The Dreme
The Epistil.
1
Rycht potent prince, of hie imperial blude,
Onto thy grace I traist it be weill knawin
My servyce done onto thy celsitude,
Quhilk nedis nocht at lenth for to be schawin.
And thocht my youthed now be neir over blawin,
Excerst in servyce of thyne excellence,
Hope hes me hecht ane gudlie recompence.
2
Quhen thow wes young, I bure the in myne arme
Full tenderlie, tyll thow begouth to gang
And in thy bed oft happit the full warme,
With lute in hand syne sweitlie to the sang.
Sumtyme in dansing, feiralie I flang,
And sumtyme playand fairsis on the flure,
And sumtyme on myne office takkand cure.
3
And sumtyme lyke ane feind transfegurate
And sumtyme lyke the greislie gaist of Gye,
In divers formis, oft tymes disfigurate,
And sumtyme dissagyist full plesandlye.
So, sen thy birth, I have continewalye
Bene occupyit, and aye to thy plesoure,
And sumtyme seware, coppare, and carvoure,
4
Thy purs maister and secreit thesaurare,
Thy ischare, aye sen thy natyvitie,
And of thy chalmer cheiffe cubiculare,
Quhilk, to this houre, hes keipit my lawtie.
Lovying be to the blyssit Trynitie
That sic ane wracheit worme hes maid so habyll
Tyll sic ane prince to be so aggreabill!
5
Bot now thou arte, be influence naturall,
Hie of ingyne and rycht inquisityve
Of antique storeis and dedis marciall.
More plesandlie the tyme for tyll overdryve
I have, at lenth, the storeis done discryve
Of Hectour, Arthour, and gentyll Julyus,
Of Alexander, and worthy Pompeyus,
6
Of Jasone and Media, all at lenth;
Of Hercules, the actis honorabyll,
And of Sampsone, the supernaturall strenth,
And of leill luffaris, storeis amiabyll.
And oft tymes have I fenyeit mony fabyll
Of Troylus, the sorrow and the joye,
And seigis all — of Tyir, Thebes, and Troye;
7
The Prophiseis of Rymour, Beid, and Marlyng
And of mony uther plesand storye
Of the Reid Etin, and the Gyir Carlyng,
Confortand the quhen that I sawe the sorye.
Now, with the supporte of the king of glorye,
I sall the schaw ane storye of the new,
The quhilk affore I never to the schew.
8
Bot humilie I beseik thyne excellence,
With ornate termes thocht I can nocht expres
This sempyll mater for laik of eloquence,
Yit nocht withstandyng all my besynes,
With hart and hand my mynd I sall adres
As I best can and moste compendious.
Now I begyn. The mater hapnit thus.
The Prolong
9
In to the calendis of Januarie,
Quhen fresche Phebus, be movyng circulair,
Frome Capricorne wes enterit in Aquarie,
With blastis that the branchis maid full bair.
The snaw and sleit perturbit all the air
And flemit Flora frome every bank and bus
Throuch supporte of the austeir Eolus.
10
Efter that I the lang wynteris nycht
Hade lyne walking in to my bed allone,
Throuch hevy thocht that no way sleip I mycht,
Remembryng of divers thyngis gone,
So up I rose and clethit me anone.
Be this, fair Tytane with his lemis lycht
Over all the land had spred his baner brycht.
11
With cloke and hude I dressit me belyve,
With dowbyll schone and myttanis on my handis.
Howbeit the air wes rycht penitratyve,
Yit fure I furth, lansing ovirthorte the landis
Towarte the see, to schorte me on the sandis,
Because unblomit was baith bank and braye.
And so as I was passing be the waye
12
I met dame Flora, in dule weid dissagysit,
Quhilk in to May wes dulce and delectabyll,
With stalwart stromes hir sweitnes wes surprisit.
Hir hevynlie hewis war turnit in to sabyll,
Quhilkis umquhyle war to luffaris amiabyll.
Fled frome the froste, the tender flouris I saw
Under dame Naturis mantyll, lurking law.
13
The small fowlis in flokkis saw I flee
To Nature, makand gret lamentatioun.
Thay lychtit doun besyde me on ane tree
(Of thare complaynt I hade compassioun),
And, with ane pieteous exclamatioun,
Thay said, " Blyssit be somer with his flouris
And waryit be thow wynter with thy schouris!"
14
" Allace, Aurora!" the syllie larke can crye,
" Quhare hes thow left thy balmy lyquour sweit
That us rejosit, we mountyng in the skye?
Thy sylver droppis ar turnit in to sleit.
O fair Phebus, quhare is thy hoilsum heit?
Quhy tholis thou thy hevinlie plesand face
With mystie vapouris to be obscurit, allace?
15
Quhar art thou May, with June, thy syster schene,
Weill bordourit with dasyis of delyte?
And gentyll Julet, with thy mantyll grene,
Enamilit with rosis, reid and quhyte?
Now auld and cauld Janeuar, in dispyte,
Reiffis frome us all pastyme and plesoure.
Allace! Quhat gentyll hart may this indure?
16
Oversylit ar, with cloudis odious,
The goldin skyis of the Orient,
Cheangeyng in sorrow our sang melodious,
Quhilk we had wount to sing with gude intent,
Resoundand to the hevinnis firmament.
Bot now our daye is cheangit in to nycht."
With that thay rais and flew furth of my sycht.
17
Pensyve in hart, passing full soberlie
Onto the see, fordwart I fure anone.
The see was furth, the sand wes smoith and drye.
Than up and doun I musit myne alone
Tyll that I spyit ane lytill cave of stone,
Heych in ane craig. Upwart I did approche
But tarying, and clam up in the roche,
18
And purposit, for passing of the tyme,
Me to defende frome ociositie,
With pen and paper to regester in ryme
Sum mery mater of antiquitie.
Bot idelnes, ground of iniquitie,
Scho maid so dull my spretis me within
That I wyste nocht at quhat end to begin,
19
Bot satt styll in that cove, quhare I mycht se
The woltryng of the wallis, up and doun,
And this fals wardlis instabilytie
Unto that sey makkand comparisoun,
And of the wardlis wracheit variasoun
To thame that fixis all thare hole intent,
Considdryng quho moste had suld moste repent.
20
So with my hude my hede I happit warme,
And in my cloke I fauldit boith my feit.
I thocht my corps with cauld suld tak no harme:
My mittanis held my handis weill in heit,
The skowland craig me coverit frome the sleit.
Thare styll I satt, my bonis for to rest,
Tyll Morpheus with sleip my spreit opprest.
21
So throw the boustious blastis of Eolus
And throw my walkyng on the nycht before,
And throuch the seis movying marvellous
Be Neptunus, with mony route and rore,
Constranit I was to sleip withouttin more.
And quhat I dremit, in conclusioun,
I sall yow tell ane marvellous visioun.
Finis.
Heir endis the Prolong.
And followis the Dreme.
22
Me thocht ane lady, of portratour perfyte,
Did salus me with benyng contynance.
And I, quhilk of hir presens had delyte,
Tyl hir agane maid humyl reverence
And hir demandit, savyng hir plesance,
Quhat wes hir name? Scho answerit courtesly,
" Dame Remembrance", scho said, " callit am I,
23
Quhilk cummyng is for pastyme and plesoure
Of the, and for to beir the companye,
Because I se thy spreit, withoute mesoure,
So sore perturbit be malancolye,
Causyng thy corps to waxin cauld and drye.
Tharefor get up, and gang anone with me."
So war we boith, in twynkling of ane, ee,
24
Doun throw the eird, in myddis of the centeir,
Or ever I wyste, in to the lawest hell.
In to that cairfull cove, quhen we did enter,
Yowtyng and yowlyng we hard, with mony yell.
In flame of fyre, rycht furious and fell,
Was cryand mony cairfull creature,
Blasphemand God, and waryand Nature.
25
Thare sawe we divers papis and empriouris,
Withoute recover, mony cairfull kyngis;
Thare sawe we mony wrangous conquerouris
Withouttin rycht, reiffaris of utheris ryngis.
The men of kirk lay boundin in to byngis:
Thare saw we mony cairfull cardinall,
And archebischopis in thare pontificall,
26
Proude and perverst prelattis out of nummer,
Priouris, abbottis, and fals flattrand freris.
To specifye thame all it wer ane cummer:
Regulare channonis, churle monkis, and Chartereris,
Curious clerkis and preistis seculeris.
Thare was sum part of ilk religioun
In haly kirk quhilk did abusioun.
27
Than I demandit dame Remembrance
The cause of thir prelattis punysioun.
Scho said, " The cause of thare unhappy chance
Was covatyce, luste, and ambitioun,
The quhilk now garris thame want fruitioun
Of God and heir eternallie man dwell
In to this painefull, poysonit pytt of hell.
28
Als, thay did nocht instruct the ignorent,
Provocand thame to pennence, be precheing,
Bot servit wardlie prencis insolent
And war promovit be thare fenyeit flecheing,
Nocht for thare science, wysedome nor techeing.
Be symonie was thare promotioun,
More for deneris nor for devotioun.
29
And uther cause of the punysioun
Of thir unhappy prelattis imprudent:
Thay maid nocht equale distributioun
Of haly kirk, the patrimonie and rent,
Bot temporallie thay have it all mispent
Quhilkis suld have bene trypartit in to thre.
First, to uphauld the kirk in honestie;
30
The secunde part, to sustene thare aistatis;
The thrid part, to be gevin to the puris.
Bot thay dispone that geir all uther gaittis —
On cartis and dyce, on harllotrie and huris.
Thir catyvis tuke no compt of thair awin curis,
Thare kirkis rewin, thare ladyis clenely cled
And rychelye rewlit, boith at burde and bed.
31
Thare bastarde barnis proudely thay provydit,
The kirk geir larglye thay did on thame spende.
In thare difaltis thare subdetis wer misgydit
And comptit nocht thare God for tyll offend,
Quhilk gart tham want grace at thair letter end."
Rewland that rowte, I sawe, in capis of bras,
Symone Magus and byschope Cayphas,
32
Byschope Annas and the tratour Judas,
Machomete, that propheit poysonabyll;
Choro, Dathan and Abirone thare was,
Heretykis we sawe unnumerabyll.
It wes ane sycht rycht wounderous lamentabyl
Quhow that thay lay in to tha flammis fletyng,
With cairfull cryis, girnyng and greityng.
33
Religious men wer punyste panefullie
For vaine glore, als for inobedience,
Brekand thare constitutionis wylfullie,
Nocht haiffand thare overmen in reverence.
To knaw thare Rewle thay maid no delygence;
Unleifsumlie thay usit propertie,
Passing the boundis of wylfull povertie.
34
Full sore wepyng, with vocis lamentabyll,
Thay cryit lowde, " O Empriour Constantyne,
We may wyit thy possessioun poysonabyll
Of all our gret punysioun and pyne!
Quhowbeit thy purpose was tyll ane gude fyne,
Thow baneist frome us trew devotioun,
Haiffand sic ee tyll our promotioun."
35
Than we beheld ane den full dolorous,
Quhare that prencis and lordis temporall,
War cruciate with panis regorous.
Bot to expreme thare panis in speciall,
It dois exceid all my memoriall;
Importabyll paine thay had, but confortyng,
Thare blude royall maid thame no supportyng.
36
Sum catyve kyngis, for creuell oppressioun,
And uther sum, for thare wrangus conquest,
War condampnit, thay and thare successioun.
Sum for publict adultrye, and incest;
Sum leit thare peple never leif in rest,
Delyting so in plesour sensuall.
Quharefor thare paine was thare perpetuall.
37
Thare was the cursit Empriour Nero,
Of everilk vice the horrabyll veschell.
Thare was Pharo, with divers prencis mo,
Oppressouris of the barnis of Israell;
Herode and mony mo than I can tell.
Ponce Pylat was thare, hangit be the hals,
With unjuste jugis, for thare sentence fals.
38
Dukis, merquessis, erlis, barronis, knychtis,
With thay prencis, wer punyst panefullie,
Partycipant thay wer of thare unrychtis.
Fordwarte we went and leit thir lordis lye
And sawe quhare ladyis, lamentabyllie,
Lyke wod lyonis, cairfullie cryand,
In flam of fyre rycht furiouslie fryand.
39
Emprices, quenis, and ladyis of honouris,
Mony duches and comptas full of cair;
Thay peirsit myne hart, thay tender creaturis
So pynit in that pytt, full of dispare,
Plungit in paine, with mony reuthfull rair;
Sum for thare pryde, sum for adultrye,
Sum for thare tyisting men to lechorye;
40
Sum had bene creuell and malicius,
Sum for making of wrangous heretouris;
For to rehers thare lyffis vitious
It wer bot tarye to the auditouris.
