THE EXCUSATION OF THE PRENTAR.
Prefixed to the Translation of Boece’s History.
Ingyne[715]of man be inclinatiounIn sindry wyse is geuin, as we se.Sum men ar geuin to detractioun,Inuy, displeseir, or malancolie,And to thair nychbouris hes no cherite.Sum ar so nobill and full of gentilnes,Thay luf no-thing bot joy and merynes.Sum ar at vndir[716], and sum maid vp of nocht:Sum men luffis peace, and sum desiris weir[717].Sum is so blyth in-to his mery thochtHe curis[718]nocht, so he may perseueirIn grace and fauour of his lady deir.Sum boldin[719]at othir in maist cruell feid[720],With lance and dagar rynnis to the deid[721].Ane hes that mycht ane hundreth weil sustene,And leiffis[722]in wo and pennance at his table,And of gud fallois comptis nocht ane bene[723];His wrechit mynd is so insaciable;As heuin and hell wer no-thing bot ane fableHe birnis ay, but sycht[724]to gud or euil,And rynnis with all his baggis to the deuil.And I the prentar, that dois considir weilThir sindry myndis of men in thair leuing[725],Desiris nocht bot on my laubour leil[726]That I mycht leif, and of my just wynnyngMycht first pleis God, and syne our noble Kyng,And that ye reders bousum and attent[727]Wer of my laubour and besynes content.And in this wark, that I haue heir assailyeitTo bring to lycht, maist humely I exhortYow nobill reders, quhare that I haue failyeitIn letter, sillabe, poyntis lang or schort,That ye will of your gentrice it support[728],And tak the sentence[729]the best wyse ye may;I sall do better, will God, ane-othir day.
Ingyne[715]of man be inclinatiounIn sindry wyse is geuin, as we se.Sum men ar geuin to detractioun,Inuy, displeseir, or malancolie,And to thair nychbouris hes no cherite.Sum ar so nobill and full of gentilnes,Thay luf no-thing bot joy and merynes.Sum ar at vndir[716], and sum maid vp of nocht:Sum men luffis peace, and sum desiris weir[717].Sum is so blyth in-to his mery thochtHe curis[718]nocht, so he may perseueirIn grace and fauour of his lady deir.Sum boldin[719]at othir in maist cruell feid[720],With lance and dagar rynnis to the deid[721].Ane hes that mycht ane hundreth weil sustene,And leiffis[722]in wo and pennance at his table,And of gud fallois comptis nocht ane bene[723];His wrechit mynd is so insaciable;As heuin and hell wer no-thing bot ane fableHe birnis ay, but sycht[724]to gud or euil,And rynnis with all his baggis to the deuil.And I the prentar, that dois considir weilThir sindry myndis of men in thair leuing[725],Desiris nocht bot on my laubour leil[726]That I mycht leif, and of my just wynnyngMycht first pleis God, and syne our noble Kyng,And that ye reders bousum and attent[727]Wer of my laubour and besynes content.And in this wark, that I haue heir assailyeitTo bring to lycht, maist humely I exhortYow nobill reders, quhare that I haue failyeitIn letter, sillabe, poyntis lang or schort,That ye will of your gentrice it support[728],And tak the sentence[729]the best wyse ye may;I sall do better, will God, ane-othir day.
Ingyne[715]of man be inclinatiounIn sindry wyse is geuin, as we se.Sum men ar geuin to detractioun,Inuy, displeseir, or malancolie,And to thair nychbouris hes no cherite.Sum ar so nobill and full of gentilnes,Thay luf no-thing bot joy and merynes.
Ingyne[715]of man be inclinatioun
In sindry wyse is geuin, as we se.
Sum men ar geuin to detractioun,
Inuy, displeseir, or malancolie,
And to thair nychbouris hes no cherite.
Sum ar so nobill and full of gentilnes,
Thay luf no-thing bot joy and merynes.
Sum ar at vndir[716], and sum maid vp of nocht:Sum men luffis peace, and sum desiris weir[717].Sum is so blyth in-to his mery thochtHe curis[718]nocht, so he may perseueirIn grace and fauour of his lady deir.Sum boldin[719]at othir in maist cruell feid[720],With lance and dagar rynnis to the deid[721].
Sum ar at vndir[716], and sum maid vp of nocht:
Sum men luffis peace, and sum desiris weir[717].
Sum is so blyth in-to his mery thocht
He curis[718]nocht, so he may perseueir
In grace and fauour of his lady deir.
Sum boldin[719]at othir in maist cruell feid[720],
With lance and dagar rynnis to the deid[721].
Ane hes that mycht ane hundreth weil sustene,And leiffis[722]in wo and pennance at his table,And of gud fallois comptis nocht ane bene[723];His wrechit mynd is so insaciable;As heuin and hell wer no-thing bot ane fableHe birnis ay, but sycht[724]to gud or euil,And rynnis with all his baggis to the deuil.
Ane hes that mycht ane hundreth weil sustene,
And leiffis[722]in wo and pennance at his table,
And of gud fallois comptis nocht ane bene[723];
His wrechit mynd is so insaciable;
As heuin and hell wer no-thing bot ane fable
He birnis ay, but sycht[724]to gud or euil,
And rynnis with all his baggis to the deuil.
And I the prentar, that dois considir weilThir sindry myndis of men in thair leuing[725],Desiris nocht bot on my laubour leil[726]That I mycht leif, and of my just wynnyngMycht first pleis God, and syne our noble Kyng,And that ye reders bousum and attent[727]Wer of my laubour and besynes content.
And I the prentar, that dois considir weil
Thir sindry myndis of men in thair leuing[725],
Desiris nocht bot on my laubour leil[726]
That I mycht leif, and of my just wynnyng
Mycht first pleis God, and syne our noble Kyng,
And that ye reders bousum and attent[727]
Wer of my laubour and besynes content.
And in this wark, that I haue heir assailyeitTo bring to lycht, maist humely I exhortYow nobill reders, quhare that I haue failyeitIn letter, sillabe, poyntis lang or schort,That ye will of your gentrice it support[728],And tak the sentence[729]the best wyse ye may;I sall do better, will God, ane-othir day.
And in this wark, that I haue heir assailyeit
To bring to lycht, maist humely I exhort
Yow nobill reders, quhare that I haue failyeit
In letter, sillabe, poyntis lang or schort,
That ye will of your gentrice it support[728],
And tak the sentence[729]the best wyse ye may;
I sall do better, will God, ane-othir day.