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AMASIS
the sycond, quhilk vas the last kyng ande indegete of the egiptiens, (ande
as diodore rehersis he vas the fyift legislator of egipt) maid ane
ordinance, contrar the vice of ydilnes, that al his subiectis of egipt ,var
oblist vndir the pane of dede, to bring euery zeir, ther namis in vrit, to
the prouest of the prouince quhar ther remanyng vas: ande ther to testife
the stait of <f8r> ther vacatione, ande the maneir of ther lyuing. be this
politic ordinance, the egiptiens var inducit tyl adhere to vertu, ande to
leyrne sciens craftis ande mecanyke occupations maist comodius ande
conuenient for the public veil of egipt. Than efftir this ordinance of
amasis the gymniosophistes institut ane mair strict ordinance amang the
pepil of inde: that is to say, that ane person suld nocht be admittit to
resaue his corporal refectione, quhil on to the tyme, that he hed manifest
realye, or ellis be certan testificatione the frutis of his laubours, of
the daye precedent. the seuerite of thir strict ordinance, var augmentit,
be ane edict of sesostris the grit kyng of egipt for he statut ane
ordinance til excerse his propir childir ande the zong princis ande gentil
men of his court, to vse them til indure excesse of laubirs: he statut
that none of them suld tak ther refectione, quhil thai hed gone ande run,
the tyme of fife or sex houris: to that effect, that throucht sic excerse,
ther membris mycht be purgit fra corruppit humours, the quhilkis humours
nocht beand degeistit, mycht be occasione to dul ther spreit, ande to mak
ther body onabil to resist ydilnes. thir ordinances of the egiptiens,
<f8v> are verray necessair to be vsit in al realmys: be rason that the
maist part of the pepil, throucht ther natural fraigilite, consumis the
maist part of ther dais in ydilnes. This detestatione that i haue rehersit
of ydilnes, par chance maye be iugit be inuyful ignorantis, that i
condampe my self, in sa far as thai persaue me nocht ocupeit vitht mecanyc
byssynes, nou to confound ignorant detrakkers i vil arme me vitht the
vordis of publius scipio as cicero rehersis in the prologe of the
thrid beuk of his officis. sayand that scipio vas neuyr les ydil as quhen
he aperit to be idil nor he vas neiuyr les solitair as quhen he aperit to
be solitair, for quhen he aperit to be ydil than he vas solist in his
mynde anent the gouuernyng of the public veil ande quhen he aperit to be
solitar, than he vas speikand vitht hym self anent his auen byssynes & sa
he vas neuir ydil nor solitair quhou beit that he aperit sum tyme in the
sycht of the vulgaris to be ydil & solitair nunquam se minus ociosum quam
cum ociosus, nec minus solum, quam cum
solus esset. i vil apply thir vordis to my
self. for quhou beit that the laubir vitht the pen & the studie on
speculatione of vertu apeir to be ydilnes, zit thai ar <f9r> no ydilnes
bot rather ane solist byssynes of the body & of the spreit. ande nou sen
gode hes nocht dotit me vitht speculatione of liberal sciens nor
philosophe, nor vitht stryntht of my body til indure seruile subiectione,
nor zit vitht no art nor mecanyc craft, ther for i vil help to the
auansing of the public veil vitht my studye & vitht my pen. In the antian
dais, the romans var mair renforsit in curageus entreprisis be the vertu
of the pen, ande be the persuasions of oratours, nor thai var renforsit be
the sourdis of men of veyr. Euerye craft is necessair for the public veil,
ande he that hes the gyft of traductione compiling or teching, his faculte
is as honest as crafty ande as necessair: as is to be ane marynel, ane
marchant, ane cordinar, charpenteir, captan, ciuilist or ony vthir crafft
or sciens. ther is na degreis of vertu amang them, for gyf ane craft or
sciens be gude, than it is as gude, as ony craft can be, for al sortis of
verteous, facultes ar of ane lyik vertu, as cicero sais in the thrid of
his paradoxis, that ane gude man can be na bettir nor ane vthir man that
is gude, for gyf ane man be gude than he is as gude, as ony gude man can
be: siclyik gyf ane craft be gude than it is as gude, as ony craft <f9v>
can be. ther for ane man of ane craft, suld nocht detest ane vthir sort of