Of lychorye thay wer the verray luris,
With thare provocatyve impudicitie
Brocht mony ane man to infelicitie.
41
Sum wemen, for thare pussillamytie,
Overset with schame, thay did thame never schryve
Of secreit synnis done in quietie.
And sum repentit never in thare lyve,
Quhairfor, but reuth tha ruffeis did thame ryve
Regoruslie, withoute compassioun.
Gret was thare dule and lamentatioun.
42
" That we wer maid!" thay cryit oft, " Allace!
Thus tormentit with panis intollerabyll!
We mendit nocht, quhen we had tyme and space,
Bot tuke in eird our lustis delectabyll.
Quharfor with feindis, ugly and horrabyll,
We ar condampnit for ever more, allace,
Eternalie withouttin hope of grace.
43
Quhare is the meit and drynke delicious
With quhilk we fed our cairfull cariounis?
Gold, sylver, sylk, with peirlis precious,
Our ryches, rentis and our possessionis?
Withouttin hope of our remissionis,
Allace! Our panis ar insufferabyll
And our tormentis to compt innumirabyll!"
44
Than we beheld quhare mony ane thousand
Comoun peple laye flichtrand in the fyre.
Of everilk stait thare was ane bailfull band.
Thare mycht be sene mony sorrowfull syre,
Sum for invy sufferit, and sum for yre,
And sum for laik of restitutioun
Of wrangous geir, without remissioun.
45
Mansworne merchandis for thar wrangus winning,
Hurdaris of gold and commoun occararis,
Fals men of law in cautelis rycht cunning,
Theiffis, revaris, and publict oppressaris,
Sum part thair was of unleill lauboraris;
Craftismen thair saw we, out of nummer.
Of ilke stait to declare it wer ane cummer.
46
And als, langsum to me for tyll indyte
Of this presoun the panis in speciall
(The heit, the calde, the dolour, and dispyte),
Quharefor I speik of thame in generall.
That dully den, that furneis infernall,
Quhose reward is rew without remede,
Ever deyand and never to be dede;
47
Hounger and thrist in steid of meit and drynk,
And for thare clethyng, tadis and scorpionis!
That myrke mansioun is tapessit with stynk;
Thay se bot horrabyll visionis,
Thay heir bot scorne and derysionis
Of foule feindis and blasphemationis;
Thare feillyng is importabyll passionis;
48
For melody, miserabyll murnyng.
Thare is na solace, bot dolour infinyte
In bailfull beddis, bitterlye burnyng,
With sobbyng, syching, sorrow, and with syte.
Thare conscience thare hartis so did byte,
To heir thame flyte it was ane cace of cair,
So in dispyte, plungeit in to dispair.
49
A lytill above that dolorous doungeoun
We enterit in ane countre full of cair,
Quhare that we saw mony ane legioun
Greitand and gowland, with mony reuthful rair.
" Quhat place is this", quod I, " of blys so bair?"
Scho answerit and said, " Purgatorye,
Quhilk purgis saulis or thay cum to glorye."
50
" I se no plesour heir, bot mekle paine;
Quharefor", said I, " leif we this sorte in thrall;
I purpose never to cum heir agane.
Bot yit I do beleve and ever sall,
That the trew kirk can no waye erre at all.
Sic thyng to be, gret clerkis dois conclude,
Quhowbeit my hope standis most in Cristis blud."
51
Abufe that, in the thrid presoun, anone
We enterit in ane place of perditione,
Quhare mony babbis war makand drery mone
Because thay wantit the fruitioun
Of God, quhilk was ane gret punytioun.
Of baptisme thay wantit the ansenye.
Upwart we went and left that myrthles menye,
52
In tyll ane volt, abone that place of paine,
Unto the quhilk, but sudgeorne, we ascendit.
That was the Lymbe, in the quhilk did remaine
Our forefatheris, because Adam offendit,
Etand the fruit the quhilk was defendit.
Mony ane yeir thay dwelt in that doungeoun,
In myrknes and in desolatioun.
53
Than throuch the erth, of nature cauld and dry,
Glaid to eschaip those places parrelous,
We haistit us rycht wounder spedalye.
Yit we beheld the secretis marvellous,
The mynis of gold, and stonis precious,
Of sylver, and of everilk fyne mettell,
Quhilk to declare it wer over lang to dwell.
54
Up throuch the walter, schortlie we intendit,
Quhilk invirons the erth, withouttin doute;
Syne throw the air, schortlie we ascendit
His regionis throuch, behaldyng in and out,
Quhilk erth and walter closis round aboute;
Syne schortlie upwarte, throw the fyre we went,
Quhilk wes the hiest and hotest eliment.
55
Quhen we had all thir elimentis over past,
That is to saye, erth, walter, air and fyre,
Upwart we went, withouttin ony rest,
To se the hevynnis was our maist desyre;
Bot or we mycht wyn to the hevin impyre,
We behuffit to passe the way, full evin,
Up throuch the speris of the planetis sevin.
56
First to the Mone, and vesyit all hir speir,
Quene of the see and bewtie of the nycht;
Of nature, wak and cauld and no thyng clere,
For of hir self scho hes none uther lycht
Bot the reflex of Phebus bemes brycht.
The twelf singnis scho passis rounde aboute
In aucht and twenty dayis, withouttin dout.
57
Than we ascendit to Mercurious,
Quhilk poetis callis god of eloquence;
Rycht doctourlyke, with termes delicious,
In arte exparte and full of sapience.
It wes plesour to pans on his prudence.
Payntours, poetis, ar subject to his cure,
And hote and dry he is, of his nature.
58
And als, as cunnyng astrologis sayis,
He dois compleit his cours naturallie,
In thre houndreth and aucht and thretty dayis.
Syne upwart we ascendit haistelye
To fair Venus, quhare scho rycht lustelie
Was set in to ane sett of sylver schene;
That fresche goddes, that lustie luffis quene.
59
Thay peirsit myne hart, hir blenkis amorous.
Quhowbeit that sumtyme scho is chengeabyll,
With countynance and cheir full dolorous,
Quhylummis rycht plesand, glaid and delectabyll;
Sumtyme constant, and sumtyme variabyll,
Yit hir bewtie, resplendand as the fyre,
Swagis the wraith of Mars, that god of yre.
60
This plesand planeit, geve I can rycht discrive,
Scho is baith hote and wak, of hir nature.
That is the cause scho is provocatyve
Tyll all thame that ar subject to hir cure,
To Venus werkis tyll that thay may indure.
Als, scho completis hir coursis naturall
In twelf monethis, withouttin ony fall.
61
Than past we to the speir of Phebus brycht,
That lusty lampe and lanterne of the hevin
And glader of the sterris, with his lycht,
And principall of all the planetis sevin;
And satt in myddis of thame all, full evin,
As roye royall, rollyng in his speir
Full plesandlie, in to his goldin cheir,
62
Quhose influence and vertew excellent
Gevis the lyfe tyll everilk erthlie thyng.
That prince, of everilk planeit precellent,
Dois foster flouris and garris heirbis spryng
Throuch the cauld eirth, and causis birdis syng.
And als, his regulare movyng in the hevin
Is juste, under the zodiack full evin.
63
For to discryve his diadame royall,
Bordourit aboute with stonis schyning brycht,
His goldin cairt, or throne imperiall,
The foure stedis that drawis it full rycht,
I leif to poetis because I have no slycht.
Bot of his nature he is hote and drye,
Completand in ane yeir his cours trewlie.
64
Than up to Mars, in hye, we haistit us,
Wounder hote and dryer than the tunder;
His face flamand, as fyre rycht furious,
His bost and brag more aufull than the thunder,
Maid all the hevin most lyk to schaik in schonder.
Quha wald behauld his countynance and feir
Mycht call hym, weill, the god of men of weir.
65
With colour reid and luke malicious,
Rycht colerick of his complexioun;
Austeir, angrye, sweir, and seditious,
Principall cause of the distructioun
Of mony gude and nobyll regioun.
War nocht Venus his yre dois metigate,
This warld, of peace, wald be full desolate.
66
This god of greif, withouttin sudgeornyng,
In yeris twa his cours he doith compleit.
Than past we up quhare Jupiter, the kyng,
Satt in his speir, rycht amiabyll and sweit.
Complexionate with waknes and with heit,
That plesand prince, fair, dulce and delicate,
Provokis peace and banesis debait.
67
The auld poetis, be superstitioun,
Held Jupiter the father principall
Of all thare goddes, in conclusioun,
For his prerogatyvis in speciall,
Als be his vertew in to generall.
To auld Saturne he makis resistance
Quhen, in his malice, he walde wyrk vengeance.
68
This Jupiter, withouttin sudgeornyng,
Passis throw all the twelf planetis, full evin,
In yeris twelf. And than, but tarying,
We past unto the hiest of the sevin,
Tyll Saturnus, quhilk trublis all the hevin.
With hevy cheir and cullour paill as leid,
In hym we sawe bot dolour to the deid;
69
And cauld and dry he is, of his nature.
Foule lyke ane oule, of evyll conditioun,
Rycht unplesand he is of portrature.
His intoxicat dispositioun,
It puttis all thyng to perditioun.
Ground of seiknes and malancolious,
Perverst and pure, baith fals and invyous,
70
His qualite I can nocht love, bot lack.
As for his movying naturallie, but weir,
About the singis of the zodiack,
He dois compleit his cours in thretty yeir.
And so we left hym in his frosty speir.
Upwarte we did ascend incontinent,
But rest, tyll we come to the firmament,
71
The quhilk was fixit full of sterris brycht,
Of figour round, rycht plesand and perfyte,
Quhose influence and rycht excellent lycht
And quhose nummer may nocht be put in wryte.
Yit cunnyng clerkis dois naturallye indyte
How that he dois compleit his cours, but weir,
In space of sevin and thretty thousand yeir.
72
Than the nynt speir and movare principall
Of all the laif we vesyit; all that hevin
Quhose daylie motioun is contyneuall,
Baith firmament and all the planetis sevin,
From est to west, garris thame torne full evin
In to the space of four and twenty houris.
Yit, be the myndis of the austronomouris,
73
The sevin planetis, in to thare proper speris,
Frome west to est thay move naturallie;
Sum swyft, sum slaw, as to thare kynde afferis,
As I have schawin afore, speciallie,
Quhose motioun causis contynewallie
Rycht melodious harmonie and sound,
And all throw movying of those planetis round.
74
Than montit we, with rycht fervent desyre,
Upthrow the hevin callit christallyne,
And so we enterit in the hevin impyre,
Quhilk to discryve, it passis myne ingyne,
Quhare God in to his holy throne devyne
Ryngis in to his glore inestimabyll,
With angellis cleir, quhilkis ar innumirabyll.
75
In ordouris nyne thir spretis glorious
Ar devydit, the quhilkis excellentlye
Makis lovying with sound melodious,
Syngand " Sanctus!" rycht wounder ferventlye.
Thir ordouris nyne thay ar full plesandlye
Devydit in to ierarcheis three,
And thre ordouris in everilk ierarche.
76
The lawest ordoure ar of angelis brycht,
As messingeris send unto this law regioun;
The secund ordour, archangelis full of mycht;
Virtus, potestatis, principatis of renoun;
The saxt is callit dominatioun;
The sevint, thronus; the auchtin, cherubin;
The nynt and heast callit seraphin.
77
And nyxt, on to the blyssit Trynitie,
In his tryumphant throne imperiall,
Thre in tyll one and one substance in thre,
Quhose indivisabyll essens eternall
The rude ingyne of mankynd is to small
Tyll comprehend; quhose power infinyte
And devyne nature no creature can wryte;
78
So myne ingyne is nocht suffecient
For to treit of his heych devinitie.
All mortal men ar insufficient
Tyll considder thay thre, in unitie;
Sic subtell mater I man on neid lat be;
To study on my Creid it war full fair,
And lat doctouris of sic hie materis declare.
79
Than we beheld the blyste humanitie
Of Christe, sittand in to his sege royall,
At the rycht hand of the devynitie,
With ane excelland courte celestiall,
Quhose exersitioun, contynewall,
Was in lovyng thair prince with reverence,
And on this wyse thay kepit ordinance.
80
Nyxt to the throne, we saw the Quene of quenis,
Weill cumpanyit with ladyis of delyte.
Sweit was the sang of those blyssit virginnis:
No mortall man thare solace may indyte.
The angellis brycht, in nummer infinyte,
Everilk ordour in thare awin degre,
War officiaris unto the deite;
81
Patriarkis and prophetis honorabyll,
Collaterall counsalouris in his consistorye;
Evangellistis, apostolis venerabyll,
War capitanis on to the kyng of glorye,
Quhilk, chiftane lyke, had woun the victorye.
Of that tryumphand courte celestiall
Sanct Peter was lufetenand generall.
