Six Centuries of English Poetry: Tennyson to Chaucer

Name: Six Centuries of English Poetry: Tennyson to Chaucer
Author: Baldwin, James

Baldwin, James

English poetry

Nor hald non udir flour in sic denty
       As the fresche Rois, of cullour reid and quhyt:
     For gife thow dois, hurt is thyne honesty;
       Considring that no flour is so perfyt,
       So full of vertew, pleasans, and delyt,
     So full of blisful angeilik bewty,
     Imperiall birth, honour and dignité.


NOTE.

This is a selection from the long allegorical poem, "The Thistle and the
Rose." The thistle represents Scotland, of which country that plant is
the national emblem. The fleur-de-lis, or lily, represents France; and
the rose, England. The poem was written in celebration of the marriage
of James IV. of Scotland to the Princess Margaret of England, and the
friendly relations thus established for a time between those two
countries.


GLOSSARY.

     =denty=, favor.
     =effeiris=, affairs.
     =ene=, eyes.
     =fallow=, betroth.
     =forgit=, made, created.
     =gife=, if.
     =halsit=, hailed.
     =houris=, morning orisons.
     =laif=, rest.
     =lemys=, rays.
     =lukit=, looked.
     =mansuetude=, gentleness.
     =morrow=, morning.
     =muddir=, mother.
     =orient=, eastern.
     =quhen=, when.
     =quhois=, whose.
     =quhyll=, while.
     =rois=, rose.
     =sic=, such.
     =speiris=, spears.
     =splene=, heart.
     =thrissil=, thistle.
     =udir=, other.
     =weid=, garments.
     =weiris=, wars.




IN PRAISE OF HONOUR.

BY GAWAIN DOUGLAS.


       O hie honour, sweit heuinlie flour degest,
     Gem verteous, maist precious, gudliest.
     For hie renoun thow art guerdoun conding,
     Of worschip kend the glorious end and rest,
     But quhome in richt na worthie wicht may lest.
     Thy greit puissance may maist auance all thing,
     And pouerall to mekill auaill sone bring.
     I the require sen thow but peir art best,
     That efter this in thy hie blis we ring.

       Of grace thy face in euerie place sa schynis,
     That sweit all spreit baith heid and feit inclynis,
     Thy gloir afoir for till imploir remeid.
     He docht richt nocht, quhilk out of thocht the tynis;
     Thy name but blame, and royal fame diuine is;
     Thow port at schort of our comfort and reid,
     Till bring all thing till glaiding efter deid,
     All wicht but sicht of thy greit micht ay crynis,
     O schene I mene, nane may sustene thy feid.

       Haill rois maist chois till clois thy fois greit micht,
     Haill stone quhilk schone vpon the throne of licht,
     Vertew, quhais trew sweit dew ouirthrew al vice,
     Was ay ilk day gar say the way of licht;
     Amend, offend, and send our end ay richt.
     Thow stant, ordant as sanct, of grant maist wise,
     Till be supplie, and the high gre of price.
     Delite the tite me quite of site to dicht,
     For I apply schortlie to thy deuise.
                                 --_From "The Palice of Honour."_


GLOSSARY.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Six Centuries of English Poetry: Tennyson to ChaucerBaldwin, James

General

Six Centuries of English Poetry: Tennyson to Chaucer

Baldwin, James

English poetry

Nor hald non udir flour in sic denty
       As the fresche Rois, of cullour reid and quhyt:
     For gife thow dois, hurt is thyne honesty;
       Considring that no flour is so perfyt,
       So full of vertew, pleasans, and delyt,
     So full of blisful angeilik bewty,
     Imperiall birth, honour and dignité.


NOTE.

This is a selection from the long allegorical poem, "The Thistle and the
Rose." The thistle represents Scotland, of which country that plant is
the national emblem. The fleur-de-lis, or lily, represents France; and
the rose, England. The poem was written in celebration of the marriage
of James IV. of Scotland to the Princess Margaret of England, and the
friendly relations thus established for a time between those two
countries.


GLOSSARY.

     =denty=, favor.
     =effeiris=, affairs.
     =ene=, eyes.
     =fallow=, betroth.
     =forgit=, made, created.
     =gife=, if.
     =halsit=, hailed.
     =houris=, morning orisons.
     =laif=, rest.
     =lemys=, rays.
     =lukit=, looked.
     =mansuetude=, gentleness.
     =morrow=, morning.
     =muddir=, mother.
     =orient=, eastern.
     =quhen=, when.
     =quhois=, whose.
     =quhyll=, while.
     =rois=, rose.
     =sic=, such.
     =speiris=, spears.
     =splene=, heart.
     =thrissil=, thistle.
     =udir=, other.
     =weid=, garments.
     =weiris=, wars.




IN PRAISE OF HONOUR.

BY GAWAIN DOUGLAS.


       O hie honour, sweit heuinlie flour degest,
     Gem verteous, maist precious, gudliest.
     For hie renoun thow art guerdoun conding,
     Of worschip kend the glorious end and rest,
     But quhome in richt na worthie wicht may lest.
     Thy greit puissance may maist auance all thing,
     And pouerall to mekill auaill sone bring.
     I the require sen thow but peir art best,
     That efter this in thy hie blis we ring.

       Of grace thy face in euerie place sa schynis,
     That sweit all spreit baith heid and feit inclynis,
     Thy gloir afoir for till imploir remeid.
     He docht richt nocht, quhilk out of thocht the tynis;
     Thy name but blame, and royal fame diuine is;
     Thow port at schort of our comfort and reid,
     Till bring all thing till glaiding efter deid,
     All wicht but sicht of thy greit micht ay crynis,
     O schene I mene, nane may sustene thy feid.

       Haill rois maist chois till clois thy fois greit micht,
     Haill stone quhilk schone vpon the throne of licht,
     Vertew, quhais trew sweit dew ouirthrew al vice,
     Was ay ilk day gar say the way of licht;
     Amend, offend, and send our end ay richt.
     Thow stant, ordant as sanct, of grant maist wise,
     Till be supplie, and the high gre of price.
     Delite the tite me quite of site to dicht,
     For I apply schortlie to thy deuise.
                                 --_From "The Palice of Honour."_


GLOSSARY.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Six Centuries of English Poetry: Tennyson to Chaucer

Six Centuries of English Poetry: Tennyson to Chaucer

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