craft, considerand that oure hurt nature hes nocht dotit ane man til vse
al craftis. Aristotil sais in the fyrst beuk of his politiques, that
nature hes nocht maid ane man lyik gladius delphicus The significatione of
gladius delphicus is of this sort. delphos is ane solemnit place, on the
hyl of pernasus, quhar ther standis ane tempil dedicat til appollo, ther
cam daly to that tempil, diuerse pure men in pilgremage, ther duelt on
that hil, smythis, & forgearis of yrn ande steil, the quhilkis culd mak
ane instrament of yrn, conuenient for mony officis for tha vald gar ane
instrament serue for ane hammyr, ane turkes, ane file, ane sourd, ane knyf
ande ane borrel. this sort of instramentis var sellit to pure pilgryms
that hed nocht mekil moneye to by ilk instrament be the self: ande be
cause that instrament seruit til mony officis, ther for it vas callit
gladius delphicus, of this sort aristotil makkis ane comparisone sayand
that nature hes nocht maid ane man abil for euerye craft or office, bot
nature hes maid ane man abil to be ane prince, ane abil to be ane seruand,
ane abil to be ane clerk, ane abil to be ane craftis man, be rason <f10r>
that oure hurt nature hes diuidit oure complexions to be of diuerse
qualiteis, ande for that cause ve sal fynd amang ane thousand men, ane
thousand consaitis ande ane thousand conditions. for that cause aristotil
hes said in his politiques that in ilk comunite ther is ane multitude,
ande ilk ane hes sum part of vertu of diuerse degreis, ande ilk ane of
thir
degreis ar ordand til help vthirs in necessite, Cicero gyuis ane exempil
in his retoric, quhou that the citinaris of cartomat in ytalye, sende for
ane excellent payntur, callit eracleon, thai promest to gyf hym ane grit
some of moneye, for to paynt ane fayr ymage of the deesse iuno. than
eracleon gart al the fayr ande best lyik zong vemen of that cite cum in
his presens ande than he chesit fife of the best lyik amang them al, to be
his patrone, quhen he hed contemplit & spyit the proportions & propreteis
of nature of thir fife ladeis he chesit the face of ane, the een of ane
vthir the handis of the thrid the hayr of the feyrd, the armis the myddil
ande the feit of the fyift, of this sort he formit the patrone of the
ymage of iuno, efftir the proportione of diuerse of the membris of thir
foirsaid fife zong ladeis: be cause he culd nocht <f10v> get al his
patrone in ane special lady. for sche that vas pleysand of hyr face, vas
nocht pleysand of hyr hayr, ande sche that hed plesand handis hed nocht
pleysand een, ande sche that hed ane veil proportionet body hed euil
proportionet feit ande to conclude he culd nocht get ane lady in special
that vas sufficient to be his patrone, nor zit that culd be comparit til
gladius delphicus quhilk vas ane instrament that seruit til mony officis.
be this exempil ve maye considir that nature hes nocht dotit ane person to
be qualifeit to excerse al sortis of craftis, for that cause aristotil
sais that al sortis of craftis suld concur to gyddir, ande ilkane til help
vthirs, as nature prouidit fyrst in the begynnyng. thir prolixt vordis
befor rehersit, ar ane preparatiue, contrar the detractione, of inuyful
clerkis that ar mair expert in latyne tong nor i am, quhilkis vil nocht
set furtht ane gude verk tyl induce the pepil to vertu, nor zit vil
correct my ignorant error: bot rather thai ar mair prompt to repreif ane
smal ignorant falt nor to commende ane grit verteous act. bot zit no man
suld decist fra ane gude purpose, quhou beit that detractione be armit
vitht inuy <f11r> reddy to suppedit & tyl impung ane verteous verk: for
quhat euyr he be that intendis to compile ane verk to content euerye man
he suld fyrst drynk furtht the occean see. Ande quhou beit, that ther var
na detrakkers, tyll accuse or to repreif my verkis, zit nochtheles i suld
nocht be ouer temerair to set furtht ane verk that surpassis my ingyne:
for ane hen that seikis hyr meyt in the mydding, may scraipe sa lang amang
the fyltht, quhil sche scraip furtht sum ald knyfe that hes been tynt, the
quhilk knyfe cuttis hyr throt eftiruart, as i sall apply ane exempil
conformand to this samyn purpose as eftir follouis.