82
The martyris war as nobyll stalwart knychtis,
Discomfatouris of creuell batellis thre
(The flesche, the warld, the feind and all his mychtis),
Confessouris, doctouris in divinitie,
As chapell clerkis on to his deite.
And last we sawe infinyte multytude
Makand servyce unto his celsitude,
83
Quhilkis be the hie devyne permissioun,
Filicitie thay had invariabyll,
And of his Godhed cleir cognitioun,
And compleit peace thay had, interminabyll;
Thare glore and honour was inseparabyll.
That plesand place, repleit of pulchritude,
Innumirabyll it was of magnitude.
84
Thare is plentie, of all plesouris perfyte:
Evident brychtnes but obscuritie,
Withouttin dolour, dulcore and delyte,
Withouttin rancour, perfyte cheritie;
Withouttin hunger, sasiabilitie.
O happy ar those saulis predestinate
Quhen saule and body sall be glorificate!
85
Thir marvellous myrthis for to declare
Be arithmetik, thay ar innumirabyll;
The portratour of that palice preclare
By geomatre, it is inmesurabyl;
By rethorike, als inpronunciabyll.
Thare is none eiris may heir, nor eine may se,
Nor hart may thynk thare greit felycitie.
86
Quhare to sulde I presume for tyll indyte
The quhilk Sanct Paule, that doctour sapient,
Can nocht expres, nor in to paper wryte?
The hie excelland worke indeficient,
And perfyte plesoure, ever parmanent,
In presens of that mychtie kyng of glore
Quhilk was and is and sall be ever more.
87
At Remembrance humilye I did inquyre
Geve I mycht in that plesour styll remane.
Scho said, " Aganis reasoun is thy desyre;
Quharefor, my freind, thow mon returne agane,
And for thy synnis, be pennance, suffer paine,
And thole the dede with creuell panis sore,
Or thow be ding to ryng with hym in glore."
88
Than we returnit, sore aganis my wyll,
Doun throw the speris of the hevinnis cleir,
Hir commandiment behuffit I fulfyll.
With sorye hart, wyt ye, withouttin weir,
I wald full faine haif taryit thare all yeir.
Bot scho said to me, " Thare is no remede.
Or thow remane heir, first thow mon be dede."
89
Quod I, " I pray yow hartfullye, madame,
Sen we have had sic contemplatioun
Of hevinlye plesouris, yit, or we passe hame,
Lat us have sum consideratioun
Of eirth, and of his situatioun."
Scho answerit and said, " That sall be done."
So wer we boith brocht in the air full sone,
90
Quhare we mycht se the erth all at one sycht,
Bot lyke one moit, as it apperit to me,
In to the respect of the hevinnis brycht.
" I have marvell", quod I, " quhow this may be?
The eirth semis of so small quantitie.
The leist sterne fixit in the firmament
Is more than all the eirth, be my jugment."
The quantite of the Erth.
91
Scho sayis, " Sonne, thow hes schawin the veritie.
The smallest sterne fixit in the firmament
In deid it is of greter quantytie
Than all the eirth, efter the intent
Of wyse and cunnyng clerkis sapient."
" Quhat quantytie is than the eirth?" quod Ie.
" That sall I schaw", quod scho, " to the schortlie,
92
Efter the myndis of the austronimouris
And, speciallie, the auctour of the Speir ,
And uther divers gret phelosiphouris.
The quantytie of the erth circuleir
Is fyftie thousand liggis, withouttin weir,
Sevin houndreth and fyftie and no mo.
Devidyng aye ane lig in mylis two,
93
And everilk myle in aucht stagis devyde,
Ilk staige ane hundrith pais, twenty and fyve,
Ane pais, fyve fute, quha wald than rycht desyde;
Ane fute, four palmes, geve I can rycht discryve;
Ane palme, four inche, and quha sa wald belyve,
The circuit of the eirth, passe round aboute,
Man be considderit on this wyse, but doute.
94
Suppone that thare war none impediment
Bot that the eirth but perrell wer, and plane,
Syne, that the persoun wer rycht deligent
And yeid ilk day ten liggis in certane,
He mycht pas round aboute and cum agane
In four yeris saxtene oulkis and dayis two.
Go reid the auctour and thow sall fynd it so."
Finis.
The devisioun of the Eirth.
95
Then certanlye scho tuke me be the hand
And said, " My sone, cum on thy wayis with me."
And so scho gart me cleirly understand
How that the eirth trypartit wes, in thre,
In Affrik, Europe, and Assie,
Efter the myndis of the cosmographouris,
That is to say, the wardlis discriptouris.
96
First, Asia contenis in the Orient
And is weill more than baith the uther twane;
Affrik and Europe, in the Occident,
And ar devydit be ane sey certane,
And that is callit the see Mediterane
Quhilk, at the strait of Marrok, hes entre,
That is betwix Spanye and Barbarie.
97
Towart the southwest lyis Affrica
And in the northwest, Europa doith stand
And all the est contenis Asia.
On this wyse is devydit the ferme land.
It war mekle to me to tak on hand
Thir regionis to declare in speciall,
Yit sall I schaw thare names in generall.
98
In mony divers famous regionis
Is devydit this part of Asia,
Weill planesit with cieteis, towris, and townis:
The gret Ynde and Mesopotamia,
Penthapolis, Egypt, and Seria,
Capadocia, Seres, and Armenye,
Babilone, Caldia, Perth, and Arabye;
99
Sedone, Judea, and Palestina,
Ever Sethea, Tyir, and Galelie,
Hiberia, Bactria, and Phelestina,
Hircanea, Compagena, and Samarie.
In lytill Asia standis Galathie,
Pamphilia, Isaria, and Leid,
Regia, Arathusa, Assiria, and Meid.
100
Secundlie we considderit Africa,
With mony fructfull famous regioun,
As Ethiope, and Tripolitana;
Zeuges, quhare standis the tryumphant toun
Of nobyll Cartage, that ciete of renoun;
Garamantes, Nadabar, Libia,
Getulia, and Maritania,
101
Futhensis, Numedie, and Thingetane,
Of Affrick thir ar the principall.
Than Europe we considderit, in certane,
Quhose regionis schortlie rehers I sall.
Foure principallis I fynd abone thame all,
Quhilkis ar Spanye, Italie, and France,
Quhose subregionis wer mekle tyll avance:
102
Nether Scithia, Trace, and Garmanie,
Thusia, Histria, and Panonia,
Denmark, Gotland, Grunland, and Almanie,
Pole, Hungarie, Boeme, Norica, Rethia,
Teutonia, and mony divers ma;
And was in foure devidit Italie:
Tuskane, Ethuria, Naiplis, and Champanye,
103
And subdevydit sindry uther wayis,
As Lumbardie, Veneis, and uther ma,
Calaber, Romanie, and Janewayis.
In Grece, Eperus, and Dalmatica,
Tessalie, Athica, and Illeria,
Achaya, Boetia, and Macedone,
Archadie, Pierie, and Lacedone.
104
And France we sawe, devydit in to thre:
Belgica, Rethia, and Aquitane,
And subdevydit in Flanderis, Picardie,
Normandie, Gasconye, Burguinye, and Bretane,
And utheris divers Duchereis, in certane,
The quhilks wer to lang for to declare;
Quharefor, of thame as now I speik na mare.
105
In Spanye lyis Castelye and Arrogone,
Naverne, Galice, Portingall, and Garnat.
Than sawe we famous ylis, mony one,
Quhilks in the occiane sey was situate.
Thame to discryve my wyt wes desolate;
Of cosmographie I am nocht exparte,
For I did never study in that arte.
106
Yit I sall sum of thare names declare,
As Madagascar, Gardes, and Taprobane,
And utheris divers ylis, gude and fair,
Situate in to the sey Mediterrane,
As Syper, Candie, Corsica, and Sardane,
Crete, Abidos, Thoes, Cecilia,
Tapsone, Eolie, and mony uther ma.
107
Quho wald at lenth heir the discriptioun
Of everilk yle als weill as the ferme land,
And properteis of everilk regioun,
To study and to reid, man tak on hand,
And the attentike werkis understand,
Of Plenius and worthy Tholomie,
Quhilks war exparte in to cosmographie.
108
Thare sall thay fynd the names and properteis
Of every yle, and of ilke regioun.
Than I inquirit of eirthly Paradyce,
Of the quhilk Adam tynt possessioun.
Than schew scho me the situatioun
Of that precelland place, full of delyte,
Quhose properteis wer lang for to indyte.
Of Paradice.
109
This Paradyce, of all plesouris repleit,
Situate I saw in to the Orient.
That glorius gairth of every flouris did fleit:
The lusty lillyis, the rosis redolent,
Fresche holesum fructis, indeficient;
Baith herbe and tree thare growis ever grene,
Throw vertew of the temperat air serene.
110
The sweit, hailsum, arromatyke odouris
Proceidyng frome the herbis medicinall,
The hevinlie hewis of the fragrant flouris;
It was ane sycht wounder celestiall.
The perfectioun to schaw in speciall,
And joyis of that regioun devyne,
Of mankynd it exceidis the ingyne.
111
And als, so hie in situatioun,
Surmountyng the myd regioun of the air,
Quhare no maner of perturbatioun
Of wodder may ascend so hie as thair,
Four fludis flowyng frome ane fontane fair,
As Tygris, Ganges, Euphrates, and Nyle,
Quhilk, in the est, transcurris mony ane myle.
112
The countre closit is aboute, full rycht,
With wallis hie of hote and birnyng fyre,
And straitly kepit be ane angell brycht,
Sen the departyng of Adam, our grandschyre,
Quhilk throw his cryme incurrit Goddis yre,
And of that place tynte the possessioun,
Baith frome hym self, and his successioun.
113
Quhen this lufesum lady Remembrance
All this foresaid had gart me understand,
I prayit hir of hir benevolence,
To schaw to me the countre of Scotland.
" Weill, sonne," scho said, " that sall I tak on hand."
So suddanlie scho brocht me, in certane,
Evin juste abone the braid yle of Bertane,
114
Quhilk standis northwest in the occiane see
And devydit in famous regionis two:
The south part, Ingland, ane full ryche countre;
Scotland, be north, with mony ylis mo;
Be west Ingland, Yriland doith stand also,
Quhose properteis I wyll nocht tak on hand
To schaw at lenth, bot only of Scotland.
Of the realme of Scotland.
115
Quhilk, efter my sempyll intandiment,
And as Remembrance did to me report,
I sall declare the suith and verrayment
As I best can, and in to termes schort.
Quharfor effecteouslie I yow exhorte,
Quhowbeit my wrytting be nocht tyll avance,
Yit, quhare I faill, excuse myne ignorance.
116
Quhen that I had oversene this regioun,
The quhilk of nature is boith gude and fair,
I did propone ane lytill questioun,
Beseikand hir the sam for to declare,
" Quhat is the cause our boundis bene so bair?"
Quod I, " Or quhate dois mufe our misere?
Or quhareof dois proceid our povertie?
117
For, throw the supporte of your hie prudence,
Of Scotland I persave the properteis,
And als considderis, be experience,
Of this countre the gret commoditeis.
First, the haboundance of fyschis in our seis,
And fructuall montanis for our bestiall,
And for our cornis, mony lusty vaill.
118
The ryche ryveris, plesand and proffitabyll;
The lustie loochis, with fysche of sindry kyndis;
Hountyng, halkyng, for nobyllis convenabyil,
Forrestis full of da, ra, hartis, and hyndis.
The fresche fontanis, quhose holesum cristel strandis
Refreschis so the fair flureist grene medis,
So laik we no thyng that to nature nedis.
119
Of every mettell we have the ryche mynis,
Baith gold, sylver, and stonis precious;
Howbeit we want the spyces and the wynis,
Or uther strange fructis delycious,
We have als gude, and more neidfull for us:
Meit, drynk, fyre, clathis, thar mycht be gart abound,
Quhilkis ellis is nocht in al the mapamound;
120
More fairer peple, nor of gretar ingyne,
Nor of more strenth, gret dedis tyll indure.
Quharefor, I pray yow that ye wald defyne
The principall cause quharefor we ar so pure,
For I marvell gretlie, I yow assure,
Considderand the peple and the ground,
That ryches suld nocht in this realme redound."
121
" My sonne," scho said, " be my discretioun,
I sall mak answeir, as I understand.
I say to the, under confessioun,
The falt is nocht, I dar weill tak on hand,
Nother in to the peple nor the land.
As for the land, it lakis na uther thing,
Bot laubour and the pepyllis governyng."
122
" Than quharein lyis our inprosperitie?"
Quod I, " I pray yow hartfullie, madame,
Ye wald declare to me the veritie,
Or quho sall beir of our barrat the blame?
