The Secund Part

O thus amid this hard perplexitie,
Awaitand euer quhat moment I suld die,
Or than sum new transfiguratioun;
He that quhilk is eternall veritie,
The glorious Lord, ringand in persounis thre,
Prouydit hes for my saluatioun,
Be sum gude spreitis reuelatioun,
Quhilk intercessioun maid (I traist) for me,
I forȝet all imaginatioun.

All haill my dreid I tho forȝet in hy,
And all my wo, bot ȝit I wist not quhy,
Saue that I had sum hope till be releuit,
I raisit than my visage haistelie,
And with a blenk anone I did espy,
A lusty sicht quhilk nocht my hart engreuit,
Ane heuinlie rout out throw the wod escheuit,
Of quhome the bountie, gif I not deny,
Vneith may be intill ane scripture brewit.

With lawreir crownit in robbis side all new,
Of a fassoun and all of steidfast hew,
Arrayit weill ane court I saw cum neir.
Of wise degest eloquent fathers trew,
And plesand ladyis quhilks fresch bewtie schew,
Singand softlie full sweit on their maneir
On poet wise, all diuers versis seir,
Historyis greit in Latine toung and Grew,
With fresche indite and soundis gude to heir.

And sum of thame ad lyram playit and sang
Sa plesand verse, quhill all the roches rang,
Metir saphik, and also elygie.
Thair instrumentis all maist war fidillis lang,
But with a string quhilk neuer a wreist ȝeid wrang,
Sum had ane harp, and sum a fair psaltrie,
[On lutis sum thair accentis subtelle]
Deuydit weill, and held the measure lang,
In soundis sweit of plesand melodie.

The ladyis sang in voices dulcorait
Facund epistillis quhilks quhylum Ouid wrait,
As Phillis quene send till duke Demophoon,
And of Penelope the greit regrait,
Send to hir lord scho douting his estait,
That he at Troy suld loisit be or tone.
How Acontius till Cydippe anone
Wrait his complaint, thair hard I weill, God wait,
With vther lustie missiues mony one.

I had greit wonder of thay ladyis seir,
Quhilks in that airt micht haue na way compeir,
Of castis quent, rethorik colouris fine,
Sa poeit like in subtell fair maneir,
And eloquent firme cadence regulair.
Thair veyage furth contenand richt as line,
With sang and play (as said is) sa deuine,
Thay fast approching to the place weill neir,
Quhair I was torment into my greit pine.

And as that heuinlie sort new nominait,
Remouit furth on gudlie wise thair gait,
Toward the court quhilk was tofoir expremit,
My curage grew, for quhat cause I nocht wait,
Saif that I held me payit of thair estait;
And thay war folk of knawledge as it semit,
Als into Venus court full fast thay demit;
Sayand, ȝone lustie court will stop or meit,
To justifie this bysning quhilk blasphemit.

ȝone is (quod thay) the court rethoricall,
Of polit termis, sang poeticall,
And constand ground of famous storeis sweit,
ȝone is the facound well celestiall,
ȝone is the fontane and originall,
Quhairfra the well of Helicon dois fleit,
ȝone are the folk that comfortis euerie spreit,
Be fine delite and dite angelicall,
Causand gros leid all of maist gudnes gleit.

ȝone is the court of plesand steidfastnes,
ȝone is the court of constant merines,
ȝone is the court of joyous discipline,
Quhilk causis folk thair purpois to expres
In ornate wise, prouokand with glaidnes
All gentill hartis to thair lair incline,
Euerie famous poeit men may diuine
Is in ȝone rout, lo ȝonder thair princes
Thespis, the mother of the musis nine.

And nixt hir sine, hir dochter first byget
Lady Cleo, quhilk craftelie dois set
Historyis auld, like as thay war present;
Euterpe eik, quhilk daylie dois hir det
In dulce blastis of pypis sweit but let;
The third sister, Thalia, diligent
In wantoun writ, and chronikill dois imprent;
The feird endytis oft with cheikis wet
Sair tragedeis, Melpomene the gent.

