❧ THE PALIS OF Honoure Compeled by Gawyne dowglas Bys­shope of Dunkyll.

¶ Imprinted at London in fletstret, at the sygne of the Rose garland by wyllyam Copland.

¶ God saue Quene Marye.

¶ The pallis

QVhen pale Aurora with face lamentable
Hir russat mantill borderit all with sable
Lappit about be heuinlye circumstance
The tender bed and arres honorable
Of Flora quene till flouris amyable
In may Irays, to do my obseruance
And entrit in a garding of plesance
With Sole depaint, as paradys amyable
And blisfull vewes, with blomed wariance.
❧ So craftely dame flora had ouer tret
Hir heuinly bed, powderit with mony a set
Of Ruby, Topas, Perle, and Emerant.
With balmy dewe, bathit, and kyndly wet,
Quhil vapours hote right fresche and wele ybet
Dulce of odour, of flewour most fragant
The siluer droppis on dayseis distillant.
Quhilk verdour branches ouer the alars ȝet
With smoky sence ye mystis reflectant.
❧ The fragrant flouris blomand in their seis
Ouerspred ye leues of naturis tapestreis.
Aboue the quhilk with heuinly armoneis
The birdes sat on twistis and on greis
Melodiously makand thair kyndly gleis
Quhois schill notis, fordinned al the skyis.
Of reparcust ayr the eccon cryis.
Amang the branchis of the blomed treis.
And on the laurers siluer droppis lyis.
❧ Quhyll that I rowmed in that paradice
Replennessed and full of all delice
[Page] Out of the sea, Eous alift his heid.
I meyne the hors quhilk drawis at deuice
The assiltre and goldin chaire of pryte
Of Tytan, quhilk at morowe semis reid.
The new colowr that al the night lay deid
Is restored, baith fowlis, flowris, and ryce
Reconfort was, throw Phebus gudly heid.
❧ The dasy and the Maryguld onlappit
Quhilkis all the nicht lay with thair leuis happic
Thaim to preserue fra rewmes pungitiue
The vmbrate treis that Tytan about wappit
War portrait, and on the erth yschappit.
Be goldin bemes viuificatiue.
Quhois amene hete is most restoratiue.
The gershoppers amangis the vergers gnappit
And beis wrocht materiall for thair hyue.
❧ Richt halsom was the sessoun of the ȝeir.
Phebus, furth ȝet depured bemes cleir
Maist nutrityue tyll all thynges vigitant.
God Eolus of wynd list nocht appeir.
Nor ald Saturne with his mortall speir.
And bad aspect contrar til euery plant.
Neptunus nolde within that palace hant.
The beriall stremes ryunyng men micht heir
By bonkis grene with glancis variant.
❧ For till beholde that heuinly place complete
The purgit ayr with new engendrit hete:
The soyl enbroude with colowr, vre, and stunt:
The tender grene, the balmy droppes swete:
[Page] So reioysyt and confort wes my sprete
I not wes it a vision or fanton.
Amyd the buskys rowmyng myn alone
Within that garth of all plesans replete
A voce I hard preclare as phebus schone.
❧ Syngand O may thow myrrour of soles
Maternall moneth lady and maistres
Tyl euery thing adoun respirature.
Thyn heuinly werk and worthy craftines
The small herbis constrenis tyl encres
O verray ground tyl werking of nature.
Quhois hie curage and assucuryt cure
Lausis the erth his frutis tyll expres
Dyffundant grace on euery creature.
❧ Thy godly lore, cūnyng incomparabyl
Dantis the sauage bestis maist vnstabyl:
And expellis all that nature infestis.
The knoppit syonys with leuys agreabyl
For tyl reuert and burgione ar maid abyll
Thy myrth refreschis birdis in thair nestis.
Quhilkis the to pryse and nature neuer restis.
Lonfessand ȝou maist potent and louabyll
Amang the brownys of the olyue twystes.
❧ In the is rute and augment of curage.
In the enforcis martis vassalage.
In the is amorus luf and armony
With incrementis fresche in lusty age
Quha that constrenit ar in luffis rage
Addressand yaim with obseruans ayrly
[Page] Weil auchtyst the tyl glore and magnify.
And with that word I rasyt my vissage
Sore effrayit half in a frenisye.
❧ O Nature quene and O ȝe lusty May
(Quod I) tho, quhow lang sail I thus foruay?
Quhilk ȝowand Venus in this garth deseruis,
Reconsell me out of this gret affray.
That I maye fynge ȝow laudis day be day.
ȝe that al mundane creaturis preseruis.
Lonfort ȝour man that in this fanton stetuis.
With sprete arrasyt, and euery wit away.
Quakyng for fere baith puncys, vane and neruis.
❧ My fatal werd, my febyl wit I wary
My dasyt heid quham lake of braue gart veray,
And not sustene so amyabyll a soun
With ery curage febyl strenthis sary
Bownand me hame and list no langer tary
Out of the ayr come ane impressioun.
Throw quhois lycht in extasy or swoun,
Amyd the virgultis all in tyl a fary
As femynine so feblyt fell I doun.
❧ And with that gleme so dasyt wes my mycht.
Quhill thair remanit not hir voce nor sycht.
Breth motione, nor hetis naturale
Saw neuit man so faynt a leuand wycht.
And na ferly for ouer excelland lycht.
Lorruppis the wit and garrys the blud auaile
On tyl the hart that it no danger ale.
[Page] Quhen it is smorit, membris wyrkes not richt
The dredfull terrour, sua did me assaile.
❧ ȝyt at the last I not quhou long a space
A lytell hete aperyt in my face.
Quhilk had to fore beyn pale and voyde of blud
Tho in my slewen I met a ferly cace.
I thought me set within a desert place
Amyd a forest by a hydous flud
With grysly fysche, And schortly tyl conclud
I shall descryue (as god wil geue me grace)
Myn auision? in rurell termes rude.
Finis.
[figure]

The Palys of Honour.

THow barrant wyt ouerset with fantasyis,
Schaw now the craft that in thy memor lyis,
Schaw now thy shame, schaw now thy bad nystee,
Schaw thyn endyt, repruf of rethoryis,
Schaw now thy beggit termis, mare than thryis,
Schaw now thy ranys, and thyn harlottree,
Schaw now thy dull exhaust inanytee,
Schaw furth thy cure, and wryte their frenesyis
Quhilkis of thy sempyll cunnyng nakyt the.
¶ My rauyst sprete in that deserte terrybill
Approchit nere that vgly flude horrybill
Lyk tyll Cochyte, the ryuer infernall
Wyth vyle wattyr quhilk maid a hydduus trubbyll
Rynnand ouerhed, blud red, and impossybyll
That it had byn a ryuer naturall.
With brayis bare, raif rochis lyke to fall,
Quhare on na gers, nor herbys wer visibyll
Bot skauppis brynt, with blastis boryall.
¶ Thys laythly flude, rumland as thondyr routyt
In quham the fysche ȝelland as eluys schoutyt
Thair ȝelpis wylde my hering all fordeuyt
Tha gr [...]m monstruis my spretis abhorryt and doutyt
Not throu the soyl, bot muskan treis sproutyt
Combust, barrant, vnblomyt, and vnleuyt.
Ald rottyn runtis quhairin no sap was leuyt
Moch, all wast, widdrit with granis moutyt
A gana [...]d den, quhair morthurars men reuyt.
¶ Quhairfore my seluyn was richt sore agast.
This wyldernes abhomynable and wast
[Page] (In quhom na thing wes nature confortand)
Was dyrk as roy [...] the quhilk the see vpcast,
The quhislyng wynd blew mony byttir blast,
Runtis ratlit and vneth myght I stand,
Out throu the wode I crap on fut and hand,
The ryuar stank, the treis clattryt fast,
The soil was not bot marres, slyik, and sand.
And not but caus my spretis were abasyt
All solitare in that desert arrasyt.
Allas I said is non other remede,
A discrip­tion of the in constāce of fortune
Cruel fortoun quhy hes thow me betrasyt?
Quhy hes thow thus my fatall end compasyt?
Allas allas, sall I thus sone be dede
In this desert, and wait non vther rede,
Bot be deuoryt wyth sum best rauanus,
I wepe, I wale, I plene, I cry, I plede,
Inconstant warld and quheil contrarius.
¶ Thy transitory plesans quhat auaylys?
Now thare, now heir, now hie, and now deualys.
Now to, now fro, now law, now magnifyis,
Now hote, now cald, now lauhcys, now beualys,
Now seik, now hail, now wery, now not alys,
Now gud, now euyll, now wetis, and now dryis.
Now yow promittis, and rycht now you deny is
Now wo, now weil, now ferm, now freuilus,
Now gam, now gram, now louys, now defyis,
Inconstant warld and quheil contrarius.
☞ Ha quha suld haif affyans in thy blys▪
Ha quha suld haif fyrm esperans in this▪
Quhilk is allace sa freuch and variant.
[Page] Tertis none, sum hes, no wycht? suythly ȝys,
Than hes my self dene gylty? ȝa I wys,
Thairfore allace sall danger thus me dant?
Quhyddyr is bycum sa sone thus duyly hant?
And veyr translat in wyntyr furyus?
Thus I bewale my faitis repugnant.
Inconstant warld and quhiel contrarius.
¶ Bydand the deid yus in myn extasy,
Adyn I hard approchyng fast me by,
Quhilk mouit fra the plage septentrionall,
As heyrd of bestis stampyng with loud cry,
Bot than (god wate) quhow afferyt wes I
Traistand tyl be stranglyt with bestiall.
Amyd a stok richt preualy I stall,
Quhare lukand out anone I dyd espy
Ane lusty rout of bestis rationall.
¶ Of ladyis fair and gudly men arrayit,
The quof sapy [...]ce wyth hyr court.
In constant weid that weil my spretis payit,
Wyth degest mynd quhairin all wyt aboundyt,
Full sobyrly thair haknais thay assait
Eftyr the feitis auld and not fornayt,
Thair hie prudence schew furth and nothyng roundie
With gude effere quhare at the wod resoundyt?
In stedfast ordour to vysy on affrayit,
Thay rydyng furth with stabylnes ygroundyt.
¶ Amyddys quham borne in ane goldyn chare
Quyrfret with perle and stonys maist preclare
That drawin wes by haiknays four, mylk quhyt.
Was set a quene, as lylly swete of sware
[Page] In purpur robe hemmid with gold ilk gare.
Quhilk Iemmyt claspes closyd all parfyte
A Diademe maist pleasandly polyte
Set on the tressys of her gyltyn hare
And in her hand a sceptre of delyte.
¶ Syne next her rayed in granyt violats
Xii. Damysylles ilk a [...]e in theyr estate
Quhilkis semyt of hyr consell most sec [...]e,
And nixt thaym wes a lusty rout god wate
Lordis, ladyis, and mony fair prelate:
Baith borne of hie estate, and law degre,
Furth with thair quene, thay al by passyt me
Ane esy pase, thay tydyng furth the gate
And I abaid alone within the tre.
¶ And as the rout wes passyt one,
Craftye Synone. and false Architefel
and one
And I remanand in the tre alone
Out throw the wode come rydand ca [...]iuis twane.
Ane on ane asse, a wedy about his mone.
The tothyr raid, ane hyddows hors apone,
I passyt furth and fast at thaym did frane,
Quhat men thay wer? thay answeryt me agane,
Our namys ben, Achitefel, and Synone.
That by our [...]uttell menys, feil hes slane.
¶ Wait ȝe (quod I) quhat signifyis ȝon rout▪
Synon sayd ȝa, and gaue ane hyddows schout
We wrechys bene abiect thair fra I wys.
ȝone is the quene of Sapience, but dout
Lady Minerue, and ȝone .xii. hir about
Ar the prudent Sibillais full of blys▪
[Page] Cassandra, eik Delbora, and Circis
The fatale systeris, twynand out weirdes out
Iudith, Iael, and mony a Prophetis.
¶ Quhilkis groundyt ar in fyrm intelligens,
And thair is als in to ȝone court gone hens
Clerkis diuine, wyth problewmys curius.
As Salomon the well of sapiens.
And Arestotyl,
Wyse and lerned mē.
fulfyllet of prudens,
Salust, Senek, and Titus Liuius.
Picthagoras, Porphure, Permenydus,
Melysses with his sawis but defence.
Sidrag, Secundus, and Solenyus.
¶ Ptholomeus, Ipocras, Socrates,
Empedocles, Neptennebus, Hermes,
Galien, Auerroes, and Plato,
Enoth, Lameth, Iob, and Diogenes
The eloquent and prudent Vlisses,
Wyse Iosephus, and facund Cicero.
Melchisedech with othyr mony mo.
Thair viage lyis throw out this wildernes,
To the Palice of Honour all thay go.
¶ Is situat from hens liggis ten hundyr,
Our horsys oft, or we be thair wyll fundyr,
Adew we may no langer heir remane,
Or that ȝe passe (quod I) tell me this wondyr
How that ȝe wrechyt catiuis thus at vndyr.
Ar sociat, with this court souerane?