For be my treuth, to se I thynk gret schame,
So plesand peple, and so fair ane land,
And so few verteous dedis tane on hand."
123
Quod scho, " I sall efter my jugement,
Declare sum causis in to generall,
And in to termes schorte, schaw myne intent,
And syne transcend more in to speciall.
So this is myne conclusioun fynall:
Wantyng of justice, polycie, and peace,
Ar cause of thir unhappynes, allace!
124
It is deficill ryches tyll incres
Quhare polycie makith no residence,
And policey may never have entres
Bot quhare that justice dois delygence
To puneis quhare thare may be found offence.
Justice may nocht have dominatioun
Bot quhare peace makis habitatioun."
125
" Quhat is the cause, that wald I understand,
That we sulde want justice and polycie
More than dois France, Italie, or Ingland?
Madame," quod I, " schaw me the veritie.
Sen we have lawis in this countre,
Quhy want we lawis exersitioun?
Quho suld put justice tyll exicutioun?
126
Quhare in dois stand our principall remeid?
Or quha may mak mendis of this myscheif?"
Quod scho, " I fynd the falt in to the heid,
For thay in quhome dois ly our hole releif,
I fynd thame rute and grund of all our greif.
For quhen the heddis ar nocht delygent,
The membris man, on neid, be necligent.
127
So, I conclude, the causis principall
Of all the trubyll of this natioun
Ar in to prencis, in to speciall,
The quhilkis hes the gubernatioun,
And of the peple dominatioun;
Quhose contynewall exersitioun
Sulde be in justice exicutioun.
128
For quhen the sleuthful hird dois sloug and sleip,
Taking no cure in kepyng of his floke,
Quho wyll go sers amang sic heirdis scheip
May habyll fynd mony pure, scabbit crok,
And goyng wyll at large, withouttin lok.
Than lupis cumis, and Lowrance, in ane lyng,
And dois, but reuth, the sely scheip dounthryng.
129
Bot the gude hird, walkryfe and delygent,
Doith so that all his flokis ar rewlit rycht,
To quhose quhissill all ar obedient;
And geve the wolffis cumis, daye or nycht,
Thame to devore, than ar thay put to flycht,
Houndit and slane be thare weill dantit doggis.
So ar thay sure, baith yowis, lambis and hoggis.
130
So, I conclud, that throw the necligence
Of our infatuate heidis insolent,
Is cause of all this realmes indigence,
Quhilkis in justice hes nocht bene delygent,
Bot to gude counsall inobedient,
Havand small ee unto the comoun weill,
Bot to thare singulare proffect everilk deill.
131
For quhen thir wolffis, be oppressioun,
The pure peple but piete doith oppres,
Than sulde the prencis mak punisioun,
And cause tha rebauldis for to mak redres,
That ryches mycht, be policey, incres.
Bot rycht difficill is to mak remeid,
Quhen that the falt is so in to the heid."
The Complaynt of the Comoun Weill of Scotland.
132
And thus, as we wer talking to and fro,
We saw a boustius berne cum ovir the bent,
But hors, on fute, als fast as he mycht go,
Quhose rayment wes all raggit, revin, and rent,
With visage leyne, as he had fastit Lent;
And fordwart fast his wayis he did advance
With ane rycht malancolious countynance,
133
With scrip on hip and pyikstaff in his hand,
As he had purposit to passe fra hame.
Quod I, " Gude man, I wald faine understand,
Geve that ye plesit, to wyt quhat wer your name?"
Quod he, " My sonne, of that I think gret schame,
Bot sen thow wald of my name have ane feill,
Forsuith thay call me " Jhone the Comoun Weill " ."
134
" Schir Commoun Weill, quho hes yow so disgysit?"
Quod I, " Or quhat makis yow so miserabyll?
I have marvell to se yow so supprysit,
The quhilk that I have sene so honorabyll.
To all the warld ye have bene proffitabyll,
And weill honorit in everilk natioun.
How happinnis, now, your tribulatioun?"
135
" Allace!" quod he. " Thow seis how it dois stand
With me, and quhow I am disherisit
Of all my grace, and mon pas of Scotland
And go, afore quhare I was cherisit.
Remane I heir, I am bot perysit,
For thare is few to me that takis tent,
That garris me go so raggit, revin, and rent.
136
My tender freindis ar all put to the flycht,
For Polecey is fled agane in France,
My syster, Justice, almaist haith tynt hir sycht,
That scho can nocht hald evinly the ballance.
Plane Wrang is clene capitane of ordinance,
The quhilk debarris Laute and Reassoun,
And small remeid is found for Oppin Treassoun.
137
In to the south, allace, I was neir slane!
Over all the land I culd fynd no releiff,
Almoist betwix the Mers and Lowmabane,
I culde nocht knaw ane leill man be ane theif.
To schaw thare reif, thift, murthour and mischeif,
And vecious workis, it wald infect the air,
And als langsum to me for tyll declair.
138
In to the Hieland I could fynd no remeid,
Bot suddantlie I wes put to exile.
Tha sweir swyngeoris, thay tuke of me non heid,
Nor amangs thame lat me remane ane quhyle.
Syklykin to the Oute Ylis, and in Argyle,
Unthrift, Sweirnes, Falset, Povertie, and Stryfe,
Pat Polacey in dainger of hir lyfe.
139
In the Law land I come to seik refuge,
And purposit thare to mak my residence.
Bot Singulare Proffect gart me soune disluge,
And did me gret injuris and offence,
And said to me, " Swyith, harlote, hy the hence!
And in this countre se thow tak no curis
So lang as my auctoritie induris " .
140
And now I may mak no langer debait,
Nor I wate nocht quhome to I suld me mene.
For I have socht throw all the spirituall stait,
Quhilkis tuke na compt for to heir me complene.
Thare officiaris thay held me at disdane,
For Symonie, he rewlit all that rout,
And Covatyce, that carle, gart bar me oute.
141
Pryde haith chaist frome thame humilitie,
Devotioun is fled unto the freris;
Sensuale Plesour hes baneist Chaistitie,
Lordis of religioun thay go lyke seculeris,
Taking more compt in tellyng thare deneris,
Nor thay do of thare constitutioun;
Thus ar thay blyndit be ambitioun.
142
Oure gentyll men ar all degenerat;
Liberalitie and Lawte, boith ar loste,
And Cowardyce with lordis is laureate,
And Knychtlie Curage turnit in brag and boste.
The civele weir misgydis everylk oist,
Thare is nocht ellis bot ilk man for hym self,
That garris me go thus baneist lyke ane elf,
143
Tharefor, adew. I may no langer tarye."
" Fair weill," quod I, " and with Sanct Jhone to borrow."
Bot wyt ye weill, my hart was wounder sarye,
Quhen Comoun Weill so sopit was in sorrow.
Yit efter the nycht cumis the glaid morrow.
" Quharefor, I pray yow, schaw me in certane
Quhen that ye purpose for to cum agane?"
144
" That questioun, it sall be sone desydit,"
Quod he. " Thare sall na Scot have confortyng
Of me tyll that I see the countre gydit
Be wysedome of ane gude auld prudent kyng,
Quhilk sall delyte hym maist, abone all thyng,
To put justice tyll exicutioun,
And on strang tratouris mak puneisioun.
145
Als yit to the I say ane uther thyng.
I se rycht weill that proverbe is full trew:
" Wo to the realme that hes ovir young ane king " ."
With that, he turnit his bak and said adew.
Over firth and fell, rycht fast fra me he flew,
Quhose departyng to me was displesand.
With that Remembrance tuk me be the hand,
146
And sone me thocht scho brocht me to the roche
And to the cove quhare I began to sleip.
With that, one schip did spedalye approche,
Full plesandlie saling apone the deip,
And syne did slake hir salis and gan to creip
Towart the land, anent quhare that I lay;
Bot wyt ye weill, I gat ane fellown fraye!
147
All hir cannounis sche leit craik of at onis!
Down schuke the stremaris frome the topcastell.
Thay sparit nocht the poulder nor the stonis.
Thay schot thare boltis and doun thar ankeris fell.
The marenaris thay did so youte and yell
That haistalie I stert out of my drame,
Half in ane fray, and spedalie past hame,
148
And lychtlie dynit, with lyste and appityte;
Syne efter, past in tyll ane oritore
And tuke my pen, and thare began to wryte
All the visioun that I have schawin afore.
Schir, of my dreme, as now, thou gettis no more,
Bot I beseik God for to send the grace
To rewle thy realme in unitie and peace.
Heir endis the Dreme.
And begynnis the Exhortatioun to the Kyngis Grace.
149
Schir, sen that God of his preordinance
Haith grantit the to have the governance
Of his peple, and create the one kyng,
Faill nocht to prent in thy remembrance
That he wyll nocht excuse thyne ignorance,
Geve thow be rekles in thy governyng.
Quharefor, dres the, abone all uther thyng,
Of his lawis to keip the observance
And thow schaip lang in ryaltie to ryng.
150
Thank hym that hes commandit dame Nature
To prent the of so plesand portrature:
Hir gyftis may be cleirly on the knawin.
Tyll dame Fortune thow nedis no procurature,
For scho hes lairglie kyith on the hir cure:
Hir gratytude sche hes on to the schawin.
And, sen that thow mon scheir as thow hes sawin,
Have all thy hope in God, thy creature,
And aske hym grace, that thow may be his awin.
151
And syne, considder thy vocatioun,
That for to have the gubernatioun
Of this kynrik thou art predestinate.
Thou may weill wyt, be trew narratioun,
Quhat sorrow and quhat trubulatioun
Haith bene in this pure realme infortunate;
Now conforte thame that hes bene desolate,
And of thy peple have compassioun,
Sen thow, be God, art so preordinate.
152
Tak manlie curage and leif thyne insolence,
And use counsale of nobyll dame Prudence.
Founde the fermelie on Faith and Fortytude.
Drawe to thy courte Justice and Temporance,
And to thy Commoun Weill have attendance.
And also I beseik thy celsitude,
Hait vicious men, and lufe thame that ar gude,
And ilke flattrer thow fleme frome thy presence,
And fals reporte out of thy courte exclude.
153
Do equale justice boith to gret and small,
And be exampyll to thy peple all,
Exersing verteous deidis honorabyll.
Be nocht ane wrache, for oucht that may befall;
To that unhappy vice and thow be thrall,
Tyll all men thow sall be abhominabyll.
Kyngis nor knychtis ar never convenabyll
To rewle peple, be thay nocht lyberall:
Was never yit na wrache to honour habyll.
154
And tak exempyll of the wracheit endyng
Quhilk maid Mydas of Trace, the mychtie king,
That to his goddes maid invocatioun,
Throw gredines, that all substanciall thing
That ever he tuycheit suld turne, but tarying,
In to fyne gold. He gat his supplicatioun:
All that he tuychit, but delatioun,
Turnit in gold, boith meit, drynk, and clethyng,
And deit of hounger but recreatioun.
155
Als, I beseik thy majestie serene,
Frome lychorie thow keip thy body clene.
Taist never that intoxicat poysoun.
Frome that unhappy sensuall syn, abstene
Tyll that thow get ane lusty plesand quene.
Than tak thy plesour with my benesoun.
Tak tent how prydful Tarquyne tynt his croun
For the deforsyng of Lucres, the schene,
And was depryvit and baneist Romes toun.
156
And in dispyit of his lycherous levying,
The Romanis wald be subject to no kyng
Mony lang yeir, as storyis doith recorde,
Tyll Julyus, throw verteous governyng
And princelie curage, gane on thame to ryng,
And chosin of Romanis empriour and lord.
Quharfor, my soverane, in to thy mynd remord
That vicious lyfe makis oft ane evyll endyng,
Without it be throw speciall grace restord.
157
And geve thow wald thy faime and honour grew,
Use counsall of thy prudent lordis trew,
And se thow nocht presumpteouslie pretend
Thy awin perticulare weill for tyll ensew.
Wyrk with counsall, so sall thow never rew.
Remember of thy freindis the fatell end,
Quhilks to gude counsall wald not condiscend,
Tyll bitter deith, allace, did thame persew.
Frome sic unhape, I pray God the defend.
158
And fynalie, remember thow mon dee,
And suddanlie pas of this mortall see,
And art nocht sicker of thy lyfe two houris,
Sen thare is none frome that sentence may fle.
Kyng, quene, nor knycht, of lawe estait, nor hie,
Bot all mon thole of deith the bitter schouris.
Quhar bene thay gone, thir papis and empriouris?
Bene thay nocht dede? So sall it fair on the.
Is no remeid, strenth, ryches, nor honouris.
159
And so, for conclusioun,
Mak our provisioun
To get the infusioun
Of his hie grace,
Quhilk bled with effusioun,
With scorne and derisioun,
And deit with confusioun,
Confirmand our peace.
