University of Virginia Library

“Fra the begynnyng, all thing less and mar,
The fyry regioun, the erth, and the ayr,
The plane flowand boundis of the sey,
The lyghtnyt monys lamp that lemys hie,
The hevynnys starnys, and bryght sonnys ball,
Ane spreit thar is within, sustenys all:
In euery part the hie wysdome dyvyne
Diffundit movys this warldis hail engyne,
And by hys power mydlit is our all
This mekil body clepit vniuersal.
Fra this infusioun, and thir elementis seir,
Baith kynd of man and best cummys, but weir,
All leving foulys fleying in the ayr,
All fyschis, and the monstreis doith repar
Vndre the slekit sey of marbill hew.
A hait fyry power, warm and dew,
Hevinly begynnyng and original,
Beyn in thar sedis quhilk we saulys call,
Sa far as that thir noysum bodeis cald
Nocht tareis thame tharfra, nor doith withhald,
Nor withdrawis from souerane hevinly kynd:
Thar erdly lymmys, and eik thar irksum mynd,
Throu thar mortal membris euer deidlike,
Dullith thar curage and thar spretis godlyke.
Fra the quhilk cummys to al mankynd, that thai
Dredis, desiris, murnys or ioys ay;
Nor, in the dyrk mansioun and preson blynd
Of thir vyle bodeis yfettyrit and bynd,
The sawlis thar clene natur may attend.
So fer that, all efter the lattir end,
Quhen that the lif disseueris fra the body,
Than netheless nor ȝit ar fullely
All harm ne cryme from wrachit sawlis separate,
Nor ald infectioun come of the body layt:
And thus, aluterly, it is neidfull thing
The mony vycis lang tyme induryng,
Contrackit in the corps, be done away,
And purgit on seir wonderfull wyss to say.
Tharfor thai suffir panys and torment
For thar inveterat vycis ald bywent,
By punytioun satisfactioun to mak.
Sum stentit in wysnand wyndis wak,
Of sum the cryme committit clengit be
Vndre the watir or deip hydduus sey,
And in the fyre the gilt of other sum
Is purefyit and clengit all and sum.
Ilkane of ws hys ganand purgatory
Mon suffir, and fra thyne ar send in hy
Onto the large feildis of Elysee:
Thar bene of ws nane, bot a few menȝe,
Quhilkis cumis to inhabyt and remanys,
Bot ony purging, in thyr ioyful planys,
And heir mon dwell quhil that the lang day,
Be perfyt courss of tyme, heth done away
The spot of fylth hardnyt in the spreit,
For that it fand sum tyme the body sweit,
And quhil it be so purefyit and fynd,
Na thing remane bot a clene hevynly mynd,
And subtel pure flambe celestiall.
Thir other sawlis quhilk bene purgit all,
Eftir thai haue, within thir planys heir
By cirkill rollyt our a thousand ȝeir,
God callis thame onto this flude Lythe,
With felloun fard, in numbyr as ȝhe se,
To that effect, that thai myndless becum
Baith of plesour and ald panys all and sum,
Langing agane the warld abufe to se,
And gan begyn desire, baith he and he,
In bodeis ȝit forto return agane.”
Thus said Anchises, and tharwith baith twane,
Hys son and eik the prophet Sibilla,
Amyddys of that sort flokkit to the bra,
And gret rowt with rangald, in ledis he,
And gan ascend ontill a mote on hie,
Quharfra, per ordour, forganyst thame on raw,
Thai mycht thame rekkin all, and cleirly knaw
Thar vissagis and contenance also,
As that thai went and rowmyt to and fro.