Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus and Eurydice

Henryson, Robert, 1430?-1506?
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library
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About the electronic version
Orpheus and Eurydice
Henryson, Robert, 1430?-1506?
creation of machine-readable version: Harry D. Watson
Conversion to TEI-conformant markup: University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center ca. 40
kilobytes :
http://etext.virginia.edu/mideng.browse.html, HenOrph
Available from: Oxford Text Archive, U*-243-A
1993

About the print version

The poems of Robert Henryson
Robert Henryson 3 v. : ill. ; 23 cm. : Printed for the [Scottish Text] Society by W. Blackwood and sons
Edinburgh ; London 1906-1914 Scot. Text S. ; 55, 58, 64
Note: This poem from v. 3 (no. 58 of series), p. [25]-87
Note: The printed text contained illustrations which are not noted in the electronic text. Separate image
files are not available for the illustrations
Published: c.1480
Middle English
Revisions to the electronic version
September 6, 1993 Michael Bernhard, University of Virginia Library, Cataloging Services Dept.
TEI header completed :
January 1994 David Seaman, University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center
Tagging brought into line with the OTA.DTD, and parsed:
July 1993 David L. Gants, University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center
Checked for completeness, basic structural division tags added. While the text itself follows the

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Orpheus and Eurydice

Chepman & Myllar ed. of 1508, certain emendations drawn from the Asloan transcription and Bannatyne
edition have been made by the depositor, Harry D. Watson. Be warned, then, that this version essentially
constitutes a new edition, one whose veracity has not yet been investigated. The pagination and lineation
correspond to the Scottish Text Society's The Poems of Robert Henryson, vol. III (Ser. no. 58)
(Edinburgh and London: 1908) version C, the Bannatyne MS. In this transcription, yoghs, thorns,
ligatures, and suspen-sions have been modernized throughout by the depositor, as has been the practice
of the tilde standing in for an "n". Additionally, the text as it arrived from OTA was set completely in
capitals. For ease of viewing, the entire text, with the exception of the initial letters of each line, has been
transformed into miniscule.:
etext@virginia.edu. Commercial use prohibited; all usage governed by our Conditions of Use:
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/conditions.html
-66-

Heir begynnis the traitie of orpheus kyng and how he yeid to hewyn
and to hel to seik his quene and ane othir ballad in the lattir end.

1: The nobilnes and grete magnificence

2: Off prince or lord quha list to magnify
3: His grete ancester and linyall descense
4: Suld first extoll and his genology
5: So that his hert he mycht enclyne thare by
6: The more to vertu and to worthynes
7: Herand reherse his eldirs gentilnes
8: It is contrair the lawis of nature
9: A gentill man to be degenerate
10: Noucht folowing of his progenitoure
11: The worthy reule and the lordly estate
12: A ryall renk for to be rusticate
13: Is bot a monster in comparison
14: Had in despyte and foule derision
15: I say this be the grete lordis of grewe
16: Quhilk sett thair hert and all thair hale curage
17: Thair fadirs steppis iustly to persewe
18: Eking the worschip of thair hye lynage
19: The ancient and sad wyse-men of age
20: War tendouris to the yong and insolent
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21: To mak thame in all vertu excellent

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22: Lyke as a strand of water or a spring

23: Haldis the sapour of his fontall well
24: So did in grece ilk lord and worthy king
25: Off forebearis thay tuke tarage and smell
26: Amang the quhilk of ane i think to tell
27: Bot first his gentill generation
28: I sall reherse with youre correction
29: Apon the mountane of elicone
30: The most famouse of all arabia
31: A godesse duelt excellent of beautee
32: Gentil of blude callit memoria
33: Quhilk iupiter that god to wyf can ta
34: And carnaly hir knew quhilk eftir syne
35: Apon a day bare hym fair douchteris nyne
36: The first in grew was callit euterpe
37: In oure langage gude dilectacioun
38: The secund maide namyt melpomene
39: As hony suete in modulacion
40: Tersicor quhilk is gude instruction
41: Of ewiry thing the thrid sister i wis
42: Thus out of grewe in latyne translate is
43: Caliope that maidyn meruailus
44: The ferde sister of all musik maistresse
45: And moder to the king sir orpheus
46: Quhilk throu his wyf was efter king of trace
47: Cleo the fyft that now is a goddesse
48: In latyne callit meditation
49: Of ewiry thing that has creacion
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50: The sext lady was callit herato