Achitefell, maid this answer agane,
[Page] Knawis thow note hail erd quake and thundyr,
Ar oft in May, with mony schour of rane.
¶ Rycht so we bene in tyll this company
Our wyt aboundit and vsyt wes lewdlye
Architefel confessis hys owne craftenes deceyt and abused wit.
My wysdome ay fulfyllyt my desyre,
As you may in the bybyl weil aspy:
How Dauidis prayer put my counsell by,
I gart his sonne aganys hym conspyre,
The quhilk wes slane, quahairfore vp be the swpre
My self I hangit frustrat sa [...]owlily,
This Synon wes a greik, that rasyt fyre.
¶ First in to Troy, as Virgyll dois report:
Sa tratourlyk maid him be draw ouer whore
Quhill in he brocht the hors with men of armys
Quhairthrow the towne distroit wes at schort,
Sinons. craftines.
(Quod I) is this ȝour destany and sort?
Cursyt be he that sorowis for ȝour harmys,
For ȝe bene schrewis baith be goddis armys
Ȝe will optene nane entres at ȝone port,
Bot gyf it be throw sorcery or charmys,
¶ Ingres tyll haue (quod thay) we not presume.
It sufficis vs tyl se the palice blume
And stand on ro [...]me quhare bettyr folk bene charrit.
For tyll remane adew we haue na tume
This ilk way cūmis ye courtis be out dume
Of Diane, and Venus, that feil hes marryt,
With that thay raid away, as thay wer skarryt,
And I agayne maist lyk ane elrych grume,
Crap in the muskane akyn stok my sharrit,
¶ Thus wrechitly I maid my resydence,
Imagynand feil lyse for sum defence.
In contrar sauage bestis maist cruell,
For na remeid bot deid be violence
Sum tyme asswagis febili indegence
Thus in a part I reconfort my sell,
Bot that so [...]ityll wes I dar nocht tell.
The stychlyng of a mows out of presence
Had bene till me mare vgsum than the hell.
Feare,
¶ ȝit glaid I wes that I with thaym had spokkyn,
Had not bene that, certis my hart had brokkyn
For megi [...]nes and pusi [...]lamytee.
Remanand thus within the tre al lokkyn
Dissyrand fast sum signys, or sum tokkyn.
Of lady Venus, and of hir companee.
A hart transformyt ran fast by the tree,
With houndis rent on quham Dian wes wrokkyn,
Tharby I vnderstude that sche wes nee.
¶ Thay had tofore declarit hir cūmyng.
Mare perfytly for thy I knew the syng.
Wes action, quhilk Diane nakyt waryt
Bathyng in a well and eik hir madynnys ȝyng.
The goddes wes commouyt at this thing.
And hym in forme hes of a hart translatit;
I saw (allace) his houndis at him slatit:
Bakwert he vient to gyfthaym k [...]awlegyng
Tha raif thair lord mysknew hym at thaym batit.
¶ Syne ladyis come with lusty giltyn treflys
In habit wild maist lyke till fostar [...]ssys.
[Page] Amyddys quham heich on ane Eliphant
In syng that sche, in chastite incressys
Raid Diane that ladyis hartis dressys
Tyl be stabil and na way inconstant,
God wait that nane of thaym is variant,
all chast and trew virginite professys,
I not, bot few I saw with Diane hant.
In til that court I saw a none present
Ieptyis do [...] [...]rit a lusty lady gent
Offeryt tyl god in hir virginite.
Pollixena I wys wes not absent
Panthessile with mannys hardyment
Effygyn▪ and Virgenius, douchter tre
With vthyr flouris of feminyte
Baith of the new, and the ald testament
All on thay raid, and left me in the tre.
¶ In that desert dispers in sondyr skattryt.
Were bewys bare quham rane and wynde on battryt
The watyr stank, the feild was odious
Quhar Dragonys, lessertis, askis, edders swattryt
With mouthis gapand, forkyt tayles tattryt,
With mony a stang, and spoutis vennomous,
Corruppyng ayr be rewme contagious
Maist gros and vyle enposonyt clowdis clatteryt,
Rekand lyk hellys, smoke sufturyus.
My dasyt hed fordullyt dissyly.
I rasyt vp, half in a letergy,
As dois a catyue ydronken in slepe
And so oppetyt tyl my fantasy
[Page] A schynand lycht out of the norhest sky.
The quihilk with cure till heir I did tak kepe.
Proportion soundis dulcest hard I pepe,
In musyk nowmer full of harmony
Distant on far wes catit be the depe.
¶ Farther by wattyr folk may soundis here
Than by the erth, the quhilk with poris sete
Vp drynkis ayr that mouit is by sound.
Quhilk in compact wattir of ane riuere
May nocht entre, bot rynnys thare and here,
Quhil it, at last be caryit on the ground,
And thocht throw dyn be experience is found;
The fysch ar causyt within the ryuere stere
Inoth the wattyr the nois dois not abound.
☞ Violent dyn the ayr brekkis and deris
Syne gret motion of ayr the watyr steris
The wattyr steryt, fischis for ferdnes fleis.
Bot out of dout no fysch in wattyr heris.
For as we se tycht few of thaym has Eris.
And eik forsuyth, bot gyf wyse clerkis leis.
Thair is nane ayr Inoth watters nor seis.
But quhilk na thing may heir (as wyse men leris [...]
Lyik as but lycht thair is na thyng that seis.
¶ Anewch of this I not quhat it may mene
I wyll returne till declare all bedene
My dreidfull dreme with grysly fantasys.
I schew tofore quhat I had hard and sene
Perticulary sum of my paynfull tene.
But now god wate quhate ferdnes on me lyis
[Page] Langere (I sayd) and now this tyme is twyis
A sound I hard of angellys as it had bene
With armony fordynnand all the skyis.
¶ So dulce, so swete and so melodius.
That euery wycht thair with mycht be ioyous
Bot I and catiuis dullit in dispare.
For quhen a man is wreth or furius
Malancolyk for wo or tedius
Than is al plesance till hym maist contrare.
A sorow­ful harte can not be mery
And semblably than, so did wyth me fare,
This melody intonyt heuinly thus
For profund wo constrenyt me mak care.
And murnand thus as ane maist wofull wycht
Of the maist plesand court I had a sycht.
In warld adoun sen Adam wes create.
[...]eu [...]nlye harmonye
Quhat sang? quhat ioy? quhat armony? quhat lycht▪
Quhat myrthfull solace plesance all at ryght?
Quhat fresch bewte? quhat excell and estate?
Quhat swete vocis? quhat wordis suggurate?
Quhat fair debatis? quhat lufsum ladyis bricht?
Quhat lusty gallandis did on thair seruyce wate?
Quhat gudly pastance? and quhat menstraly?
Quhat game thay maid? in faith not tell can I.
Thocht I had profund wit angelicall.
The heuinly soundis of thair armony
Has dymmyt so my drery fantasy.
Baith wit and reason, half is lost of all.
ȝyt (as I knaw) als luchily say I sall
That angellyk and godly company.
[Page] Tyll se me thocht a thyng celestiall.
¶ Procedand furth wes draw ane chariote
Be cursuris twelf trappit in greni veluote.
Goodly apparell.
Of fyne gold wer iuncturis and haruasyngis,
The lymnutis wer of byrnyst gold god wote,
Baith extre and quhelis of gold I hote.
Of goldyn cord wer lyamys and the stryngis
Festnyt coniunct in massy goldyn ryngis
Euyr hamys conuenient for sic note,
And raw silk brechamys ouyr thair halsys hyngis.
¶ The body of the cart of euit bone.
With crysolytis and mony pretious stone.
Wes all ouirfret in dew proportioun.
Lyke sternys in the firmament quhilkis schone.
Reperalit wes that godlyk plesand wone.
Tyldyt aboue and to the erth adoun.
In rychest claith of gold of purpur broun
Bot fas nor othyr frenȝeis had it none.
Saue plate of gold anamallyt all fassioun.
¶ Quhairfra dependant hang thair megyr bellys
Sum round, sum thraw in sound the quhilkis excellis
All wer of gold of Araby maist fyne
Quhilkis with the wynd concordandly so knellys
That to be glad thair sound al wycht compellys.
The armony wes so melodius fyne.
In mannys voce and instrument diuine
Quhare so thay went it semyt nothyng ellys.
Bot Ierarchyes of angellys ordout nyne.
¶ Amyd the chare fulfillyt of plesance,
Venus [...] hyr court.
A lady sat, at quhais obeysance.
Wes all that rout: and wondyr is till here
Of hir excelland lusty countenance,
Hir hic bewte quhilk mayst is til auance,
Precellys all, thair may be na compere,
For lyk Phebus in hiest of his spere
Hir bewtye schane castand so gret a glance
All f [...]rehed it opprest baith far and nere.
¶ Scho wes peirles of schap and portrature,
In hir had nature fynesyt hir cure.
As for gud hauyngis thair wes nane vot sche,
And hir array wes so fyne and so pure,
That quhair of wes hir rob, I am not sure,
For nocht bot perle and stonys mycht I se,
Of quham the brychtnes of hir hie bewtie.
For till behald my sycht myght not endure
More than the brycht sonne may the bakkis [...],
¶ Hir hair as gold or topasis wes he wyt,
Quha hir beheld, hir bewtie ay renewyt.
On heid sche had a creste of dyamantis,
Thair wes na wycht that gat a sycht, eschewyt,
Wet he neuir sa constant nor weil the wyt,
Na he was woundit and him hir seruant grantis▪
That heuinly wycht, hir cristall Eyn so dantis,
For blenkis swete nane passit vnpersewyt
Bot gyf he wer preseruit as thir sanctis.
❧ I wondryt sore and in mynd did stare,
Quhat creature that mycht be wes so fare,
[Page] Of sa peiries excelent womanheid.
And farlyand thus I saw within the chare
Quhare that a man wes set with lymmes square,
His body weil [...]ntalȝeit euery steid.
[...]
He bare a bow with dartis haw as leid.
His clethyng wes als grene as ane hountare:
Bot he forsuyth had none Eyn in his hed.
¶ I vnderstude by signis persauabill,
That wes Cupyd the god maist dissauabill,
The lady Venus his mother a goddes,
I knew that wes the court so variabill,
Of erdly luf quhilk sendill standis stabill,
Bot yf thayr myrth and solace neuertheles,
In musik tone and menstraly expres,
So craftely with corage aggreabill,
Hard neuer wicht sik melody I ges.
¶ Accumpanyit lusty ȝonkers with all.
Fresche ladyis sang in voce virgineall.
[...]
Concordes swete, diuers entoned reportis,
Proportionis fyne with sound celestiall
Duplat, triplat, diatesseriall,
Sesque altra, & decupla resortis,
Diapason of mony syndry sortis
Wat songin, and plait be scir cunnynng menstrall,
On luf ballattis with mony fair disportis.
☞ In Modulatioun hard I play and syng
Faburdoun, priksang, discant, conturyng
Cant organe, figuration, and gemmell,
On crowd, lute, harp, with mony gudly spryng.
[Page] Schalmis clarionis, portatiuis, hard I ryng.
Monycord, orgain, tympane, and symbell,
Sytholl, psalttry, and vocis swete as bell,
Soft releschyngis in dulce delyueryng
Fractyonis diuide at rest or clos compell.
¶ Not Pan of archaid so plesandly plays
Nor king Dauid quhais playng as men sayis.
Coniurit the spreit, the quhilk kyng Saul confoundit
Nor Amphion with mony subtile layis.
Quhilk Thebes wallit with harpyng in his dayis
Nor he that first the subtile craftis foundit
Was not in musik half so weil groundit.
Nor knew thair mesure tent dele be no wayes
At thair resort baith heuyn and erd resoundit.
¶ Na mare I vnderstude thir noumeris fyne
Be god than dois a gekgo or a swyne
Saue that me thynk swete soundis gude to heir
Na mair heiron my labour will I tyne.
Na mair I wyl thir verbillys swete diffyne.
Now that thair musik, tones war mair cleir
And dulcer than the mouyng of the speir.
Or Orpheus harpe of trace with sound diuyne
Glaskeryane maid na noyes compeir.
¶ Thay condescend sa weil in ane accord,
That by na Iuynt thair soundis bene discord,
In euery key thay werren sa expert,
Of thair array gyf I suld mak record
Lusty spryngaldis and mony gudly lord.
Tendyr ȝonglyngis with pietuous virgin hart.
[Page] Eldar ladyis knew mair of lustis art.
Diuers vtheris quilkis me not list remord
Quhais lakkest weid was silkis or brounuert.
¶ In vest uris quent of mony syndry gyse
I saw all claith of gold men mycht deuyse,
Purpur coulour, punyk and skarlot hewis,
Veluot robbis maid with the grand assyse,
Dames, satyn begaryit mony wyse.
Cramessy satin, veluos enbroude in diuers rewis
Satyn figuris champit with flouris and bewis.
Damesflure, tere, pyle quhare on thair lyis
Perle, orphany quhilk euery state renewis.
