The First Part

Thow barrant wit ouirset with fantasyis,
Schaw now the craft that in thy memor lyis,
Schaw now thy schame, schaw now thy badnystie,
Schaw thy endite reprufe of rethoryis,
Schaw now thy beggit termis mair than thryis,
Schaw now thy rymis, and thine harlotrie,
Schaw now thy dull exhaust inanitie,
Schaw furth thy cure and write thir frenesyis
Quhilks of thy sempill cunning nakit the.

My rauist spreit in that desert terribill,
Approchit neir that vglie flude horribill,
Like till Cochyte the riuer infernall,
With vile water quhilk maid a hiddious trubil,
Rinnand ouirheid, blude reid, and impossibill
That it had been a riuer naturall;
With brayis bair, raif rochis like to fall,
Quhairon na gers nor herbis wer visibill,
Bot swappis brint with blastis boriall.

This laithlie flude rumland as thonder routit,
In quhome the fisch ȝelland as eluis schoutit,
Thair ȝelpis wilde my heiring all fordeifit,
Thay grym monstures my spreits abhorrit and doutit.
Not throw the soyl bot muskane treis sproutit,
Combust, barrant, vnblomit and vnleifit,
Auld rottin runtis quhairin na sap was leifit,
Moch, all waist, widderit with granis moutit,
A ganand den, quhair murtherars men reifit.

Quhairfoir my seluin was richt sair agast,
This wildernes abhominabill and waist,
(In quhome nathing was nature comfortand)
Was dark as rock, the quhilk the sey vpcast.
The quhissilling wind blew mony bitter blast,
Runtis rattillit and vneith micht I stand.
Out throw the wod I crap on fute and hand,
The riuer stank, the treis clatterit fast.
The soyl was nocht bot marres, slike, and sand.

And not but caus my spreitis wer abaisit,
All solitair in that desert arraisit,
Allace, I said, is nane vther remeid,
Cruell fortoun quhy hes thow me betraisit?
Quhy hes thow thus my fatall end compassit?
Allace, allace, sall I thus sone be deid
In this desert, and wait nane vther reid,
Bot be deuoirit with sum beist rauenous.
I weip, I waill, I plene, I cry, I pleid,
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious.

Thy transitorie plesance quhat auaillis?
Now thair, now heir, now hie and now deuaillis,
Now to, now fra, now law, now magnifyis.
Now hait, now cauld, now lauchis, now beuaillis,
Now seik, now haill, now werie, now not aillis.
Now gude, now euill, now weitis, and now dryis,
Now thow promittis, and richt now thow denyis,
Now wo, now weill, now firme, now friuolous.
Now gam, now gram, now lowis, now defyis,
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious.

Ha, quha suld haue affyance in thy blis?
Ha, quha suld haue firme esperance in this
Quhilk is allace sa freuch and variant?
Certes nane; sum hes no wicht? surelie ȝis.
Than has my self bene gyltie? ȝe, I wis.
Thairfoir allace sall danger thus me dant?
Quhidder is become sa sone this duillie hant?
And ver translait in winter furious?
Thus I beuaill my faitis repugnant,
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious.

Bydand the deid thus in my extasie,
Ane dyn I hard approching fast me by,
Quhilk mouit fra the plague Septentrionall,
As heird of beistis stamping with loud cry,
Bot than, God wait, how affrayit was I!
Traistand to be stranglit with bestiall.
Amid a stock richt priuelie I stall,
Quhair luikand out anone I did espy
Ane lustie rout of beistis rationall.

Of ladyis fair and gudlie men arrayit
In constant weid, that weill my spreitis payit,
With degest mind, quharin all wit aboundit.
Full soberlie thair haiknayis thay assayit
Efter the faitis auld, and not forwayit.
Thair hie prudence schew furth and naithing roundit
With gude effeir quhairat the wod resoundit.
In steidfast ordour, to vesie vnaffrayit
Thay ryding furth with stabilnes ygroundit.

Amiddis quhome borne in ane goldin chair,
Ouirfret with perle and stanis maist preclair,
That drawin was by haiknayis all milk quhite,
Was set a Quene, as lyllie sweit of swair,
In purpour rob hemmit with gold ilk gair,
Quhilk gemmit claspis closit all perfite.
A diademe maist plesandlie polite
Set on the tressis of her giltin hair,
And in hir hand a scepter of delite.

