The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun

printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours

Anderson, R. (1770-1833)

II, III, IV, V, VI.

[volume]

THE ORIGINAL CHRONICLE OF ANDREW OF WYNTOUN

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

XX.

XXI.

XXII.

XXIII.

XXIV.

XXV.

XXVI.

XXVII.

XXVIII.

XXIX.

XXX.

XXXI.

XXXII.

XXXIII.

XXXIV.

XXXV.

XXXVI.

XXXVII.

XXXVIII.

XXXIX.

XL.

XLI.

XLII.

XLIII.

XLIV.

XLV.

XLVI.

XLVII.

XLVIII.

XLIX.

LI.

LII.

LIII.

LIV.

LV.

LVI.

LVII.

LVIII.

LIX.

LX.

LXI.

LXII.

LXIII.

LXIV.

LXV.

LXVI.

LXVII.

LXVIII.

LXIX.

LXX.

LXXI.

LXXII.

LXXIII.

LXXIV.

LXXV.

LXXVI.

LXXVII.

LXXVIII.

LXXIX.

LXXX.

LXXXI.

LXXXII.

LXXXIII.

LXXXIV.

LXXXV.

LXXXVI.

LXXXVII.

LXXXVIII.

LXXXIX.

XC.

XCI.

XCII.

XCIII.

XCIV.

XCV.

XCVI.

XCVII.

CHAPTER XCVII.

XCVIII.

XCIX.

CI.

CII.

CIII.

CIV.

CV.

CVI.

CVII.

CVIII.

CIX.

CX.

CXI.

CXII.

CXIII.

CXIV.

CXV.

CXVI.

CXVII.

CXVIII.

CXIX.

CXX.

CXXI.

CXXII.

CXXIII.

CXXIV.

CXXV.

CXXVI.

CXXVII.

CXXVIII.

CXXIX.

CXXX.

CXXXI.

CXXXII.

CXXXIII.

CXXXIV.

CXXXV.

CXXXVI.

CXXXVII.

CXXXVIII.

CXXXIX.

CXL.

CXLI.

CXLII.

CXLIII.

CXLIV.

CXLV.

CXLVI.

CXLVII.

CXLVIII.

CXLIX.

CL.

CLI.

CLII.

CLIII.

CLIV.

CLV.

CLVI.

CLVII.

CLVIII.

CLIX.

CLX.

CLXI.

CLXII.

CLXIII.

CLXIV.

CLXV.

CLXVI.

CLXVII.

CLXVIII.

CLXIX.

CLXX.

CLXXI.

CLXXII.

CLXXIII.

CLXXIV.

CLXXV.

CLXXVI.

CLXXVI.

CLXXVII.

CLXXVIII.

CLXXIX.

CLXXX.

CLXXXI.

CLXXXII.

CLXXXIII.

CLXXXIV.

CLXXXV.

CLXXXVI.

CLXXXVII.

CLXXXVIII.

CLXXXIX.

CXCI.

CXCII.

CXCIII.

CXCIV.

CXCV.

CXCVI.

CXCVII.

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CHAPTER XCVII.

How þe noble king Arthure
Wes slane throu Mordred þe tratour.

Four hundreth xxx. ȝeris and thre
Eftir þe blessit Natiuite
This Celestyne, pape of Rome
And kepare of all Cristindome,
Send Sanct Patrik in Irland,
And Sanct Pallady in Scotland,
In thai landis for to preche,
The folkis in Cristin fay to teche.

Than ȝoungare Theodosius,
Quhen dede wes gud Honorius,
Wes to þis pape contemporane,
And with him Valentyneane
Emperouris were xx. ȝere
And vii. attour, to rekin clere.
That tyme in to þe Ile of Cretee,
That lyis within þe Mekle Se,
And now men callis it Candy,
The deuill apperit þare bodely
To þe Iowis, and said he wes
The haly prophet callit Moyses,
And gert þame fermely trow þat he
Suld bring þaim saufly our þe se,
And all þare gait he gert be dry;
Bot in þat desait deit mony,
For all þai þat him followit þare
In þat deip se drownit ware.

Off Constantinople cete þan
The bischop wes a wickit man,
Nestorius callit be name.
On our Lady þis defame
He set, and said þis veraly,
Scho baire nocht God of hir body;
Bot he said þat sympilly þan
Off hir body scho baire bot man.
Twa hundreth bischop þare of anone
Wes gaderit in till Ephesone
Befor þis Celestyne in hy,
And condempnit þis fals errasy.
Theothocone þai ordanit all
Our Lady in haly kirk to call,
That is þe moder properly
Off God and man baith verraly.

Quhen dede wes þis pape Celestyne,
Aucht ȝeris and dais nyne
Sext the thrid held þat steid,
And efter þat, quhen he wes deid,
Leo wes maid paip of Rome,
And kepare of all Cristindome,
Twa monethis and xxx. ȝere
And xxvii. dais cleire.
He wes a solempnit clerk,
And did mony clerklik werk.
To þe Emperour Marceane
He wes þan contemporane,
And till his wif þe emprise
He wrait and send full faire tretise
To draw hir hert to Cristin fay,
And þare in to be steidfast ay;

And of Cristis Natiuite
Solempne sermondis thare maid he.

Quhen this pape Leo wes
One a Pasche day singand mess,
A faire woman at the offerand
Come with vthire and kist his hand,
And of þat kyss all sodanely
Thare raiss a lust in his body;
And, for of þat temptacioun
His hand wes þe occasioun,
He gert smyte of his hand forthy
Quyte away fra his body.
Sa efter þat gret murmure wes
Quhy he vsit nocht to sing his mess;
And for þat fame deuotly
Prayere he maid till oure Lady,
With gret walking and fasting,
For to succour him sum thing,
And to sauf him fra þat defame
At he sustenit, and sic schame.
Than Mary myld, oure Lady fre,
Apperit till him at he mycht se,
And till his stomp scho set his hand,
And maid it and it evin growand,
That he wes abill to sing his mess;
And þus restorit throu hir grace he wess,
And prechit efter opinly
This myrakle of oure sueit Lady,
And lowit hir apon all wiss
And deuote wes in his seruiss.
For the gud werkis he vsit to werk
He is ȝit lovit in halykirk;

One Petere and on Paulis evin ay
Ilk ȝere is his fest day.