Amen.
1
Rycht potent prince, of hie imperial blude,
Onto thy grace I traist it be weill knawin
My servyce done onto thy celsitude,
Quhilk nedis nocht at lenth for to be schawin.
And thocht my youthed now be neir over blawin,
Excerst in servyce of thyne excellence,
Hope hes me hecht ane gudlie recompence.
2
Quhen thow wes young, I bure the in myne arme
Full tenderlie, tyll thow begouth to gang
And in thy bed oft happit the full warme,
With lute in hand syne sweitlie to the sang.
Sumtyme in dansing, feiralie I flang,
And sumtyme playand fairsis on the flure,
And sumtyme on myne office takkand cure.
3
And sumtyme lyke ane feind transfegurate
And sumtyme lyke the greislie gaist of Gye,
In divers formis, oft tymes disfigurate,
And sumtyme dissagyist full plesandlye.
So, sen thy birth, I have continewalye
Bene occupyit, and aye to thy plesoure,
And sumtyme seware, coppare, and carvoure,
4
Thy purs maister and secreit thesaurare,
Thy ischare, aye sen thy natyvitie,
And of thy chalmer cheiffe cubiculare,
Quhilk, to this houre, hes keipit my lawtie.
Lovying be to the blyssit Trynitie
That sic ane wracheit worme hes maid so habyll
Tyll sic ane prince to be so aggreabill!
5
Bot now thou arte, be influence naturall,
Hie of ingyne and rycht inquisityve
Of antique storeis and dedis marciall.
More plesandlie the tyme for tyll overdryve
I have, at lenth, the storeis done discryve
Of Hectour, Arthour, and gentyll Julyus,
Of Alexander, and worthy Pompeyus,
6
Of Jasone and Media, all at lenth;
Of Hercules, the actis honorabyll,
And of Sampsone, the supernaturall strenth,
And of leill luffaris, storeis amiabyll.
And oft tymes have I fenyeit mony fabyll
Of Troylus, the sorrow and the joye,
And seigis all — of Tyir, Thebes, and Troye;
7
The Prophiseis of Rymour, Beid, and Marlyng
And of mony uther plesand storye
Of the Reid Etin, and the Gyir Carlyng,
Confortand the quhen that I sawe the sorye.
Now, with the supporte of the king of glorye,
I sall the schaw ane storye of the new,
The quhilk affore I never to the schew.
8
Bot humilie I beseik thyne excellence,
With ornate termes thocht I can nocht expres
This sempyll mater for laik of eloquence,
Yit nocht withstandyng all my besynes,
With hart and hand my mynd I sall adres
As I best can and moste compendious.
Now I begyn. The mater hapnit thus.
The Prolong
9
In to the calendis of Januarie,
Quhen fresche Phebus, be movyng circulair,
Frome Capricorne wes enterit in Aquarie,
With blastis that the branchis maid full bair.
The snaw and sleit perturbit all the air
And flemit Flora frome every bank and bus
Throuch supporte of the austeir Eolus.
10
Efter that I the lang wynteris nycht
Hade lyne walking in to my bed allone,
Throuch hevy thocht that no way sleip I mycht,
Remembryng of divers thyngis gone,
So up I rose and clethit me anone.
Be this, fair Tytane with his lemis lycht
Over all the land had spred his baner brycht.
11
With cloke and hude I dressit me belyve,
With dowbyll schone and myttanis on my handis.
Howbeit the air wes rycht penitratyve,
Yit fure I furth, lansing ovirthorte the landis
Towarte the see, to schorte me on the sandis,
Because unblomit was baith bank and braye.
And so as I was passing be the waye
12
I met dame Flora, in dule weid dissagysit,
Quhilk in to May wes dulce and delectabyll,
With stalwart stromes hir sweitnes wes surprisit.
Hir hevynlie hewis war turnit in to sabyll,
Quhilkis umquhyle war to luffaris amiabyll.
Fled frome the froste, the tender flouris I saw
Under dame Naturis mantyll, lurking law.
13
The small fowlis in flokkis saw I flee
To Nature, makand gret lamentatioun.
Thay lychtit doun besyde me on ane tree
(Of thare complaynt I hade compassioun),
And, with ane pieteous exclamatioun,
Thay said, " Blyssit be somer with his flouris
And waryit be thow wynter with thy schouris!"
14
" Allace, Aurora!" the syllie larke can crye,
" Quhare hes thow left thy balmy lyquour sweit
That us rejosit, we mountyng in the skye?
Thy sylver droppis ar turnit in to sleit.
O fair Phebus, quhare is thy hoilsum heit?
Quhy tholis thou thy hevinlie plesand face
With mystie vapouris to be obscurit, allace?
15
Quhar art thou May, with June, thy syster schene,
Weill bordourit with dasyis of delyte?
And gentyll Julet, with thy mantyll grene,
Enamilit with rosis, reid and quhyte?
Now auld and cauld Janeuar, in dispyte,
Reiffis frome us all pastyme and plesoure.
Allace! Quhat gentyll hart may this indure?
16
Oversylit ar, with cloudis odious,
The goldin skyis of the Orient,
Cheangeyng in sorrow our sang melodious,
Quhilk we had wount to sing with gude intent,
Resoundand to the hevinnis firmament.
Bot now our daye is cheangit in to nycht."
With that thay rais and flew furth of my sycht.
17
Pensyve in hart, passing full soberlie
Onto the see, fordwart I fure anone.
The see was furth, the sand wes smoith and drye.
Than up and doun I musit myne alone
Tyll that I spyit ane lytill cave of stone,
Heych in ane craig. Upwart I did approche
But tarying, and clam up in the roche,
18
And purposit, for passing of the tyme,
Me to defende frome ociositie,
With pen and paper to regester in ryme
Sum mery mater of antiquitie.
Bot idelnes, ground of iniquitie,
Scho maid so dull my spretis me within
That I wyste nocht at quhat end to begin,
19
Bot satt styll in that cove, quhare I mycht se
The woltryng of the wallis, up and doun,
And this fals wardlis instabilytie
Unto that sey makkand comparisoun,
And of the wardlis wracheit variasoun
To thame that fixis all thare hole intent,
Considdryng quho moste had suld moste repent.
20
So with my hude my hede I happit warme,
And in my cloke I fauldit boith my feit.
I thocht my corps with cauld suld tak no harme:
My mittanis held my handis weill in heit,
The skowland craig me coverit frome the sleit.
Thare styll I satt, my bonis for to rest,
Tyll Morpheus with sleip my spreit opprest.
21
So throw the boustious blastis of Eolus
And throw my walkyng on the nycht before,
And throuch the seis movying marvellous
Be Neptunus, with mony route and rore,
Constranit I was to sleip withouttin more.
And quhat I dremit, in conclusioun,
I sall yow tell ane marvellous visioun.
Finis.
Heir endis the Prolong.
And followis the Dreme.
22
Me thocht ane lady, of portratour perfyte,
Did salus me with benyng contynance.
And I, quhilk of hir presens had delyte,
Tyl hir agane maid humyl reverence
And hir demandit, savyng hir plesance,
Quhat wes hir name? Scho answerit courtesly,
" Dame Remembrance", scho said, " callit am I,
23
Quhilk cummyng is for pastyme and plesoure
Of the, and for to beir the companye,
Because I se thy spreit, withoute mesoure,
So sore perturbit be malancolye,
Causyng thy corps to waxin cauld and drye.
Tharefor get up, and gang anone with me."
So war we boith, in twynkling of ane, ee,
24
Doun throw the eird, in myddis of the centeir,
Or ever I wyste, in to the lawest hell.
In to that cairfull cove, quhen we did enter,
Yowtyng and yowlyng we hard, with mony yell.
In flame of fyre, rycht furious and fell,
Was cryand mony cairfull creature,
Blasphemand God, and waryand Nature.
25
Thare sawe we divers papis and empriouris,
Withoute recover, mony cairfull kyngis;
Thare sawe we mony wrangous conquerouris
Withouttin rycht, reiffaris of utheris ryngis.
The men of kirk lay boundin in to byngis:
Thare saw we mony cairfull cardinall,
And archebischopis in thare pontificall,
26
Proude and perverst prelattis out of nummer,
Priouris, abbottis, and fals flattrand freris.
To specifye thame all it wer ane cummer:
Regulare channonis, churle monkis, and Chartereris,
Curious clerkis and preistis seculeris.
Thare was sum part of ilk religioun
In haly kirk quhilk did abusioun.
27
Than I demandit dame Remembrance
The cause of thir prelattis punysioun.
Scho said, " The cause of thare unhappy chance
Was covatyce, luste, and ambitioun,
The quhilk now garris thame want fruitioun
Of God and heir eternallie man dwell
In to this painefull, poysonit pytt of hell.
28
Als, thay did nocht instruct the ignorent,
Provocand thame to pennence, be precheing,
Bot servit wardlie prencis insolent
And war promovit be thare fenyeit flecheing,
Nocht for thare science, wysedome nor techeing.
Be symonie was thare promotioun,
More for deneris nor for devotioun.
29
And uther cause of the punysioun
Of thir unhappy prelattis imprudent:
Thay maid nocht equale distributioun
Of haly kirk, the patrimonie and rent,
Bot temporallie thay have it all mispent
Quhilkis suld have bene trypartit in to thre.
First, to uphauld the kirk in honestie;
30
The secunde part, to sustene thare aistatis;
The thrid part, to be gevin to the puris.
Bot thay dispone that geir all uther gaittis —
On cartis and dyce, on harllotrie and huris.
Thir catyvis tuke no compt of thair awin curis,
Thare kirkis rewin, thare ladyis clenely cled
And rychelye rewlit, boith at burde and bed.
31
Thare bastarde barnis proudely thay provydit,
The kirk geir larglye thay did on thame spende.
In thare difaltis thare subdetis wer misgydit
And comptit nocht thare God for tyll offend,
Quhilk gart tham want grace at thair letter end."
Rewland that rowte, I sawe, in capis of bras,
Symone Magus and byschope Cayphas,
32
Byschope Annas and the tratour Judas,
Machomete, that propheit poysonabyll;
Choro, Dathan and Abirone thare was,
Heretykis we sawe unnumerabyll.
It wes ane sycht rycht wounderous lamentabyl
Quhow that thay lay in to tha flammis fletyng,
With cairfull cryis, girnyng and greityng.
33
Religious men wer punyste panefullie
For vaine glore, als for inobedience,
Brekand thare constitutionis wylfullie,
Nocht haiffand thare overmen in reverence.
To knaw thare Rewle thay maid no delygence;
Unleifsumlie thay usit propertie,
Passing the boundis of wylfull povertie.
34
Full sore wepyng, with vocis lamentabyll,
Thay cryit lowde, " O Empriour Constantyne,
We may wyit thy possessioun poysonabyll
Of all our gret punysioun and pyne!
Quhowbeit thy purpose was tyll ane gude fyne,
Thow baneist frome us trew devotioun,
Haiffand sic ee tyll our promotioun."
35
Than we beheld ane den full dolorous,
Quhare that prencis and lordis temporall,
War cruciate with panis regorous.
Bot to expreme thare panis in speciall,
It dois exceid all my memoriall;
Importabyll paine thay had, but confortyng,
Thare blude royall maid thame no supportyng.
36
Sum catyve kyngis, for creuell oppressioun,
And uther sum, for thare wrangus conquest,
War condampnit, thay and thare successioun.
Sum for publict adultrye, and incest;
Sum leit thare peple never leif in rest,
Delyting so in plesour sensuall.
Quharefor thare paine was thare perpetuall.
37
Thare was the cursit Empriour Nero,
Of everilk vice the horrabyll veschell.
Thare was Pharo, with divers prencis mo,
Oppressouris of the barnis of Israell;
Herode and mony mo than I can tell.
Ponce Pylat was thare, hangit be the hals,
With unjuste jugis, for thare sentence fals.
38
Dukis, merquessis, erlis, barronis, knychtis,
With thay prencis, wer punyst panefullie,
Partycipant thay wer of thare unrychtis.
Fordwarte we went and leit thir lordis lye
And sawe quhare ladyis, lamentabyllie,
Lyke wod lyonis, cairfullie cryand,
In flam of fyre rycht furiouslie fryand.
39
Emprices, quenis, and ladyis of honouris,
Mony duches and comptas full of cair;
Thay peirsit myne hart, thay tender creaturis
So pynit in that pytt, full of dispare,
Plungit in paine, with mony reuthfull rair;
Sum for thare pryde, sum for adultrye,
Sum for thare tyisting men to lechorye;
40
Sum had bene creuell and malicius,
Sum for making of wrangous heretouris;
For to rehers thare lyffis vitious
It wer bot tarye to the auditouris.