51: Quhilk drawis lyke to lyke in ewiry thing
52: The sevynt lady was fair pollymyo
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53: Quhilk coud a thousand sangis suetly syng

54: Thelya syne quhilk can oure saulis bring
55: To profund wit and grete agilitee
56: To vnderstand and haue capacitee
57: Wranya the nynt and last of all
58: In oure langage quha coud it wele expound
59: Is callit armony celestiall
60: Reiosing men with melody and sound
61: Amang thir nyne caliope was crownd
62: And maid a quene be mychti god phebus
63: Of quhom he gat this prince schir orpheus
64: No wounder is thocht he was fair and wyse
65: Gentill and full of liberalite
66: His fader god and his progenitrys
67: A goddes fyndar of all ermonye
68: Quhen he was borne scho set him on hir kne
69: And gart him sowke of hir twa palpis quhyte
70: The sweit licour of all musike parfyte
71: Incressand sone to manhed vp he drewe
72: Of statur large, and frely fair of face
73: His noble fame so far it sprang and grewe
74: Till at the last the mychti quene of trace
75: Excellent fair haboundand in riches
76: Ane message send vnto this prince so zing
77: Requyrand him to wed hir and be kyng
-69-

78: Erudices that lady had to name

79: Quhen that scho saw this prince so glorius
80: Hir erand to propone scho thocht no schame
81: With wordis sweit and blenkis amorus
82: Said welcome lord and luf schir orpheus
83: In this province ze sall be king and lord
84: Thai kissit syne and thus war at accord
85: Betwene orpheus and fair erudices
86: Fra thai war weddit on fra day to day
87: The lowe of luf couth kendill and encres

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88: With myrth blythnes gret plesans and gret play

89: Off wardlie ioye allace quhat sall we say
90: Lyke till a flour that plesandly will spring
91: Quhilk fadis sone and endis with murnyng
92: I say this be erudices the quene
93: Quhilk walkit furth in till a maii mornyng
94: Bot with a madin in a medowe grene
95: To tak the dewe and se the flouris spring
96: Quhar in a schawe ner by this lady zing
97: A bustuos herd callit arystyus
98: Kepand his bestis lay wnder a buss
99: And quhen he saw this lady solitar
100: Barfute with schankis quhytar than the snawe
101: Prikkit with lust he thocht withoutin mar
102: Hir till oppres and till hir can he drawe
103: Dredand for scaith sche fled quhen scho him saw
104: And as scho ran all bairfut in ane bus
105: Scho trampit on a serpent wennomus
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106: This cruell wennome was so penitryf

107: As natur is of all mortall poisoun
108: In pecis small this quenis hart couth ryf
109: And scho anone fell in a dedly swoun
110: Seand this cais proserpyne maid hir bovne
111: Quhilk clepit is the goddes infernall
112: And till hir court this gentill quene couth call
113: And quhen scho wanyst was and invisible
114: Hir madin wepit with a wofull cheir
115: Cryand with mony schout and voce terrible
116: Till at the last schir orpheus couth heir
117: And of hir cry the caus than can he speir
118: Scho said allace erudices zour quene
119: Is with fary tane befor myne ene
120: This noble king inflammit all in ire
121: And rampand as ane lyoun ravenus
122: With awfull luke and eyne glowand as fyre

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123: Speris the maner and the maid said thus