The vii. sleparis þan raisit were
That slepand lay thre hundreth ȝere,
And seventy ȝere þar to and twa,
As þare story can mencioun ma;
Fra þe dede of Decius
Till ȝoungare Theodosius
Thai slepit, as þe story sayis,
And sa mony ȝeris it wes and dais.

To this Leo pape contemporane
Valentyne and Marciane
Off þe empire held þe stait
Sevin ȝeris, as Frere Martyne wrait.

The Saxonis out of Ducheland
Arryvit þat tyme in Ingland,
And Merlyne alsua mystely
That tyme maid his prophasy.
How Wortygerne wiþ his falsheid
Off Brettane maid the kingis deid;
How Vtere and Aurelyus,
To surname callit Ambrosius,
Off Ingland prevely past þan,
And efter baid in Less Brettane;
And how the Saxonis with þar slycht
In Ingland come with all þar mycht,
And ekit in sic multitude
At þai slew doune þe Brutis blude,
And Ingland þar efter ay
Thai haif haldin to þis day,
The [Brute] tellis it sa opinly
That I will lat it heire ga by.

The Saxonis in Ingland were
Quhen Theodosius þe ȝoungare
Off þe empyre held þe estait,
As in þis buke befor I wrait.

Quhen þis Leo þe pape wes deid,
Syne Hyllare sat in till his steid
Thre monethis and vi. ȝere
And x. dais þar to cleire.
Efter him Symphisius,
The thrid Felix and Galicius
Off Rome were papis successive,
Ilk ane till oþer in þar live;
Xxvii. dais and thre
In Rome þai held þe papis se.
Quhen þir papis thre were þan
To þe empyre contemporane,
The emperour þe first Leo,
Till [him] succedit syne Ȝeno,
And þir twa emperouris in to þar live
Held þe empyre successive
Xxx. ȝeris fully and ma.
Anestasius efter þai
Xiii. ȝeris lord and syre
Held þe stait of þe empyre.

And quhen þis Leo wes emperour
King of Brettane þan wes Arthour,
That wan all France and Lumbardy,
Gascone, Gyane and Normundy,
Flandris, Burgone and Braband,
Celland, Holland and Fresland,

Swessioun, Swethrik and Norway,
Denmark, Irland and Orknay;
And all þe Ilis in þe se
Subiect were till his pouste;
And all þir cuntreis ilk ane
To þe crovne of Mare Brettane
He ekit haill, and maid þaim fre
But tribut till his ryalte,
Withoutin seruice or homage,
Or ony payment of trewage
Maid to Rome, as forouth þai
Wsit lang tyme for to pay.
Quharfor þe stait of þe empyre,
That muffit were in to gret ire,
The hawtane message till him send
That in Arthuris Gestis is kend,
That Huchoun of þe Auld Ryall,
Maid his Gestis Historiall,
Has tretit fere mare cunnandly
Than sufficient to tell am I.

Bot in our mater to proceid,
Sum þat hapnis þis buke to reid
Will call þe autour to rekles,
Or may fall argw his cunnandnes,
Sen Huchone of þe Auld Ryall,
In till his Gestis Historiall,
Callit Lucyus Hyberius emperour
Quhen king of Brettane was Arthour.
Bot Huchoune baith and þe autour
Giltles ar of þat erroure.

For þe first autouris to say,
Thare storyis quha þat will assay
Off Oross, Martyne and Innocent,
Wrait þare storyis diligent,
And ȝit Iosaphus, all foure,
That mony storyis had sene oure,
Callit nocht þis Lucyus emperour
Quhen king of Brettane was Arthour;
Bot of the Brute þe story sais
That Lucyus Hyber in his dais
Wes of þe empyre procuratour,
And nouthere callit him king, na emperour.
Fra blame þan is þe auctour quyte,
As he befor him fand to write;
And men of gud discretioun
Suld excuss and loif Huchoun,
That cunnand wes in litterature.
He maid þe gret Gest of Arthure,
And þe Anteris of Gawane,
The Epistill als of Suete Susane.
He wes curyouss in his stile,
Faire and facund and subtile,
And ay to plesance and delite,
Maid in meit metyre his dite,
Litill or ellis nocht be gess
Wauerand fra þe suthfastnes.

Had he callit Lucyus procuratour,
Quhare he callit him emperour,
It had mare grevit the cadens
Than had relevit the sentens;

For ane emperour, in properte,
A commandoure may callit be;
Lucyus sic mycht haue bene kend
Be þe message at he send.
Heire sufficiand excusacionis
For wilfull defamacionis;
He mon be ware in mony thingis
That will him keip fra mysdemyngis.

Off Arthuris gret douchtynes,
His worschip and his wiss prowes,
His conquest and his ryall stait,
As Huchon in his Gestis wrait,
How þat he held in till his ȝeris
His Round Table with his Ducheperis,
And how he tuke syne his viage,
Fra Lucyus had send him message,
Till Ytaly with all his mychtis
Off kingis, lordis, and of knychtis,
And þare discomfyt þe emperour,
And wan gret worschip and honour
Off France neire þe bordouris set,
[In] were as þai togidder met,
And of the tressoune till him done
Be Mordred, his sister sone,
Tharfor in haist he come agane,
And with him faucht in till Brettane,
Quhare he and his Round Tabill quyt
Wes vndone and discomfyt,
Huchoune [has tretid] curyously
In gest of [Brutis] ald story.

Bot of his dede and his last end
I fand na writt couþ mak it kend;
Sen I fand nane at þar of wrait,
I will say na mare na I wait.
Bot quhen at he had fochtin fast,
Efter þat in ane Ile he past,
Saire woundit, to be lechit þare,
And efter he wes sene na mare.