Terpsichore the fyft with humbill soun,
Makis on psalteris modulatioun;
The sext Erato, like thir louers wilde,
Will sing, daunce, and leip baith vp and doun.
Polymnia, the seuint muse of renoun,
Dytis thir sweit rethorick colouris milde,
Quhilks are sa plesand baith to man and childe;
Vrania, the aucht sister with croun,
Writes the heuin and starnis all bedene.

The nynt, quhome to nane vther is compeir,
Calliope the lustie lady cleir,
Of quhome the bewtie and the worthines
Hir vertewis greit schynis baith far and neir,
For scho of nobill fatis hes the steir,
To write thair worschip, victorie and prowes
In kinglie stile, quhilk dois thair fame incres,
Cleipit in Latine heroicus, but weir,
Chief of all write like as scho is maistres.

Thir musis nine lo ȝonder may ȝe se,
With fresche nymphes of water and of sey,
And fair ladyis of thir tempillis auld,
Pyerides, Dryades and Saturee,
Nereides, Aones, Napee,
Of quhome the bounteis neidis not be tauld.
Thus demit the court of Venus monyfauld;
Quhilk speiche refreschit my perplexitie,
Reioysand weill, my spreit befoir was cauld.

The suddane sicht of that firme court foirsaid,
Recomfort weill my hew befoir was faid,
Amid my spreit the joyous heit redoundit,
Behalding how the lustie musis raid,
And all thair court quhilk was sa blyith and glaid,
Quhais merines all heuines confoundit;
Thair saw I weill in poetrie ygroundit,
The greit Homeir, quhilk in Greik language said
Maist eloquentlie, in quhome all wit ybound it.

Thair was the greit Latine Virgilius,
The famous father poeit Ouidius,
Dictes, Dares, and eik the trew Lucane,
Thair was Plautus, Poggius, and Persius,
Thair was Terence, Donate, and Seruius,
Francis Petrarche, Flaccus Valeriane,
Thair was Esope, Cato, and Allane,
Thair was Gaulteir and Boetius,
Thair was also the greit Quintiliane.

Thair was the satir poet Juuenall,
Thair was the mixt and subtell Martiall.
Of Thebes brute thair was the poet Stace,
Thair was Faustus, and Laurence of the Vale,
Pomponius, quhais fame of late sans faill,
Is blawin wide throw euerie realme and place,
Thair was the morall wise poet Horace,
With mony vther clerk of greit auaill,
Thair was Brunell, Claudius, and Bocchas.

Sa greit ane preis of pepill drew vs neir,
The hundreth part thair names ar not heir,
ȝit saw I thair of Brutus Albyon,
Geffray Chauceir, as a per se sans peir
In his vulgare, and morall Johne Goweir.
Lydgait the monk raid musing him allone,
Of this natioun I knew also anone,
Greit Kennedie, and Dunbar ȝit vndeid,
And Quintine with ane huttok on his heid.

Howbeit I culd declair and weill indite,
The bounteis of that court dewlie to write
War ouir prolixt, transcending mine ingine,
Tuiching the proces of my panefull site.
Beliue I saw thir lustie musis quhite,
With all thair rout towart Venus decline,
Quhair Cupide sat with hir in throne deuine,
I standand bundin in ane sorie plite,
Bydand thair grace, or than my deidlie pine.

Straicht to thair quene thir samin musis raid,
Maist eloquentlie thair salutatiounis maid,
Venus again ȝald thame thair salusing
Richt reuerentlie, and on hir feit vpbraid,
Beseikand thame to licht, nay, nay, thay said,
We may not heir mak na lang tarying.
Calliope maist facound and bening,
Inquirit Venus quhat wicht had hir mismaid,
Or quhat was cause of hir thair soiourning.