Sine nixt hir raid in granit violate
Twelf damisellis, ilk ane in thair estait,
Quhilks semit of her counsell maist secre,
And nixt thame was a lustie rout, God wait,
Lords, ladyis, and mony fair prelait,
Baith borne of hie estait and law degre,
Furth with thair Quene, thay all by passit me
Ane esie pais, thay ryding furth the gait,
And I abaid alone within the tre.

And as the rout was passit one and one,
And I remanand in the tre alone,
Out throw the wod come rydand catiues twane,
Ane on ane asse, a widdie about his mone,
The vther raid ane hiddeous hors vpone,
I passit furth and fast at thame did frane,
Quhat men thay wer? Thay answerit me agane,
Our namis bene Achitophel and Sinone,
That by our subtell menis, feill hes slane.

Wait ȝe (quod I) quhat signifeis ȝone rout?
Synon said ȝee: and gaue ane hiddeous schout
We wretchis bene abiect thair fra I wis.
ȝone is the Quene of Sapience but dout,
Lady Minerue, and ȝone twelf hir about
Ar the prudent Sibillais full of blis,
Cassandra eik Delbora and Circes,
The fatall sisters twynand our weirdis out,
Judith, Jael, and mony a Prophetis.

Quhilks groundit ar in firme intelligence,
And thair is als into ȝone court gone hence
Clerkis diuine, with problewmis curius.
As Salomon the well of sapience,
And Aristotell fulfillit of prudence,
Salust, Senek, and Titus Liuius,
Pithagoras, Porphyre, Permenydus,
Melysses with his sawis but defence,
Sidrach, Secundus, and Solenyus.

Ptholomeus, Ipocras, Socrates,
Empedocles, Neptenabus, Hermes,
Galien, Auerroes, and Plato,
Enoch, Lameth, Job and Diogenes,
The eloquent and prudent Vlisses,
Wise Josephus, and facund Cicero,
Melchisedech with vther mony mo.
Thair veyage lyis throw out this wildernes,
To the Palice of Honour all thay go.

Is situat from hence liggis ten hunder,
Our horsis oft, or we be thair, will founder.
Adew, we may na langer heir remane.
Or that ȝe pas, (quod I) tell me this wonder,
How that ȝe wretchit catiues thus at vnder
Ar sociat with this court souerane?
Achitophell maid this answer agane,
Knawis thow not? Haill, eirdquaik, and thunder
Ar oft in May with mony schour of rane.

Richt sa we bene into this companie
Our wit aboundit and vsit was lewdlie,
My wisdome ay fulfillit my desire,
As thou may in the Bybill weill espy:
How Davids prayer put my counsell by,
I gart his sone aganis him conspire,
The quhilk was slane, quhairfoir vp be the swire
Myself I hangit, frustrat sa foulelie.
This Synon was a Greik that raisit fire.

First into Troy, as Virgill dois report,
Sa tratourlike maid him be draw ouirthort
Quhill in he brocht the hors with men of armis,
Quhairthrow the toun destroyit was at schort.
(Quod I) Is this ȝour destanie and sort?
Cursit be he that sorrowis for ȝour harmis,
For ȝe haue bene schrewis baith, be Goddis armis,
ȝe will obtene na entres at ȝone port,
But gif it be throw sorcerie or charmis.

Ingres to haue (quod thay) we not presume,
It sufficis vs to se the Palice blume,
And stand on rowme, quhair better folk bene charrit,
For to remane, adew, we haue na tume,
This ilk way cummis the courtis, be our dume,
Of Diane and Venus, that feill hes marrit.
With that they raid away as thay war skarrit;
And I agane maist like ane elriche grume
Crap in the muskane aikin stok misharrit.

Thus wretchitlie I maid my residence,
Imagining feill syse for sum defence
In contrair sauage beistis maist cruell,
For na remeid bot deid be violence
Sum time asswagis febill indigence,
Thus in a part I recomfort mysell,
Bot that sa litle was I dar not tell,
The stichling of a mouse out of presence
Had bene to me mair vgsum than the hell.

