The testament of Cresseid
The testament of Cresseid Henryson, Robert, 1430?-1506? Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library All on-line databases About the electronic version The testament of Cresseid Henryson, Robert, 1430?-1506? creation of machine-readable version: Harry D. Watson Conversion to TEI-conformant markup: University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center ca. 39 kilobytes : http://etext.virginia.edu/mideng.browse.html, HenCres Available from: Oxford Text Archive ; U-243-A 1993
About the print version The testament of Cresseid Robert Henryson : Henry CharterisEdinburgh 1593 Note: The pagination conforms to: The poems of Robert Henryson / edited by G. Gregory Smith. Edinburgh and London : Printed for the Society by W. Blackwood and Sons, 1906-1914. (Scot. Text S. ; v. 55, 58, 64) Published: 1480 Middle English Revisions to the electronic version January 1994 David Seaman, University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center Tagging brought into line with the OTA.DTD, and parsed: November 9, 1993 Edward Gaynor, University of Virginia Library, Cataloging Services Dept. TEI header completed: July 1993 David Gants, University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center UVa header, TEI SGML added; case of all letters except at beginning of line was changed from capital to miniscule; non-ascii characters and ligatures modernized:
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The testament of Cresseid
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The Testament of Cresseid. Compylit be M. Robert Henrysone, Sculemaister in Dunfermeling. Imprentit at Edinburgh be Henrie Charteris. M.D.XCIII. -3-
1: Ane doolie sessoun to ane cairfull dyte 2: Suld correspond, and be equiualent. 3: Richt sa it wes quhen i began to wryte 4: This tragedie, the wedder richt feruent 5: Quhen aries in middis of the lent 6: Schouris of haill can fra the north discend 7: That scantlie fra the cauld i micht defend. 8: Zit neuertheles within myne oratur 9: I stude, quhen titan had his bemis bricht 10: Withdrawin doun, and sylit vnder cure 11: And fair venus the bewtie of the nicht 12: Vprais, and set vnto the west full richt 13: Hir goldin face, in oppositioun 14: Of god phebus direct discending doun 15: Throw out the glas hir bemis brast sa fair 16: That i micht se on euerie syde me by 17: The northin wind had purifyit the air 18: And sched the mistie cloudis fra the sky, 19: The froist freisit the blastis bitterly 20: Fra pole artick come quhisling loud and schill, 21: And causit me remufe aganis my will. -4-
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22: For i traistit that venus luifis quene 23: To quhome sum tyme i hecht obedience, 24: My faidit hart of lufe scho wald mak grene, 25: And therupon with humbill reuerence, 26: I thocht to pray hir hie magnificence, 27: Bot for greit cald as than i lattit was 28: And in my chalmer to the fyre can pas 29: Thocht lufe be hait, zit in ane man of age 30: It kendillis nocht sa sone as in zoutheid, 31: Of quhome the blude is flowing in ane rage, 32: And in the auld the curage doif and deid: 33: Of quhilk the fyre outward is best remeid 34: To help be phisike quhair that nature faillit 35: I am expert, for baith i haue assaillit. 36: I mend the fyre and beikit me about 37: Than tuik ane drink my spreitis to comfort 38: And armit me weill fra the cauld thairout 39: To cut the winter nicht and mak it schort. 40: I tuik ane quair and left all vther sport. 41: Writtin be worthie chaucer glorious 42: Of fair creisseid, and worthie troylus. 43: And thair i fand efter that diomeid 44: Ressauit had that lady bricht of hew. 45: How troilus neir out of wit abraid, 46: And weipit soir with visage paill of hew, 47: For quhilk wanhope his teiris can renew 48: Quhill esperus reioisit him agane 49: Thus quhyle in ioy he leuit quhyle in pane. -5-
50: Of hir behest he had greit comforting 51: Traisting to troy that scho suld mak retour, 52: Quhilk he desyrit maist of eirdly thing 53: For quhy scho was his only paramour, 54: Bot quhen he saw passit baith day and hour 55: Of hir ganecome, than sorrow can oppres 56: His wofull hart in cair and heuines.