Annibal that vailzeant
cartagien, beand venquest be nobil scipion, past for refuge, tyl anthiocus
kyng of sirrie, quha vas at that tyme, ane vailzeant prince, he resauit
annibal in his realme, ande in his protectione, ande did hym grit honour
ande reuerens, ane prince can nocht schau hym mair nobil, nor mair
verteouse, as quhen he resauis in his fauoir, ane desolat prince distitute
of remeide, ande disparit of consolatione: quhilk hes bene violently
affligit be aduerse fortoune. thir tua princis vsit oft to visye the
feildis to tak ther <f11v> recreatione, ande to pas til hounting, ande til
vthir gammis, conuenient for ther nobilite. at sum tyme thai vald pas to
the sculis, to heir the lecture of ane philosophour callit phormion quha
remanit in the toune of ephisye, ande techit natural ande moral
philosophie to the zong men of the cuntre. on ane day thir tua princis be
chance, entrit in the achademya to heir ane lesson of philosophie techit
be the said phormion philosophour. he persauand thir tua princis entir in
his scule, he changit the mater of that present lecture, ande but
prouisione, he began to teche the ordour of the veyris, declarand quhou
that captans suld ordour battellis contrar ther enemeis. this philosophour
techit sa profundly the maneir of the ordoryng of battellis in presens of
thir tua princis, that thai that herd hym neuyr of befor, meruellit nocht
alanerly of his quyk ingyne: bot as veil thai that harde hym daly var in
grit admiratione. it is the nature of ane man that hes ane quyk spreit,
ande ane ripe ingyne, that euerye purpos ande questione is familiar tyl
hym. kyng anthiocus tuke grit gloir, be cause he hed sic ane prudent
philosophour <f12r> in his cuntre: quhar for he inquirit annibal, quhat
iugement he hed of his philosophour phormion. annibal ansuert vitht as
hardy curage. as quhen he venqueist the romans at the battel of cannes:
for ane vailzeant prince, tynis nocht his curage, quhou beit that aduerse
fortune resist his felicite: bot rather hes gude hope that dame fortoune
vil mittigat hyr auen crualte. this vas the ansuer of annibal tyl
anthiocus in the presens of phormion. nobil prince anthiocus i hef seen
mony ald men tyne
ther vyt, bot i sau neuyr sa grite ane fule amang them al, as is thy
philosophour phormion for he maye be callit the mirrour of folye, ther can
nocht be ane mair folye, as quhen ane ydiot distitute of knaulage,
presumis to teche or to leyrne ane man that hes baytht speculatione ande
experiens. i pray the to tel me (kyng anthiocus) quhat hart can thole,, or
quhat tong can be stil. quhen thai see, or heris tel, of the presumpteous
consait of thy vane philosophour, quhilk hes been neurest al his dais in
ane solitar achademya of greice, ande zit he dar be sa bold to present hym
befor prince annibal, to disput ande tyl indoctryne the maneir of the
<f12v> veyris ande of the batellis, as he var prince of affrica or captan
of rome. for verite he hes ane smal iugement of sic maters, or ellis he
estemeis vs to be litil experementit in the veyris, be his vane consaitis
that he hes studeit on beukis, he beleuis to leyrne annibal, the prettik
of the veyris ande the conquessingis of realmis. o kyng anthiocus, al the
goddis vait, quhat defferens is betuix philosophie techit in sculis, ande
betuix the stait of captans in the ordoring of batellis on the feildis.
ande quhat defferens is to vrit vitht ane pen, & the vsing of ane speyr
vailzeantly in battel. ande quhat defferens is ther betuix mony beukis
ande ane captan heffand his enemye befor his ee. Ther is diuerse men that
can blason the veyris in the tauerne or at the fyir syde amang the vulgar
ignorant pepil, bot i fynd nocht mony that dar haszarde ther lyue contrar
ther enemeis. O anthiocus thy philosophour phormion sau neuyr the iunyng
of ane battel, vitht cruel escharmouschis in the ryding of forrais. he sau
neuyr the array of men of veyr brokyn, ande tua armeis myxt amang vthirs,
fechtand be fellone forse, quhar the defluxione of blude <f13r> hed
payntit ande cullourt all the feildis, he herd neuyr the dolorus trompet
sounde befor the iunyng of ane battel, nor zit he harde it neuyr sound to
gar the men of veyr retere fra ane dangeir, he persauit neuyr the trason
of ane party, nor the couuardeis of ane vthir party. he sau neuyr the
litil nummir of them that fechtis, nor the grite nummir of them that fleis
for dreddour.. O anthiocus thy philosophour suld teche the thyng that he
hes studeit at the sculis & the thing that he hees seen vitht his een to
them that vas neuyr at the sculis, ande to them that vas neuyr pretykkit
in the veyris. rather nor til vs that hes been experimentit in the veyris
al oure dais. the prettik of the veyris is mair facil to be leyrnit on the
feildis of affrica: nor in the sculis of greice. Thou vait kyng anthiocus,
that this sex ande thretty zeiris i hef beene excersit in the veyris,
baytht in ytalie ande in spangze, quhar that fortoune hes schauen hyr
rycht aduerse contrar me: as is hyr vse,, to do to them, that vndirtakkis
difficil entrepricis, as thou may see be experiens: for or i hed ane
beyrde, i vas seruit lyik ane captan, ande nou quhen my beyrd, is be <f
13v>cum quhyt, i am be cum ane servand. i sueir to the (kyng anthiocus) be
the gode mars, that gyf ony persone vald speir at me, the maneir of the
gouernyng of ane battel, i vait nocht quhat ansuere to mak: be raison that
battellis consistis vndir the gouernance of fortune, ande nocht in the
ingyne of men, nor in the multiplie of pepil. all veyris ar begun be
princis, on ane iust titil, ande syne procedis be visdome bot the ende of
the veyris consistis in the chance of fortune. Ther for it is grit folye
to thy philosophour, til vndirtak to leyrn the ordiring of battellis vitht
in his solitair achademya, it var mair necessair ande honest for hym, to
vse his auen professione ande faculte: nor to mel vitht ony faculte that
passis his knaulage. annibal said mony vthir gude purposis tyl anthiocus,
anent this samyn purpose, as plutarque rehersis in his apothigmatis.