Sister (said scho) behald ȝone bysning schrew,
A subtell smy, considder weill his hew,
Standis thair bound, and bekinnit hir to me,
ȝone catiue had blasphemit me of new,
For to degraid, and do my fame adew,
A laithlie ryme dispitefull and subtelle
Compylit hes, reheirsand loud and hie
Sclander, dispite, sorrow and velanie,
To me, my sone, and eik our court for ay.

He hes deseruit deith, he sall be deid,
And we remaine forsuith into this steid,
To justifie that rebald rennigait.
Quod Calliope, sister away all feid,
Quhy suld he die, quhy suld he lois his heid.
To slay him for sa small ane cryme, God wait,
Greitar degrading war to ȝour estait,
To sic as he to mak conter pleid,
How may ane fule ȝour hie honour chekmait?

Quhat of his lak, sa wide ȝour fame is blaw,
ȝour excellence maist peirles is sa knaw,
Na wretchis word may depair ȝour hie name.
Giue me his life, and modifie the law,
For on my heid he standis now sic aw,
That he sall efter deserue neuer mair blame,
Nocht of his deith ȝe may report bot schame,
In recompence for his missettand saw,
He sall ȝour hest in euerie part proclame.

Than, Lord, how glaid becam my febil goist,
My curage grew the whilk befoir was loist,
Seand I had sa greit ane aduocait,
That expertlie but prayer, price or coist,
Obtenit had my friwoll actioun almoist,
Quhilk was befoir perischit and desolait;
This quhile Venus stude in ane studie strait,
Bot finallie scho schew till all the oist
Scho wald do grace, and not be obstinait.

I will (said scho) haue mercie and pietie,
Do slaik my wraith, and let all rancour be.
Quhair is mair vice than to be ouir cruell?
And speciallie in wemen sic as me,
A lady, fy, that usis tyrannie,
Ane vennome is rather and a serpent fell.
A vennemous dragoun or ane deuill of hell
Is na compair to the iniquitie
Of bald wemen, as thir wise clerkis tell.

Greit God defend I suld be one of tho,
Quhilk of thair feid and malice neuer ho.
Out on sic gram I will haue na repreif.
Calliope sister said to Venus tho.
At ȝour requeist this wretche sall frelie go;
Heir I remit his trespas, and all greif
Sall be forȝet, sa he will say sum breif
Or schort ballat, in contrair pane and wo,
Tuitching my laude, and his plesand releif.

And secundlie, the nixt ressonabill command,
Quhilk I him charge, se that he nocht ganestand,
On thir conditiounis sister at ȝour requeist,
He sall gang fre; quod Calliope inclinand,
Grant mercie sister, I obleis be my hand,
He sall obserue in all pointis ȝour behest.
Than Venus bade do slaik sone my arreist.
Beliue I was releuit of euerie band,
Vprais the court, and all the parlour ceist.

Tho sat I doun lawlie vpon my kne,
At command of prudent Calliope,
ȝeildand Venus thankis ane thousand syith,
For sa hie freindship, and mercifull pietie,
Excelland grace, and greit humanitie,
The quhilk to me trespassour did scho kyith.
I the forgiue, (quod scho) than was I blyith.
Doun on ane stock I set me suddanelie
At hir command, and wrait this lay alswyith.

Vnwemmit wit deliuerit of dangair,
Maist happelie deliuerit fra the snair,
Releuit fre of seruice and bondage,
Expell dolour, expell diseisis sair,
Auoid displesure, womenting and cair,
Ressaue plesance, and do thy sorrow swage,
Behald thy glaid fresche lustie grene curage,
Reioyce amid thir louers but dispair,
Prouide ane place to plant thy tender age,
In lestand blis to remane and repair.

Quha is in welth? Quha is weill fortunait?
Quha is in pietie disseuerit fra debait?
Quha leuis in hope? Wha leuis in esperance?
Quha standis in grace? Quha standis in firme estait?
Quha is content, reioycit air or lait?
Or quha is he that fortoun dois auance
Bot thow that is replenischit of plesance,
Thow hes comfort, all weilfair delicait,
Thou hes glaidnes, thow hes the happie chance,
Thow hes thy will, thow be nocht desolait.

