THE

KING'S QUAIR.

CANTO III.

THE POET IS TRANSPORTED TO THE SPHERE OF

LOVE.

I.

METHOT yt thus all sodeynly a lyt,

In at the wyndow come quhare at I lent, Of quhich the chambere wyndow schone full bryt, And all my body so it hath ouerwent, That of my sicht the vertew hale * I blent, And that wt all a voce unto me said,

I bring the comfort and hele, be not affrayde.

II.

And furth anon it passit sodeynly,

Quhere it come in, the ryt way ageyne,

* My sicht-hale I blent.] Or Y blent; dazzled with the light.

And sone methot furth at the dure in hye
I went my weye, * was nathing me ageyne,
And hastily, by bothe the armes tueyne,
I was araisit up into the aire,

a

Clippit in a cloude of crystall clere and faire.

III.

Ascending vpward ay fro spere to spere,
Through aire and watere and the hote fyre,
Till yt I come vnto the circle clere,

Off' signifere quhare fair bryt and schere,
The signis schone, and in the glad empire
Off blissful Venus ane cryit now
So sudaynly, almost I wist not how.

IV.

Off quhich the place, quhen I com there nye,
Was all methot of christal stonis wrot,

In hye.] In haste.

x Was nathing me ageyne.] Nothing opposing me.

a Clippit in a cloude.] Embraced, surrounded, held fast. From the A. Saxon clyppan.

b Signifere.] The Zodiac, or Circle of the twelve signs.

£ Bryt and schere.] Burning bright. G. D. p. 276. l. 43.

And to the port I liftit was in hye,

d

Quhare sodaynly, as quho sais at a thot,
It opnyt, and I was anon inbrot

Wtin a chamber, large rowm and faire,
And there I fand of people great repaire.

V.

This is to seyne, yt present in that place,
Methot I sawe of every nacion
Loueris yt endit thaire lyfis space
In lovis service, mony a mylion

Of quhois chancis maid is mencion

In diverse bukis quho thame list to se,
And therefore here thaire namys lat I be.

de The phrases, "As who says at a thought," and "Of people great repair," I take to be both Scottish.

The following allegorical description of the Court of Venus, with the various groupes or classes of the votaries of Love, is extremely picturesque, and shows great powers of fancy and imagination. The poet, I apprehend, has had the celebrated Tablature of Cebes in his view, although his groupes of figures are different. The pictures progressively brought into view by our poet are distinct, and the figures well painted: The description is simple and pleasant, because not embarrassed with frequent interruption, as in Cebes, by the dialogue frequently breaking in. To a few readers, a short analysis or argument may perhaps not be unnecessary.

§ IV. and V. Description of the Palace of Love, and the poet's entry into it, where he sees groupes of people of every nation, the devotees to love, whose stories are recorded in diverse books.

VI

The quhois aventure and grete laboure
Abone their hedis writen there I fand,
This to seyne martris, and confessoure,
Ech in his stage, and his make in his hand;
And therewt all thir peple sawe I stand,
Wt mony a solempt contenance,
After as lufe thame lykit to auance.

VII.

Off gude folkis yt faire in lufe befell,
There saw I sitt in order by thame one
Wt hedis hore, and wt thame stude gude will
To talk and play, and after that anon
Besyde thame, and next there saw I gone
Curage, amang the fresche folkis zong,
And wt thame playit full merily, and song.

S VI. Each of whom has his make or mistress in his hand, and their story written above their heads.

§ VII. In the first class or groupe are those who were successful in love. Prudence, with his hoary head, accompanies them, and Benevolence and Courage join in cheerful song with them.

VIII.

And in ane other stage, endlong the wall,
There saw I stand in capis wyde and lang
A full grete nowmer, but thaire hudis all
Wist I not why, atoure thair eyen hang,
And ay to thame come Repentance amang,
And maid thame chere degysit in his wede,
And downward efter that zit I tuke hede.

IX.

Ryt ouer thwert the chamber was there drawe
A trevesse thin and quhite, all of plesance,

eyes.

§ VIII. False devotees to love, with caps or hoods over their These were hypocrites, who, under the cloak of religion, as is further explained in § XV. and XVI. privately carried on their Repentance accompanies them.

amours.

The sanctimonious lecher is painted with great humour by a mo. dern poet:

Full oft by holy feet our ground was trod,
Of clerks great plenty here you mote espy;

A little round, fat, oily man of God,

Was one I chiefly markt among the fry:

He had a roguish twinkle in his eye,

And shone all glistening with ungodly dew;

If a tight damsel chanc'd to trippen by,

Which, when observ'd, he shrunk into his mew,
And strait would recollect his piety anew.

Castle of Indolence.