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 Prologve |
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 | The seuin Seages |  |
The Prologve
Sen into Courts is Curiositie,
Manheid, maners, nurtour and courtasie,
Gif in the heid greit vertew dois auance
Sa in members I think siclyke suld be.
Curage, kyndnes, gentrice and honestie
To do the heid seruice and obseruance,
To God alone also for his plesance
And failzeing that, all is bot fantasie,
For warldlie myrth wald haue sum temperance.
Manheid, maners, nurtour and courtasie,
Gif in the heid greit vertew dois auance
Sa in members I think siclyke suld be.
Curage, kyndnes, gentrice and honestie
To do the heid seruice and obseruance,
To God alone also for his plesance
And failzeing that, all is bot fantasie,
For warldlie myrth wald haue sum temperance.
Sum cummis to court to serue thair King and Quene
To conqueis lands sum settis thair courage clene,
Greit Lordis and Lairdis the court wald hald in hand
Sum thair kynnismen to Court causis conuene.
Sum for to se, and vthers to be sene.
With braid Buklars brawling with birneist brand
Sum thair gat fais, vthers sum friendschip fand
Sum gettis plesure, vthers gettis tray and tene
Ze ken the Court can nocht ay stabill stand.
To conqueis lands sum settis thair courage clene,
Greit Lordis and Lairdis the court wald hald in hand
Sum thair kynnismen to Court causis conuene.
Sum for to se, and vthers to be sene.
With braid Buklars brawling with birneist brand
Sum thair gat fais, vthers sum friendschip fand
Sum gettis plesure, vthers gettis tray and tene
Ze ken the Court can nocht ay stabill stand.
In Court that time was gude Dauid Lyndsay,
In vulgar toung he bure the bell that day
To mak meter, richt cunning and expart,
And Maister Iohne Ballentyne suith to say
Mak him marrow to Dauid weill we may.
And for the thrid, Maister Williame Stewart,
To mak in Scottis, richt weill he knew that Art,
Bischop Durie, sum tyme of Galloway,
For his plesure sum tyme wald tak thair part.
In vulgar toung he bure the bell that day
To mak meter, richt cunning and expart,
2
Mak him marrow to Dauid weill we may.
And for the thrid, Maister Williame Stewart,
To mak in Scottis, richt weill he knew that Art,
Bischop Durie, sum tyme of Galloway,
For his plesure sum tyme wald tak thair part.
And I my self with small Intelligence
Thocht in that case to schaw my diligence
To manifest my waik wit and Ingyne,
At thir foursum asking leif and licence,
With hat and hand k[n]eiling with reuerence
Me for to leir ane lessoun or a lyne
Of thair prettick to me ane point propyne.
They said go to, schaw sum Experience
And I thairfoir to thame promeist the wyne.
Thocht in that case to schaw my diligence
To manifest my waik wit and Ingyne,
At thir foursum asking leif and licence,
With hat and hand k[n]eiling with reuerence
Me for to leir ane lessoun or a lyne
Of thair prettick to me ane point propyne.
They said go to, schaw sum Experience
And I thairfoir to thame promeist the wyne.
Sa at thir four, quhen I had leif purchest,
To thame (said I) quhat mater is metest?
For to begin (quod thay) we wald ze drew
Sum Dialog, or argument that is best,
And that will mak zour mater manifest.
Sa folk may knaw the fals Tale be the trew,
For Dialogs (quod I) weis get anew.
And sa fra thame Incontinent me drest,
And tuke gude nicht, and said gude schirs adew.
To thame (said I) quhat mater is metest?
For to begin (quod thay) we wald ze drew
Sum Dialog, or argument that is best,
And that will mak zour mater manifest.
Sa folk may knaw the fals Tale be the trew,
For Dialogs (quod I) weis get anew.
And sa fra thame Incontinent me drest,
And tuke gude nicht, and said gude schirs adew.
Bot zit knew not quhat my mater suld be
Quhidder of myrth or zit of grauitie.
Efter Supper to bed I maid me boun,
Sa in my sleip me thocht I saw swythlie
Lady Venus, cumming and spak to me,
And said I am cum with the for to ressoun,
Thairfoir my wordis, se that thow not chessoun,
Tuitching my stait, honour and dignitie
Forzet me nocht quhen thou makis thy Sermoun.
Quhidder of myrth or zit of grauitie.
