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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The Tale of Pantillas the first Doctour. |
 | The seuin Seages |  |
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The Tale of Pantillas the first Doctour.
Into ane Realme thair wynnit ane vailȝeāt knichtOf nobill fame, of greit riches & micht
That had ane sone, my Lord now as ȝe haue
To thre Nuresis to foster he him gaue,
The first Nureis to giue him suck and feid,
The nixt him wesche, & keip him clene at neid.
The thrid to bring him vnto sleip and rest,
The Nobill Knicht for his barne thocht it best.
This Knicht also he had ane gay Grewhound
That nane mair swyft, did rin upon the groūd
Also he had ane Falcon fair of flicht,
Richt swyft of wing quhen scho likit to licht.
Thir twa the Knicht lufit abone measure,
Becaus oft times they did him greit pleasure.
This Grewhound was sa swift and of sic speid
Quhen he was lousit, his pray he gart ay bleid
And the same pray brocht to his Lord anone,
This was ane caus he lufit him allone.
Also quhen that this Knicht past to battell,
Gif that his chance that time wald not preuaill
Into his mouth his hors taill wald he tak,
About his luggis, oft times he wald it schaik.
Syne ȝoull and cry, as he wald quyte rin wode
Sa be that Signe, the Knicht weill vnderstude
Gif at that time he wald furder or no,
And sa oft times leit him to battell go.
His halk also was sa feirce in hir flicht,
Sa swyft of wing, and als sa wonder wicht
That scho was neuer cast of till assay,
Bot without fault scho brukit ay hir pray.
Thir war causis this Hound and Halk he lufit,
Becaus to myrth thay rasit him oft and mufit.
Also this Knicht kest all his haill Intent
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Sa on ane day he causit to proclame
At his Castell, to set fordwart his Name
Quha wald cum thair to Tornay or Iusting,
Breiking of speiris, and als of hors rynning,
At the set day, to be matchit suld not faill,
This was the cry, and sa to schort my Taill,
The Knicht him self first enterit in the feild
To the tornay, with harnes hors and scheild.
Sine efter him past his fair Lady gent
With hir Ladyis, to se the Tornament.
Sine efter that, past all the Nuresis thre
The Tornament for to behald and se.
Lokking the dures, leuing the barne alone,
Traisting Ischie nor entrie suld be none:
Quhill the Tornay, and Iusting suld be done
Than in all haist, thay suld returne richt sone,
Beleuand weill the barne not to awalk,
Nane being thair, bot the Hound and the Halk,
And the ȝoung Chylde, that in the Creddill lay
Except thir thre, the rest all past away.
That na man knew, lay lurking in the haw
Ane greit Serpent, befoir na man did knaw.
Quhen scho persauit the hous sa desolait,
And nane thairin that durst with hir debait.
Out of hir hole sone scho put furth hir heid
At this Infant hauand ane cruell feid.
Quha lay sleiping in the Creddill alone,
Him to deuoir, at schort sa is scho gone.
The Falcon this behalding quhair scho sat,
Vpon her Perk, to do scho wist not quhat,
Bot with hir wingis, scho russillit & rang hir bellis
Almaist scho had al schakin yame in schellis
Sa with the noyis & beir quhilk maid the Halk
This gud hound rais, and of his sleip did walk
And quhen he saw that the Serpent did creip
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With ane fell faird on the Serpent he ran
And sa at schort thir twa to fecht began,
Sa cruellie, that it was greit meruaill
Quhilk of the twa at that time suld preuaill.
Ane to deuoir, the vther to defend
Thir twa at lenth togidder did contend.
Sa lang at lenth thir twa togidder faucht,
Amaist the hoūd al quyte had loist his maucht,
Sa cruellie he was woundit in blude,
That all about quhair that the Creddill stude,
Was blude berun, that meruell was to se,
Betuix sic twa sa bauld bargane to be.
The Grewhound than persauing his awin blude
Into his hart wor sa cruell and wode,
With ane fell faird vpon the Serpent ran.
Sa thame betuix ane new bargane began.
With sic malice, melancolie and Ire,
Quhil ane was deid, yat nane of yame wald tire
Nor leif the feild, quhill it chancit at the last,
Betuix thame twa, the Creddill ouir thay cast.
With boddum vp, and on the Toris it stude,
Quhair it was all about berun with blude.
