Robert Henryson

Prologue

Thocht feinyeit fabils of ald poetre
Be not al grunded upon truth, yit than
Thair polite termes of sweit rhetore
Richt plesand ar unto the eir of man
And als the caus quhy that thay first began
Wes to repreif thee of thi misleving,
O man, be figure of ane uther thing,

In lyke maner as throw a bustious eird,
Swa it be laubourit with grit diligence,
Springis the flouris and the corne abreird
Hailsum and gude to mannis sustenence,
Sa springis thar a morall sweit sentence
Oute of the subtell dyte of poetry
To gude purpois, quha culd it weill apply.

The nuttis schell thocht it be hard and teuch
Haldis the kirnell sweit and delectabill,
Sa lyis thair ane doctrine wyse aneuch
And full of frute under ane fenyeit fabill,
And clerkis sayis it is richt profitabill
Amangis ernist to ming ane merie sport
To blyth the spreit and gar the tyme be schort.

For as we se, ane bow that ay is bent
Worthis unsmart and dullis on the string
Sa dois the mynd that ay is diligent
In ernistfull thochtis and in studying.
With sad materis sum merines to ming
Accordis weill; thus Esope said iwis,
Dulcius arrident seria picta iocis.

Of this authour, my maisteris, with your leif,
Submitting me to your correctioun,
In mother toung, of Latyng, I wald preif
To mak ane maner of translatioun,
Nocht of myself for vane presumptioun
Bot be requeist and precept of ane lord
Of quhome the name it neidis not record.

In hamelie language and in termes rude
Me neidis wryte for quhy of eloquence
Nor rethorike I never understude,
Thairfoir meiklie I pray your reverence
Gif ye find ocht that throw my negligence
Be deminute or yit superfluous,
Correct it at your willis gratious.

My author in his fabillis tellis how
That brutal beistis spak and understude
And to gude purpois dispute and argow,
Ane sillogisme propone and eik conclude,
Puttyng exempill and similitude
How mony men in operatioun
Ar like to beistis in conditioun.

Na mervell is ane man be lyke ane beist
Quhilk lufis ay carnall and foull delyte
That schame cannot him renye nor arreist
Bot takis all the lust and appetyte
Quhilk throw custum and the daylie ryte
Syne in the mynd sa fast is radicate
That he in brutal beist is transformate.

This nobill clerk Esope, as I haif tauld,
In gay metir and facound purpurat
Be figure wrait his buke for he nocht wald
Tak the disdane off hie nor low estate,
And to begin, first of ane cok he wrate,
Seikand his meit, quhilk fand ane jolie stone,
Of quhome the fabill ye sall heir anone.