¶ Thare ryche entire maist peirles to behald,
My wyt can not discriue howbe it I wald
Mony entrappit stede with sylkis sere.
Mony pattrell neruyt with gold I tald
Full mony new gylt harnasyng not ald.
On mony palfray lusum ladyis clere.
And nyxt the chare I saw formest appere
Vpon a bardyt cursere stout and blad.
Mars.
Mars god of stryf enarmyt in byrnist gere.
☞ Euery inuasybill wapyn on hym he bare
His luke was grym, his body large and square.
His lymmys weil entailȝeit til be strang?
His nek wes gret a span lenth weil or mare:
His village braid with crisp broun curland hare,
Of statur not ouyr gret nor ȝit ouyr lang.
Behaldand Venus, O ȝe my luif (he sang)
And scho agane with dalyans sa fare
[Page] Hir knycht hym clepis quare so he ryde or gang.
¶ Thair wes arsyte and Palemon alswa,
Accumpany it with fare Emylya.
[...]
The quene Dido with hir fals luf Enee.
Trew Troylus, vnfaythfull Cressida.
The fair Paris, and plesand Helena,
Constant Lucres, and traist Penolype,
Kynd Pirramus, and wobegone Chysoe.
Dolorus Progne, triest Philomena.
Kyng Dauidis luif thare saw I Barsabe.
¶ Thare wes Ceix with the Kynd a [...]cyon,
And achilles wroth with agamemnon,
For Bryssida his lady fra hym tane.
Wofull Phillys with hir luf Demoophan,
Subtel Medea, and hir knycht Iasone.
Of Fare, I saw thair Paris, and Veane,
Thare wes Phedra, Thesyus and adriane,
The sec [...]ete wyse hardy Ipomedon.
Asswere, Hester, irrapreuabill Susane.
¶ Thare wes the fals vnhappy Dalida,
Cruel wikkyt and curst Dyonera.
Wareit Bibles, and the fair Absolon.
Ysyphele, abhomynabil Sylla.
Trastram, Yside, Helcana and anna.
Cleopatra, and worthy Mark anthon.
Iole Hercules, alcest Ixion.
The onely pacient wyfe Gressillida
Nersissus that his hed brak on a ston,
¶ Thare wes Iacob, with fair Rachel his make
The quhilk become til Laban for hir sake,
Xiiii. ȝere boynd with fyrm hart Immutabill,
Thair bene bot few sic now I vndertake.
Thir fair ladyis in silk and claith of Lake
Thus lang sall not all foundyn be so stabyll.
This Venus court, quhilk wes in luif maist abil
For till discriue, my cunning is to wake
A multitude thay wer innumerabill.
¶ Of gudly folk in euery kynd and age,
With blenkis swete, fresch, lusty grene curage
And Dalyans, thay rydyng furth in fere.
Sum leiuys in hope, and sum in great thyrlage,
Sum in dispare, sum findis his panys swage
Garlandis of flouris and rois chaplettis sere
Thay bare on hede and samyn sang so clere.
Quhil that thair myrth commouit my curage
Till syng this lay quhilk folowand ȝe may here.
¶ Constrenyt hart bylappit in distres
Groundit in wo and full of heuynes,
A ballet of inconstant loue.
Complene thy paynfull caris infinyte.
Bewale this warldis frele vnstedfastnes,
Hauand regrait, sen gone is thy glaidnes.
And all thy solace, returnyt in dispyte
O catiue thrall inuoluit in dispyte
Confesse thy fatale wofull wrechitnes,
Diuide in twane and furth diffound all tyte,
Aggreuance gret in miserabill endyte,
¶ My crewell fait subiectit to penance
Predestinat sa void of all plesance,
Has euery greif amyd myn hart in graue.
The slyd incostant destany or chance,
Vnequaly doith hyng in thair ballance,
My demeritis and gret dolour I haue,
This purgatory redowbly [...] all the laue.
Ilk wycht has sum weilfare at obeysance.
Saue me bysayng that may na grace ressaue
Dede the addresse and do me to my graue.
¶ Wo worth sik strang mysforton anoyus
Quhilk has opprest my spretis maist Ioyus,
Wo worth this worldis freuch felicite.
Wo worth my feruent diseis dolorus
Wo worth the wycht that is not pietuus
Quhare the trespassor penitent thay se.
Wo worth this dede that dayly dois me de.
Wo worth Cupyd, and wo worth fals Venus
wo worth thaym bayth, ay waryit mot thay be,
Wo worth thair court and cursyt destane.
¶ Loude as I mocht in dolour al distrenȝeit
This lay I sayng and not a lettir fenȝeit
Tho saw I Venus on hir lyp did byte.
And all the court in hast thair horsys renȝeit.
Proclamand loude quhare is ȝone poid that plenȝeit,
Quhilk deth diseruis conmittand sik dispite.
Fra tre to tre thay serchyng but respyte,
Quhill ane me fand quhilk said in greif disdenȝeit
Auant belane thou reclus imperfyte.
¶ All in ane feuyr out of my muskan bowr
On knees I crap and law for feare did lowr.
Than all the court on me thayr hedis schuke
Sum glowmand grym, sum grinand with vissage sowr
Sum in the nek gaue me feil dyntis dowr.
Pluk at the craw thay cryit, deplome the ruke
Pulland my hare, with blek my face they bruke,
Skrymmory fery gaif me mony a clowr.
For chyppynuty full oft my chaftis quuke.
With payne, torment, thus in thayr teynfull play
Till Venus bund thay led me furth the way,
Quhilk than wes set amyd a golden chare,
And so confoundit in to that fell affray
As that I micht consydyr thair array.
Me thocht the feild ouirspred w t carpetis fare
(Quhilk wes to fore brint barrant vile & bare)
Wox maist plesand, bot all (the suyth to say)
Micht not amese my grewous pane full sare.
¶ Entronit sat Mars, Cupyd and Venus.
The Auc­tor accused
Tho rais a clerk wes clepit Varius.
Me tyl accusyng as of a dedly cryme.
And he begouth and red a dittay thus.
Thou wikkit catyue, wod and furius
Presumptuusly now at this present tyme.
My lady here blasphemed in thy tyme.
Hir sonne, hir self, and hir court amorus
For till betrais awatit here sen pryme.
¶ Now God yow wate me thocht my fortune fey
Wyth quakand voce and hart cald as a key.
[Page] On kneys I knelyt and mercy culd implore
Submyttand me, but ony langer pley
Venus mandate and plesour till obey.
Grace wes denyit and my trauel forlore.
For scho gaif chargis till procede as before.
Than Varius spak rycht stoutly me till ney
Inionand silence tyll ask grace ony more.
¶ He demandit myn answere quhat I sayd?
Than as I mocht with curage all mysmaid
Fra tyme I vndirstude na mare supple.
Answer.
Sore abasyt, beliue I thus out braid
Set of thir pointis of cryme now on me laid
I may me quyte gyltles in verite.
ȝit fyrst agane, the Iuge quhilk here I se
This inordenat court and proces quaid
I wyl obiect for causys twa or thre.
❧ Inclynand law (quod I) with pretuus face
I me defend,
Appellati­onem.
medame plesyt ȝout grace
Say on (quod sche) than said I thus but mare
Madame ȝe may not syt in till this cace.
For ladyis may be Iugis in na place.
And maie attour I am na seculare
A spirituall man (thocht I be void of late)
Cl [...]pyt I am, aucht m [...] lyuys space
To be remyt till my Iuge ordinare.
¶ I ȝow bescik madame with byssy cure
Till gyf ane gracius interlocuture
On thir exceptionys now proponyt late.
Than suddanly Venus (I ȝow assure)
[Page] Deliuerit sone and with a voce so sture
Answeryt thus, thow subtyle smy god wate
Quhat wenys thou till degraid myne hie estate,
A thret­nyng.
Me till declyne as Iuge, curst creature
It beis not so, the game gois othir gate.
¶ As we the fynd thow sall thoill Iugement
Not of a clerk we se the represent
Saue onely falsshed and dissaitfull talys,
Fyrst quhen thow come with hart and hail entent
Thow the submyttit till my commaundement.
Now now thairof me thynk to sone thow falys
I weyn nathyng bot foly that the alys.
[...] clerkis bene in subtyle wordis quent.
And in the deid als scharpe as ony snalys.
¶ ȝe bene the men bewrays my cōmandis:
ȝe bene the men distrublys my seruandis:
ȝe bene the men with wikkyt wordis fele.
Quhilk blasphemys fresch, lusty ȝong gallandis
That in my seruyce and retenew standis.
ȝe bene the men that clepys ȝow so lele.
With fals beheft quhill ȝe your purpose stele
Syne ȝe forswere baith body, treuth and handis,
ȝe bene sa fals ȝe can no word consele.
¶ Haue doyn (quod sche) syr Varius alswyith,
Do writ the sentence lat this catiue kyith,
Gyf our power may demyng his mysdeid.
Than god thow wait gyf that my spreit wes blyith
The feuerus hew in till my face dyd myith
All my male eys for swa the horribill dreid.
[Page] Hail me ouyrset, I mycht nocht say my creid.
For feir and wo within my skyn I wryith
I mycht nocht pray forsuyth thocht I had neid.
¶ ȝit of my deth I set not half a fle
For gret effere me thocht na pane to be.
Bot sore I dred me for sum othyr Iape
That Venus suld throw hir subtillyte
In till sum bysnyng best transfigurit me.
As in a bere, a bair, ane oule, ane ape.
I traistit so for till haue bene myssape
That oft I wald my hand behald to se
Gyf it alteryt, and oft my vissage grape.
¶ Tho I reuoluit in my mynd anone.
Quhow that Diane transformyt Acteone.
And Iuno eik as for a kow gert kepe.
The fare yo that lang wes wo begone.
Argos hir ȝymmyt that eyn had mony one,
Quhom at the last Mercurius gert slepe.
And hir delyuerit of that danger depe
I remembret also quhom in a stone.
The wyfe of Loth Ichangit sore did wepe.
¶ I vmbethocht quhow Ioue & ald Saturn
In tyll a wolf thay did Lycaon turn,
And quhow the mychty Nabugodonosore
In bestly forme did on the feild sudiourn.
And for his gilt wes maid to wepe and murn
Thir feirfull wondris gart me dreid ful sore.
For by exemplys oft I herd to fore.
He suld bewar that seys his fallow spurn
[Page] Myschans of ane suld be ane otheris lore.
¶ And rolland thus in diuers fantaysyis,
Terribil thochtis oft my hert did gryis
For all remeid wes alterit in dispare.
Thare wes na hope of mercy till deuyis
Thare wes na wycht my frend be na kyn wyis,
Alhalely the court wes me contrare.
Than wes all maist wryttyn the sentence sare
My febyll mynd seand this gret suppris
Wes than of wit and euery blys full bare.

¶ The seconde parte.

LO thus amyd this hard perlexite
Awaytand eū quhat moment I suld de [...]
Or than sum new transfiguration.
Cōsolatiō.
He quhilk that is eternall verite.
The glorious lord ryngād in personis thr [...]
Prouidit has for my saluation
Be sum gude spretis reuelation.
Quhilk intercion maid (I traist) for me
I forȝet all Imagination.
¶ All hail my dreid I tho forȝet in hy.
And all my wo, bot ȝit I wyst not quhy
Saue that I had sum hope till be releuyt
I rasyt than my vissage hastely
And with a blenk anone I did espy
A lusty sycht quhilk nocht my hart engreuit,
Ane heuinly rout, out throw the wod escheuyt
[Page] Of quhame the bonty gyf I not deny
Vneth may be in till ane scipture breuit.
¶ With lawrere crowayt in robbis syd all new,
Of a fassoun and all of stedfast hew,
Arrayit weil,
Poetis.
a court I saw cum nere.
Of wyse Degest eloquent fathers trew,
And plesand ladyis quhilkis fresch bewtie sche [...]
Syngand softly full swete on thair manere.
On poete wyse all diuers versis sere
Historyis gret in latyne toung and grew
Wyth fresch endyt and soundis gude till here.
¶ And sum of thaym ad Lyram playit and sang
So plesand vers quhill all the rochys tang,
Metyr Saphik and also Elygee
Thair instrumentis all maist wet fydlys lang
Bot w t a strig quhilk neuyr ane wreist ȝeid wrāng
Sum had ane harpe, and sum a fair psaltree,
On lutis sum thair accentis subtelle.
Deuydyt weil and held mesure lang
In soundis swete of plesand melodie.
¶ The ladyis sang in vocis dulcorate
Facund epistillis quhilkis quhilum Ouid wrate
As Phillys quene send till duke Demophon,
And of Pennolepe the gret regrate
Send till hir lord sche dowryng his estate
That he at Troy suld losyt be or tone.
Quhow Acontus till Cedi [...]pa anone
Wrate his conplaint thair hard I weil god wate
With othir lusty myssyuis mony one.
¶ I had gret wondir of thair layis sere
Quhilkis in that arte mycht haue na way compete
Of castis quent rethorik colouris fyne:
So poete lyk in subtyle fair manere
And elaquent fyrme Cadens regulere
Thair vayage furth contenand rycht as lyne,
With sang and play as sayd is so dyuine
Thay fast approchyng to the place well nere
Quhare I wes torment in my gastly pyne.
