The Kingis Quair Together with a Ballad of Good Counsel: By King James I. of Scotland. Edited by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat |
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 | The Kingis Quair |  |
1
THE KINGIS QUAIR
3
Heirefter followis the quair Maid be King Iames of scotland
the first callit the kingis quair and Maid
quhen his Maiestie Wes In Ingland.
1
Heigh In the hevynnis figure circulereThe rody sterres twynklyng as the fyre;
And, In Aquary, Citherea the clere
Rynsid hir tressis like the goldin wyre,
That late tofore, In fair and fresche atyre,
Through capricorn heved hir hornis bright,
North northward approchit the myd-nyght;
2
Quhen as I lay In bed allone waking,New partit out of slepe a lyte tofore,
Fell me to mynd of many diuerse thing,
Off this and that; can I noght say quharfore,
Bot slepe for craft in erth myght I no more;
For quhich as tho coude I no better wyle,
Bot toke a boke to rede apon a quhile:
3
Off quhich the name Is clepit properlyBoece, eftere him that was the compiloure,
Schewing [the] counsele of philosophye,
Compilit by that noble senatoure
Off rome, quhilom that was the warldis floure,
And from estatë by fortune a quhile
Foriugit was to pouert in exile:
4
And there to here this worthy lord and clerk,His metir suete, full of moralitee;
His flourit pen so fair he set a-werk,
4
And out of that his infelicitee;
And than how he, in his poetly report,
In philosophy can him to confort.
5
For quhich thoght I in purpose, at my boke,To borowe a slepe at thilkë tyme began;
Or euer I stent, my best was more to loke
Vpon the writing of this noble man,
That in him-self the full recouer wan
Off his Infortune, pouert, and distresse,
And in tham set his verray sekernesse.
6
And so the vertew of his ȝouth beforeWas in his age the ground of his delytis:
Fortune the bak him turnyt, and therfore
He makith Ioye and confort, that he quit is
Off theire vnsekir warldis appetitis;
And so aworth he takith his penance,
And of his vertew maid It suffisance:
7
With mony a noble resoun, as him likit,Enditing In his fairë latyne tong,
So full of fruyte, and rethorikly pykit,
Quhich to declare my scole is ouer ȝong;
Therefore I lat him pas, and, in my tong,
Procede I will agayn to my sentence
Off my mater, and leue all Incidence.
8
The long[ë] nyght beholding, as I saide,Myn eyën gan to smert for studying;
My buke I schet, and at my hede It laide;
And doun I lay bot ony tarying,
This matere new[ë] In my mynd rolling;
5
As fortune lykith, thame will [oft] translate.
9
For sothe It is, that, on hir tolter quhele,Euery wight cleuerith In his stage,
And failyng foting oft, quhen hir lest rele,
Sum vp, sum doun, Is non estate nor age
Ensured, more the pryncë than the page:
So vncouthly hir werdes sche deuidith,
Namly In ȝouth, that seildin ought prouidith.
10
Among thir thoughtis rolling to and fro,Fell me to mynd of my fortune and vre;
In tender ȝouth how sche was first my fo,
And eft my frende, and how I gat recure
Off my distresse, and all myn auenture
I gan oure-hayle, that langer slepe ne rest
Ne myght I nat, so were my wittis wrest.
11
For-wakit and for-walowit, thus musing,Wery, forlyin, I lestnyt sodaynlye,
And sone I herd the bell to matyns ryng,
And vp I rase, no langer wald I lye:
Bot now, how trowe ȝe? suich a fantasye
Fell me to mynd, that ay me thoght the bell
Said to me, “tell on, man, quhat the befell.”
12
Thoght I tho to my-self, “quhat may this be?This is myn awin ymagynacioun;
It is no lyf that spekis vnto me;
It is a bell, or that impressioun
Off my thoght causith this Illusioun,
That dooth me think so nycely in this wise;”
And so befell as I schall ȝou deuise.
6
13
Determyt furth therewith In myn entent,Sen I thus haue ymagynit of this soun,
And in my tyme more Ink and paper spent
To lyte effect, I tuke conclusioun
Sum new[ë] thing to write; I set me doun,
And furth-with-all my pen In hand I tuke,
And maid a ✗, and thus begouth my buke.
14
Thou [sely] ȝouth, of nature Indegest,Vnrypit fruyte with windis variable;
Like to the bird that fed is on the nest,
And can noght flee; of wit wayke and vnstable,
To fortune both and to Infortune hable;
Wist thou thy payne to cum and thy trauaille,
For sorow and drede wele myght thou wepe and waille.
15
Thus stant thy confort In vnsekernesse,And wantis It that suld the reule and gye:
Ryght as the schip that sailith sterëles
Vpon the rok[kis] most to harmes hye,
For lak of It that suld bene hir supplye;
So standis thou here In this warldis rage,
And wantis that suld gyde all thy viage.
16
I mene this by my-self, as In partye;Though nature gave me suffisance In ȝouth,
The rypenesse of resoun [ȝit] lak[it] I,
To gouerne with my will; so lyte I couth,
Quhen sterëles to trauaile I begouth,
Amang the wawis of this warld to driue;
And how the case, anon I will discriue.
7
17
With doutfull hert, amang the rokkis blake,My feble bote full fast to stere and rowe,
Helples allone, the wynter nyght I wake,
To wayte the wynd that furthward suld me throwe.
O empti saile! quhare is the wynd suld blowe
Me to the port, quhar gynneth all my game?
Help, Calyope, and wynd, in Marye name!
18
The rokkis clepe I the prolixiteeOff doubilnesse that doith my wittis pall:
The lak of wynd is the deficultee
In enditing of this lytill trety small:
The bote I clepe the mater hole of all:
My wit vnto the saile that now I wynd,
To seke connyng, though I bot lytill fynd.
19
At my begynnyng first I clepe and callTo ȝow, Cleo, and to ȝow, polymye,
With Thesiphone, goddis and sistris all,
In nowmer ix., as bokis specifye;
In this processe my wilsum wittis gye;
And with ȝour bryght lanternis wele conuoye
My pen, to write my turment and my Ioye!
20
In vere, that full of vertu is and gude,Quhen nature first begynneth hir enprise,
That quhilum was be cruell frost and flude
And schouris scharp opprest In many wyse,
And Synthius [be]gynneth to aryse
Heigh in the est, a morow soft and suete,
Vpward his course to driue In ariete:
21
Passit mydday bot fourë greis evin,Off lenth and brede his angel wingis bryght
He spred vpon the ground doun fro the hevin;
8
And with the tiklyng of his hete and light,
The tender flouris opnyt thame and sprad;
And, in thaire nature, thankit him for glad.
22
Noght fer passit the state of Innocence,Bot nere about the nowmer of ȝeris thre,
Were It causit throu hevinly Influence
Off goddis will, or othir casualtee,
Can I noght say; bot out of my contree,
By thaire avise that had of me the cure,
Be see to pas, tuke I myn auenture.
23
Puruait of all that was vs necessarye,With wynd at will, vp airly by the morowe,
Streight vnto schip, no longere wold we tarye,
The way we tuke, the tyme I tald to-forowe;
With mony “fare wele” and “sanct Iohne to borowe”
Off falowe and frende; and thus with one assent
We pullit vp saile, and furth oure wayis went.
24
Vpon the wawis weltering to and fro,So infortunate was vs that fremyt day,
That maugre, playnly, quhethir we wold or no,
With strong hand, [as] by forse, schortly to say,
Off Inymyis takin and led away
We weren all, and broght in thaire contree;
Fortune It schupe non othir wayis to be.
25
Quhare as In strayte ward and in strong prisoun,So fer-forth, of my lyf the heuy lyne,
Without confort, in sorowe abandoun,
The secund sistere lukit hath to twyne,
Nere by the space of ȝeris twise nyne;
9
And send confort in relesche of my smert.
