Tho saw I Venus on hir lyp did byte And all the court in hast thair horsys renÈeit Proclamand loude quhare is Èone poid that plenÈeit Quhilk deth diseruis conmittand sik dispite Fra tre to tre thay serchyng but respyte Quhill ane me fand quhilk said in greif disdenÈeit Auant belane thou reclus imperfyte ¶ All in ane feuyr out of my muskan bowr On knees I crap and law for feare did lowr Than all the court on me thayr hedis schuke Sum glowmand grym sum grinand with vissage sowr Sum in the nek gaue me feil dyntis dowr Pluk at the craw thay cryit deplome the ruke Pulland my hare with blek my face they bruke Skrymmory fery gaif me mony a clowr For chyppynuty full oft my chaftis quuke With payne torment thus in thayr teynfull play Till Venus bund thay led me furth the way Quhilk than wes set amyd a golden chare And so confoundit in to that fell affray As that I micht consydyr thair array Me thocht the feild ouirspred w t carpetis fare Quhilk wes to fore brint barrant vile bare Wox maist plesand bot all the suyth to say Micht not amese my grewous pane full sare ¶ Entronit sat Mars Cupyd and Venus The Auctor accused Tho rais a clerk wes clepit Varius Me tyl accusyng as of a dedly cryme And he begouth and red a dittay thus Thou wikkit catyue wod and furius Presumptuusly now at this present tyme. My lady here blasphemed in thy tyme. Hir sonne hir self and hir court amorus For till betrais awatit here sen pryme ¶ Now God yow wate me thocht my fortune fey Wyth quakand voce and hart cald as a key On kneys I knelyt and mercy culd implore Submyttand me but ony langer pley Venus mandate and plesour till obey Grace wes denyit and my trauel forlore For scho gaif chargis till procede as before Than Varius spak rycht stoutly me till ney Inionand silence tyll ask grace ony more ¶ He demandit myn answere quhat I sayd Than as I mocht with curage all mysmaid Fra tyme I vndirstude na mare supple Answer Sore abasyt beliue I thus out braid Set of thir pointis of cryme now on me laid I may me quyte gyltles in verite Èit fyrst agane the Iuge quhilk here I se This inordenat court and proces quaid I wyl obiect for causys twa or thre ⧠Inclynand law quod I with pretuus face I me defend Appellationem medame plesyt Èout grace Say on quod sche than said I thus but mare Madame Èe may not syt in till this cace For ladyis may be Iugis in na place And maie attour I am na seculare A spirituall man thocht I be void of late Clâ—pyt I am aucht mâ— lyuys space To be remyt till my Iuge ordinare ¶ I Èow bescik madame with byssy cure Till gyf ane gracius interlocuture On thir exceptionys now proponyt late Than suddanly Venus I Èow assure Deliuerit sone and with a voce so sture Answeryt thus thow subtyle smy god wate Quhat wenys thou till degraid myne hie estate A thretnyng Me till declyne as Iuge curst creature It beis not so the game gois othir gate ¶ As we the fynd thow sall thoill Iugement Not of a clerk we se the represent Saue onely falsshed and dissaitfull talys Fyrst quhen thow come with hart and hail entent Thow the submyttit till my commaundement Now now thairof me thynk to sone thow falys I weyn nathyng bot foly that the alys 〈◊〉 clerkis bene in subtyle wordis quent And in the deid al 's scharpe as ony snalys ¶ Èe bene the men bewrays my coÌ„mandis Èe bene the men distrublys my seruandis Èe bene the men with wikkyt wordis fele Quhilk blasphemys fresch lusty Èong gallandis That in my seruyce and retenew standis Èe bene the men that clepys Èow so lele With fals beheft quhill Èe your purpose stele Syne Èe forswere baith body treuth and handis Èe bene sa fals Èe can no word consele ¶ Haue doyn quod sche syr Varius alswyith Do writ the sentence lat this catiue kyith Gyf our power may demyng his mysdeid Than god thow wait gyf that my spreit wes blyith The feuerus