Sa it become, and fell be Goddis grace
That the four Toris sauit the Childis face.
And sleipit still with visage toward the ground
Thir twa fechtand, the Serpent and the hound
Quhill at the last the hound into certane,
This fell Serpent he hes ouircum and slane.
And sauit the Childe fra perrell in that tide,
Quhen all was done, doun be the Creddill side,
Licking his woundis lay doun this nobil hoūd
For fechting sair, and sa on sleip fell sound.
Besyde this Bab, quhilk in the Creddill lay,
Nane in the hous, bot onlie thir same tway.
The Bab sleiping, and wist na kind of Ill,
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The Serpent slane, as I said ȝow befoir,
The Babie saif, and the hound woundit soir.
And so anone efter this tornament
Ilk man woman vnto thair ludgeing went.
To tell that day quha wan the Interpryse,
That erand now to my mater not lyis.
Thairfoir as now that thing I wil lat be,
And lat vs speik of the Nuresis thre.
Quha first come hame and enterit in the haw,
Sa sone as thay the blude and creddill saw.
Wringing thair handis and ryfing doun thair hair
Crying allace wo on vs euer mair.
Our onlie Childe our Bab and fosterbarne
Is quyte deuoirit, with ane Dog and forfarne.
Allace for wo, allace quhat sall we do,
We ken na place for succour to rin to.
Giue our Maister perchance vs apprehend,
Thair is nane may fra his handis vs defend.
Bot alway sall on vs cum suddand deid,
We knaw na way quhair we may find remeid,
Sen sa is cum lat vs in haist all thre
To saue our life, but baid away to fle.
Euin sa thay did, and left the hous alone,
But mair counsall all thre away is gone.
And had na wit nor wisdome in thair heid
To se quhidder the barne was quick or deid,
Nor lift the Creddill, and to persaue the cace,
Bot ran away all thre crying allace.
And as thay war sa passand furth the streit,
Thair awin Maistres thay chancit for to meit
With hir Ladyis cumming fra the Tornay,
Scho persauing hir Nuresis in the way,
Richt sair murning, and ryfing doun thair hair
All wo begane, repleit of sturt and cair.
Sone scho Inquirit at yame how stude the cace
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Quhat sall we say for wordis to multiplie
Thair is na bute all man the case may se.
Ane Deuill Madame into ane Doggis skin
Hes slane ȝour Sone, alone ȝour hall within.
To the quhilk Dog my Lord gaue maist delite,
Bot now he hes of ȝour Sone maid ȝow quite.
In takin ȝit quhair that the Creddill stude,
The Dog sleipis still new bathit in his blude.
He was the Dog that my Lord lufit best,
He was na Dog, bot with ane Deuill possest,
Thairfoir Lady, for vs is na remeid,
Bot outher fle, or ells to bide the deid.
Thairfoir Madame of vs ȝe haue mercie,
This is the caus that causis vs to fle.
This scho heiring, anone fell to the ground,
Without mair space into ane deidlie sound.
And ȝit at last Ladyis gart hir awalk,
Held vp hir heid, quhill scho began to talk,
And said allace, my deir Sone art thow slane.
Sall thow neuer play on my kne agane?
Sall I neuer with my Pap se the play?
Allace how sone art thow sa went away.
Sall I neuer the lauchand on me se?
Allace how is the dolour chancit me?
Quhairin I had my onlie maist plesour,
Saifand my Lord, baith be tide time and hour
Is now but dout, with ane Dog clene deuorit,
And neuer agane to the life be restorit.
Quhat sall I say, this is ane cairfull cace.
My onlie Sone is deid and gane allace,
Sa scho murning in greit dolour and wo,
The pepill about, that seing did richt so.
Murnit richt sair, and of hir had pietie,
In sic dolour, that Lady for to se.
In the meane time the Knicht fra his Tornay,
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His awin Lady, lamenting in dolour,
Requirit the caus of all hir displesour.
Scho sayis my Lord, allace and euer mair
I can not speik for greit dolour and cair,
Is happinnit vs ane wonder cruell cace,
Our Sone is slane, for euer mair allace
With ȝour Grewhoūd quhome yt sa weill ȝe lufit
Now all that lufe on ȝour Sone he hes prufit.
He hes him slane, in Creddill quhair he lay,
Zour Nuresis all thre ar fled away.
