Text: The Traitie of Orpheus Kyng

Heire begynnis the traitie of Orpheus kyng and
how he yeid to hewyn & to hel to seik his quene

The nobilnes and grete magnificence
Off prince or lord quha list to magnify
His grete ancester and linyall descense
Suld first extoll and his genology
So that his hert he mycht enclyne thare by
The more / to vertu / and to worthynes
Herand reherse his eldirs gentilnes

Jt is contrair the lawis of nature
A gentill man to be degenerate
Noucht folowing of his progenitoure
The worthy reule / and the lordly estate
A ryall renk for to be rusticate
Js bot a monster in comparisoun
Had in despyte / and foule derisioun

J say this be the grete lordis of grewe
Quhilk sett thair hert / and all thair. hale curage
Thair fadirs steppis iustly to persewe
Eking the worschip of thair hye lynage
The ancient and sad wyse men of age
War tendouris to the yong and insolent
To mak thame in all vertu excellent

Lyke as a strand of water or a spring
Haldis the sapour. of his fontall well
So did in grece ilk lord. and worthy king.
Off forebearis thay tuke tarage and smell
Amang the quhilk of ane J think to tell
Bot first his gentill generatioun
J sall reherse with youre correctioun

Apon the mountane of Elicone
The most famouse of all Arabia
A godesse duelt excellent of beautee
Gentil of blude callit memoria.
Quhilk iupiter that god to wyf can ta
And carnaly hir knew. quhilk eftir syne
Apon a day bare hym fair douchteris nyne.

The first in grew was callit Euterpe.
Jn oure langage gude dilectacioun
the secund maide namyt melpomene
As hony suete in modulacioun
Tersitor quhilk is gude instructioun
Of ewiry thing the thrid sister J wis
Thus out of grewe in latyne translate is

Caliope that maidyn meruailus
the ferde sister of all musilk maistresse
And moder to the king sir Orpheus
Quhilk throu his wyf was efter king of trace
Cleo the fyft that now is a goddesse
Jn latyne callit meditatioun
Of ewiry thing that has creacioun

The sext lady was callit herato
Quhilk drawis lyke to lyke in ewiry thing.
The servynt lady was fair pollymyo
Quhilk coud a thousand sangis suetly syng
thelya syne quhilk can oure saulis bring
To profund wit and grete agilitee.
To vnderstand. and haue capacitee

Wranya the ix. and last of all
Jn oure langage quha coud it wele expounde
To mend my murnyng and my drery mone
Thou geve me forse that J noucht faynt nor fall
Quhill J hir fynd for seke hir suth J sall
And nouthir stynt nor stand for stok no stone
Throu thy god hede gyde me quhare scho is gone
Ger hir appere / and put my hert in pes
thus king orpheus with his harp allone
Sore wepit for his wyf Erudices

Quhen endit was the sangis lamentable
He tuke his harp / and on his brest can hyng
Syne passit to the hevin. as sais the fable
To seke his wyf / bot that auailit no thing
By wadlyng strete he went but tarying
Syne come doune throu the spere of saturn alde
Quhilk fader is of all thir sternis calde

Quhen scho was soucht out throu that calde regioun
To Jupiter his grantsir can he wend.
Quhilk rewit sare his lamentatioun
And gert his spere be soucht fra end to ende
Scho was noucht thare / than doune he can descende
To mars the god of bataill. & of stryf
And soucht his spere / yit gat he noucht his wyf

Syne went he doune to his fader phebus
God of the son wyth bemes brycht and clere
Bot quhen that he saw his sone Orpheus
Jn sik a plyte. it changit all his chere
He gert anone go seke throu all his spere
Bot all in wayn that lady come noucht thare
Than tuke he leve / and to venus can fare

Quhen he hir saw. he knelit and said thus
Wate ye noucht wele. J am your avin trewe knycht
Jn lufe nane lelare than sir Orpheus
And ye of lufe goddesse / and most of mycht
Off my lady help me to get a sicht
For suth quod scho. ye mon seke nethir mare
Than fra venus he tuke his leve but mare