Of lychorye thay wer the verray luris,
With thare provocatyve impudicitie
Brocht mony ane man to infelicitie.
41
Sum wemen, for thare pussillamytie,
Overset with schame, thay did thame never schryve
Of secreit synnis done in quietie.
And sum repentit never in thare lyve,
Quhairfor, but reuth tha ruffeis did thame ryve
Regoruslie, withoute compassioun.
Gret was thare dule and lamentatioun.
42
" That we wer maid!" thay cryit oft, " Allace!
Thus tormentit with panis intollerabyll!
We mendit nocht, quhen we had tyme and space,
Bot tuke in eird our lustis delectabyll.
Quharfor with feindis, ugly and horrabyll,
We ar condampnit for ever more, allace,
Eternalie withouttin hope of grace.
43
Quhare is the meit and drynke delicious
With quhilk we fed our cairfull cariounis?
Gold, sylver, sylk, with peirlis precious,
Our ryches, rentis and our possessionis?
Withouttin hope of our remissionis,
Allace! Our panis ar insufferabyll
And our tormentis to compt innumirabyll!"
44
Than we beheld quhare mony ane thousand
Comoun peple laye flichtrand in the fyre.
Of everilk stait thare was ane bailfull band.
Thare mycht be sene mony sorrowfull syre,
Sum for invy sufferit, and sum for yre,
And sum for laik of restitutioun
Of wrangous geir, without remissioun.
45
Mansworne merchandis for thar wrangus winning,
Hurdaris of gold and commoun occararis,
Fals men of law in cautelis rycht cunning,
Theiffis, revaris, and publict oppressaris,
Sum part thair was of unleill lauboraris;
Craftismen thair saw we, out of nummer.
Of ilke stait to declare it wer ane cummer.
46
And als, langsum to me for tyll indyte
Of this presoun the panis in speciall
(The heit, the calde, the dolour, and dispyte),
Quharefor I speik of thame in generall.
That dully den, that furneis infernall,
Quhose reward is rew without remede,
Ever deyand and never to be dede;
47
Hounger and thrist in steid of meit and drynk,
And for thare clethyng, tadis and scorpionis!
That myrke mansioun is tapessit with stynk;
Thay se bot horrabyll visionis,
Thay heir bot scorne and derysionis
Of foule feindis and blasphemationis;
Thare feillyng is importabyll passionis;
48
For melody, miserabyll murnyng.
Thare is na solace, bot dolour infinyte
In bailfull beddis, bitterlye burnyng,
With sobbyng, syching, sorrow, and with syte.
Thare conscience thare hartis so did byte,
To heir thame flyte it was ane cace of cair,
So in dispyte, plungeit in to dispair.
49
A lytill above that dolorous doungeoun
We enterit in ane countre full of cair,
Quhare that we saw mony ane legioun
Greitand and gowland, with mony reuthful rair.
" Quhat place is this", quod I, " of blys so bair?"
Scho answerit and said, " Purgatorye,
Quhilk purgis saulis or thay cum to glorye."
50
" I se no plesour heir, bot mekle paine;
Quharefor", said I, " leif we this sorte in thrall;
I purpose never to cum heir agane.
Bot yit I do beleve and ever sall,
That the trew kirk can no waye erre at all.
Sic thyng to be, gret clerkis dois conclude,
Quhowbeit my hope standis most in Cristis blud."
51
Abufe that, in the thrid presoun, anone
We enterit in ane place of perditione,
Quhare mony babbis war makand drery mone
Because thay wantit the fruitioun
Of God, quhilk was ane gret punytioun.
Of baptisme thay wantit the ansenye.
Upwart we went and left that myrthles menye,
52
In tyll ane volt, abone that place of paine,
Unto the quhilk, but sudgeorne, we ascendit.
That was the Lymbe, in the quhilk did remaine
Our forefatheris, because Adam offendit,
Etand the fruit the quhilk was defendit.
Mony ane yeir thay dwelt in that doungeoun,
In myrknes and in desolatioun.
53
Than throuch the erth, of nature cauld and dry,
Glaid to eschaip those places parrelous,
We haistit us rycht wounder spedalye.
Yit we beheld the secretis marvellous,
The mynis of gold, and stonis precious,
Of sylver, and of everilk fyne mettell,
Quhilk to declare it wer over lang to dwell.
54
Up throuch the walter, schortlie we intendit,
Quhilk invirons the erth, withouttin doute;
Syne throw the air, schortlie we ascendit
His regionis throuch, behaldyng in and out,
Quhilk erth and walter closis round aboute;
Syne schortlie upwarte, throw the fyre we went,
Quhilk wes the hiest and hotest eliment.
55
Quhen we had all thir elimentis over past,
That is to saye, erth, walter, air and fyre,
Upwart we went, withouttin ony rest,
To se the hevynnis was our maist desyre;
Bot or we mycht wyn to the hevin impyre,
We behuffit to passe the way, full evin,
Up throuch the speris of the planetis sevin.
56
First to the Mone, and vesyit all hir speir,
Quene of the see and bewtie of the nycht;
Of nature, wak and cauld and no thyng clere,
For of hir self scho hes none uther lycht
Bot the reflex of Phebus bemes brycht.
The twelf singnis scho passis rounde aboute
In aucht and twenty dayis, withouttin dout.
57
Than we ascendit to Mercurious,
Quhilk poetis callis god of eloquence;
Rycht doctourlyke, with termes delicious,
In arte exparte and full of sapience.
It wes plesour to pans on his prudence.
Payntours, poetis, ar subject to his cure,
And hote and dry he is, of his nature.
58
And als, as cunnyng astrologis sayis,
He dois compleit his cours naturallie,
In thre houndreth and aucht and thretty dayis.
Syne upwart we ascendit haistelye
To fair Venus, quhare scho rycht lustelie
Was set in to ane sett of sylver schene;
That fresche goddes, that lustie luffis quene.
59
Thay peirsit myne hart, hir blenkis amorous.
Quhowbeit that sumtyme scho is chengeabyll,
With countynance and cheir full dolorous,
Quhylummis rycht plesand, glaid and delectabyll;
Sumtyme constant, and sumtyme variabyll,
Yit hir bewtie, resplendand as the fyre,
Swagis the wraith of Mars, that god of yre.
60
This plesand planeit, geve I can rycht discrive,
Scho is baith hote and wak, of hir nature.
That is the cause scho is provocatyve
Tyll all thame that ar subject to hir cure,
To Venus werkis tyll that thay may indure.
Als, scho completis hir coursis naturall
In twelf monethis, withouttin ony fall.
61
Than past we to the speir of Phebus brycht,
That lusty lampe and lanterne of the hevin
And glader of the sterris, with his lycht,
And principall of all the planetis sevin;
And satt in myddis of thame all, full evin,
As roye royall, rollyng in his speir
Full plesandlie, in to his goldin cheir,
62
Quhose influence and vertew excellent
Gevis the lyfe tyll everilk erthlie thyng.
That prince, of everilk planeit precellent,
Dois foster flouris and garris heirbis spryng
Throuch the cauld eirth, and causis birdis syng.
And als, his regulare movyng in the hevin
Is juste, under the zodiack full evin.
63
For to discryve his diadame royall,
Bordourit aboute with stonis schyning brycht,
His goldin cairt, or throne imperiall,
The foure stedis that drawis it full rycht,
I leif to poetis because I have no slycht.
Bot of his nature he is hote and drye,
Completand in ane yeir his cours trewlie.
64
Than up to Mars, in hye, we haistit us,
Wounder hote and dryer than the tunder;
His face flamand, as fyre rycht furious,
His bost and brag more aufull than the thunder,
Maid all the hevin most lyk to schaik in schonder.
Quha wald behauld his countynance and feir
Mycht call hym, weill, the god of men of weir.
65
With colour reid and luke malicious,
Rycht colerick of his complexioun;
Austeir, angrye, sweir, and seditious,
Principall cause of the distructioun
Of mony gude and nobyll regioun.
War nocht Venus his yre dois metigate,
This warld, of peace, wald be full desolate.
66
This god of greif, withouttin sudgeornyng,
In yeris twa his cours he doith compleit.
Than past we up quhare Jupiter, the kyng,
Satt in his speir, rycht amiabyll and sweit.
Complexionate with waknes and with heit,
That plesand prince, fair, dulce and delicate,
Provokis peace and banesis debait.
67
The auld poetis, be superstitioun,
Held Jupiter the father principall
Of all thare goddes, in conclusioun,
For his prerogatyvis in speciall,
Als be his vertew in to generall.
To auld Saturne he makis resistance
Quhen, in his malice, he walde wyrk vengeance.
68
This Jupiter, withouttin sudgeornyng,
Passis throw all the twelf planetis, full evin,
In yeris twelf. And than, but tarying,
We past unto the hiest of the sevin,
Tyll Saturnus, quhilk trublis all the hevin.
With hevy cheir and cullour paill as leid,
In hym we sawe bot dolour to the deid;
69
And cauld and dry he is, of his nature.
Foule lyke ane oule, of evyll conditioun,
Rycht unplesand he is of portrature.
His intoxicat dispositioun,
It puttis all thyng to perditioun.
Ground of seiknes and malancolious,
Perverst and pure, baith fals and invyous,
70
His qualite I can nocht love, bot lack.
As for his movying naturallie, but weir,
About the singis of the zodiack,
He dois compleit his cours in thretty yeir.
And so we left hym in his frosty speir.
Upwarte we did ascend incontinent,
But rest, tyll we come to the firmament,
71
The quhilk was fixit full of sterris brycht,
Of figour round, rycht plesand and perfyte,
Quhose influence and rycht excellent lycht
And quhose nummer may nocht be put in wryte.
Yit cunnyng clerkis dois naturallye indyte
How that he dois compleit his cours, but weir,
In space of sevin and thretty thousand yeir.
72
Than the nynt speir and movare principall
Of all the laif we vesyit; all that hevin
Quhose daylie motioun is contyneuall,
Baith firmament and all the planetis sevin,
From est to west, garris thame torne full evin
In to the space of four and twenty houris.
Yit, be the myndis of the austronomouris,
73
The sevin planetis, in to thare proper speris,
Frome west to est thay move naturallie;
Sum swyft, sum slaw, as to thare kynde afferis,
As I have schawin afore, speciallie,
Quhose motioun causis contynewallie
Rycht melodious harmonie and sound,
And all throw movying of those planetis round.
74
Than montit we, with rycht fervent desyre,
Upthrow the hevin callit christallyne,
And so we enterit in the hevin impyre,
Quhilk to discryve, it passis myne ingyne,
Quhare God in to his holy throne devyne
Ryngis in to his glore inestimabyll,
With angellis cleir, quhilkis ar innumirabyll.
75
In ordouris nyne thir spretis glorious
Ar devydit, the quhilkis excellentlye
Makis lovying with sound melodious,
Syngand " Sanctus!" rycht wounder ferventlye.
Thir ordouris nyne thay ar full plesandlye
Devydit in to ierarcheis three,
And thre ordouris in everilk ierarche.
76
The lawest ordoure ar of angelis brycht,
As messingeris send unto this law regioun;
The secund ordour, archangelis full of mycht;
Virtus, potestatis, principatis of renoun;
The saxt is callit dominatioun;
The sevint, thronus; the auchtin, cherubin;
The nynt and heast callit seraphin.
77
And nyxt, on to the blyssit Trynitie,
In his tryumphant throne imperiall,
Thre in tyll one and one substance in thre,
Quhose indivisabyll essens eternall
The rude ingyne of mankynd is to small
Tyll comprehend; quhose power infinyte
And devyne nature no creature can wryte;
78
So myne ingyne is nocht suffecient
For to treit of his heych devinitie.
All mortal men ar insufficient
Tyll considder thay thre, in unitie;
Sic subtell mater I man on neid lat be;
To study on my Creid it war full fair,
And lat doctouris of sic hie materis declare.
79
Than we beheld the blyste humanitie
Of Christe, sittand in to his sege royall,
At the rycht hand of the devynitie,
With ane excelland courte celestiall,
Quhose exersitioun, contynewall,
Was in lovyng thair prince with reverence,
And on this wyse thay kepit ordinance.
80
Nyxt to the throne, we saw the Quene of quenis,
Weill cumpanyit with ladyis of delyte.
Sweit was the sang of those blyssit virginnis:
No mortall man thare solace may indyte.
The angellis brycht, in nummer infinyte,
Everilk ordour in thare awin degre,
War officiaris unto the deite;
81
Patriarkis and prophetis honorabyll,
Collaterall counsalouris in his consistorye;
Evangellistis, apostolis venerabyll,
War capitanis on to the kyng of glorye,
Quhilk, chiftane lyke, had woun the victorye.
Of that tryumphand courte celestiall
Sanct Peter was lufetenand generall.