124: Scho trampit on a serpent wennomus
125: And fell in swoun with that the quene of fary
126: Claucht hir wp sone and furth with hir can cary
127: Quhen scho had said the king sichit full sore
128: His hert ner birst for werray dule and wo
129: Half out of mynd he maid na tary more
130: Bot tuke his harpe and to the wod can go
131: Wryngand his handis walkand to and fro
132: Quhill he mycht stand syne sat dovn on a stone
133: And to his harpe thusgate he maid his mone
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134: O dulfull harpe with mony dolly stryng

135: Turne all thi mirth and musik in murnyng
136: And ces of all thi subtell sangis sweit
137: Now wepe with me thi lord and carefull kyng
138: Quhilk losit has in erd all his lyking
139: And all thi game thow change in gule and greit
140: Thy goldin pynnis with thi teris weit
141: And all my pane for to report thow pres
142: Cryand with me in euery steid and streit
143: Quhar art thou gane my luf erudices
144: Him to reios zit playit he a spryng
145: Quhill all the foulis of the wod can syng
146: And treis dansit with thar leves grene
147: Him to devoid of his gret womenting
148: Bot all in wane thai comfort him no thing
149: His hart was sa apon his lusty quene
150: The bludy teres sprang out of his eyne
151: Thar was na solace mycht his sobbing ces
152: Bot cryit ay with caris cald and kene
153: Quhar art thow gane my luf erudices
154: Fair weill my place fair weile plesance and play
155: And welcome woddis wyld and wilsome way
156: My wikit werd in wildernes to wair
157: My rob ryall and all my riche array
158: Changit sall be in rude russat of gray
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159: My diademe in till ane hat of hair

160: My bed sall be with bever broke and bair
161: In buskis bene with mony bustuos bes
162: Withoutin sang sayng with siching sair
163: Quhar art thow gane my luf erudices
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164: I the beseike my fair fader phebus

165: Haue pete of thi awne sone orpheus
166: Wait thow nocht wele i am thi barne and child
167: Now heir my plant panefull and petuous
168: Direct me fra this deid sa dolorus
169: Quhilk gois thus withoutin gilt begild
170: Lat nocht thi face with clowdis be oursyld
171: Len me thi licht and lat me nocht ga les
172: To fynd the fair in fame that neuer was fyld
173: My lady quene and luf erudices
174: O iupiter thow god celestiall
175: And grantschir to my self on the i call
176: To mend my murnyng and my drery mone
177: Thou geve me forse that i noucht faynt nor fall
178: Quhill i hir fynd for seke hir suth i sall
179: And nouthir stynt nor stand for stok no stone
180: Throu thy god-hede gyde me quhare scho is gone
181: Ger hir appere and put my hert in pes
182: Thus king orpheus with his harp allone
183: Sore wepit for his wyf erudices
184: Quhen endit was the sangis lamentable
185: He tuke his harp and on his brest can hyng
186: Syne passit to the hevin as sais the fable
187: To seke his wyf bot that auailit no thing
188: By wadlyng strete he went but tarying
189: Syne come doun throu the spere of saturn ald
190: Quhilk fader is of all thir stormis cald
191: Quhen scho was soucht out throu that cald region
192: To iupiter his grant-sir can he wend
193: Quhilk rewit sare his lamentation
194: And gert his spere be soucht fra end to end
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-73195: Scho was noucht thare than doun he can descend