To mercury but tary is he gone
Quhilk callit is the god of eloquence
Bot of his wyf thare. knaulage gat he none
Wyth wofull hert than passit he doune fro thens
Wnto the mone he maid na residence
Thus fra the hevyn he went doune to the erde
yit by the way sum melody he lerde

Jn his passage amang the planetis all.
He herd a hevynly melody. and sounde
Passing all instrumentis musicall.
Causid by rollyng of the speris rounde
Quhilk armony throu all this mappamounde
Quhilk moving cesse vnyt perpetuall
Quhilk of this warld pluto the saul can call

Thare lerit he tonys proportionate
As duplar triplar and emetricus
Enoleus and eke the quadruplate
Epodyus rycht hard and curius
And of thir sex suete and dilicius
Rygth consonant / fyve hevynly symphonyis
Componyt ar / as clerkis can deuise

First dyatesseron full suete J wis
And dyapason symple and duplycate
And dyapente componyt with a dys
This mak .v. of thre multiplicate
This mery musik / and mellifluate.
Complete and full wyth nowmeris od & evyn
Js causit be the moving of the hevyn

Off sik musik to wryte J do bot dote
Tharfor at this mater a stra J lay
For in my lyf J coud newir syng a note
Bot J will tell how orpheus tuke the way
To seke his wyf atour the grauis gray
Hungry and calde our mony wilsum wane
Wythoutyn gyde. he and his harp allane

He passit furth the space of xx. dayis
Fer and full ferther than J can tell
And ay he fand stretis and redy wayis
Tyll at the last vnto the yett of hell
He come. and thare he fand a portar fell
With thre hedis was callit Cerberus
A hund of hell a monster meruailus

Than Orpheus began to be agast
Quhen he beheld that vgly hellis hunde
He tuke his harp. & on it playit fast
Till at the last throu suetenes of the sounde
The dog slepit and fell vnto the grounde
And Orpheus atour his wame in stall
And nethir mare he went as ye here sall

Than come he till ane rywir wonder depe
Our it a brih / and on it sisteris thre
Quhilk had the entree of the brig to kepe.
Alecto / megera / and Thesiphonee
Turnand a quhele was vgly for to see
And on it spred a man hecht ixione
Rowit about rycht wonder wo begone.

Than Orpheus playit a ioly spryng
The thre sistirs full fast thay fell on slepe
The vgly quhele sessit of hir quhirlyng
Thus left was none the entree for to kepe.
Than ixion out of the quhele can crepe
And stall away. than Orpheus anone
Without stoping atour the brig is gone

Syne come he till a wonder grisely flude
Droubly and depe that rathly doune can ryn
Quhare Tantalus nakit full thristy stude
And yit the water yede abone his chyn
Touch he gapit thare wald na drop cum in
Quhen he dulkit the water wald descende
Thus gat he noucht his trist to slake no mende

Before his face ane apill hang also
Fast at his mouth apon a tolter threde
Quhen he gapit it rokkit to and fro
And fled / as it refusit hym to fede
Than Orpheus had reuth of his grete nede
Tuke out his harp / and fast on it can clink
The water stude / and Tantalus gat drink

Syne our a mure wyth thornis thik & scharp
Weping allone a wilsum way he went
And had noucht bene throu suffrage of his harp
Wyth scharp pikis he had bene schorne & schent
And as he blent besyde hym on the bent
He saw speldit a wonder wofull wicht
Nailit full fast and Theseus he hicht

And on his breste thare sat a grisely gripe
Quhilk wyth his bill his bally throu can bore
Bath maw mydred. hert lywir and trype
He ruggit out his paynis war the more
Quhen Orpheus saw hym this suffer sore
Has tane his harp. & maid suete melody
The grype is flled Theseus left his cry

Beyond this more he fand a ferefull strete
Myrk as the nycht to pas rycht dangerus
For slydrines scant mycht he hald his fete
Jn quhilk thare was a stynk rycht odiouse
That gydit hym to hydouse hellis house
Quhare rodomantus & proserpina
Were king and quene / Orpheus in coud ga.