ȝit glaid I was that I with them had spokin,
Had not bene that, certes my hart had brokin
For megirnes and pusillamitie.
Remanand thus within the tre all lokkin,
Desirand fast sum signes or sum tokin
Of Lady Venus, or hir companie;
Ane hart transformit ran fast by the tree
With houndis rent, on quhom Diane was wrokin,
Thairby I vnderstude that scho was nie.

Thay had befoir declairit hir cumming
Mair perfitelie, forthy I knew the signe
Was Acteon, quhilk Diane nakit waitit
Bathing in a well, and eik hir madynnis ȝing.
The Goddes was commouit at this thing,
And him in forme hes of ane hart translatit.
I saw (allace) his houndis at him slatit;
Backwert he blent to give them knawledgeing,
Thay raif thair lord, misknew him at them batit.

Sine ladyis come with lustie giltin tressis,
In habit wilde maist like till fostaressis.
Amiddis quhome heich on ane eliphant,
In signe that scho in chaistitie incressis,
Raid Diane, that ladyis hartis dressis
Till be stabill, and na way inconstant,
God wait that nane of thame is variant,
All chaist and trew virginitie professis
I note, bot few I saw with Diane hant.

Intill that court I saw anone present
Jephteis douchter a lustie lady gent,
Offerit to God in her virginitie.
Polixena I wis was not absent,
Peanthesile with mannis hardyment,
Effygin, and Virgenius douchter fre,
With vther flouris of feminitie,
Baith of the new and the auld testament,
All on thay raid and left me in the tre.

In that desert dispers in sonder skatterit,
Were bewis bair quhome rane and wind on batterit,
The water stank, the feild was odious
Quhair dragouns, lessertis, askis, edders swatterit,
With mouthis gapand, forkit taillis tatterit,
With mony a stang and spoutis vennemous,
Corrupting air be rewme contagious,
Maist gros and vile, enpoysonit cludis clatterit,
Reikand like hellis smoke sulfurious.

My daisit heid fordullit disselie,
I raisit vp half in ane litargie,
As dois ane catiue ydrunkin in sleip,
And sa appeirit to my fantasie,
A schynand licht out of the north eist sky,
The quhilk with cure to heir I did tak keip,
Proportion sounding dulcest, hard I peip,
In musick number full of harmonie
Distant on far was caryit be the deip.

Farther, by water, folk may soundis heir
Than be the eirth, the quhilk with poris seir
Vp drinkis air that mouit is be sound,
Quhilk in compact water of ane riueir,
May nocht enter, bot rinnis thair and heir,
Quhill it at last be caryit on the ground.
And thocht throw din be experience is found,
The fische ar causit within the riuer steir,
Inwith the water the noyis dois not abound.

Violent din the air brekis and deiris,
Sine greit motioun of air the water steiris,
The water steirit, fisches for feirdnes fleis,
Bot out of dout na fische in water heiris,
For as we se, richt few of thame hes eiris.
And eik forsuith, bot gif wise clerkis leis,
Thair is na air inwith waters nor seis,
But quhilk na thing may heir (as wise men leiris)
Like as but licht thair is na thing that seis.

Aneuch of this, I not quhat it may mene,
I will returne till declair all bedene,
My dreidfull dreame with grislie fantasyis
I schew befoir quhat I had hard or sene,
Particularlie sum of my panefull tene.
Bot now, God wait, quhat feirdnes on me lyis,
Langer (I said) and now this time is twyis,
Ane sound I hard of angellis as it had bene,
With harmonie fordinnand all the skyis.

Sa dulce, sa sweit, and sa melodious,
That euerie wicht thairwith micht be joyous,
Bot I and catiues dullit in dispair,
For quhen a man is wraith or furious,
Melancholik for wo, or tedious,
Than is all plesance till him maist contrair,
And semblablie than sa did with me fair;
This melodie intonit heuinlie thus,
For profound wo constranit me mak cair.

And murnand thus, as ane maist wofull wicht,
Of the maist plesant court I had a sicht,
In warld adoun sen Adam was creat.
Quhat sang? Quhat joy? Quhat harmonie? Quhat licht?
Quhat mirthfull solace plesance all at richt?
Quhat fresche bewtie? Quhat excelland estait?
Quhat sweit vocis? Quhat wordis suggurait?
Quhat fair debaitis? Quhat luifsum ladyis bricht?
Quhat lustie gallandis did on thair seruice wait?