196: To mars the god of bataill and of stryf
197: And soucht his spere yit gat he noucht his wyf
198: Syne went he doun to his fader phebus
199: God of the son wyth bemes brycht and clere
200: Bot quhen he saw his awin sone orpheus
201: In sik a plyte it changit all his chere
202: He gert anone go seke throu all his spere
203: Bot all in wayn that lady come noucht thare
204: Than tuke he leve and to venus can fare
205: Quhen he hir saw he knelit and said thus
206: Wate ye noucht wele i am your avin trewe knycht
207: In lufe nane lelare than sir orpheus
208: And ye of lufe goddesse and most of mycht
209: Off my lady help me to get a sicht
210: For suth quod scho ye mon seke nethir mare
211: Than fra venus he tuke his leve but mare
212: To mercury but tary is he gone
213: Quhilk callit is the god of eloquence
214: Bot of his wyf thare knaulage gat he none
215: Wyth wofull hert than passit he doun fro thens
216: Wnto the mone he maid na residence
217: Thus fra the hevyn he went doun to the erde
218: Yit by the way sum melody he lerde
219: In his passage amang the planetis all
220: He herd a hevynly melody and sound
221: Passing all instrumentis musicall
222: Causid be rollyng of the speris round
223: Quhilk armony throu all this mappamound
224: Quhill moving cesse vnyt perpetuall
225: Quhilk of this warld plato the saul can call
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226: Thare lerit he tonys proportionate

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227: As duplar triplar and emetricus

228: Enoleus and eke the quadruplate
229: Epodyus rycht hard and curius
230: And of thir sex suete and dilicius
231: Ryght consonant fyve hevynly symphonyis
232: Componyt ar as clerkis can deuise
233: First dyatesseron full suete i wis
234: And dyapason symple and duplate
235: And dyapente componyt with a dys
236: This makis fyve of thre multiplicate
237: This mery musik and mellifluate
238: Complete and full wyth nowmeris od and evyn
239: Is causit be the moving of the hevyn
240: Off sik musik to wryte i do bot dote
241: Thar-for at this mater a stra i lay
242: For in my lyf i coud newir syng a note
243: Bot i will tell how orpheus tuke the way
244: To seke his wyf atour the grauis gray
245: Hungry and cald our mony wilsum wane
246: Wyth-outyn gyde he and his harp allane
247: He passit furth the space of twenty dayis
248: Fer and full fer and ferther than i can tell
249: And ay he fand stretis and redy wayis
250: Tyll at the last vnto the yett of hell
251: He come and thare he fand a portar fell
252: With thre hedis was callit cerberus
253: A hund of hell a monster meruailus
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254: Than orpheus began to be agast

255: Quhen he beheld that vgly hellis hund
256: He tuke his harp and on it playit fast
257: Till at the last throu suetenes of the sound
258: The dog slepit and fell vnto the ground
259: And orpheus atour his wame in stall
260: And nethir mare he went as ye here sall
261: Than come he till ane rywir wonder depe

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262: Our it a brig and on it sisteris thre

263: Quhilk had the entree of the brig to kepe
264: Alecto megera and thesiphonee
265: Turnand a quhele was vgly for to see
266: And on it spred a man hecht ixione
267: Rowit about rycht wonder wo begone
268: Than orpheus playit a ioly spryng
269: The thre sistirs full fast thay fell on slepe
270: The vgly quhele sessit of hir quhirlyng
271: Thus left was none the entree for to kepe
272: Than ixion out of the quhele can crepe
273: And stall away than orpheus anone
274: Without stoping atour the brig is gone
275: Syne come he till a wonder grisely flude
276: Droubly and depe that rathly doun can ryn
277: Quhare tantalus nakit full thristy stude
278: And yit the water yede abone his chyn
279: Thouch he gapit thare wald na drop cum in
280: Quhen he dulkit the water wald descend
281: Thus gat he noucht his thrist to slake no mend
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282: Before his face ane apill hang also

283: Fast at his mouth apon a tolter threde
284: Quhen he gapit it rokkit to and fro
285: And fled as it refusit hym to fede
286: Than orpheus had reuth of his grete nede
287: Tuke out his harp and fast on it can clink
288: The water stude and tantalus gat drink
289: Syne our a mure wyth thornis thik and scharp
290: Weping allone a wilsum way he went
291: And had noucht bene throu suffrage of his harp
292: Wyth scharp pikis he had bene schorne and schent
293: And as he blent besyde hym on the bent
294: He saw speldit a wonder wofull wicht
295: Nailit full fast and titius he hicht
296: And on his breste thare sat a grisely gripe