26
Quhare as In ward full oft I wold bewailleMy dedely lyf, full of peyne and penance,
Saing ryght thus, quhat haue I gilt to faille
My fredome in this warld and my plesance?
Sen euery wight has thereof suffisance,
That I behold, and I a creature
Put from all this—hard Is myn auenture!
27
The bird, the beste, the fisch eke In the see,They lyve in fredome euerich In his kynd;
And I a man, and lakkith libertee;
Quhat schall I seyne, quhat resoun may I fynd,
That fortune suld do so? thus In my mynd
My folk I wold argewe, bot all for noght;
Was non that myght, that on my peynes rought.
28
Than wold I say, “gif god me had deuisitTo lyve my lyf in thraldome thus and pyne,
Quhat was the cause that he [me] more comprisit
Than othir folk to lyve in suich ruyne?
I suffer allone amang the figuris nyne,
Ane wofull wrecche that to no wight may spede,
And ȝit of euery lyvis help hath nede.”
29
The long[ë] dayes and the nyghtis ekeI wold bewaille my fortune in this wise,
For quhich, agane distresse confort to seke,
My custum was on mornis for to ryse
Airly as day; o happy excercise!
By the come I to Ioye out of turment.
Bot now to purpose of my first entent:—
10
30
Bewailing In my chamber thus allone,Despeired of all Ioye and remedye,
For-tirit of my thoght, and wo begone,
Unto the wyndow gan I walk In hye,
To se the warld and folk that went forby;
As for the tyme, though I of mirthis fude
Myght haue no more, to luke It did me gude.
31
Now was there maid fast by the touris wallA gardyn faire, and in the corneris set
Ane herbere grene, with wandis long and small
Railit about; and so with treis set
Was all the place, and hawthorn hegis knet,
That lyf was non walking there forby,
That myght within scarse ony wight aspye.
32
So thik the bewis and the leues greneBeschadit all the aleyes that there were,
And myddis euery herbere myght be sene
That scharp[ë] grenë suetë Ienepere,
Growing so faire with branchis here and there,
That, as It semyt to a lyf without,
The bewis spred the herbere all about;
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And on the small[ë] grenë twistis satThe lytill suetë nyghtingale, and song
So loud and clere, the ympnis consecrat
Off lufis vse, now soft, now lowd among,
That all the gardyng and the wallis rong
Ryght of thaire song, and on the copill next
Off thaire suete armony, and lo the text:
Cantus.
34
“Worschippë, ȝe that loueris bene, this may,For of ȝour blisse the kalendis are begonne,
And sing with vs, away, winter, away!
11
Awake for schame! that haue ȝour hevynnis wonne,
And amorously lift vp ȝour hedis all,
Thank lufe that list ȝou to his merci call.”
35
Quhen thai this song had song a lytill thrawe,Thai stent a quhile, and therewith vnaffraid,
As I beheld and kest myn eyne a-lawe,
From beugh to beugh thay hippit and thai plaid,
And freschly in thaire birdis kynd arraid
Thaire fetheris new, and fret thame In the sonne,
And thankit lufe, that had thaire makis wonne.
36
This was the planë ditee of thaire note,And there-with-all vnto my-self I thoght,
“Quhat lyf is this, that makis birdis dote?
Quhat may this be, how cummyth It of ought?
Quhat nedith It to be so dere ybought?
It is nothing, trowe I, bot feynit chere,
And that men list to counterfeten chere.”
37
Eft wald I think; “o lord, quhat may this be?That lufe is of so noble myght and kynde,
Lufing his folk, and suich prosperitee
Is It of him, as we in bukis fynd?
May he oure hertes setten and vnbynd?
Hath he vpon oure hertis suich maistrye?
Or all this is bot feynyt fantasye!
38
For gif he be of so grete excellence,That he of euery wight hath cure and charge,
Quhat haue I gilt to him or doon offense,
That I am thrall, and birdis gone at large,
Sen him to serue he myght set my corage?
12
Quhat makis folk to Iangill of him In veyne?
39
Can I noght elles fynd, bot gif that heBe lord, and as a god may lyue and regne,
To bynd and louse, and maken thrallis free,
Than wold I pray his blisfull grace benigne,
To hable me vnto his seruice digne;
And euermore for to be one of tho
Him trewly for to serue In wele and wo.
40
And there-with kest I doun myn eye ageyne,Quhare as I sawe, walking vnder the toure,
Full secretly new cummyn hir to pleyne,
The fairest or the freschest ȝong[ë] floure
That euer I sawe, me thoght, before that houre,
For quhich sodayn abate, anon astert
The blude of all my body to my hert.
41
And though I stude abaisit tho a lyte,No wonder was; for-quhy my wittis all
Were so ouercom with plesance and delyte,
Onely throu latting of myn eyën fall,
That sudaynly my hert became hir thrall,
For euer, of free wyll; for of manace
There was no takyn In hir suetë face.
42
And In my hede I drewe ryght hastily,And eft-sonës I lent It forth ageyne,
And sawe hir walk, that verray womanly,
With no wight mo, bot onely wommen tueyne.
Than gan I studye in my-self and seyne,
“A! suete, ar ȝe a warldly creature,
Or hevinly thing in likenesse of nature?
13
43
Or ar ȝe god Cupidis owin princesse,And cummyn are to louse me out of band?
Or ar ȝe verray nature the goddesse,
That haue depaynted with ȝour hevinly hand
This gardyn full of flouris, as they stand?
Quhat sall I think, allace! quhat reuerence
Sall I min[i]ster to ȝour excellence?
44
Gif ȝe a goddesse be, and that ȝe likeTo do me payne, I may It noght astert;
Gif ȝe be warldly wight, that dooth me sike,
Quhy lest god mak ȝou so, my derrest hert,
To do a sely prisoner thus smert,
That lufis ȝow all, and wote of noght bot wo?
And therefor, merci, suete! sen It is so.”
45
Quhen I a lytill thrawe had maid my moon,Bewailling myn infortune and my chance,
Vnknawin how or quhat was best to doon,
So ferre I-fallyng Into lufis dance,
That sodeynly my wit, my contenance,
My hert, my will, my nature, and my mynd,
Was changit clene ryght In an-othir kynd.
46
Off hir array the form gif I sall write,Toward hir goldin haire and rich atyre
In fret-wise couchit [was] with perllis quhite
And gretë balas lemyng as the fyre,
With mony ane emeraut and faire saphire;
And on hir hede a chaplet fresch of hewe,
Off plumys partit rede, and quhite, and blewe;
47
Full of quaking spangis bryght as gold,Forgit of schap like to the amorettis,
So new, so fresch, so plesant to behold,
14
And othir of schap like to the [round crokettis],
And, aboue all this, there was, wele I wote,
Beautee eneuch to mak a world to dote.
48
About hir nek, quhite as the fyre amaille,A gudely cheyne of smale orfeuerye,
Quhareby there hang a ruby, without faille,
Lyke to ane hert[ë] schapin verily,
That, as a sperk of lowe, so wantonly
Semyt birnyng vpon hir quhytë throte;
Now gif there was gud partye, god It wote!
49
And forto walk that freschë mayes morowe,An huke sche had vpon hir tissew quhite,
That gudeliare had noght bene sene toforowe,
As I suppose; and girt sche was a lyte;
Thus halflyng louse for haste, to suich delyte
It was to see hir ȝouth In gudelihede,
That for rudenes to speke thereof I drede.
50
In hir was ȝouth, beautee, with humble aport,Bountee, richesse, and wommanly facture,
God better wote than my pen can report:
Wisedome, largesse, estate, and connyng sure
In euery poynt so guydit hir mesure,
In word, in dede, in schap, in contenance,
That nature myght no more hir childe auance.