☞ And as the heuynly sort now nomynate
Remouyt furth on gudly wyse the gate
Towert the court quhilk wes tofore expremit
My curage grew for quhat cause I not wate▪
Saue that I held me payit of thayr estate
And thay wer folk of knawlagis as it semit.
Als in til Venus court full fast thay demyt.
Sayand ȝone lusty rout wyll stop our mate
Till Iustefy thys bisning quhilk blasphemit.
¶ ȝone is quod they the court rethoricall
Of polit termys sang poeticall
And constād ground of famus historyis swete
ȝone is the facund well celestiall
ȝone is the fontayn and origynall
Quhare fra the well of hylicon dois flete.
ȝone ar the folkis that comfortes euery sprete
Be fyne delyte and dyte angelicall
Causand gros lede all of maist gudnes glete.
¶ ȝone is the court of plesand stedfastnes,
ȝone is the court of constant merynes.
[Page] ȝone is the court of Ioyus disciplyne.
Quhilk causys folk thar purpos till expres.
In ornat wyse prouocand with gladnes.
All gentyll hartis to thare lare inclyne.
Euery famus poet men may deuyne
Is in ȝone rout. Lo ȝondir thair prynces
Thespis the morthyr of musis nyne.
❧ And nixt hir syne hir douchter fyrst byget,
Lady Cleo quhilk craftely dois set
Historiis aid,
The nyne muses.
lyk as thay wer present.
Euterpe eik quhilk dayly dois hir det
In dulce blastis of pipis swete but let.
The thyrd systir Thalia diligent
In wanton wryt and cronikillis doith impren
The ferd endityth oft with chekis wet
Sare Tragedyis, Melphomyne the gent.
¶ Tatpsychore the fyft with humyll Soun
Makis on psaltreis modolatioun,
The sext erato, lyk thir luffirs wylde,
Will syng, play, dans, and leip baith vp and doune.
Polimnya, the seuynt muse of renoun.
Ditis thir swete rethorik cullouris mylde,
Quhil kis ar so plesand baith to man and chylde.
Vranya the aucht, and sistir schene
Wrytis the heuyn and sternys all bedene,
☞ The nynt quham till nane othir is compere
Caliope that lusty lady clere:
Of quham the bewtye and the worthynes
The vertuys gret, schynis baith far and nere.
[Page] For sche of nobillis fatis hes the stere
Till wryt thair worschyp, victory and prowes,
In kyngly style, quhilk dois thair fame encres,
Clepyt in latyne, Heroicus but were
Cheif of al wryt lyk as scho is maistres.
¶ Thir musis nyne lo ȝondir may ȝe se
With fresch Nymphis of watir and of see,
And Phanee, ladyis of thir templis ald
Pyerides, Dryades, Saturee,
Neriedes, Aones, Napee,
Of quham the bontyis nedis not be tald.
Thus dempt the court of Venus mony fald.
Quhilk speche refreschyt my perplexite.
Reiosand weil my spreit afore wes cald.
The suddand sycht of that fyrme court foresaid
Recomfort weil my hew tofore wes faid.
Amyd my brest the Ioyus heit redoundyt,
Behaldand quhow the lusty musys raid.
And al thair court, quhilk wes so blyth & glaid
Quhois merynes all heuynes confoundyt.
Thair saw I weil in poetry ygroundyt
The gret Homere:
Homer.
quhilk in grew langage said
Maist eloquently in quham all wyt abuondyt.
Thare wes the gret latyn Virgillyus,
Virgil & other latin poetis.
The famus fathir poet Ouidius.
Ditis, Daris, and eik the trew Lucane,
Thare wes Plautus, Pogius, Parsius.
Thare wes Terens, Donat, and Seruius,
Francys Petrark, Flakcus, Valeriane,
[Page] Thare wes Ysop, Caton, and Alane,
Thare wes Galterus, and Boetius,
Thare wes also the gret Quintilliane.
❧ Thare wes the satyr poete Iuuinale,
Thare wes the mixt and subtell Marciale.
Of Thebes Bruyt, thare wes the poete Stace,
Thare wes Faustus, and Laurence of Vale,
Pomponeus quhais fame of late sans fale
Is blawyn wyd throw euery realme and place,
Thare wes the moralewyse poete Orace
With mony other clerkis of gret auayle,
Tare wes Brunell, Claudyus, and Bocace.
☞ So gret a pres of pepill drew vs nere.
The hunder part thare namys is not here
ȝit thare I saw of Brutus Albion
Goffryd Chaucere,
Chauser & other eng­lyshe and Scottishe Poetis,
as a per se sance pere,
In his wulgare and morell Iohn̄ Gdwere.
Lydgat the monk raid musand him allone
Of this natioun I knew also anone
Gret Kennedy and Dunbar ȝit vn dede
And Quyntyne with ane huttok on his hede.
¶ Howbeit I couth declare and weil endyte,
The bonteis of that court dewlye to wryt
Wer ouir prolyxt transcendyng myne engyne.
Twychand the proces of my panefull syte,
Beliue I saw thir lusty musys quhyte
With all thair route towart Venus declyne
Quhare Cupyd sat with hir in trone diuyne
I standan bundyn in a sory plyte,
[Page] Byddand thair grace or than the dedly pyne.
❧ Straucht til the quene, sammyn thir musis raid
Maist eloquently thare salutationys maid,
Venus agane ȝald thaym thair salusyng
Rycht reuerently and on hir fete vpbraid
Besekand thaym to lycht, nay nay, thay said.
We may as here make na langer tariyng.
Caliope maist facund and bening.
Inquyryt Venus what wicht had hir mismaid?
Or wes the cause thair of hir sudiournyng?
❧ Syster (sayd scho) behald that bysnyng schrew
A subtyle smye (considyr weil his hew)
Standis thair bond and bykkynnit hir to me,
Venus complain [...]
ȝone catiue hes blasphemyt me of new,
For tyl degraid and do my fame adew
A laithly ryme dispitefull subtelle
Compelit hes, rehersand loud on hie
Sclander, dispite, sorow and wallaway
To me my sonne and eike my court sor ay.
❧ He hes deseruit deth, he salbe dede
And we remane forsuith in to this stede.
Till Iustefy that rebell renygate
(Quod Caliope) sister away all fede.
Quhy suld he de? quhy suld he leis his hede:
To sla him for sa small a cryme god wate
(Greter degradyng wer to ȝour estate,
All out than wes his sclandec or sich plede
Quhow may a fule ȝour hie renoun chak mate,
¶ Quhat of his lak ȝour fame so wyd is blaw:
ȝour excellens maist peirles is so knaw
Na wrichis word may depare ȝour hie name
Gyf me hys lyfe and modefy the law.
For on my hed he standis now sic aw,
That he sall oft disserue neuir mare blame
Not of his dede ȝe may report but schame
In recompence of this myssyttand saw
He sall ȝour hest in euery part proclame.
¶ Than lord quhow glad becam my febil gost
My curage grew the quhilk afore wes lost
Seand I had so gret ane aduocate.
That expertly but prayer, pryce or cost
Opteynyt had my frewel accion all most
Quhilk wes afore perist and desolate.
This quhyl Venus stude in ane study starte
Bot fynally sco schew till all the ost
Scho wald do grace and be not obstinate.
¶ I wyll (sayd sche) haue mercy and pyete
Do slake my wreth and lat all rancour be.
Mercy [...] all men & specily gentyl­wemen
Quhare is mare vice than till be ouir cruel.
And specially in wemen sic as me.
A lady (fy (that vsis tirranne
No woman is, rather a serpent fell.
A vennamus dragon or a deuill of hell
Is na compare to the inequyte
Of bald wemen as thir wyse clerkis tell.
☞ Gret god diffend I suld be ane of tho
Quhilk of thare fede and malyce neuir ho:
[Page] Out on sik gram I wyll serue na repreif
Caliope sistir (said til Venus tho,
At ȝour request this wreche sall frely go.
Heir I remyt his trespas, and all greif
Salbe forȝet, swa he wil sa sum breif.
Or schort baliat in contrare pane and wo
Tuychand my laud and his plesand releif.
¶ And secundly the nixt resonabil command
Quhilk I him charge se that he not ganestād
On thir conditions sister at ȝour requeist
He sall go fre, quod Caliope inclynand
Grant mercy sister I oblys be my hand
He sail obserue in al poyntis ȝour beheist
Than Venus bad do slake sone my arreist
Belyue I wes releschit of euery band,
Vprais the court and all the perlour ceist,
¶ Tho sat I doun lawly vpon my kne
At command of prudent Caliope.
ȝeildand Venus thankis a thousand sith.
For sa hie freudschip and mercyfull piete
Excelland grace and gret humanyte
The quhilkis to me trespassour did scho kyth
I the forgeue (quod sche (than wes I blyth,
Doun on a stok I set me suddanlye
At hir command and wrate this lay als swyth▪
¶ Vnwemmyt wit, deliuerit of dangear,
[...] ballat for venus ple­sour.
Maist happely preseruit fra the snare.
Releschit fre of seruyce and bondage,
Expell dolour, expell diseyses sare,
[Page] Auoyd displesour, womentyng, and care.
Ressaue plesans and do thy sorowe swage.
Behald thy glaid fresche lusty grene curage
Reiois amyd thir louers lait and air
Prouyde a place till plant thy tendir age,
Quhair thou in ioy and plesour may repair.
¶ Quha is in welth? quha is weill fortunat?
Quha is in peace, dissouerit from debbat?
Quha leuys in hop? quha leuys in esperance?
Quha standis in grace? quha standis in ferme estat?
Quha is content reiosyt air and lat?
Or quha is he, that fortune doith auance?
Bot thow that is replenyst with plesance,
Thow hes comfort, all weilfare dilligat,
Thow hes gladnes, thow hes the happy chance.
Thow hes thy wyll, now be not dissolat.
¶ Incres in myrth full consolatioun
In Ioyus swete Ymaginatioun,
Habond in luif of purifyit amouris
With diligent trew deliberatioun
Rendir louyngis for thy saluatioun
Till Venus and ondir hir gard all houris
Rest at all ease but sair or sytful schouris.
Abyde in quyet maist constant weilfare.
Be glaid and lycht now in thy lusty flouris
Vnwemmyt wyt delyuerit of dangare.
¶ This lay wes red in oppyn audience
Of the musis, and in Venus presence
I stand content thow art obedient
[Page] (Quod Caliope my campion and defence)
Venus sayid eik it wes sum recompence
For my trespas I wes so penytent.
And with that word all sodanly sche went
In instant scho and hir court wes hence
ȝit still abayd hir musis on the bent.
¶ Inclynand than (I said) Caliope
My protector, my help, and my supple,
My souerane lady, my redemptioun.
My mediatour, quhen I wes dampnyt to de
I sall beseik the godly maieste
Infynyt thankis, laud, and benysoun,
ȝow till acquyte accordyng your renoun
It langyth not my possibillite
Till recompence ten part of this gwardoun.
¶ Glore, honour, laude and reuence condyng
Quha may for ȝeild ȝow of so hie a thyng?
Thankes gyuyng.
And in that part ȝour mercy I implore.
Submyttand me my lyftyme induring
ȝour plesour and mandate till obeysyng
Silence (said scho) I haue eneuch heirfore.
I will thou passe and vissy wondris more.
Than scho me hes betaucht in kepyng
Of a swete Nymphe maist faythfull and decore.
¶ Ane hors I gat maist rychely besene
Wes harnyst all with wodbynd leuis grene
On the same sute the trappuris law doun hang
Ouir hym I straid at command of the quene,
Tho sammyn furth we rydyng all bedene,
[Page] Als swyft as thocht with mony a mery sang
My Nymphe alwayis conuoyt me of thrang
Amyd the musys till se quhat thay wald mene
Quhilkis sang and playt bot neuir a wrest ȝeid wrang.
¶ Throw cuntreis seir, holtis and rochys hie,
Quir valys, planys, woddis, wally se
Quir fludis fare and mony strate montane
We wer cary it in twynkling of ane E.
The auctour [...] vyage
Our horssis flaw and raid nocht as thocht me
Now out of France tursyt in Tuskane.
Now out of Flandris heich vp in Almane.
Now in till Egypt, now in ytalie
Now in the realme of Trace, and now in Spane.
❧ The montayns we passyt of all Garmanie,
Ouir Appenynus deuydand Ytalie
Ouir Ryne, the Pow, and Tirbir fludis face.
Ouir Alpheus by Pyes the ryche citie.
Vndir the erth that entres in the see
Ouir ron, ouir sane, ouir France and tik ouir lare
And ouir Tagus the goldin sandyt ryuar [...]
In Thessaly we passyt the mont Oethe
And Hercules in sepulture fand thare.
¶ Thare went we ouir the ryuer Peneyus
In Secil eik we passyt the mont T [...]olus
Plenyst with saphron, huny, and with wyne.
