Sustenit war by mannis gouernance

On hervist and on symmeris purviance.
Widequhair with fors so Eolus schouttis schyll
In this congelyt sessioune scharp and chyll,
The callour air, penetrative and puire,

Dasyng the bluide in every creature,

Maid seik warm stovis, and beyne' fyris hoyt,
In double garmont cled and wyly coyt3,
Wyth mychty drink, and meytis confortive,
Agayne the storme wyntre for to strive.

THE FÊTE CHAMPÊTRE.

[From The Palice of Honour.]

Our horsis pasturit in ane plesand plane,
Law at the fute of ane faire 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 5
Made sober noyis, the schaw dinnit agane

6

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.

10

1

A BALLADE IN COMMENDATION OF HONOUR.

[From The Palice of Honour.]

O hie honour, sweit heuinlie flour degest1,
Gem verteous, maist precious, gudliest.
For hie renoun thow art guerdoun conding2,

3

Of worschip kend the glorious end and rest,
But quhome in richt na worthie wicht may lest.
Thy greit puissance may maist auance all thing,
And pouerall to mekill auaill sone bring*.

5

I the require sen thow but peir art best,

That efter this in thy hie blis we ring.

Of grace thy face in euerie place sa schynis,
That sweit all spreit baith heid and feit inclynis,

Thy gloir afoir for till imploir remeid.

He docht richt nocht, quhilk out of thocht the tynis;
Thy name but blame, and royal fame diuine is ;

Thow port at schort of our comfort and reid,
Till 10 bring all thing till glaiding efter deid,
All wicht but sicht of thy greit micht ay crynis.",
O schene I mene, nane may sustene thy feid 12.

Haill rois maist chois till clois thy fois greit micht,
Haill stone quhilk schone vpon the throne of licht,
Vertew, quhais trew sweit dew ouirthrew al vice,
Was ay ilk day gar say the way of licht;
Amend, offend, and send our end ay richt.
Thow stant, ordant as sanct, of grant
13 maist wise,
Till be supplie, and the hie gre
14 of price.
Delite the tite 15 me quite of site 16 to dicht,
For I apply schortlie to thy deuise.

grave. great prosperity.

8 loses.

13 giving.

9 without.

14 degree.

10

to.

THE GHOST OF CREUSA.

[From The Aeneid.]

How Eneas socht his spous, all the cost,
And how to him apperis hir grete gost.

To Priamus palice eftir socht I than,
An syne onto the temple fast I ran :
Quhar, at the porchis or closter of Juno,

Than all bot waist, thocht it was girth1, stude tho
Phenix and dour Vlixes, wardanes tway,
For to observe and keip the spreith2 or pray:
Thiddir in ane heip was gaderit precius geir,
Riches of Troy, and wther jewellis seir
Reft from all partis; and, of templis brynt,
Of massy gold the veschale war furth hynt
From the goddis, and goldin tabillis all,
With precius vestmentis of spuilze triumphall:
The 3ing childring3, and frayit matrounis eik,
Stude all on raw, with mony peteous screik
About the tresour quhymperand woundir sair.
And I also my self so bald wox thair,

That I durst schaw my voce in the dirk nycht,
And cleip and cry fast throw the stretis on hycht
Full dolorouslie, Creusa! Creusa!

Agane, feil sise, in vane I callit swa 5,

Throw howsis and the citie quhar I 3oid,

But outhir rest or resoun, as I war woid";
Quhill that the figour of Creusa and gost,
Of far mair statur than air quhen scho was lost,
Before me, catife, hir seikand, apperit thair.

THE GHOST OF CREUSA.

[From The Aeneid.]

How Eneas socht his spous, all the cost,
And how to him apperis hir grete gost.

To Priamus palice eftir socht I than,
An syne onto the temple fast I ran:
Quhar, at the porchis or closter of Juno,

Than all bot waist, thocht it was girth, stude tho
Phenix and dour Vlixes, wardanes tway,
For to observe and keip the spreith 2 or pray:
Thiddir in ane heip was gaderit precius geir,
Riches of Troy, and wther jewellis seir
Reft from all partis; and, of templis brynt,
Of massy gold the veschale war furth hynt
From the goddis, and goldin tabillis all,
With precius vestmentis of spuilze triumphall:
The 3ing childring, and frayit matrounis eik,
Stude all on raw, with mony peteous screik
About the tresour quhymperand woundir sair.
And I also my self so bald wox thair,

That I durst schaw my voce in the dirk nycht,
And cleip and cry fast throw the stretis on hycht
Full dolorouslie, Creusa! Creusa!

Agane, feil sise, in vane I callit swa 5,

Throw howsis and the citie quhar I 3oid,

But outhir rest or resoun, as I war woid 7;

Quhill that the figour of Creusa and gost,

8

Of far mair statur than air quhen scho was lost,
Before me, catife, hir seikand, apperit thair.
Abaisit I wolx, and widdersyns start my hair,
Speik mycht I nocht, the voce in my hals sa stak.
Than sche, belife, on this wise to me spak,

9