51
Throw quhich anon I knew and vnderstudeWele, that sche was a warldly creature;
On quhom to rest myn eyë, so mich gude
It did my wofull hert, I ȝow assure,
That It was to me Ioye without mesure;
15
I threwe furthwith, and said thir versis sevin:
52
“O venus clere! of goddis stellifyit!To quhom I ȝelde homage and sacrifise,
Fro this day forth ȝour grace be magnifyit,
That me ressauit haue in suich [a] wise,
To lyve vnder ȝour law and do seruise;
Now help me furth, and for ȝour merci lede
My hert to rest, that deis nere for drede.”
53
Quhen I with gude entent this orisounThus endit had, I stynt a lytill stound;
And eft myn eye full pitously adoun
I kest, behalding vnto hir lytill hound,
That with his bellis playit on the ground;
Than wold I say, and sigh there-with a lyte,
“A! wele were him that now were In thy plyte!”
54
An-othir quhile the lytill nyghtingale,That sat apon the twiggis, wold I chide,
And say ryght thus; “quhare are thy notis smale,
That thou of loue has song this morowe-tyde?
Seis thou noght hire that sittis the besyde?
For Venus sake, the blisfull goddesse clere,
Sing on agane, and mak my lady chere.
55
And eke I pray, for all the paynes grete,That, for the loue of proigne thy sister dere,
Thou sufferit quhilom, quhen thy brestis wete
Were with the teres of thyne eyën clere,
All bludy ronne; that pitee was to here
The crueltee of that vnknyghtly dede,
Quhare was fro the bereft thy maidenhede,
16
56
Lift vp thyne hert, and sing with gude entent;And in thy notis suete the treson telle,
That to thy sister trewe and Innocent
Was kythit by hir husband false and fell;
For quhois gilt, as It is worthy wel,
Chide thir husbandis that are false, I say,
And bid thame mend, In the twenty deuil way.
57
O lytill wrecch, allace! maist thou noght seQuho commyth ȝond? Is It now tyme to wring?
Quhat sory thoght is fallin vpon the?
Opyn thy throte; hastow no lest to sing?
Allace! sen thou of reson had felyng,
Now, suetë bird, say ones to me ‘pepe;’
I dee for wo; me think thou gynnis slepe.
58
Hastow no mynde of lufe? quhare is thy make?Or artow seke, or smyt with Ielousye?
Or Is sche dede, or hath sche the forsake?
Quhat is the cause of thy malancolye,
That thou no more list maken melodye?
Sluggart, for schame! lo here thy goldin houre,
That worth were hale all thy lyvis laboure!
59
Gyf thou suld sing wele euer in thy lyve,Here is, in fay, the tyme, and eke the space:
Quhat wostow than? sum bird may cum and stryve
In song with the, the maistry to purchace.
Suld thou than cesse, It were grete schame, allace!
And here, to wyn gree happily for euer,
Here is the tyme to syng, or ellis neuer.”
60
I thoght eke thus, gif I my handis clap,Or gif I cast, than will sche flee away;
And gif I hald my pes, than will sche nap;
17
Thus, quhat is best, wate I noght be this day:
“Bot blawe wynd, blawe, and do the leuis schake,
That sum twig may wag, and mak hir to wake.”
61
With that anon ryght [sc]he toke vp a sang,Quhare come anon mo birdis and alight;
Bot than, to here the mirth was tham amang,
Ouer that to, to see the suetë sicht
Off hyr ymage, my spirit was so light,
Me thoght I flawe for Ioye without arest,
So were my wittis boundin all to fest.
62
And to the notis of the philomene,Quhilkis sche sang, the ditee there I maid
Direct to hire that was my hertis quene,
Withoutin quhom no songis may me glade;
And to that sanct, [there] walking in the schade,
My bedis thus, with humble hert entere,
Deuotly [than] I said on this manere.
63
“Quhen sall ȝour merci rew vpon ȝour man,Quhois seruice is ȝit vncouth vnto ȝow?
Sen, quhen ȝe go, ther is noght ellis than:
Bot, hert! quhere as the body may noght throu,
Folow thy hevin! quho suld be glad bot thou
That suich a gyde to folow has vndertake?
Were It throu hell, the way thou noght forsake!”
64
And efter this, the birdis euerichoneTuke vp an othir sang full loud and clere,
And with a voce said, “wele is vs begone,
That with oure makis are togider here;
We proyne and play without dout and dangere,
All clothit In a soyte full fresch and newe,
In lufis seruice besy, glad, and trewe.
18
65
And ȝe, fresche may, ay mercifull to bridis,Now welcum be ȝe, floure of monethis all;
For noght onely ȝour grace vpon vs bydis,
Bot all the warld to witnes this we call,
That strowit hath so playnly ouer all
With new[ë] freschë suete and tender grene,
Oure lyf, oure lust, oure gouernoure, oure quene.”
66
This was thair song, as semyt me full heye,With full mony vncouth suete note and schill,
And therewith-all that faire vpward hir eye
Wold cast amang, as It was goddis will,
Quhare I myght se, standing allane full still,
The faire facture that nature, for maistrye,
In hir visage wroght had full lufingly.
67
And, quhen sche walkit had a lytill thraweVnder the suetë grenë bewis bent,
Hir faire fresche face, as quhite as ony snawe,
Scho turnyt has, and furth hir wayis went;
Bot tho began myn axis and turment,
To sene hir part, and folowe I na myght;
Me thoght the day was turnyt into nyght.
68
Than said I thus, “quhare [un]to lyve I langer?Wofullest wicht, and subiect vnto peyne;
Of peyne? no: god wote, ȝa: for thay no stranger
May wirken ony wight, I dare wele seyne.
How may this be, that deth and lyf, bothe tueyne,
Sall bothe atonis in a creature
Togidder duell, and turment thus nature?
69
I may noght ellis done bot wepe and waile,With-In thir cald[ë] wallis thus I-lokin;
From henn[e]sfurth my rest is my trauaile;
19
And on my-self bene al my harmys wrokin:
Thus bute is none; bot venus, of hir grace,
Will schape remede, or do my spirit pace.
70
As Tantalus I trauaile ay but-les,That euer ylikë hailith at the well
Water to draw with buket botemles,
And may noght spede; quhois penance is an hell:
So by my-self this tale I may wele telle,
For vnto hir that herith noght I pleyne;
Thus like to him my trauaile Is In veyne.”
71
So sore thus sighit I with my-self allone,That turnyt is my strenth In febilnesse,
My wele in wo, my frendis all in fone,
My lyf in deth, my lyght into dirknesse,
My hope in feer, in dout my sekirnesse;
Sen sche is gone: and god mote hir conuoye,
That me may gyde to turment and to Ioye!
72
The long[ë] day thus gan I prye and poure,Till phebus endit had his bemes bryght,
And bad go farewele euery lef and floure,
This is to say, approch[en] gan the nyght,
And Esperus his lampis gan to light;
Quhen in the wyndow, still as any stone,
I bade at lenth, and, kneling, maid my mone.
73
So lang till evin, for lak of myght and mynd,For-wepit and for-pleynit pitously,
Ourset so sorow had bothe hert and mynd,
That to the cold[ë] stone my hede on wrye
I laid, and lent, amaisit verily,
Half sleping and half suoun, In suich a wise:
And quhat I met, I will ȝou now deuise.
20
74
Me thoght that thus all sodeynly a lyghtIn at the wyndow come quhare that I lent,
Off quhich the chambere-wyndow schone full bryght,
And all my body so It hath ouerwent,
That of my sicht the vertew hale Iblent;
And that with-all a voce vnto me saide,
“I bring the confort and hele, be noght affrayde.”
75
And furth anon It passit sodeynly,Quher It come In, the ryght[ë] way ageyne,
And sone, me thoght, furth at the dure in hye
I went my weye, nas nothing me ageyne;
And hastily, by bothe the armes tueyne,
I was araisit vp in-to the aire,
Clippit in a cloude of cristall clere and faire.