Quhat gudlie pastance? and quhat menstralie?
Quhat game thay maid? in faith not tell can I,
Thocht I had profound wit angelicall.
The heuinlie soundis of thair harmonie,
Hes dynnit sa my drerie fantasie,
Baith wit and ressoun half is loist of all.
ȝit (as I knaw) als lichtlie say I sall,
That angellike and godlie companie
Till se, me thocht a thing celestiall.

Proceidand furth was draw ane chariote,
Be coursouris twelf, trappit in grene veluote,
Of fine gold wer junctures and harnasingis,
The lymnaris wer of birneist gold, God wote,
Baith aixtre and quheillis of gold I hote.
Of goldin cord wer lyamis, and the stringis
Festinnit coniunct in massie goldin ringis,
Euyr hamis conuenient for sic note,
And raw silk brechamis ouir thair halsis hingis.

The bodie of the cairt of euir bone,
With crisolitis and mony precious stone
Was all ouirfret in dew proportioun,
Like sternis in the firmament quhilks schone.
Reparrellit was that godlike plesand wone
Tyldit abone, and to the eirth adoun,
In richest claith of gold of purpure broun
But fas, nor vther frenȝeis, had it none,
Saif claith of gold anamallit all fassioun.

Quhairfra dependant hang thir megir bellis,
Sum round, sum thraw, in sound the quhilks excellis,
All wer of gold of Araby maist fine,
Quhilks with the wind concordandlie sa knellis
That to be glaid thair sound all wicht compellis,
The harmonie was sa melodious fine,
In mannis voice and instrument diuine,
Quhair sa thay went it semit nathing ellis
Bot ierarchyes of angellis ordours nine.

Amid the chair fulfillit of plesance,
Ane lady sat, at quhais obeysance
Was all that rout, and wonder is to heir
Of hir excelland lustie countenance,
Hir hie bewtie quhilk maist is to auance
Precellis all, thair may be na compeir;
For like Phebus in hiest of his spheir,
Hir bewtie schane castand sa greit ane glance,
All fairheid it opprest baith far and neir.

Scho was peirles of schap and portrature,
In hir had nature finischit hir cure,
As for gude hauingis thair was nane bot scho,
And hir array was sa fine and sa pure,
That quhairof was hir rob I am not sure,
For nocht bot perle and stanis micht I se,
Of quhome the brightnes of hir hie bewtie,
For to behald my sicht micht not indure,
Mair nor the bricht sone may the bakkis ee.

Hir hair as gold or topasis was hewit,
Quha hir beheld, hir bewtie ay renewit.
On heid scho had a crest of dyamantis.
Thair was na wicht that gat a sicht eschewit,
War he neuer sa constant or weill thewit,
Na he was woundit, and him hir seruant grantis.
That heuinlie wicht, hir cristall ene sa dantis,
For blenkis sweit nane passit vnpersewit,
Bot gif he wer preseruit as thir sanctis.

I wondert sair and fast in mind did stair,
Quhat creature that micht be was sa fair,
Of sa peirles excellent womanheid.
And farlyand thus I saw within the chair
Quhair that a man was set with lymmis squair
His bodie weill entailȝeit euerie steid.
He bair a bow with dartis haw as leid,
His cleithing was als grene as ane huntair,
Bot he forsuith had na eine in his heid.

I vnderstude be signes persauabill,
That was Cupyd the god maist dissauabill,
The lady Venus his mother a goddes,
I knew that was the court sa variabill
Of eirdly lufe, quhilk sendill standis stabill,
Bot ȝit thair mirth and solace neuertheles
In musick tone and menstralie expres
Sa craftelie with curage aggreabill,
Hard neuer wicht sic melodie I ges.

Accompanyit lustie ȝonkeirs with all,
Fresche ladyis sang in voice virgineall
Concordis sweit, diuers entoned reportis,
Proportionis fine with sound celestiall,
Duplat, triplat, diatesseriall,
Sesqui altera, and decupla resortis,
Diapason of mony sindrie sortis,
War soung and playit be seir cunning menstrall
On lufe ballatis with mony fair disportis.

