THE TESTAMENT OF CRESSEID

ANE doolie1 sessoun to ane cairfull dyte Suld correspond, and be equivalent. Richt sa it wes quhen I began to wryte

This tragedie; the wedder richt fervent,2 Quhen Aries, in middis of the Lent, Schouris of haill can fra the north discend, That scantlie fra the cauld I micht defend.

Yit, nevertheles, within myne oratur 8

I stude, quhen Titan had his bemis bricht
Withdrawin doun, and sylit under cure, 10
And fair Venus, the bewtie of the nicht,
Uprais, and set unto the west full richt
Hir golden face, in oppositioun
Of god Phebus, direct discending doun.

Throw out the glas hir bemis brast 5
sa fair
That I micht se on everie syde me by
The northin wind had purifyit the air,

And sched the mistie cloudis fra the sky;
The froist freisit, the blastis bitterly
Fra Pole Artick come quhisling loud and
schill,6

And causit me remufe aganis my will.

For I traistit that Venus, luifis quene,

20

To quhome sum tyme I hecht obedience, My faidit hart of lufe scho wald mak grene; And therupon, with humbill reverence, I thocht to pray hir hie magnificence; Bot for greit cauld as than I lattitR was, And in my chalmer to the fyre can pas.

Thocht lufe be hait, yit in ane man of age It kendillis nocht sa sone as in youtheid, Of quhome the blude is flowing in ane rage,

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And in the auld the curage doif 10 and deid;

Of quhilk the fire outward is best remeid: To help be phisike quhair that nature faillit I am expert for baith I have assailit.11

1 doleful. under cover.

ised.

-

3 oratory.. 4 concealed 6 shrill. 7 formerly I prom10 dull (deaf). 11 tried.

2 severe. 5 burst. prevented. hot.

Quhen Diomed had all his appetyte,
And mair, fulfillit of this fair ladie,
Upon ane uther he set his haill delyte,
And send to hir ane lybell of repudie;
And hir excludit fra his companie.
Than desolait scho walkit up and doun,
And, sum men sayis, into the court commoun.

O, fair Cresseid! the floure and A per se Of Troy and Grece, how was thow fortunait ! 1

To change in filth all thy feminitie,

And be with fleschelie lust sa maculait,2 And go amang the Greikis air3 and lait, So giglotlike, takand thy foull plesance ! I have pietie thow suld fall sic mischance.

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Spycis belangand to the pothecairis,
With mouy hailsum sweit confectioun,
Doctour in phisick, cled in ane skarlot

goun,

And furrit weill, as sic ane aucht to be, 251 Honest and gude, and not ane word culd lie.

Nixt efter him come Lady Cynthia,

The last of all, and swiftest in hir spheir, Of colour blak, buskit with hornis twa, And in the nicht scho listis best appeir; Haw 10 as the leid, of colour nathing cleir; For all hir licht scho borrowis at hir brother Titan, for of hirself scho hes nane uther.

Hir gyse was gray, and full of spottis blak; And on hir breist ane churle paintit full evin,

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'And sen

1 ye ar all sevin deificait, Participant of devyne sapience, This greit injure done to our hie estait, 290 Me-think with pane we suld mak recompence;

Was never to goddes done sic violence. As weill for yow as for myself I say, Thairfoir ga help to revenge I yow pray?'

Mercurius to Cupide gave answeir,

Aud said, 'Schir King, my counsall is that ye

Refer yow to the hiest planeit heir,

And tak to him the lawest of degre, The pane of Cresseid for to modifie: 2 As God Saturne, with him tak Cynthia.' 300 'I am content,' (quod he), 'to tak thay twa.'

Than thus proceidit Saturne and the Mone, Quhen thay the mater rypelie had degest, For the dispyte to Cupide scho had done, And to Venus oppin and manifest,

In all hir lyfe with pane to be opprest, And torment sair, with seiknes incurabill, And to all lovers be abhominabill.

This doolie dreame, this uglye visioun

Brocht to ane end, Cresseid fra it awoik, And all that court and convocatioun Vanischit away. Than rais scho up and tuik

Ane poleist glas, and hir schaddow culd

luik;