Incres in mirthfull consolatioun,
In joyous sweit imaginatioun,
Abound in lufe of perfite amouris,
With diligent trew deliberatioun,
Rander louingis for thy saluatioun
Till Venus, and vnder her guerdoun all houris
Rest at all eis, but sair or sitefull schouris,
Abide in quiet, maist constant weilfair,
[Be glaid and lycht now in thy lusty flouris]
Vnwemmit wit deliuerit of dangeir.

This lay was red in oppin audience
Of the musis and in Venus presence.
I stand content; thou art obedient,
Quod Calliope, my companioun and defence.
Venus said eik it was sum recompence
For my trespas, I was sa penitent,
And with that word all suddanelie scho went,
In ane instant scho and hir court was hence,
ȝit still abaid thir musis on the bent.

Inclinand than, I said, Calliope,
My protectour, my help and my supplie,
My souerane lady, my redemptioun,
My mediatour, quhen I was dampnit to die,
I sall beseik the godlie maiestie,
Infinite thankis, laude, and benisoun
ȝow till acquite, according ȝour renoun;
It langis nocht my possibilitie,
Till recompence ten part of this guerdoun.

Gloir, honour, laude, and reuerence conding,
Quha may forȝeild ȝow of sa hie ane thing,
And in that part ȝour mercie I imploir,
Submitting me my lifetime induring,
ȝour plesure and mandate till obeysing.
Silence (said scho) I haue aneuch heirfoir,
I will thow wend and vesie wonderis moir.
Than scho me hes betaucht in keiping
Of ane sweit nimphe maist faithfull and decoir.

Ane hors I gat maist richelie besene,
Was harneist all with wodbind leuis grene,
Of the same sute the trappours law doun hang,
Ouir him I straid at command of the quene,
Tho samin furth we ryding all bedene,
Als swift as thocht with mony a merie sang,
My nimphe alwayis conuoyit me of thrang,
Amid the musis to se quhat thay wald mene,
Quhilks sang and playit bot neuer a wreist ȝeid wrang.

Throw countreis seir, holtis and roches hie,
Ouir vailis, planis, woddis, wallie sey,
Ouir fludis fair, and mony strait montane,
We war caryit in twinkling of ane eye.
Our horsis flaw, and raid nocht, as thocht me,
Now out of France tursit in Tuskane,
Now out of Flanders heich vp in Almane,
Now into Egypt, now into Italie,
Now in the realme of Trace, and now in Spane.

The hie montanes we passit of Germanie,
Ouir Appennynus deuydand Italie,
Ouir Ryne, the Pow, and Tiber fludes fair,
Ouir Alpheus, by Pyes the riche cietie,
Vnder the eirth, that enteris in the see,
Ouir Rone, ouir Sane, ouir France, and eik ouir Lair,
And ouir Tagus the goldin sandit riuair,
In Thessalie we passit the mont Oethe,
And Hercules in sepulture fand thair.

Thair went we ouir the riuer Peneyus,
In Sicill eik we passit the mont Tmolus,
Pleneist with saiffron, honie, and with wyne,
The twa toppit famous Pernasus,
In Trace we went out ouir the mont Emus,
Quhair Orpheus leirit his harmonie maist fyne,
Ouir Carmelus quhair twa prophetis deuyne
Remanit, Helias and Heliseus,
Fra quhome the ordour of Carmelites come syne.

And nixt vnto the land of Amazon,
In haist we past the flude Termodyon,
And ouir the hudge hill that hecht Mynas,
We raid the hill of Bacchus Citheron,
And Olympus the mont of Macedon,
Quhilk semis heich vp in the heuin to pas,
In that countrie we raid the flude Melas,
Quhais water makis quhite scheip blak anone,
In Europe eik we raid the flude Thanas.

