That am zour hevin and zour paradise, And I zour confort here sall multiplye, And, for zoure meryt here perpetualye, Ressaue I sall zour saulis of my grace, To lyve wt me as goddis in this place.

THE

KING'S QUAIR.

CANTO IV.

HE IS CONDUCTED TO THE PALACE OF MINERVA.

т

I.

WT humble thank, and all the reverence

That feble wit and conyng may atteyne,

I tuke my leve; and from hir presence
Gude Hope and I togider both tueyne
Departit are, and schortly for to seyne
He hath me led redy wayis ryt

Vnto Minerve's Palace faire and bryt.

II.

Quhare as 1 fand, full redy at the zate,
The maister portare, callit Pacience,
That frely lete vs in, vnquestionate,

And there we sawe the perfyt excellence,

The said renewe, the state, the reuerence,

The strenth, the beautee, and the ordour digne,
Off hir court-riall, noble and benigne.

III.

And straught vnto the presence sodeynly
Off dame Minerue, the pacient goddesse,
Gude Hope my gyde led me redily,

To quhom anon, wt dredefull humylnesse
Off my cummyng, the cause I gan expresse,
And all the processe hole, vnto the end,
Off Venus charge, as likit her to send.

IV.

Off quhich ryt thus hir ansuere was in bref:
My son, I have wele herd, and vnderstond,
Be thy reherse, the mater of thy gref,

And thy request to procure, and to 'fond
Off thy penance sum confort at my hond,
Be counsele of thy lady Venus clere,
To be with hir thyne help in this matere.

k The said renewe.]

This must surely be an error in the copy,

as it appears to be unintelligible.

To fond.] To find of thy penance some comfort from me.

V

Bot in this case thou sall well knawe and witt,
Thou may thy hert ground on suich a wise,
That thy laboure will be bot lytill quit,
And thou may set it in otherwise,
That wil be to the grete worschip and prise;
And gif thou durst vnto that way enclyne,
I will the geve my lore and discipline.

VI.

Lo, my gude son, this is als much to seyne,
As gif thy lufe be set malluterly

Of nyce lust, thy travail is in veyne,

And so the end sall turne of thy folye,
To payne and repentance, lo wate thou quhy?
Gif the ne list on lufe thy vertew set,
Vertu sall be the cause of thy forfet.

VII.

"Tak him before in all thy gouernance, That in his hand the stere has of zou all,

m Set alluterly.] If your heart is set altogether upon lust, and not upon virtuous love, thy travail is vain, and shall end in sorrow and repentance!

n Tak him, &c.] The explanation of the foregoing stanza.-In the first place, take Virtue for thy guide, who holds the helm that

And pray vnto his hye purveyance,

Thy lufe to gye, and on him traist and call, That corner-stone, and ground is of the wall, That failis not, and trust, wtoutin drede, Vnto thy purpose sone he fall the lede.

VIII.

For lo, the werk yt first is foundit sure,
May better bere apace and hyare be,
Than otherwise and langere sall endure,
Be mony fald, this may thy reson see,
And stronger to defend aduersitee;

Ground thy werk, therefore, upon the stone,
And thy desire sall forthward wt the gone

IX.

Be trewe, and meke, and stedfast in thy thot,
And diligent her merci to procure,

Not onely in thy word, for word is not,

Bot gif thy werk and all thy besy cure

Accord thereto, and vtrid be mesure,

steers the vessel, and who will not fail you, but will conduct you to the completion of your wishes.

• Vtrid be mesure.] Out-red, gone through, or regulated by measure and propriety, as to time and place.