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 |
 |
|
How the Emprice led Dioclesiane to hir Chalmer
for to mak merines, quhilk appeirandlie he withstude. |
 | The seuin Seages |  |
How the Emprice led Dioclesiane to hir Chalmer for to mak merines, quhilk appeirandlie he withstude.
The Emprice than sū Ladyis callit hir till
Sayand this is my vtter minde and will,
That ȝe prepair my Chalmer and my bed
With Silk badkins, that it be weill ouirspred
And all the hous weill houng with Tapestrie,
Thay said Madame, as ȝe bid sa sall be.
Than the Emprice tuke Dioclesiane
Be the richt hand, and to Chalmer is gane,
And causit auoide all the Chalmers anone,
Nane baid thairin bot thay twa thame alone.
Scho thocht not best nane vther thair suld byde
And set him doun befoir hir awin bed syde:
And said to him thir wordis in ane part
O best belouit Dioclesiane my hart:
Oft times I haue hard speik of ȝour bewtie,
Zour wit, wisdome, and ȝour greit courtasie,
Zour greit vertew or euer I ȝow saw,
I couet ȝow muche baith to se and knaw,
I am richt blyith my sweit Dioclesiane,
That we tua now ar sa secreit alane.
I wald haue giuen within this ȝeir ago
Ten thousand pound for to haue had it so.
And I am glaid that now I may behald
The samin thing that my hart alwayis wald.
And I haue causit ȝour Father for ȝow send
To that Intent, and for that fynall end,
That I may haue of ȝour bodie solace,
And now sen we ar heir in secreit place,
For without fault I say to ȝow planelie
I haue keipit my clene virginitie
To ȝow trewlie, vnto this present hour
Notwithstanding ȝour Father the Empreour
Hes maryit me, ȝit I wald not consent
In that behalf to fulfill his Intent:
Bot at all times hes waitit vpon ȝow,
Quhairfoir of me ȝe tak ȝour plesure now:
And speik to me, and lat vs go to bed,
Sen I my self now thairto hes ȝow led.
Quhat euer scho said, quhateuer scho did or wrocht
For al hir talk ane word he answerit nocht
Scho seing that, to him scho said agane,
O my sweit hart, and gude Dioclesiane,
I sweir ȝow heir, be Pater and be Paull,
In ȝour keping ȝe haue my lyfe and Saull.
Quhat is the caus to me ȝe will not speik?
Schaw me of lufe sum takin I beseik.
For as ye knaw I am ane ȝoung Lady,
And to performe ȝour will am heir reddy.
Sa in hir armes diuers times scho hynt,
Him to haue kist, to his mouth maid ane mynt,
He turnit his heid, and wald not thole hir kis
In hir awin minde (quod scho) quhat thing is this
That to this man profferis my bodie,
And be na way he will consent to me,
Dioclesiane my onlie lufe scho said
Sen that my lufe sa firme is on ȝow laid:
Quhy do ȝe this, to be to me vnkynde,
Knawing richt weill ȝe haue my hart & mynde
And thair is nane that may persaue or se,
Quhat that is done into this hous bot we.
Thairfoir grant me the thing that I ȝow craif,
And ȝe thairfoir my Madinheid to haif,
He wryit his face away and his visage.
For be na way he lykit hir langage.
Persauing than that scho culd not obtene
His lufe nor fauour, bot it denyit clene.
Scho said my lufe, and sweit Dioclesiane
Behald my Papis, behald my quhyte breist bane
Quhilk heir I put in ȝour will & plesour
And clene forsaikis ȝour Father the Empreour.
For quhy he is baith febill waik and auld,
Lene of body, and als of nature cauld.
In his ȝouth heid sa vailȝeant hes bene
That now in eild he is consumit clene.
That he skarslie may stand vpon his feit,
Quhairfoir to me, nor sic he is not meit.
At ȝour plesure thairfoir my body tak,
He seing this, his heid he turnit bak,
That be na signe, nor vther countenance
Into na sort he wald do hir plesance.
Bot in sa far as he culd him remufe,
Scho micht persaue that scho wantit his lufe.
Quod scho agane, gif it plesis ȝow nocht
To speik to me, nor ȝit schaw me ȝour thocht.
As may perchance be done for sum gude quhy,
Into that case, excuse ȝow weill will I.
Zit not the les, I wald ȝe did Indyte
Vpon paper, and ȝour minde to me wryte,
Ze pleis not speik, tak thair paper and Ink,
Beseikand ȝow to write me quhat ȝe think.
Gif efterward ȝour lufe I may obtene,
In secreit wise, that nane wait quhat we mene.
Sa the paper and Ink he did ressaue
And wrait as heir efter ȝe may persaue.
Sayand this is my vtter minde and will,
That ȝe prepair my Chalmer and my bed
With Silk badkins, that it be weill ouirspred
41
Thay said Madame, as ȝe bid sa sall be.
Than the Emprice tuke Dioclesiane
Be the richt hand, and to Chalmer is gane,
And causit auoide all the Chalmers anone,
Nane baid thairin bot thay twa thame alone.
Scho thocht not best nane vther thair suld byde
And set him doun befoir hir awin bed syde:
And said to him thir wordis in ane part
O best belouit Dioclesiane my hart:
Oft times I haue hard speik of ȝour bewtie,
Zour wit, wisdome, and ȝour greit courtasie,
Zour greit vertew or euer I ȝow saw,
I couet ȝow muche baith to se and knaw,
I am richt blyith my sweit Dioclesiane,
That we tua now ar sa secreit alane.
I wald haue giuen within this ȝeir ago
Ten thousand pound for to haue had it so.
