¶ The Testament of CRESSEID, Compylit be M. Robert Henrysone, Sculemai­ster in Dunfer­meling.

Imprentit at Edin­burgh be Henrie Charteris. M.D.XCIII.

THE Testament of Cresseid.

ANE doolie sessoun to ane cairfull dyte
Suld correspond, and be equiualent.
Richt sa it wes quhen I began to wryte
This tragedie, the wedder richt feruent
Quhen Aries in middis of the Lent
Schouris of Haill can fra the North discend
That scantlie fra the cauld I micht defend.
¶Zit neuertheles within myne Oratur
I stude, quhen Titan had his bemis bricht
Withdrawin doun, and sylit vnder cure
And fair Uenus the bewtie of the nicht
Uprais, and fet vnto the west full richt
Hir goldin face in oppositioun
Of God Phebus direct discending doun.
¶Throw out the glas hir bemis brast sa fair
That I micht se on euerie syde me by
The Northin wind had purifyit the Air
And sched the mistie cloudis fra the sky,
The froist freisit the blastis bitterly
Fra Pole Artick come quhifling loud and schill,
And causit me remufe aganis my will.
¶For I traistit that Uenus luifis Quen [...]
To quhome som tyme I hecht obedience,
My faidit hart of lufe scho wald mak grene,
And therupon with humbill reuerence,
I thocht to pray hir hie Magnificence,
Bot for greit cald as than I lattit was
And in my Chalmer to the fyre can pas
¶ Thocht lufe be hait, ȝit in ane man of ege
It kendillis nocht sa sone as in ȝoutheid,
Of quhome the blude is flowing in ane rage,
And in the auld the curage doif and deid:
Of quhilk the fyre outward is best remeid
To help be Phisike quhair that nature faillit
I am expert, for baith I haue assaillit.
¶I mend the fyre and beikit me about
Than tuik ane drink my spreitis to comfort
And armit me weill f [...]a the cauld thairout
To cut the winter nicht and mak it schort.
I tuik ane Quair and left all vther sport.
Writtin be worthie Chaucer glorious
Of fair Creisseid, and worthie Troylus.
¶And thair I fand efter that Diomeid
Ressauit had that Lady bri [...]ht of hew.
How Troilus n [...]ir out of wit abraid,
And weipit soir with visage paill of hew,
For quhilk wanhope his teiris can renew
Quhill Esperus reioisit him agane
Thus quhyle in Ioy he leuit quhyle in pane.
¶Of hir behest he had greit comforting
Traisting to Troy that scho suld mak retour,
Quhilk he desyrit maist of eirdly thing
For quhy scho was his only Paramour,
Bot quhen he saw passit baith day and ho [...]r
Of hir ganecome, than sorrow can oppres
His wofull hart in cair and heuines.
¶Of his distres me neidis nocht reheirs,
For worthie Chauceir in the samin buik
In gudelie termis, and in Ioly veirs
Compysit hes his cairis, quha will luik.
To brek my sleip ane vther quair I tuik,
[Page] In quhilk I fand the fatall destenie
Of fair Cresseid, that endit wretchitlie.
¶ Quha wait gif all y t Chauceir wrait was trew
Nor I wait nocht gif this narratioun
Be authoreist or fenȝe it of the new
Be sum Poeit, throw his Inuentioun
Maid to report the Lamentatioun
And wofull end of this lustie Creisseid,
And quhat distres scho thoillit, and quhat deid.
¶Quhen Diomeid had all his appetyte,
And mair fulfillit of this fair Ladie
Upon ane vther he set his haill delyte
And send to hir ane Lybel [...] of repudie
And hir excludit fra his companie.
Than desolait scho walkit vp and doun,
And sum men sayis into the Court commoun.
¶ O fair Creisseid the flour and A perse
Of Troy and Grece, how was thow fortunait?
To change in filth all thy Feminitie
And be with fleschelie lust sa maculait
And go amang the Greikis air and lait
Sa giglotlike tak and thy foull plesance
I haue pietie thow suld fall sic mischance.
¶ Zit neuertheles quhat euer men deme or say [...]
In scornefull langage of thy brukkilnes,
I sall excuse als far furth as I may
Thy womanheid, thy wisdome and fairnes
The quhik Fortoun hes put to sic distres
As hir pleisir, and nathing throw the gilt
Of the, throw wickit langage to be spilt.
