Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Mar Lodge translation of the history of Scotland by Hector Boece

THE PROHEME APON THE COSMOGRAPHE
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" This fragill lyfe (as moment indureing)
But dout, sail the and evry peple bring
To sicker blis, or than etemall wo.
Gif thou be honest laubour dois ane thing.
Thy panefull laubour sail vanes but tarying,
Howbeit thy honest werkis do nocht so ;
Gif thou be lust dois ony thing also,
The shamefull deid, without dissevering,
Remanis ay, quhen pleseir is ago.
“ As caruell tycht, fast tending throw pe see,
Levys na prent amang pe wallis hie ;
As birdis suift, with mony besy plume,
Persis pe air, and wait nocht quhare they flee ;
Siclik our lyfe without activite
Giffis na fruit, houbeit ane shado blume.
Quha dois thair lyfe into this erd consume
Without virtew, thair fame and memory
Shall vanis soner then pe riky fume.
‘ ‘ As water purges and makis bodyis fair,
As fyre be nature ascends into pe aire
And purifies with heitis vehement,
As floure dois smell, as frute is nurisare,
As precious balme revertis thingis sare
And makes thaym of rot impatient.
As spice maist sueit, as ros maist redolent,
As stem of day, be moving circulare,
Chasis pe nycht with bemis resplendent,
" Siclike my werk perfytis evry wycht
In fervent luf of maist excellent lycht.
And makes man in to this erd but peir,
And dois pe saul fra all coruptioun dycht
With odour dulce, and makis it more brycht
Then Diane full, or yet Apollo cleir ;
Syne rasis it unto the highest speir,
Imortally to shyne in Godis sycht
As chosin spous and creature most deir.