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57: Of his distres me neidis nocht reheirs, 58: For worthie chauceir in the samin buik 59: In gudelie termis, and in ioly veirs 60: Compylit hes his cairis, quha will luik. 61: To brek my sleip ane vther quair i tuik, 62: In quhilk i fand the fatall destenie 63: Of fair cresseid, that endit wretchitlie. 64: Quha wait gif all that chauceir wrait was trew 65: Nor i wait nocht gif this narratioun 66: Be authoreist or fenzeit of the new 67: Be sum poeit, throw his inuentioun 68: Maid to report the lamentatioun 69: And wofull end of this lustie creisseid, 70: And quhat distres scho thoillit, and quhat deid. 71: Quhen diomeid had all his appetyte, 72: And mair fulfillit of this fair ladie 73: Vpon ane vther he set his haill delyte 74: And send to hir ane lybell of repudie 75: And hir excludit fra his companie. 76: Than desolait scho walkit vp and doun, 77: And sum men sayis, into the court, commoun. -6-
78: O fair creisseid the flour and a per se 79: Of troy and grece, how was thow fortunait? 80: To change in filth all thy feminitie 81: And be with fleschelie lust sa maculait 82: And go amang the greikis air and lait 83: Sa giglotlike takand thy foull plesance 84: I haue pietie thow suld fall sic mischance. 85: Zit neuertheles quhat euer men deme or say. 86: In scornefull langage of thy brukkilnes, 87: I sall excuse als far furth as i may 88: Thy womanheid, thy wisdome and fairnes 89: The quhik fortoun hes put to sic distres 90: As hir pleisit, and nathing throw the gilt 91: Of the, throw wickit langage to be spilt.
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92: This fair lady, in this wyse destitute 93: Of all comfort, and consolatioun, 94: Richt priuelie, but fellowschip on fute, 95: Disagysit passit far out of the toun 96: Ane myle or twa, vnto ane mansioun 97: Beildit full gay, quhair hir father calchas 98: Quhilk than amang the greikis dwelland was. 99: Quhen he hir saw, the caus he can inquyre 100: Of hir cumming, scho said siching full soir 101: Fra diomeid had gottin his desyre 102: He wox werie, and wald of me no moir. 103: Quod calchas, douchter weip thow not thairfoir 104: Perauenture all cummis for the best, 105: Welcum to me, thow art full deir ane gest. -7-
106: This auld calchas, efter the law was tho 107: Wes keiper of the tempill as ane preist 108: In quhilk venus and hir sone cupido 109: War honourit, and his chalmer was thame neist, 110: To quhilk cresseid with baill aneuch in breist 111: Vsit to pas, hir prayeris for to say 112: Quhill at the last, vpon ane solempne day, 113: As custome was, the pepill far and neir 114: Befoir the none, vnto the tempill went, 115: With sacrifice deuoit in thair maneir, 116: Bot still cresseid, heuie in hir intent 117: Into the kirk wald not hir self present 118: For giuing of the pepill ony deming, 119: Of hir expuls fra diomeid the king. 120: Bot past into ane secreit orature 121: Quhair scho micht weip hir wofull desteny, 122: Behind hir bak scho cloisit fast the dure 123: And on hir kneis bair fell doun in hy 124: Vpon venus and cupide angerly 125: Scho cryit out, and said on this same wyse, 126: Allace that euer i maid zow sacrifice,
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127: Ze gaue me anis ane deuine responsaill, 128: That i suld be the flour of luif in troy, 129: Now am i maid ane vnworthie outwaill 130: And all in cair translatit is my ioy, 131: Quha sall me gyde? quha sall me now conuoy 132: Sen i fra diomeid and nobill troylus 133: Am clene excludit, as abiect odious. -8-