We raid the swift riuer Sparthiades,
The flude of Surry Achicorontes,
The hill sa full of wellis cleipit Yda,
Armenie hillis, and flude Euphrates,
The flude of Nyle the precious flude Ganges,
The hill of Sicill ay birnand Ethna,
And ouir the mont of Phrigie Dindama,
Hallowit in honour of the mother goddes,
Cauld Caucasus we past in Sythia.

We past the fludis of Tigris and Phison,
Of Thrace the riuers Hebrun and Strymon,
The mont of Modan and the flude Jordane,
The facund well and hill of Helicon,
The mont Erix, the well of Acheron,
Baith dedicate to Venus in certane,
We past the hill and desert of Libane,
Ouir mont Cinthus quhair god Appollo schone,
Straicht to the musis caballine fontane.

Beside that cristall well sweit and degest,
Thame to repois, thair hors refresche and rest,
Alichtit doun thir musis cleir of hew.
The companie all haillelie leist and best,
Thrang to the well to drink quhilk ran southwest,
Throw out ane meid quhair alkin flouris grew,
Amang the laif ful fast I did persew
To drink, bot sa the greit preis me opprest,
That of the water I micht not taste a drew.

Our horsis pasturit in ane plesand plane,
Law at the fute of ane fair grene montane,
Amid ane meid schaddowit with ceder treis,
Saif fra all heit, thair micht we weill remane.
All kinde of herbis, flouris, frute, and grane,
With euerie growand tre thair men micht cheis,
The beriall stremis rinnand ouir stanerie greis
Made sober noyis, the schaw dinnit agane
For birdis sang, and sounding of the beis.

The ladyis fair on diuers instrumentis,
Went playand, singand, dansand ouir the bentis,
Full angellike and heuinlie was thair soun.
Quhat creature amid his hart imprentis,
The fresche bewtie, the gudelie representis,
The merie speiche, fair hauingis, hie renoun
Of thame, wald set a wise man half in swoun,
Thair womanlines wryithit the elementis,
Stoneist the heuin, and all the eirth adoun.

The warld may not considder nor discriue
The heuinlie joy, the blis I saw beliue,
Sa ineffabill, abone my wit sa hie;
I will na mair thairon my foirheid riue,
Bot breiflie furth my febill proces driue.
Law in the meid ane palȝeoun picht I se,
Maist gudliest, and richest that micht be;
My gouernour ofter than times fiue,
Vnto that hald to pas commandit me.

Swa finallie straicht to that royall steid,
In fellowschip with my leidar I ȝeid;
We enterit sone, the portar was not thra,
Thair was na stopping lang demand nor pleid,
I kneillit law, and vnheildit my heid,
And tho I saw our ladyis twa and twa,
Sittand on deissis, familiars to and fra
Seruand thame fast with ypocras and meid,
Delicait meitis, dainteis seir alswa.

Greit was the preis, the feist royall to sene,
At eis thay eit with interludis betwene,
Gaue problewmis seir, and mony fair demandis,
Inquyrand quha best in their times had bene,
Quha traist louers in lustie ȝeiris grene,
Sum said this way, and sum thairto ganestandis,
Than Calliope, Ouide to appeir commandis,
My clerk (quod scho) of register bedene,
Declair quha war maist worthie of thair handis.

With lawrere crownit at hir commandement,
Vpstude this poeit digest and eloquent,
And schew the fatis of Hercules the strang,
How he the grislie hellis hounds out rent,
Slew lyounis, monsturis, and mony fell serpent,
And to the deith feil michtie gyantis dang.
Of Theseus eik, he schew the weiris lang
Agane the quene Ypolita the sweit,
And how he slew the Minotaur in Creit.