76
Ascending vpward ay fro spere to spere,Through aire and watere and the hotë fyre,
Till that I come vnto the circle clere
Off Signifere, quhare fairë, bryght, and schire,
The signis schone; and In the glade empire
Off blisfull venus, [quhar] ane cryit now
So sudaynly, almost I wist noght how.
77
Off quhich the place, quhen [as] I com there nye,Was all, me thoght, of cristall stonis wroght,
And to the port I liftit was In hye,
Quhare sodaynly, as quho sais at a thoght,
It opnyt, and I was anon In broght
Within a chamber, largë, rowm, and faire;
And there I fand of peple grete repaire.
78
This Is to seyne, that present in that placeMe thoght I sawe of euery nacioun
Loueris that endit [had] thaire lyfis space
21
Off quhois chancis maid is mencioun
In diuerse bukis, quho thame list to se;
And therefore here thaire namys lat I be.
79
The quhois auenture and grete labourisAboue thaire hedis writin there I fand;
This is to seyne, martris and confessouris,
Ech in his stage, and his make in his hand;
And therewith-all thir peple sawe I stand,
With mony a solemp[ni]t contenance,
After as lufe thame lykit to auance.
80
Off gude folkis, that faire In lufe befill,There saw I sitt In order by thame one
With hedis hore; and with thame stude gude-will
To talk and play; and after that anon
Besydis thame and next there saw I gone
Curage, amang the freschë folkis ȝong,
And with thame playit full merily and song.
81
And In ane othir stage, endlong the wall,There saw I stand, In capis wyde and lang,
A full grete nowmer; bot thaire hudis all,
Wist I noght quhy, atoure thair eyën hang;
And ay to thame come repentance amang,
And maid thame chere, degysit in his wede:
And dounward efter that ȝit I tuke hede;
82
Ryght ouerthwert the chamber was there draweA trevesse thin and quhite, all of plesance,
The quhich behynd, standing there I sawe
A warld of folk, and by thaire contenance
Thaire hertis semyt full of displesance,
22
Vnto the Iuge thaire playntis to present.
83
And there-with-all apperit vnto meA voce, and said, “tak hede, man, and behold:
Ȝonder thou seis the hiest stage and gree
Off agit folk, with hedis hore and olde;
Ȝone were the folke that neuer changë wold
In lufe, bot trewly seruit him alway,
In euery age, vnto thaire ending-day.
84
For fro the tyme that thai coud vnderstandThe exercise, of lufis craft the cure,
Was non on lyve that toke so moch on hand
For lufis sake, nor langer did endure
In lufis seruice; for man, I the assure,
Quhen thay of ȝouth ressauit had the fill,
Ȝit In thaire age tham lakkit no gude will.
85
Here bene also of suich as In counsailisAnd all thar dedis, were to venus trewe;
Here bene the princis, faucht the grete batailis,
In mynd of quhom ar maid the bukis newe,
Here ben the poetis that the sciencis knewe,
Throwout the warld, of lufe in thaire suete layes,
Suich as Ouide and Omere in thaire dayes.
86
And efter thame down In the next[ë] stage,There as thou seis the ȝong[ë] folkis pleye:
Lo! thise were thay that, in thaire myddill age,
Seruandis were to lufe in mony weye,
And diuersely happinnit for to deye;
Sum soroufully, for wanting of thare makis,
And sum in armes for thaire ladyes sakis.
23
87
And othir eke by othir diuerse chance,As happin folk all day, as ȝe may se;
Sum for dispaire, without recouerance;
Sum for desyre, surmounting thaire degree;
Sum for dispite and othir Inmytee;
Sum for vnkyndënes without a quhy;
Sum for to moch, and sum for Ielousye.
88
And efter this, vpon ȝone stage [a]doun,Tho that thou seis stond in capis wyde;
Ȝone were quhilum folk of religioun,
That from the warld thaire gouernance did hide,
And frely seruit lufe on euery syde
In secrete, with thaire bodyis and thaire gudis.
And lo! quhy so thai hingen doun thaire hudis:
89
For though that thai were hardy at assay,And did him seruice quhilum priuely,
Ȝit to the warldis eye It semyt nay;
So was thaire seruice half[del] cowardy:
And for thay first forsuke him opynly,
And efter that thereof had repenting,
For schame thaire hudis oure thaire eyne thay hyng.
90
And seis thou now ȝone multitude, on raweStanding, behynd ȝone trauerse of delyte?
Sum bene of tham that haldin were full lawe,
And take by frendis, nothing thay to wyte,
In ȝouth from lufe Into the cloistere quite;
And for that cause are cummyn recounsilit,
On thame to pleyne that so tham had begilit.
91
And othir bene amongis thame also,That cummyn ar to court, on lufe to pleyne,
For he thaire bodyes had bestowit so,
24
For quhich, In all thaire dayes, soth to seyne,
Quhen othir lyvit In Ioye and [in] plesance,
Thaire lyf was noght bot care and repentance;
92
And quhare thaire hertis gevin were and set,Coplit with othir that coud noght accord;
Thus were thai wrangit that did no forfet,
Departing thame that neuer wold discord;
Off ȝong[ë] ladies faire, and mony lord,
That thus by maistry were fro thair chose dryve,
Full redy were thaire playntis there to gyve.”
93
And othir also I sawe compleynyng thereVpon fortune and hir grete variance,
That quhere In loue so wele they coplit were,
With thaire suete makis coplit in plesance,
Sche sodeynly maid thaire disseuerance,
And tuke thame of this warldis companye,
Withoutin cause, there was non othir quhy.
94
And in a chiere of estate besyde,With wingis bright, all plumyt, bot his face,
There sawe I sitt the blynd[ë] god Cupide,
With bow In hand, that bent full redy was,
And by him hang thre arowis In a cas,
Off quhich the hedis grundyn were full ryght,
Off diuerse metals forgit faire and bryght.
95
And with the first, that hedit is of gold,He smytis soft, and that has esy cure;
The secund was of siluer, mony fold
Wers than the first, and harder auenture;
The thrid, of stele, is schot without recure;
25
A chaplet had he all of levis grene.
96
And In a retrete lytill of compas,Depeyntit all with sighis wonder sad,
Noght suich sighis as hertis doith manace,
Bot suich as dooth lufaris to be glad,
Fond I venus vpon hir bed, that had
A mantill cast ouer hir schuldris quhite:
Thus clothit was the goddesse of delyte.
97
Stude at the dure fair-calling, hir vschere,That coude his office doon In connyng wise,
And secretee, hir thrifty chamberere,
That besy was In tyme to do seruise,
And othir mo that I can noght on avise;
And on hir hede, of rede rosis full suete,
A chapellet sche had, faire, fresch, and mete.
98
With quaking hert astonate of that sight,Vnnethis wist I quhat that I suld seyne;
Bot at the last[ë] febily as I myght,
With my handis on bothe my kneis tueyne,
There I begouth my caris to compleyne;
With ane humble and lamentable chere
Thus salute I that goddesse bryght and clere:
99
“Hye quene of lufe! sterre of beneuolence!Pitouse princes, and planet merciable!
Appesare of malice and violence!
By vertew pure of ȝour aspectis hable,
Vnto ȝoure grace lat now ben acceptable
My pure request, that can no forthir gone
To seken help, bot vnto ȝow allone!
26
100
As ȝe that bene the socoure and suete wellOff remedye, of carefull hertes cure,
And, in the hugë weltering wawis fell
Off lufis rage, blisfull havin and sure;
O anker and keye of oure gude auenture,
Ȝe haue ȝour man with his gude will conquest:
Merci, therefore, and bring his hert to rest!
101
Ȝe knaw the cause of all my peynes smertBet than my-self, and all myn auenture
Ȝe may conuoye, and as ȝow list, conuert
The hardest hert that formyt hath nature:
Sen in ȝour handis all hale lyith my cure,
Haue pitee now, o bryght blisfull goddesse,
Off ȝour pure man, and rew on his distresse!