Bot in his tyme Schir Constantyne,
Schire Cadoris sone, his awne cosyne,
That þan wes Duke of Cornwall,
King wes maid of Brettane haill,
And set apon his hede þe crovne,
And gaif him full possessioun.

Fra þe birgh of oure Lord deire
Five hundreth twa and xx. ȝere,
In þis tyme þat I tell of þus,
The pape of Rome Galasyus
In till his deuociones
Ympnes maid and orisonis,
And þe prefacis of þe mess
That syne for commone vsit wes.

The bischop Mawmert of Wyene
The thre dais gert be fastit then,
And haldin þe processioun,
Befor þe Ascencioun,
That now mony nationis
Callis þe Rogacionis;
For a gret erdyn and felloune
Smat baith houses and touris doune
Within þe cete of Wyen,
And wyld wolffis þan weryit men;

And for þir causes þat tyme he
Gert þis fasting and prayeris be,
As ȝe may ȝit ilk ȝere
Se þe oiss and þe manere.

A commone woman, þat in poytry
Liffit in Rome þan lustfully,
Sevin barnis baire at anys,
The quhilkis in flesche and blude and banys,
By a stane at a gait syde,
Quhare men vsit for to ryde,
Scho laid þai barnis opinly.
Sa fell þe king of Lumbardy
Come wiþ his court, of caiss rydand,
And saw þai barnis þare sprewland,
With his spere end turnyt ane,
And þat child wiþ his hand has tane
The speire, and held it manlely;
The king þan lewch and said hely:
“May this child lif, I trow, but dreid,
He sall cum to stait and manheid.”
He gert that child be takin þan,
And fosterit vp quhill he wes man,
And wes his aire of Lumbardy
And king, and gouernyt it wisly.

And quhen Leo þe first wes deid,
Till him succedit in his steid
The secund Leo, þat his sone wes,
And athere raxit and raiss;
And eftere him of þe empyre
Ȝeno, as I said, wes syre,

And stude in þat stait vii. ȝere,
And maid in his tyme lawis seire.
He set him slely till haue slane
This ȝoung Leo with a sle trayne.
The moder of þis child for þi
Schupe to dissaue him prevely;
Ane vthere child in his figour
Scho gert gif to þe emperour,
And that ilk child without remeid
Sa wes he throu hir put to deid;
And Leois sone and hirris slely
Scho put to scoill and to clergy,
Ay quhill Iustyne lord and syre
Raiss to þe stait of þe empyre.
Theodorik, a mychty king,
That Gotland had in gouernyng,
Till þis Ȝeno maid homage,
And gaif him his sone in hostage,
That callit wes till his fader like
Be proper name Theodorik.
This child baid with the emperour,
And halding in to gret honour,
Till he wes xviii. ȝeris of eild,
That he mycht armes or wappinis weild.
This Ȝeno send him till Ytaly
With his awne Gotis mychty,
For a tyrand, Adonatere,
Held þat land till him of weire
Aganis þe mycht of the empyre;
And þarfor Ȝeno in till ire

Gert þis child pass, as I haif said,
With banere in his oste displayid,
Fra Constantynople to Bulgary,
And on furth to Pamony.
Throu all þe landis haill he past
Quhill he neire Rome come at þe last.
Sa quhare he lay apon a nycht
Adonatere come with his mycht,
And fauch with him þare [fellonly],
Bot he defendit sa manlely;
Bot þis Adonater in þat fecht
Discomfit wes, and tuke þe flicht
To Rome, bot þare na wiss mycht he
To succour sauf resauit be.
Thare for he sped him to Wyen,
And þare wes he resauit þen,
Quhare þis Theodorik of weire
Assegeit him with his powere,
And [wan] him þare, and but remeid
He put him þare to shamefull deid.
To Rome syne with gret ryalte
He went, and þare resauit wes he
And haldin in to þe honour,
Luftennend to þe emperour.
Thus first the Gotis cummyn were
In till Rome with þare powere.

Bot his fader, king Theodorik,
Gret tyrand wes and erratik.
[Boece] þe mast of the senatouris,
That þan wes liffand in his flouris,

Becauss þat in þat ilk tyme he
Gaynstude his iniquite,
Haldand forme and rychtuisnes,
Quhen crymes fals amesit wes,
Throu his tyrandry in þat quhile
He put fra Rome in herd [exile],
And in þe cete of Pawy
Off sciens of philosophy
He wrait þare þe bukis five,
To reull men in steidfast live.

To þis pape Galisyus
The secund Anastasyus
Succedit, and twa ȝeris he
Held in Rome the papis se;
And þis tyrand Theodorike,
That wes felloune and erratik,
Raiss as neist successour
To Ȝeno befor emperour.
Errasyis he fauorit ay,
And supprisit þe Cristin fay;
The pape Anastace for thy
Cursit him þare for solemply,
And forthy þat tyrand wes
Ay vnhappy and but grace,
That na tyme of his innemyss
Socht he to wyn victoryiss,
Bot wes at vndire with þaim ay,
In dreid and dule till his end day.
Bot sum sais at Schir Anastace
Emperoure of Rome þan was,
Quhen þis Anastas wes pape
And of þe warld þe mast bischap.

Off Cartage þan Olympyus
Held of þe arratik Arryus
In all his tyme þe fals fay;
Sa in his breich apon a day
With wickit wordis and felloune he
Defamit þe Haly Trinite;
Ane angell all in flame of fyre
Was sene schutand a dart of ire,
And slew þat erratike in hy
With þat scharp schot all sodanely.
Ane vthere Arryane þan was
A bischop callit Barrabas;
As he baptist anys a man
Thire wordis he said our him þan:
Baptizat te Barrabas in nomine Filii
Et Patris et in Spiritu Sancto.
And for he did nocht þe sacrament
With detfull wordis and gud entent,
The watter of þe font forthy
Wes quyte away all sodanely,
And he þat baptist suld haif bene,
Fra he þis myrakle had sene,
Off ane vthere in gud entent
He tuke the haly sacrament.
The pape þat ilk day till him sone
Send legatis, quhen þis wes done,
To monest þare lauchfully
For to leif his errasy;
Bot to þaim he wald nocht appeire,
Nor na thing of þare message heire;

Tharfor þis erratike suthly
Wes slane with þe fyrflaucht soda[nly.]