134: O fals cupide is nane to wyte bot thow, 135: And thy mother, of lufe the blind goddes, 136: Ze causit me alwayis vnderstand and trow 137: The seid of lufe was sawin in my face, 138: And ay grew grene throw zour supplie and grace 139: Bot now allace that seid with froist is slane 140: And i fra luifferis left and all forlane. 141: Quhen this was said doun in ane extasie 142: Rauischit in spreit intill ane dreame scho fell 143: And be apperance hard quhair scho did ly 144: Cupide the king ringand ane siluer bell, 145: Quhilk men micht heir fra heuin vnto hell. 146: At quhais sound befoir cupide appeiris 147: The seuin planetis discending fra thair spheiris. 148: Quhilk hes power of all thing generabill 149: To reull and steir be thair greit influence, 150: Wedder and wind, and coursis variabill, 151: And first of all saturne gaue his sentence 152: Quhilk gaue to cupide litill reuerence, 153: Bot as ane busteous churle on his maneir 154: Come crabitlie with auster luik and cheir. 155: His face frosnit, his lyre was lyke the leid, 156: His teith chatterit, and cheuerit with the chin, 157: His ene drowpit, how sonkin in his heid 158: Out of his nois the meldrop fast can rin, 159: With lippis bla and cheikis leine and thin 160: The ice schoklis that fra his hair doun hang 161: Was wonder greit, and as ane speir als lang
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162: Atouir his belt his lyart lokkis lay 163: Felterit vnfair, ouirfret with froistis hoir, 164: His garmound and his gyis full gay of gray 165: His widderit weid fra him the wind out woir, 166: Ane busteous bow within his hand he boir 167: Vnder his girdill ane flasche of felloun flanis 168: Fedderit with ice, and heidit with hailstanis. 169: Than iuppiter richt fair and amiabill, 170: God of the starnis in the firmament, 171: And nureis to all thing generabill 172: Fra his father saturne far different, 173: With burelie face, and browis bricht and brent 174: Vpon his heid ane garland wonder gay 175: Of flouris fair as it had bene in may. 176: His voice was cleir, as cristall wer his ene 177: As goldin wyre sa glitterand was his hair, 178: His garmound and his gyis full of grene 179: With goldin listis gilt on euerie gair, 180: Ane burelie brand about his middill bair 181: In his richt hand he had ane groundin speir, 182: Of his father the wraith fra vs to weir. 183: Nixt efter him come mars the god of ire, 184: Of strife, debait, and all dissensioun, 185: To chide and fecht, als feirs as ony fyre 186: In hard harnes, hewmound and habirgeoun, 187: And on his hanche ane roustie fell fachioun, 188: And in his hand he had ane roustie sword 189: Wrything his face with mony angrie word. -10-
190: Schaikand his sword, befoir cupide he come 191: With reid visage, and grislie glowrand ene, 192: And at his mouth ane bullar stude of fome 193: Lyke to ane bair quhetting his tuskis kene, 194: Richt tuilzeour lyke. but temperance in tene http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?...ages=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (7 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:17:05 PM]
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195: Ane horne he blew, with mony bosteous brag 196: Quhilk all this warld with weir hes maid to wag 197: Than fair phebus, lanterne & lamp of licht 198: Of man and beist, baith frute and flourisching, 199: Tender nureis, and banischer of nicht, 200: And of the warld causing be his mouing 201: And influence, lyfe in all eirdlie thing 202: Without comfort of quhome, of force to nocht 203: Must all ga die that in this warld is wrocht 204: As king royall he raid vpon his chair 205: The quhilk phaeton gydit sum tyme vpricht 206: The brichtnes of his face quhen it was bair 207: Nane micht behald for peirsing of his sicht. 208: This goldin cart with fyrie bemis bricht 209: Four zokkit steidis full different of hew 210: But bait or tyring throw the spheiris drew. 211: The first was soyr, with mane als reid as rois 212: Callit eoye into the orient. 213: The secund steid to name hecht ethios 214: Quhitlie and paill, and sum deill ascendent, 215: The thrid peros, richt hait and richt feruent, 216: The feird was blak, callit philologie 217: Quhilk rollis phebus doun into the sey. -11-
218: Venus was thair present, that goddes 219: Hir sonnis querrell for to defend and mak 220: Hir awin complaint, cled in ane nyce array, 221: The ane half grene, the vther half sabill blak 222: Quhyte hair as gold kemmit and sched abak. 223: Bot in hir face semit greit variance, 224: Quhyles perfyte treuth, and quhyles inconstance. 225: Vnder smyling scho was dissimulait, 226: Prouocatiue, with blenkis amorous, 227: And suddanely changit and alterait, 228: Angrie as ony serpent vennemous 229: Richt pungitiue, with wordis odious.
