Conclusion and Envoys

Conclusion.

Now is my werk, al finist and complete
Quhom Iouis yre, nor firis birnand hete
Nor trensche and swerd, sal defays nor doun thring
Nor lang proces of age, consumis al thing
Quhen that vnknawin day, sal him addres
Quhilk not but one, this body power has
And endis the date, of mine vncertane eild
The bettir part of me, sal be vpbeild
Aboue the sternis, perpetually to ring
And here my name remane, but emparing
Throw out the yle, yclepit Albione
Red sal I be, and soung with mony one
Thus vp my pen, and instumentis, ful ȝore
On virgillis post, I fix for euermore
Neuir from thens, sic materis to discriue
My muse, sal now be clene contemplatiue
And solitary, as doith the bird in cage
Sen fer by worne, all is my childis age
Aud of my dayis nere passit the half date
That nature suld me granting, wele I wate
Thus sen I feile doun sweyand the ballance
Here I resigne, vp ȝounkeris obseruance
And wyl derek my laubouris, euer moir
Vnto the commoun welth, and goddis gloir
Adew gud readeris, god gif ȝou al gud nycht
And eftir deth, grant vs his heueinly lycht

The space tyme and date, of the translatione of this buk,

Compilet was this werk, virgiliane
Apoun the feist, of Marye magdalane
Fra Cristis birth, the date quha list to here
Ane thousand fyue hundreth, and threttene ȝere
Quhilk for vthir grete occupacioun lay
Wusterit clois beside me, mony ane day
And neuirtheles, quhidder I serf thank or wyte
Fra tyme I tharto set my pen to wryte
Thocht god wate, gif thare boundis werful wyde
To me that had, sic besines besyde
Apon this wyse, as god list len me grace
It was compilyt in auchtent monethes space
Set feil syith, sic twa monethis in fere
Wrate neuir ane wourd, nor micht the volume stere
For graue matteris, and grete sollicitude
That al sic laubour, fer beside me stude
And thus grete skant of time, and besye cure
Has made my werk, mare subtil and obscure
And not so plesand, as it aucht to be
Quharof ȝe curtes reders, perdoun me
ȝe writaris al, and gentil redaris eik
Offendis not my volume, I beseik
Bot rede •ele, and tak gud tent in tyme
ȝe nowthir mail, nor mismeter my ryme
Nor alter not my wourdis, I ȝou pray
Lo this is all bew, schirris haue gude day

Ane exclamacion aganis detractouris and uncurtase redaris, that bene ouer studious but occasioun to note and spye out faltis, or offensis, in this volume or any vthir thrifty werkis.

Now throw the depe, fast to the porte I merk
For here is endit, the lang disparit werk
And virgil has, his volume to me lent
In souir raid now, ankerit is our werke
We dout na storme, our cabillis ar sa sterk
We haue eschapit, ful mony perrellis went
Now god belouit has, sic grace till vs sent
Sen virgil beis wyde quhare, in latine soung
Thus be my laboure red, in vulgare toung
Bot quhat dangere is ocht, to compile allace
Herand thir detractouris, in till euery place
Or euer thay rede the werk, biddis birn the buke
Sum bene sa frawart, in malice and wangrace
Quhat is wele sayd, thay loif not worth ane ace
Bot castis thame euir, to spy out falt and cruke
Al that thay fynd, in hiddillis hirne and nuke
Thay blaw out sayand, in euery mannis face
Lo here he failȝeis, lo here he leis luke
Bot gif I le lat virgill, be our iudge
His werk is patent, I may haue na refuge
Thareby go not, my faltis one be one
No wounder is the volume, is sa huge
Quhay mycht perfectly, al his hie termes luge
In barbare langage, or thame deulie expone
Bot wele I wate of his sentence wantis none
Quha can do bettir lat se, quhare I foruayit
begyn of new, al thing is gude vnassayit
F•r ethar is quha list, syt doun and mote
Ane vthir sayaris, faltis to spye and note
Than but offence, or falt thame self to wyte
bot for to chyde, sum bene so birnand hote
Bald thay thare pece, the word wald skald thare throte
And has sic custom, to Iangil and bakbite
That bot thay schent, sum thay suld birst for site
I say no more, quhen al thare rerd is roung
That wicht mon speik, that can not hald his toung
Go vulgare virgil, to euery churliche wycht
Say I auow, thou art translatit richt
Beseik al nobillis, the correct and amend
Beis not effrait, to cum in prisaris sicht
The nedis not to eschame, for thy licht
For I haif brocht thy purpois, to gude end
Now sal thou with euery gentil spot be kend
And to vnletteryt folk, be red on hicht
That erst was, bot with clerkis comprehend

To knaw the name of the translator.

The gaw vnbrokin, mydlit with the wine
The dow ioned with the glas, richt in ane lyne
Quha knawis not the translatouris name
Seik no forther, for lo wyth lytil pyne
Spye leile this vers, men clepis him sa at hame