University of Virginia Library

As the perfite prudent Philosopher
Dois put in writ as scientiue Doctour
In goldin style, and verie Poeticall,
Sayand, all men into this lyfe mortall
Is drest but leis to leif in diuers kynd
For ane ressoun dois not gyde euerie mynd.
Of the Planetis aspectis and complexiounis,
That in the heuin sa hie ar situat,
And fra vther ar wonder alterat.
Quhilkis ar thir four: in compt first Phlegmatike:
The secund is Sanguineane sicklike:
The thrid clepit is Colerike suithlie:
The feird and last, is callit Melancolie,
Quhilkis of nature ar wonder different,
[And ar] not all vnder ane Regiment.

Phlegmaticvs.

[F]or Flewme is flat, slaw, richt slipperie and sweir
[A]nd drasie, to spit can not forbeir
[Sanguine]ane is fat and fair with measure
[Red] and quhyte, and lufeand with plesure.
[Joyous and] in blythnes ay singand,
[OMITTED] genes and with delyte lauchand.

Cholericvs.

[OMITTED] [ch]olerik is calit of nature:
[OMITTED] [I]n air nobill of valure.
[OMITTED] [do]gmatike: for it is hardie and fre
Sultell and wyse, stoutter and more manlie:
Bot small of face, of body Lecherous,
Quik of Ingyne, of Lordschip couetous.

Melancholicvs.

