University of Virginia Library

The Proloug of the xii Buke of Eneados

Dyonea, nycht hyrd and wach of day,
The starnys chasyt of the hevyn away,
Dame Cynthia dovn rollyng in the see,
And Venus lost the bewte of hir e,
Fleand eschamyt within Cylenyus cave;
Mars onbydrew, for all his grundyn glave,
Nor frawart Saturn from hys mortall speir
Durst langar in the firmament appeir,
Bot stall abak ȝond in hys regioun far
Behynd the circulat warld of Iupiter;
Nycthemyne, affrayt of the lyght,
Went ondir covert, for gone was the nycht;
As fresch Aurora, to myghty Tytan spows,
Ischit of hir safron bed and evir hows,
In crammysyn cled and granyt violat,
With sangwyne cape, the selvage purpurat,
Onschet the wyndois of hir large hall,
Spred all with rosys, and full of balm ryall,
And eik the hevynly portis cristallyne
Vpwarpis braid, the warld till illumyn.
The twynklyng stremowris of the orient
Sched purpour sprangis with gold and asur ment,
Persand the sabill barmkyn nocturnall,
Bet doun the skyis clowdy mantill wall;
Eous the steid, with ruby hamys red,
Abuf the sey lyftis furth hys hed,
Of cullour soyr, and sumdeill brovn as berry,
Forto alichtyn and glaid our emyspery,
The flambe owtbrastyng at his noyss thyrlys;
Sa fast Pheton with the quhyp hym quhyrlys,
To roll Appollo hys faderis goldyn char,
That schrowdith all the hevynnys and the ayr;
Quhill schortly, with the blesand torch of day,
Abilȝeit in hys lemand fresch array,
Furth of hys palyce ryall ischit Phebus,
With goldyn crovn and vissage gloryus,
Crysp haris, brycht as chrisolyte or topace,
For quhais hew mycht nane behald hys face,
The fyry sparkis brastyng from hys eyn,
To purge the ayr, and gylt the tendyr greyn,
Defundand from hys sege etheryall
Glaid influent aspectis celicall;
Befor hys regale hie magnificens
Mysty vapour vpspryngand, sweit as sens,
In smoky soppys of donk dewis wak,
Moich hailsum stovys ourheldand the slak;
The aureat fanys of hys trone souerane
With glytrand glans ourspred the occiane,
The large fludis lemand all of lycht
Bot with a blenk of hys supernale sycht.
Fortobehald, it was a glor to se
The stablit wyndis and the cawmyt see,
The soft sesson, the firmament sereyn,
The lowne illumynat ayr, and fyrth ameyn;
The syluer scalyt fyschis on the greit
Ourthwort cleir stremys sprynkland for the heyt,
With fynnys schynand brovn as synopar,
And chyssell talys, stowrand heir and thar;
The new cullour alychtnyng all the landis,
Forgane thir stannyris schame the beriall strandis,
Quhil the reflex of the diurnall bemys
The beyn bonkis kest ful of variant glemys;
And lusty Flora dyd hyr blomys spreid
Vnder the feit of Phebus sulȝart steid;
The swardit soyll enbrovd with selcouth hewys,
Wod and forest obumbrat with thar bewys,
Quhois blisfull branschis, porturat on the grund,
With schaddoys schene schew rochis rubicund;
Towris, turettis, kyrnellis, pynnaclys hie
Of kyrkis, castellis and ilke fair cite,
Stude payntit, euery fyall, fayn and stage,
Apon the plane grund, by thar awyn vmbrage.
Of Eolus north blastis havand no dreid,
The sulȝe spred hir braid bosum on breid,
Ȝephyrus confortabill inspiratioun
Fortill ressaue law in hyr barm adoun;
The cornys croppis and the beris new brerd
With glaidsum garmont revestyng the erd;
So thik the plantis sprang in euery peyce,
The feildis ferleis of thar fructuus fleyce;
Byssy Dame Ceres and provd Pryapus,
Reiosyng of the planys plentuus,
Plenyst sa plesand and mast propyrly,
By natur nurysyt wondir nobilly,
On the fertill skyrt lappys of the grund
Strekyng on breid ondyr the cyrkyll rovnd;
The variand vestur of the venust vaill
Schrowdis the scherald fur, and euery faill
Ourfret with fulȝeis of figuris full diuerss,
The spray bysprent with spryngand sprowtis dispers,
For callour humour on the dewy nyght.
Rendryng sum place the gerss pilis thar hycht,
Als far as catal, the lang symmyris day,
Had in thar pastur eyt and knyp away;
And blisfull blossummys in the blomyt ȝard
Submittis thar hedis in the ȝong sonnys salfgard:
Ive levys rank ourspred the barmkyn wall,
The blomyt hawthorn cled hys pykis all;
Furth of fresch burgionys the wyne grapis ȝyng
Endland the treilȝeis dyd on twystis hyng;
The lowkyt buttonys on the gemmyt treis
Ourspredand leyvis of naturis tapestreis,
Soft gresy verdour eftir balmy schowris
On curland stalkis smylyng to thar flowris;
Behaldand thame sa mony diuerss hew,
Sum perss, sum paill, sum burnet, and sum blew,
Sum greyce, sum gowlys, sum purpour, sum sangwane,
Blanchit or brovne, fawch ȝallow mony ane,
Sum hevynly culloryt in celestiall gre,
Sum watry hewit as the haw wally see.