Quhen Anastas þe pape wes ded,
Symyacus sat in his steid
Fiftene ȝeris and monethis sevin
And xx. dais þarto evin.
Gloria in excelsis he
Ordanit, sum sais, first to be
Said or songin at þe mess,
As ay sen syne þe manere wes.

The Almanays þat tyme of weire
Past in France with gret powere.
Clodoueus þat tyme king,
That had all France in gouernyng,
Come with his oste in gud array
Agane þai Almanys, suth to say,
And awowit deuotly
To God to grant him victory,
For to becom Cristin man,
And lelely to serve him þan.
And þare þe Almanys in þat fecht
Were vincust haill throu Goddis mycht,
And þe king efter þat deuotly
Off þe bischop Sanct Remegy,
Sanct Leonard als, sais þe buke,
Efter þe king þan bapteme tuke,
And þat haly bischop Remegy
That brocht him vp full tenderly.

In þis Symyacus electioun
Thare raiss a gret discencioun;

For a part chesit Symyacus,
Ane vther part Laurencius;
The pepill þare and þe clergy
In þat discordit velausly.
Befor ȝoung Theodorik king,
That Rome had þan in gouernyng,
In to þe cete of Rawen
The Romanis all assemblit þen;
Thare þis Symyacus gert he
Chosin and confermyt be.
Bot Symyacus efter þis
Defamyt wes of gret crymes,
All throu falsheid and invy,
Be þat Laurencius þat opinly
Said þat intrusit wes he
Throu mastry in þe papis se;
And sa þe pepill and þe clergy
Agane discordit velausly.
A solempne senȝe þare wes sene
Off twa hundreth bischopis and fiftene;
Off all þai crymes, maire and less,
This Symyacus þare purgit wes,
And sa with honour þare wes he
Confermyt in þe papis se,
And Lourens with his defamouris
Condempnyt were as fals chellouris.

Quhen Symyacus þis paip wes deid,
Ornysday nyne ȝere held þat steid,
And reullit weill all his clergy,
And techit þe folkis vertuously.
And in þe tyme at þe pape was,
The auld emperour deit Anastas,

And Iustinus þe emperoure
Till him nixt wes successour.
He faworit all tyme Cristin fay,
And errasyis he pvnist ay.
This pape Ornysday till him wrait
For to supple Cristin stait,
And at he suld þe bischopis all
Agane to þare seis call,
That befor him exilit was
Throu erratikis and but trespass.
To þat he assentit sone,
And has þe papis bidding done;
The kirkis þat held of hethin fay
All he restorit to Cristin lay.
Theodorik þe king forthy
Wrait till him dispituously
To thai erratikis to restore
All þare kirkis as befor,
And or ellis wit he witterly
He suld haif fra him Ytaly,
And Cristin men all suld he sla
That he mycht in his raik ourta.
Quhen þis gud Iustinus emperoure
His chargis had herd and his errour,
Thoucht he in hert wes movit þen,
For pete ȝit of þe Cristin men,
And at the papis thra prayere,
He maid sobere and wiss ansuere;
Bot or þe ansuere come agane,
In teyne þis tyrand gert be slane

Boycius and seire Cristin men,
As he in ire wes werdand þen.

And efter þis pape Ornisda
The first Iohne sat ȝeris twa.
This tyrand, of quham eire spak we,
Tuke þis pape in his cruelte,
And put him in presoune to pyne;
To Constantinople he send him syne.
Thare Iustinus þe emperour
Ressauit him with full gret honour,
And with gret powere send him fre
Hame to Rome till his awne se.
Bot throu þis tyrand ȝit neuerþeles
Lang efter þat he takin wes
And done in till a deip dungeoun;
Thare deit þis pape in þat presoune.
Sone efter þis tyrand tuke þe deid,
And wes condampnyt but remeid,
A haly armyt wonnyt neire by,
That led his lif religiously,
Saw þe saull of this tyrand
Put in þe pape [Iohnis] hand,
And hastely he kest it doune
In Hulkanys hoill caldroune,
Quhare Balialis barnis ar bulȝeit
And tyrandis with tormentis ar tulȝeit.

Sanct Bryde þat tyme in Irland
Wes in her flouris and in Scotland.
All France þat tyme tuke Cristin fay,
And þat treuth weill held efter ay;

And in þat tyme þe gret bewte
Off Antioche, þe riche cete,
Sodanely wes slongin doune
Be erding cruell and felloune.
[Sanct] Genowif, the madyne fre,
Than in hir virginite
Liffit that tyme in Pariss,
And in college place þare lyiss
Off Blak Channonis regulare;
Deuotly scho is honorit thare.

And quhen þis first pape Iohne wes dede,
Felix þe ferd sat in his steid;
Syne þe secund Bonyface
Successour neist till him was;
Sex ȝeris in till þare live
Were papis ilk ane successive,
And Iustyne ane emperour
Neist to Iustyne successour
Efter þe secund Bonyface
Iohne þe secund twa ȝere wes
Pap of Rome; quhen he wes dede,
Agapitus sat in þat steid
Ten monethis; syne Silueryus;
Neist till him Vigilyus
Sevintene ȝeris held þat se.
In till his tyme ordanit he
That in þe este end ilk day
Off þe kirk þe mess to say.

