-0-
Laude, honor, prasingis, thankis infynite
-0-
To the, and thi dulce ornate fresch endite,
-0-
Mast reverend Virgill, of Latyne poetis prince,
-0-
Gemme of ingine and fluide of eloquence,
-0-
Thow peirles perle, patroun of poetrie,
-0-
Rois, register, palme, laurer, and glory,
-0-
Chosin cherbukle, cheif flour and cedir tree,
-0-
Lanterne, leidsterne, mirrour, and a per se,
-0-
Master of masteris, sweit sours and springand well,
-0-
Wyde quhar our all ringis thi hevinle bell:
-0-
I mene thi crafty werkis curious,
-0-
Sa quik, lusty, and mast sentencious,
-0-
Plesable, perfyte, and felable in all degre,
-0-
As quha the mater held to foir thar ee;
-0-
In every volume quhilk the list do write,
-0-
Surmonting fer all uther maneir endite,
-0-
Lyk as the rois in June with hir sueit smell
-0-
The marygulde or dasy doith excell.
-0-
Quhy suld I than, with dull forhede and vane,
-0-
With ruide engine and barrand emptive brane,
-0-
With bad harsk speche and lewit barbour tong,
-0-
Presume to write quhar thi sueit bell is rong,
-0-
Or contirfait sa precious wourdis deir?
-0-
Na, na, nocht sua, bot knele quhen I thame heir.
-0-
For quhat compair betuix midday and nycht,
-0-
Or quhat compare betuix myrknes and lycht,
-0-
Or quhat compare is betuix blak and quhyte,
-0-
Far gretar diference betuix my blunt endyte
-0-
And thi scharp sugurat sang Virgiliane,
-0-
Sa wyslie wrocht with nevir ane word in vane;
-0-
My waverand wit, my cunnyng feble at all,
-0-
My mynd mysty, thir ma nocht myss ane fall.
-0-
Stra for this ignorant blabring imperfyte
-0-
Beside thi polyte termis redemyte;
-0-
And no the les with support and correctioun,
-0-
For naturall luife and freindfull affectioun
-0-
Quhilkis I beir to thi werkis and endyte,
-0-
Althocht, God wait, I knaw tharin full lyte,
-0-
And that thi facund sentence mycht be song
-0-
In our langage als weill as Latyne tong--
-0-
Alswele, na, na, impossible war,per de,
-0-
Yit with your leif, Virgill, to follow the,
-0-
I wald into my rurale vulgar gros,
-0-
Write sum savoring of thi Eneados.
-0-
Bot sair I drede for to distene the quyte,
-0-
Throu my corruptit cadens imperfyte;
-0-
Distene the, na forsuith, that ma I nocht,
-0-
Weill ma I schaw my burell busteous thocht;
-0-
Bot thi work sall enduire in laude and glory,
-0-
Bot spot or falt, conding eterne memory.
-0-
Thocht I offend, onhermit is thine fame,
-0-
Thyne is the thank, and myne sal be the shame.
...
THE FIRST BUIK OF ENEADOSCAP. XII
Eneas first excusis him, and syne
Addressis to rehers Troys rwyne.
-12-
Thai ceissit all at anis incontinent,
-12-
With mowthis clois, and visage takand tent.
-12-
Prince Eneas, frome the hie bed, with that,
-12-
Into his seige riall quhar he sat,
-12-
Begouth and said: Thi desyir, lady, is
-12-
Renewing of ontellable sorow, I wis,
-12-
To schaw how Grekis did spuilye and destroy
-12-
The greit riches and lamentable realm of Troy,
-12-
And huge misery quhilk I thair beheld,
-12-
Quharof myself ane greit part bair and feld;
-12-
Quhat Marmidon, or Gregion Dolopes,
-12-
Or knycht wageor to cruell Ulixes,
-12-
Sic materes to rehers, or yit to heir,
-12-
Mycht thaime contene fra weping mony ane teir?
-12-
And now the hevin ourquhelmis the donk nycht,
-12-
Quhen the declining of the sternis brycht
-12-
To sleip and rest perswades our appetite;
-12-
But sen thou hes sic plesour and delite
-12-
To knaw our chance, and fall of Troy in weir,
-12-
And schortlie the last end thairof wald heir,
-12-
Albeit my spreit abhorris, and doth grise
-12-
Thairon for to ramembir, and oft sise
-12-
Murnand eschewis thairfra with greit diseis,
-12-
Yit than I sall begyne yow for to pleis.
Finis Libri Primi.
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