And sum depart in freklys red and quhite,
Sum brycht as gold with aureat levys lyte.
The dasy dyd onbreid hir crownell smaill,
And euery flour onlappyt in the daill;
In battill gyrss burgionys the banwart wild,
The clavyr, catcluke, and the cammamyld;
The flour delyss furthspred hys hevynly hew,
Flour dammes, and columby blank and blew;
Seir downys smaill on dent de lyon sprang
The ȝyng greyn blomyt straberry levys amang;
Gymp gerraflouris thar royn levys onschet,
Fresch prymross, and the purpour violet;
The royss knoppys, tutand furth thar hed,
Gan chyp, and kyth thar vermel lippys red,
Crysp scarlet levis sum scheddand, baith atanys
Kest fragrant smell amyd from goldyn granys;
Hevynly lylleis, with lokrand toppys quhyte,
Oppynnyt and schew thar creistis redymyte,
The balmy vapour from thar silkyn croppys
Distilland hailsum sugurat hunny droppys,
And syluer schakaris gan fra levys hyng,
With crystal sprayngis on the verdour ȝyng;
The plane pulderit with semly settis sovnd,
Bedyit full of dewy peirlys rovnd,
So that ilk burgioun, syon, herb and flour
Wolx all enbalmyt of the fresch liquour,
And bathit hait dyd in dulce humouris fleyt,
Quharof the beys wrocht thar hunny sweit,
By myghty Phebus operations,
In sappy subtell exalations.
Forgane the cummyn of this prynce potent,
Redolent odour vp from rutis sprent,
Hailsum of smell as ony spicery,
Tryakill, droggis, or electuary,
Seroppys, sewane, sugur, and synamome,
Precyus invnctment, salve, or fragrant pome,
Aromatik gummys, or ony fyne potioun,
Must, myr, aloes, or confectioun—
Ane paradyce it semyt to draw neir
Thir galȝart gardyngis and ilke greyn herber.
Maist amyabill walxis the amerant medis;
Swannys swouchis throw owt the rysp and redis,
Our al thir lowys and the fludis gray
Seirsand by kynd a place quhar thai suld lay.
Phebus red fowle hys corall creist can steir,
Oft strekyng furth hys hekkill, crawand cleir,
Amyd the wortis and the rutys gent
Pykland hys meyt in alleis quhar he went,
Hys wifis, Toppa and Partelot, hym by,
As byrd al tyme that hantis bigamy.
The pantyt povn, pasand with plomys gym,
Kest vp his taill, a provd plesand quheill rym,
Yschrowdyt in hys fedrame brycht and scheyn,
Schapand the prent of Argus hundreth eyn.
Amang the bronys of the olyve twestis
Seir smaill fowlys wirkand crafty nestis,
Endlang the heggeis thyk and on rank akis,
Ilk byrd reiosyng with thar myrthfull makis.
In corneris and cleir fenystaris of glass
Full bissely Aragne wevand was,
To knyt hir nettis and hir wobbys sle,
Tharwith to caucht the myghe and litill fle.
So dusty pulder vpstowris in euery streit,
Quhil corby gaspyt for the fervent heit.
Vnder the bewys beyn in lusty valys,
Within fermans and parkis cloyss of palys,
The bustuus bukkis rakis furth on raw;
Heyrdis of hertis throw the thyk wod schaw,
Baith the brokkettis, and with braid burnyst tyndis,
The sprutlyt calvys sowkand the red hyndis,
The ȝong fownys followand the dun days,
Kyddis skippand throw ronnys efter rays;
In lyssouris and on leys litill lammys
Full tayt and tryg socht bletand to thar dammys,
Tydy ky lowys, veilys by thame rynnys;
All snog and slekit worth thir bestis skynnys.
On salt stremys wolx Doryda and Thetis,
By rynnand strandis Nymphes and Naedes,
Sik as we clepe wenschis and damysellis,
In gresy gravys wandrand by spryng wellis,
Of blomyt branchis and flowris quhite and red
Plettand thar lusty chaplettis for thar hed;
Sum sang ryng sangis, dansys ledys, and rovndis,
With vocis schill, quhill all the dail resovndis;
Quharso thai walk into thar caralyng,
For amorus lays doith the rochys ryng:
Ane sang, “The schyp salys our the salt faym,
Will bryng thir merchandis and my lemman haym;”
Sum other syngis, “I wilbe blyth and lycht,
Myne hart is lent apon sa gudly wight.”
And thochtfull luffaris rowmys to and fro,
To lyss thar pane, and pleyn thar ioly wo,
Eftir thar gyss, now syngand, now in sorow,
With hartis pensyve, the lang symmyris morow:
Sum ballettis lyst endyte of hys lady,
Sum levis in hoip, and sum aluterly
Disparit is, and sa quyte owt of grace,
Hys purgatory he fyndis in euery place.
