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4
THE KINGIS QUAIR.
Discryving first of his prosperitee,
And out of that his infelicitee;
And than how he, in his poetly report,
In philosophy can him to confort.
5 For quhich tho^t I in purpose, at my boke,
To borowe a slepe at thilke tyme began;
Or eu^r I stent, my best was more to loke
Vpon the writing of this noble man,
That in him-self the full recoup wan
Off his Infortune, pouert,1 and distress^,
And in tham set his verray sek^messe.
6 And so the vertew of his jouth before
Was in his age the ground of his delytis :
Fortune the bak him turnyt, and therfore
He makith loye and confort, th«t he quit is2
Off theirs3 vnsekir warldis appetitis;
And so aworth he takith his penance,
And of his vertew maid It suffisance :
7 With mony a noble resou«, as him likit,
Enditing In his fain? latyne tong,
So full of fruyte, and rethorikly pykit,
Quhich to declare my scole is ouer Jong;
Therefore I lat him pas, and, in my tong,
Precede I will agayn to my sentence
Off my mater, and leue all Incidence.
8 The long[e] nygv^t beholding, as I saide,
Myn eyen4 gan to smert for studying;
My buke I schet, and at my hede It laide;
And doun I lay bot ony tarying,
This maters new[e] In my mynd rolling;
1 MS. pouerti; but the i is ignorantly added by a later hand.
8 MS. quitis. 3 Read thir. 4 MS. eyne ; see st. 41.