The twa [...]oppyt famus Pernasus,
In trais we went out ouir the mont Emus.
Quhare Orphius lerit his armony maist fyne.
Ouir Carmelus quhare twa prophtis deuyne
[Page] Remanyt Helyas and Heliseus
Fra quhom the ordur of Carmeliris come syne
¶ And nixt vntill the land of Amyson
In hast we past the flude Termodyon.
And ouir the huge hill that hecht Mynas
We raid the hill of Bachus Citheron.
And Olympus the mont of Massidon,
Quhilk semys heich vp in the heuyn to pas
In that countre we raid the flude Melas.
Quhais watter makith quhite scheip blak anon
In Europe eik, we raid the flud Thauas.
¶ We raid the swyft reuere Sparthiades
The flud of Surry Achicorontes.
The hill so full of wellis clepit Yda.
Armany hillis and flude Eufrates
Ye fluld of Nyle, the pretius flude Ganges
The hyl of Secyle, ay byrnand Ethna,
And ouir the mont of Frygy-Dindama
Hallowit in honour of the modir goddes,
Cauld Cacasus we passit in Sythia.
¶ We passyt the fludis of Tygris and Phison
Of Trace the riueris, Hebrun and Strymon
The mont of Modyn and the flud Iordane.
The facund well and hill of Elicon,
The mont Erix the well of Acheron
Baith didicat to Venus en certane,
We past the hill and desert of Lybane
Quir mont Cinthus quhare god Appollo schone
Straucht to the musis Caballyne fontane.
❧ Besyde that cristall strand swete and degest
Them till repois thayr hors refresch and rest.
Alycht it doun thir musis clere of hew
The cumpany all halely lest and best.
Thrang to the well tyl drink, quhilk ran southwest.
Throw out a meid, quhare alkyn flouris grew,
Amang the layf, ful fa [...] I did persew
Tyll drynk▪ bot sa the gret pres me opprest
That of the wattir I micht neuer tast a drew,
¶ Our hors pasturytin a plesand plane,
Law at the fute of a fare grene mountane
Amyd a meid schadowed with cedir treys,
Saue fra al heit, thare micht we weil remane
All kynd of herbis, flouris, frute and grane
With euery growand tre thair men micht cheis
The byrriall stremys rynnand ouyr sterny greis,
Maid sobir noys the schaw dynnyt agane
For byrdys sang and soundyng of the beis.
¶ The ladyis fare on diuers instrumentys
Went playand, syngand, dansand, ouir the [...]entis
Ful angelyk and heuynly wes thair soun.
Quhat creatour amid his hart imprentis,
The sresche bew [...]y, the gudly representis,
The mery spech, fare hauinges▪ hie renoun
Of thaym wald set a wyse man halfe in swoun▪
Thare womanlynes writhyt the elementis.
Stonyst the heuyn and all the erth adoun.
¶ The warld may not coysydyr nor discryue
The heuynly ioy, the blys I saw belyue
[Page] So ineffabill, abone my wyt so hie,
I wyll na mare thairon my forhed ryue:
But breifly furth my febill proces dryue,
Law in the meid a palȝeon pycht I se
Maist gudlyest, and rychest that myght be
My gouernour ofter than timys fyue
Vntill that halde to pas commandit me.
Swa fynally strycht to that rial steid
In fallowschip with my leder I ȝeid.
The gate [...]
We entryt sone, the portar w [...]s not thra,
Thare wes na stoppyng, lang demand, nor pleid
I knelyt law and onheldit my heid,
And tho I saw our musis twa and twa
Sittand on deace famylliaris to and fra,
Seruand thaym fast with Epocres and meid
Dilligate meatis, daynteis sere alswa.
❧ Grete wes the preis the feist ryall to sene
At ease thay eit with interludyis betwene,
Gaue problemys sere, and mony fare demandis,
Inquirand quha best in thair tymys had bene▪
Quha traist louers in lusty ȝeris grene?
Sum said this way, and sum thairto gāstandis
Than Caliope, Quid till appere commaundis
My clerk (quod scho) of [...]
Declare quha [...] maist worthy of thair handis▪
¶ With Lawrere Crownyt at hir commaundment
Vp stude this poet degest and eloquent,
Valiant [...].
And schew the fetis of Hercules the strang.
Quhow he the grysly hellis houndis out rent.
[Page] Slew Lyonys, monstreis, and mony fell serpent,
And to deth feil mychty giantis dang.
Of Thesyus eik he tald the weris lang
Agane the quene Ypollita the swete,
And quhow he slew the Mynotaure in Crete.
❧ Of Persyus he tald the knychtly dedis.
Quhilk vincussyt (as men in Quid redis)
Crewell tyrrantis, and monsturis mony one
Of Dianis bore in Callydon the dredis,
Quhow throw a ladyis [...]chot his sydis bledis,
The bretheris deith and syne the systeris mone,
He schew quhow kyng Priamus sonne Ysacon
Efter his dede body and all his wedis
In till a skarth transformyt w [...]s anon.
☞ He schew at troy quhat wyis the grekis landis
Quhow fers Achylles stranglyt wyth his handis
The valȝeant, Cignus, Neptunus sonne maist dere,
Quhilk at grekis aryuale on the strandis
A thousand slew that day apon the sandis
Faucht with achill and blontit al his spere,
Na wapyn wes that micht him wond nor dere▪
Quhill Achalles bryst of his helm the bandis
Aud wyrryit hym he fors for all his fere.
¶ He schew full mony transmutationis,
And wondirfull new figurationis▪
Be hondris mo than I haue here expremyt.
He tald of louys meditacionis,
The craft of loue, and the saluationis.
Quhow that the furie lustis suld be flemyt.
[Page] Of diuers other materis als he demyt.
And be his prudent scharpe relationys
He wes expart in all thyng as it semyt
¶ Vp rais the gret Vir gilius anone
And playd the sportis of Daphnis & Coridon.
P [...]etes.
Syne Therens come and playit the commedy
Of Parmeno, Thrason, and wyse Gnaton,
Iuuynale lik a mower hym allone
Stud skornand euery man as thay ȝeid by
Marcyall was cuyk, till rost, seith, fars or fry.
And Pogyus stude with mony gyrn and grone
On Laurence Valla spyttand and cryand fy.
¶ With myrthys thus and meatis diligate
Thir ladyis, sestit accordyng thair estate
Vprais at last, commandand till tranoynt.
Retret wes blawy [...]lowd, and than god wate
Men micht haue sene swyft horssys halden hate,
Schynand for swete, as thay had bene anoynt,
Of all that rout w [...]s neuer a pryk disioynt.
For all our iary, and I furth with my mate
Montyt on hors raid sammyn in gude poynt.
¶ Ouir many gudly plane we raid bedene,
The vail of Ebron, the campe Damastene.
Throw Iosaphat and throw the lusty vail
Ouir watres wan thorow worthi woddis grene
And swa at last in lyftyng vp our eyne
We se the fynall end of our trauail
Amyd ane plane a plesand roch till wail
And euery wycht fra we that sycht had sene.
[Page] Thankand gret god thare hedis law deuail.
¶ With syngyng, lauchyng, merines and play,
On till that roch we rydyng furth the way.
Now mare till writ, for fere trymlys my pen,
The hart may not thynk, nor manis toung say,
The Eyr not here, nor yet the Ese may.
It may not be ymagyned with men
The heuynly blys, the perfyte ioy to ken.
Quhilk now I saw the hundreth part all day
I micht not schaw thocht I had tonges ten.
¶ Thocht al my membris tongis were on raw
I wer not abill the thousand fald to schaw?
Quhairfore I fere ocht forthirmare to wryte,
For quhiddir I this insaule or body saw
That wait I not, bot he that all duth knaw
The gret god wait in euery thyng perfyt.
Eik gyf I wald this auyssyon endyte
Ianglaris suld it bakbyt, and stand nane aw
Cry out on dremes quhilkis ar not worth a myte.
¶ Sen thys til me all verite be kend
I reput bettir thus till mak ane end
Than ocht til say that suld herars engreue
On othirsyd (thocht thay me vilepend)
I considdir prudent folk will commend
The verete, and sic ianglyng rapreue.
With quhais correction, support, and releue
Furth till proceid this proces I pretend
[...]raistand in god my purpose till escheue.
¶ Quhow beit I may not euery circumstance
Reduce perfytly in [...]ememorance.
Myn ignorance ȝit sum part sal deuyse
Twychand this sycht of heuynly swete plesance.
Now empty pen, wryt furth thy lusty chance.
Schaw wondris fele (suppose thow be not wyse)
Be dilligent, and rypely the auyse.
Beqwyke, and scharpe, voydit of variance,
Be suete, and cause not Ientill hartis gryse.

¶ The thyrd parte.

YE musis nyne be in myne adiutory
Yat maid me se yis blys & perfyte glory:
[...]spar [...].
Teche me ȝour facund castis eloquent
Len me a recent scharp fresch memory
And caus me dewly til [...]dyt yis story.
Sum gratius swetnes in my brest imprent
Till make the heraris bousum, and attent.
Redand my wryt illumynyt with ȝour lore
Infynyt thankis rendrand ȝow thairfore.
¶ Now breiflly to my purpose for til gone
About the hyll lay ways mony one.
And to the hycht bot a passage ingraue
He wyn in the roch of slyde hard merb [...]ll stone
Aganne the sonne lyk as the glas it [...]chone.
Ascens wes hie, and strait for till consaue
ȝit than thir musis, [...]udly and suaue
Alychtyt doun, and clam the roch in hy
With all the route outtaue my Ny [...]phe and I.
¶ Styl at the hillys fate we twa abaid,
Than suddandly my keper to me said,
Ascend galand tho for fere I quuke
Be not effrayit (scho said) be not mismaid
And with that word vp the strait rod abraid.
I followit fast scho be the hand me [...]ke
ȝit durst I neuir for dreid behynde me luke
With mekill pane thus clam we nere the hycht.
Quhare suddandly I saw ane grysly sycht.
¶ As we approchit nere the hillis heid
A terrible sewch, b [...]nand in flawmys reid
Abhominable and hol as heill to se.
All full of bryntstane pyk and bulnyng leid
Quhair mony wrechit creatour lay deid.
And miserable catywis ȝeland loude one hie
I saw, quhilk den mycht wele comparit be
Till Xantus the fluid of troy so schill
Byrnand at venus hest contrar Achill.
¶ Amyd our passage lay this wgly siche
Not brayd but so horrible till euiry wicht
That all the warld to pas it suld haue dreid
Wele I considerit nene [...]pparmar I mycht▪
A [...]d to discend sa hiddous wes the hicht
I durst not auentur for this erth on breid.
Trymland I stud with teith chatterand gud speid.
My nymphe beheld my their, and said lat se
Thow sall not aill, a [...]d [...]o the caus quod sche.
¶ To me thow art commyt I sall the keip.
Thir pietuis pepill amyd theis laithly deip
[Page] War wrechis, quhilkis in lusty ȝeris fair
Pretendit thaym till hie hono [...]r to creip,
[...].
But suddandly thay fell on sluethfull sleip.
Followand plesance, drynt in this loth of cair.
And with that word, sche hynt me by the hair,
Caryit me to the hillis [...]ede anone
As [...]bacuk wes brocht in Babilone.
¶ As we bene on the hie hill sittuate
Luke doun (quod scho) consaue in quhat estat
Thy wrechyt warld, thow may considdir now,
At hir command with mekill dreid god wate,
Oat ouir the hill sa hiddous, hie, and strate
I blent adoun and feld my body grow;
This brukkill erth sa littyl to allow,
Me thocht I saw byrn in a fyry rage
Of stormy see, quhilk mycht na maner swage.
❧ That terribbill tempest, hiddous wallys huge
Wer maist grysly for till behald or Iuge:
Quhare nothyr rest, nor quyet mycht appere,
Thare wes a peralus palyce, folk to luge.
Thare wes na help, support, nor ȝet refuge.
Innowmerabill folk I saw flottrand in fere,
Quhilk peryst on the weltrand wallys were,
And secondly, I saw a lusty barge
Quirset with seyes, and mony stormy charge.
❧ This gudly caruel taiklyt traist on raw
Wi [...]h blanschyt sail mylk [...]quhyte as ony snaw.
Rycht souer [...]ycht, and wondir strangly beildy▪
Wes on the boldyn wallys quyte oui [...]hraw,
[Page] Contrariusly the bustuus wynd did blaw.
In bubbys thik, that na schip sail mycht weld it.
Now sank scho law, now hie tyl heuyn vpheldy [...]
At euery part the see and wyndis draue
Quhill on a sand the schip to bryst and claue.
¶ It wes a pietuus thyng (allake allake)
Till here the duylfull cry quhen that scho strake
Maist lamentabill the peryst folk till se,
Sa famyst, drokyt, mait, forwrocht, and wake.
Sum on a plank of firre, and sum of ake
Sum hang apon takill, sum on a tre,
Sum fra thair gryp sone weschyne with the se,
Part drynt, and part to the rolke [...]let or swam.