102
And though I was vnto ȝour lawis strange,By ignorance, and noght by felonye,
And that ȝour grace now likit hath to change
My hert, to seruen ȝow perpetualye,
Forgeue all this, and shapith remedye
To sauen me of ȝour benignë grace,
Or do me steruen furth-with in this place.
103
And with the stremes of ȝour percyng lyghtConuoy my hert, that is so wo begone,
Ageyne vnto that suetë hevinly sight,
That I, within the wallis cald as stone,
So suetly saw on morow walk and gone,
Law in the gardyn, ryght tofore myn eye:
Now, merci, quene! and do me noght to deye.”
104
Thir wordis said, my spirit in dispaire,A quhile I stynt, abiding efter grace:
And there-with-all hir cristall eyën faire
27
Benignëly sche turnyt has hir face
Towardis me full plesantly conueide;
And vnto me ryght in this wise sche seide:
105
“Ȝong man, the cause of all thyne Inward soroweIs noght vnknawin to my deite,
And thy request, bothe now and eke toforowe,
Quhen thou first maid professioun to me;
Sen of my grace I haue inspirit the
To knawe my lawe, contynew furth, for oft,
There as I mynt full sore, I smyte bot soft.
106
Paciently thou tak thyne auenture,This will my son Cupide, and so will I,
He can the stroke, to me langis the cure
Quhen I se tyme, and therefor humily
Abyde, and serue, and lat gude hope the gye:
Bot, for I haue thy forehede here present,
I will the schewe the more of myn entent.
107
This Is to say, though It to me perteneIn lufis lawe the septre to gouerne,
That the effectis of my bemes schene
Has thaire aspectis by ordynance eterne,
With otheris bynd and mynes to discerne,
Quhilum in thingis bothe to cum and gone,
That langis noght to me, to writh allone;
108
As in thyne awin case now may thou se,For-quhy lo, that [by] otheris Influence
Thy persone standis noght In libertee;
Quharefore, though I geve the beneuolence,
It standis noght ȝit In myn aduertence,
28
Quhill of trew seruis thow have hir graice I-wone.
109
And ȝit, considering the nakitnesseBothe of thy wit, thy persone, and thy myght,
It is no mach, of thyne vnworthynesse
To hir hie birth, estate, and beautee bryght:
Als like ȝe bene, as day is to the nyght;
Or sek-cloth is vnto fyne cremesye;
Or doken to the freschë dayesye.
110
Vnlike the mone Is to the sonnë schene;Eke Ianuarye is [vn]like to may;
Vnlike the cukkow to the phylomene;
Thaire tabartis ar noght bothe maid of array;
Vnlike the crow is to the papë-Iay;
Vnlike, In goldsmythis werk, a fischis eye
To peire with perll, or maked be so heye.
111
As I haue said, [now] vnto me belangithSpecialy the cure of thy seknesse;
Bot now thy matere so in balance hangith,
That It requerith, to thy sekernesse,
The help of othir mo that bene goddes,
And haue In thame the menes and the lore,
In this matere to schorten with thy sore.
112
And for thou sall se wele that I entend,Vn-to thy help, thy welefare to preserue,
The streight[ë] weye thy spirit will I send
To the goddesse that clepit is Mynerue,
And se that thou hir hestis wele conserue,
29
And put thy hert in rest, als wele as I.
113
Bot, for the way is vncouth vnto the,There as hir duelling is and hir soiurne,
I will that gude hope seruand to the be,
Ȝoure alleris frend, to let[të] the to murn,
Be thy condyt and gyde till thou returne,
And hir besech, that sche will, in thy nede,
Hir counsele geve to thy welefare and spede.
114
And that sche will, as langith hir office,Be thy gude lady, help and counseiloure,
And to the schewe hir rype and gude auise,
Throw quhich thou may, be processe and laboure,
Atteyne vnto that glad and goldyn floure,
That thou wald haue so fayn with all thy hart.
And forthir-more, sen thou hir seruand art,
115
Quhen thou descendis doun to ground ageyne,Say to the men that there bene resident,
How long think thay to stand in my disdeyne,
That in my lawis bene so negligent
From day to day, and list tham noght repent,
Bot breken louse, and walken at thaire large?
Is nocht eft none that thereof gevis charge?
116
And for,” quod sche, “the angir and the smertOff thaire vnkyndënesse dooth me constreyne,
My femynyne and wofull tender hert,
That than I wepe; and, to a token pleyne,
As of my teris cummyth all this reyne,
That ȝe se on the ground so fast ybete
Fro day to day, my turment is so grete.
30
117
And quhen I wepe, and stynten othir quhile,For pacience that is in womanhede,
Than all my wrath and rancoure I exile;
And of my cristall teris that bene schede,
The hony flouris growen vp and sprede,
That preyen men, [as] In thaire flouris wise,
Be trewe of lufe, and worschip my seruise.
118
And eke, In takin of this pitouse tale,Quhen so my teris dropen on the ground,
In thaire nature the lytill birdis smale
Styntith thaire song, and murnyth for that stound,
And all the lightis In the hevin round
Off my greuance haue suich compacience,
That from the ground they hiden thaire presence.
119
And ȝit In tokenyng forthir of this thing,Quhen flouris springis, and freschest bene of hewe,
And that the birdis on the twistis sing,
At thilkë tyme ay gynnen folk renewe
That seruis vnto loue, as ay is dewe,
Most commonly has ay his obseruance,
And of thaire sleuth tofore haue repentance.
120
Thus maist thou seyne, that myn effectis grete,Vnto the quhich ȝe aught and maist weye,
No lyte offense, to sleuth is [al] forget:
And therefore In this wisë to tham seye,
As I the here haue bid[den], and conueye
The matere all the better tofore said;
Thus sall on the my chargë bene Ilaid.
121
Say on than, 'quhare Is becummyn, for schame!The songis new, the fresch carolis and dance,
The lusty lyf, the mony change of game,
31
The besy awayte, the hertly obseruance,
That quhilum was amongis thame so ryf?
Bid tham repent in tyme, and mend thaire lyf:
122
Or I sall, with my fader old Saturne,And with al hale oure hevinly alliance,
Oure glad aspectis from thame writh and turne,
That all the warld sall waile thaire gouernance.
Bid thame be tyme that thai haue repentance,
And [with] thaire hertis hale renew my lawe;
And I my hand fro beting sall withdrawe.
123
This is to say, contynew in my seruise,Worschip my law, and my name magnifye,
That am ȝour hevin and ȝour paradise;
And I ȝour confort here sall multiplye,
And, for ȝour meryt here, perpetualye
Ressaue I sall ȝour saulis of my grace,
To lyve with me as goddis In this place.’”
124
With humble thank, and all the reuerenceThat feble wit and connyng may atteyne,
I tuke my leue; and from hir [hy] presence,
Gude hope and I to-gider, bothë tueyne,
Departit are, and, schortly for to seyne,
He hath me led [the] redy wayis ryght
Vnto Mineruis palace, faire and bryght.
125
Quhare as I fand, full redy at the ȝate,The maister portare, callit pacience,
That frely lete vs in, vnquestionate;
And there we sawe the perfyte excellence,
The said renewe, the state, the reuerence,
The strenth, the beautee, and the ordour digne
Off hir court riall, noble and benigne.
32
126
And straught vnto the presence sodeynlyOff dame Minerue, the pacient goddesse,
Gude hope my gydë led me redily;
To quhom anon, with dredefull humylnesse,
Off my cummyng the cause I gan expresse,
And all the processe hole, vnto the end,
Off venus charge, as likit hir to send.
127
Off quhich ryght thus hir ansuere was in bref:“My son, I haue wele herd, and vnderstond,
Be thy reherse, the matere of thy gref,
And thy request to procure, and to fonde
Off thy pennance sum confort at my hond,
Be counsele of thy lady venus clere,
To be with hir thyne help In this matere.