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230: Thus variant scho was, quha list tak keip 231: With ane eye lauch, and with the vther weip. 232: In taikning that all fleschelie paramour 233: Quhilk venus hes in reull and gouernance, 234: Is sum tyme sweit, sum tyme bitter and sour 235: Richt vnstabill, and full of variance 236: Mingit with cairfull ioy and fals plesance, 237: Now hait, now cauld, now blyith, now full of wo 238: Now grene as leif, now widderit and ago. 239: With buik in hand than come mercurius 240: Richt eloquent, and full of rethorie, 241: With polite termis and delicious 242: With pen and ink to report all reddie 243: Setting sangis and singand merilie: 244: His hude was reid heklit atouir his croun 245: Lyke to ane poeit of the auld fassoun. -12-
246: Boxis he bair with fyne electuairis, 247: And sugerit syropis for digestioun. 248: Spycis belangand to the pothecairis 249: With mony hailsum sweit confectioun, 250: Doctour in phisick cled in ane skarlot goun, 251: And furrit weill, as sic ane aucht to be, 252: Honest and gude, and not ane word culd lie. 253: Nixt efter him come lady cynthia 254: The last of all, and swiftest in hir spheir, 255: Of colour blak, buskit with hornis twa, 256: And in the nicht scho listis best appeir 257: Haw as the leid, of colour nathing cleir 258: For all hir licht scho borrowis at hir brother 259: Titan, for of hir self scho hes nane vther. 260: Hir gyse was gray and full of spottis blak, 261: And on hir breist ane churle paintit full euin 262: Beirand ane bunche of thornis on his bak, 263: Quhilk for his thift micht clim na nar the heuin. 264: Thus quhen thay gadderit war thir goddes seuin
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265: Mercurius thay cheisit with ane assent 266: To be foirspeikar in the parliament. 267: Quha had bene thair, and liken for to heir 268: His facound toung, and termis exquisite, 269: Of rethorick the prettick he micht leir 270: In breif sermone ane pregnant sentence wryte 271: Befoir cupide veiling his cap alyte. 272: Speiris the caus of that vocatioun 273: And he anone schew his intentioun. -13-
274: Lo (quod cupide) quha will blaspheme the name 275: Of his awin god, outher in word in deid, 276: To all goddis he dois baith lak and schame. 277: And suld haue bitter panis to his meid. 278: I say this by zone wretchit cresseid, 279: The quhilk throw me, was sum tyme flour of lufe 280: Me and my mother starklie can reprufe. 281: Saying of hir greit infelicitie 282: I was the caus, and my mother venus, 283: Ane blind goddes, hir cald that micht not se 284: With sclander and defame iniurious, 285: Thus hir leuing vnclene and lecherous 286: Scho wald returne on me and my mother 287: To quhome i schew my grace abone all vther. 288: And sen ze ar all seuin deificait 289: Participant of deuyne sapience, 290: This greit iniurie done to our hie estait 291: Me think with pane we suld mak recompence, 292: Was neuer to goddes done sic violence. 293: Asweill for zow, as for my self i say 294: Thairfoir ga help to reuenge i zow pray. 295: Mercurius to cupide gaue answeir 296: And said schir king my counsall is that ze, 297: Refer zow to the hiest planeit heir, 298: And tak to him the lawest of degre 299: The pane of cresseid for to modifie.
