That am zour hevin and zour paradife,

And I zour confort here fall multiplye, And, for zoure meryt here perpetualye, Reffaue I fall zour faulis of my grace, To lyve wt me as goddis in this place.

THE

THE

KING'S QUAIR.

CANTO IV.

He is conducted to the Palace of Minerva.

I.

T Humble thank, and all the reverence
That feble wit and conyng may atteyne,

I tuke my leve; and from hir prefence

Gude Hope and I togider both tueyne Departit are, and fchortly for to seyne He hath me led redy wayis ryt

Vnto Minerve's Palace, faire and bryt

II.

Quhare as I 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

k The faid renewe, the ftate, the reuerence,

The strenth, the beautee, and the ordour digne,

Off hir court-riall, noble and benigne.

III.

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

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

IV.

Off quhich ryt thus hir anfuere was in bref:
My fon, I have wele herd, and vnderstond,
Be thy reherfe, the mater of thy gref,

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

V.

k The faid renewe.] This muft furely be an error in the

2

copy, as it appears to be unintelligible.

1 To fond.] To find of thy penance fome comfort from

me.

V.

Bot in this cafe thou fall well knawe and witt,

Thou may thy hert ground on fuich a wife,
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 durft vnto that way enclyne,
I will the geve my lore and difcipline.

Lo, my gude fon, this is als much to feyne,

As gif thy lufe be fet m

alluterly

Of nyce luft, thy travail is in veyne,
And fo the end fall turne of thy folye,
and repentance, lo wate thou quhy?
Gif the ne lift on lufe thy vertew fet,
Vertu fall be the cause of thy forfet.

To payne

VII.

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

And

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

n Tak bim, &c.] The explanation of the foregoing ftanza.In the firft place, take Virtue for thy guide, who

holds

And

pray vnto his hye purveyance,

Thy lufe to gye, and on him traift and call, That corner-ftone, and ground is of the wall, That failis not, and trust, wtoutin drede, Vnto thy purpose fone 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 fall endure,
Be mony fald, this may thy refon fee,
And stronger to defend aduerfitee;

Ground thy werk, therefore, upon the ftone,
And thy defire fall 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 befy cure
Accord thereto, and o vtrid be mefure,

The

holds the helm that fteers the veffel, and who will not fail you, but will conduct you to the completion of your wishes.

o Outrid be mefure.] Out-red, gone through, or regulated by measure and propriety, as to time and place.