 | To the Richt High Lodvvik Duke of Lenox |  |
Now answers Venus to Pamphilus.
Than Venvs speikis vnto this lufer boy,
Against grete labour nothing can resist,
For ony maid or lasse ye may inioy,
With warke and labour gif ye like or list,
Eschame not then nor feir not till incist,
To schaw thy mind to quhome thou wald apply,
Scarce of a thousand ane I wald thou wist,
Sall giue the na say with ane plaine denie.
Against grete labour nothing can resist,
For ony maid or lasse ye may inioy,
With warke and labour gif ye like or list,
Eschame not then nor feir not till incist,
To schaw thy mind to quhome thou wald apply,
Scarce of a thousand ane I wald thou wist,
Sall giue the na say with ane plaine denie.
Sche quhome thou seikis with praier till intrait,
Fra thy desire perchance will change hir eir,
Bot not regard hir carlage rouch consait,
Seeing the burding is bot light to beir,
The wicked byer on his backe dois beir,
That sorte of marchandrise to schange and sell,
Quhilk first the seller by ane aith did sweir,
Nocht for to haife as he the truth did tell.
Fra thy desire perchance will change hir eir,
Bot not regard hir carlage rouch consait,
Seeing the burding is bot light to beir,
The wicked byer on his backe dois beir,
That sorte of marchandrise to schange and sell,
Nocht for to haife as he the truth did tell.
To sail the Sea men wald not be content,
Gif that thair harts, for feir suld faint and fail,
Quhair raging wauis and waters turbilent,
Gainestandis the schip, and dois the same assail:
Than gif thou seest sche fauours not thy tail,
Euin at the first vpoun ane suddentie,
Be bissie than, to win hir fauour hail,
With craftie art and great subtilitie.
Gif that thair harts, for feir suld faint and fail,
Quhair raging wauis and waters turbilent,
Gainestandis the schip, and dois the same assail:
Than gif thou seest sche fauours not thy tail,
Euin at the first vpoun ane suddentie,
Be bissie than, to win hir fauour hail,
With craftie art and great subtilitie.
Craft breks mens minds thocht thay astray be boun,
And touns destrois thocht thay be strang and wicht
Castels throw craft are strucken and dung doun,
Likewais by craft, the burding is maid licht:
Fisches are tane by craft, and subtil slicht,
Beneith the fludis and waters that dois fleit,
Also by craft, men ryns baith day and nicht,
Drie fute on Sea, but waknes or but weit.
And touns destrois thocht thay be strang and wicht
Castels throw craft are strucken and dung doun,
Likewais by craft, the burding is maid licht:
Fisches are tane by craft, and subtil slicht,
Beneith the fludis and waters that dois fleit,
Also by craft, men ryns baith day and nicht,
Drie fute on Sea, but waknes or but weit.
Ye craft and office, with ane subtill tred,
Helpis mony things, that wald returne to wrack,
Pure men oft times are nutrefeit and fed,
Vpoun the simple schift quhilk they may make:
Howbeit ane Prence despite and malice take,
By craft his spite to pleasour may appeir,
Ane giltie man by craft stands stout and fracke,
Preseruing baith his body and his geir.
Helpis mony things, that wald returne to wrack,
Pure men oft times are nutrefeit and fed,
Vpoun the simple schift quhilk they may make:
Howbeit ane Prence despite and malice take,
By craft his spite to pleasour may appeir,
Ane giltie man by craft stands stout and fracke,
Preseruing baith his body and his geir.
The rich man now reioysis ye may se,
Quho wont before to sing dame Purtethis sang,
And now on horsebacke he is montit he,
Quha on his fute befoire wes wont to gang:
Things that by Parents na wais did belang,
Bot be dame Fortune that maist noble dame,
This craft and office hes giuin for ane fang,
Vnto the exerciser of the sam.