This fair Lady in this wyse destitute
Of all comfort, and consolatioun,
Richt priuelie but fellowschip on fute
[Page] Disagysit passit far out of the toun
Ane myle or twa, vnto ane Mansioun
Beildit full gay, quhair hir Father Calchas
Quhilk than amang the Greikis dwelland was.
Quhen he hir saw, the cans he can Inquyre
Of hir cumming, scho said siching full soir
Fra Diomeid had gottin his desyre
He wox werie, and wald of me no moir.
Quod Calchas, douchter weip thow not thairfoir
Perau [...]nture all cummis for the best,
Welcum to me, thow art full deir ane Gest.
¶This auld Calchas, efter the Law w [...]s tho
Wes keiper of the Tempill as ane Preist
In quhilk Uenus and hir Sone Cupido
War honourit, and his Chalmer was thaine neist,
To quhilk Cresseid with baill an [...]uch in breist
Us it to pas, hir prayer is for to say
Quhill at the last, vpon ane Solempne day,
¶As custome was, the pepill far and neir
Befoir the none, vnto the Tempill went,
With Sacrifice deuoit in thair maneir,
Bot still Cresseid, heuie in hir Intent
Into the Kirk wald not hir self present
For giuing of the pepill ony deming,
Of hir expuls fra Diomeid the King.
¶Bot past into ane secreit Orature
Quhair schomicht weip hir wofull desteny,
Behind hir bak scho cloisit fast the dure
And on hir kneis bair fell doun in hy
Upon Uenus and Cupide angerly
Scho cry it out, and said on this same wyse,
Allace that euer I maid ȝow Sacrifice,
¶Ze gaue me anis ane deuine responsaill,
[Page] That I suld be the flour of luif in Troy,
Now am I maid ane vnworthie outwaill
And all in cair translatit is my Ioy,
Quha sall me gyde? quha sall me now conuo [...]
Sen I fra Diomeid and Nobill Troylus
Am clene excludit, as abiect odious.
¶ O fals Cupide is nane to wyte bot thow,
And thy Mother, of lufe the blind Goddes,
Ze causit me alwayis vnderstand and trow
The seid of lufe was saw in in my face,
And ay grew grene throw ȝour supplie and grace
Bot now allace that seid with froist is slane
And I fra luiffe tis left and all forlane.
¶ Quhen this was said doun in ane [...]xtasie
Rauischit in spreit intill ane dreame scho fell
And be apperance hard quhair scho did ly
Cupide the King ring and ane siluer bell,
Quhilk men micht heir fra heuin vnto hell
At quhais sound befoir Cupide appeiris
The seuin Planetis discending fra thair Spheiris.
¶ Quhilk hes power of all thing generabill
To reull and steir be thair greit Influence,
Wedder and wind, and coursis variabill,
And first of all Saturne gaue his sentence
Quhilk gaue to Cupide litill reuerence,
Bot as ane busteous Churle on his maneir
Come [...]rabitlie with auster luik and chei [...].
¶ His face fro [...]nit, his lyre was lyke the Leid.
His teith chatterit, and cheuerit with the Chin.
His Ene drowpit, how so [...]kin in his heid
Out of his Nois the Me [...]drop fast can ri [...],
With lippis bla and cheikis leine and thin
The Ice schoklis that fra his hair doun hang
[Page] Was wonder greit, and as ane speir als lang.
¶ A toui [...] his belt his lyart lokkis lay
Felterit vn [...]air, ouirfret with Froistis hoir,
His garmound and his gyis full gay of gray
His widderit weid fra him the wind out woir,
Ane busteous bow within his hand he boir
Under his girdill ane flasche of felloun flanis
Fedderit with Ice, and heidit with hailstanis
¶ Than Iuppiter richt fair and amiabill,
God of the Staruis in the Firmament,
And Nure is to all thing generabill
Fra his Father Saturne far different,
With burelie face, and browis bricht and brent
Upon his heid ane Garland wonder gay
Of flouris fair as it had bene in May
¶ His voice was cleir, as Cristall wer his Ene
As goldin wyre sa glitterand was his hair,
His garm [...]und and his gyis full of grene
With goldin listis gilt on euerie gair.