hew in till my face dyd myith All my male eys for swa the horribill dreid Hail me ouyrset I mycht nocht say my creid For feir and wo within my skyn I wryith I mycht nocht pray forsuyth thocht I had neid ¶ Èit of my deth I set not half a fle For gret effere me thocht na pane to be Bot sore I dred me for sum othyr Iape That Venus suld throw hir subtillyte In till sum bysnyng best transfigurit me As in a bere a bair ane oule ane ape I traistit so for till haue bene myssape That oft I wald my hand behald to se Gyf it alteryt and oft my vissage grape ¶ Tho I reuoluit in my mynd anone Quhow that Diane transformyt Acteone And Iuno eik as for a kow gert kepe The fare yo that lang wes wo begone Argos hir Èymmyt that eyn had mony one Quhom at the last Mercurius gert slepe And hir delyuerit of that danger depe I remembret also quhom in a stone The wyfe of Loth Ichangit sore did wepe ¶ I vmbethocht quhow Ioue ald Saturn In tyll a wolf thay did Lycaon turn And quhow the mychty Nabugodonosore In bestly forme did on the feild sudiourn And for his gilt wes maid to wepe and murn Thir feirfull wondris gart me dreid ful sore For by exemplys oft I herd to fore He suld bewar that seys his fallow spurn Myschans of ane suld be ane otheris lore ¶ And rolland thus in diuers fantaysyis Terribil thochtis oft my hert did gryis For all remeid wes alterit in dispare Thare wes na hope of mercy till deuyis Thare wes na wycht my frend be na kyn wyis Alhalely the court wes me contrare Than wes all maist wryttyn the sentence sare My febyll mynd seand this gret suppris Wes than of wit and euery blys full bare ¶ The seconde parte LO thus amyd this hard perlexite Awaytand euÌ„ quhat moment I suld deâ— Or than sum new transfiguration CoÌ„solatioÌ„ He quhilk that is eternall verite The glorious lord ryngaÌ„d in personis thrâ— Prouidit has for my saluation Be sum gude spretis reuelation Quhilk intercion maid I traist for me I forÈet all Imagination ¶ All hail my dreid I tho forÈet in hy And all my wo bot Èit I wyst not quhy Saue that I had sum hope till be releuyt I rasyt than my vissage hastely And with a blenk anone I did espy A lusty sycht quhilk nocht my hart engreuit Ane heuinly rout out throw the wod escheuyt Of quhame the bonty gyf I not deny Vneth may be in till ane scipture breuit ¶ With lawrere crowayt in robbis syd all new Of a fassoun and all of stedfast hew Arrayit weil Poetis a court
I saw cum nere Of wyse Degest eloquent fathers trew And plesand ladyis quhilkis fresch bewtie scheâ— Syngand softly full swete on thair manere On poete wyse all diuers versis sere Historyis gret in latyne toung and grew Wyth fresch endyt and soundis gude till here ¶ And sum of thaym ad Lyram playit and sang So plesand vers quhill all the rochys tang Metyr Saphik and also Elygee Thair instrumentis all maist wet fydlys lang Bot w t a strig quhilk neuyr ane wreist Èeid wraÌ„ng Sum had ane harpe and sum a fair psaltree On lutis sum thair accentis subtelle Deuydyt weil and held mesure lang In soundis swete of plesand melodie ¶ The ladyis sang in vocis dulcorate Facund epistillis quhilkis quhilum Ouid wrate As Phillys quene send till duke Demophon And of Pennolepe the gret regrate Send till hir lord sche dowryng his estate That he at Troy suld losyt be or tone Quhow Acontus till Cediâ—pa anone Wrate his conplaint thair hard I weil god wate With othir lusty myssyuis mony one ¶ I had gret wondir of thair layis sere Quhilkis in that arte mycht haue na way compete Of castis quent rethorik colouris fyne So poete lyk in subtyle fair manere And elaquent fyrme Cadens regulere Thair vayage furth contenand rycht as lyne With sang and play as sayd is so dyuine Thay fast approchyng to the place well nere Quhare I wes torment in my gastly pyne ☞ And as the heuynly sort now nomynate