Scottish Poetry of the Sixteenth Century. Various

goldin skyis of the Orient,

      Changeyng in sorrow our sang melodious,

      Quhilk we had wount to sing with gude intent,

      Resoundand to the hevinnis firmament:

      Bot now our daye is changeit in-to nycht.”

      With that thay rais, and flew furth of my sycht.

      Pensyve in hart, passing full soberlie

      Unto the see, fordward I fure anone.

      The see was furth, the sand wes smooth and drye;

      Then up and doun I musit myne allone[52],

      Till that I spyit ane lyttill cave of stone

      Heych[53] in ane craig: upwart I did approche

      But tarying[54], and clam up in the roche:

      And purposit, for passing of the tyme,

      Me to defende from ociositie[55],

      With pen and paper to register in ryme

      Sum mery mater of antiquitie:

      Bot Idelnes, ground of iniquitie,

      Scho maid so dull my spreitis, me within,

      That I wyste nocht at quhat end to begin,

      But satt styll in that cove, quhare I mycht see

      The wolteryng[56] of the wallis, up and doun,

      And this fals warldis instabilytie

      Unto that see makkand comparisoun,

      And of this warldis wracheit variatioun

      To thame that fixis all thair hole intent,

      Consideryng quho most had suld most repent.

      So, with my hude my hede I happit warme,

      And in my cloke I fauldit boith my feit;

      I thocht my corps with cauld suld tak no harme,

      My mittanis held my handis weill in heit;

      The skowland[57] craig me coverit frome the sleit.

      Thare styll I satt, my bonis for to rest,

      Tyll Morpheus with sleip my spreit opprest.

      So, throw the bousteous[58] blastis of Eolus,

      And throw my walkyng on the nycht before,

      And throw the seyis movyng marvellous,

      Be Neptunus, with mony route[59] and rore,

      Constraint I was to sleip, withouttin more:

      And quhat I dremit, in conclusioun

      I sall you tell, ane marvellous Visioun.

      [In the company of Dame Remembrance the poet visits the centre of the earth, and there amid the torments of hell discovers the “men of Kirk,” from cardinals to friars, with historic characters, from Bishop Caiaphas and Mahomet to queens and dukes, whose causes of punishment are described. He visits purgatory and the place of unbaptised babes, then passing upward through the four elements and the spheres of the seven planets, from that of the moon, “Quene of the see and bewtie of the nycht,” he reaches the heaven of heavens, and beholds the throne of God, with all its glorious surroundings. Upon leaving heaven Remembrance displays and describes the three parts of the earth to the poet, and after affording him a view of paradise with its four walls of fire, brings him to Scotland. Here he enquires the causes of all the unhappiness which he sees. These are attributed to political turpitude and mismanagement. As Remembrance is speaking a third personage appears on the scene.]

      Complaynt of the Commounweill of Scotland.

      And thus as we wer talking, to and fro,

      We saw a bousteous berne cum ouir the bent[60],

      Bot[61] hors, on fute, als fast as he mycht go,

      Quhose rayment wes all raggit, revin, and rent,

      With visage leyne, as he had fastit Lent:

      And fordwart fast his wayis he did advance,

      With ane rycht melancolious countynance,

      With scrip on hip, and pyikstaff in his hand,

      As he had purposit to passe fra hame.

      Quod I, “Gude-man, I wald faine understand,

      Geve that ye plesit, to wyt[62] quhat were your name?”

      Quod he, “My Sonne, of that I think gret schame,

      Bot, sen thow wald of my name have ane feill[63],

      Forsuith, thay call me John the Commounweill.”

      “Schir Commounweill, quho hes yow so disgysit?”

      Quod I: “or quhat makis yow so miserabyll?

      I have marvell to se yow so supprysit[64],

      The quhilk that I have sene so honorabyll.

      To all the warld ye have bene profitabyll,

      And weill honourit in everilk[65] natioun:

      How happinnis now your tribulatioun?”

      “Allace!” quod he, “thow seis how it dois stand

      With me, and quhow I am disherisit

      Of all my grace, and mon[66] pass of Scotland,

      And go, afore quhare I was cherisit.

      Remane I heir, I am bot perysit[67];

      For thare is few to me that takis tent[68],

      That garris[69] me go so raggit, rewin, and rent:

      “My tender freindis are all put to the flycht;

      For Policye is fled agane in France.[70]

      My syster, Justice, almaist haith tynt[71] hir sycht,

      That scho can nocht hald evinly the ballance.

      Plane wrang is plane capitane of ordinance,

      The quhilk debarris laute[72] and reasoun;

      And small remeid is found for open treasoun.

      “In-to the South, allace! I was neir slane;

      Ouer all the land I culd fynd no releif.

      Almoist betuix the Mers and Lowmabane

      I culde nocht knaw are leill man be ane theif.

      To schaw thair reif[73], thift, murthour, and mischeif,

      And vicious workis, it wald infect the air,

      And als langsum[74] to me for tyll declair.

      “In-to the Hieland I could fynd no remeid,

      Bot suddantlie I wes put to exile:

      Thai sweir swyngeoris[75] thay tuke of me non heid,

      Nor amangs thame lat me remane are quhyle.

      Als, in the Oute Ylis, and in Argyle,

      Unthrift, sweirnes, falset, povertie, and stryfe

      Pat Policye in dainger of hir lyfe.

      “In the Lawland I come to seik refuge,

      And purposit thare to mak my residence;

      Bot singulare profeit gart[76] me soune disluge,

      And did me gret injuries and offence,

      And said to me, ‘Swyith[77], harlote, hy thee hence,

      And