Ane burelie brand about his middill bair
In his richt hand he had ane groundin speir,
Of his Father the wraith fra vs toweir.
¶ Nixt efter him come Mars the God of Ire,
Of strife, debait, and all dissensioun,
To chide and fecht, als feirs as ony fyre
In hard Harnes, hewmound and Habirgeoun,
And on his hanche ane roustie fell Fachioun,
And in his hand he had ane roustie sword
Wrything his face with mony angrie word.
Schaikand his sword befoir Cupide he come
With reid visage, and grislie glowrand Ene,
And at his mouth ane bullar stude of fome
Lyke to ane Bair quhetting his Tuskis kene,
[Page] Richt Tuilȝeour lyke but temperance in tone
Ane horne he blew, with mony bosteous brag
Quh [...]ik all this warld with weir hes maid to wag
¶ Than fair Phebus, Lanterne & Lamp of licht
Of man and beist, baith frute and flourisshing,
Tender Nureis, and vanischer of nicht,
And of the warld causing be his mouing
And Influence, lyfe in all eirdlie thing
Without comfort of quhome, of force to nocht
Must all ga die that in this warld is wrocht
¶ As King Royall he raid vpon his Chair
The quhilk Phaeton gydit sum tyme vpricht
The brichtnes of his face quhen it was bair
Nane micht behald for peirsing of his sicht.
This goldin Cart with fyrie be mis bricht
Four ȝokkit steidis full different of he [...]
But bait or tyring throw the Spheiris drew.
¶ The first was soyr, w t Mane als reid as Rois
Cailit E [...]ye into the Orient.
The secund steid to Name hecht Ethios
Quhitlie and paill, and sum deili ascendent,
The thrid Peros, richt hait and richt feruent,
The feird was blak, callit Philologie
Quhilk rollis Phebus doun into the sey.
¶ Uenus was thair present that Goddes
Hir [...]onnis querrell for to defend and mak
[...]ir awin complaint, [...]ed in ane nyce array,
The ane half grene, the v [...]her ha [...] Sabill blak
Quhyte hair as gold kemmit and sched abak
Bot in hir face semit grei [...] variance,
Quhy [...]es perfyte treuth, a [...]d quhyles Inconstance.
¶ Under smyling scho was dissimulait,
Prouocatiue, with [...]ien [...]is Amorons,
[Page] And suddanely changit and alte [...]aif.
Angrie as ony Serpent vennemous
Richt pungitiue, with wordis odious.
Thus variant scho was, quha list tak keip
With ane Eye lauch, and with the vther weip.
¶ In taikning that all fleschelie Paramour
Quhilk Uenus hes in reull and gouernance.
Is sum tyme sweit, sum tyme bitter and sour
Richt vnstabill, and full of variance
Mingit with cairfull Ioy and fals plesance,
Now hait, now cauld, now blyith, now sull of w [...]
Now grene as leif, now widdderit and ago.
¶ With buik in hand than come Mercurius
Richt Eloquent, and full of Rethorie,
With polite termis and delicious
With pen and Ink to report all reddi [...]
Setting sangis and singand merilie:
His Hude was reid hek [...]t atouir his Croun
Lyke to ane Poeit of the auld fassoun.
¶ Boxis he bair with fyne Electuairis,
And sugerit S [...]ropis for digestioun.
Spycis belangand to the Pothecairis
With mony hailsum sweit Confectioun,
Doctour in Phisick cled in ane Skarlot goun,
And furrit weill, as sic ane aucht to be,
Honest and gude, and not ane word culd lie.
¶ Nixt efter him come Lady Cynthia
The last of all, and swiftest in hir Spheir,
Of colour blak, buskit with hornis twa.
And in the nicht scho list is best appeir.
Haw as the Leid, of colour nathing cleir
For all hir li [...]ht scho borrowis at hir brother
Titan, for of hir self scho hes nane vther.
[...]ir gyse was gray, and hal [...] of spottis bla [...],
And on hir breist and Chutle pai [...]ull en [...]
Betrand ane bunche of Thorni [...] on his bak
Quhilk for his thist micht clim na nar the heuin.
Thus quhē thay gadderit war thir Goddes seuin
Mercurins thay cheisit with ane assent
To be foirspeikar in the Parliament.