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297: Quhilk wyth his bill his bally throu can bore
298: Bath maw mydred hert lywir and trype
299: He ruggit out his paynis war the more
300: Quhen orpheus saw hym this suffer sore
301: Has tane his harp and maid suete melody
302: The grype is fled titius left his cry
303: Beyond this more he fand a ferefull strete
304: Myrk as the nycht to pas rycht dangerus
305: For slydernes scant mycht he hald his fete
306: In quhilk thare was a stynk rycht odiouse
307: That gydit hym to hydouse hellis house
308: Quhare rodomantus and proserpina
309: Were king and quene orpheus in coud ga
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310: O dolly place and grondles depe dungeon

311: Furnes of fyre wyth stynk intollerable
312: Pit of dispair wyth-out remission
313: Thy mete venym thy drink is poysonable
314: Thy grete paynis to compt vnnowmerabil
315: Quhat creature cummys to duell in the
316: Is ay deyand and newir more may dee
317: Thare fand he mony carefull king and quene
318: Wyth croun on hede of brasse full hate birnand
319: Quhilk in thair lyf rycht maisterfull had bene
320: Conquerouris of gold richesse and of land
321: Ector of troy and priam thare he fand
322: And alexander for his wrang conquest
323: Anthiocus thare for his foule incest
324: And iulius cesar for his crueltee
325: And herode wyth his brotheris wyf he sawe
326: And nero for his grete iniquitee
327: And pilot for his breking of the lawe
328: Syne vnder that he lukit and coud knawe
329: Cresus the king none michtiar on mold
330: For couatise yett full of byrnand gold
331: Thare fand he pharo for oppression

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332: Off goddis folk on quhilk the plagis fell

333: And saul eke for the grete abusion
334: Off iustice to the folk of israell
335: Thare fand he acab and quene iesabell
336: Quhilk sely nabot that was a prophet trewe
337: For his wyne yarde wyth-outyn pitee sleue
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338: Thare fand he mony pape and cardinall

339: In haly kirk quhilk dois abusion
340: And archbischopis in thair pontificall
341: Be symony and wrang intrusioun
342: Abbotis and men of all religion
343: For euill disponyng of thair placis rent
344: In flambe of fyre were bitterly turment
345: Syne nethir mare he went quhare pluto was
346: And proserpine and thider-ward he drewe
347: Ay playand on his harp as he coud pas
348: Till at the last erudices he knewe
349: Lene and dedelike pitouse and pale of hewe
350: Rycht warsch and wan and walowit as the wede
351: Hir lily lyre was lyke vnto the lede
352: Quod he my lady lele and my delyte
353: Full wa is me to se yow changit thus
354: Quhare is thy rude as rose wyth chekis quhite
355: Thy cristall eyne with blenkis amorouse
356: Thi lippis rede to kis diliciouse
357: Quod scho as now i dar noucht tell perfay
358: Bot ye sall wit the cause ane othir day
359: Quod pluto sir thouch scho be like ane elf
360: Thare is na cause to plenye and for quhy
361: Scho fure als wele dayly as did my self
362: Or king herode for all his cheualry
363: It is langour that puttis hir in sik ply
364: Were scho at hame in hir contree of trace
365: Scho wald refete full sone in fax and face
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366: Than orpheus before pluto sat doun