O dolly place and grondles depe dungeoun
Furnes of fyre wyth stynk intollerable
Pit of dispair wythout remissioun
Thy mete venym thy drink is poysonable
Thy grete paynis to compt vnnowmerabil
Quhat creature cummys to duell in the
Js ay deyand / and newir more may dee

Thare fand he mony carefull king & quene
Wyth croune on hede of brasse full hate birnande.
Quhilk in thair lyf rycht maisterfull had bene
Conquerour of gold richesse & of land
Ector of Troy. And Priam thare he fande
And Alexander for his wrang conquest
Anthiotus thare for his foule incest

Thare fand he Julius cesar. for his crueltee
And herode wyth his brotheris wyf he sawe
And Nero for his grete iniquitee
And pilot for his breking of the lawe
Syne vnder that he lukit and coud knawe
Cresus the king none mithtiar on molde
For couatise yett full of byrnand golde

Thare fand he pharo. for oppressioun
Off goddis folk / on quhilk the plagis fell
And Saul eke for the grete abusioun
Off iustice / to the folk of israell
Thare fand he Acab. and quene iesabell
Quhilk sely nabot was a prophet trewe.
For his wyne yarde wythoutyn pitee slleue

Thare fand he mony pape / and cardinall
Jn haly kirk / quhilk dois abusioun
And bischopis in thair pontificall
Be symony for wrang ministratioun
Abbotis and men of all religioun.
For euill disponyng of thair placis rent
Jn flambe of fyre were bitterly turment

Syne nethir mare he went quhare pluto was.
And proserpine / and thiderward he drewe
Ay playand on his harp as he coud pas
Till at the last Erudices he knewe.
Lene and dedelike pitouse and pale of hewe
Rycht warsch and wan & walowit as a wede
Hir lily lyre was lyke vnto the lede.

Quod he my lady lele / and my delyte
Full wa is me. to se yow changit thus
Quhare is thy rude as rose wyth chekis quhite
Thy cristall eyne with blenkis amorouse
Thi lippis rede to kis diliciouse
Quod scho. as now J dar noucht tell perfay
Bot ye sall wit the cause ane othir day

Quod pluto sir thouch scho be like ane elf
Thare is na cause to plenye / and for quhy.
Scho fure als wele dayly as did my self
Or king herode for all his cheualry
Jt is langour yat puttis hir in sik ply
Were scho at hame in hir contree of Trace
Scho wald refete full sone in fax & face

Than Orpheus before pluto sat doune
And in his handis quhite his harp can ta
And playit mony suete proporcioun
With base tonys in ypodorica
With gemynyng in ypolerica
Till at the last for reuth & grete pitee
Thay wepit sore that coud hym here and see

Than proserpyne and pluto bad hym as
His warisone and he wald ask rycht noucht
Bot licence wyth his wyf away to pas
Till his contree / that he so fer had soucht
Quod proserpyne sen J hir hidir broucht
We sall noucht part bot wyth condicioun
Quod he thareto. J mak promissioun.

Erudices than be the hand thou tak
And pas thy way. bot vnderneth this payne
Gyf thou turnis or blenkis behind thy bak
We sall hir haue forewir till hell agayn
Thouch this was hard / yit Orpheus was fayn
And on thai went talkand of play and sport
Quhill thay almaist come to the vttir port

Thus orpheus wyth inwart lufe replete
So blyndit was in grete affectioun
Pensif apon his wyf and lady suete
Remembrit noucht his hard condicioun
Quhat will ye more in schort conclusioun
He blent bakward & pluto come anone
And vnto hell agayn with hir is gone.