On rapis or burdis syne vp the hill thay clam.
¶ Tho at my Nynphe breif [...]y I did in quere.
Quhat sygnyfyit tha feirfull wondris sere
ȝone multitude (said scho) of pepill drint
Ar faythles folk,
Faythles peopill.
quhilkis quhyle thay ar here
Mysknawys god and followys thare plesere,
Quhairfore thay sall in endles fyre be brynt.
ȝone lusty schip thow seyst peryst and tynt
In quhame ȝone pepill maid ane parralus race
Scho heycht the caruell of the state of grace.
☞ ȝe bene all borne the sonnys of Ire I ges,
Syne throw baptyme gettis grace and faythfulnes,
Than in ȝone caruell suyrly ȝe remane,
Oft stormstad with this warldis brukkyllnes,
Quhill that ȝe fall in synne and wrachitnes
Than schipbrokyn sall ȝe droun in endles pane
[Page] Except bye fayth ȝe fynd the plank agane.
Bye chryst vorkyng gud vorkys I onderstand.
Remane thair with▪ thir sall you bryng to land.
¶ This may suffice (said scho) twychand this part.
Returne thy hede, behald this othir art,
Considdir wondris and be vigyllant,
That thow may bettir endytyng eftirwart
Thyngis quhilkis I sall the schaw or we depart,
Thow sall haue fouth of sentence and not skant
Thare is no welth nor welfare thow sall want
The gret palyce of honour salt thou se
Lift vp thy hed behald that sicht (quod sche).
¶ At hir commaund I rasit hie on hycht
My vissage till behald that heuenly sycht
Bot, tyl discryue this matter in effek
Impossibill wer till ony erdly wicht
It transcendes sa far abone my micht
That I with ynk may do bot paper blek,
I man draw furth, the ȝok lyis in my nek,
As of the place to say my lewd auyse
Plenyst with plesance lyke to parradyce.
¶ I saw a plane of peirles pulcritude
Quhare in abondyt euery thyngis gude:
Spyce, wyne, corn, vle, tre, frute, flour, h [...]bis grene,
All foulys, bestis, byrdys, and alkynde [...]ude,
All maner fyschis bayth of see and flude
Wer kepit in pondis of polist siluer schene
With purifyit waitir as of the cristall clene.
Till noy the small the grete bestis had na will,
[Page] Nor rauanus fowlys the littill volatill.
¶ Styll in the season all thyng remanyt tha [...]e
Perpetually but othir noy or fare,
Ay [...]ypyt were, bayth herbys, frute, and flouris.
Of euery thyng the namys till declare
Vntil my febill wyt impossybill ware,
The dis­ [...]ription of the palace.
Amyd the med replete of swete odouris
A palyce stud [...] with mony [...]iall touris,
Quhare kernellys quent feil turretis men mycht fynd
And goldyn fanys wauand with the wynd.
☞ Pynnakillis, fyellis tournpikes mony one.
Gylt byrnyst torris, quhilk lyk til phebus schone,
Skarsement, repryse, corbell and battelyngis,
Ful ȝ [...]ry, borduris of mony pretius stone,
Suttyl muldry wrocht mony day agone
On Buttres, Ialmys, pillere is [...]nd plesand spryngis.
Quyke ymagry with mony lusty syngis
Thare mycht be sene, and mony worthy wychtis.
Tofore the ȝet arrayit all at rychtis.
¶ Furth past my Nymphe I followyt subsequent.
Straucht throw the plane to the first ward we went
Of the palyce, and entryt at that port
Thare saw we mony statelie tornament
Lancis brokyn, knychtis layd on the bent,
Plesand pastance, and mony lusty sport
Thair saw we als, and sum tyme battell mort,
All thir (quod scho) on Venus seruice wakis
In dedis of armys for thayr ladyis sakis
¶ Vissyand I stude the principal place but pere
That heuynly Palyce all of crystall clere
Wrocht as me thocht of polyst beriall stone.
Bosiliall nor Oliab but were
Quhilk sancta sanctorum, maid maist ryche and dere
Nor he that wrocht the tempill of Salomon,
Nor he that beild the riall Ylyon,
Nor he that forgete Darius sepulture
Couth not performe sa craftely a cure.
¶ Studiand here on, my Nimphe on to me spak.
Thus in stare quhy standis thou stupe [...]ak?
Gouand all day and nathyng hes vissyte.
Thow art prolixt, in haist retourn thy bak
Go efter me, and gud attendence tak.
Quhat thow seyst, luke eftirwartis thow write,
Thow sall behald all Venus blys perfyte.
Thair with sche till ane garth did me conuoy
Quhare that I saw eneuche of perfyte Ioy.
¶ Amyd a trone with stonys ryche ouirfret
And claith of gold lady Venus wes set.
By hir, hir sonne Cupyd, quhilk nathing seys
Quhare Mars entrit na knawlege mycht I get.
Bot straucht afore Venus vissage but let
Twelf amarant stagis stude, twelf grene precius greis,
Quhare on thare grew, thre curius goldyn treis.
Sustenttand weil the goddis face atorne.
Venus [...] ­rour.
A fair myrrour be thaym quently vpborn.
¶ Quhare of it makyt wes, I haue na feil,
Of beriall, cristall, glas, or byrnyst steil,
[Page] Of Diamant or of the Carbunkill Iem.
Quhat thing it wes diffyne may I not we [...]l.
Bot all the bordure circulare euery deill
Wes plate of gold, cais stok and vthir hem
With vertuus stanis picht y e blud wald stem.
For quha that wound wes in the tornament
Wor hale fra he apon the myrrour blent.
¶ This riall rillik so ryche and radius
Sa pollyst, plesand▪ purifyed precius.
Quhoys bontyis half to wryt I not presume.
Thairon tyll se wes sa dellicius
And sa excelland schadois gratius
Surmontyng far in brichtnes to my dome
The costly subtil quent spectacle of Rome
Or yet the myrrour send to Canyce
Quhairin men micht ful many wondrys se.
¶ In that myrrour I mycht se at a sycht
The dedes and fetes of euery [...]rd [...]y wycht,
All thinges go ne lyk as they wer present,
All the creacion of the angeilys brycht,
Of Lucifer the fall for all his mycht,
Adam fyrst maid, and in the erth ysent.
And Noys flude thair saw I subsequent
Babilon veild that toure of sic renoun.
Of Sodomus the fele subuersyoun.
¶ Abram, Ysak, Iacob, Iosoph, I saw,
Horuyt Moyses, with his ald Ebrew law,
Twelf plagis in Egypt sent for tair trespas.
In the reid see with al hys court on raw
[Page] Kyng Phato drynt that god wald neuir knaw▪
A lang ca­ [...]athaloge of nobyll men and wemen both of scriptur & gentyll stories.
I saw quhat wyse the see deuydyt was.
And all the Ebrewes dry fut ouir it pas,
Syne in desert I saw thaym fourty ȝeris.
Of Iosuy I saw the worthy weris.
¶ In Iudicum the batellis strang anone.
I saw of Iepty and of Gedione
Of Ameleth the cruel homosyd.
The wonderful werkis of douchty duke Sampsone
Quhilk slew a thousand with ane Assys bone
Rent templis doun, and ȝettis in hys pryde
Of quhais strenth merualys this warld so wyde,
I saw duke Sangor there with many a knok
Sax hundreth men slew with a plewchis sok.
¶ The praphet Samuell saw I in that glas
Anoynt kyng Saule quhais sonne Ionathas
I saw wyncus ane gret ost hym allane.
ȝong Dauid sla the grysly Golyas.
Quhais speirheid, wecht thre hundreht vncis was
Iesbedonab the giant mekill of mane
Lay be the handis of douchty Dauyd slane.
With fyngris sax on athir hand but weir.
Dauid I saw sla baith lyon and beir.
❧ This dauid e [...]k at ane onset astond
Aucht hundreth men I saw hym bryng to grond,
With hym I saw Bananyas the strang
Quhilk twa lyonys of Moab did confond.
And gaue the stalwart Ethiop dedis wond
With his awyn spere, that of his hand he thrang.
[Page] Ona bysytly this champion saw I gang
In a deip sistern and thare a lyon slewch
Quhilk in a storme of snaw did harm eneuch.
Of Salomon the wysdom and estate
Thare saw I and his ryche tempill god wate
His sonne Roboā quhilk throw his hely pride
Tynt all his ligis hartis be his fate
He wes to thaym sa outragius ingrate
Of twelf tribis.
Salomon
ten did fra hym deuyd.
I saw the angell s [...]a be nychtis tyd
Four slore thousandis of Synachorybis oft
quhilkis come to weir on Iowry with gret bost.
¶ I saw the lyfe of the kyng Esachy
Prolongit .xv. ȝere, and the prophet Hely
Amyd a fyry chare to paradyce went.
The stories of Esdras and of Neamy
And Danyell in the lyonys caue saw I.
For he the dragon slew, bell brak and schent▪
The chyldir thre amyd the fornace sent.
I saw the transmygracion in Babillon,
And baith the bukis of paralipomenon.
¶ I saw the haly archangell Raphell.
Mary, Sara, the dochter of Raguell
On Thobyas for his iust fatheris [...]ake
And bynd the crewell deuyll that wes sa fel
quhilk slew hir seuin first husbādis (as tha tel)
And quhow Iudyth Olyfarnus heid of strake
Be nychtis tyd, and fred hir town fra vrake
Ionas in the quhalys wame dais thre.
And schot furth syne I saw at Niniue.
☜ Of Iob I saw the patyence maist degest,
Of Alexander I saw, the gret conquest.
Quhilk in twelf ȝeris wan nere the warld on breid,
And of Anthiacus the gret onrest.
Quhow tyrrand lyk all Iowaye he opprest
Of Macabeus full mony knychtly deid,
That gart all Grece and Egypt stand in dreid,
In quyet broch his realm throw his prowes,
I saw his brethir Symon, and Ionathas.
¶ Quhilkis wer maist worthy quhil thair dayis rang
Of Tebes eik I saw the weris lang.
Quhare Thedeus allone slew fyfty knychtis.
Quhow fynaly of Grece the campyonys strang
All hail the floure of knychtheid in that thrang
Wes distroyit, quhill Thesyus with his mychtis,
The toun and Creon wan for all his slychtis.
Thare saw I quhow (as Stacius dois tell)
Amphiorax the Bischop sank to hel.
¶ The faithfull ladyis of Grece I mycht considdir
In clathis blak all bartute pas togyddir
Till Thebes sege fra thair lordis wer slane.
Faythfull & constent women.
Behald ȝe men that callys ladyis liddir,
And lycht of latis, quhat kyndnes brocht thaym thiddir?
Quhat treuth and luif did in thair brestis remane?
I traist ȝe fall reid in na wryt agane
In a realme sa mony of sic constance.
Persaue thairby wemen ar til auance.
¶ Of duke Pyrrotheus the spousage in that tyd
Quhare the Centauris reft away, the bryd
[Page] Thare saw I and thair battell huge till se,
And Hercules quhais renoun walkis wyd
For Exiona law by Troyis syd
Fecht and ouircome a monsture of the se.
For quhilk (quhen his reward denyit wes) he
Maid the first sege, and the distructioun
Of mychty Troy, quhylum the rial town.
¶ To wyn the [...]leys of gold tho saw I sent
Of Grece the nobillis with Iason consequent,
Hail that conquest and all Medeas slychtis.
Quhow for Iason Ysiphile wes schent.
And quhow to Troy as thay to Colchos went
Grekis tholyt of kyng Lamedō gret onrychtis.
Quhairfore troy distroyt wes be thair mychtis
Exiona rauyst, and Lamedon slane,
Bot Priamus restoryt the town agane.
¶ The Iugement of Parys saw I syne
That gaue the appill (as poetis can diffyne)
Till Venus as goddes maist gudlye.
And quhow in Grece he reuest quene Helyne,
Quharefore the Grekis with thair gret nauyn
Full mony thosand knychtis hastely,
Thaym till reuenge salyt towart Troy in hy [...]
I saw quhow be Vlixes with gret Ioy
Quhat wyse Achil wes fond and brocht to troy
¶ The crewel battellys, and the dyntis strang
The gret debate, and eik the weris lang
At Troy sege, the myrrour to meschew,
Sustenit ten ȝeris, Grekis Troianys amang.
[Page] And athir party set ful oft in thrang▪
Quhare that Hector did douchty dedis enew
Quhilk fears achil baith hym & Troylus [...]
The gret hors maid I saw, and Troy syn [...]ynt
And fair Ylion al in flambys brynt
¶ Syne out of Troy I saw the fugityuys
Quhow that Eneas as Virgill weil discriuis,
In countries seir wes by the seis rage
Bewauyt oft, and quhow that he arryuys,
With all his flote but danger of theyr lyuys.
And quhow thay were reset baith man & page
Be quene Dido remanand in Cartage.
And quhow Eneas syne (as that they tell)
Went for to seik his father doun in hell.
¶ Quir Stix the flude, I saw Eneas fair,
Quhare Carone wes the bustuus feryair.
