(function() { (function(){function b(g){this.t={};this.tick=function(h,m,f){var n=void 0!=f?f:(new Date).getTime();this.t[h]=[n,m];if(void 0==f)try{window.console.timeStamp("CSI/"+h)}catch(q){}};this.getStartTickTime=function(){return this.t.start[0]};this.tick("start",null,g)}var a;if(window.performance)var e=(a=window.performance.timing)&&a.responseStart;var p=0=c&&(window.jstiming.srt=e-c)}if(a){var d=window.jstiming.load; 0=c&&(d.tick("_wtsrt",void 0,c),d.tick("wtsrt_","_wtsrt",e),d.tick("tbsd_","wtsrt_"))}try{a=null,window.chrome&&window.chrome.csi&&(a=Math.floor(window.chrome.csi().pageT),d&&0=b&&window.jstiming.load.tick("aft")};var k=!1;function l(){k||(k=!0,window.jstiming.load.tick("firstScrollTime"))}window.addEventListener?window.addEventListener("scroll",l,!1):window.attachEvent("onscroll",l); })();

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

The Two Swords

Not original in sentiment - but it sounds better in Scots, don't you think?

Sa now my purposs and my will,
Gif God wald grant me grace tharetill,
It is my entent for till schaw,
And clerely als to gere yow knaw
All the causs materiall
Off the doubill gouernall,
That is to say of spiritualite,
And the tother of temporalite;
The temporall is the less, but let.
Thir ar the twa gret lichtis set
In myddis of the firmament,
That vsit ar to represent
And to minister thare seruice
Tyme be tyme and thare office.
Off thir twa lichtis that I of say
The gretare lycht is for the day,
And for the nycht the less alsua
God mais, to man seruice to ma;
And thir twa staittis gret alsua
Signifyis the suerdis twa
Quhareof a speciall mencioun
Is said in Cristis passioun:
'Lord, lo! now twa suerdis heire.'
'Ynew are thai,' wes his ansuere.
In to the Pape is the honour,
The stait, the worschip and the cure,
And the gretest gouernall;
And of the less stait alhaill
The souerane is the Emperour,
Be worschip, titill and honour.
Off papis and emperouris how it fell
It is my purpose now to tell.


from The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun, ed. FJ Amours (Scottish Text Society, 1904), vol iii pp.208-10. This bit's probably translated from the chronicle of, um, I think Martin of Troppau, but I'm not checking the notes volume right now.

gere - cause
but let - without hindrance/ hesitation (the phrase is a bit of a filler when Wyntoun needs a rhyme)
ma - make
ynew - enough