In modulatioun hard I play and sing
Faburdoun, pricksang, discant, countering,
Cant organe, figuratioun, and gemmell,
On croud, lute, harp, with mony gudlie spring,
Schalmes, clariounis, portatiues, hard I ring,
Monycord, organe, tympane, and cymbell.
Sytholl, psalttrie, and voices sweit as bell,
Soft releschingis in dulce deliuering,
Fractionis diuide, at rest, or clois compell.

Not Pan of Archaid sa plesandlie playis,
Nor king David quhais playing as men sayis,
Coniurit the spreit the quhilk Saul confoundit,
Nor Amphion with mony subtell layis,
Quhilk Thebes wallit with harping in his dayis,
Nor he that first the subtell craftis foundit,
Was not in musick half sa weill igroundit,
Nor knew thair measure tent daill be na wayis,
At thair resort baith heuin and eird resoundit.

Na mair I vnderstude thir numbers fine,
Be God, than dois a gekgo or a swine,
Saif that me think sweit soundis gude to heir.
Na mair heiron my laubour will I tine,
Na mair I will thir verbillis sweit define,
How that thair musick tones war mair cleir
And dulcer than the mouing of the spheir,
Or Orpheus harp of Thrace with sound diuine,
Glaskeriane maid na noyis compeir.

Thay condiscend sa weill in ane accord,
That by na joint thair soundis bene discord,
In euerie key thay werren sa expert,
Of thair array gif I suld mak record,
Lustie springaldis and mony gudlie lord,
Tender ȝounglingis with pieteous virgin hart,
Elder ladyis knew mair of lustis art,
Diuers vthers quhilks me not list remord,
Quhais lakkest weid was silkis ouirbrouderit.

In vestures quent of mony sindrie gyse,
I saw all claith of gold men micht deuise,
Purpour colour, punik and skarlote hewis,
Veluot robbis maid with the grand assyse,
Dames, satyne, begaryit mony wise,
Cramessie satine, veluot enbroude in diuers rewis,
Satine figures champit with flouris and bewis,
Damesflure, tere pyle, quhairon thair lyis
Peirle, orphany, quhilk euerie stait renewis.

Thair riche entire, maist peirles to behald,
My wit can not discriue howbeit I wald,
Mony entrappit steid with silkis seir,
Mony pattrell neruit with gold I tald,
Full mony new gilt harnasing not ald,
On mony palfray luifsum ladyis cleir,
And nixt the chair I saw formest appeir,
Vpon a bardit curser stout and bald,
Mars, god of strife enarmit in birneist geir.

Euerie inuasibill wapon on him he bair,
His luik was grym, his bodie large and squair,
His lymmis weill entailȝeit to be strang,
His nek was greit, a span lenth weill or mair,
His visage braid with crisp broun curland hair,
Of stature not ouir greit, nor ȝit ouir lang.
Behaldand Venus, O ȝe my lufe (he sang).
And scho agane with dalyance sa fair
Hir knicht him cleipis, quhair sa he ryde or gang.

Thair was Arcyte, and Palemon aswa
Accompanyit with fair Aemilia,
The Quene Dido with hir fals lufe Enee,
Trew Troilus, vnfaithfull Cressida,
The fair Paris, and plesand Helena,
Constant Lucrece, and traist Penelope,
Kinde Piramus, and wobegone Thysbe,
Dolorous Progne, trist Philomena,
King Dauids lufe thair saw I Barsabe.

Thair was Ceix with the kind Alcyon,
And Achilles wroth with Agamemnon
For Brissida his lady fra him tane,
Wofull Phillis, and hir lufe Demophoon,
Subtell Medea, and hir knicht Jason.
Of France I saw thair Paris and Veane,
Thair was Phedra, Theseus and Adriane,
The secreit wise hardie Ipomedon,
Assueir, Hester, irrepreuabill Susane.

Thair was the fals vnhappy Dalida,
Cruell wickit and curst Deianira,
Waryit Biblis, and the fair Absolon,
Ypsyphile, abhominabill Sylla,
Tristram, Yside, Helcana and Anna,
Cleopatra and worthie Mark Anthone,
Jole, Hercules, Alcest, Ixion.
The onlie patient wife Gressillida,
Narcisus that his heid brak on ane stone.