The fludis four of hell thair mycht I se.
The folk in pane, the wayis circulair
The weltrand stone wirk Sisipho mych cair,
And all the plesance of the Camp Elysee,
Quhare ald anchyses did common with Enee,
And schew be lyne all his successyon.
This Ilk Eneas maist famus of renoun.
¶ I saw to goddis make the sacrifice.
Quhair of the ordour and maner to deuyse
Wer ouir prolext, and quhow Eneas syne
Went to the schyp, and eik I saw quhat wyse
All his nauy gret hunger did suppryse,
Quhow he in Italie fynalie with huge pyne,
[Page] Arriuit at the strandis of Lauyne
And quhow he faucht weil baith on land and seys,
And Tarnus slew the kyng of Rutuleis.
Rome saw I beildit fyrst be Romulus▪
And eik quhow lang (as wryttis Leuius)
The Romane kyngis abone the pepill rang,
And how the wickit proud Terquinius
With wyfe and barnis be Brutus Iunius
Wer exilit Rome for thair insufferabil wrāg
Bot al the proces for to schaw wer lang
Quhow chast Lucres the gudliest and best
Be Sextus Terquine wes cruel [...]y opprest.
Chast Lu­cretia
¶ The punik batalis in that mirrour cleir
Atwene Cartage and Romanis mony ȝeir
I saw becaus Eneas pietuus
Fled fra Dido, be admonicionis seir
Atwene thair pepill rais ane langsum weir
I saw quhow worthy Marcus Regulus
Maist valiant,
The con­stancye of Marcus r [...]gulus.
prudent and victorius
(Howbeit he micht at liberty gone fre,
For common profyt chesyt for till de.
❧ Tullus seruilius dowchty in his daw
And Quincyus elk in the myrroure I saw▪
Quhilk throw his stowtenes in fyry gap
For cōmō profyt of rome him self did thraw,
Rycht onabasitly, hauand na dreid nor aw,
Montit on hors onarmyt thairin lap,
And Hannyball I saw by fatell hap
Wyn contrare Romanys mony fair victory
[Page] Qhuyll Scipio eclypsyt all hys glory.
¶ This worthy Scipio clepyt Affrycane
I saw vincus thys Hannyball in plane,
And Cartage bryng vntyll fynall rewyn.
And to Rome conquerit all the Realme of Spane,
Quhow kyng Iugurtha hes his brethir slane,
Thare saw I eik, and of hys were the fyne.
Rycht weil I saw the batellis intestyne
Of Catulyna and of Lentulus
And atwine Pompey and Cesar Iulyus.
And breifly euery famus douchty deid
That men in story may se, or cornakyll reid,
I mycht behald in that myrrour expres
The miserie, the crewelte, the dreid,
Pane, sorow, wo, baith wretchitnes and neid,
The gret enuy, couatus, dowbilnes
Twychand warldly onfaithful brukkylnes,
I saw the fend fast folk to vicis tist,
And al the cumming of the Antecrist
¶ Plesand debaitmentis quha sa rycht reportis
Thare mycht be sene, and al maner disportys
The falkonnis for the reuere at thair gate
Mewand the fowlys in perirulo mortis
Layand thaym in be companeis and sortis
And at the plunge part saw I handlyt hate
The wery huntare byssy ayr and late
Wyth questyng hundis syrchand to and fra
To hunt the hart, the bare, the da, the ra,
☞ The Nigramansy thair saw eik anone
Of bonitas,
Nigramansy [...]
bongo, and frere Bacon▪
With mony subtell poynt of Iuglory.
Of Flandris peys maid mony precius stone.
A gret lade sadil of a sychyng [...]one.
Of a Nut mog, thay mayid a monk in hy,
A parys kirk of a small penny py.
And bonytas of a mussil made ane ape
With mony othir subtell mow and Iape.
¶ And schortly till declare the veryte
All plesand pastance and gemmys that micht be
In that myrrour wer present to my sycht
And as I wondryt on that grete ferlye
Venus at last in turning of hir E.
Knew weil my face, and said by goddis micht
ȝe bene welcum my presoner to this hycht.
quhow passit thou (quod scho) y e hidduus depe?
Madame (quod I) I not more than a schepe.
❧ Na fors thairof (said scho) sen thow art here
Quhow plesys the our pastance and effere?
Glaidly (quod I) madame be god of heuyn
Remembris thow (said scho (withouten were
On thy promyt quhen of thy gret dangere
I the deliuerit as now is not to newyn.
Than answerit I agane with sober steuyn.
Madame ȝour precept (quhat so be ȝour wyll)
Here I remane ay reddy till fulfill,
¶ Weil weil (said scho (thy wyll is suffycyent.
Of thy bousoum answere I stand content,
[Page] Than suddadly in hand a buke scho hynt
The quhilk to me betaucht scho or I went
Commandand me to be obedient.
And put in tyme that proces than quyt tynt
I promised hir forsuyth or scho wald stynt
The buke ressauand thairon my cure to preue.
Inclynand syne lawly I tuke my leue.
¶ Twychand this buke perauentur ȝe sall here
Sumtyme efter quhen I haue mare lasere.
By thys boke [...]
My Nymphe in hast tho hynt me by the hand
And as we sammyn walkyt furth in fere
I the declare (sayd scho) ȝone myrrour clere,
The quhilk thow saw afore dame Venus stand
Signifyes nothing ellis till vnderstand
Bot the gret bewty of thir ladyis facis
Quhairin louers thinkis thay behald all gracis.
The Auc­tors con­clution of Venus [...]
¶ Scho me conu [...]yit finally to tell
With gret plesance straucht to the ryche castell
Quhare mony saw I pres til get ingres
Thare saw I Synon and Achittefell
Pressand til clym the wallis,
The Pa­lice of ho­nour is patent for honest vertu­us men an not for vi­ [...]ius fals [...] craftye pe­pyll.
and how thay fell,
Lucyus Catalyn saw I thare expres
In at a wyndow pres til haue entres
Bot suddandly Tullius come with a buke
And strake hym doun quhill all his chaftis quuke,
☞ Fast clymmand vp thay lusty wallys of stone,
I saw Iugurtha and tressonabill Tryphon
Bot thay na grippis thair mycht hald for slyddir,
Preissand to clym stude thousandis m [...]ny one
[Page] And in to the ground thay fallen euery one.
Than on the wall a garatour I considddir
Proclamand lowd that did thayr hartis swiddir▪
Out on falshed the mother of euerye vyce,
Fals [...] the moder of al vice.
Away inuy and brynnand couetyce.
¶ The garatour my Nymphe tho to me tald
Wes clepyt Lawte kepar of the hald
Of hie honour, and thay pepyll out schete
Swa presand thaym to clym, quilum wer bald
Rycht vertuus ȝoung, but fra tyme thay woux ald
Fra honour hail one vice thair mindis sete.
Now sall thow go (quod sche) straucht to the ȝete
Of this palyce, and entre but offence
For the portar is clyped pacience.
Patience.
¶ The mychty prynce,
The [...] of the Prince of hir honore wyth hys Palys & Court.
the gretest Empriour
Of ȝone Palyce (quod scho (hecht hie honour,
Quham to disseruys mony traist officiare
For charite of gudlynes is the flour,
Is maister houshald in ȝone cristall tour.
Charity, [...]ōstance.
Ferme Constance is the kyngis Secritare.
And Liberalite heicht his Thesaurar.
Liberalite Innocens d [...]otyon.
Innocens and Deuocyon (as efferis)
Bene clerkis of closet and cubeculeris.
His Comptrowere is clepyt Discretioun.
discrecion Humanite Trew re­lation peace temperance.
Humanyte, and trew relatioun
Bene yscherris of his chamlmer morow and eue.
Peace, Quyet Rest, oft wakis vp and doun
In till his hall as marchellis of renoun,
Temperance is cuke, his mete to tast and preue.
[Page] Humylyte karuar that na wych [...] lyst greue.
Humilite▪ discypline mercye
His maister sewer, hecht vertuus discipline
Mercy is copper, and mixis weil his wyne
¶ His Chanceller is clepyt conscyence
Quhilk for na meid,
Consciēce iustyce prudence dili­gens clene lyuyng.
will pronounce a fals sentence.
With him are assessouris four of one ascent
Science, prudence, Iustice, Sapience.
Quhilkis to na wycht, lyst committing offence▪
The chekker rollys and the kyngis rent
As auditouris thay ouirseis quhat is spent.
Labourus, diligens, gud werkis, clene liuyng
Bene out stewartis, and catouris to ȝone kyng.
¶ Gud hope remanys, euer amang ȝone sort
A fyne menstral with mony mow and sport.
Pope.
And piete is the kyngis almosei [...]
Syne fortitude (the rycht quha lyst report.
Piety.
Is lieutenand al wrachys to comfort,
Fortitud.
The kyngis mynȝeon roundand in his Eyr
Heicht verite did neuir leyl man deir
And schortly euery vertew and plesance
Is subiect to ȝone kyngis obbeysance.
Veryte
❧ Come on (sayd sche) this ordenance to vysyte
Than past we to that cristall Palyce quhyte,
Quhare I abayd the entre til behald.
I bad na mare of plesance nor delyte.
Of lusty sycht, of ioy and blys perfyte,
Nor mare weilfare til haue abone the mold
Than for til se that ȝet of byrnyst gold.
Quhare on thair of maist curiusly ingraue,
[Page] All naturall thyng men may in erd consaue.
¶ Thare wes the erth enueronyt wyth the see,
Quhare on the schyppes saland mycht I se.
The ayr, the fyre, all the four elymentis.
The speris seuyn, and primum mobile.
The sygnis twelf perfytly euery gre.
[...]
The zodiak hale as bukis representis,
The poil antertik that euer him selfe absentis,
The poil artik and eik the vr [...]s twane
The seuyn sterris, pheton, & the Charle wane.
Thare wes ingarf quhow that ganamedis
Wes reft till heuyn, as men in Ouyd redis,
And on till Iupiter made his cheif butlare
The douchters fare in to thayr lusty wedis,
Of Dorida amyd the see but dredis
Swymmand, and part wer figurit thare
Apon a crag dryand thair ȝalow hare
With facis not onlyk, for quha thaym seyng
Mycht weil consyddir that thay al sisteris beyng.
❧ Of the planetis all the coniunctionys,
Thare episciclis, and opposionis.
Wer proturyt thair, and quhow thair coursis swagis
Thare naturale, and dayly montionis,
Eclipse, aspectis▪ and degressyonys,
Thare saw I mony gudly personagis,
Quhilkis semyt [...]ll luasty quyk ymagis,
The werkmanschip excedyng mony fold
The precyus mater, thocht it wes fynest gold.
¶ Wondrand here on agane my wyll but lete
My Nymphe in grif schot me in at the ȝet
Quhat Deuyl (said scho) hes thou not ellis ado.
Bot all thy wyt ann fantasy to set
On sic dotyng, and tho for fere I swet
Of her langage, bot than anone said scho,
List thou se farlyes, behald thaym ȝondir lo
ȝit study not ouir mekil a dreid thow vary,
For I persaue the halflyng is in a fary▪
❧ Within that Palyce sone I gat a sycht
Quhare walk and went ful mony worthy wicht
Amyd the close with all myrthys to wale.
For lyk Phebus with fyry bemys brycht
The wallys schane, castand sa gret a lycht,
It semyt lyk the heuyn Imperiall.
And as the cedir surmontyth the rammale
In perfyt hycht, sa of that court a glance
Excedis far all erdly vane plesance.
¶ For lois of sycht considdir micht I nocht
Quhow perfytly the ryche wallys wer wrocht,
Fra the reflex of cristall stanys schone,
For brychtnes skarsly blenk thairon I mocht,
The purifyit siluer (soithla as my thocht)
In steid of syment, wes ouir all that wone
ȝet round about ful mony a beriall stone▪
And thaym couiunctly Ionyt fast and quemyt.
The close wes paithit with siluer as it semyt.
¶ The durris and the wyndois all wer breddyt.
with massy gold, quhare of the fynes scheddit.
[Page] With byrnyst euyr baith Palyce and touris
Wer thekyt weil maist craftely that cled it.
For so the quhitly blanchit bone ouirspred it
Mydlyt with gold, anamalyt all colouris.
Iuporturat of byrdis, and swete flouris
Curius knottis, and mony sle deuyse.
Quhilk is to behald wes perfyt paradice.
And to proceid▪ my Nympe and I furth went
Straucht to the hall throw out the Palyce ient,
And ten stagis of Thopas did ascend
Schit wes the dure, in at a boir I blent,
Quhare I beheld the gladdest represent
That euir in erth a wrachit caty wekend.
Brelfly theis proces til conclude and end
Me thocht the flure wes al of amatist,
Bot quhare of war the wallis I ne wist
☞ The multitud of prectius stonis sere
Thair on swa schane my febill sycht but were
Mycht not behald thair vertuus gudlynes
For all the ruf) as did to me appere)
Hang full of plesand lowpyt saphyrs clere.