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300: As god saturne, with him tak cynthia 301: I am content (quod he) to tak thay twa. -14-
302: Than thus proceidit saturne and the mone 303: Quhen thay the mater rypelie had degest, 304: For the dispyte to cupide scho had done. 305: And to venus oppin and manifest. 306: In all hir lyfe with pane to be opprest 307: And torment sair with seiknes incurabill, 308: And to all louers be abhominabill. 309: This duleful sentence saturne tuik on hand 310: And passit doun quhair cairfull cresseid lay, 311: And on hir heid he laid ane frostie wand. 312: Than lawfullie on this wyse can he say 313: Thy greit fairnes and all thy bewtie gay 314: Thy wantoun blude, and eik thy goldin hair 315: Heir i exclude fra the for euermair. 316: I change thy mirth into melancholy, 317: Quhilk is the mother of all pensiuenes, 318: Thy moisture and thy heit in cald and dry 319: Thyne insolence, thy play and wantones 320: To greit diseis, thy pomp and thy riches, 321: In mortall neid, and greit penuritie 322: Thow suffer sall, and as ane beggar die. 323: O cruell saturne fraward and angrie 324: Hard is thy dome, and to malitious 325: On fair cresseid quhy hes thow na mercie? 326: Quhilk was sa sweit, gentill and amorous 327: Withdraw thy sentence and be gracious 328: As thow was neuer, sa schawis thow thy deid, 329: Ane wraikfull sentence geuin on fair cresseid. -15-
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332: And red ane bill on cresseid quhair scho lay, 333: Contening this sentence diffinityue 334: Fra heit of bodie i the now depryue 335: And to thy seiknes sall be na recure 336: Bot in dolour thy dayis to indure. 337: Thy cristall ene minglit with blude i mak 338: Thy voice sa cleir vnplesand hoir and hace, 339: Thy lustie lyre ouirspred with spottis blak, 340: And lumpis haw appeirand in thy face 341: Quhair thow cummis, ilk man sall fle the place. 342: This sall thow go begging fra hous to hous 343: With cop and clapper lyke ane lazarous. 344: This doolie dreame, this vglye visioun 345: Brocht to ane end cresseid fra it awoik. 346: And all that court and conuocatioun 347: Vanischit away, than rais scho vp and tuik 348: Ane poleist glas, and hir schaddow culd luik: 349: And quhen scho saw hir face sa deformait 350: Gif scho in hart was wa aneuch god wait. 351: Weiping full sair, lo, quhat it is, quod sche, 352: With fraward langage for to mufe and steir 353: Our craibit goddis,and sa is sene on me. 354: My blaspheming now haue i bocht full deir, 355: All eirdlie ioy and mirth i set areir. 356: Allace this day, allace, this wofull tyde 357: Quhen i began with my goddis for to chyde. -16-
358: Be this was said ane chyld come fra the hall 359: To warne cresseid the supper was reddy, 360: First knokkit at the dure, and syne culd call. 361: Madame zour father biddis zow cum in hy 362: He hes merwell sa lang on grouf ze ly, 363: And sayis zour prayers bene to lang sum deill. 364: The goddis wait all zour intent full weill. 365: Quod scho fair chyld ga to my father deir 366: And pray him cum to speik with me anone.
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367: And sa he did, and said douchter quhat cheir? 368: Allace (quod scho) father my mirth is gone. 369: How sa (quod he) and scho can all expone 370: As i haue tauld the vengeance and the wraik 371: For hir trespas, cupide on hir culd tak. 372: He luikit on hir vglye lipper face, 373: The quhylk befor was quhite as lillie flour 374: Wringand his handis oftymes he said allace 375: That he had leuit to se that wofull hour, 376: For he knew weill that thair was na succour 377: To hir seiknes, and that dowblit his pane 378: Thus was thair cair aneuch betuix thame twane. 379: Quhen thay togidder murnit had full lang, 380: Quod cresseid father, i wald not be kend, 381: Thairfoir in secreit wyse ze let me gang 382: Wnto zone hospitall at the tounis end. 383: And thidder sum meit for cheritie me send 384: To leif vpon, for all mirth in this eird 385: Is fra me gane, sic is my wickit weird. -17-
386: Than in ane mantill and ane bawer hat, 387: With cop and clapper wonder priuely. 388: He opnit ane secreit zet, and out thair at 389: Conuoyit hir, that na man suld espy, 390: Wnto ane village half ane myle thairby, 391: Delyuerit hir in at the spittaill hous, 392: And daylie sent hir part of his almous. 393: Sum knew hir weill, & sum had na knawledge 394: Of hir becaus scho was sa deformait. 395: With bylis blak ouirspred in hir visage, 396: And hir fair colour faidit and alterait. 397: Zit thay presumit for hir hie regrait, 398: And still murning, scho was of nobill kin: 399: With better will thairfoir they tuik hir in. 400: The day passit, and phebus went to rest, 401: The cloudis blak ouirquhelmit all the sky.