Quho wont before to sing dame Purtethis sang,
And now on horsebacke he is montit he,
Quha on his fute befoire wes wont to gang:
Things that by Parents na wais did belang,
Bot be dame Fortune that maist noble dame,
This craft and office hes giuin for ane fang,
Perchance gif that thou seis sche disobay,
To do your dewty quhilk with pains ye wan,
Zit not the les, see thou be ready ay,
To serue and please hir so far as ye can:
Be this remeid, I think ye may and man,
Your lemens strife, and boste orecum the more,
And so ane lufer ye obtaine sall than,
Quho to you did profes ane foe before.
To do your dewty quhilk with pains ye wan,
Zit not the les, see thou be ready ay,
To serue and please hir so far as ye can:
Be this remeid, I think ye may and man,
Your lemens strife, and boste orecum the more,
And so ane lufer ye obtaine sall than,
Quho to you did profes ane foe before.
Into those placis quhair sche hantis or bourdis,
Or hes maist hanting so far as ye se,
Pretend ye thair to feid thame with fair wourdis
With merry mowis and sportis that plesant be:
Youtheheid lufes blithnes, and sweit melody,
With sporting wourdis best seruing thair behoofe,
This drawis the harts of young men halilie,
Fast for til enter in the snaris of lufe.
Or hes maist hanting so far as ye se,
Pretend ye thair to feid thame with fair wourdis
With merry mowis and sportis that plesant be:
Youtheheid lufes blithnes, and sweit melody,
With sporting wourdis best seruing thair behoofe,
This drawis the harts of young men halilie,
Fast for til enter in the snaris of lufe.
Schaw thou thy selfe, so sal thou not be deimd,
With visage blyth, quhilk wil content hir best,
For ay ane man the lustier is esteimd,
The mair with blythnes that he be possest:
See thou be not ouer quiet or degest,
Naither thy toung superfluously apply,
For damisels are euer mair adrest,
Thy countenance and gesture till espy.
With visage blyth, quhilk wil content hir best,
For ay ane man the lustier is esteimd,
The mair with blythnes that he be possest:
See thou be not ouer quiet or degest,
Naither thy toung superfluously apply,
For damisels are euer mair adrest,
Thy countenance and gesture till espy.
Sweit modestie and plesant talke procuris,
And lufe dois nutrifie as all men seis,
For plesant talke not onely harts alluris,
Bot cruell minds dois metegat and meis:
Gif place be grantit than quhair euer it beis,
Proceid with courage baith to skeip and loup,
Sche sall nocht onely thee propine and pleis,
Bot gif thee that, of quhilk thou had na houp.
And lufe dois nutrifie as all men seis,
For plesant talke not onely harts alluris,
Bot cruell minds dois metegat and meis:
Gif place be grantit than quhair euer it beis,
Proceid with courage baith to skeip and loup,
Sche sall nocht onely thee propine and pleis,
Bot gif thee that, of quhilk thou had na houp.
Shamefastnes not permits hir till espire,
To seike that thing quhiilk sche wald fainest bie,
Bot that quhairof sche hes ane maist disire.
That samin thing sche titest will denie.
Sche thinkes it is mair honester say I,
Be force and strength her maidinhead to tine,
Nor for to say I plainely wil applie,
Cum do your will and so the shame war mine.
To seike that thing quhiilk sche wald fainest bie,
Bot that quhairof sche hes ane maist disire.
That samin thing sche titest will denie.
Sche thinkes it is mair honester say I,
Be force and strength her maidinhead to tine,
Nor for to say I plainely wil applie,
Cum do your will and so the shame war mine.
Beware my counsail heir I will thee len,
Gif thou to litle domiscill succeid,
Se thou conseale and na waies let her ken,
Thy pouertie necessitie or neid,
But diligence we see driues ouer indeid,
Ane honest life thocht thair be litle geir,
And can cloke ouer hir teares in time of steid,
With cheirfull countenance for till appeir.
Gif thou to litle domiscill succeid,
Se thou conseale and na waies let her ken,
Thy pouertie necessitie or neid,
But diligence we see driues ouer indeid,
Ane honest life thocht thair be litle geir,
And can cloke ouer hir teares in time of steid,
With cheirfull countenance for till appeir.