This exempil tendis, that
al prudent men, hes mair occasione to condamp & repreif this raggit naykyt
tracteit, nor annibal hed occasione to repreif the philosophour phormion:
for my dul rude brane suld nocht hef been sa temerair as to vndirtak to
correct the imperfectione <f14r> of ane comont veil, be cause the maist
part of my knaulage, is the smallest part of my ignorance: zit nochtheles
i hope that vyise men vil reput my ignorance for ane mortifeit prudens, be
rason of my gude intentione that procedis fra ane affectiue ardant fauoir.
that i hef euyr borne touart this affligit realme quhilk is my natiue
cuntre, Nou heir i exort al philosophouris historigraphours & oratours of
our scottis natione to support & til excuse my barbir agrest termis for i
thocht it nocht necessair, til hef fardit ande lardit this tracteit vitht
exquisite termis, quhilkis ar nocht daly vsit, bot rather i hef vsit
domestic scottis langage, maist intelligibil for the vlgare pepil. ther
hes bene diuerse translatours ande compilaris in ald tymys, that tuke
grite pleseir to contrafait ther vlgare langage, mixand ther purposis,
vitht oncoutht exquisite termis, dreuyn, or rather to say mair formaly,
reuyn, fra lating, ande sum of them tuke pleiseir to gar ane vord of ther
purpose, to be ful of sillabis half ane myle of lyntht, as ther was ane
callit hermes, quhilk pat in his verkis, thir lang tailit vordis
conturbabuntur constantinopolitani, innumerabilibus solicitudinibus <f14v>
ther vas ane vthir that vrit in his verkis, gaudet
honorificabilitudinitatibus, al sic termis procedis of fantastiknes ande
glorius consaitis. i hef red in ane beuk of ane preceptor that said til
his discipulis loquere verbis presentibus & vtere moribus antiquis, that
is to saye thou sal speik comont langage, ande thou sal lyue eftir the
verteous maneirs of antiant men zit nochtheles ther is mony vordis of
antiquite, that i hef rehersit in this tracteit, the quhilkis culd nocht
be translatit in oure scottis langage, as auguris auspices ides questeours
senaturus censours, pretours, tribuns, ande mony vthir romane dictions,
ther for gyf sic vordis suld be disusit or deiekkit, than the phrasis of
the antiquite vald be confundit ande adnullit: ther for it is necessair at
sum tyme, til myxt oure langage vitht part of termis dreuyn fra lateen be
rason that oure scottis tong is nocht sa copeus as is the lateen tong.
ande alse ther is diuerse purposis & propositions that occurris in the
lating tong that can nocht be translatit deuly in oure scottis langage,
ther for he that is expert in latyn tong suld nocht put reproche to the
compilation, quhou beit that he fynd sum <f15r> purposis translatit in
scottis, that accords nocht vitht the lateen regester: as ve hef exempil
of this propositione, homo est animal, for this terme homo signifeis
baytht man ande voman: bot ther is nocht ane scottis terme that signifeis
baytht man ande voman: ande animal signifeis al thyng that hes lyue ande
is sensibil, bot ther is nocht ane scottis terme has signifeis al quyk
sensibil thyng, ther for this propositione, mulier est homo is treu, ande
zit ve suld nocht saye that ane voman is ane man. Ande siclyik this
propositione homo est animal is treu, ande zit ve suld nocht say that ane
man is ane beyst: of this sort ther is baytht termis ande propositions in
lateen tong, the quhilk vil be difficil to translait them. i hef rehersit
thir vordis, in hope to eschaipt the detractione of inuyful gramariaris:
quhilkis ar mair prompt, to reprehende ane smal falt, nor tha ar to
commend ane verteouse act. Nou for conclusione of this prolog i exort the
(gude redar) to correct me familiarly ande be cherite, Ande til interpreit
my intentione fauorablye, for doutles the motione of the compilatione of
this tracteit, procedis mair of the compassione that i hef of the public
necessite nor <f15v> it dois of presumptione or vane gloir, thy cheretabil
correctione, maye be ane prouocatione to gar me studye mair attentiulye in
the nyxt verkis that i intend to set furtht the quhilk i beleif in gode,
sal be verray necessair, tyl al them that desiris to lyue verteouslye
indurand, the schort tyme of this oure fragil peregrinatione, & sa fayr
veil. |