¶ Quha had bene thair, and liken for to heir
His facound toung, and termis exquisite,
Of Rethorick the prettick he micht leir
In breif Sermone ane pregnant sentence wryte
Befoir Cupide veiling his Capalyte.
Speiris the caus of that vocatioun
And he anone schew his Intentioun.
¶ Lo (quod Cupide) quha will blaspheme y e name
Of his awin God, outher in word in deid
To all Goddis he dois baith lak and schame.
And suld haue vitter panis to his meid.
I say this by ȝone wretchit Cresseid
The quhilk throw me, was sum tyme flour of lufe
Me and my Mother starklie can reprufe.
¶ Saying of hir grei [...] Infelicitie
I was the caus, and my Mother Uenus,
Ane blind Goddes, hir cald that micht not s [...]
With sclander and defame Iniurious,
Thus hir leuing vnclene and Lecherous
Scho wald returne on me and my Mother
To quhome I schew my grace abone all vther.
¶ And sen ȝe ar all seuin deificait
Participant of deuyne sapience,
This greit Iniurie done to our hie estait
Me think with pane we suld mak recompence,
Was neuer to Goddes done sic violence.
[Page] [...]s weill for ȝow, as for my self I say
Thairfoir ga help to reuenge I ȝow pray.
¶Mercurius to Cupide gaue answeir
And said Schir King my counsall is that ȝe
Refer ȝow to the hiest Planeit heir,
And tak to him the lowest of degre
The pane of Cresseid for to modifie.
As God Saturne, with him tak Cynthia
I am content (quod he) to tak thay twa.
¶ Than thus proceidit Saturne and the Mone
Quhen thay the mater rypelie had degest,
For the dispyte to Cupide scho had done.
And to Uenus oppin and manifest.
In all hir lyfe with pane to be opprest
And torment sair with seiknes Incurabill,
And to all louers be abhominabill.
¶ This duleful sentence Saturne tuik on hand
And passit doun quhair cairfull Cresseid lay,
And on hir heid he laid ane frostie wand.
Than lawfullie on this wyse can he say
Thy greit fairnes and all thy bewtie gay
Thy wantoun blude, and eik thy goldin Hair
Heir I exclude fra the for euermair.
¶I change thy mirth into Melancholy,
Quhilk is the Mother of all pensiuenes,
Thy Moisture and thy heit in cald and dry
Thyne Insolence, thy play and wantones
To greit diseis, thy Pomp and thy riches
In mortall neid, and greit penuritie
Thow suffer sail, and as ane beggar die.
¶O cruell Saturne fraward and angrie
Hard is thy dome, and to malitious
Ou fair Cresseid quhy hes thow na mercie [...]
[Page] Quhilk was sa sweit, gentill and amorous
Withdraw thy sentence and be gracious
As thow was neuer, sa schawis thow thy deid
Ane wraikfull sentence geuin on fair Cresseid.
¶ Than Cynthia quhen Saturne past away
Out of hir sait discendit doun belyue,
And red ane bill on Cresseid quhair scholay,
Contening this sentence diffinityue
Fra heit of bodie I the now depryue
And to thy seiknes sall be na recure
Bot in dolour thy dayis to Indure.
¶Thy Cristall Eneminglit with blude I mak
Thy voice sa cleir vnplesand hoir and hace,
Thy lustie lyre ouirspred with spottis blak,
And lumpis haw appeirand in thy face
Quhair thow cūmis, Ilk man sall fle the place.
This sall thow go begging fra hous to hous
With Cop and Clapper lyke ane Laȝarous.
¶This doolie dreame, this vglye visioun
Brocht to ane end Cresseid fra it awoik.
And all that Court and conuocatioun
Uanischit away, than rais scho vp and fuik
Ane poleist glas, and hir schaddow culd luik:
And quhen scho saw hir face sa deformait
Gif scho in hart was wa aneuch God wait.
¶Weiping full sair, lo quhat it is [quod sche)
With fraward langage for to mufe and steir
Our craibit Goddis, and sa is sene on me?
My blaspheming now haue I bocht full deir
All eirdlie Ioy and mirth I set areir
Allace this day, allace this wofull tyde,
Quhen I began with my Goddis for to Chyde.
¶Be this was said ane Chyld come fra the Hall
[Page] To warne Cresseid the Supper was reddy,
First knokkit at the dure and syne culd call.