Remouyt furth on gudly wyse the gate Towert the court quhilk wes tofore expremit My curage grew for quhat cause I not wate â–ª Saue that I held me payit of thayr estate And thay wer folk of knawlagis as it semit Al 's in til Venus court full fast thay demyt Sayand Èone lusty rout wyll stop our mate Till Iustefy thys bisning quhilk blasphemit ¶ Èone is quod they the court rethoricall Of polit termys sang poeticall And constaÌ„d ground of famus historyis swete Èone is the facund well celestiall Èone is the fontayn and origynall Quhare fra the well of hylicon dois flete Èone ar the folkis that comfortes euery sprete Be fyne delyte and dyte angelicall Causand gros lede all of maist gudnes glete ¶ Èone is the court of plesand stedfastnes Èone is the court of constant merynes Èone is the court of Ioyus disciplyne Quhilk causys folk thar purpos till expres In ornat wyse prouocand with gladnes All gentyll hartis to thare lare inclyne Euery famus poet men may deuyne Is in Èone rout Lo Èondir thair prynces Thespis the morthyr of musis nyne ⧠And nixt hir syne hir douchter fyrst byget Lady Cleo quhilk craftely dois set Historiis aid The nyne muses lyk as thay wer present Euterpe eik quhilk dayly dois hir det In dulce blastis of pipis swete but let The thyrd systir Thalia diligent In wanton wryt and cronikillis doith impren The ferd endityth oft with chekis wet Sare Tragedyis Melphomyne the gent. ¶ Tatpsychore the fyft with humyll Soun Makis on psaltreis modolatioun The sext erato lyk thir luffirs wylde Will syng play dans and leip baith vp and doune Polimnya the seuynt muse of renoun Ditis thir swete rethorik cullouris mylde Quhil kis ar so plesand baith to man and chylde Vranya the aucht and sistir schene Wrytis the heuyn and sternys all bedene ☞ The nynt quham till nane othir is compere Caliope that lusty lady clere Of quham the bewtye and the worthynes The vertuys gret schynis baith far and nere For sche of nobillis fatis hes the stere Till wryt thair worschyp victory and prowes In kyngly style quhilk dois thair fame encres Clepyt in latyne Heroicus but were Cheif of al wryt lyk as scho is maistres ¶ Thir musis nyne lo Èondir may Èe se With fresch Nymphis of watir and of see And Phanee ladyis of thir templis ald Pyerides Dryades Saturee Neriedes Aones Napee Of quham the bontyis nedis not be tald Thus dempt the court of Venus mony fald Quhilk speche refreschyt my perplexite Reiosand weil my spreit afore wes cald The suddand sycht of that fyrme court foresaid Recomfort weil my hew tofore wes faid Amyd my brest the Ioyus heit redoundyt Behaldand quhow the lusty musys raid And al thair court quhilk wes so blyth glaid Quhois merynes all heuynes confoundyt Thair saw I weil in poetry ygroundyt The gret Homere Homer quhilk in grew langage said Maist eloquently in quham all wyt abuondyt Thare wes the gret latyn Virgillyus Virgil other latin poetis The famus fathir poet Ouidius Ditis Daris and eik the trew Lucane Thare wes Plautus Pogius Parsius Thare wes Terens Donat and Seruius Francys Petrark Flakcus Valeriane Thare wes Ysop Caton and Alane Thare wes Galterus and Boetius Thare wes also the gret Quintilliane ⧠Thare wes the satyr poete Iuuinale Thare wes the mixt and subtell Marciale Of Thebes Bruyt thare wes the poete Stace Thare wes Faustus and Laurence of Vale Pomponeus quhais fame of late sans fale Is blawyn wyd throw euery realme and place Thare wes the moralewyse poete Orace With mony other clerkis of gret auayle Tare wes Brunell Claudyus and Bocace ☞ So gret a pres of pepill drew vs nere The hunder part thare namys is not here Èit thare I saw of Brutus Albion Goffryd Chaucere Chauser other englyshe and Scottishe Poetis as a per se sance pere In his wulgare and morell IohnÌ„ Gdwere Lydgat the monk raid musand him allone Of this