The seuin Seages Translatit out of prois in Scottis meter be Iohne Rolland in Dalkeith, with ane Moralitie efter euerie Doctouris Tale, and siclike efter the Emprice Tale, togidder with ane louing and laude to euerie Doctour efter his awin Tale, & ane Exclamation and outcrying vpon the Empreouris wife efter hir fals contrusit Tale ... Edited, with introduction, notes, and glossary, by Geo. F. Black |
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How the seuin Maisteris efter the sicht of the
Empreouris Letteris wald first se the cours of
the Firmament and Planetis, quhidder it was
gude to obey his cōmandement or not. |
 | The seuin Seages |  |
How the seuin Maisteris efter the sicht of the Empreouris Letteris wald first se the cours of the Firmament and Planetis, quhidder it was gude to obey his cōmandement or not.
Als sone as yir seuin maisters had ouirsene
The Empreours writ, & vnderstude it clene
On the nixt nicht, all seuin with ane consent
Past to espy the sternis and Firmament
To tak Iornay gif it was prosperous
Or contrair way, gif it was dangerous.
For to fulfill the Empreouris command,
Or gif thay durst the samin to ganestand.
Anone thay spy into the Firmament
Ane stormie sterne that troublit thair Intent.
Persauing weill be the sterne gif that thay
Thair Iornay tuke, and raid that samin day
To thame affixt, be the Empreouris command
The Childe but dout in greit perrell suld stand,
For the first word that he spak in presence
Of his Father in oppin audience,
Suld be the caus of his greit schamefull deid
This to eschew thay culd find na remeid.
Quhairof thay war all sad and wounder sorie
And wist not weill to trauell or to tarie,
Ane vther sterne than thay beheld also,
Schawing to thame to the King wald not go
And keip the day, quhilk was affixt thame to,
To wāt thair heids, thair was nocht ellis ado
Ane of them said quhair twa Illis dois appeir
Lat vs that tak quhairin lyis leist dangeir.
It is better surelie I say for me
For this Impire that we all seuin suld die,
And vther seuin siclike as we ar all
Or this ȝoung man suld suffer ony thrall.
Thairfoir lat vs all seuin with ane Intent,
Our awin personis to the Empreour present,
And let the Chylde at hame alone remane
To se giue we, tary or cummis agane.
And sa thay war all seuin richt sorrowfow,
Pansing alwayis, quhat meane fassoun or how
Thay micht eschew this Inconuenient.
Sa this ȝoung man come doun Incontinent,
Fra his Chalmer, quhair he was studiand,
His seuin Maisteris all sittand thair he fand.
Richt sorrowfull, and sad in countenance,
He them Inquyrit, quhat was the caus & chāce
Of their sadnes, thay said this standis the cace,
We all beleuit till had of ȝow solace,
Blyithnes and Ioy, and also gude rewaird,
But now Fortoun has bene to ȝow sa hard,
That all sic thing to greit wanhap will turne,
Quhairfoir we all hes greit caus for to murne,
For all our Ioy, and our Felicitie
Is like to turne to greit aduersitie.
He said Maisters I pray ȝow to me schaw
How the case standis, ȝit ȝe will lat me knaw.
Thay said the case that we can schaw to ȝow
Into the self is wonder sorrowfow,
For ȝour Father the Empreour and King
Vnto vs seuin hes send ane schairp wryting,
Commanding vs withouttin tarying
On pane of lyfis that we ȝow till him bring,
Incontinent at the nixt Penthecoist,
Thir his wrytingis he hes send at the poist,
To quhat effect, we knaw not his Intent,
Bot we all seuin hes spyit the Firmament,
The Planetis eik and als the sternis cleir,
And we can se na vther thing appeir
Bot haistelie without ony remeid,
And ȝe speak anis ȝe sall thoill suddand deid.
Gif we delay, and bring ȝow not him till,
Our deid is dicht, and in ȝour Fatheris will.
The Childe answerit agane richt humblie
I sair repent that sic ane thing suld be.
Can ȝe not find in that case na remeid
Bot outher I, or ȝe to suffer deid?
Zit I mon pas and all the sternes spy
Gif I can find ony remeid thairby
That may put of that deidlie dolent hour,
And satisfie my Father the Empreour.
Incontinent he veseis ouir his buikis,
Sine efter that vnto the sternes he luikis.
Amang the rest ane proper sterne he saw,
That was richt cleir perfite and wonder smaw
Quhairby richt weill considderit he the cace,
Giue that he culd abstene seuin dayis space
Fra all speiking and hald him self as dum
Ouir sic perrell he clenelie suld ouircum.
And all thair lifis in na perrell to be,
Quhilk sterne he leit all his seuin Maisters se.
And said Maisters behald and weill persaue,
Giue I my self as dum man moste me haue.
Seuin dayis but speiche, sine on the auchtand day
All the perrell I sall auoyde away.
And ȝe ar seuin of all the warld maist wise,
I think it is bot ane small Interprise,
Ilk ane of ȝow to saue my life ane day,
Quhen that is done, Than sum thing I sall say,
That ȝe and I fra all perrell salbe
The Maisteris seuin concludit perfitelie.
All that he said was wonder Iust and trew,
For be the sterne the samin weill thay knew,
And randerit thankis to Potestatis diuine,
That thair Scoller had sa perfite Ingine,
Of cleir cunning, sic ane sterne to considder
Quhairby that thay suld all be saif togidder:
And out of dout, and all danger of deid,
Seuin dayis put by, him self to find remeid.
The Empreours writ, & vnderstude it clene
On the nixt nicht, all seuin with ane consent
Past to espy the sternis and Firmament
32
Or contrair way, gif it was dangerous.
