Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne
Sir David Lindsay (1490?–1555)Extracts from The Monarchie
C
Tyll his Disciplis send the Holy Spreit,
In toungis of fyre, to that intentioun,
Thay, beand of all languages repleit,
Throuch all the warld, with wordis fair and sweit,
Tyll every man the faith thay suld furth schaw
In thare owin leid, delyverand thame the Law.
To heir thir Nunnis and Systeris nycht and day
Syngand and sayand Psalmes and Orisoun,
Nocht understandyng quhat thay syng nor say.
Bot lyke one Stirlyng or ane Papingay,
Quhilk leirnit ar to speik be lang usage:
Thame I compair to byrdis in ane cage.
Prayis in Latyne, to thame ane uncuth leid,
Mumland thair Matynis, Evinsang, and thair Houris,
Thare Pater Noster, Ave, and thare Creid.
It wer als plesand to thare spreit, in deid,
God have mercy on me, for to say thus,
As to say, Miserere mei Deus.
The Law of God he trewlie did translait,
Out of Hebrew and Greik, in Latyne plane,
Quhilk hes bene hid from us lang tyme, God wait,
Onto this tyme: bot, efter myne consait,
Had Sanct Jerome bene borne in tyll Argyle
In to Yrische toung his bukis had done compyle.
Twycheyng the divers leid of every land,
Sayand, there bene more edificatioun
In fyve wordis that folk doith understand,
Nor to pronounce of wordis ten thousand
In strange langage, sine wait not quhat it menis:
I thynk sic pattryng is not worth twa prenis.