The last and worst is callit Melancoly:
Soure, sorrowfull, Inuious, cauld and dry:
Drowpond, dreidfull, gredie, and vntrew:
Heuie heidit, and feindill in game or glew.
Thir four causis diuers variatiounis
In mans corps, be sindrie Inclinatiounis
Of the Planeitis ring and vnder the heuin.
The quhilks ar in leill number thir seuin.
Saturnus, Juppiter, Mars, and the Sone,
Venus, Mercurie, and last is the Mone.
Than nixt thir seuin, syne is thair the xij Signes,
Quhilks in the heuin sa hie abone vs regnes,
The first of thame is callit Aquarius,
The Fische, the Ram, the Feird is callit Taurus,
Syne Gemini, the Crab, and the Lyon:
The Virgin, Libra, and the Scorpion.
The elleuint to Name hecht Sagittarius:
The twelft and last, is callit Capricornus.
To thir Planeitis complexiounis, and thair [aspectis]
The Elementis greit strenth with thame in[jectis]
Quhilks ar thir four, Eird, Fyre, Water a[nd Air].
And to four beistis oft tymes we [thame compair].
The air hes of the Aip comparison,
For it is blyith, licht, merie, and wa[ntoun].
As the Lyon, the Fyre is furious,
Wod, and cruell, rampand, and rigo[rous].
The Watter is comparit to the Ȝown
Soft, blait, and blunt, of curagon.
The eird it is comparit to the swyne,
Heuie, and sad, to sleip dois oft Inclyne.
And of thir four foirnamit Elementis,
Mannis complexioun takis maist part Regimentis.
For he that hes of the Air the nature,
Is oft muifand, licht, merie, with plesure,
Wantoun and blyith, and euer geuin to sport,
And efter drink desyrous of comfort:
Iocund with Ioy, and Iolyous to Iaip,
With mockis and mowis of nature as the Aip.
And he that hes the nature of the fyre,
Is euer hait, in crabitnis and Ire:
Bauld and birnand in rancour and malice,
And efter drink cruell and kene he is:
To tuilȝe geuen, to slauchter and occisioun,
And sa he is comparit to the Lyoun.
And he that hes of Watter the natoure,
Quhilk of the self is bot ane liquoure,
Is daft, and doyld, drasie with small effect,
Of euill or gude he takis lytill rek:
[A]nd efter drink, can nouther do nor say.
[To the] Scheip compair him well we may.
[And he t]hat hes the nature of the eird,
[Is aye s]weir, lurkand, and not weill leird,
[Richt sl]eiperie, with Nois and Mouth vnclene,
[OMITTED] pit euill nurtourit betwene:
[He can do n]ocht bot sleip quhen he is fow:
[We may] compair him to the Sow.
[Thir complexi]ounis, thir Planetis and thir Signes,
[Thir aspec]tis, that sa abone vs regnes,
[OMITTED] amang thame self commixt,
[OMITTED] haue complexioun firme fixt.
On ane of thame alluterlie, but ma.
Into tham self thay ar deuydit sa:
Bot of thame all his is participant.
Howbeit that ane be ay predominant,
And of the laif in maist part hes maistrie,
Quhairby the Corps is gydit commounlie.
Thairfoir I say be my consideratioun,
Ilk man can not be of ane Inclinatioun:
Considdering the diuers difference,
Difficulteis, and daylie resistence,
That first I schew of the four Complexiounis,
How they ar geuin to diuers affectiounis.
Syne of Planetis, and the diuersitie.
Of thair nature and mutabilitie.
That fra vther oftymes ar sa distant
Amang thame self, and euer repugnant,
As the tyme geuis, and euer mair flowand,
Be proper course, and in thair Spheir rolland.
Syne the xij Signes, and of thair conuersatioun,
How thay ar wapt to diuers variatioun,
And puttis the Corps oft in ane mouand stairt,
Vnstable ay of maneris alterait.
For sum part ar fraward and meik agane
Sumpart mansweit, sumpart betuix the [twane]
Sumpart ar cauld, and sum agane ar ha[it]
Sumpart ar dry and sum are mitigait
Sumpart ar dull, sum ar of quick In[gyne]
Sum lyke Sparhawks, and sum ar sw[yne]
Sumlyke Lyounis, and sum ar blait
Sum curst, cankerit, and ay in sturt
Sa sundrie men be greit diuersitie
Of complexiounis, and greit Extrem[itie]
Of conditiounis, and diuers alteratiounis,
Ar ofttymes geuin to sindrie Inclinatiounis.
As I have red of Kingis and Empreouris,
Duiks, Merques, Knichts, and Conquerouris.
For Romulus that foundit Romes Cietie,
Grauers in stane euer maist lufit he.
Pompilius Numa his Successour,
He lufit Preistis, and held thame in honour.
Paull Emylius maist lufit Marynaris.
Octauius Augustus fairs playaris.
Cajus Cesar Goldsmythis lufit he.
Syne Scipio Capitanes, and Cheualrie.