Madame ȝour Father biddis ȝow cum in hy
He hes merwell sa lang on groufȝely,
And sayis ȝour prayers bene to lang sum deill
The Goddis wait all ȝour Intent full weill.
¶Quod scho fair Chyld ga to my Father deir
And pray him cum to speik with me anone.
And sa he did, and said douchter quhat cheir?
Allace (quod scho) Father my mirth is gone.
How sa (quod he) and scho can all expone
As I haue tauld the vengeance and the wraik
For hir trespas, Cupide on hir culd tak.
¶He luikit on hir vglye Lipper tace,
The quhylk befor was quhite as Lillie flour
Wringand his handis of tymes he said allace
That he had leuit to se that wofull hour,
For he knew weill that thair was na succou [...]
To hir seiknes, and that dowblit his pane
Thus was thair cair aneuch betuix thame twane.
¶Quhen thay togidder murnit had full lang,
Quod Cresseid Father, I wald not be kend.
Thairfoir in secreit wyse ȝe let me gang
Wnto ȝone Hospitall at the tounis end.
And thiddersum meit for Cheritie me send
To leif vpon, for all mirth in this eird
Is fra me gane, sic is my wickit weird.
¶Than in ane Mantill and ane bawer Hat,
With Cop and Clapper wonder priuely.
He opnit ane secreit ȝet, and out thair at
Conuoyit hir, that na man suld espy,
Wnto ane Uillage half ane myle thairby,
Delyuerit hir in at the Spittaill hous,
[Page] [...]nd daylie sent hir part of his Almou [...].
¶Sum knew hir weill, & sum had na kn [...]wled [...]
Of hir becaus scho was sa deformait.
With bylis blak ouirspred in hir visag [...],
And hir fair colour faidit and alterait.
Zit thay presumit for hir hi [...] regrait,
And still murning, scho was of Nobill Ki [...]:
With better will thairfoir they tui [...] hir in.
¶The day passit, and Phebus went to re [...]t,
The Cloudis blak ouirquhelmit all the sky.
God wait gif Cresseid was ane sorrowfull Ge [...],
Seing that vncouth fair and Harbery:
But meit or drink scho dressit hir to ly
In ane dark Corner of the Hous allone.
And on this wyse weiping, scho maid hir mone.

¶THE COMPLAINT OF CRESSEID.

OSOP of sorrow, sonkin into cair:
O Catiue Creisseid, for now and euer mair,
Gane is thy Ioy and all thy mirth in Eird,
Of all blyithnes now art thou blaiknit bair.
Thair is na Salue may saif the of thy sair,
Fell is thy Fortoun, wickit is thy weird:
Thy blys is baneist, and thy baill on breird,
Under the Eirth, God gif I grauin wer:
Quhair nane of Grece nor ȝit of Troy micht heird.
¶ Quhair is thy Chalmer wantounlie besene [...]
With burely bed and bankouris browderit bene,
Spycis and Wyne to thy Collatioun,
The Cowpis all of gold and siluerschene:
The sweit Meitis, seruit in plaittis clen [...],
With Saipheron sals of ane gude sessoun:
Thy [...]ay ga [...]men [...] is with mony gudely Goun,
[Page] Thy plesand Lawn pinnit with goldin prene:
All is a [...]eir, thy greit Royall Renoun.
¶Quhair is thy garding with thir greissis gay?
And fresche Flowris, quhilk the Quene Floray:
Had paintit plesandly in euerie pane,
Quhair thou was wont full merilye in May,
To walk and tak the dew be it was day
And heir the Merle and Mawis mony ane,
With Ladyis fair in Carrolling to gane.
And se the Royall Rinkis in thair array:
In garmentis gay garnischit on euerie grane
¶Thy greit triumphand fame and hie honour
Quhair thou was callit of Eirdlye wichtis Flour.
All is decayit, thy weird is welterit so.
Thy hie estait is turnit in darknes dour,
This Lipper Ludge tak for thy burelie Bour.
And for thy Bed tak now ane bunche of stro,
For waillit Wyne, and Meitis thou had tho,
Tak mowlit Breid, Peirrie and Ceder sour:
Bot Cop and Clappper, now is all ago.
¶ My cleir voice, and courtlie carrolling,
Quhair I was wont with Ladyis for to sing.