Allace Jt was rycht grete hertsare to here
Of Orpheus the weping and the wo
Quhen that his wyf / quhilk he had bocht so dere
Bot for a luke sa sone was hynt hym fro
Flatlyngis he fell. & mycht no forthir go
And lay a quhile in suoune and extasy
Quhen he ourcome thus out on lufe can cry

Quhat art thou lufe / how sall J the dyffyne.
Bitter and suete cruel and merciable
Plesand to sum / til othir playnt & pyne
To sum constant / till othir variabil
Hard is thy law / thi bandis vmbrekable
Quha seruis the / thouch he be newir sa trewe
Perchance sum tyme. he sall haue cause to rewe

Now fynd J wele. this prouerbe trew quod he
Hert is on the hurd / and hand is on the sore
Quhare lufe gois on forse turnis the ee
J am expert and wo is me tharfore
Bot for a luke / my lady is forlore
Thus chydand on. with lufe our burn & bent
A wofull wedow hamewart is he went

Moralitas fabule sequitur

Lo worthy folk / Boece that senature
To wryte this feynit fable tuke in cure
Jn his gay buke of consolacioun.
For oure doctryne / and gude instructioun
Quhilk in the self suppose it fenyeit be
And hid vnder the cloke of poesie
yit maister trowit doctour Nicholas
Quhilk in his tyme a noble theolog was
Applyis it to gude moralitee
Rycht full of frute / and seriositee
Faire phebus is the god of sapience.
Caliopee his wyf is eloquence.
Thir twa maryit gat orpheus belyve
Quhilk callit is the part intellectiue
Of mannis saule in vnderstanding free
And seperate fra sensualitee
Erudices is oure affectioun
Be fantasy oft movit vp & doune
Quhile to resoun it castis the delyte
Quhile to the flesch settis the appetite
Arestyus this hird that coud persewe
Erudices / is noucht bot gude vertewe
Quhilk besy is ay / to kepe oure myndis clene
Bot quhen we flee out throu the medow grene
Fra vertu / to this warldis wayn plesance
Myngit wyth care / and full of variance.
The serpent stangis that is dedely syn
That poysons the saule wythout & in
And than is dede & eke oppressit doune
To warldly lust all oure affectioun
Than perfyte resoun wepis wondir sare
Seand oure appetite thusgate mys fare
And passis vp to the hevyn belyue
Schawand till vs the lyf contemplatyve.
The perfyte will and als the feruent lufe
We suld haue alway to the hevyn abufe
Bot seldyn thare oure appetite is founde
Jt is so fast in to the body bounde
Tharfor dounwart we cast oure myndis ee
Blyndit wyth lust / and may noucht vpward flee
Suld oure desyre be soucht vp in the speris.
Quhen it is tederit / on this warldis breris
Quhile on the flesch / quhile on this warldis wrak
And to the hevyn small entent we tak
Sir Orpheus thou sekis all in vayn
Thy wyf so hie / tharfor cum doune agayn
And pas vnto yone monstir meruailus
With thre hedis that we call Cerberus
Quhilk feynit is. to haue sa mony hedis
For to betakyn thre manir of dedis
The first is in the tendir yong barnage
The secund dede is in the medill age
The thrid is. in grete elde quhen men ar tane.
Thus Cerberus to swelly sparis nane
Bot quhen that resoune and intelligence
Plais apon the harp of eloquence
That is to say. makis persuasioune
To draw oure will. and oure affectioun
Jn ewiry elde fra syn / and foule delyte
This dog oure saule has no power to byte
The second monstris ar the sisteris thre
Alecto Megera. and Thesiphone
Ar noucht ellis in bukis as we rede
Bot wickit thoucht evill word & frawart dede.
Alecto is the bolnyng of the hert
Megera is the wikkit word outwert
Thesiphone is operacioun
That makis fynal execucioun
Of dedly syn. & thir thre turnis ay
Ane vgly quhele is noucht ellis to say
That wardly men sum tyme ar castin hie