82
The martyris war as nobyll stalwart knychtis,
Discomfatouris of creuell batellis thre
(The flesche, the warld, the feind and all his mychtis),
Confessouris, doctouris in divinitie,
As chapell clerkis on to his deite.
And last we sawe infinyte multytude
Makand servyce unto his celsitude,
83
Quhilkis be the hie devyne permissioun,
Filicitie thay had invariabyll,
And of his Godhed cleir cognitioun,
And compleit peace thay had, interminabyll;
Thare glore and honour was inseparabyll.
That plesand place, repleit of pulchritude,
Innumirabyll it was of magnitude.
84
Thare is plentie, of all plesouris perfyte:
Evident brychtnes but obscuritie,
Withouttin dolour, dulcore and delyte,
Withouttin rancour, perfyte cheritie;
Withouttin hunger, sasiabilitie.
O happy ar those saulis predestinate
Quhen saule and body sall be glorificate!
85
Thir marvellous myrthis for to declare
Be arithmetik, thay ar innumirabyll;
The portratour of that palice preclare
By geomatre, it is inmesurabyl;
By rethorike, als inpronunciabyll.
Thare is none eiris may heir, nor eine may se,
Nor hart may thynk thare greit felycitie.
86
Quhare to sulde I presume for tyll indyte
The quhilk Sanct Paule, that doctour sapient,
Can nocht expres, nor in to paper wryte?
The hie excelland worke indeficient,
And perfyte plesoure, ever parmanent,
In presens of that mychtie kyng of glore
Quhilk was and is and sall be ever more.
87
At Remembrance humilye I did inquyre
Geve I mycht in that plesour styll remane.
Scho said, " Aganis reasoun is thy desyre;
Quharefor, my freind, thow mon returne agane,
And for thy synnis, be pennance, suffer paine,
And thole the dede with creuell panis sore,
Or thow be ding to ryng with hym in glore."
88
Than we returnit, sore aganis my wyll,
Doun throw the speris of the hevinnis cleir,
Hir commandiment behuffit I fulfyll.
With sorye hart, wyt ye, withouttin weir,
I wald full faine haif taryit thare all yeir.
Bot scho said to me, " Thare is no remede.
Or thow remane heir, first thow mon be dede."
89
Quod I, " I pray yow hartfullye, madame,
Sen we have had sic contemplatioun
Of hevinlye plesouris, yit, or we passe hame,
Lat us have sum consideratioun
Of eirth, and of his situatioun."
Scho answerit and said, " That sall be done."
So wer we boith brocht in the air full sone,
90
Quhare we mycht se the erth all at one sycht,
Bot lyke one moit, as it apperit to me,
In to the respect of the hevinnis brycht.
" I have marvell", quod I, " quhow this may be?
The eirth semis of so small quantitie.
The leist sterne fixit in the firmament
Is more than all the eirth, be my jugment."
The quantite of the Erth.
91
Scho sayis, " Sonne, thow hes schawin the veritie.
The smallest sterne fixit in the firmament
In deid it is of greter quantytie
Than all the eirth, efter the intent
Of wyse and cunnyng clerkis sapient."
" Quhat quantytie is than the eirth?" quod Ie.
" That sall I schaw", quod scho, " to the schortlie,
92
Efter the myndis of the austronimouris
And, speciallie, the auctour of the Speir ,
And uther divers gret phelosiphouris.
The quantytie of the erth circuleir
Is fyftie thousand liggis, withouttin weir,
Sevin houndreth and fyftie and no mo.
Devidyng aye ane lig in mylis two,
93
And everilk myle in aucht stagis devyde,
Ilk staige ane hundrith pais, twenty and fyve,
Ane pais, fyve fute, quha wald than rycht desyde;
Ane fute, four palmes, geve I can rycht discryve;
Ane palme, four inche, and quha sa wald belyve,
The circuit of the eirth, passe round aboute,
Man be considderit on this wyse, but doute.
94
Suppone that thare war none impediment
Bot that the eirth but perrell wer, and plane,
Syne, that the persoun wer rycht deligent
And yeid ilk day ten liggis in certane,
He mycht pas round aboute and cum agane
In four yeris saxtene oulkis and dayis two.
Go reid the auctour and thow sall fynd it so."
Finis.
The devisioun of the Eirth.
95
Then certanlye scho tuke me be the hand
And said, " My sone, cum on thy wayis with me."
And so scho gart me cleirly understand
How that the eirth trypartit wes, in thre,
In Affrik, Europe, and Assie,
Efter the myndis of the cosmographouris,
That is to say, the wardlis discriptouris.
96
First, Asia contenis in the Orient
And is weill more than baith the uther twane;
Affrik and Europe, in the Occident,
And ar devydit be ane sey certane,
And that is callit the see Mediterane
Quhilk, at the strait of Marrok, hes entre,
That is betwix Spanye and Barbarie.
97
Towart the southwest lyis Affrica
And in the northwest, Europa doith stand
And all the est contenis Asia.
On this wyse is devydit the ferme land.
It war mekle to me to tak on hand
Thir regionis to declare in speciall,
Yit sall I schaw thare names in generall.
98
In mony divers famous regionis
Is devydit this part of Asia,
Weill planesit with cieteis, towris, and townis:
The gret Ynde and Mesopotamia,
Penthapolis, Egypt, and Seria,
Capadocia, Seres, and Armenye,
Babilone, Caldia, Perth, and Arabye;
99
Sedone, Judea, and Palestina,
Ever Sethea, Tyir, and Galelie,
Hiberia, Bactria, and Phelestina,
Hircanea, Compagena, and Samarie.
In lytill Asia standis Galathie,
Pamphilia, Isaria, and Leid,
Regia, Arathusa, Assiria, and Meid.
100
Secundlie we considderit Africa,
With mony fructfull famous regioun,
As Ethiope, and Tripolitana;
Zeuges, quhare standis the tryumphant toun
Of nobyll Cartage, that ciete of renoun;
Garamantes, Nadabar, Libia,
Getulia, and Maritania,
101
Futhensis, Numedie, and Thingetane,
Of Affrick thir ar the principall.
Than Europe we considderit, in certane,
Quhose regionis schortlie rehers I sall.
Foure principallis I fynd abone thame all,
Quhilkis ar Spanye, Italie, and France,
Quhose subregionis wer mekle tyll avance:
102
Nether Scithia, Trace, and Garmanie,
Thusia, Histria, and Panonia,
Denmark, Gotland, Grunland, and Almanie,
Pole, Hungarie, Boeme, Norica, Rethia,
Teutonia, and mony divers ma;
And was in foure devidit Italie:
Tuskane, Ethuria, Naiplis, and Champanye,
103
And subdevydit sindry uther wayis,
As Lumbardie, Veneis, and uther ma,
Calaber, Romanie, and Janewayis.
In Grece, Eperus, and Dalmatica,
Tessalie, Athica, and Illeria,
Achaya, Boetia, and Macedone,
Archadie, Pierie, and Lacedone.
104
And France we sawe, devydit in to thre:
Belgica, Rethia, and Aquitane,
And subdevydit in Flanderis, Picardie,
Normandie, Gasconye, Burguinye, and Bretane,
And utheris divers Duchereis, in certane,
The quhilks wer to lang for to declare;
Quharefor, of thame as now I speik na mare.
105
In Spanye lyis Castelye and Arrogone,
Naverne, Galice, Portingall, and Garnat.
Than sawe we famous ylis, mony one,
Quhilks in the occiane sey was situate.
Thame to discryve my wyt wes desolate;
Of cosmographie I am nocht exparte,
For I did never study in that arte.
106
Yit I sall sum of thare names declare,
As Madagascar, Gardes, and Taprobane,
And utheris divers ylis, gude and fair,
Situate in to the sey Mediterrane,
As Syper, Candie, Corsica, and Sardane,
Crete, Abidos, Thoes, Cecilia,
Tapsone, Eolie, and mony uther ma.
107
Quho wald at lenth heir the discriptioun
Of everilk yle als weill as the ferme land,
And properteis of everilk regioun,
To study and to reid, man tak on hand,
And the attentike werkis understand,
Of Plenius and worthy Tholomie,
Quhilks war exparte in to cosmographie.
108
Thare sall thay fynd the names and properteis
Of every yle, and of ilke regioun.
Than I inquirit of eirthly Paradyce,
Of the quhilk Adam tynt possessioun.
Than schew scho me the situatioun
Of that precelland place, full of delyte,
Quhose properteis wer lang for to indyte.
Of Paradice.
109
This Paradyce, of all plesouris repleit,
Situate I saw in to the Orient.
That glorius gairth of every flouris did fleit:
The lusty lillyis, the rosis redolent,
Fresche holesum fructis, indeficient;
Baith herbe and tree thare growis ever grene,
Throw vertew of the temperat air serene.
110
The sweit, hailsum, arromatyke odouris
Proceidyng frome the herbis medicinall,
The hevinlie hewis of the fragrant flouris;
It was ane sycht wounder celestiall.
The perfectioun to schaw in speciall,
And joyis of that regioun devyne,
Of mankynd it exceidis the ingyne.
111
And als, so hie in situatioun,
Surmountyng the myd regioun of the air,
Quhare no maner of perturbatioun
Of wodder may ascend so hie as thair,
Four fludis flowyng frome ane fontane fair,
As Tygris, Ganges, Euphrates, and Nyle,
Quhilk, in the est, transcurris mony ane myle.
112
The countre closit is aboute, full rycht,
With wallis hie of hote and birnyng fyre,
And straitly kepit be ane angell brycht,
Sen the departyng of Adam, our grandschyre,
Quhilk throw his cryme incurrit Goddis yre,
And of that place tynte the possessioun,
Baith frome hym self, and his successioun.
113
Quhen this lufesum lady Remembrance
All this foresaid had gart me understand,
I prayit hir of hir benevolence,
To schaw to me the countre of Scotland.
" Weill, sonne," scho said, " that sall I tak on hand."
So suddanlie scho brocht me, in certane,
Evin juste abone the braid yle of Bertane,
114
Quhilk standis northwest in the occiane see
And devydit in famous regionis two:
The south part, Ingland, ane full ryche countre;
Scotland, be north, with mony ylis mo;
Be west Ingland, Yriland doith stand also,
Quhose properteis I wyll nocht tak on hand
To schaw at lenth, bot only of Scotland.
Of the realme of Scotland.
115
Quhilk, efter my sempyll intandiment,
And as Remembrance did to me report,
I sall declare the suith and verrayment
As I best can, and in to termes schort.
Quharfor effecteouslie I yow exhorte,
Quhowbeit my wrytting be nocht tyll avance,
Yit, quhare I faill, excuse myne ignorance.
116
Quhen that I had oversene this regioun,
The quhilk of nature is boith gude and fair,
I did propone ane lytill questioun,
Beseikand hir the sam for to declare,
" Quhat is the cause our boundis bene so bair?"
Quod I, " Or quhate dois mufe our misere?
Or quhareof dois proceid our povertie?
117
For, throw the supporte of your hie prudence,
Of Scotland I persave the properteis,
And als considderis, be experience,
Of this countre the gret commoditeis.
First, the haboundance of fyschis in our seis,
And fructuall montanis for our bestiall,
And for our cornis, mony lusty vaill.
118
The ryche ryveris, plesand and proffitabyll;
The lustie loochis, with fysche of sindry kyndis;
Hountyng, halkyng, for nobyllis convenabyil,
Forrestis full of da, ra, hartis, and hyndis.
The fresche fontanis, quhose holesum cristel strandis
Refreschis so the fair flureist grene medis,
So laik we no thyng that to nature nedis.
119
Of every mettell we have the ryche mynis,
Baith gold, sylver, and stonis precious;
Howbeit we want the spyces and the wynis,
Or uther strange fructis delycious,
We have als gude, and more neidfull for us:
Meit, drynk, fyre, clathis, thar mycht be gart abound,
Quhilkis ellis is nocht in al the mapamound;
120
More fairer peple, nor of gretar ingyne,
Nor of more strenth, gret dedis tyll indure.
Quharefor, I pray yow that ye wald defyne
The principall cause quharefor we ar so pure,
For I marvell gretlie, I yow assure,
Considderand the peple and the ground,
That ryches suld nocht in this realme redound."
121
" My sonne," scho said, " be my discretioun,
I sall mak answeir, as I understand.
I say to the, under confessioun,
The falt is nocht, I dar weill tak on hand,
Nother in to the peple nor the land.
As for the land, it lakis na uther thing,
Bot laubour and the pepyllis governyng."
122
" Than quharein lyis our inprosperitie?"
Quod I, " I pray yow hartfullie, madame,
Ye wald declare to me the veritie,
Or quho sall beir of our barrat the blame?
