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The visione that aperit before the
actor in his sleipe.
Chap. VII IN my
dullit dreyme ande sopit visione, i thocht
that ther aperit to me, ane lady of excellent extractione
ande of anciant genolygie, makkand ane
melancolius cheir, for the grite violens, that sche hed
sustenit & indurit. it aperit be hyr voful contenens,
that sche vas in grite dout ande dreddour, for ane mair
dolorus future ruuyne, that vas aperand to succumb hyr
haistylye, in the maist extreme exterminatione. hyr
hayr of the cullour of fyne gold, vas feltrit & trachlit
out of ordour, hingand ouer hyr schuldirs. sche hed
ane croune of gold, hingand & brangland, that it vas
lyik to fal doune fra hyr hede to the cald eird. sche
bure ane scheild in the quhilk vas grauit ane rede
rampand lyon in ane feild of gold, bordoryt about viht
doubil floure delicis. This rede lyon vas hurt in mony
placis of his body. the acoutrementis ande clethyng of
this dolorus lady vas ane
<f55r> syde mantil, that couurit al
hyr body of ane meruelouse ingenius fassoune, the
quhilk hed bene tissu ande vrocht be thre syndrye fassons
of verkmenschips. the fyrst part quhilk vas the
hie bordour of hyr mantil, there vas mony precius
stanis, quhar in ther vas grauit, scheildis, speyris,
sourdis, bayrdit horse harnes ande al vthir sortis of
vaupynis ande munitions of veyr. in the middis of that
mantil there vas grauit in carrecters beukis ande
figuris, diuerse sciensis diuyne ande humain, vitht mony
cheretabil actis ande supernatural miraclis. on the
thrid part of that mantil, i beheld brodrut about al hyr
tail, al sortis of cattel ande profitabil beystis, al sortis
of cornis eyrbis, plantis, grene treis, schips, marchantdreis,
ande mony politic verkmanlumis for mecanyc
craftis. This mantil quhilk hed bene maid & vrocht
in ald tymys, be the prudent predecessours of this foyr
said lady, vas reuyn & raggit in mony placis, that
skantly mycht i persaue the storeis ande figuris that
hed bene grauit vrocht ande brodrut in ald tymis in
the thre partis of it. for the fyrst part of it vantit
mony of the scheildis ande harnes that vas fyrst vrocht
in it ande ane vthir part of
<f55v> the schieldis & harnes
var brokyn ande roustit, ande reddye to fal ande tyne
furtht of the bordour of that mantil. Siklyik the
pleisand verkmenschips that vas in the middis of hyr
mantil, vas seperat fra vthirs, ande altrit fra the fyrst
fassone, that na man culd extract ony profitabil sentens
nor gude exempil furtht of ony part of it. Nou to
speik of the thrid part of hyr mantil, it vas verst
grathit ande spylt be ane grit defferens nor vas the
tothir tua partis of that mantil: for it aperit that al
the grene treis cornis bestialite mecanyc craftis ande
schips ande marchandreise, that hed bene curiouslye
vrocht in ald tymis in the bordour of the tail of that
mantil, vas spilt ande distroyit, ande the eird vas becum
barran & stirril, ande that na ordinance of policye culd
be persauit in it, nor esperance of releif. Nou to conclude
of the fassone of this ladeis mantil, it vas baytht
altrit in cullour ande in beaulte, and reuyn in mony
placis, hingand doune raggit in pecis, in sic ane sort,
that gyf thay hed bene present that vrocht ande maid
it in the begynnyng. thai vald haue clair myskend it,
be rasone that it vas sa mekil altrit fra the fyrst fassone.
This
<f56r> affligit lady beand of this sort troublit ande disaguisit,
ande al hyr gaye clathis reuyn & raggit
throucht the grite violens that sche hed sustenit: sche
began to suspire lamentabil regrettis, vitht mony salt
teyris distillant doune fra hyr piteous ene this desolat
affligit lady, beand in this perplexite, ande disparit of
remeid, sche began to contempil the vidthrid barran
feildis, quhilkis in vthir tymis hed bene fertil in al
prosperiteis, quhar sche persauit cummand touart hyr.
thre of hyr auen natiue natural sonnis. The eldest of
them vas in harnes, traland ane halbert, behynd hym,
beand al affrayit ande fleyit for dreddour of his lyue.
The sycond of hyr sonnis vas sittand in ane chair,
beand clethd in ane sydegoune, kepand grite grauite,
heffand ane beuk in his hand, the glaspis var fast lokkyt
vitht rouste. hyr zongest sone vas lyand plat on
his syde on the cald eird, ande al his clathis var reuyn
ande raggit, makkand ane dolorus lamentatione, ande
ane piteouse complaynt. he tuke grite pane to ryise vp
on his feit, bot he vas sa greuouslye ouer set be violens,
that it vas nocht possibil til hym, to stand rycht vp.
Than quhen this lady persauit hyr thre sonnis
<f56v> in that
langorius stait, sche began to reproche them inuectyuely
of ther neclegens couuardeis ande ingratitude vsit
contrar hyr. the quhilk reproche sche pronuncit vitht
mony dolorus suspiris, the quhilk be aperens procedit
fra ane trublit spreit, desolat of consolatione ande disparit
of remede. than i beand in my sopit melancolius
dreyme, i thocht that i inquirit of hyr stile, of hyr
duelling place & of the dolorus cause of hyr lamentabil
regrettis. Sche ansuert vitht ane dolorouse contenens,
quod sche, my name is callit, the affligit lady dame
scotia, vthir tymis i haue tryumphit in gloir ande
prosperite, bot nou aduerse fortoune hes bene inuyful
contrar my veil fayr, quhilk is the cause that my triumphant
stait is succumbit in decadens, ther can
nocht be ane mair vehement perplexite, as quhen ane
person beand in prosperite at his hartis desire, ande
syne dechays in miserabil aduersite. thir vordis maye be
applyit ande conferrit vitht the dolorouse accidentis
that hes persecutit me. for i that hes bene in maist
fortunat prosperite, nou i am inuadit ande affligit be my
ald mortal enemeis be the maist extreme assaltis that
ther pouuer can exsecute,
<f 57r>the quhilk i beleuit til
haue resistit be the support ande supple of my thre
sonnis that standis heir in my presens, be rason that
thai ar oblist be goddis lau ande be the lau of nature
to be my deffens contrar al externe inuasions, bot thai
haue schauen them self ingrat dissymilit ande couuardis
in the iust deffens of my veil fayr: as thou sal heir be
this reproche that i sal pronunce to them in thy presens
as eftir follouis. |