To pleyss his lufe sum thocht to flat and feyn,
Sum to hant bawdry and onlesum meyn;
Sum rownys to hys fallow, thame betwene,
Hys myrry stouth and pastans lait ȝisterevin:
Smyland says ane, “I couth in previte
Schaw the a bovrd.” “Ha, quhat be that?” quod he,
“Quhat thyng?” “That most be secrete,” said the tother.
“Gud Lord, mysbeleif ȝe ȝour verray broder?”
“Na, neuer a deill, bot harkis quhat I wald;
Thou mon be prevy.” “Lo, my hand vphald.”
“Than sal thou walk at evin.” Quod he, “Quhidder?”
“In sik a place heir west, we baith togydder,
Quhar scho so freschly sang this hyndyr nycht;
Do choyss the ane, and I sall quynch the lycht.”
“I salbe thar I hope,” quod he and lewch,
“Ȝa, now I knaw the mater weill eneuch.”
Thus oft dywlgat is this schamefull play,
Na thyng accordyng to our hailsum May,
Bot rathar contagius and infective,
And repugnant that sesson nutrytyve,
Quhen new curage kytlys all gentill hartis,
Seand throu kynd ilk thyng spryngis and revertis.
Dame Naturis menstralis, on that other part,
Thar blysfull bay entonyng euery art,
To beyt thir amorus of thar nychtis baill,
The merl, the mavyss and the nychtyngale
With mery notis myrthfully furth brest,
Enforcyng thame quha mycht do clynk it best:
The cowschet crowdis and pyrkis on the ryss,
The styrlyng changis diuerss stevynnys nyss,
The sparrow chyrmys in the wallis clyft,
Goldspynk and lyntquhite fordynnand the lyft;
The gukgo galys, and so quytteris the quaill,
Quhill ryveris rerdit, schawis and euery vaill,
And tender twystis trymlyt on the treis
For byrdis sang and bemyng of the beys;
In wrablis dulce of hevynly armonyis
The larkis, lowd releschand in the skyis,
Lovys thar lege with tonys curyus,
Baith to Dame Natur and the fresch Venus,
Rendryng hie lawdis in thar obseruance;
Quhais suguryt throtis maid glaid hartis danss,
And al smail fowlys syngis on the spray:
“Welcum the lord of lycht and lamp of day,
Welcum fostyr of tendir herbys grene,
Welcum quyknar of floryst flowris scheyn,
Welcum support of euery rute and vayn,
Welcum confort of alkynd fruyt and grayn,
Welcum the byrdis beild apon the brer,
Welcum master and rewlar of the ȝer,
Welcum weilfar of husbandis at the plewys,
Welcum reparar of woddis, treis and bewys,
Welcum depayntar of the blomyt medis,
Welcum the lyfe of euery thyng that spredis,
Welcum storour of alkynd bestiall,
Welcum be thy brycht bemys, gladyng all,
Welcum celestial myrrour and aspy,
Attechyng all that hantis sluggardy!”
And with this word, in chalmer quhar I lay,
The nynt morow of fresch temperit May,
On fut I sprent into my bair sark,
Wilfull fortill compleit my langsum wark
Twichand the lattyr buke of Dan Virgill,
Quhilk me had tareit al to lang a quhile;
And tobehald the cummyng of this kyng,
That was sa welcum tyll all warldly thyng,
With sic tryumphe and pompos curage glaid
Than of hys souerane chymmys, as is said,
Newly aryssyn in hys estait ryall,
That, by hys hew, but orleger or dyall,
I knew it was past four howris of day,
And thocht I wald na langar ly in May
Less Phebus suld me losanger attaynt—
For Progne had or than sung hir complaynt,
And eik hir dreidfull systir Philomeyn
Hyr lays endyt, and in woddis greyn
Hyd hir selvyn, eschamyt of hir chance;
And Esacus completis hys pennance
In ryveris, fludis, and on euery laik;
And Peristera byddis luffaris awaik:
“Do serve my lady Venus heir with me,
Lern thus to mak ȝour obseruance,” quod sche,
“Into myne hartis ladeis sweit presens
Behaldis how I beynge, and do reuerens.”
Hyr nek scho wrynklys, trasyng mony fold,
With plomys glitterand, asur apon gold,
Rendryng a cullour betwix greyn and blew,
In purpour glans of hevynly variant hew;
I meyn our awyn natyve byrd, gentill dow,
Syngand in hyr kynd, “I come hydder to wow,”
So pryklyng hyr greyn curage forto crowd
In amorus voce and wowar soundis lowd,
That, for the dynnyng of hir wanton cry,
I irkyt of my bed, and mycht not ly,
Bot gan me blyss, syne in my wedis dress,
And, for it was ayr morow, or tyme of mess,
I hynt a scriptour and my pen furth tuke,
Syne thus begouth of Virgill the twelt buke. etc