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402: God wait gif cresseid was ane sorrowfull gest, 403: Seing that vncouth fair and harbery: 404: But meit or drink scho dressit hir to ly 405: In ane dark corner of the hous allone. 406: And on this wyse weiping, scho maid hir mone.
The complaint of cresseid
407: O sop of sorrow, sonkin into cair: 408: O catiue cresseid, for now and euer mair, 409: Gane is thy ioy and all thy mirth in eird, 410: Of all blyithnes now art thow blaiknit bair. 411: Thair is na salue may saif the of thy sair, 412: Fell is thy fortoun, wickit is thy weird: 413: Thy blys is baneist, and thy baill on breird, 414: Vnder the eirth, god gif i grauin wer: 415: Quhair nane of grece nor zit of troy micht heird -18-
416: Quhair is thy chalmer wantounlie besene? 417: With burely bed and bankouris browderit bene, 418: Spycis and wyne to thy collatioun, 419: The cowpis all of gold and siluer schene: 420: The sweit meitis, seruit in plaittis clene, 421: With saipheron sals of ane gude sessoun: 422: Thy gay garmentis with mony gudely goun, 423: Thy plesand lawn pinnit with goldin prene: 424: All is areir, thy greit royall renoun. 425: Quhair is thy garding with thir greissis gay? 426: And fresche flowris, quhilk the quene floray: 427: Had paintit plesandly in euerie pane, 428: Quhair thou was wont full merilye in may, 429: To walk and tak the dew be it was day 430: And heir the merle and mawis mony ane, 431: With ladyis fair in carrolling to gane. 432: And se the royall rinkis in thair array: 433: In garmentis gay garnischit on euerie grane
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The testament of Cresseid
434: Thy greit triumphand fame and hie honour 435: Quhair thou was callit of eirdlye wichtis flour. 436: All is decayit, thy weird is welterit so. 437: Thy hie estait is turnit in darknes dour. 438: This lipper ludge tak for thy burelie bour. 439: And for thy bed tak now ane bunche of stro, 440: For waillit wyne, and meitis thou had tho, 441: Tak mowlit breid,peirrie and ceder sour: 442: Bot cop and clapper, now is all ago. 443: My cleir voice, and courtlie carrolling, 444: Quhair i was wont with ladyis for to sing. 445: Is rawk as ruik, full hiddeous hoir and hace, 446: My plesand port all vtheris precelling: 447: Of lustines i was hald maist conding. -19448: Now is deformit the figour of my face, 449: To luik on it, na leid now lyking hes: 450: Sowpit in syte, i say with sair siching, 451: Ludgeit amang the lipper leid allace. 452: O ladyis fair of troy and grece attend, 453: My miserie, quhilk nane may comprehend. 454: My friuoll fortoun, my infelicitie: 455: My greit mischeif quhilk na man can amend 456: Be war in tyme approchis neir the end, 457: And in zour mynd ane mirrour mak of me: 458: As i am now, peraduenture that ze 459: For all zour micht may cum to that same end, 460: Or ellis war, gif ony war may be. 461: Nocht is zour fairnes bot ane faiding flour, 462: Nocht is zour famous laud and hie honour. 463: Bot wind inflat in vther mennis eiris. 464: Zour roising reid to rotting sall retour: 465: Exempill mak of me in zour memour, 466: Quhilk of sic thingis wofull witnes beiris, 467: All welth in eird, away as wind it weiris 468: Be war thairfor, approchis neir the hour: 469: Fortoun is fikkill, quhen scho beginnis & steiris
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The testament of Cresseid
470: Thvs chydand with hir drerie destenye, 471: Weiping, scho woik the nicht fra end to end. 472: Bot all in vane, hir dule, hir cairfull cry 473: Micht not remeid, nor zit hir murning mend. 474: Ane lipper lady rais and till hir wend, 475: And said: quhy spurnis thow aganis the wall, 476: To sla thy self, and mend nathing at all? -20-