Apon the quhele / in grete prosperitee
And wyth a quhirl vnwarly or thai witte
Ar thravin doune to pure & law estate
Of ixione that in the quhele was spred
J sall the tell sum part as J haue red
He was on lyve brukle & lecherouse
And in that craft hardy and curageouse
That he wald noucht lufe in na lawar place
Bot Juno. quene of nature & goddace
And on a day he went vp in the sky.
Sekand Juno thinkand with hir to ly
Scho saw hym cum and knew his full entent
A rany cloud doune fra the firmament
Scho gert descend. and kest betuene thaim two
And in that cloud his nature yede hym fro
Of quhilk was generit the Centauris
Half man half horse apon a ferly wyse
Than for the inward crabbing and offense
That Juno tuke for his grete violence
Scho send hym doune vnto the sisteris thre
Apon thair quhele ay turnyt for to be
Bot quhen that resoun and intelligence
Playis apon the harp of conscience
That is to say. the grete sollicitude
Quhile vp quhile doune to wyn this warldis gude
Cessis. furthwith and oure complexioun
Waxis quiete in contemplacioun
This Tantalus of quham J spak of are
Quhill he lyvit he was a gay hostlare
And on a mycht come traualand thare by
The god of riches / and tuke herbery
Wyth Tantalus / and he to the soupere
Slewe his awin sone / that was hym lef & dere
Jn till a sewe wyth spicis sodyn wele
And gert the god ete vp his flesch ilk dele
For this despyte quhen he was dede anone.
Was dampnyt in the flude of Acherone
To suffer hunger thrist nakit & calde
Rycht wo begone / as J before haue talde.
This hungry man and thristy Tantalus
Betakenis men gredy and couatouse
The god of riches that ar ay redy
For to ressaue / and call in herbery
And to thame sethe thair sone in pecis smale
That is thair flesch and blude wyth grete trauale
To fill the bag and newir fynd in thair hart
Apon thame self to spend / na tak thair part
Allace in erd quhare is thare mare foly
Than for to want & haue haboundantly
To haue distresse on bak and bed / and burde
And spare till othir men / of gold a hurde
And in the nycht slepe soundly may thai noucht
To gader gere sa gredy is thair thoucht
Bot quhen that resoun and intelligence
Playis apon the harp of eloquence
That is to say. gottyn with grete laboure
Kepit with drede / and tynt is with doloure
This auarice be grace quha vnder stude
J trow suld leve thair grete solicitude
And Jthand touchtis / and thair besynes
To gader golde and syne lyve in distres
Bot he suld drink ineuch quhen ewir hym list
Of couatise / and slake the birnand thrist
This Theseus lay nailit on the bent
And wyth the grype his bowellis ryvin and rent
Quhill he lyvit sett his entencioun
To fynd the craft of diuinacioun
And lerit it vnto the spamen all
To tell before sik thingis as walde fall
Quhat lyf / quhat dede / quhat destyny & werde
Previdit were to ewery man in erde
Apollo than for his abusioun
Quhilk is the god of diuinacioun
For he vsurpit in his facultee
Put hym till hell / and thare remanis he
Bot Orpheus has won Erudices
Quhen oure desire wyth resoun makis pes
And sekis vp to contemplacioun
Off syn detestand the abusioun
Bot ilk man suld be war & wisely see
That he bakwart cast noucht his myndis ee
Gevand consent / and dilectatioun
Off wardly lust for the affectioun
For than gois bakwart to the syn agayn
Oure appetite as Jt before was slayn
Jn warldly lust and sensualitee
And makis resoun wedow for to be
Now pray we god sen oure affectioun
Js alway prompt & redy to fall doun
That he walde help vs wyth his haly lande
Of maneteinance / and geve vs grace to stande
Jn perfyte lufe / as he is glorius.
And thus endis the tale of Orpheus.