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 |
 |
|
The declaratioun of the Emprice thrid Taill. |
 | The seuin Seages |  |
The declaratioun of the Emprice thrid Taill.
The Emprice said I am richt wonder woThat of ȝour self and ȝour Sone it be so,
For his sonnis saik this Knicht as I haue tald
Quhen he was pure his lands he left vnsald.
Quhen he wantit he had nane vther schift
For his Sonnis saik than he committit thift.
And that his barnis efter that he was deid
Suld haue na schame he causit strike of his heid
And ȝit his Sone wald not do sic rewaird
To burie his heid in Kirk nor ȝit Kirk-ȝaird:
Nor he wald not nouther be nicht nor day
Doun of the treis his bodie tak away.
In the same sort baith nicht and day ȝe laubour
For to promoue ȝour Sone to greit honour.
Bot day and nicht he settis his Intentioun
Zow for to put to vtter confusion,
And ȝow destroy, is daylie his desire,
99
My counsall is ȝe rather put him doun
Or he fra ȝow get the Impire and Croun.
The Empreour said, sa mot I thriue and the,
Ane gude exampill now ȝe haue schawin to me.
I micht haue tholit efter his Fathers deid,
Zit be sum slicht to caus burie his heid.
Trewlie my Sone he sall na langer chaip,
Vpon the morne be hingit in ane raip.
To officers anone he gaue command
To tak his Sone, and to hang him fra hand.
Doun throw the streit thay led him haistelie,
To the Gallous, but mercie for to die.
And as thay led that ȝoung man throw ye streit
All the pepill began to murne and greit,
Sayand allace the Empreours onlie Childe,
To the Gallous is led thair to be filde.
Allace said thay, quhat is his Fathers minde
To his ane Sone for to be sa vnkinde?
Now this is thryis comdampnit he hes bene
And few can tell quhat dois the mater mene.
Bot all this cūmis be the Quenis fals consait,
That he is led sa oft doun throw the gait.
In the meane time doun the gait is he gone
The thrid Maister come rydand namit Craton
And saw the Childe sa wonder neir the deid,
To his Maister ȝit he Inclynit his heid,
As he wald say, Maister haue minde of me,
Do ȝe not weill, thair is na dome bot die.
The pepill cryit gude Maister haist and ryde,
And for ȝour childe gude help that ȝe prouyde.
Sa in all haist but ony mair delay,
To the Palice he spurrit his gude Palfray.
And quhen he come befoir the Empreour,
He hailsit him with reuerence and honour.
Quha maid answer to the Maister againe,
100
Zour cumming heir sall nathing ȝow auaill
Ar ȝe cum heir to flatter me with ȝour taill?
The Maister said within seuin ȝeiris space
Better rewaird I haue servit at ȝour grace:
Zit I beleue to get better rewaird,
And pleis ȝour grace that my talking be hard.
Rewaird (said he) at my hand serue ȝe nocht,
For the dum boy to me that ȝe haue brocht.
Ze serue all seuin the verie painfull deid,
Ilk ane of ȝow to Gallous for to leid:
For I delyuerit my Sone speikand to ȝow
Quite dū but speiche ȝe seuin hes maid him now
And als he wald haue defoulit my Quene,
Contrair hir will, as is weill hard and sene.
The Maister said, quhair ȝe say he is dum,
Will ȝe suffer bot ane schort time to cum
I find ȝow heir the michtie God to borrow
That he sall speik or the fyft day at morrow
For he that maid the dum man for to speik,
The deif to heir, to helth restoir the seik,
He will restoir ȝour Sone to speik againe:
Within few dayis, and that I say in plaine.
And quhair ȝe say he wald deforcit ȝour Quene,
Gif ony man hes euer hard or sene
Sic conditiounis outher be lait or air
Sen he with vs remanit or maid repair.
That he is gyltie of all that ȝe haue said,
Than I thairfoir to die am wonder glaid.
But Salomon sayis richt weill in his buke,
Quha lykis thairin to reid and for to luke.
Na malice is, nor was, nor ȝit be can,
Abone malice of ane Ill geuin woman.
That sall I preif be ane exampill gude,
That wemen are the Fontaine and the flude,
The verray rute, and speciall Inuentioun
101
And gif ȝe put ȝour Sone now to the deid.
For ȝour wifes wordis, hir falset and hir feid.
It sall chance ȝow, as it did to the man
That slew his Py throw slicht of the woman
Quhilk Bird he lude abone all vther thing,
And ay the treuth it tauld him but lesing.
The Empreour said, I pray the tell me that
Betuix the man, the wife, and the Pyat.
The Maister said, ȝour Sone againe gar caw,
That he thoill not the vtter charge of Law.
Than sall I tell my taill to ȝour plesour,
To ȝour profeit, ȝour weilfair and honour.
The Empreour said Maister for this ane day
He sall not die, cum efter quhat sa may.
The Maister said God thāk ȝour grace againe
Sa he his taill begouth as followis plane.
| The seuin Seages | |