Of dyamantis, and rubys (as I ges)
Wer all the burdis maid of mast riches
Of sardanus, of Iaspe, and smaragdane
Trestis, formys, and benkis wer pollist plane.
¶ Baith to and fro a myd the hall they went
Rial Princis in plate and armouris quent
Of byrnist gold, cuchit with precyus stonys.
Intronyt sat a god armypotent,
[Page] On quhais gloryus vissage) as I blent)
In extasy be his brychtnes atonys
He smate me doun and byrsyt all my bonys.
Thare lay I still in swoun with cullour blaucht
Quhil at the last my Nymphe vp hes me kaucht.
¶ Syne wyth gret pane with womentyng and care,
In hir armys scho bare me doun the stare,
And in the clois full softly laid me doun,
Held vp my hede to tak the hailsum ayre
For of my lyfe scho stude in gret dispare,
Me till awalkay wes that lady boun,
Quhill finally out of my dedly swoun
I swyth ouircome, and vp my Eyne did cast
Be myrry man (quod scho) the werst is past.
¶ Get vp (scho said) for schame be na cowar [...]
My hede in wed thow hes a wyfis hart.
That for a plesand sycht is so mysmaid
Than all in anger apon my fete I start,
And for hir wordis wer a so appyrsmart
On to the Nymphe I maid a bustuus braid▪
Carlyng (quod I) quhat wes ȝone, at thow said.
Soft ȝow (said sche) thay ar not wyse that stryuys
For kyrkmen wer ay Ientill to ther wyuys.
❧ I am rycht glaid thou art wordyn so wycht
Langere (me thocht) how had nothir fors, ne mycht▪
Curage, nor wyll for till haue greuyt a fla,
Quhat alyt the to fall (quod I) the sycht
Of ȝone goddes grym [...]yry vissage brycht
Ouirset my wyt and all my spretis swa,
[Page] I mycht not stand, bot wes that suyth? ȝa ȝa?
Than said the Nymphe rycht merylie and leuch.
Now I considdir thy malt hart weil eneuch.
¶ I wyl (quod scho (na mare the thus assay
With sic plesance quhilk may thy sprete effray
ȝit sall thow se suythly (sen thou art here)
My lydyis court in thair gudly array.
For till behald thair myrth cum on thy way.
Than hand in hand suyth went we furth in fere
At a postrum towart the fair herbere,
In that passagis full fast at hir I franyt
Quhat folk thay wer within the hall remanyt.
¶ ȝon wer (said scho) quha sa the richt discriuys
Maist vailȝeand folk, and vertuus in thair lyuys,
Now in the court of honour thay remane
Victortusly, and in all plesance thryuys,
For thay with spere, with swerdys, and wyth knyuys.
In iast battell wer fuddyn maist of name.
In thair promyttis, thay stude euir fyrm and plane,
In thaym aboundit worschyp and lawte
Illumynyt with liberalite.
❧ Honour (quod scho) to this heuinly ryng
Differris richt far from warldly honoring.
Quhilkis but pompe of erdly dignyte
Gyuyn for estate of blude micht or sic thyng.
And in this countre prynce, prelatee or kyng
Alanerly sall for vertu honoryt be.
For erdly glore is not bot vanyte
That as we se▪ sa suddandly will wend
[Page] Bot vertuus honour neuir mare sall end.
¶ Behald (said scho) and se this warldly glore
Maist inconstant,
[...] warldly glorye is bot a drea­me.
maist slyd and transitore
Prosperite in erd is bot a dreme
Or lyk as man wer steppand ouir a score.
Now is he law, that wes so hie to fore.
And he quhilum wes borne pure of his deme,
Now his estate schynys lyke the sonne beme
Baith vp and doun, baith to and fro (we se)
This warld weltrys as dois the wally see.
¶ To papis, bischoypis, prelatis, and primatis,
Empriouris, kinges, princes, potestatis
Deth settis the terme, and end of all thair hycht,
Frathay began, late se quha on thaym watys.
Na thyng remanis, bot fame of thair estatis.
And not ellis bot vertuus werkis richt
Sall with thaym wend, nother thair pompe nor mycht
Ay vertu ryngis in lestand honour clere
Remembir than that vertu hes no pere.
¶ For vertu is a thing sa precyous
Quhare of the end is sa delycious,
A comēdacion of vertue quhilk is the vay to honour and not ri­ches or hie blud.
The warld ma not consyddir quhat it is.
It makis folk perfyte and glorious.
It makis sanctis of pepill vicious.
It causis folk ay leue in lestand blys,
It is the way til hie honour I wys.
It dantis deth, and euery vice thorow mycht
With out vertu, fy on all erdly wycht.
¶ Vertu is eik the perfyte sikkyr way,
And not ellis, til honour lestand ay.
For mony hes sene vitious pepil vpheit
And eftir sone thair glory vanys away
Quhar of exemplis we se this euery day.
His erdly pompe is gone, quhen that he deyt
Than is he with no erdly frend suppleit
Sauand Vertu. wetllis him hes sic a fere.
Now wil I schaw (quod sche) quhat folk bene here,
¶ The strangest Sampson, is in to ȝone hald.
The forsy pys [...]and Hercules,
Exemplis of vertuus men & wo­men,
so bald.
The feirs A chill, and all the nobillis nyne.
Scipio, Affricane, Pompe [...]us the ald.
V [...]hir mony quhais namys afore are tald
With thousandis may than I may here diffine.
And lus [...]y ladyis amyd thay lordis syne.
Semiramis. Thamar▪ Ypolytha,
Pantyssale. Medus, Cenobia.
¶ Of thy regyon ȝondir bene honorit part.
The kyngis Gregor, Kened, and kyng Robert.
Wyth otheris mo that beis not here rehersyt.
Varyit (quod scho) ay be thy megyr hart.
Thow suld haue sene had thou biddin in ȝon art
Quhat wyse ȝone heuynly company conuersyt
Wa worth thy feby [...] brane sa sone wes persit.
Thow mycht haue sene remanand quhare thow was
A huge pepyl punyst for thair trespas,
Vicious people punyshed.
¶ Quhilkis be wilfull manyfest Arrogance
Inuyus pryde, pretendit Ignorance,
Inuye. Pryde,
[Page] Fowle dowbilnes, and dissate vnameudit,
[...]
Enforcis thaym thair seluyn til auauce
Be sle, falsheid, but lawte or constance
Wyth subtelnes and slychtys now commendit
Betraisand folk that neuir to them offendit,
And vpheis thaim self throw frawdful lippis
Thocht god cause oft thare erdly glore eclippis.
☜ And nobillis cumyn of honorabill ancestry.
[...] & craftynes a [...] haldy [...] wisdome now a dayes verite & iustice is [...]al [...]yt sim­plycitye & folyshnes.
Thair vertuus nobilite settis nocht by
For dishonest vnlefull warldly ways.
And throw corruppit couatus Inuy
Bot he that can be dowbill, nane is set by.
Dissate is wisdum, lawte, honour away is.
Rycht few or nane takis tent thair to thir days.
And thair gret wrangis till reforme but let
In Iudgement ȝone god wes ȝondir set
¶ Remanand ȝondir, thow mycht haue herd belyue
Pronouncit the gret sentence diffinytiue
Twichand this actioun and the dreidful pane
Execute on trespassouris ȝit on lyue.
Swa that thair malyce sall na mare prescryue.
Madame (quod I) for goddis saik turn agane.
My spreit desyris to se thair torment fane.
(Quod scho) richt now thare sall thow be reiosyt.
Quhen thow hes tane the ayr and bettir apposyt.
¶ Bot first thow sal considdir commoditeis
Of our gardyng, lo full of lusty trees,
All hie cypres of fle wer maist fragrant▪
Our ladyis ȝonder bissy as the beis
[Page] The swete florist colouris of rethoreis
Gaddris full fast mony grene tendir plant.
For with all plesance plenist is ȝone hant.
Quhare precious stanys on treis doyth abound
In sted of frute chargyt with peirlis round.
❧ On till that gudly garth thus we proceid
Quhilk with a large fowsy fare on breid
Inuenoryt wes, quhare fysches wer enew
All wattir foulis, wer swomandthair gud speid,
Als out of growand treis thair saw I breid,
Foulys that hyngand by thair nebbis grew
Out ouir thay stank of mony diuers hew
Wes laid a tre, ouir quhilk behouyt we pas
Bot I can not declare quhare of it wes,
¶ My Nymphe went ouir chargeand mefelow fast,
Hir till obbey my spretis wour agast,
Swa peralus wes the passagis till aspy.
Away sche went, and fra tyme sche wes past
Apon the bryg I entrit at the last.
Bot swa my harnys trymlyt bissyly
Quhyl I fell ouir and baith my fete slaid by.
Out ouir the hede in to the stank adoun
Quhare as methocht, I wes in point to droun
¶ Quhat throw the byrdis sang & this affry,
The [...] frome his dreame to him self agane.
Out of my swoun I wall [...]ynnyt quhare I lay▪
In the gardyn quhare I fyrst doun fell
About I blent for richt clere was the day.
Bot all thys lusty plesance wes away.
Me thocht that fare herbere maist lyk to hel.
[Page] In till compare of this ȝe herd me tell.
Allace, allace. I thocht me than in pane
And langyt sare for till haue swounyt agane.
¶ The byrdis sang, nor ȝit the mery flouris,
Mycht not ameys my greuows gret dolouris.
All erdly thyng me thocht barrant and vyle.
Thus I remanyt in to the garth twa houris
Cursand the feildis with all the fare coullouris.
That I awolk oft wariand the quhyle
Always my mynd wes on the lusty yle
In purpose euir till haue dwelt in that are
Of rethorik cullouris til haue fund sum parte.
¶ And maist of all my curage wes aggreui [...].
Becaus sa sone I of my dreme escheuyt
Nocht seand quhow thay wrechis wer torment
That honour mankyt aud honeste myscheuyt
Glaidly I wald amyd thys wryt haue breuyt
Had I it sene quhow thay wer slane orschent,
Bot fra I saw all thys weilfare wes went
Till mak ane end sittand vnder a tre
In laude hf honour I wrait thir versis thre.
¶ O hie honour swete heuynly flour degest,
Gem vertuus,
A ballade in the commendatiō of honour [...] vert [...].
maist precius, gudlyest
For hie renoun, thow art guerdoun condyng,
Of worschyp kend, the glorius end and rest,
But quhan in rycht▪ na worthy wicht, may lest,
Thy gret puissance, may maist auance all thyng.
And pouerale, to myche auale, sone bryng:
I the requyre, sen thow but pere▪ art best
[Page] That eftir this▪ in thy hie blys we ryng.
¶ Of grace, thy face, in euery place, so schynys
That swete, all spreit, baith heid and feit, inclynys.
Thy glore afore, for til implore, remeid.
He docht, rycht nocht, quhilk out of thocht, the tynis,
Thy name, but blame, and riall fame, dyuine is,
Thow port, at schort, of our comfort, and reid,
Tyll bryng▪ all thyng, tyll gladyng, eftir deid.
All wycht, but sycht, of thy gret mycht, ay crinis
O Schene, I mene, nane may sustene, thy feid.
¶ Hail rois, maist chois, til clois, thy foys, gret mycht
Hail stone, quhilk schone, apon the trone, of lycht.
Vertew, quhais trew, suet dew, ouerthrew, all vyce,
Was ay, ilk day, gar say, the way, of lycht.
Amend, offend, and send, our end, ay rycht,
Thow stant, ordant, as sant, of grant, maist wyse
Til be, supple, and the, hie gre, of pryce,
Delyte, the tite, me quyte, of syte, to dycht.
For I apply, schortly, to thy deuyse. &c.

¶ The auctor direkit his buke to the rycht nobill Prynce, Iames the ferd Kyng of Scottis.

[...]Ryumphus, Laud with Palm of victory
The Laurere crown of infynyte glory
Maist gracius prince, our souerane Iames the ferd
Thy maiesty, mo [...] haue eternally
Suppreme honour, renoun of cheualry,
[Page] Felycite perdurand in this erd.
With [...] blys in the heuyn by fatal werd▪
Resaue this rusty rurall rebaldry
Lakand cunnyng, fra thye puyr lege onlerd
¶ Quhylk in the sycht of thy magnificence
Confydand in so gret beneuolence
Proponis thus my wulgare Ignorance
Maist humely wyth dew obedyence
Besekand oft thy mychty excellence,
Be grace til pardon all sic variance,
With sum benyng respect of ferme constance.
Remyttand my pretendit negligence
Thow quhais mycht may humyll thyng auance▪
¶ Breif▪ burall quair, of eloquence all quyte
with russet weid, and sentence imperfyte
Til cum in plane, se that thow not pretend tha
Thy barrant termis, and thy vyle endyte
Sall not be min, I wyll not haue the wyte▪
For as for me I quyt [...]leme that I kend tha,
Thow art bot stouth, thyft louys lytht but lyte
Not worth a myte, pray ilk man till amend tha.
Fare on with syte, aud on this wyse I end tha. &c.
Finis.

¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Rose garland, by Wyllyam Coplande▪

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