Efter Supper to bed I maid me boun,
Sa in my sleip me thocht I saw swythlie
Lady Venus, cumming and spak to me,
And said I am cum with the for to ressoun,
Thairfoir my wordis, se that thow not chessoun,
Tuitching my stait, honour and dignitie
Forzet me nocht quhen thou makis thy Sermoun.
3
Sa on the morne quhen time was for to ryse
I thocht I wald begin my Interpryse,
And rememberit on Venus Lady Quene
Kest in my mynd ofter nor anis or twyse
That she bad me with hir mater auyse,
And I knew small quhat hir mater did mene
Considdering at me hir self had bene.
I wist nocht weill quhat mater to deuyse,
Hir for to pleis, and to eshaip hir tene.
I thocht I wald begin my Interpryse,
And rememberit on Venus Lady Quene
Kest in my mynd ofter nor anis or twyse
That she bad me with hir mater auyse,
And I knew small quhat hir mater did mene
Considdering at me hir self had bene.
I wist nocht weill quhat mater to deuyse,
Hir for to pleis, and to eshaip hir tene.
And sa at schort my pen I tuke in hand
Began to wryte at Quene Venus command
Ane lytill Quair, I ken nocht gif ze knaw it,
Embrowd about with barbarus termes bland
And with trym termes maist vsit vp on land
As to the Name Dame Venus Court they caw it
I wait nocht weill gif euir Schiris ze saw it,
Delyuerit it vnto my Maisters four
Quha it ressauit, and reddelie red ouir.
Began to wryte at Quene Venus command
Ane lytill Quair, I ken nocht gif ze knaw it,
Embrowd about with barbarus termes bland
And with trym termes maist vsit vp on land
As to the Name Dame Venus Court they caw it
I wait nocht weill gif euir Schiris ze saw it,
Delyuerit it vnto my Maisters four
Quha it ressauit, and reddelie red ouir.
This lytill Quair, quhen thay had red and endit
Sum said that hard, thay greitlie it commendit,
And sa beliue delyuerit it againe
To euerie verse thairin thay condiscendit,
And said thay wist, thairwith nane was offendit
Except it war ane prydfull pure Putane,
At quhais wordis men wald tak small disdane,
Quha that fand faltis, all four thay wald defend it
Be word and deid, with micht and all thair mane.
Sum said that hard, thay greitlie it commendit,
And sa beliue delyuerit it againe
To euerie verse thairin thay condiscendit,
And said thay wist, thairwith nane was offendit
Except it war ane prydfull pure Putane,
At quhais wordis men wald tak small disdane,
Quha that fand faltis, all four thay wald defend it
Be word and deid, with micht and all thair mane.
Ane proper wenche come to me on ane day
Ane of my Ants, bot thairto I say nay
My buke to borrow, greitlie scho did Inquyre
Ane wed thairfoir scho said scho wald doun lay
Quhill scho it red, within ane Oulk or tway.
Sa I grantit that thing scho did desyre,
Bot in few dayis my Ant begouth to tyre
Her Pyat toung, hir poet toung I suld say
Micht suffice weill to preiche in barne or byre.
Ane of my Ants, bot thairto I say nay
My buke to borrow, greitlie scho did Inquyre
Ane wed thairfoir scho said scho wald doun lay
Quhill scho it red, within ane Oulk or tway.
4
Bot in few dayis my Ant begouth to tyre
Her Pyat toung, hir poet toung I suld say
Micht suffice weill to preiche in barne or byre.
My buke againe scho brocht and callit it gude
And said sum termes was scho not vnderstude,
Because thay war sa heich and curious
Meruellit at me how I durst euer dude,
Aganis wemen to speik sa ruch and rude,
And said I trow zour mynde was furious
Quod I Lady the mater standis thus
Quhen twa arguis, in ane or thay conclude
On force thair talk mon be contrarious.
And said sum termes was scho not vnderstude,
Because thay war sa heich and curious
Meruellit at me how I durst euer dude,
Aganis wemen to speik sa ruch and rude,
And said I trow zour mynde was furious
Quod I Lady the mater standis thus
Quhen twa arguis, in ane or thay conclude
On force thair talk mon be contrarious.
Thairfoir Maistres I mon hald zow excusit,
I traist sic termes befoir few tymes ze vsit,
Or at the leist, ze come nocht quhair thay grew
I hard sum say that ze war greitlie rusit,
And ze zour thocht and mynde on sic termes musit
Baith into Greik, in Latine and Hebrew,
Now I persaue that thay Tales ar not trew.