Claudius Wryteris, Sylla Armoraris.
Syne Marius lufit Image gude grauaris.
Vespasiane gude Painteris lufit weill.
Titus his Sone on Menstrallis set his seill.
Domiciane his brother lufit ay
Corsbow makeris, and fulis for to play.
He brocht all Fulis that he could get to Rome:
Of auld wyse men that Cietie he maid tome.
And sa Ilk man was geuin to diuers thocht.
That ane lufit, ane vther held at nocht.
[How]beit thir had all Rome in gouerning,
[Ilk] ane had diuers thocht and gyding.
[OMITTED]nsaif be diuers complexioun,
[Ilk man is] geuin to diuers conditioun.
[To sum] Ingyne hes geuin to saill the see:
[Sum men] of Weir, sum hingit men to be.
[Sum ke]ne Knichtis, and sum ar Carpenteris,
[Sum ar] Smythes, and sum ar Wod sowteris.
[Sum ar haw]karis, and sum ar geuin to Hunting:
[OMITTED]rhnes, and sum ar geuin to singing:
Sum michtie men, and geuin to Merchandice:
Sum Ockeraris, and geuin to Auarice:
Sum sempill men of thair leill laubour leuis:
Sum are agane verray stark common theuis.
Sum ar drunkardis, and sum are geuin to dice:
Sum to vertew, and sum ar geuin to vice:
Sum ar sa proude, and sa ar put to hicht,
In lufe and fauour of thair fair Lady bricht.
Sum ar Wretches, and sum ar Worthie men:
Sum cankerit knaifis, that thame self can not ken.
Sum to honour euer mair hie pretendis:
Sum leifis in myrth, and thankis God him sendis.
Sum leifis in pryde and Prodigalitie:
Sum ar richt pure, and leuis in pouertie.
Sum part ar geuin to put the Realme in cummer:
Sum richt sair feird to put ouir the deir Symmer.
Sum ar abasit to feid thair barnis and wyfis:
Sum hes Inuy that swa his Nichtbour thryfis:
Sum settis thair pith, thair puissance, and curage,
To hald thair Realme and land out of thirlage.
Sum geuin to plant, and big in Policie:
Sum to pull doun and waist ay quhill hedis
Sum with tume purse on his Paramouris.
Sum ar tratloris, and other part pykethank[is]:
Sum ar Harlottis, and sum ar Heretyk[is]:
Sum geuis his thocht to treuth and vn[itie]:
Sum to falset geuis his felicitie.
Sum geuin to gude, and sum ar geuin to [trick]
Sum traistis in GOD, sum rinnis quic[k]
Sa be mouing of the Planeitis and Signe[is]
Diuers folkis ar geuin to diuers thingis.
And I persaue weill be the poetis saw:
Ilk conditioun to ilk man dois nocht draw.
Throw variance of signes celestiall,
And vther times, be Caus accidentall.
For I my self be gude experience,
Daylie practik, and recent euidence,
Considderis weill, and dois perfytlie se,
Be my Ingyne, and Waik Capacitie.
Thair is mony for sum craft ar not abill,
Ȝit to vther ar richt aggreabill.
Mony ar put to diuers occupatioun,
That is contrair thait kynde, and Inclinatioun,
And oft causis complexioun for to varie.
And than thay say it is fals destenie:
And wyittis Fortoun of thair misgouernance,
Quhilk thair awin self dois throw thair Ignorance.
For quha is borne vnderneth Saturnus,
That man can not be blyith nor Ryatus
Bot sad and soure, in sturt, and in Malice,
[A]nd ay to do his fellow ane disprise.
[To] put this man to Sang Scule, or playing,
[OMITTED]atoues Sport, Dalians, or Dansing.
[It is als] incontrait his Complexioun
[As a b]asert to fecht with ane Falcoun.
[What man is] borne vnderneth Iuppiter,
[He ay] man be meik and debonar,
[Man]lie, of his speiche amiabill,
[To] play, to dance, and sing ay abill:
[Full of sa]vne, and geuin to Geometrie,
[Verteous, wi]se, full of humanitie.
[Err he can] not be his awin complexioun,
[Nor be in stur]t; nor haue greit corruptioun,
Nor displesour, malice nor crueltie,
Bot ay in Ioy and merynes wald be.
Vnderneth Mars the God Armypotent,
Quhat man is borne, can nocht be oft pacient,
Bot aye angrie, and euer battell boun:
Ferce as the fyre, and fell as the lyoun,
This man to be geuin to dalians,
Is als contrait, as ane slow to gardans.
And sa furth euin of the seuin planetis all,
Ilk man takis his proper part partiall:
Except he be in him self the moir wise,
Knawing he be geuin vnto sic ane vice:
He may temper and dant him self be skill,
And nocht to gif complexioun all the Will.
And sa oftimes be dantit refrenatioun,
A man may weill alter his Inclinatioun.
Bot wo allace emptie purse dois greit skaith.
Alteris curage and the complexioun baith.
Ȝit abone this we se dayly expres,
Mannis maneris changis throw Idilnes:
