University of Virginia Library

THE . 8 . CANT.

Perturbit Prence Opprest vith pansiwe paine,
Thy dochtines And dolor do I dyt.
Quho sall supplie me promplie till explaine
Thy duyning dayis denud of all delyt,
Vith puissant peirles exploitis perfyt
Vrocht all this tyme vnto this hich commend?
I do bot mix the poppill vith guid quhyt,
The one, or vther, ether till Intend.
Ȝit sen I haif Sic perrels past and pend
In the saif conduict of his Grace to pass,
Quho pouer hes my propos to defend,
Thocht skairse it vey the valeur of ane fass,
The rest I sall compact it in ane mass
Vith nales speid than this my pen may sprent.
My versis vauers, And my braine is bass,
Lang bendit byding at this lybell bent,
Quhilk new effect againe dois represent.
Ane vther helm the Compte hes done prouyd,
And in his ladies quest so bussie vent
That in no part he permanent vold byd.
Sueit vas the seson, And the feildis vyd
At Instant tym did all In flouris fleit,
Quhan that approtching Paris he did ryd,
Beseidgeit than about in euerie streit,
Quhair vondrus signe of his magnanime spreit
Appirit plainlie at his passing by.
Quhat potent prowess in him vas repleit
Be ampill pruife thair did his persone try.
Throch all the camp vprais the cairfull cry,
And euerie man amaȝed vas about,
Quhan that the Valȝant Alciode did ly
Deed bullerand in his bluid all busching out
At the first dint of this our Chiftan stout.
The companeis did than till armeur rin
On horss and fute vith monie suddan schout
And syndrie vapnis for to hold him In,
As quhan ane troup of porcks vith hiddius din
from hautie montan dounvart dois discend,
Vith grewous gruntling quho may formest vin,
Quhan volf or tygar from cauern dois bend,
And taks thair ȝoungling quhilk may not defend,
Bot plains and quhryns vith pitius bruit and beir,
Quhilk girls the rest maist egarlie to tend
for sum reuenge: So all the peuple heir
Agains The paladeine pertlie dois compeir,
Befoir, behind, and vpon euerie syd;
Thay boist and strick Quhill in his hawbert cleir
Ane thousand vapnis fastnit at that tyd:
Bot he, quho boldlie did the bargan byd
Vith glansing glawe in till his dochtie hand,
The grossest speirs aschunder did deuyd
As sempill reids: Soone than the formest fand
The pesant vecht of his victorius brand,
Guuernd be vigor of his hardie hart,
Quhilk at assay did stout and stabill stand
But onie feir of force or fyrie dart.
Both hoit and pertlie in till euerie part
Amongs the preise he proudlie did persew,
Quhill heaps of men vnto the deed did smart,
And all the feilds in bluid bebathit schew.
Vith trimbling terror than vas skrychs anew
for till eschew this varior of renoune.
Heeds, spalds, arms, thies, and legs, dissouerit flew
from metelit bluidie bodies tumbling doune;
No corslat, targe, acton, nor habirȝoune
Mycht the redoubling dochtie dints defend,
Quhair he as Mars on Brededor did boune
Vith thundring sourd quhilk thiklie did discend.
Sum part heirof in my first cant I pend
for Introduction: Bot I laik the loir
To schaw at lenth his martiall commend
Obtenit heir vith hich Immortall gloir.
for as fell thunder dois strong montans toir,
And maks the erth and firmament to quell,
Renwersing rocks vith ruid and rumling roir,
And passand throch the elements pelmell,
So force and furie of this knycht vas snell
Amongs the rout mertchant from place to place.
Sum did he kill, And sum he did compell
fast for to flie from his audatius face.
As litill lambe, The quhilk haid sein percace
The Radgeing lyon In ane bocage greine
Ryfe and deuoir hir mother in that place
Vith bluidie mouth And fyrie creuale eine,
Vill, till eschew the bittir beist in teine
As it best may, fast skip away vith speid,
Absconding it in busse not to be seine;
So all this barborus sort dismayde vith dreid
Did flie confustlie at this Instant neid.
Sum quyts his sourd, And sum dois leif his lance,
And sum abiects thair helm And harneist veid
In vods and strenths vith speid for till awance,
Tham self conwoying from this crewale chance.
And he, firm following fast as fyrflacht fell,
Vith bluidie brand amyds the rout did glance,
Quhill nane of all appirit to rebell.
This being done heir mycht he no moir duell
for deip and ancient vond of amorus smart,
Quhilk so aboundant in his brest did suell
That it constraind him in the sute depart
Of hir againe quha did posses his hart.
O Quhat Renoune, And quhat triumphall gloir,
Be mychtie merit in till ewerie part
Obtenit he, And euir moir and moir
His hautie honor deulie did decoir.
It var prolixt gif I at lenth vold tell
Quhow his miraculus mycht did weill restoir
The pudic lustie virgin Isobell,
Quha doloruslie did vith the brigans duell
In close cauerne, quhill that he brocht hir out
And vincust all thois bludie boutchers fell,
Quho lyk bold barbats bendit him about.
(Bot to declair mair amplie of this rout,
As Ariost my author dois report,
Sum lyncht, Sum gleyid, Sum haid ane keppand snout,
Vith luik obscuir And phisnomie detort.)
O, In quhat neidfull tym did he resort,
And saift the valȝant ȝerbin from the deed,
Doune dompting all that multitude at schort,
Quhilks buir this Strong renownit knycht at feed.
At Instant hour in dowbill sort remeed
He randrit him, for quhy this ladie fair,
Quham he from brigans dochtelie did leed,
Vas onlie luif vnto this prence preclair,
Quho than resauit now this beutie rair.
O, quhow audatius terrabill and keine
Did he vith Mychtie Mandricard repair.
O strange and crewall combat tham betueine.
Thay both abound in to sic prydfull teine,
That thair maist pithie speris vith ane crak
At the first chok fla spelkit on the greine;
So it behuift for at that suddan clak
Thair bodies bold no thing recuild abak.
And now thir tuo dois vapinles remaine,
for Mandricard na sourd in hand vold tak
Be solempn vow from his presumptius braine,
Quhill Durandall he haid obtenit plaine.
Quhilk quhan the Comte At thair first meting knew,
He hang it frilie for the victors gaine
Vpon ane trie quhill pruif thair prowess schew.
Thair ardent yre did moir and moir renew,
And thay haif no thing bot thair hardie hands
To end combat: So vechtie newels threw
Brawe birnist plaits breaking thair boucklit bands:
Lang battrit both thir knychtis bold but brands,
Quhill Interlest thay strictlie strawe at last,
And ether vther stiff as steile gainstands;
Thay suak and poulsis to and fro full fast.
As Iupiter Strong Antheon did cast,
To do the lyk This Pagan did suppone,
Bot all in vaine; Our Chiftan not agast
Sat stabill suir As strenthie vall of stone,
And brest to brest so bruist him euerie bone,
Quhill of his brydle he no cuir did tak,
Quhilk Roland hintit from his horse anone,
Supposing soone to cause him fall and wrak.
Bot ȝit the vther be him stoutlie stak,
And pertlie puls the Comte, quho vold not fald,
So that his girddis vas constraind to crak.
The freinles horse no langer tarie vald,
Bot hence he rinnis vith his maister bald:
The vther knycht behuiffit to prepair
Againe his sadle: So as I haif tald
Thay did dissouer now but proces mair.
Bot the precelling Paladeine preclair
In sutting him vith diligence did tend
Quhair thair occurs sic cursit canckerd cair,
That for ane space my spreit abhorrs to pend.