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 Emprice complenit to the Empreour of
the shame done to hir be his Sone Dioclesiane. |
 | The seuin Seages |  |
47
How the Emprice complenit to the Empreour of the shame done to hir be his Sone Dioclesiane.
The Empreour with his Lords in the hallHard the loud schout, and sorie pieteous call
Of the Emprice, all haistelie thay furth ran.
Mony greit Lord, Knichts and gentilman,
The Empreour come first quhair yt was ye quene
And said Madame, quhat haue ȝe hard or sene
To do ȝow noy, anguische or displesour
O fy scho said, heir is ane greit Tratour
Ze call ȝour Sone, bot ȝour Sone is he nocht.
Had he bene ȝouris sic thing he had not wrocht
I wait it was neuer hard of beforne
In all this warld sen ony man was borne
That sic ane knaif sa hie thing to presume
As to defoull the greit Emprice of Rome
Thairfoir my Lord sen ȝe ar Empreour
This mater maist rynds to ȝour greit honour.
Correct ȝe not sic thing and mak remeid
I reck nathing how sone that I be deid.
For gude causis to Chalmer I him led,
Sine like ane knaif he wald defoulit my bed
I chereist him with wordis of greit comfort,
To speik to me, I bid him oft exhort.
On foull badrie his minde was onlie set,
Fra time he saw his willis he culd not get
At his plesure, he maid him me deforce
Contrair my will, and sa hes rent my Corce,
With effusioun of blude all aboundant,
And beleuing na vther thing Instant
Bot haistie deid, war not I gaue ane schout.
Considder weill gif I stude than in dout.
Ze may persaue be my abilȝement
The treuth heirof, how that he hes it rent.
48
Ilk man may knaw how he hes done to me.
Thairfoir my Lord, as I haue said befoir,
I ȝow desire ȝe wald caus to restoir
My greit honour, and my worschip agane
That this Rebald fals Dioclesiane
Wald fra me rent forcelie aganis my will,
Or ellis ȝour bed I sall neuer cum till.
Quhen that the King this mater hard and saw
He was Inflambit with cruell Ire and gaw,
Malice, wodnes, and greit Melancholie,
Was na remeid, bot that his Sone suld die.
Callit Sergandis & gaue thame strait cōmand
On ane Gallous thay suld him hang fra hand
Thā said the Lords yt stude the Empreour neir,
And pleis ȝour grace sum of our wordis to heir.
Lord as ȝe knaw, ȝe haue na Sonnis bot ane,
Quhairfoir we all hes greit caus to mak mane,
And gif ȝe had we think all verralie
Zour present Sone war abill for to die.
Bot not the les with sa haistie Intent,
We think not best we say with ane consent
Zour onlie Sone that ȝe sa sone put doun
Without ordour of Law or prouisioun
The Law is maid to punische trespassouris
All geuin to euill and mischant transgressouris
And gif sa be that he be found the same
Than be ordour lat the Law him condame:
That na man say that the greit Empreour
His onlie Sone in wodnes and furour
Without the Law hes put his Sone to deid,
Pleis ȝour greit grace to this mater tak heid.
The Empreour to sic wordis gaue audience,
And said my Lordis, of me ȝe haue credence
Within this Realme to leid Iustice and Law,
Thairfoir I will consent weill to ȝour saw.
49
He be condampnit in ane plane Iudgement.
Than command was to put him in presoun,
Thair to remane without ony ransoun,
Vnto the time that Iustice Court suld stand
Than four Iewellours ressauit him fra hand,
In deip presoun richt schairplie him Inclusit,
Quhairin befoir the Childe was neuer vsit.
Now lat him sit, God couer him of cair,
Of the Emprice lat vs speik farthermair.
Quha perseueirit in malice and greit Ire
Aganis this Childe, as ony byrnand fyre.
As sone as scho had gottin trew knawledge,
That this ȝoung man was put in presonage
Not put to deid, sa suddanlie as scho wald,
Scho cryit, schoutit, and murnit monyfald,
That the Palice scho causit be all on steir
It was greit pane hir for to se and heir
Than hir Ladyis to hir Chalmer thocht best,
Hir to conuoy, thairin for to tak rest.
Quhē nicht was cum, ye King to Chalmer past
And fand his Quene weiping & murning fast
Wringing hir hands, sobbing and siching sair,
The King was noyit to se hir mak sic cair.
To quhome he said, O my deir Lady gent,
Quhat is the caus that ȝe sa sair lament?
Scho said my Lord, knaw ȝe not all the cace,
How ȝour curst Sone hes maid bludie my face.
And wald me put to vtter displesour
War not ȝour self, and vthers maid succour.
Ze commandit, him for to hang fra hand,
Zit not the les, on life he is leifand.
Nor ȝour command is not obeyit at all,
Nor ȝit my schame na way is maid to fall.
Quhairfoir my Lord, I think that ȝe stand aw
50
Than to the Quene the Empreour can say,
Madame sa sone, the morne as it is day
All ȝour desire to fulfill and Intent,
He sall but dout thole Iustice in Iudgement.
Quod scho my Lord, sall he ȝit leif sa lang.
Quod he Madame, lat this ane nicht ouirgang
Than micht sic chance on ȝow cum haistelie
As on ane Burges come of this Cietie.
As it was schawin the treuth vnto my sell.
Quod he Madame, I pray ȝow that to tell.
At ȝour plesure (quod scho) it salbe done,
Sa hir Sermone on this wise began sone.
| The seuin Seages | |