war ouir tedious to repeit,
Quhairfore I thocht it best,
In this cathaloge to conuene
Ane bonie nomber, bot I mene,
Renouncing all the rest:
Bot as I spak to zow before,
Tuitching the multitude,
I wat thair was ten thousand score
Of birds and beists maist brude:
To ken tham, or pen tham,
My wit it wes to waik,
Or zit thair, to sit thair,
On sik consaits to glaik.
I was afflixit in my mynde,
And als with caris I was inclynd,
To be in sick a stait,
I hapnit in ane wildernes,
Quhair I chanst to gang in beges,
Be ganging out the gait:
Vainly and temerariuslie,
Into that pairt I past,
Bot he that wald faine fairles sie,
Sall find thame at the last:
Belyue syne, aryue syne,
Within the wood did I,
Quhair I ay, did spy ay,
Wyld beists fast rynning by.
And als with caris I was inclynd,
I hapnit in ane wildernes,
Quhair I chanst to gang in beges,
Be ganging out the gait:
Vainly and temerariuslie,
Into that pairt I past,
Bot he that wald faine fairles sie,
Sall find thame at the last:
Belyue syne, aryue syne,
Within the wood did I,
Quhair I ay, did spy ay,
Wyld beists fast rynning by.
Fra time I enterd in that pairt,
I saw na passage to depairt,
Nor entrie to win out,
To heir the Wildbeists bray and beir,
My febill flesh, did faint for feir,
Na takin I was stout:
God wat, gif I wes in gret paine,
I wist not quhair to ryn,
Nor zit culd find the gait againe,
First, quhair I enterd in:
Bot tauren, and dauren,
Like ane daft doitit fule,
Afflikit, and prickit,
With dairts of cair and dule.
I saw na passage to depairt,
Nor entrie to win out,
To heir the Wildbeists bray and beir,
My febill flesh, did faint for feir,
Na takin I was stout:
God wat, gif I wes in gret paine,
I wist not quhair to ryn,
Nor zit culd find the gait againe,
First, quhair I enterd in:
Bot tauren, and dauren,
Like ane daft doitit fule,
Afflikit, and prickit,
With dairts of cair and dule.
How culd I be, bot full of cair,
And halflings put into dispair,
So to be left alone,
Quhair I with na man micht confar,
Nor zit within ten myls wes nar,
Till ony toune or waine
The tempest did continew still,
Thair wes baith weit and wynd,
And Evrvs with loud schouts and schill,
His braith begoud to fynd:
With quhewing, renewing,
His bitter blaists againe,
Seueirly, not sneirly,
To you, I make it plaine.
And halflings put into dispair,
So to be left alone,
Quhair I with na man micht confar,
Nor zit within ten myls wes nar,
Till ony toune or waine
The tempest did continew still,
Thair wes baith weit and wynd,
And Evrvs with loud schouts and schill,
With quhewing, renewing,
His bitter blaists againe,
Seueirly, not sneirly,
To you, I make it plaine.
The wadder wes not lyke to mend,
Nor zit, to draw to ony end,
Quhairthrow it micht be fair,
Bot ay the Tempest did acres,
And na waies lykin to grow les,
Bot rather to be mair.
The Wyldbeists crap doun quietlie,
The wedder was so rud,
For thay micht haue no facultie,
To pas and seik thair fud:
The tall beists, the small beists,
Did eit and slae thairfore,
The meikill fouls, the litill fouls,
In lykwais did deuore.
Nor zit, to draw to ony end,
Quhairthrow it micht be fair,
Bot ay the Tempest did acres,
And na waies lykin to grow les,
Bot rather to be mair.
The Wyldbeists crap doun quietlie,
The wedder was so rud,
For thay micht haue no facultie,
To pas and seik thair fud:
The tall beists, the small beists,
Did eit and slae thairfore,
The meikill fouls, the litill fouls,
In lykwais did deuore.
The ritch, the pureons ay oprest,
I mene the meikillest, ay the lest,
Dulfullie did doun thring,
Without all pitie or respect,
Of the inferiours threw the nek,
Quhilk wes ane cruell thing:
Gif ony persoun maist prophane,
Wald call sick slauchter syne,
It may be answert heir agane,
Neid nakit man gars ryne:
Gret neid than, indeid than,
Compeld thame so to do,
Or els thair, thame selfs thair,
For till haue perisht to.
I mene the meikillest, ay the lest,
Dulfullie did doun thring,
Without all pitie or respect,
Of the inferiours threw the nek,
Quhilk wes ane cruell thing:
Gif ony persoun maist prophane,
Wald call sick slauchter syne,
It may be answert heir agane,
Neid nakit man gars ryne:
Gret neid than, indeid than,
Compeld thame so to do,
Or els thair, thame selfs thair,
For till haue perisht to.
Thay culd nat do na les indeid,
Seing that thair was na remeid,
Bot ether do or die:
Gif vtherwayis thay micht haue done,
Thay had run furth and socht it sone,
Bot so it micht not bie:
Thair harts with hunger was so peirst,
That thay behou'd haue fude,
For this caus thay baith socht and serst,
How thay micht haue thair blude:
Begyling, and syling,
The eies of sillie beists,
Thame taking, and making,
Prouision for thair feists.