128
Bot in this case thou sall wele knawe and witt,Thou may thy hert[ë] ground on suich a wise,
That thy laboure will be bot lytill quit;
And thou may set It In [an]othir wise,
That wil be to the grete worschip and prise,
And gif thou durst vnto that way enclyne,
I will the geve my lore and disciplyne.
129
Lo, my gude sone, this Is als mich to seyne,As, gif thy lufe sett alluterly
Of nycë lust, thy trauail is in veyne;
And so the end sall turne of thy folye
To payne and repentance; lo, wate thou quhy?
Gif the ne list on lufe thy vertew set,
Vertu sall be the cause of thy forfet.
130
Tak him before In all thy gouernance,That in his hand the stere has of ȝou all,
And pray vnto his hyë purueyance,
33
That corner-stone and ground is of the wall,
That failis noght, and trust, withoutin drede,
Vnto thy purpose sone he sall the lede.
131
For lo, the werk that first Is foundit sure,May better bere a pace and hyare be,
Than othir wise, and langere sall endure,
Be monyfald, this may thy resoun see,
And stronger to defend aduersitee:
Ground [thou] thy werk, therefore, vpon the stone,
And thy desire sall forthward with the gone.
132
Be trewe, and meke, and stedfast in thy thoght,And diligent hir merci to procure,
Noght onely in thy word; for word is noght,
Bot gif thy werk and all thy besy cure
Accord thereto; and vtrid be mesure,
The place, the houre, the maner, and the wise,
Gif mercy sall admitten thy seruise.
133
All thing has tyme, thus sais Ecclesiaste;And wele is him that his tyme wel abit:
Abyde thy time; for he that can bot haste,
Can noght of hap, the wisë man It writ;
And oft gude fortune flourish with gude wit:
Quharefore, gif thou will [ay] be wele fortunyt,
Lat wisedom ay [vn]to thy will be Iunyt.
134
Bot there be mony of so brukill sort,That feynis treuth In lufë for a quhile,
And setten all thaire wittis and disport,
The sely Innocent woman to begyle,
And so to wynne thaire lustis with a wile;
34
Vnder the vmbre of hid ypocrisye.
135
For as the foulere quhistlith in his throteDiuersëly, to counterfete the brid,
And feynis mony a suete and strangë note
That in the busk for his desate is hid,
Till sche be fast lokin his net amyd;
Ryght so the fatoure, the false theif, I say,
With suete tresoun oft wynnith thus his pray.
136
Fy on all suich! fy on thaire doubilnesse!Fy on thaire lust and bestly appetite!
Thaire wolfis hertis, in lambis liknesse;
Thaire thoughtis blak, hid vnder wordis quhite;
Fy on thaire laboure! fy on thaire delyte!
That feynen outward all to hir honour,
And in thaire hert hir worschip wold deuoure.
137
So hard It is to trusten now on dayesThe warld, It is so double and inconstant,
Off quhich the suth is kid be mony assayes;
More pitee is; for quhich the remanant,
That menen wele, and ar noght variant,
For otheris gilt ar suspect of vntreuth,
And hyndrit oft, and treuely that is reuth.
138
Bot gif the hert be groundit ferm and stableIn goddis law, thy purpose to atteyne,
Thy laboure is to me [ful] agreable;
And my full help, with counsele trew and pleyne,
I will the schewe, and this is the certeyne;
Opyn thy hert, therefore, and lat me se
Gif thy remede be pertynent to me.”
35
139
“Madame,” quod I, “sen It is ȝour plesanceThat I declare the kynd of my loving,
Treuely and gude, withoutin variance,
In lufe that floure abufe all othir thing;
And wold bene he that to hir worschipping
Myght ought auaile, be him that starf on rude,
And nouthir spare for trauaile, lyf, nor gude.
140
And, forthirmore, as touching the natureOff my lufing, to worschip or to blame,
I darre wele say, and there-in me assure,
For ony gold, that ony wight can name,
Wald I be he that suld of hir gude fame
Be blamischere In ony point or wyse,
For wele nor wo, quhill my lyf may suffise.
141
This Is theffect trewly of myn entent,Touching the suete that smertis me so sore,
Giff this be faynt, I can It noght repent,
All though my lyf suld forfaut be therefore,
Blisful princes! I can seye ȝou no more;
Bot so desire my wittis dooth compace,
More Ioy in erth kepe I noght bot ȝour grace.”
142
“Desire,” quod sche, “I nyl It noght deny,So thou It ground and set in cristin wise;
And therefore, son, opyn thy hert playnly.”
“Madame,” quod I, “trew withoutin fantise,
That day sall neuer be I sall vp-rise,
For my delyte to couate the plesance,
That may hir worschip putten In balance.
143
For oure all thing, lo, this were my gladnesse,To sene the freschë beautee of hir face;
36
For my grete lufe and treuth, to stond in grace,
Hir worschip sauf, lo, here the blisfull cace
That I wold ask, and there[vn]to attend,
For my most Ioye vnto my lyfis end.”
144
“Now wele,” quod sche, “and sen that It is so,That In vertew thy lufe is set with treuth,
To helpen the I will be one of tho
From hen[ne]sforth, and hertly without sleuth,
Off thy distresse and excesse to haue reuth
That has thy hert; I will [hir] pray full faire,
That fortune be no more thereto contraire.
145
For suth It is, that all ȝe creaturis,Quhich vnder vs beneth haue ȝour duellyng,
Ressauen diuersely ȝour auenturis,
Off quhich the cure and principall melling
Apperit is, withoutin repellyng,
Onely to hir that has the cuttis two
In hand, bothe of ȝour wele and of ȝour wo.
146
And how so be [it], that sum clerkis trete,That all ȝour chancë causit Is tofore
Heigh In the hevin, by quhois effectis grete
Ȝe movit are to wrething lesse or more,
Quhare In the warld, thus calling that therefore
‘Fortune,’ and so that the diuersitee
Off thaire wirking suld cause necessitee;
147
Bot othir clerkis halden, that the manHas In him-self the chose and libertee
To cause his awin fortune, how or quhan
That him best lest, and no necessitee
Was In the hevin at his natiuitee,
37
Efter purpose, so cleping thame ‘fortune.’
148
And quhare a persone has tofore knawingOff It that is to fall[en] purposely,
Lo, fortune is bot wayke in suich a thing,
Thou may wele wit, and here ensample quhy;
To god, that is the first[ë] cause onely
Off euery thing, there may no fortune fall:
And quhy? for he foreknawin is of all.
149
And therefore thus I say to this sentence;Fortune is most and strangest euermore,
Quhare lest foreknawing or intelligence
Is in the man; and, sone, of wit or lore
Sen thou are wayke and feble, lo, therefore,
The more thou art in dangere and commune
With hir, that clerkis clepen so fortune.
150
Bot for the sake, and at the reuerenceOff venus clere, as I the said tofore,
I haue of thy distresse compacience;
And in confort and relesche of thy sore,
The schewit [haue] here myn avise therefore;
Pray fortune help, for mich vnlikly thing
Full oft about sche sodeynly dooth bring.
151
Now go thy way, and haue gude mynde vponQuhat I haue said In way of thy doctryne.”
“I sall, madame,” quod I; and ryght anon
I tuke my leve:—als straught as ony lyne,
With-in a beme, that fro the contree dyvine
Sche, percyng throw the firmament, extendit,
To ground ageyne my spirit is descendit.
