Orpheus and Eurydice -
Robert Henryson
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 21: To mak thame in all vertu excellent
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
50: The sext lady was callit herato 51: Quhilk drawis lyke to lyke in ewiry thing 52: The sevynt lady was fair pollymyo 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 195: 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
226: Thare lerit he tonys proportionate 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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
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
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 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 421: 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 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 453: 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 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 485: 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 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 519: 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 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 582: 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 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 614: 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 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
From --- Song of Orpheus