367: And in his handis quhite his harp can ta
368: And playit mony suete proporcion
369: With base tonys in ypodorica
370: With gemynyng in ypolerica
371: Till at the last for reuth and grete pitee
372: Thay wepit sore that coud hym here and see
373: Than proserpyne and pluto bad hym as
374: His warison and he wald ask rycht noucht
375: Bot licence wyth his wyf away to pas
376: Till his contree that he so fer had soucht
377: Quod proserpyne sen i hir hidir broucht
378: We sall noucht part bot wyth condicion
379: Quod he thareto i mak promission
380: Erudices than be the hand thou tak
381: And pas thy way bot vnderneth this payne
382: Gyf thou turnis or blenkis behind thy bak
383: We sall hir haue forewir till hell agayn
384: Thouch this was hard yit orpheus was fayn
385: And on thai went talkand of play and sport
386: Quhill thay almaist come to the vtter port
387: Thus orpheus wyth inwart lufe replete
388: So blyndit was in grete affection
389: Pensif apon his wyf and lady suete
390: Remembrit noucht his hard condicion
391: Quhat will ye more in schort conclusion
392: He blent bak-ward and pluto come anone
393: And vnto hell agayn with hir is gone
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394: Allace it was grete hertsare for to here

395: Of orpheus the weping and the wo
396: Quhen that his wyf quhilk he had bocht so dere
397: Bot for a luke sa sone was hynt hym fro
398: Flatlyngis he fell and mycht no forthir go
399: And lay a quhile in suoun and extasy
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400: Quhen he our-come thus out on lufe can cry

401: Quhat art thou lufe how sall i the dyffyne
402: Bitter and suete cruel and merciable
403: Plesand to sum til othir playnt and pyne
404: To sum constant till othir variabil
405: Hard is thy law thi bandis vnbrekable
406: Quha seruis the thouch he be newir sa trewe
407: Perchance sum tyme he sall haue cause to rewe
408: Now fynd i wele this prouerbe trew quod he
409: Hert is on the hurd and hand is on the sore
410: Quhare lufe gois on forse turnis the ee
411: I am expert and wo is me thar-fore
412: Bot for a luke my lady is forlore
413: Thus chydand on with lufe our burn and bent
414: A wofull wedow hame-wart is he went
moralitas fabule sequitur
415: Lo worthy folk boece that senature
416: To wryte this feynit fable tuke in cure
417: In his gay buke of consolacion
418: For oure doctryne and gude instruction
419: Quhilk in the self suppose it fenyeit be
420: And hid vnder the cloke of poesie
-81421: Yit maister trowit doctour nicholas
422: Quhilk in his tyme a noble theolog was
423: Applyis it to gude moralitee
424: Rycht full of frute and seriositee
425: Faire phebus is the god of sapience
426: Caliopee his wyf is eloquence
427: Thir twa maryit gat orpheus belyve
428: Quhilk callit is the part intellectiue
429: Of mannis saule and vnder standing free
430: And separate fra sensualitee
431: Erudices is oure affection
432: Be fantasy oft movit vp and doun
433: Quhile to reson it castis the delyte
434: Quhile to the flesch settis the appetite
435: Arestyus this hird that coud persewe
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436: Erudices is noucht bot gude vertewe

437: Quhilk besy is ay to kepe oure myndis clene
438: Bot quhen we flee out throu the medow grene
439: Fra vertu to this warldis wayn plesance
440: Myngit wyth care and full of variance
441: The serpent stangis that is dedely syn
442: That poysons the saule wyth-out and in
443: And than is dede and eke oppressit doun
444: To warldly lust all oure affection
445: Than parfyte reson wepis wondir sare
446: Seand oure appetite thusgate mys-fare
447: And passis vp to the hevyn belyue
448: Schawand till vs the lyf contemplatyve
449: The parfyte will and als the feruent lufe
450: We suld haue alway to the hevyn abufe
451: Bot seldyn thare oure appetite is found
452: It is so fast in to the body bound
-82453: Thar-for dounwart we cast oure myndis ee
454: Blyndit wyth lust and may noucht vpward flee
455: Suld oure desyre be soucht vp in the speris
456: Quhen it is tederit on this warldis breris
457: Quhile on the flesch quhile on this warldis wrak
458: And to the hevyn small entent we tak
459: Sir orpheus thou sekis all in vayn
460: Thy wyf so hie thar-for cum doun agayn
461: And pas vnto yone monstir meruailus
462: With thre hedis that we call cerberus
463: Quhilk feynit is to haue sa mony hedis
464: For to betakyn thre manir of dedis
465: The first is in the tender yong barnage
466: The secund dede is in the medill age
467: The thrid is in grete elde quhen men ar tane
468: Thus cerberus to swelly sparis nane
469: Bot quhen our mynd is myngit with sapience
470: And plais apon the harp of eloquence
471: That is to say makis persuasioun
472: To draw oure will and oure affection
473: In ewiry elde fra syn and foule delyte
474: This dog oure saule has no power to byte
475: The secund monstris ar the sisteris thre
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476: Alecto megera and thesiphone