And I am glaid that now I may behald
The samin thing that my hart alwayis wald.
And I haue causit ȝour Father for ȝow send
To that Intent, and for that fynall end,
That I may haue of ȝour bodie solace,
And now sen we ar heir in secreit place,
For without fault I say to ȝow planelie
I haue keipit my clene virginitie
To ȝow trewlie, vnto this present hour
Notwithstanding ȝour Father the Empreour
Hes maryit me, ȝit I wald not consent
In that behalf to fulfill his Intent:
Bot at all times hes waitit vpon ȝow,
Quhairfoir of me ȝe tak ȝour plesure now:
And speik to me, and lat vs go to bed,
Sen I my self now thairto hes ȝow led.
Quhat euer scho said, quhateuer scho did or wrocht
For al hir talk ane word he answerit nocht
42
O my sweit hart, and gude Dioclesiane,
I sweir ȝow heir, be Pater and be Paull,
In ȝour keping ȝe haue my lyfe and Saull.
Quhat is the caus to me ȝe will not speik?
Schaw me of lufe sum takin I beseik.
For as ye knaw I am ane ȝoung Lady,
And to performe ȝour will am heir reddy.
Sa in hir armes diuers times scho hynt,
Him to haue kist, to his mouth maid ane mynt,
He turnit his heid, and wald not thole hir kis
In hir awin minde (quod scho) quhat thing is this
That to this man profferis my bodie,
And be na way he will consent to me,
Dioclesiane my onlie lufe scho said
Sen that my lufe sa firme is on ȝow laid:
Quhy do ȝe this, to be to me vnkynde,
Knawing richt weill ȝe haue my hart & mynde
And thair is nane that may persaue or se,
Quhat that is done into this hous bot we.
Thairfoir grant me the thing that I ȝow craif,
And ȝe thairfoir my Madinheid to haif,
He wryit his face away and his visage.
For be na way he lykit hir langage.
Persauing than that scho culd not obtene
His lufe nor fauour, bot it denyit clene.
Scho said my lufe, and sweit Dioclesiane
Behald my Papis, behald my quhyte breist bane
Quhilk heir I put in ȝour will & plesour
And clene forsaikis ȝour Father the Empreour.
For quhy he is baith febill waik and auld,
Lene of body, and als of nature cauld.
In his ȝouth heid sa vailȝeant hes bene
That now in eild he is consumit clene.
That he skarslie may stand vpon his feit,
Quhairfoir to me, nor sic he is not meit.
43
He seing this, his heid he turnit bak,
That be na signe, nor vther countenance
Into na sort he wald do hir plesance.
Bot in sa far as he culd him remufe,
Scho micht persaue that scho wantit his lufe.
Quod scho agane, gif it plesis ȝow nocht
To speik to me, nor ȝit schaw me ȝour thocht.
As may perchance be done for sum gude quhy,
Into that case, excuse ȝow weill will I.
Zit not the les, I wald ȝe did Indyte
Vpon paper, and ȝour minde to me wryte,
Ze pleis not speik, tak thair paper and Ink,
Beseikand ȝow to write me quhat ȝe think.
Gif efterward ȝour lufe I may obtene,
In secreit wise, that nane wait quhat we mene.
Sa the paper and Ink he did ressaue
And wrait as heir efter ȝe may persaue.
O Lady fair I pray God me defend
Fra sic mischance that I se ȝow Intend,
Gif I defoull my Fatheris awin Orchaird,
My Fatheris Ire I get for my rewaird:
Nor I wait not quhat frute thairof sall spring,
And als I knaw richt weill ane vther thing
That Goddis wraith but faill sall fall on me,
Thairfoir at schort lat all sic folie be.
Prouoke me not na farther hidderto,
For I will schaw the mater gif ȝe do.
Als sone as scho the Chedull had out red,
Vnder hir feit Incontinent it tred.
And syne agane with hir teith scho it raif,
Thairof the Text, that na man suld persaif,
All hir heid geir scho kest it on the flure
Raif doun hir clais, and all hir riche vesture.
Raif doun hir hair, and skartit hir visage,
Quhil blude ran doun ouir all hir personage.
That all micht heir scho cryit with ane loud voce
Fy help for schame, or I my life will lois.
This rude Ribald wald reueis me with schame
Persaue this Childe now giue he seruis blame.
Was neuer woman sen first the warld began
Sa cruellie drest, with ane vnfaithfull man.
That I lippinnit na harme suld to me done,
O ȝe my Lords, cum heir and help me sone.
Fra sic mischance that I se ȝow Intend,
Gif I defoull my Fatheris awin Orchaird,
My Fatheris Ire I get for my rewaird:
Nor I wait not quhat frute thairof sall spring,
And als I knaw richt weill ane vther thing
That Goddis wraith but faill sall fall on me,
Thairfoir at schort lat all sic folie be.
Prouoke me not na farther hidderto,
For I will schaw the mater gif ȝe do.
Als sone as scho the Chedull had out red,
Vnder hir feit Incontinent it tred.
And syne agane with hir teith scho it raif,
Thairof the Text, that na man suld persaif,
All hir heid geir scho kest it on the flure
Raif doun hir clais, and all hir riche vesture.
Raif doun hir hair, and skartit hir visage,
Quhil blude ran doun ouir all hir personage.
44
Fy help for schame, or I my life will lois.
This rude Ribald wald reueis me with schame
Persaue this Childe now giue he seruis blame.
Was neuer woman sen first the warld began
Sa cruellie drest, with ane vnfaithfull man.
That I lippinnit na harme suld to me done,
O ȝe my Lords, cum heir and help me sone.
| The seuin Seages | |