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152
Quhare, In a lusty plane, tuke I my way,Endlang a ryuer, plesant to behold,
Enbroudin all with freschë flouris gay,
Quhare, throu the grauel, bryght as ony gold,
The cristall water ran so clere and cold,
That, In myn erë maid contynualy
A maner soun, mellit with armony;
153
That full of lytill fischis by the brym,Now here, now there, with bakkis blewe as lede,
Lap and playit, and In a rout can swym
So prattily, and dressit tham to sprede
Thaire curall fynnis, as the ruby rede,
That In the sonnë on thaire scalis bryght
As gesserant ay glitterit In my sight:
154
And by this Ilkë ryuer-syde alaweAne hyë way [thar] fand I like to bene,
On quhich, on euery syde, a long[ë] rawe
Off treis saw I, full of leuis grene,
That full of fruyte delitable were to sene,
And also, as It come vnto my mind,
Off bestis sawe I mony diuerse kynd:
155
The lyoun king, and his fere lyonesse;The pantere, like vnto the smaragdyne;
The lytill squerell, full of besynesse;
The slawë ase, the druggare beste of pyne;
The nycë ape; the werely porpapyne;
The percyng lynx; the lufare vnicorne,
That voidis venym with his euour horne.
156
There sawe I dresse him new out of [his] hauntThe fery tigere, full of felonye;
The dromydare; the standar oliphant;
39
The clymbare gayte; the elk for alblastrye;
The herknere bore; the holsum grey for hortis;
The haire also, that oft gooth to the wortis.
157
The bugill, draware by his hornis grete;The martrik, sable, the foynȝee, and mony mo;
The chalk-quhite ermyn, tippit as the Iete;
The riall hert, the conyng, and the ro;
The wolf, that of the murthir noght say[is] “ho!”
The lesty beuer, and the ravin bare;
For chamelot, the camel full of hare;
158
With mony an othir beste diuerse and strange,That cummyth noght as now vnto my mynd.
Bot now to purpose,—straucht furth the range
I held a way, oure-hailing in my mynd
From quhens I come, and quhare that I suld fynd
Fortune, the goddesse; vnto quhom In hye
Gude hope, my gyde, has led me sodeynly;
159
And at the last, behalding thus asyde,A round place [y]wallit haue I found;
In myddis quhare eftsone I haue [a]spide
Fortune, the goddesse, hufing on the ground;
And ryght before hir fete, of compas round,
A quhele, on quhich [than] cleuering I sye
A multitude of folk before myn eye.
160
And ane surcote sche werit long that tyde,That semyt [vn]to me of diuerse hewis,
Quhilum thus, quhen sche wald [hir] turn asyde,
Stude this goddesse of fortune and [of glewis];
A chapellet, with mony fresche anewis.
40
A mantill on hir schuldris, large and long,
161
That furrit was with ermyn full quhite,Degoutit with the self In spottis blake:
And quhilum In hir chiere thus a lyte
Louring sche was; and thus sone It wold slake,
And sodeynly a maner smylyng make,
And sche were glad; [for] at one contenance
Sche held noght, bot [was] ay in variance.
162
And vnderneth the quhelë sawe I thereAne vgly pit, [was] depe as ony helle,
That to behald thereon I quoke for fere;
Bot o thing herd I, that quho there-In fell
Come no more vp agane, tidingis to telle;
Off quhich, astonait of that ferefull syght,
I ne wist quhat to done, so was I fricht.
163
Bot for to se the sudayn welteringOff that Ilk quhele, that sloppare was to hold,
It semyt vnto my wit a strangë thing,
So mony I sawe that than clymben wold,
And failit foting, and to ground were rold;
And othir eke, that sat aboue on hye,
Were ouerthrawe In twinklyng of an eye.
164
And on the quhele was lytill void space,Wele nere oure-straught fro lawë [vn]to hye;
And they were ware that long[ë] sat In place,
So tolter quhilum did sche It to-wrye;
There was bot clymbe[n] and ryght dounward hye,
And sum were eke that fallyng had [so] sore,
There for to clymbe thaire corage was no more.
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165
I sawe also that, quhere [as] sum were slungin,Be quhirlyng of the quhele, vnto the ground,
Full sudaynly sche hath [thaim] vp ythrungin,
And set thame on agane full sauf and sound:
And euer I sawe a new[ë] swarm abound,
That [thought] to clymbe vpward vpon the quhele,
In stede of thame that myght no langer rele.
166
And at the last, In presen[c]e of thame allThat stude about, sche clepit me be name;
And therewith apon kneis gan I fall
Full sodaynly hailsing, abaist for schame;
And, smylyng thus, sche said to me in game;
“Quhat dois thou here? quho has the hider sent?
Say on anon, and tell me thyn entent.
167
I se wele, by thy chere and contenance,There is sum thing that lyis the on hert,
It stant noght with the as thou wald, perchance?”
“Madame,” quod I, “for lufe Is all the smert
That euer I fele, endlang and ouerthwert;
Help, of ȝour grace, me wofull wrechit wight,
Sen me to cure ȝe powere haue and myght.”
168
“Quhat help,” quod sche, “wold thou that I ordeyne,To bring[en] the vnto thy hertis desire?”
“Madame,” quod I, “bot that ȝour grace dedeyne,
Off ȝour grete myght, my wittis to enspire,
To win the well that slokin may the fyre
In quhich I birn; a, goddesse fortunate!
Help now my game, that is in poynt to mate.”
169
“Off mate?” quod sche, “o! verray sely wrech,I se wele by thy dedely coloure pale,
Thou art to feble of thy-self to streche
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Withoutin help; for thou has fundin stale
This mony day, withoutin werdis wele,
And wantis now thy veray hertis hele.
170
Wele maistow be a wrechit man [y]callit,That wantis the confort suld thy hert[ë] glade;
And has all thing within thy hert[ë] stallit,
That may thy ȝouth oppressen or defade.
Though thy begynnyng hath bene retrograde,
Be froward opposyt quhare till aspert,
Now sall thai turn, and luke[n] on the dert.”
171
And therewith-all vnto the quhele In hyeSche hath me led, and bad me lere to clymbe,
Vpon the quhich I steppit sudaynly.
“Now hald thy grippis,” quod sche, “for thy tyme,
Ane houre and more It rynnis ouer prime;
To count the hole, the half is nere away;
Spend wele, therefore, the remanant of the day.
172
Ensample,” quod sche, “tak of this tofore,That fro my quhele be rollit as a ball;
For the nature of It is euermore,
After ane hicht, to vale and geue a fall,
Thus, quhen me likith, vp or doun to fall.
Fare wele,” quod sche, and by the ere me toke
So ernestly, that therewithall I woke.
173
O besy goste! ay flikering to and fro,That neuer art In quiet nor In rest,
Till thou cum to that place that thou cam fro,
Quhich is thy first and verray proper nest:
From day to day so sore here artow drest,
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And sleping eke; of pyne so has thou double.
174
Couert my-self all this mene I to loke,Though that my spirit vexit was tofore
In sueu[en]yng, alssone as euer I woke,
By twenty fold It was In trouble more,
Bethinking me with sighing hert and sore,
That [I] nan othir thingis bot dremes had,
Nor sekernes, my spirit with to glad.
175
And therewith sone I dressit me to ryse,Fulfild of thoght, pyne, and aduersitee;
And to my-self I said vpon this wise;
A! merci, lord! quhat will ȝe do with me?
Quhat lyf is this? quhare hath my spirit be?
Is this of my forethoght Impressioun,
Or Is It from the hevin a visioun?
176
And gif ȝe goddis, of ȝoure puruiance,Haue schewit this for my reconforting,
In relesche of my furiouse pennance,
I ȝow beseke full humily of this thing,
That of ȝoure grace I myght haue more takenyng,
Gif It sal be as in my slepe before
Ȝe shewit haue: and forth, withoutin more,
177
In hye vnto the wyndow gan I walk,Moving within my spirit of this sight,
Quhare sodeynly a turture, quhite as c[h]alk,
So evinly vpon my hand gan lyght,
And vnto me sche turnyt hir full ryght,
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Gave me In hert[ë] kalendis of confort.