By thy behauiour and thy wordis but dout,
Thou maist esteeme thy selfe for to be fine,
For hap and chance oftimes we se fall out,
Vpon an small industrie and ingine,
Men in the warld haue money things be line,
Quhilk to their nichbours not the same recordis,
Be this I say ye may consider sine,
How mony to hir qualities accordis.
Thou maist esteeme thy selfe for to be fine,
For hap and chance oftimes we se fall out,
Vpon an small industrie and ingine,
Men in the warld haue money things be line,
Quhilk to their nichbours not the same recordis,
Be this I say ye may consider sine,
How mony to hir qualities accordis.
Quhiles lesings helps as we may se our sell,
And be that mene sum makes thair profit weill,
Hurtful it is somtime the truth to tell,
And in al things the veritie to reueile,
Se that great gifts thou distribute and deale.
To seruand men and handmaids of her house.
Namely to sic as of her hes best feile,
And can perswade her with sweete wordes and dous.
And be that mene sum makes thair profit weill,
Hurtful it is somtime the truth to tell,
And in al things the veritie to reueile,
Se that great gifts thou distribute and deale.
To seruand men and handmaids of her house.
Namely to sic as of her hes best feile,
And can perswade her with sweete wordes and dous.
Se so thou doe for this cause and behoofe,
That thay of thee may make report at hame,
And feid thy lustie Lady and thy lufe,
With lufing praises to thy laud and fame:
Quhile sche excogitatis and weis the schame,
And hes the ballance present in hir hand,
Quhither sche mindis for til fulfill the same,
Or quhither sche the samin will gainstand.
And feid thy lustie Lady and thy lufe,
With lufing praises to thy laud and fame:
Quhile sche excogitatis and weis the schame,
And hes the ballance present in hir hand,
Quhither sche mindis for til fulfill the same,
Or quhither sche the samin will gainstand.
Than bissie be to tire hir with assais,
For so the bad, that blindit artchour boy,
Thou being victor, be thir menis and wais,
In schorter space, thy lufe thou sal inioy:
The mind of man, gets mony tost and toy,
Quhiles heir, quhiles thair, bewrapit round about,
In paine, perplexity, and gret anoy,
Ay quhile he leuis and lies into this dout.
For so the bad, that blindit artchour boy,
Thou being victor, be thir menis and wais,
In schorter space, thy lufe thou sal inioy:
The mind of man, gets mony tost and toy,
Quhiles heir, quhiles thair, bewrapit round about,
In paine, perplexity, and gret anoy,
Ay quhile he leuis and lies into this dout.
Sum trinschman true, man in this mater mell,
Quho wald content you baith, for litle hier,
And in this mater, quietly culd tell,
Quhat war the thing, that baith ye did desier:
Inuious age, ay subject vntill Ier,
The deids of young men, dois serch out and seik,
And angry age, subiect to flite and flyer,
Forbids young men, sic purposis to speik.
Quho wald content you baith, for litle hier,
And in this mater, quietly culd tell,
Quhat war the thing, that baith ye did desier:
Inuious age, ay subject vntill Ier,
The deids of young men, dois serch out and seik,
And angry age, subiect to flite and flyer,
Forbids young men, sic purposis to speik.
Begin, for time hes giuin, and sall gif yit,
Things, that by expectatioun sall appeir,
No lufe sall be, in that place, I promit,
Quhairin ye mister, for to dout or feir:
I say na mair, and thairfoir gif gud eir,
Tak tent to win your lufe, that disobais,
The warke begun, sall schaw the selfe maist cleir,
And sall proceid, ane thousand sindry wais.
Things, that by expectatioun sall appeir,
No lufe sall be, in that place, I promit,
Quhairin ye mister, for to dout or feir:
I say na mair, and thairfoir gif gud eir,
Tak tent to win your lufe, that disobais,
The warke begun, sall schaw the selfe maist cleir,
And sall proceid, ane thousand sindry wais.
| To the Richt High Lodvvik Duke of Lenox | |