Thair was Jacob with fair Rachel his maik,
The quhilk become till Laban for hir saik
Fourtene ȝeir bound, with hart immutabill,
Thair bene bot few sic now I vndertaik.
Thir fair ladyis in silk and claith of laik,
Thus lang sall not all foundin be sa stabill,
This Venus court, quhilk was in lufe maist abil,
For till discriue my cunning is to waik,
Ane multitude thay war innumerabill.

Of gudlie folke in euerie kinde and age,
With blenkis sweit, fresche lustie grene curage,
And daliance thay ryding furth in feir,
Sum leuis in hope, and sum in greit thirlage,
Sum in dispair, sum findis his panis swage,
Garlandis of flouris and rois chaipletis seir
Thay bair on heid, and samin sang sa cleir,
Quhill that thair mirth commouit my curage,
Till sing this lay quhilk followand ȝe may heir.

Constranit hart belappit in distres,
Groundit in wo, and full of heuines,
Complene thy panefull cairis infinite,
Bewaill this warldis frail vnsteidfastnes,
Hauand regrait, sen gane is thy glaidnes,
And all thy solace returnit in dispite.
O catiue thrall inuolupit in syte,
Confes thy fatall wofull wretchitnes,
Deuide in twane and furth diffound all tyte
Aggreuance greit in miserabill indyte.

My cruell fait subiectit to pennance
Predestinate, sa void of all plesance,
Hes euerie greif amid mine hart ingraue,
The slide inconstant destenie or chance,
Vnequallie dois hing in thair ballance.
My demerites and greit dolour I haue,
This purgatorie redoublis all the laue.
Ilk wicht hes sum weilfair at obeysance
Saif me bysning, that may na grace ressaue,
Deid the addres, and do me to my graue.

Wo worth sic strang misfortoun anoyous,
Quhilk hes opprest my spreitis maist joyous,
Wo worth this warldis freuch felicitie,
Wo worth my feruent diseis dolorous,
Wo worth the wicht that is not pieteous,
Quhair the trespassour penitent thay se.
Wo worth this deid that daylie dois me die,
Wo worth Cupyd, and wo worth fals Venus,
Wo worth thame baith, ay waryit mot thay be,
Wo worth thair court and cursit destenie.

Loude as I mocht in dolour all destrenȝeit,
This lay I sang, and not ane letter fenȝeit,
Tho saw I Venus on hir lip did bite,
And all the court in haist thair horsis renȝeit,
Proclamand loude, quhair is ȝone poid that plenȝeit,
Quhilk deith deseruis committand sic dispite,
Fra tre to tre thay seirching but respite.
Quhil ane me fand, quhilk said, and greit disdenȝeit,
Auant veillane, thow reclus imperfite.

All in ane feuir out of my muskane bowr,
On kneis I crap, and law for feir did lowre,
Than all the court on me thair heidis schuik,
Sum glowmand grim, sum girnand with visage sowre,
Sum in the nek gaue me feil dyntis dowre.
Pluk at the craw, thay cryit, deplome the ruik,
Pulland my hair, with blek my face they bruik,
Skrymmorie fery gaue me mony a clowre,
For Chyppynutie ful oft my chaftis quuik.

With pane, torment, thus in thair teneful play,
Till Venus bound thay led me furth the way,
Quhilk than was set amid a goldin chair;
And sa confoundit into that fell affray,
As that I micht considder thair array.
Me thocht the feild ouirspred with carpettis fair,
(Quhilk was tofoir brint, barrane, vile, and bair)
Wox maist plesand, bot all (the suith to say)
Micht nocht ameis my greuous pane full sair.

Enthronit sat Mars, Cupyd, and Venus,
Tho rais ane clerk was cleipit Varius,
Me till accusen of a deidlie crime,
And he begouth and red ane dittay thus.
Thou wickit catiue, wod and furious,
Presumpteouslie now at this present time
My Lady heir blasphemit in thy rime,
Hir sone, hir self, and hir court amorous,
For till betrais awaitit heir sen prime.

Now God thow wait, me thocht my fortune fey,
With quaikand voce and hart cald as a key,
On kneis I kneillit and mercie culd imploir,
Submittand me but ony langer pley,
Venus mandate and plesure to obey.
Grace was denyit and my trauell forloir,
For scho gaue charges to proceid as befoir.
Than Varius spak richt stoutlie me to fley
Inioynand silence till ask grace ony moir.