For be my treuth, to se I thynk gret schame,
So plesand peple, and so fair ane land,
And so few verteous dedis tane on hand."
123
Quod scho, " I sall efter my jugement,
Declare sum causis in to generall,
And in to termes schorte, schaw myne intent,
And syne transcend more in to speciall.
So this is myne conclusioun fynall:
Wantyng of justice, polycie, and peace,
Ar cause of thir unhappynes, allace!
124
It is deficill ryches tyll incres
Quhare polycie makith no residence,
And policey may never have entres
Bot quhare that justice dois delygence
To puneis quhare thare may be found offence.
Justice may nocht have dominatioun
Bot quhare peace makis habitatioun."
125
" Quhat is the cause, that wald I understand,
That we sulde want justice and polycie
More than dois France, Italie, or Ingland?
Madame," quod I, " schaw me the veritie.
Sen we have lawis in this countre,
Quhy want we lawis exersitioun?
Quho suld put justice tyll exicutioun?
126
Quhare in dois stand our principall remeid?
Or quha may mak mendis of this myscheif?"
Quod scho, " I fynd the falt in to the heid,
For thay in quhome dois ly our hole releif,
I fynd thame rute and grund of all our greif.
For quhen the heddis ar nocht delygent,
The membris man, on neid, be necligent.
127
So, I conclude, the causis principall
Of all the trubyll of this natioun
Ar in to prencis, in to speciall,
The quhilkis hes the gubernatioun,
And of the peple dominatioun;
Quhose contynewall exersitioun
Sulde be in justice exicutioun.
128
For quhen the sleuthful hird dois sloug and sleip,
Taking no cure in kepyng of his floke,
Quho wyll go sers amang sic heirdis scheip
May habyll fynd mony pure, scabbit crok,
And goyng wyll at large, withouttin lok.
Than lupis cumis, and Lowrance, in ane lyng,
And dois, but reuth, the sely scheip dounthryng.
129
Bot the gude hird, walkryfe and delygent,
Doith so that all his flokis ar rewlit rycht,
To quhose quhissill all ar obedient;
And geve the wolffis cumis, daye or nycht,
Thame to devore, than ar thay put to flycht,
Houndit and slane be thare weill dantit doggis.
So ar thay sure, baith yowis, lambis and hoggis.
130
So, I conclud, that throw the necligence
Of our infatuate heidis insolent,
Is cause of all this realmes indigence,
Quhilkis in justice hes nocht bene delygent,
Bot to gude counsall inobedient,
Havand small ee unto the comoun weill,
Bot to thare singulare proffect everilk deill.
131
For quhen thir wolffis, be oppressioun,
The pure peple but piete doith oppres,
Than sulde the prencis mak punisioun,
And cause tha rebauldis for to mak redres,
That ryches mycht, be policey, incres.
Bot rycht difficill is to mak remeid,
Quhen that the falt is so in to the heid."
The Complaynt of the Comoun Weill of Scotland.
132
And thus, as we wer talking to and fro,
We saw a boustius berne cum ovir the bent,
But hors, on fute, als fast as he mycht go,
Quhose rayment wes all raggit, revin, and rent,
With visage leyne, as he had fastit Lent;
And fordwart fast his wayis he did advance
With ane rycht malancolious countynance,
133
With scrip on hip and pyikstaff in his hand,
As he had purposit to passe fra hame.
Quod I, " Gude man, I wald faine understand,
Geve that ye plesit, to wyt quhat wer your name?"
Quod he, " My sonne, of that I think gret schame,
Bot sen thow wald of my name have ane feill,
Forsuith thay call me " Jhone the Comoun Weill " ."
134
" Schir Commoun Weill, quho hes yow so disgysit?"
Quod I, " Or quhat makis yow so miserabyll?
I have marvell to se yow so supprysit,
The quhilk that I have sene so honorabyll.
To all the warld ye have bene proffitabyll,
And weill honorit in everilk natioun.
How happinnis, now, your tribulatioun?"
135
" Allace!" quod he. " Thow seis how it dois stand
With me, and quhow I am disherisit
Of all my grace, and mon pas of Scotland
And go, afore quhare I was cherisit.
Remane I heir, I am bot perysit,
For thare is few to me that takis tent,
That garris me go so raggit, revin, and rent.
136
My tender freindis ar all put to the flycht,
For Polecey is fled agane in France,
My syster, Justice, almaist haith tynt hir sycht,
That scho can nocht hald evinly the ballance.
Plane Wrang is clene capitane of ordinance,
The quhilk debarris Laute and Reassoun,
And small remeid is found for Oppin Treassoun.
137
In to the south, allace, I was neir slane!
Over all the land I culd fynd no releiff,
Almoist betwix the Mers and Lowmabane,
I culde nocht knaw ane leill man be ane theif.
To schaw thare reif, thift, murthour and mischeif,
And vecious workis, it wald infect the air,
And als langsum to me for tyll declair.
138
In to the Hieland I could fynd no remeid,
Bot suddantlie I wes put to exile.
Tha sweir swyngeoris, thay tuke of me non heid,
Nor amangs thame lat me remane ane quhyle.
Syklykin to the Oute Ylis, and in Argyle,
Unthrift, Sweirnes, Falset, Povertie, and Stryfe,
Pat Polacey in dainger of hir lyfe.
139
In the Law land I come to seik refuge,
And purposit thare to mak my residence.
Bot Singulare Proffect gart me soune disluge,
And did me gret injuris and offence,
And said to me, " Swyith, harlote, hy the hence!
And in this countre se thow tak no curis
So lang as my auctoritie induris " .
140
And now I may mak no langer debait,
Nor I wate nocht quhome to I suld me mene.
For I have socht throw all the spirituall stait,
Quhilkis tuke na compt for to heir me complene.
Thare officiaris thay held me at disdane,
For Symonie, he rewlit all that rout,
And Covatyce, that carle, gart bar me oute.
141
Pryde haith chaist frome thame humilitie,
Devotioun is fled unto the freris;
Sensuale Plesour hes baneist Chaistitie,
Lordis of religioun thay go lyke seculeris,
Taking more compt in tellyng thare deneris,
Nor thay do of thare constitutioun;
Thus ar thay blyndit be ambitioun.
142
Oure gentyll men ar all degenerat;
Liberalitie and Lawte, boith ar loste,
And Cowardyce with lordis is laureate,
And Knychtlie Curage turnit in brag and boste.
The civele weir misgydis everylk oist,
Thare is nocht ellis bot ilk man for hym self,
That garris me go thus baneist lyke ane elf,
143
Tharefor, adew. I may no langer tarye."
" Fair weill," quod I, " and with Sanct Jhone to borrow."
Bot wyt ye weill, my hart was wounder sarye,
Quhen Comoun Weill so sopit was in sorrow.
Yit efter the nycht cumis the glaid morrow.
" Quharefor, I pray yow, schaw me in certane
Quhen that ye purpose for to cum agane?"
144
" That questioun, it sall be sone desydit,"
Quod he. " Thare sall na Scot have confortyng
Of me tyll that I see the countre gydit
Be wysedome of ane gude auld prudent kyng,
Quhilk sall delyte hym maist, abone all thyng,
To put justice tyll exicutioun,
And on strang tratouris mak puneisioun.
145
Als yit to the I say ane uther thyng.
I se rycht weill that proverbe is full trew:
" Wo to the realme that hes ovir young ane king " ."
With that, he turnit his bak and said adew.
Over firth and fell, rycht fast fra me he flew,
Quhose departyng to me was displesand.
With that Remembrance tuk me be the hand,
146
And sone me thocht scho brocht me to the roche
And to the cove quhare I began to sleip.
With that, one schip did spedalye approche,
Full plesandlie saling apone the deip,
And syne did slake hir salis and gan to creip
Towart the land, anent quhare that I lay;
Bot wyt ye weill, I gat ane fellown fraye!
147
All hir cannounis sche leit craik of at onis!
Down schuke the stremaris frome the topcastell.
Thay sparit nocht the poulder nor the stonis.
Thay schot thare boltis and doun thar ankeris fell.
The marenaris thay did so youte and yell
That haistalie I stert out of my drame,
Half in ane fray, and spedalie past hame,
148
And lychtlie dynit, with lyste and appityte;
Syne efter, past in tyll ane oritore
And tuke my pen, and thare began to wryte
All the visioun that I have schawin afore.
Schir, of my dreme, as now, thou gettis no more,
Bot I beseik God for to send the grace
To rewle thy realme in unitie and peace.
Heir endis the Dreme.
And begynnis the Exhortatioun to the Kyngis Grace.
149
Schir, sen that God of his preordinance
Haith grantit the to have the governance
Of his peple, and create the one kyng,
Faill nocht to prent in thy remembrance
That he wyll nocht excuse thyne ignorance,
Geve thow be rekles in thy governyng.
Quharefor, dres the, abone all uther thyng,
Of his lawis to keip the observance
And thow schaip lang in ryaltie to ryng.
150
Thank hym that hes commandit dame Nature
To prent the of so plesand portrature:
Hir gyftis may be cleirly on the knawin.
Tyll dame Fortune thow nedis no procurature,
For scho hes lairglie kyith on the hir cure:
Hir gratytude sche hes on to the schawin.
And, sen that thow mon scheir as thow hes sawin,
Have all thy hope in God, thy creature,
And aske hym grace, that thow may be his awin.
151
And syne, considder thy vocatioun,
That for to have the gubernatioun
Of this kynrik thou art predestinate.
Thou may weill wyt, be trew narratioun,
Quhat sorrow and quhat trubulatioun
Haith bene in this pure realme infortunate;
Now conforte thame that hes bene desolate,
And of thy peple have compassioun,
Sen thow, be God, art so preordinate.
152
Tak manlie curage and leif thyne insolence,
And use counsale of nobyll dame Prudence.
Founde the fermelie on Faith and Fortytude.
Drawe to thy courte Justice and Temporance,
And to thy Commoun Weill have attendance.
And also I beseik thy celsitude,
Hait vicious men, and lufe thame that ar gude,
And ilke flattrer thow fleme frome thy presence,
And fals reporte out of thy courte exclude.
153
Do equale justice boith to gret and small,
And be exampyll to thy peple all,
Exersing verteous deidis honorabyll.
Be nocht ane wrache, for oucht that may befall;
To that unhappy vice and thow be thrall,
Tyll all men thow sall be abhominabyll.
Kyngis nor knychtis ar never convenabyll
To rewle peple, be thay nocht lyberall:
Was never yit na wrache to honour habyll.
154
And tak exempyll of the wracheit endyng
Quhilk maid Mydas of Trace, the mychtie king,
That to his goddes maid invocatioun,
Throw gredines, that all substanciall thing
That ever he tuycheit suld turne, but tarying,
In to fyne gold. He gat his supplicatioun:
All that he tuychit, but delatioun,
Turnit in gold, boith meit, drynk, and clethyng,
And deit of hounger but recreatioun.
155
Als, I beseik thy majestie serene,
Frome lychorie thow keip thy body clene.
Taist never that intoxicat poysoun.
Frome that unhappy sensuall syn, abstene
Tyll that thow get ane lusty plesand quene.
Than tak thy plesour with my benesoun.
Tak tent how prydful Tarquyne tynt his croun
For the deforsyng of Lucres, the schene,
And was depryvit and baneist Romes toun.
156
And in dispyit of his lycherous levying,
The Romanis wald be subject to no kyng
Mony lang yeir, as storyis doith recorde,
Tyll Julyus, throw verteous governyng
And princelie curage, gane on thame to ryng,
And chosin of Romanis empriour and lord.
Quharfor, my soverane, in to thy mynd remord
That vicious lyfe makis oft ane evyll endyng,
Without it be throw speciall grace restord.
157
And geve thow wald thy faime and honour grew,
Use counsall of thy prudent lordis trew,
And se thow nocht presumpteouslie pretend
Thy awin perticulare weill for tyll ensew.
Wyrk with counsall, so sall thow never rew.
Remember of thy freindis the fatell end,
Quhilks to gude counsall wald not condiscend,
Tyll bitter deith, allace, did thame persew.
Frome sic unhape, I pray God the defend.
158
And fynalie, remember thow mon dee,
And suddanlie pas of this mortall see,
And art nocht sicker of thy lyfe two houris,
Sen thare is none frome that sentence may fle.
Kyng, quene, nor knycht, of lawe estait, nor hie,
Bot all mon thole of deith the bitter schouris.
Quhar bene thay gone, thir papis and empriouris?
Bene thay nocht dede? So sall it fair on the.
Is no remeid, strenth, ryches, nor honouris.
159
And so, for conclusioun,
Mak our provisioun
To get the infusioun
Of his hie grace,
Quhilk bled with effusioun,
With scorne and derisioun,
And deit with confusioun,
Confirmand our peace.
Amen.
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