I mene this by my-self, as in partye; 21 Though nature gave me suffisance 22 in youth, The rypenesse of resoun lak[it] I To governe with my will; so lyte I couth,28 Quhen sterëles to travaile I begouth,24 Amang the wawis of this warld to drive; And how the case, anon I will discrive. 112 With doubtfull hert, amang the rokkis blake, My feble bote full fast to stere and rowe, Helples allone, the wynter nyght I wake, To wayte the wynd that furthward suld me throwe.25 O empti saile! quhare is the wynd suld blowe Me to the port, quhar gynneth all my game? Help, Calyope, and wynd, in Marye name! 120 The rokkis clepe 26 I the prolixitee Off doubilnesse that doith 27 my wittis pall: The lak of wynd is the deficultee In enditing of this lytill trety small : The bote I clepe the mater hole of all: My wit, unto the saile that now I wynd 28 To seke connyng,29 though I bot lytill fynd. At my begynnyng first I clepe and call To yow, Cleo, and to yow, Polymye, With Thesiphone,80 goddis and sistris all, In nowmer ix., as bokis specifye;. 130 In this processe my wilsum 81 wittis gyes And with your bryght lanternis wele con voye My pen, to write my turment and my joye! 15 stands. 16 guide. 17 helmless. 18 must hasten to harm. 19 help. 20 voyage. 21 mean this regarding myself, partly. 22 sufficient rank and means. 23 To govern my will with; so little I could. 24 began. 25 drive. 26 call. 27 maketh. 28 unfurl. (?) 29 skill. On this whole passage cf. Chaucer's Troilus, Bk. II., Proem. 30 Tisiphone, a Fury. James, misled by a passage in Chaucer's Troilus, takes her for a Muse. al wilful. Now was there maid fast by the touris wall A gardyn faire, and in the corneris set Ane herbere 3 grene:- with wandis long and small Railit about; and so with treis set Was all the place, and hawthorn hegis knet, That lyf was none walking there forby, That myght within scarse ony wight aspye. So thik the bewis and the levës grene Beschadit all the aleyes that there were, And myddis every herbere myght be sene 220 The scharpe grenë suetë jene pere," Growing so faire with branchis here and there, That, as it semyt to a lyf without, This was the planë ditee of thaire note, And there-with-all unto my-self I thoght, 'Quhat lyf 19 is this that makis birdis dote? Quhat may this be, how cummyth it of ought? 20 Quhat nedith it to be so dere ybought? 250 It is nothing, trowe 1, bot feyuit chere, And that men list to counterfeten chere.' Than gan I studye in my-self, and seyne, 'A! suete, ar ye a warldly creature, Or hevinly thing in likenesse of nature? 'Or ar ye god Cupidis owin princesse, And cummyn are to louse me out of band? Or ar ye verray Nature the goddesse, That have depaynted with your hevinly hand This gardyn full of flouris, as they stand? Quhat sall I think, allace! quhat reverence Sall I min[i]ster to your excellence? 301 Full of quaking spangis bryght as gold, And othir of schap like to the [round crokettis],15 And, above all this, there was, wele I wote, Beautee eneuch to mak a world to dote. About hir nek, quhite as the fyre amaille,16 A gudely cheyne of smale orfeverye,17 331 Quhareby there hang a ruby, without faille, Lyke to ane herte schapin verily, That, as a sperk of lowe,18 so wantonly Semyt birnyng upon hir quhytë throte; Now gif there was gud partye,19 God it wote! And forto walk that fresche Mayës morowe, An huke 20 sche had upon hir tisse w 21 quhite, That gudeliare had noght bene sene toforowe,22 As I suppose; and girt sche was a lyte. 340 Thus halflyng 23 louse for haste, to suich delyte |