Thairfoir trewlie my self suld haue the pyne,
I was to bald to cast Peirlis to the Swyne.
I traist sic termes befoir few tymes ze vsit,
Or at the leist, ze come nocht quhair thay grew
I hard sum say that ze war greitlie rusit,
And ze zour thocht and mynde on sic termes musit
Baith into Greik, in Latine and Hebrew,
Now I persaue that thay Tales ar not trew.
Thairfoir trewlie my self suld haue the pyne,
I was to bald to cast Peirlis to the Swyne.
Than scho me prayit with wordis sweit and fair
To be sa gude to tak ane vther Quair
In planer termes, and it in Meter mak
Anents wemen, not tuitching thame sa sair,
For zour requeist (said I) I will do mair.
Ane vther Roll I chancit in hand to take,
It to performe for that fair Ladyis sake.
Maid and compylit be the wyse Sages seuin,
Quha was that tyme maist sapient vnder heuin.
To be sa gude to tak ane vther Quair
In planer termes, and it in Meter mak
Anents wemen, not tuitching thame sa sair,
For zour requeist (said I) I will do mair.
Ane vther Roll I chancit in hand to take,
It to performe for that fair Ladyis sake.
Maid and compylit be the wyse Sages seuin,
Quha was that tyme maist sapient vnder heuin.
5
For naturall wit, thay ar all haldin plane
The springing well, and onlie fresche Fontane
The perfyte ground, and rute Originall
Of this storie, now following but lane,
Thairfoir my self, as now I am constrane
It to translait, in our toung naturall.
Quhair I it fand into plain prois at all
Without cullour or feit, now I againe
In rurall ryme, to set it furth I sall.
The springing well, and onlie fresche Fontane
The perfyte ground, and rute Originall
Of this storie, now following but lane,
Thairfoir my self, as now I am constrane
It to translait, in our toung naturall.
Quhair I it fand into plain prois at all
Without cullour or feit, now I againe
In rurall ryme, to set it furth I sall.
The fault I said, for hir saik I suld mend it
Quhair scho befoir with strange termis was offendit.
I promeist hir of honestie to quyte thame,
And with toun termes my bow it suld be bendit
Fra Clerklie termes my pen suld be suspendit
And in my verse be na way I suld wryte thame,
Ze sall all knaw doutles that I despyte thame.
On this debait than we war condiscendit,
At hir desyre I sall eschew to dyte thame.
Quhair scho befoir with strange termis was offendit.
I promeist hir of honestie to quyte thame,
And with toun termes my bow it suld be bendit
Fra Clerklie termes my pen suld be suspendit
And in my verse be na way I suld wryte thame,
Ze sall all knaw doutles that I despyte thame.
On this debait than we war condiscendit,
At hir desyre I sall eschew to dyte thame.
Sa we aggreit (quod scho) gude Schir adew
Quod I Lady, forsuith richt sair I rew,
With sa dry mouths, that we twa suld depart
Quod scho but dout, as I am traist and trew
Sum vther tyme my self sall zow persew,
Bot not as now, thair is tyme efterwart,
Quhen euer ze pleis (quod I) welcum my hart,
For verray shame me thocht scho changeit hew,
Than turnit hir bak, and sa we did depart.
Quod I Lady, forsuith richt sair I rew,
With sa dry mouths, that we twa suld depart
Quod scho but dout, as I am traist and trew
Sum vther tyme my self sall zow persew,
Bot not as now, thair is tyme efterwart,
Quhen euer ze pleis (quod I) welcum my hart,
For verray shame me thocht scho changeit hew,
Than turnit hir bak, and sa we did depart.
Incontinent but ony mair delay
I thocht it best my pen for till assay
This lytill buke in verse for to compyle
Quhair it befoir into plane prois was ay,
Gif I culd fynd ony gude wyle or way
To steir it vp into ane better style,
That I suld not this fair Lady begyle,
Considdering the same on hand I tuke
As ze sall heir, thus I began my buke.
I thocht it best my pen for till assay
This lytill buke in verse for to compyle
6
Gif I culd fynd ony gude wyle or way
To steir it vp into ane better style,
That I suld not this fair Lady begyle,
Considdering the same on hand I tuke
As ze sall heir, thus I began my buke.
Finit Prologus.
| The seuin Seages | |