For to fulfill the Empreouris command,
Or gif thay durst the samin to ganestand.
Anone thay spy into the Firmament
Ane stormie sterne that troublit thair Intent.
Persauing weill be the sterne gif that thay
Thair Iornay tuke, and raid that samin day
To thame affixt, be the Empreouris command
The Childe but dout in greit perrell suld stand,
For the first word that he spak in presence
Of his Father in oppin audience,
Suld be the caus of his greit schamefull deid
This to eschew thay culd find na remeid.
Quhairof thay war all sad and wounder sorie
And wist not weill to trauell or to tarie,
Ane vther sterne than thay beheld also,
Schawing to thame to the King wald not go
And keip the day, quhilk was affixt thame to,
To wāt thair heids, thair was nocht ellis ado
Ane of them said quhair twa Illis dois appeir
Lat vs that tak quhairin lyis leist dangeir.
It is better surelie I say for me
For this Impire that we all seuin suld die,
And vther seuin siclike as we ar all
Or this ȝoung man suld suffer ony thrall.
Thairfoir lat vs all seuin with ane Intent,
Our awin personis to the Empreour present,
And let the Chylde at hame alone remane
To se giue we, tary or cummis agane.
And sa thay war all seuin richt sorrowfow,
Pansing alwayis, quhat meane fassoun or how
Thay micht eschew this Inconuenient.
Sa this ȝoung man come doun Incontinent,
Fra his Chalmer, quhair he was studiand,
His seuin Maisteris all sittand thair he fand.
33
He them Inquyrit, quhat was the caus & chāce
Of their sadnes, thay said this standis the cace,
We all beleuit till had of ȝow solace,
Blyithnes and Ioy, and also gude rewaird,
But now Fortoun has bene to ȝow sa hard,
That all sic thing to greit wanhap will turne,
Quhairfoir we all hes greit caus for to murne,
For all our Ioy, and our Felicitie
Is like to turne to greit aduersitie.
He said Maisters I pray ȝow to me schaw
How the case standis, ȝit ȝe will lat me knaw.
Thay said the case that we can schaw to ȝow
Into the self is wonder sorrowfow,
For ȝour Father the Empreour and King
Vnto vs seuin hes send ane schairp wryting,
Commanding vs withouttin tarying
On pane of lyfis that we ȝow till him bring,
Incontinent at the nixt Penthecoist,
Thir his wrytingis he hes send at the poist,
To quhat effect, we knaw not his Intent,
Bot we all seuin hes spyit the Firmament,
The Planetis eik and als the sternis cleir,
And we can se na vther thing appeir
Bot haistelie without ony remeid,
And ȝe speak anis ȝe sall thoill suddand deid.
Gif we delay, and bring ȝow not him till,
Our deid is dicht, and in ȝour Fatheris will.
The Childe answerit agane richt humblie
I sair repent that sic ane thing suld be.
Can ȝe not find in that case na remeid
Bot outher I, or ȝe to suffer deid?
Zit I mon pas and all the sternes spy
Gif I can find ony remeid thairby
That may put of that deidlie dolent hour,
And satisfie my Father the Empreour.
34
Sine efter that vnto the sternes he luikis.
Amang the rest ane proper sterne he saw,
That was richt cleir perfite and wonder smaw
Quhairby richt weill considderit he the cace,
Giue that he culd abstene seuin dayis space
Fra all speiking and hald him self as dum
Ouir sic perrell he clenelie suld ouircum.
And all thair lifis in na perrell to be,
Quhilk sterne he leit all his seuin Maisters se.
And said Maisters behald and weill persaue,
Giue I my self as dum man moste me haue.
Seuin dayis but speiche, sine on the auchtand day
All the perrell I sall auoyde away.
And ȝe ar seuin of all the warld maist wise,
I think it is bot ane small Interprise,
Ilk ane of ȝow to saue my life ane day,
Quhen that is done, Than sum thing I sall say,
That ȝe and I fra all perrell salbe
The Maisteris seuin concludit perfitelie.
All that he said was wonder Iust and trew,
For be the sterne the samin weill thay knew,
And randerit thankis to Potestatis diuine,
That thair Scoller had sa perfite Ingine,
Of cleir cunning, sic ane sterne to considder
Quhairby that thay suld all be saif togidder:
And out of dout, and all danger of deid,
Seuin dayis put by, him self to find remeid.
The first Maister, Pantillas was his Name
Said that he suld vnder the pane of schame,
For the first day befoir the King to stand,
To saue his life partlie he tuke on hand.
Quod Lentulus, quhilk was the nixt Doctour,
I tak on hand ȝour life for to succour,
The secund day, and sa said all the rest,
Thair day about, sa lang as seuin did lest.
This being said, all seuin with ane consent,
Thay cled this Childe in ane new abilȝement,
In goldin clais, as effeirit his estait,
Sine lap on hors, and fordwart maid the gait,
To Romes toun, with all the speid thay had
For to obey as the Empreour thame bad.
Said that he suld vnder the pane of schame,
For the first day befoir the King to stand,
To saue his life partlie he tuke on hand.
Quod Lentulus, quhilk was the nixt Doctour,
I tak on hand ȝour life for to succour,
The secund day, and sa said all the rest,
Thair day about, sa lang as seuin did lest.
35
Thay cled this Childe in ane new abilȝement,
In goldin clais, as effeirit his estait,
Sine lap on hors, and fordwart maid the gait,
To Romes toun, with all the speid thay had
For to obey as the Empreour thame bad.
| The seuin Seages | |