Of Perseus he tauld the knichtlie deidis,
Quhilk vinquischit, as men in Ouide reidis,
Cruell tyrantis and monstures mony one,
Of Dianis bair, in Callidon the dreidis,
How throw ane ladyis schot his sydis bleidis,
The bretheris deith, and sine the sisters mone.
He schew how king Priamus sone Yssacone,
Efter his deith, bodie and all his weidis,
Intill ane skarth transformit was anone.

He schew at Troy quhat wise the Greikis lands,
How feirs Achilles stranglit with his handis
The vailȝeant Cygnus, Neptunus sone maist deir,
Quhilk at Greikis arriuall on the strandis,
A thousand slew that day vpon the sandis,
Faucht with Achill and bluntit all his speir,
Na wapin was that micht him wound or deir,
Quhill Achilles brist of his helme the bandis,
And wirryit him be force for all his feir.

He schew full mony transmutatiounis,
And wonderfull new figuratiounis,
Be hundrethis mo than I haue heir expremit,
He tauld of lufis meditatiounis,
The craft of lufe and the saluatiounis,
How that the furie lustis suld be flemet.
Of diuers vther maters als he demit,
And be his prudent schairp relatiounis,
He was expert of all thing as it semit.

Vprais the greit Virgilius anone,
And playit the sportis of Daphnis and Corydone;
Sine Terence come, and playit the comedy
Of Parmeno, Thrason, and wise Gnatone;
Juuenall like ane mowar him allone,
Stude scornand euerie man as thay ȝeid by;
Martiall was cuik till roist, seith, farce and fry,
And Poggius stude with mony girne and grone,
On Laurence Valla spittand and cryand fy.

With mirthis thus, and meitis delicait,
Thir ladyis feistit according thair estait,
Vprais at last, commandand till tranoynt.
Retreit was blawin loude, and than, God wait,
Men micht haue sene swift horsis haldin hait,
Schynand for sweit, as thay had bene anoynt.
Of all that rout was neuer a prik disioynt,
For all our tary, and I furth with my mait
Mountit on hors, raid samin in gude point.

Ouir mony gudelie plane we raid bedene,
The vaill of Hebron, the camp Damascene,
Throw Josaphat, and throw the lustie vaill,
Ouir waters wan, throw worthie woddis grene;
And swa at last in lifting vp our ene,
We se the finall end of our trauaill,
Amid ane plane a plesand roche to waill,
And euerie wicht fra we that sicht had sene,
Thankand greit God, their heidis law deuaill.

With singing, lauching, merines and play,
Vnto this roche we ryden furth the way,
Now mair to write for feir trimblis my pen,
The hart may not think nor mannis toung say,
The eir nocht heir, nor ȝit the eye se may,
It may not be imaginit with men,
The heuinlie blis, the perfite joy to ken,
Quhilk now I saw, the hundreth part all day
I micht not schaw, thocht I had toungis ten.

Thocht all my members toungis war on raw,
I war not abill the thousand fauld to schaw,
Quhairfoir I feir ocht farther mair to write,
For quhidder I this in saull or bodie saw,
That wait I nocht, bot he that all dois knaw,
The greit God wait, in euerie thing perfite,
Eik gif I wald this auisioun indite,
Janglaris suld it bakbite, and stand nane aw,
Cry out on dremis quhilks are not worth ane mite.

Senthis till me all veritie be kend,
I repute better thus to mak ane end,
Than ocht to say that suld heiraris engreif;
On vther side thocht thay me vilipend,
I considder prudent folk will commend
The veritie, and sic jangling repreif,
With quhais correctioun, support and releif,
Furth to proceid, this proces I pretend,
Traistand in God my purpois to escheif.

Howbeit I may not euerie circumstance
Reduce perfitelie in remembrance,
Myne ignorance ȝit sum part sall deuise,
Tuitching this sicht of heuinlie sweit plesance.
Now emptie pen write furth thy lustie chance,
Schaw wonderis feill, suppois thow be not wise,
Be diligent and ripelie the auise,
Be quick and schairp voidit of variance,
Be sweit, and caus not gentill hartis grise.