Eneuch of this, ws nedis prech na mor,
Bot, accordyng the purpos said tofor,20
The ryall style, clepyt heroycall,
Full of wirschip and nobilnes our all,
Suldbe compilit but thewhes or voyd word,
Kepand honest wys sportis quhar thai bourd,
All lowus langage and lychtnes lattand be,5
Observand bewte, sentens, and grauyte.
The sayar eik suld weil consider thys,
Hys mater, and quhamto it entitilit is:
Eftir myne authouris wordis, we aucht tak tent
That baith accord, and bene conuenient,10
The man, the sentens, and the knychtlyke stile,
Sen we mon carp of vassalage a quhile.
Gyf we descryve the woddis, the treis, quod he,
Suld conform to that mannis dignyte
Quhamto our wark we direct and endyte.15
Quhat helpis it? full litill it wald delyte
To write of scroggis, broym, haddir, or rammale;
The lawrer, cedyr, or the palm triumphale,
Ar mar ganand for nobillis of estait:
The muse suld with the person aggre algait.20
Stra for to spek of gayt to gentill wight;
A hund, a steid, mar langis for a knyght,
Quhamto efferis hant na rebald daill;
Thar suld na knyght reid bot a knychtly taill.
Quhat forsis hym the bussart on the brer,25
Set weil hym semys the falcon heroner?
He comptis na mair the gled than the fewlume,
Thocht weil hym lykis the goshalk glaid of plume.
The cur, or mastys, he haldis at smal availl,
And culȝeis spanȝellis, to chace pertryk or quaill.30
Ne byd I not into my stile for thy
To speke of trufis, nor nane harlotry;
Sen that myne author with sic eloquens
Hys buke illumnyt hes, and hie sentens,
Sa fresch endyte, and sang poeticall,5
That it is clepyt the wark imperiall,
Endyt onto the gret Octauyane,
The Emperour excellent and maste souerane:
By quham, the gospell makis mensioun,
The hail warld put was to discriptioun,10
To numbir all the pepill tharin suld be,
So, but rebellioun, al quhar obeyt was he.
Bot, sen that Virgill standis but compar,
Thocht in our leid hys sayngis to declar
I haue in ryme thus far furth tane the cur,15
Now war me laith my lang laubour mysfur:
All thocht my termys be nocht polist alway,
Hys sentence sall I hald, as that I may.
Gyf ocht be weill, thank Virgil and nocht me;
Quhar ocht is bad, gays mys, or owt of gre,20
My lewytnes, I grant, hes all the wyte,
Kouth not ensew hys ornat fresch endyte,
Bot, with fuylhardy curage malapert,
Schupe to enterprit, and dyd perchance pervert,
Thys maist renownyt prynce of poetry:25
Quhar I sa dyd, mea culpa, I cry.
Ȝit, by my self, I fynd this proverb perfyte,
The blak craw thinkis hyr awin byrdis quhite:
Sa faris with me, bew schirris, wil ȝe hark,
Can nocht persaue a falt in all my wark,30
Affectioun sa far my raysson blyndis.
Quhar I mysknaw myne errour, quha it fyndis
For cheryte amendis it, gentil wight,
Syne pardon me, sat sa far in my lycht,
And I sal help to smore ȝour falt, leif broder;5
Thus, vail que vail, ilk gude deid helpis other.
And for I haue my wark addressyt and dycht,
I dar sa, baith to gentil barroun and knycht,
Quhais name abufe I haue done notyfy,
And now of prowes and hie chevelry10
Behuffis me to write and carp a quhile;
The mair glaidly I sal enfors my stile,
And for hys saik do scharp my pen all new,
My maste renownyt author to ensew,
That thar salbe, wyll God, litill offens,15
Salwand owr bustuus wlgar differens.
Na mar as now in preambill me list expone,
The nynt buke thus begouth Eneadon.