Is rawk as Ruik, full hiddeous hoir and hace,
My plesand port all vtheris precelling:
Of lustines I was hald maist [...]onding.
Now is deformit the Figour of my face,
To luik on it, na Leid now lyking hes:
Sowpit in syte, I say with sair siching,
Ludgeit amang the Lipper Leid allace.
¶O Ladyis fair of Troy and Grece attend,
My miserie, quhilk nane may comprehend.
My friuoll Fortoun, my Infelicitie:
My greit mischeif quhilk na man can amend.
[Page] Be war in tyme approchis neir the end,
And in ȝour mynd ane mirrour mak of me:
As I am now, peraduenture that ȝe
For all ȝour micht may cum to that same end,
Or ellis war, gif ony war may be.
¶Nocht is ȝour fairnes bot ane faiding Flour,
Nocht is ȝour famous laud and hie honour.
Bot wind Inflat in vther mennis eiris.
Zour roising reid to rotting sall retour:
Exempill mak of me in ȝour Memour,
Quhilk of sic thingis wofull witnes beiris.
All Welth in Eird, away as Wind it weiris.
Be war thairfoir, approchis neir the hour:
Fortoun is fikkill, quhen scho beginnis & steiris.
THVS chydand with hir drerie destenye,
Welping, scho woik the nicht fra end to end.
Bot all in vane, hir dule, hir cairfull cry
Micht not remeid, nor ȝit hir murning mend.
Ane Lipper Lady rais and till hir wend,
And said: quhy spurnis thow aganis the Wall,
To sla thy self, and mend nathing at all?
Sen thy weiping dowbillis bot thy wo.
I counsall the mak vertew of ane neid.
To leir to clap thy Clapper to and fro,
And leir efter the Law of Lipper Leid.
Thair was na buit, bot furth with thame scho ȝeid,
Fra place to place quhill cauld and hounger sair:
Compellit hir to be ane rank beggair.
¶That samin tyme of Troy the Garnisoun,
Quhilk had to Chiftane Worthie Troylus.
Throw Ieopardie of Weir had strikken doun
Knichtis of Grece in number meruello [...]s,
With greit tryumphe and Laude victorious
[Page] Agane to Troy richt richt Royallie thay ra [...]
The way quhai [...] Cresseid with the Lipper baid.
¶Seing that cōpanie yai come all with ane steuin
Thay gaif ane cry, and schuik coppis gude speid.
Said worthie Lordis for goddis lufe of Heuin,
To vs Lipper part of ȝour Almous deid.
Than to thair cry Nobill Troylus tuik heid,
Hauing pietie, neir by the place can pas:
Quhair Cresseid sat, not witting quhat scho was.
¶Than vpon him scho kest vp baith hir Ene,
And with ane blenk it come into his thocht,
That he fumtime hir face befoir had sene.
Bot scho was in sic plye he knew hir nocht,
Zit than hir luik into his mynd it brocht
The sweit visage and amorous blenking
Of fair Cresseid sumtyme his awin darling.
¶ Na wonder was, suppois in mynd that he
Tuik hir Figure sa sone, and lo now quhy.
The Idole of ane thing, in ca [...]e may be
Sa deip Imprentit in the fantasy:
That it deludis the wittis outwardly,
And sa appeiris in forme and lyke estait,
Within the mynd as it was figurait.
¶An [...] spark of lufe than till his hart culd spring,
And kendlit all his bodie in ane Fyre.
With hait Fewir ane sweit and trimbling
Him [...]uik, quhill he was reddie to expyre.
To beir his Scheild, his Breist began to tyre
Within ane quhyle he changit mony hew,
And neuertheles no [...] ane am vther knew.
¶ For knichtlie pietie and memoriall
Of fair Cresseid, ane Gyrdill can he tak.
Ane Purs of gold, and mony gay Iowall,
[Page] Ane Purs of gold, and mony gay Iowall.
And in the Skirt of Cresseid doun [...]an swale:
Than raid away, and not ane word spak.
Pensiwe in hart, quhill he come to the Toun,
And for greit cair oft syis almaist fell doun.
¶The Lipper folk to Cresseid than can draw,
To se the equall distributioun
Of the Almous, bot quhen the gold thay saw.
Ilk ane to vther prewelie can roun,
And said ȝone Lord hes mair affectioun
How euer it be, vnto ȝone Laȝarous,
Than to vs all, we knaw be his Almous.
