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

THE PROHEME APON THE COSMOGRAPHE
II
“ Thairfore Camell, ge vailzeant chevalier,
Quhen he pe Gallis had dantit be his weir,
Of heritable landis wald have na recompence.
For gif his baimis and his friendis deir
Were virtewis, they couth nocht fail ilk yeir
To have enough be Romane providence :
Gif they were givin to vice and insolence.
It was nocht neidfull for to conques geir,
To be occasioun of thair incontinence.
“ Some nobyhnen (as poetfs list declare)
Were deifeit: sum goddis of pe air.
Sum of pe hevin ; as Eolus, Vulcan,
Saturn, Mercury, Apollo, lupitare,
Mars, Hercules, and othir men preclare.
That glore immortall in thair livis wan.
Quhy were thair peple callit goddis than ?
Because they had ane virtew singular,
Excellent, high abone ingyne of man.
“ And otheris are in reik sulphurius :
As Ixion, and wery Sisiphus,
Eumenides, pe furies richt odibill,
The proud giandis, and thirstie Tantalus,
With hughe drink, and fude most vennomous,
Quhare flamis bald and mirknes ar sensibill.
Quhy ar thir folk in panis so terribill ?
Because they were but schrewis vicious
Into thair lyfe, with dedis most horribill.
“ And poucht no frute wer eftir consequent k.l.t. 6
Of mortall lyfe, but for this warld present
Ilk man to have allenarly respect,
Yet virtew suld fra vice be different.
As quik fra deid, as rich fra indigent:
That ane, to glore and honour ay direct;
This othir, saul and body to neclect;
That ane, of reason most intelligent;
This othir, of beistis following the affect.