Than in a cete of Ceȝile
Thare wes a clerk callit Theophill,

That feld him grevit wrangwisly
Be his bischop, and thocht forthy
In his felony and teyne
That he revengeit suld of him bene;
And on þat purposs he set him þan
For to becum þe deuillis man.
And þare apone his procuratour
A Iow he maid and mediatour,
And þare apon a trist he set;
The deuill and he togidder met,
And þare in to þe first band
That wes maid of þare cunnand,
His Cristindome þe clerk forsuke,
And to þe deuill þare he him tuke;
And of þis felloune permissioun
He wrait his obligatioun,
And selit it with his awne hand,
To hald þis hecht and þis cunnand.
Sone efter all þire cunnandis maid
This clerk in hert gret sorow had
That he sa vnhappely
Had forsakin God and Mary.
Than fell he in to gret langour,
And in saire murnyng and doloure;
Than till a chapell neire þare by,
That hallowit wes of our Lady,
He baid in fasting and waiking,
In contritioun and thra praying,

Befor ane ymage of oure Lady,
And þare he askit hir mercy,
Till at oure Lady at þe last
Apperit, and him reprevit fast
Off his vnskilfull wantones,
And of his rude vncunnandnes,
That put his saull in sic perill.
And þis ilk clerk Theophill
With gret repentens askit mercy,
And þarto grantit myld Mary;
And þare scho gert þe fend appeire,
And repruffit him of his manere,
That he him set ay to confound
Cristin men and bring to ground,
And is about ay to suppriss
That maid hir or hir sone seruice.
And syne scho gert him þare restore
The obligatioun þat before
He had gottin of þat clerk
Quhen he begouth þat wickit werk,
And forgaif all wes gane by,
And tuke him till hir sonnys mercy,
And purchest him thare forgifnes
Off all his synnis, mare and less.
And efter þat all þis wes done,
This Theophill, but langere hone,
His way vnto the bischop past,
And askit mercy at him fast,

And rehersit all þe process,
And optenit þare forgifness,
And prechit oure all opinly
This myrakle of oure sueit Lady,
And maid hir gud seruice fra þan,
And deit efter gud Cristin man.

This paip of Rome Vigilius
Wes archidene to Siluerius,
His predecessour immediat,
And all tyme ȝarnyt the paipis stait,
And in till þat hie cuvatiss
He enerdit till ane emprise,
Theodora callit be name,
A wickit woman of felloune fame.
For þis Silueryus þe pape
Wald nocht restore a fals bischape,
That wes condampnyt for errasy,
Till his bischoprik, forthy
This carling gert þe paip be drawin
With horse and banyst fra his awne,
Fra Rome and in till exile be
Throu hir felloune iniquite.
Thus deit þis pape in þat exile;
Till him succedit þis Vigill,
And for þat ilk causs efter he
This emprice syne gert takin be,
And put about his nek a raip,
And gert be put to deid this paip;

And þus throu hir iniquite
To dede scho gert twa paipis be,
And set at þis pape Vigill
Enterit in þat stait throu gile,
Stedfast he wes in Cristin fay,
And deit in repentans verray.

To þire sex papis contemporane
Emperour wes Iustynyane.
The pape Agapitus be preching
Drew him fra erratikis fals teching.
He abrogit þan þe lawis
That þai of Rome held in auld dawis;
The Coide and þe Digest rycht weill
Till end he furtherit ilk deill,
The quhilkis ar bukis of Ciuile,
Haldin solempne, gud and subtile.
In till his tyme all halely
The landis of Perss and of Medy
He wan agane to þe empyre,
And þar of wes baith lord and syre;
To mak lawis he set his entent,
And thame to hald wes diligent.
Efter þat he had wonnyng Perss,
As ȝe befor þis herd reherss,
All Affrik he wan of weire,
And maid it to Rome tributeire.
The stait encressit of þe empyre,
Till he þar of wes lord and syre.

Bot in his tyme fell sodanely
A huge hungere in Italy,

That þe moderis, for falt of meit,
Thare childer wald for hungere eit.

In Constantinoplis cete
Thare fell a gret mortalite;
For þat causs with deuocioun
Wes maid þe Purificatioun
Off oure Lady for to be
Done with all solempnyte,
As ȝe se ȝit ilk ȝere
Vsit and haldin vp þe manere.
Thre titillis materiall
Is of þat fest; þe principall
Is Purificatioun of Mary,
That menys clengeing properly
Off women, efter at þai haif borne
The byrth þat þai were with beforne.
The purificatioun full meikly
Resauit þare oure deire Lady;
Bot of it had scho na neid,
For scho consauit but manis seid,
And efter þe bergh at scho had borne
Scho wes clene madin as beforne.
The vertu of þe Haly Gaist
Maid þat may of mychtis mast
Gret wambe with child, and borne wes he
Vnfylit hir virginite;
All quyte and fre sa scho wes
Fra þat auld law of Moyses;
Bot nocht forthy it wes hir will
The law in all thingis to fulfill,

Sen scho him baire of hir body
That come þe law to keip fully.

The secund titill principall
As to þis matere festiuall
Is callit Vpopanti Domini,
That menys meting properly
One Inglis toung, as for to say;
For in þe Temple on þat day
Symeon met his Saluiour,
That him baid and his succour,
And in his armys þat ald man
Him tuke and said þir wordis þan:
Nunc dimittis, Domine,
Seruum tuum in pace,
That is to say, Lord, þov leiffis me
Now in rest and in pece to be.

The thrid titill is Candilmes,
That first begouth in hethnes,
Or thai of Rome tuke Cristin fay;
For steidfast in na treuth were þai,
Bot in fretys and in reveryis
Makand to mawmentis sacrifyiss,
And myskennand thare creature,
And lovand ma goddis þan nature
Or ony vertu mycht compriss
Be wit or ressoune to deviss.
For god of wyne þai callit Bachus.
And of wynd þai callit Eolus,
And Mars þai callit god of batall,
Bot in na thing mycht he availl;
Neptune þai callit god of se,
Bot saull na lif nouþer had he.