Bot ether do or die:
Gif vtherwayis thay micht haue done,
Thay had run furth and socht it sone,
Bot so it micht not bie:
Thair harts with hunger was so peirst,
That thay behou'd haue fude,
For this caus thay baith socht and serst,
How thay micht haue thair blude:
Begyling, and syling,
The eies of sillie beists,
Thame taking, and making,
Prouision for thair feists.
The litill beists maid hauie mane,
With the grit beists to be oretane,
And so to be destroyed,
Thair murning micht thame na thing mend
Bot only thair to mak ane end,
Of that quhilk thay enioyed:
Within that Wildernes desart,
thair was grit nomber slane,
The wyld foulis on the vther part,
Did play the counterpane:
Abusing, and vsing,
The small fouls at thair will,
But treitie, or pitie,
Not sparing it to spill.
With the grit beists to be oretane,
And so to be destroyed,
Thair murning micht thame na thing mend
Bot only thair to mak ane end,
Of that quhilk thay enioyed:
Within that Wildernes desart,
thair was grit nomber slane,
The wyld foulis on the vther part,
Did play the counterpane:
Abusing, and vsing,
The small fouls at thair will,
But treitie, or pitie,
Not sparing it to spill.
Sum fled for feir to saue them sels,
And vther sum with zouts and zels,
Maist cairfully did cry,
Gif thay had caus our selfis may iuge,
Seing that thair was na refuge,
How that thay micht win by:
Bot as the foular casts his cair,
His catch for to preuent,
So thay war trapit in the snair,
Into ane accident:
Still wating, and gating,
Quhyll thay war all oretane,
Dispaching, and knashing,
In ordour, ane and ane.
And vther sum with zouts and zels,
Maist cairfully did cry,
Gif thay had caus our selfis may iuge,
Seing that thair was na refuge,
How that thay micht win by:
Bot as the foular casts his cair,
His catch for to preuent,
Into ane accident:
Still wating, and gating,
Quhyll thay war all oretane,
Dispaching, and knashing,
In ordour, ane and ane.
Than struke ane terror in my mynd,
For to persaue, thir pure beists pynd,
Quhilk micht make na debait,
Gret broucherie and bludshed maid,
About the pairt, quhair I abaid,
Sick wes thair wofull stait:
Astonisht I stud, trymbling thair,
Forfant, for verie feir,
And as the sillie huntit hair,
From ratchis maks reteir:
Quhylis rysing, quhylis vysing,
Quhylis saying to my sell,
My stait now, and gait now,
apeirs to pas to hell.
For to persaue, thir pure beists pynd,
Quhilk micht make na debait,
Gret broucherie and bludshed maid,
About the pairt, quhair I abaid,
Sick wes thair wofull stait:
Astonisht I stud, trymbling thair,
Forfant, for verie feir,
And as the sillie huntit hair,
From ratchis maks reteir:
Quhylis rysing, quhylis vysing,
Quhylis saying to my sell,
My stait now, and gait now,
apeirs to pas to hell.
I thocht I ay descendit doun,
And so for feir, I fell a soun,
But mouing sens or sicht,
For feir, and quhat for laik of fude,
My body empty wes of blude:
In me thair wes na micht:
My spreit perturbit wes so sair,
With vysions and with dreims,
That I lay comfortles in cair,
In troubils and extreims:
Quhylis demyng, quylis dremyng,
I lay into ane trance,
Quhylis panyng, quhylis vanyng,
So sudden wes my chance.
And so for feir, I fell a soun,
But mouing sens or sicht,
For feir, and quhat for laik of fude,
My body empty wes of blude:
In me thair wes na micht:
My spreit perturbit wes so sair,
With vysions and with dreims,
That I lay comfortles in cair,
In troubils and extreims:
Quhylis demyng, quylis dremyng,
I lay into ane trance,
Quhylis panyng, quhylis vanyng,
So sudden wes my chance.
My febill corps, did faint richt soune,
For I saw neither sun nor moune,
No planets did apeir,
Quhat stakren stait, was this to me,
To be in sick obscuritie,
Gif this wes paine I speir:
Than softlie did I suoufe and sleipe,
Howbeid my bed wes hard,
Into ane den profound and deipe,
Quhair I with nane wes scard:
Radoting, starnoting,
As wearie men will do,
Supyring, quhiles wyring,
My tender bodie to.
For I saw neither sun nor moune,
No planets did apeir,
Quhat stakren stait, was this to me,
To be in sick obscuritie,
Gif this wes paine I speir:
Than softlie did I suoufe and sleipe,
Howbeid my bed wes hard,
Into ane den profound and deipe,
Quhair I with nane wes scard:
Radoting, starnoting,
As wearie men will do,
Supyring, quhiles wyring,
My tender bodie to.
FINIS. Heir endeth the first Passage of the Pilgrimer.
BE HONOR I LEVE.
| To the Richt High Lodvvik Duke of Lenox | |