As thame apperis, according thar entent,
And for thar part fchawis reffonys euident.
All this is ganand, I will weill it swa be;
Bot a fentens to follow may fuffice me:
5 Sum tyme I follow the text als neir I may,
Sum tyme I am conftrenyt ane other way.
Befyde Latyn our langage is imperfite,
Quhilk in fum part is the caus and the wyte
Quhy that of Virgillis vers the ornate bewte
10 Intill our tung may nocht obferuyt be;
For thar be Latyn wordis, mony ane,
That in our leyd ganand tranflatioun has nane,
Les than we mynys thar fentens and grauyte,
And git fcant weill exponyt; quha trewis nocht me
15 Let thame interprit animal and homo,
With many hundreth other termys mo,
Quhilkis in our langage fuythly, as I weyn,
Few men can tell me cleirly quhat thai meyn;
Betweyn genus, fexus, and fpecies
20 Diuerfite in our leid to feik I ces;
For obiectum and fubiectum alffwa
He war expert couth fynd me termys twa,
Quhilkis ar als ryfe amangis clerkis in fcuyll
As evir fowlis plungit in laik or puyll.
25 Logicianys knawys heirin myne entent,
Vndir quhais boundis lurkis mony strange went,
Quharof the proces, as now, we mon lat be.
Bot git twychyng our tungis penuryte,
I meyn into compar of fair Latyn,
30 That knawyn is maste perfite langage fyne,
I mycht alfo, percace, cum lyddir fpeid
For arbor and lignum intill our leid
To fynd different proper termys twane,
And tharto put circumlocutioun nane;
5 Rycht fo, by about fpech oftyn tymys
And femabill wordis we compile our rymys.
God wait, in Virgill ar termys mony a hundir
Fortill expone maid me a felloun blundir;
To follow alanerly Virgilis wordis, I weyn,
10 Thar fuld few vndirftand me quhat thai meyn;
The bewte of his ornate eloquens
May nocht al tyme be kepit with the fentens.
San& Gregor eik forbyddis ws to translait
Word eftir word, bot fentens follow al gait.
15 Quha haldis, quod he, of wordis the properteis
Full oft the verite of the fentens fleys.
And to the fammyn purpos we may apply
Horatius in hys art of poetry;
Pres nocht, fays he, thou trafte interpreter,
20 Word eftir word to translait thi mater.
Lo he reprevis, and haldis myffemyng,
Ay word by word to reduce ony thing.
I fay nocht this of Chaufer for offens,
But till excus my lewyt infufficiens;
25 For as he ftandis beneth Virgill in gre,
Vndir hym alsfer I grant my felf to be.
And netheles into fum place, quha kend it,
My maftir Chaufer gretly Virgill offendit.
All thoch I be to bald hym to repreif,
30 He was fer baldar, certis, by hys leif,
Sayand he followit Virgillis lantern toforn,
Quhou Eneas to Dydo was forfworn.
Was he forfworn? Than Eneas was fals;
That he admittis, and callys hym traytour als.
5 Thus, wenyng allane Ene to haue reprevit,
He has gretly the prynce of poetis grevit.
For, as faid is, Virgill dyd diligens,
But spot of cryme, reproch, or ony offens,
Eneas for to loif and magnyfy;
10 And gif he grantis hym maynfworn fowlely,
Than all hys cuyr and crafty engyne gais quyte,
Hys twelf gheris laubouris war nocht worth a myte.
Certis, Virgill fchawys Ene dyd na thing,
From Dydo of Cartage at hys departyng,
15 Bot quhilk the goddis commandit hym beforn; And gif that thar command maid hym maynfworn, That war repreif to thar diuinyte,
And na reproch onto the faid Enee.
Als in the firft, quhar Ilioneus
20 Spekis to the queyn Dido, fays he nocht thus,
Thar curs by fait was fet tyll Italy?
Thus mycht fcho not pretend na juft caus quhy,
Thocht Troianys eftir departis of Cartage,
Sen thai befor declaryt hir thar vayage.
25 Reid the ferd buke quhar queyn Dido is wraith,
Thar fal ghe fynd Ene maid nevir aith,
Promyt, nor band with hir fortill abyde:
Thus hym tobe maynfworn may nevir betyde,
Nor nane onkyndnes fchew forto depart
30 At the bydding of Jove with reuthfull hart,
Sen the command of God obey fuld all,
And vndir his charge na wrangwys deid may fall.
Bot fikkyrly, of reffon, me behufis
Excus Chaufer fra all maner repruffis,
5 In lovyng of thir ladeis lylly quhyte
He fet on Virgill and Eneas this wyte;
For he was evir, God wait, all womanis frend.
I fay na mair, bot, gentil redaris heynd,
Lat all my faltis with this offens pas by.
10 Thou prynce of poetis, I the mercy cry,
I meyn thou kyng of kyngis, lord etern,
Thou be my mufe, my gydar, and laid ftern,
Remittyng my trefpas and euery mys
Throu prayer of thy moder queyn of blys!
15 Afald godhed, ay leftyng, but difcrepans,
In perfonys thre, equale of a fubftans,
On the I call and Mary Virgyn myld;
Calliope nor payan goddis wild
May do to me na thing bot harm, I weyn, 20 In Crifte is all my trafte and hevynnys queyn. Thou virgyn moder and madyn be my mufe,
That nevir git na fynfull lyft refus
Quhilk the befocht deuotly for supple;
Albeit my fang to thy hie maiefte
25 Accordis nocht, git condifcend to my write,
For the fweit liquor of thy pappis quhite
Fofterit that prynce, that hevynly Orpheus,
Grond of all gude, our Saluyour Ihefus.
Bot forthirmor, and lawar to difcend,
30 Forgeif me Virgill gif I the offend,
Pardon thy Scolar, fuffir hym to ryme,
Sen thou was bot ane mortal man fum tyme;
In cace I faill haue me not at difdenze,
Thocht I be lewit, my leill hart can nocht fenze: 5 I fall the follow, fuld I therfor haue blame, Quha can do bettir, fa furth in Goddis name. I schrynk nocht anys correkkit for tobe With ony wight grundit on cherite,
And glaidly wald I baith inquire and leir,
10 And till ilke cunnand wight la to my myne eyr;
Bot laith me war, but owther offens or cryme,
Ane brimell body fuld intertrike my ryme.
Thocht fum wald fwer that I the text haue vareit,
Or that I haue this volume quyte myfcareit,
15 Or threpe playnly that I come nevir neir hand it,
Or at the wark is wers than evir I fand it,
Or git argue Virgill ftude weill befor,
As now war tyme to fchift the werft our fcor;
Ellis haue I faid, thar may be na compar
20 Betwix his verfis and my ftile wlgar.
All thocht he ftant in Latyn maist perfyte,
Jit ftude he nevir weill in our tung endyte,
Les than it be by me now at this tyme.
Gyf I haue falgeit, baldly reprufe my ryme;
25 Bot first, I pray you, grape the mater cleyn,
Reproche me nocht quhill the wark be ourfeyn.
Beis not our studyus to fpy a moyt in myne E,
That in our awyn a ferry boyt can nocht fe,
And do to me as ghe wald be done to.
30 Now hark fchirris, thar is na mair ado;
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