477: Sen thy weiping dowbillis bot thy wo. 478: I counsall the mak vertew of ane neid. 479: To leir to clap thy clapper to and fro, 480: And leir efter the law of lipper leid. 481: Thair was na buit, bot furth with thame scho zeid, 482: Fra place to place, quhill cauld and hounger sair: 483: Compellit hir to be ane rank beggair. 484: That samin tyme of troy the garnisoun, 485: Quhilk had to chiftane worthie troylus. 486: Throw ieopardie of weir had strikken doun 487: Knichtis of grece in number meruellons, 488: With greit tryumphe and laude victorious 489: Agane to troy richt richt royallie thay raid 490: The way quhair cresseid with the lipper baid. 491: Seing that companie yai come all with ane steuin 492: Thay gaif ane cry, and schuik coppis gude speid. 493: Said worthie lordis, for goddis lufe of heuin, 494: To vs lipper part of zour almous deid. 495: Than to thair cry nobill troylus tuik heid, 496: Hauing pietie, neir by the place can pas: 497: Quhair cresseid sat, not witting quhat scho was. 498: Than vpon him scho kest vp baith hir ene, 499: And with ane blenk it come into his thocht, 500: That he sumtime hir face befoir had sene. 501: Bot scho was in sic plye he knew hir nocht, 502: Zit than hir luik into his mynd it brocht 503: The sweit visage and amorous blenking 504: Of fair cresseid sumtyme his awin darling.
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The testament of Cresseid
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505: Na wonder was, suppois in mynd that he 506: Tuik hir figure sa sone, and lo now quhy. 507: The idole of ane thing, in cace may be 508: Sa deip imprentit in the fantasy: 509: That it deludis the wittis outwardly, 510: And sa appeiris in forme and lyke estait, 511: Within the mynd as it was figurait. 512: Ane spark of lufe than till his hart culd spring, 513: And kendlit all his bodie in ane fyre. 514: With hait fewir ane sweit and trimbling 515: Him tuik, quhill he was reddie to expyre. 516: To beir his scheild, his breist began to tyre 517: Within ane quhyle he changit mony hew, 518: And neuertheles not ane ane vther knew 519: For knichtlie pietie and memoriall 520: Of fair cresseid, ane gyrdill can he tak. 521: Ane purs of gold, and mony gay iowall, 522: And in the skirt of cresseid doun can swak: 523: Than raid away, and not ane word spak. 524: Pensiwe in hart, quhill he come to the toun, 525: And for greit cair oft syis almaist fell doun. 526: The lipper folk to cresseid than can draw, 527: To se the equall distributioun 528: Of the almous, bot quhen the gold thay saw. 529: Ilk ane to vther prewelie can roun, 530: And said zone lord hes mair affectioun 531: How euer it be, vnto zone lazarous, 532: Than to vs all, we knaw be his almous. -22-
533: Quhat lord is zone quod scho haue ze na feill 534: Hes done to vs so greit humanitie? 535: Zes quod a lipper man i knaw him weill. 536: Schir troylus it is, gentill and fre: 537: Quhen cresseid vnderstude that it was he, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed...ges=images/mideng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed (17 of 20) [10/28/2003 1:17:05 PM]
The testament of Cresseid