To þire thai vsit to mak seruice
[OMITTED]
Than wes þare vse and þare manere,
The formast nycht of Februare,
With blesis brycht and gret tortyss,
Singand and dansand on þar wiss,
About þe cete for to ga
In honour of dame Februa;
For þai said at scho moder was
Off Mars and a gret goddes.
And wes þare vthere ma
That sa [did] for dame Serpina,
That þai affermyt [moder] wes
Off Pluto, and a hie goddes.
And sum said Pluto wes sa fell
That þai him callit a god of hell;
Bot efter þat, quhen Cristin fay
Lichtnyt þan in treuth verray,
Set it wes hard for to forbeire,
As commone sayis, a wount manere,
Pellagyus, a pape of Rome,
In bettyre changeit þat custome.
Throu his decrete he ordanit þan
That all manere of Cristin man
Suld bring candillis birnand cleire
Within þe kirk of faire manere,
And at þe mess in to thare hand,
Syne gif þai vp in till offerand
The secund day of Februare,
In honour of þat madin cleire
That wes kirkit as þat day,
Moder of God and man verray;

And fra þin furth Candilmes
Off þat fest þe titill is.
And ȝit as to þir titillis thre
Mony thingis may liknyt be
To be said to þis matere,
That I leif now to writt in heire.

Sanct Benet þe haly man
Wes in þat samyn tyme liffand þan,
And in to France Sanct Maure he send
The Cristin treuth for to mak kend.
Thare Sanct Benet gert cast doune
Kuchlis þat for deuocioun
Commonis vsit on þar wiss
In loving of þare mawmentriss.
Off þe tempill of Appollyne
He hallowit a kirk of Sanct Martyne,
And of Sanct Iohne þe Baptist he
Ane altere als gert hallowit be.
This Sanct Benet for vertuouse seire
That men saw in till him appeire
Wes recommendit commonaly
For man inspyrit of prophecy;
For to prufe gif it wes sa
The king of Gotis, Totila,
Cled a rebald in clething
As efferis vntill a king,
And bad him syne at he suld pass
To þat place quhare Sanct Benet was,
And say þat he wes Tutila,
That come till him his schrift to ma.

Apon his way þis man held fast
With twa carlis þat with him past
To se and for to beire witnes
Gif Sanct Benet inspyrit wes.
And quhen Sanct Benet him saw sa neire
That he mycht weill his wordis heire:
“Put of, put of,” he said, “leif sone,
The clething on þi body done;
For to me it is rycht weill knawin
That þai claithis ar nocht þin awin;
Sone, efferis nocht to þe
Proudare þan þi stait to be.”
At þire wordis þai thre men
Sa gretly wer abaisit then
That þai fell and askit mercy,
And syne went hame agane in hy,
And tald þe king withoutin hone
But fenȝeing all how þai had done.
And Totila þis king past þan
To Sanct Benet þat haly man,
That snybbit þis king of his syne,
And to do mare þat wald nocht blyn,
And counsalit him on all manere
His synnis at he suld forbeire.
“Nyne ȝeris king ȝit sall þov be,
And efter þat pass oure þe se;
The tend ȝere þov salbe slane.”
Thare of þe king wes na thing fayne,

Bot neuerþeles ȝit þan it fell
As Sanct Benet couþ him tell.
Fra þat king past oure þe se,
In weris þat ix. ȝeris wes he,
And in þe x. ȝere agane come
And wan of forss þe tovne of Rome,
And all the landis of Italy
Obeyit til his senȝeory.
And for þat causs þe emperour,
To saif his stait and his honour,
He send Schir Narses to þat land,
And maid him þare his luftennand,
Agane king Totila to weire
With his oste and his powere,
That put the Gotis of Ytaly,
And tuke þar king dispitously
And slew him þare and vþer ma;
The prophacy fulfillit wes sa
Off Sanct Benet þe haly man.
And þus of weire þe land he wan,
And wes þare to þe emperoure
Off all þat land his procuratour.
This Narses wes a noble knycht,
And in till weire hardy and wycht;
He wes of natioun a Romane,
And of liffing a noble man;
He wan maire worschip and renovne
With prayeris and deuocioun
Than he did oft throu forse of fycht,
Throu press or powere or throu mycht,

For þare wes na thing in to deid
In all his tyme agane him ȝeid.

Quhen Pelagyus þe pape wes dede,
The thrid Iohne xii. ȝere in his steid
Sat, xi. monethis and twenty
And vii. dais þar to fully.
Sant Maure deit in his dais,
And lyis neire Pariss, as men sais.

The secund Iustyne emperoure,
To the first Iustyne successour,
Xi. ȝeris lord and syre
Held þe stait of þe empyre.
The emprice his wif, a lady
That be name wes callit dame Sophy,
Dispituouse and rycht fell scho wes
To þis gud knycht Schir Narses,
That, as I said, wes procuratour
Till hir lord þe emperoure
Off all þe landis of Italy
And Calabere, Poill and Lumbardy.
Scho gert þat knycht accusit be
Off gret and fell iniquite
Befor hir lord þe emperour,
And said he excedit mesoure
Off euill and rude extorsionis
And grevous impositionis.
Off þis scho maid sa gret deray
That scho gert all þe Romanis say
That þame had bene better all wyss
Till haue [bene] vnder þe seruice

Off þe Gotis þan for to be
Wnder that geldingis cruelte;
Scho callit þat gud knycht a gelding,
For he wes chaist in his liffing.