For Idilnes is Mother Radycall,
Of all vicis, and font originall.
Thocht the corps ly in ociositie,
Ȝit than the thocht can neuer idill be.
Bot ay mouand on vertew, or on vice,
Of guid, or euill findand sum new dew[ice]
And the maist part to peruersitie geuin
Quhilk throw maistrie of Idilnesis di[OMITTED]
And siclyk als throw wickit compan[ie]
Mannis maneris may oftymes chang[e].
And for that cause, sic cumpanie to [tell]
This wark and cuir I tuik vpon my sell.
Quhen that I saw part of Nichtbouris about,
Rekles ryding in bed erandis thairout;
I couet nocht with thame than for to be,
Sa I allane was left but companie,
Thinkand better on this to muif my thocht,
Nor ryde with thame quhair thair erand no docht.
Perauenture sum of thame or they come hame,
For schrewit turnis (nocht causles) got sum blame
Had I lykit with thame I micht haue riddin,
Bot complexioun that quyte hes me forbiddin.
So I Infer a many may mak his fortoun,
His destenie, his chance, and his conditioun:
Howbeit that he be geuin all vnto vice,
He may refrane himself and he be wise,
Throw dreid of god, throw wisdome, and laubour,
He may abstene fra all sic displesour.
Thairfoir to this laubour I gaif Ingyne,
And to cause me fra Idilnes declyne,
And me preserue fra wickit companie:
[I t]uik ane pen, and drew this Comedie.
[OMITTED] on force outher to euill or gude,
[OMITTED] compellit, that I couth nocht bot dude.
[OMITTED]uit on sic ane thing be far
[OMITTED]gyne, nor to Imagine war.
[OMITTED]ng all men is geuin thairto,
[OMITTED] do this, than war to do.
[OMITTED] aw that the same reidis, or he it is,
[OMITTED] an, quhom to sic thing effeiris,
[OMITTED]ract heirefter followand,
[OMITTED] art of Venus the Galland,
[OMITTED]etis of it to be Reidar,
[OMITTED] ar found, that thay be Correcte;
And help to mend haltand verse and coullour.
And me excuse of this my small laubour.
For Gentilmen will tak it as thay find:
For Rurall folk sum termes will leif behind.
And I suppone, the ofter that ȝe it reid,
Ȝe sall the better tak baith the sence, and leid.
For anis reiding oft tyme it garris Authouris
Incur reprufe be wrong Interpretouris.
And not of thame, that sic Warkis can traduce,
Bot of thame that of sic things hes na vse,
Nor can compas sic thing, nor vnderstand,
Ȝit to reprufe, thay pertly tak on hand.
And neidfull is sic Wrytingis to correct,
Quhair gude Reidaris findis ony fault suspect.
Howbeit I knaw it neid Correctioun,
Thairfoir I pray that ȝe will me pardoun:
For seir Doctouris, and wonder cunning Clerkis,
As Correctouris reprouit vtheris Warkis.
For Socrates was reprouit be Plato:
And Plato be Aristotell also.
Auerrois quhilk was ane greit Doctour,
Reprouvit sair Aristotell and sour.
The greit Sulpice repreuit Scipio:
Varro Lelie: and Horace Ennio.
Thomas repreuit the Doctour Marinus
And Seneca be Aulus Gellius
Repreuit was: and mony Doctouris m[a]:
As did Doctour Laurentius de Valla.
Astractocles repreuit be Strabo:
And Hermagor reprouit be Cicero:
And Chesaco repreuit be Galene:
And Sanct Ierome repreuit Origene
Ruffine reprouit Ierome of his sawis:
Donnate Ruffine reprouit of his Lawis:
And sen in thame, and in thair Warkis hes bene
Sic correctioun, and greit reprufe betwene,
I may weill thole, and also standis content,
That this small Wark stand to the mercyment
Of Gentilmen, and byde at thair subiectioun,
As they best think thairto to put correctioun.

Auctor alloquitur Librum.

Now pas thy wayis, thou barrant buik new breuit,
With beggit termes, & barbar toung mischeuit:
And cast thy hude & hat outouir thy face:
At Ilk gentill upon thy kneis ask grace.
Excuse thy self of thy greit Ignorance,
And in thair will put all thy ordinance.
For Gentilmen can richt well thee considder.
For commoun folk will call the lawit and lidder.
Thy self present to Nobill men and gude,
And fle the sect of Rurall folke and rude.
[T]hat thou art Wrang, gif ony will alledge,
[B]ow thy self, and thairon thy heid pledge.
[Gif o]ny sayis that thou art by Scripture,
[Here b]lyithlie, and schaw thame Ilk Chapture:
[Benin]g men sall ay be thy defence,
[Tho rurall] folk gif small obedience.
[Thy au]thor was requyrit be Venus,
[To indi]t this small Comedie thus,
[OMITTED]rin als far as thy Ingyne,
[OMITTED]y or thairto couth Inclyne.