Quhat Lord is ȝone (quod scho) haue ȝe na feill [...]
Hes done to vs so greit humanitie?
Zes (quod a Lipper man) I knaw him weill.
Schir Troylus it is, gentill and fre:
Quhen Cresseid vnderstude that it was he,
Sciffer than steill, thair stert ane bitter stound
Chrowout hir hart, and fell doun to the ground.
¶ Quhen scho ouircome, with siching [...]air & sad.
With mony cairfull cry and cald ochane.
Now is my breist with stormie stoundis stad,
Wrappit in wo, ane wretch full will of wane.
Than swounit scho oft or scho culd refrane,
And euer in hir swouning cryit scho thus [...]
O tals Cresseid and trew Knicht Troylus.
¶ Thy lufe, thy lawtie, and thy gentilne [...],
I countit small in my prosperitie.
Sa eleuait I was in wantones,
And clam vpon the fickill quheill sa hie,
All Faith and Lufe I promissit to the.
Was in the self fickill and friuolous:
O fals Cresseid, and trew Knicht Troilu [...].
For lufe, of me thow keipt gude continence.
[Page] Honest and chaist in conuersatioun.
Of all Wemen protectour and defence
Thou was, and helpit thair opinioun.
My mynd in fleschelie foull affectioun
Was Inclynit to Lustis Lecherous:
Fy fals Cresseid, O trew Knicht Troylus,
¶Louers be war and tak gude heid about
Quhome that ȝe lufe, for quhome ȝe suffer paine.
I lat ȝow wit, thair is richt few thairout:
Quhome ȝe may traist to haue trew lufe agane [...]
Preif quhen ȝe will, ȝour labour is in vaine.
Thairfoir, I reid, ȝe tak thame as ȝe find:
For thay ar sad as Widdercok in Wind,
¶Becaus I knaw the greit vnstabilnes
Brukkill as glas, into my self I say.
Traisting in vther als greit vnfaithfulnes:
Als vnconstant, and als vntrew of fay.
Thocht sum be trew, I wait richt few ar thay,
Quha findis treuth la [...] him his Lady ruse:
Na [...]e but my self, as now I will a [...]cuse.
¶Quhē this was said, with Paper scho sat doun,
And on this maneir maid hir Testament.
Heir I beteiche my Corps and Carioun
With Wormis and with Taidis to be rent.
My Cop and Clapper and myne Ornament,
And all my gold the Lipper folk [...]all haue:
Quhen I am deid, to burie me in graue.
¶ This Royall Ring, set with this Rubie reid,
Quhilk Troylus in drowrie to me send.
To him agane I leif it quhen I am deid,
To mak my cairfull deid wnto him kend:
Thus I conclude schortlie and mak ane end,
My Spreit I leif to Diane quhair scho dwellis.
[Page] To walk with hir in waist Woddis and Wellis,
¶O Diomeid thou hes baith Broche and Belt,
Quhilk Troylus gaue me in takning
Of his trew lufe, and with that word scho swelt.
And sone ane Lipper man tuik of the Ring,
Syne buryit hir withouttin tarying,
To Troylus furthwith the Ring he bair,
And of Cresseid the deith he [...]an declair.
¶Quhen he had hard hir greit infirmitie,
Hir Legacie and Lamentatioun.
And how scho endit in sic pouertie,
He swelt for wo, and fell doun in ane swoun,
For greit sorrow his hart to brist was boun:
Siching full sadlie, said I can no moir,
Scho was vntrew, and wo is me thairfoir.
¶Sum said he maid ane Tomb of Merbell gray.
And wrait hir name and superscriptioun,
And laid it on hir graue quhair that scho lay,
In goldin Letteris, conteining this ressoun:
Lo fair Ladyis, Cresseid, of Troyis Toun,
Sumtyme countit the flour of Womanheid.
Under this stane lait Lipper lyis deid.
¶Now worthie Wemen in this Ballet schort,
Maid for ȝour worschip and Instructioun,
Of Cheritie, I monische and exhort,
Ming not ȝour lufe with fals deceptioun.
Beir in ȝour mynd this schort conclusioun
Of fair Cresseid, as I haue said befoir,
Sen scho is deid, I speik of hir no moir.
☞ FINIS.☜

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.