He demandit my answer, quhat I said,
Than as I mocht with curage all mismaid,
Fra time I vnderstude na mair supplie,
Sair abaisit, beliue I thus out braid;
Set of thir pointis of crime now on me laid,
I may be quite guiltles in veritie,
ȝit first agane, the judge quhilk heir I se,
This inordinate court, and proces quaid,
I will obiect for causis twa or thre.

Inclynand law (quod I) with peteous face,
I me defend, Madame, pleis it ȝour grace.
Say on (quod scho) than said I thus but mair;
Madame ȝe may not sit into this cace,
For ladyis may be judges in na place;
And mairatouir I am na seculair,
A spirituall man (thocht I be void of lair)
Cleipit I am, and aucht my liues space
To be remit till my judge ordinair.

I ȝow beseik Madame with bissie cure
Till giue ane gratious interlocuture,
On thir exceptiounis now proponit lait.
Than suddanelie Venus (I ȝow assure)
Deliuerit sone and with a voice sa sture,
Answerit thus, thow subtell smy, God wait,
Quhat, wenis thow to degraid my hie estait,
Me to decline as judge, curst creature?
It beis not sa, the game gais vther gait.

As we the find, thow sall thoill judgement,
Not of a clerk we se the represent,
Saif onlie falset and dissaitfull taillis,
First quhen thow come with hart and haill intent,
Thow the submittit to my commandement.
Now now thairof methink to sone thow faillis,
I wene na thing bot folie that the aillis,
ȝit clerkis bene in subtell wordis quent,
And in the deid als schairp as ony snaillis.

ȝe bene the men bewrayis my commandis,
ȝe bene the men disturbis my seruandis,
ȝe bene the men with wickit wordis feill,
Quhilk blasphemis fresche lustie ȝoung gallandis,
That in my seruice and retinew standis,
ȝe bene the men that cleipis ȝow sa leill,
With fals behest quhill ȝe ȝour purpois steill,
Sine ȝe forsweir baith bodie, treuth, and handis,
ȝe bene sa fals ȝe can na word conceill.

Haue done (quod scho) Schir Varius alswyith
Do write the sentence, lat this catiue kyith
Gif our power may deming his misdeid.
Than, God thow wait, gif that my spreit was blyith,
The fewerous hew intill my face did myith
All my male eis, for swa the horribill dreid
Haill me ouirset; I micht not say my creid,
For feir and wo within my skin I wryith,
I micht not pray, forsuith thocht I had neid.

ȝit of my deith I set not half ane fle,
For greit effeir me thocht na pane to die,
Bot sair I dred me for sum vther jaip,
That Venus suld throw her subtillitie,
In till sum bysning beist transfigurat me,
As in a beir, a bair, ane oule, ane aip,
I traistit sa for till haue bene mischaip,
That oft I wald my hand behald to se
Gif it alterit, and oft my visage graip.

Tho I reuoluit in my minde anone,
How that Diane transformit Acteone,
And Juno eik as for a kow gart keip
The fair Yo, that lang was wobegone,
Argus her ȝimmit that ene had mony one,
Quhome at the last Mercurius gart sleip,
And hir deliuerit of that danger deip;
I rememberit also how in a stone,
The wife of Loth ichangit sair did weip.

I vmbethocht how Joue and auld Saturne,
Intill ane wolf thay did Lycaon turne,
And how the michtie Nabuchodonosor
In beistlie forme did on the feild soiurne,
And for his gilt was maid to weip and murne.
Thir feirfull wonders gart me dreid full soir,
For by exempilis oft I hard tofoir.
He suld bewar that seis his fellow spurne,
Mischance of ane, suld be ane vtheris loir.

And rolland thus in diuers fantaseis
Terribill thochtis oft my hart did gryis,
For all remeid was alterit in dispair.
Thair was na hope of mercie till deuyis,
Thair was na wicht my freind be na kin wyis,
All haillelie the court was me contrair.
Than was almaist writtin the sentence sair,
My febill minde seand this greit suppryis,
Was than of wit and euerie blis full bair.