538: Stiffer than steill, thair stert ane bitter stound 539: Throwout hir hart, and fell doun to the ground. 540: Quhen scho ouircome, with siching sair & sad, 541: With mony cairfull cry and cald ochane. 542: Now is my breist with stormie stoundis stad, 543: Wrappit in wo, ane wretch full will of wane. 544: Than swounit scho oft or scho culd refrane, 545: And euer in hir swouning cryit scho thus: 546: O fals cresseid and trew knicht troylus. 547: Thy lufe, thy lawtie, and thy gentilnes, 548: I countit small in my prosperitie. 549: Sa eleuait i was in wantones, 550: And clam vpon the fickill quheill sa hie, 551: All faith and lufe i promissit to the. 552: Was in the self fickill and friuolous: 553: O fals cresseid, and trew knicht troilus. 554: For lufe of me thow keipt continence. 555: Honest and chaist in conuersatioun. 556: Of all wemen protectour and defence 557: Thou was, and helpit thair opinioun. 558: My mynd in fleschelie foull affectioun 559: Was inclynit to lustis lecherous: 560: Fy fals cresseid, o trew knicht troylus, -23-
561: Louers be war and tak gude heid about 562: Quhome that ze lufe,for quhome ze suffer paine. 563: I lat zow wit, thair is richt few thairout: 564: Quhome ze may traist to haue trew lufe agane: 565: Preif quhen ze will, zour labour is in vaine. 566: Thairfoir, i reid, ze tak thame as ze find: 567: For thay ar sad as widdercok in wind, 568: Becaus i knaw the greit vnstabilnes 569: Brukkil as glas, into my self i say. 570: Traisting in vther als greit vnfaitfulnes: 571: Als vnconstant, and als vntrew of fay. 572: Thocht sum be trew, i wait richt few ar thay,
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The testament of Cresseid
573: Quha findis treuth lat him his lady ruse: 574: Nane but my self, as now i will accuse. 575: Quhen this was said, with paper scho sat doun, 576: And on this maneir maid hir testament. 577: Heir i beteiche my corps and carioun 578: With wormis and with taidis to be rent. 579: My cop and clapper, and myne ornament 580: And all my gold the lipper folk sall haue: 581: Quhen i am deid, to burie me in graue. 582: This royall ring, set with this rubie reid, 583: Quhilk troylus in drowrie to me send. 584: To him agane i leif it quhen i am deid, 585: To mak my cairfull deid wnto him kend: 586: Thus i conclude schortlie and mak ane end, 587: My spreit i leif to diane quhair scho dwellis. 588: To walk with hir in waist woddis and wellis, -24-
589: O diomeid thou hes baith broche and belt, 590: Quhilk troylus gaue me in takning 591: Of his trew lufe, and with that word scho swelt. 592: And sone ane lipper man tuik of the ring, 593: Syne buryit hir withouttin tarying, 594: To troylus furthwith the ring he bair, 595: And of cresseid the deith he can declair. 596: Quhen he had hard hir greit infirmitie, 597: Hir legacie and lamentatioun. 598: And how scho endit in sic pouertie, 599: He swelt for wo, and fell doun in ane swoun, 600: For greit sorrow his hart to brist was boun: 601: Siching full sadlie, said i can no moir, 602: Scho was vntrew, and wo is me thairfoir. 603: Sum said he maid ane tomb of merbell gray. 604: And wrait hir name and superscriptioun, 605: And laid it on hir graue quhair that scho lay, 606: In goldin letteris, conteining this ressoun: 607: Lo, fair ladyis, cresseid, of troyis toun,
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The testament of Cresseid
608: Sumtyme countit the flour of womanheid. 609: Vnder this stane, lait lipper, lyis deid. 610: Now worthie wemen in this ballet schort, 611: Maid for zour worschip and instructioun, 612: Of cheritie, i monische and exhort, 613: Ming not zour lufe with fals deceptioun. 614: Beir in zour mynd this schort conclusioun 615: Of fair cresseid, as i haue said befoir, 616: Sen scho is deid, i speik of hir no moir. 617: Finis
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