And þare þis gud knycht Schir Narses
Throu hir invy accusit wes,
And deprivit of his office
Throu thranes of þat fell emprice;
And þis secund Iustyne emperoure
Put þat gud knycht fra his honour,
That befor þat mony wiss
Had maid him lele and gud seruiss.
And þus, quhen he wes fra his stait
Removit, þis emprice till him wrait,
And said at scho wald gif him fee,
To Constantinople gif þat he
Wald cum, and trewly till hir hecht
That he be mesoure and evin wecht
Wald tak hir tow and ȝarne to spyn,
And ȝarne sa sponyng to gif in.
He wrait agane till hir in hy,
And said he hecht hir sickerly
That to that webe that scho suld weif
Baith tow and ȝarne he suld hir reif,
And sic a pryne he suld hir wynd
That þare suld litill leif behynd
Off warp or weft to mak hir claith,
Set scho and all hir kyn were wraith.
With þat he past in Pannony,
That merchand is with Wngary;
And þare with Lumbardis in þat quhile
That þare were flemyt in exile,

With þare king Arbour sickerly
He maid a band of cumpany;
With þe Lumbardis agane he come,
And wan of forse the toune of Rome,
Till Tuskane and Ytaly,
Almayne and all Lumbardy
He wan and drew fra þe empyre,
And of þaim maid baith lord and syre
This Schir Arbour, þat þan wes king
And Lumbardis had in gouernyng.
And þus þai twa in þare lif,
And all þare airis successive,
Held all þai landis in heretage
To þame and þairis and þare lynage
Fra þe empyre twa hundreth ȝere
And ma, gif all weill reknyt were,
Ay till þe king of France Pypyne,
With þe emperoure Constantyne,
Raiss and wan with þare powere
Agane þai landis all of weire,
As ȝe sall heire efter þis sone
Quhen all þe laif till it is done.
Lo! heire a worthy wif to waill,
All suld þe deuill haif delt his daill,
Set vp hir quheill and lat hir spyne,
Scho can bring but at wes brocht in.
Spend but sparing mycht hir spouss
Sa suld a huss that brocht till houss;
He spurnyt oftare þan he sped
That sic a blosome brocht to bed.

For þus þis emperour oure lichtly
[Tynt] throu a wif all Ytaly
With oþer sindry landis seire
That I befor þis reknyt heire;
Bot he mycht weill better haif done
To do as Catone kend his sone:
“[Traw] nocht thi wif on thi seruand
Quhen scho is wantonly wrythand;
For wiffis oft hatis on gret manere
Him þat hir husband is deire.”

Sanct Brendane in þat samyn quhile
Travalit on se fra ile to ile.
Sanct Colme þat tyme out of Irland
Come and prechit in to Scotland.
Brud-Mathonysone, þe king þan
Off Pightis, he maid Cristin man,
And baptist him in to þat quhile,
And gert him [trow] in þe Ewangile,
Five hundreth five and sexty ȝere
Efter þe birgh of our Lord deire,
Quhen ȝoungare Iustyne wes emperour
And held xi. ȝere þat honour,
The x. ȝere efter þis Brude king,
And had þe Pightis in gouernyng.
Gerneth-Makdonald nixt him syne
Wes king and foundit Abernethyne
And Stratherne in þat ilk tyde,
In to þe honour of Sanct Bryde.
The first tyme may be notit heire
Quhen þe Pightis conuertit were.

Neist oure the Pightis regnyt þen
The king Kennell-Makdulghen;
And efter þat his dais were done
King wes Nectane Fodis sone.
Brude, Galiarge and Galargane,
Neist efter þis king Nectane,
Ilkane till vthere in thare live
Twenty ȝeris were successive.
Gernath-Donagh and Durst his broþer,
Brude-Belisone, befor oþer
Kingis were in to Scotland
Oure þe Pightis þan regnand;
And of Ykolmkill þan
Abbot wes Sanct Adaman.

And quhen þis thrid Iohne wes deid
Sanct Serve sevin ȝeris held þat steid.
He wes of lif a haly man,
The kingis sone of Chanaane.
His fader land of heretage
Fell till him be evin lynnage,
And lauchtfully befor all othire;
He gaif it till his ȝoungare brother.
All sic cumber he forsuke,
And till haly lif him tuke.
God send him a gud angell
To gif him comfort and counsell,
And with þat angell als fast
First till Alexander he past;
Till Constantinople syne he come,
And fra þin he held to Rome.
Thare þan vaikit þe papis se,
And chosin till it þan wes he.

Than gouernyt it he vii. ȝere;
And quhen vii. ȝeris passit were,
The angell, þat his ledare wes,
Said him behuffit fra Rome to pass,
For God ordanit nocht at he
Langare in þat land suld be.

Than on a hie solempnyt day,
Or he begouth to tak his way,
He maid a predicatioun
And a solempnyt suete sermone
To þe Romanis, at he gert call
Befor him, and at þaim all
He tuke his leif but mare delay;
And with þare blessing went his way
With þe angell, þat throu chance
Led him throu the realme of France,
Straucht to þe se departand
Off France þe kinrik and Ingland.
Schipping þare he gat redy,
With him a hundreth in cumpany;
In þai schippis he maid entre,
Syne tuke vp saill and held þe se.
With wynd at will ay on thai past
Quhill thai in Forth come at þe last,
And aryvit in Inchekeith,
A crag betuix Kingorne and Leith.
Off Ycolmkill þe abbot þan,
Sanct Adaman, a haly man,
Come till him þare, and fermely
Maid speciall band of cumpany,

And tretit him to cum in Fife
And þare for to drive oure his lif.
Than to Desert of his menȝe
Throu Adamanys counsall send he;
Syne at Kynneill he come to land.
Thare oure þe watter he kest his wand,
That sodanely grew till a tre,
And baire of apillis gret plente;
And that steid efter þat ay
Morglass wes callit mony day.
Than oure þe watter on purposs
Off Forth he past to Culross;
Thare he begouth to red þat ground;
A noble kirk þare can he found,
And efter it wes maid ane abbay
Off quhit monkis, the suth to say;
And in þat abbay forsuth he lyis,
His spirit in till Paradiss.

