William Dunbar: The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy with Robert Henryson: The Praise of Age with Device, Prowess and eke Humility (Page 8 of 12)
(p.144) Throp thy nere nece / and austerne Olibrius
Puttidew baal and Eyobulus.
Thir fendis ar the flour of thy four branchis
Sterand the potis of hell et newir stanchis
Dout not duelbere tu es dyabolus
Deulbere / thy spere / of were / but feir thou yelde
Hangit mangit edirstangit strynde stultorum
To me maist hie / kenydie / et flee the felde
Prickit wickit conwickit lamp lollardorum
Defamyt / blamyt / schamyt primas paganorum
Out / out. I schout / apon that snowt that snevillis
Tale tellare. rebellare / induellar / wyth the deuillis
Spynk / sink wyth stynk / ad tertera termagorum
Wythin a garth. vnder a rede rosere
Ane ald man. and decrepit herd I syng
Gay was the note / suete was the voce et clere
It was grete ioy to here of sik a thing
And to my dome. he said in his dytyng
For to be yong I wald not for my wis
Off all this warld to mak me lord et king
The more of age / the nerar hevynnis blis
False is this warld and full of variance
Besoucht with syn and othir sytis mo
Treuth is all tynt gyle has the gouuernance
Wrechitnes has wroht all welthis wele to wo.
Fredome is tynt / and flemyt the lordis fro
And couatise is all the cause of this
I am content / that youthede is ago
The more of age / the nerar hevynnis blisse
The state of youth I repute for na gude
For in that state. sik perilis now I see