natioun I knew also anone Gret Kennedy and Dunbar Èit vn dede And Quyntyne with ane huttok on his hede ¶ Howbeit I couth declare and weil endyte The bonteis of that court dewlye to wryt Wer ouir prolyxt transcendyng myne engyne Twychand the proces of my panefull syte Beliue I saw thir lusty musys quhyte With all thair route towart Venus declyne Quhare Cupyd sat with hir in trone diuyne I standan bundyn in a sory plyte Byddand thair grace or than the dedly pyne ⧠Straucht til the quene sammyn thir musis raid Maist eloquently thare salutationys maid Venus agane Èald thaym thair salusyng Rycht reuerently and on hir fete vpbraid Besekand thaym to lycht nay nay thay said We may as here make na langer tariyng Caliope maist facund and bening Inquyryt Venus what wicht had hir mismaid Or wes the cause thair of hir sudiournyng ⧠Syster sayd scho behald that bysnyng schrew A subtyle smye considyr weil his hew Standis thair bond and bykkynnit hir to me Venus complainâ— Èone catiue hes blasphemyt me of new For tyl degraid and do my fame adew A laithly ryme dispitefull subtelle Compelit hes rehersand loud on hie Sclander dispite sorow and wallaway To me my sonne and eike my court sor ay ⧠He hes deseruit deth he salbe dede And we remane forsuith in to this stede Till
Iustefy that rebell renygate Quod Caliope sister away all fede Quhy suld he de quhy suld he leis his hede To sla him for sa small a cryme god wate Greter degradyng wer to Èour estate All out than wes his sclandec or sich plede Quhow may a fule Èour hie renoun chak mate ¶ Quhat of his lak Èour fame so wyd is blaw Èour excellens maist peirles is so knaw Na wrichis word may depare Èour hie name Gyf me hys lyfe and modefy the law For on my hed he standis now sic aw That he sall oft disserue neuir mare blame Not of his dede Èe may report but schame In recompence of this myssyttand saw He sall Èour hest in euery part proclame ¶ Than lord quhow glad becam my febil gost My curage grew the quhilk afore wes lost Seand I had so gret ane aduocate That expertly but prayer pryce or cost Opteynyt had my frewel accion all most Quhilk wes afore perist and desolate This quhyl Venus stude in ane study starte Bot fynally sco schew till all the ost Scho wald do grace and be not obstinate ¶ I wyll sayd sche haue mercy and pyete Do slake my wreth and lat all rancour be Mercy 〈◊〉 all men specily gentylwemen Quhare is mare vice than till be ouir cruel And specially in wemen sic as me A lady fy that vsis tirranne No woman is rather a serpent fell A vennamus dragon or a deuill of hell Is na compare to the inequyte Of bald wemen as thir wyse clerkis tell ☞ Gret god diffend I suld be ane of tho Quhilk of thare fede and malyce neuir ho Out on sik gram I wyll serue na repreif Caliope sistir said til Venus tho At Èour request this wreche sall frely go Heir I remyt his trespas and all greif Sal be forÈet swa he wil sa sum breif Or schort baliat in contrare pane and wo Tuychand my laud and his plesand releif ¶ And secundly the nixt resonabil command Quhilk I him charge se that he not ganestaÌ„d On thir conditions sister at Èour requeist He sall go fre quod Caliope inclynand Grant mercy sister I oblys be my hand He sail obserue in al poyntis Èour beheist Than Venus bad do slake sone my arreist Belyue I wes releschit of euery band Vprais the court and all the perlour ceist ¶ Tho sat I doun lawly vpon my kne At command of prudent Caliope Èeildand Venus thankis a thousand sith For sa hie freudschip and mercyfull piete Excelland grace and gret humanyte The quhilkis to me trespassour did scho kyth I the forgeue quod sche than wes I blyth Doun on a stok I set me suddanlye At hir command and wrate this lay al 's swyth â–ª ¶ Vnwemmyt wit deliuerit of dangear â— ballat for venus plesour Maist happely preseruit fra