Brude Darguardis sone in to Scotland
Wes oure þe Pightis þan regnand;
He muffit wes in cruelte
Agane Sanct Serve and his menȝe,
And send furth felloune men forthy
To sla þaim all doune but mercy;
Bot þan þat king oure takin wes
All sodanely with fell seiknes,
And at þe prayere speciall
Off Sanct Serve he wes maid haill.
That [king] fell fra his first purposs,
And gaif to Sanct Serve all Culross,
With alkin profettis properly;
And till his prayeris deuotly

He him commendit and his stait,
And repentit him of his debait,
And resauit with honeste
Sanct Serve þare and his menȝe.
Thare first Sanct Serve tuke his resset
To leif on it at he may get,
And þare fosterit Sanct Mwngw,
That syne wes bischop of Glasgw.

Than fra Culross he passit evin
To þe Inche within Lochlevin.
This king Brude of deuotioun
Maid to Sanct Serve donatioun
Off that Inche, and he duelt þare
Till vii. ȝeris oure passit ware.

In Tulybody ane euill spirit
A Cristin man þat tyme taryit;
Bot of þat spirit he wes þan
Deliuerit throu þis haly man.
Twa sonnys he rasit fra dede to lif
In Tulycultyr till a wif.
This haly man had als a ram,
That he had fed vp of a lam,
And vsit him to follow ay
Quhare euer he went be streit or way.
This scheip a theif prevely stall,
And eit him vp efter þat all;
And sone Sanct Serve his rame myst,
Bot quha him stall wes few þat wyst;
Bot of presumptioun neuerþeles
He þat him stall arrestit wes,
And till Sanct Serf þare wes he brocht.
Than he said he stall him nocht,

And þare to for to sueire ane aith
He said at he wald nocht be laith;
Bot son he worthit reid for schame,
For þare þe rame bletit in his wame.
Sa wes he tayntit schamefully,
And at Sanct Serf askit mercy.
Syne efter þat throu deuocioun
He fordid a felloune dragoun,
And, quhare he slane wes, þat place ay
The dragonys den wes callit to þis day.

Quhill Sanct Serf lay in till a steid
Efter Matynnis in his bed,
The deuill apperit in þat entent
That he wald mak him argument,
And said: “Serf, I se be thi werk
And knawis at þov art a gret clerk.”
Sanct Serf said: “Gif I sa be,
Foull wreche, quhat is þat for þe?”
The deuill said: “Þis questioun
I ask as in collacioun;
Say, quhare wes God, wait þov oucht,
Befor or hevin or erd wes wrocht?”
Sanct Serf said: “In him self, but less,
His Godheid neuer hamprit wes.”
The deuill þan askit quhat causs he had
To mak þe creaturis at he maid.
To þat ansuerit Sanct Serf thare:
“Of creaturis maid he wes makare,

And makare mycht he neuer be
Bot gif creaturis maid had he.”
The deuill askit quhy God of nocht
All his werkis gud full wrocht.
Sanct Serf ansuerd: “For Goddis will
Wes neuer to mak his werkis ill;
For invyouse he had bene
Gif his werkis ill were sene.”
The deuill askit Sanct Serf þan
Quhare God maid first Adam.
Sanct Serf ansuerd to Sathanas:
“In Ebrone Adam first formyt was,
And syne translatit to Paradiss;
Thare he wes put out for his viss.”
The deuill askit how lang he baid
In Paradiss fra he wes maid,
Or þat he fell in to syne.
To þat Sanct Serf ansuerit him,
And said he wes bot houris sevin
In it or he brak bidding evin.
“Quhare wes Eve maid?” said Sathanas.
Quod Serf: “In Paradiss maid scho wes.”
The deuill at Sanct Serf askit þan
Quhy God leit Adam, þe first man,
And Eve syne in Paradiss.
Quod Serf: “For God on mony wiss
Wist full weill and vnderstude
That thare of suld cum mekle gud;
For Crist tuke flesche mankynd to wyn
That throu the feynd fell in to syne.”

The deuill askit quhy mycht nocht be
Mankynd out deliuerit fre
Be þaim self, set God had nocht
Thame with his precius passioun bocht.
Quod Sanct Serf: “For thai fell nocht in
Be þaim self in to syne,
Bot be fals suggestioun
Off ȝow, feynd sa felloune;
Forthy he chesit to be borne
To sauf mankynd at wes forlorne.”
The deuill askit at him þan
Quhy wald nocht God mak a new man
Mankynd for to deliuer fre.
Sanct Serf said: “Þat nedit nocht to be;
For it suffice þat of mankynd
Ane suld cum of Adammys strynd,
That suld redeme mankynd fra hell,
And ȝe in payne þare euer to duell;
For throu ȝour awne iniquite
Ȝe fell,” quod Serf, “sa did nocht we,
And for ȝe, feyndis, were nocht wrocht
Off brukill kynd, ȝit wald ȝe nocht
With repentens forthink ȝour syne,
That ȝe throu pryde wes fallyn in;
Forthy Cristis deire passioun
Suld nocht be to ȝow redemptioun.”
Than þe deuill saw þat he couþ nocht,
For all þe wylis at he mocht,

Oure cum Sanct Serf, and said þare þan
That he him knew for a wiss man;
Forthy rycht þare he gaif him quyte,
For he fand with him na proffit.
Than Sanct Serf said: “False wreche, thov ga
Out of þis steid, and noy na ma
In to þis place, I command þe.”
Than sodanely away wit he
Out of þat steid, and fra þat day
He wes neuer sene, þe suth to say.

Efter all þis þis Sanct Serf past
West to Culross als fast,
And be his stature quhen he knew
That till his ending neire he drew,
This wretchit warld all he forsuke,
And syne his sacrament he tuke
With schrift and gud contritioun,
And ȝald with gud deuocioun
His corps till haly sepulture,
His spirit till his Creature.
Brude Dargardis sone deit þan;
His broþer regnyt efter him Nectane;
Odufe Frudsone, syne Alphyne,
Brude Maktenagus regnyt syne.
Efter þat all thire regnyt thus
Apyne raiss Nectenegus,
Drust Maktagart nixt him þan;
Efter him regnyt Calargane.