477: Ar noucht ellis in bukis as we rede
478: Bot wickit thoucht evill word and frawart dede
479: Alecto is the bolnyng of the hert
480: Megera is the wikkit word outwert
481: Thesiphone is operacion
482: That makis fynal execucion
483: Of dedly syn and thir thre turnis ay
484: Ane vgly quhele quhilk is noucht ellis to say
-83485: Bot wardly men sum tyme ar castin hie
486: Apon the quhele in grete prosperitee
487: And wyth a quhirl vnwarly or thai wait
488: Ar thravin doun to pure and law estate
489: Of ixione that in the quhele was spred
490: I sall the tell sum part as i haue red
491: He was on lyve brukle and lecherouse
492: And in that craft hardy and curageouse
493: That he wald noucht lufe in na lawar place
494: Bot iuno quene of nature and goddace
495: And on a day he went vp in the sky
496: Sekand iuno thinkand with hir to ly
497: Scho saw hym cum and knew his full entent
498: A rany cloud doun fra the firmament
499: Scho gert descend and kest betuene thaim two
500: And in that cloud his nature yede hym fro
501: Of quhilk was generit the centauris
502: Half man half horse apon a ferly wyse
503: Than for the inward crabbing and offense
504: That iuno tuke for his grete violence
505: Scho send hym doun vnto the sisteris thre
506: Apon thair quhele ay turnyt for to be
507: Bot quhen reson and perfyte sapience
508: Playis apon the harp of conscience
509: And persuadis our fleschly appetyte
510: To leif the thocht of this warldly delyte
511: Than seisis of our hert the wicket will
512: Fra frawart language than the tong is still
513: Our synfull deidis fallis doun on sleip
514: Thane exione out of the quheill gan creip

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515: That is to say the grete sollicitude

516: Quhile vp quhile doun to wyn this warldis gud
517: Cessis furthwith and oure complexion
518: Waxis quiete in contemplacion
-84519: This tantalus of quham i spak of are
520: Quhill he lyvit he was a gay hostlare
521: And on a nycht come traualand thare by
522: The god of riches and tuke herbery
523: Wyth tantalus and he to the soupere
524: Slewe his awin sone that was hym lef and dere
525: In till a sewe wyth spicis sodyn wele
526: And gert the god ete vp his flesch ilk dele
527: For this despyte quhen he was dede anone
528: Was dampnyt in the flude of acheron
529: To suffer hunger thrist nakit and cald
530: Rycht wo begone as i before haue tald
531: This hungry man and thristy tantalus
532: Betakenis men gredy and couatouse
533: The god of riches that ar ay redy
534: For to ressaue and call in herbery
535: And to him sethe thair sone in pecis smale
536: That is thair flesch and blude wyth grete trauale
537: To fill the bag and newir fynd in thair hart
538: Apon thame self to spend na tak thair part
539: Allace in erd quhare is thare mare foly
540: Than for to want and haue haboundantly
541: To haue distresse on bak and bed and burde
542: And spare till othir men of gold a hurde
543: And in the nycht slepe soundly may thai noucht
544: To gader gere sa gredy is thair thoucht
545: Bot quhen that reson and intelligence
546: Playis apon the harp of eloquence
547: Schawand to ws quhat perrell on ilk syd
548: That thai incur quhay will trest or confyd
549: Into this warldis vane prosperitie
550: Quhilk hes thir sory properteis thre
-85-