the snare Releschit fre of seruyce and bondage Expell dolour expell diseyses sare Auoyd displesour womentyng and care Ressaue plesans and do thy sorowe swage Behald thy glaid fresche lusty grene curage Reiois amyd thir louers lait and air Prouyde a place till plant thy tendir age Quhair thou in ioy and plesour may repair ¶ Quha is in welth quha is weill fortunat Quha is in peace dissouerit from debbat Quha leuys in hop quha leuys in esperance Quha standis in grace quha standis in ferme estat Quha is content reiosyt air and lat Or quha is he that fortune doith auance Bot thow that is replenyst with plesance Thow hes comfort all weilfare dilligat Thow hes gladnes thow hes the happy chance Thow hes thy wyll now be not dissolat ¶ Incres in myrth full consolatioun In Ioyus swete Ymaginatioun Habond in luif of purifyit amouris With diligent trew deliberatioun Rendir louyngis for thy saluatioun Till Venus and ondir hir gard all houris Rest at all ease but sair or sytful schouris Abyde in quyet maist constant weilfare Be glaid and lycht now in thy lusty flouris Vnwemmyt wyt delyuerit of dangare ¶ This lay wes red in oppyn audience Of the musis and in Venus presence I stand content thow art obedient Quod Caliope my campion and defence Venus sayid eik it wes sum recompence For my trespas I wes so penytent And with that word all sodanly sche went In instant scho and hir court wes hence Èit still abayd hir musis on the bent ¶ Inclynand than I said Caliope My protector my help and my supple My souerane lady my redemptioun My mediatour quhen I wes dampnyt to de I sall beseik the godly maieste Infynyt thankis laud and benysoun Èow till acquyte accordyng your renoun It langyth not my possibillite Till recompence ten part of this gwardoun ¶ Glore honour laude and reuence condyng Quha may for Èeild Èow of so hie a thyng Thankes gyuyng And in that part Èour mercy I implore Submyttand me my lyftyme induring Èour plesour and mandate till obeysyng Silence said scho I haue eneuch heirfore I will thou passe and vissy wondris more Than scho me hes betaucht in kepyng Of a swete Nymphe maist faythfull and decore ¶ Ane hors I gat maist rychely besene Wes harnyst all with wodbynd leuis grene On the same sute the trappuris law doun hang Ouir hym I straid at command of the quene Tho sammyn furth we rydyng all bedene Al 's swyft as thocht with mony a mery sang My Nymphe alwayis conuoyt me of thrang Amyd the musys till se quhat thay wald mene Quhilkis sang and playt bot neuir a wrest Èeid wrang ¶ Throw cuntreis seir holtis and rochys hie Quir valys planys woddis wally se Quir fludis fare and mony strate montane We wer cary it in twynkling of ane E. The auctourâ— vyage Our horssis flaw and raid nocht as thocht me Now out of France tursyt in Tuskane Now out of Flandris heich vp in Almane Now in till Egypt now in ytalie Now in the realme of Trace and now in Spane ⧠The montayns we passyt of all Garmanie Ouir Appenynus deuydand Ytalie Ouir Ryne the Pow and Tirbir fludis face Ouir Alpheus by Pyes the ryche citie Vndir the erth that entres in the see Ouir ron ouir sane ouir France and tik ouir lare And ouir Tagus the goldin sandyt ryuarâ— In Thessaly we passyt the mont Oethe And Hercules in sepulture fand thare ¶ Thare went we ouir the ryuer Peneyus In Secil eik we passyt the mont Tâ—olus Plenyst with saphron huny and with wyne The twa â—oppyt famus Pernasus In trais we went out ouir the mont Emus Quhare Orphius lerit his armony maist fyne Ouir Carmelus quhare twa prophtis deuyne Remanyt Helyas and Heliseus Fra quhom the ordur of Carmeliris come syne ¶ And nixt vntill the land of Amyson In hast we past the flude Termodyon And ouir the huge hill that hecht Mynas We raid the hill of Bachus Citheron And Olympus the mont of Massidon Quhilk semys heich vp in the