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

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THE MAR LODGE TRANSLATION OF ‘ BOECE ’
M.L.T. 4b
‘' This othir wenche clepit is Delite,
Involvis man be sensuall appetite
In evry kind of vice and misery,
Becaus na witt nor reason is perfyte
Quhare she is gyde, bot skaithis infinite,
With doloure, schame and urgent poverte.
For she was get of frothis of ge see,
Quhilk signifies hir pleseir vennomit
Is medlit ay with scharp adversite.
“ Duke Hanniball (as mony authoris wrait)
Throw Spanze come, be mony passage strait,
To Italic in furour bellicall,
Brake doun ge wallis, and ge montanis slait.
And to his army maid ane oppin gait.
And victoryes had on ge Romanis all.
At Capua, be pleseir sensuall,
This Duke was maid so soft and deligait
That with his foes he was sone ovir thrall.
“ Of feirs Achill the weirly dedis sprang
In Troy and Grece quhill he in virtew rang :
How lust him slew, it is but reuth to heir.
Siclik the Trojanis, with thair knichtis strang,
The valzeant Greikis fra thair roumes dang ;
Victoriouslie exercit mony yeir.
That nicht they went to thair lust and pleseir,
The fatall hors did throw thair wallis fang,
Quhais prignant sidis were full of men of weir.
“ Sardanapall, ge prince effeminat,
Fra knichtlie dedis wes degenerat;
Tuinand ge thredis of ge purpur lyne
With fingaris soft amang ge ladies sat,
And with his lust couth nocht be satiat,
Quhill of his fois come ge bitter dynt.
Quhat nobylmen and ladies has bene tynt
Quhen thay with lust[i]s were intoxicat,
To schaw at lenth my tongue suld nevir stint.