Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus and Eurydice Henryson, Robert, 1430?-1506? Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library All on-line databases 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.: [email protected]. 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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?...ages=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (2 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

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21: To mak thame in all vertu excellent -67-

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 -68-

50: The sext lady was callit herato 51: Quhilk drawis lyke to lyke in ewiry thing 52: The sevynt lady was fair pollymyo http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?...ages=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (3 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

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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 -70-

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 -71-

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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?...ages=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (6 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

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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 -72-

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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?...ages=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (7 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

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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 -74-

226: Thare lerit he tonys proportionate http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?...ages=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (8 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

Orpheus and Eurydice

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 -75-

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 -76-

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 -77-

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 -78-

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 -79http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed...ges=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (12 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

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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 -80-

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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed...ges=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (13 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

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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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed...ges=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (14 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

Orpheus and Eurydice

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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed...ges=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (15 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

Orpheus and Eurydice

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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Orpheus and Eurydice

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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Orpheus and Eurydice

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 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed...ges=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (18 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:19:41 PM]

Orpheus and Eurydice

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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Orpheus and Eurydice

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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