And ȝit the place quhair that the Creddill stude
Zour hound lyis sleiping in ȝour Sonnis blude
This ȝour Grewhound withouttin helpis ma
Our onlie Childe all quite hes tane vs fra.
Quhairfoir my self vnto the hour I die
Sall neuer eit, quhill I reuengit be
Vpon ȝour hound, quhilk hes my ane sone slane
Nor in ȝour bed sall neuer cum agane,
Quhill he be deid that gart my ane Sone die,
Bot wo allace, this is na mendis to me.
Howbeit it be ane syithment to my hart,
Zit my greit wo it slokins in sum part.
Thairfoir my Lord, gif ȝe think it be done,
Without delay, gar sla ȝour Grewhound sone.
The Knicht heiring thir sorrowfull tidance
How to his Sone had fallin sic mischance.
Hamewart in haist but baid he maid him boun
And in the clois quhen he was lichtit doun
The Grewhound hard horsmen into the clois,
Amang the laif he knew his Maisteris voce,
And vp he rais in the blude quhair he lay
To his Maister the hie gait come his way,
Faynt and foirfocht, come fawnand to his feit
As he had wont, his Maister for to meit.
Into greit Ire, quhat is thair mair to say,
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And that onlie for ane word of his wife
Gat his rewaird, that sauit his Sonnis life.
Than past the knicht but baid vnto the haw,
Persauit the blude, and als the Creddill saw.
He liftit vp the Creddill as it stude.
Fand the barne haill, and als mekill spilt blude
Persuand sine of the Serpent the heid,
The skin and taill, that had fochin to deid.
And fand his Sone withouttin wan or wound
Allace he said for my gude gay grew hound,
That I haue slane withouttin ony caus,
Bot onlie for the voide vane wordis and sawis
Of ane woman, that hes talkit in vane
Quhairthrow I haue, but caus my Grewhoūd slane
Quhilk I persaue hes sauit my sonnis life
Fra the Serpent, throw his debait and strife.
Wo to the hour that now I drew my sword,
Wo to the hour that hard my wifis word.
Wo to the hand that suddand straik that gaue,
To my best hound, that my sonnis life did saue
Quhilk I lude best, without ony compair,
Saifing my wife, my onlie Sone and Air.
Quhilk at this time hes sauit fra the deid,
And for rewaird, now he has loist his heid.
But dout I wald haue geuin a thousand pound
Of gude money, or I had slane my hound.
Bot sen sa is I se is na remeid,
My Sone is saif, and my gude hound is deid,
That faucht for him, and onlie sauit his life,
And I him slew throw ane word of my wife,
Bot fra thine furth heir I solempne ane vow,
That Ilk man sall gif credence to and trow.
Heir I forsaik all Tornay and Iusting,
Heir I forsaik all Halking and Hunting.
Heir I forsaik rynning with scheild and speir,
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In Cristindome, bot ȝit not manlynes,
Heir I forsaik all armour and harnes.
For I will pas now to the Halie land,
And fecht with Iowis, quhill I may strike or stand
Contrair Gods fais, & thairto end my life
This vowit yis Knicht for ane word of his wife
That vnto hir gaue sic haistie credence,
Withouttin caus or ȝit Experience.
Thairfoir my Lord ȝour gude Grace I require,
Gif not sa sone credence to the desire
Of ȝour Emprice, thocht scho be diligent,
Aganis ȝour Sone greit lesingis to Inuent.
For ȝe may weill be this same Tale persaue
Quhat the Knicht gat that sa sone credence gaue
Vnto his wife, and to hir wordis vane,
That sauit his Sone yt same hound hes he slane
Thairfoir gude Schir, & pleis ȝour nobill grace
I wald ȝe gaue na credence in this cace
Vnto ȝour Quene, to put ȝour Sone to deid,
For ȝe will rew quhen thair is na remeid.
As did this Knicht, his Nobill hound that slew
Remeid bypast, than he began to rew.
My Lord he said, haue ye betane this Taill,
The Empreour said, that I haue done but faill
For that gude Taill that ȝe haue tauld to me,
As for this day, my Sone he sall not die.
The Doctour said gif that ȝe do sic thing
Ze do wiselie, and like ane Nobill King.
Thankand ȝour Grace, that onlie for my saik
Zour Sonnis deid, onlie ȝe haue done slaik.
And sa tuke leif at the gude Empreour
To his marrowis past hame with all plesour.
| The seuin Seages | |