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551: That is to say gottyn with grete laboure

552: Kepit with drede and tynt is with doloure
553: This auarice be grace quha vnder-stud
554: I trow suld leve thair grete solicitude
555: And ithand thouchtis and thair besynes
556: To gader gold and syne lyve in distres
557: Bot he suld drink ineuch quhen ewir hym list
558: Of couatise to slake the birnand thrist
559: This titius lay nailit on the bent
560: And wyth the grype his bowelllis ryvin and rent
561: Quhill he lyvit sett his entencion
562: To fynd the craft of diuinacion
563: And lerit it vnto the spamen all
564: To tell before sik thingis as wald fall
565: Quhat lyf quhat dede quhat destyny and werd
566: Previdit were to ewery man in erde
567: Apollo than for his abusion
568: Quhilk is the god of diuinacion
569: For he vsurpit in his facultee
570: Put hym till hell and thare remanis he
571: Ilk man that heiris this conclusioun
572: Suld dreid to sers be constillatioun
573: Thingis to fall vndir the firmament
574: Till ze or na quhilk ar indefferent
575: Without profixit causis and certane
576: Quhilk nane in erd may knaw bot god allane
577: Quhen orpheus vpoun his harp can play
578: That is our vndirstanding for to say
579: Cryis o man recleme thi folich harte
580: Will thow be god and tak on the his parte
581: To tell thingis to cum that neuir wilbe
-86582: Quhilk god hes kepit in his preuetie
583: Thow ma no mair offend to god of micht
584: Na with thi spaying reif fra him his richt
585: This perfyte wisdome with his melody
586: Fleyis the spreit of fenzeid profecy
587: And drawis vpwart our affectioun
588: Fra wichcraft spaying and sorsery
589: And superstitioun of astrolegy
590: Saif allanerly sic maner of thingis
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591: Quhilk vpoun trew and certane causis hingis

592: The quhilk mone cum to thair causis indure
593: On verry fors and nocht throw avanture
594: As is the clippis and the coniunctioun
595: Of sone and mone be calculatioun
596: The quhilk ar fundin in trew astronomy
597: Be moving of the speiris in the sky
598: All thir to speik it may be tollerable
599: And none vdir quhilk no causis stable
600: This vgly way this myrk and dully streit
601: Is nocht ellis bot blinding of the spreit
602: With myrk cluddis and myst of ignorance
603: Affetterrit in this warldis vane plesance
604: And bissines of temporalite
605: To kene the self a styme it may nocht se
606: For stammeris on eftir effectioun
607: Fra ill to war ale thus to hell gois doun
608: That is wan howp throw lang hanting of syn
609: And fowll dispair that mony fallis in
610: Than orpheus our ressoun is full wo
611: And twichis on his harp and biddis ho
612: Till our desyre and fulich appetyte
613: Bidis leif this warldis full delyte
-87614: Than pluto god and quene of hellis fyre
615: Mone grant to ressoun on fors the desyre
616: Than orpheus has won erudices
617: Quhen oure desire wyth reson makis pes
618: And sekis vp to contemplacion
619: Off syn detestand the abusion
620: Bot ilk man suld be war and wisely see
621: That he bakwart cast noucht his myndis ee
622: Gevand consent and dilectation
623: Off fleschly lust for the affection
624: For than gois bakwart to the syn agayn
625: Oure appetite as it before was slayn
626: In warldly lust and sensualitee
627: And makis reson wedow for to be
628: Now pray we god sen oure affection
629: Is alway prompt and redy to fall doun

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630: That he wald vndirput his haly hand

631: Of manetemance and geve vs grace to stand
632: In parfyte lufe as he is glorius
633: And thus endis the tale of orpheus

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