178
This fair[ë] bird ryght In hir bill gan holdOf red Iorofflis with thair stalkis grene
A fair[ë] branche, quhare writtin was with gold,
On euery list, with branchis bryght and schene
In compas fair, full plesandly to sene,
A plane sentence, quhich, as I can deuise
And haue In mynd, said ryght [vp]on this wise.
179
“Awak! awake! I bring, lufar, I bringThe newis glad, that blisfull ben and sure
Of thy confort; now lauch, and play, and syng,
That art besid so glad an auenture;
For In the hevyn decretit is the cure;”
And vnto me the flouris fair present:
With wyngis spred, hir wayis furth sche went.
180
Quhilk vp a-non I tuke, and as I gesse,Ane hundreth tymes, or I forthir went,
I haue It red, with hert[ë]full glaidnese;
And, half with hope, and half with dred, It hent,
And at my beddis hed, with gud entent,
I haue It fair[ë] pynnit vp, and this
First takyn was of all my help and blisse.
181
The quhich[ë] treuly efter, day be day,That all my wittis maistrit had tofore,
From hen[ne]sferth the paynis did away.
And schortly, so wele fortune has hir bore,
To quikin treuly day by day my lore,
To my larges that I am cumin agayn,
To blisse with hir that is my souirane.
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182
Bot for als moche as sum micht think or seyne,Quhat nedis me, apoun so litill evyn,
To writt all this? I ansuere thus ageyne,—
Quho that from hell war croppin onys In hevin,
Wald efter O thank for Ioy mak vj or vij:
And euery wicht his awin suete or sore
Has maist In mynde: I can say ȝou no more.
183
Eke quho may In this lyfe haue more plesance,Than cum to largesse from thraldom and peyne,
And by the mene of luffis Ordinance,
That has so mony In his goldin cheyne?
Quhich thinkis to wyn his hertis souereyne,
Quho suld me wite to write thar-of, lat se!
Now sufficiante Is my felicitee.
184
Beseching vnto fair venus abufe,For all my brethir that bene In this place,
This Is to seyne, that seruandis ar to lufe,
And of his lady can no thank purchase,
His paine relesch, and sone to stand In grace,
Boith to his worschip and to his first ese;
So that It hir and resoun noght displese:
185
And eke for tham that ar noght entrit InneThe dance of lufe, bot thidder-wart on way,
In gudë tyme and sely to begynne
Thair prentissehed, and forthir-more I pray
For thame that passit ben the mony affray
In lufe, and cummyn ar to full plesance,
To graunt tham all, lo! gude perseuerance:
186
And eke I pray for all the hertis dull,That lyven here In sleūth and Ignorance,
And has no curage at the rose to pull,
46
With thair suete lore, and bring tham to gude chance;
And quho that will noght for this prayer turn,
Quhen thai wald faynest speid, that thai may spurn.
187
To Rekyn of euery thing the circumstance,As hapnit me quhen lessen gan my sore
Of my rancoure and [al my] wofull chance.
It war to long, I lat It be tharefor.
And thus this floure, I can seye [ȝou] no more,
So hertly has vnto my help attendit,
That from the deth hir man sche has defendit.
188
And eke the goddis mercifull virking,For my long pane and trewe seruice In lufe,
That has me gevin halely myn asking,
Quhich has my hert for euir sett abufe
In perfyte Ioy, that neuir may remufe,
Bot onely deth: of quhom, In laud and prise,
With thankfull hert I say richt In this wise:—
189
“Blissit mot be the [heyë] goddis all,So fair that glitteren In the firmament!
And blissit be thare myght celestiall,
That haue convoyit hale, with one assent,
My lufe, and to [so] glade a consequent!
And thankit be fortunys exiltree
And quhele, that thus so wele has quhirlit me.
190
Thankit mot be, and fair and lufe befallThe nychtingale, that, with so gud entent,
Sang thare of lufe the notis suete and small,
Quhair my fair hertis lady was present,
Hir with to glad, or that sche forthir went!
And thou gerafloure, mot I-thankit be
All othir flouris for the lufe of the!
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191
And thankit be the fair[ë] castell wall,Quhare as I quhilom lukit furth and lent.
Thankit mot be the sanctis marciall,
That me first causit hath this accident.
Thankit mot be the grenë bewis bent,
Throu quhom, and vnder, first fortunyt me
My hertis hele, and my confort to be.
192
For to the presence suete and delitable,Rycht of this floure that full Is of plesance,
By processe and by menys fauorable,
First of the blisfull goddis purueyance,
And syne throu long and trew contynuance
Of veray faith In lufe and trew seruice,
I cum am, and [ȝit] forthir In this wise.
193
Vnworthy, lo, bot onely of hir grace,In lufis ȝok, that esy is and sure,
In guerdoun [eke] of all my lufis space,
Sche hath me tak, hir humble creature.
And thus befell my blisfull auenture,
In ȝoūth of lufe, that now, from day to day,
Flourith ay newe, and ȝit forthir, I say.
194
Go litill tretise, nakit of eloquence,Causing simplese and pouertee to wit;
And pray the reder to haue pacience
Of thy defaute, and to supporten It,
Of his gudnese thy brukilnese to knytt,
And his tong for to reule[n] and to stere,
That thy defautis helit may ben here.
195
Allace! and gif thou cummyst In presence,Quhare-as of blame faynest thou wald be quite,
To here thy rude and crukit eloquens,
48
No wicht, bot geve hir merci will admytt
The for gud will, that Is thy gyd and stere,
To quham for me thou pitousely requere.
196
And thus endith the fatall Influence,Causit from hevyn, quhare powar Is commytt
Of gouirnance, by the magnificence
Of him that hiest In the hevin sitt;
To quham we thank that all oure [lif] hath writt,
Quho couth It red, agone syne mony a ȝere,
‘Hich In the hevynnis figure circulere.’
197
Vnto [the] Impnis of my maisteris dere,Gowere and chaucere, that on the steppis satt
Of rethorike, quhill thai were lyvand here,
Superlatiue as poetis laureate
In moralitee and eloquence ornate,
I recommend my buk In lynis sevin,
And eke thair saulis vn-to the blisse of hevin.
Amen.
Quod Iacobus Primus, scotorum rex Illustrissimus.
Explicit, &c. &c.
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[GOOD COUNSEL]
Sen throu vertew encressis dignite,
And vertew flour and rut is of noblay,
Of ony weill or quhat estat thou be,
His steppis sew, and dreid thee non effray:
Exil al vice, and folow trewth alway:
Luf maist thy God, that first thy luf began,
And for ilk inch he wil thee quyt a span.
And vertew flour and rut is of noblay,
Of ony weill or quhat estat thou be,
His steppis sew, and dreid thee non effray:
Exil al vice, and folow trewth alway:
Luf maist thy God, that first thy luf began,
And for ilk inch he wil thee quyt a span.
Be not our proud in thy prosperite,
For as it cumis, sa wil it pas away;
Thy tym to compt is schort, thou may weill se,
For of green gres soyn cumis walowit hay.
Labour in trewth, quhill licht is of the day.
Trust maist in God, for he best gyd thee can,
And for ilk inch he wil thee quyt a span.
For as it cumis, sa wil it pas away;
Thy tym to compt is schort, thou may weill se,
For of green gres soyn cumis walowit hay.
Labour in trewth, quhill licht is of the day.
Trust maist in God, for he best gyd thee can,
And for ilk inch he wil thee quyt a span.
Sen word is thrall, and thocht is only fre,
Thou dant thy tung, that power hes and may;
Thou steik thyn een fra warldis vanite;
Refrein thy lust, and harkin quhat I say;
Graip or thou slyd, and creip furth on the way;
Keip thy behest unto thy God and man,
And for ilk inch he wil thee quyt a span.
Thou dant thy tung, that power hes and may;
Thou steik thyn een fra warldis vanite;
Refrein thy lust, and harkin quhat I say;
Graip or thou slyd, and creip furth on the way;
Keip thy behest unto thy God and man,
And for ilk inch he wil thee quyt a span.
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