A Satire of the Three Estates
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ANE SATYRE OF THE THRIE ESTAITS, in commendation of virtue and vituperation of vice.
Maid be Sir David Lindesay of the Mont, alias, Lyon King of Arms.
[illustration] [depictions of Justice and Religion as allegorical figures]
HIS SVFFULTA DVRANT.
[illustration]
SYVMOVIONES
IVSTITIA
SYVMOVIONES
[illustration]
DEVM COLE
RELIGIO.
DEVM COLE
HIS SVFFULTA DVRANT.
AT EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY. ROBERT CHARTERIS. 1602.
CVM PRIVILEGIO REGIS.
ANE Pleasant Satire of the thrie ESTAITIS IN COMMENDATIOVN of virtue and vituperatioun of vice, as followis.
DILIGENCE.
T
He Father and founder of faith and felicity,
That your fassioun formed to his similitude
And his Sone our Savior scheild in necessity,
That bocht yow from baillis ranson rude,
Repleadge and his presonaris with his heart-blood
The holy Gaist governor and grounder of grace
Of wisdom and weilfair baith fontaine and flude,
Gif yow all that I sie seasit in this place,
And scheild yow from sin.
And with his Spreit yow inspyre
Till I have shawin my desire
Silence Soueraine I require
For now I begin,
TAk tent to me my friends and hald yow coy,
For I am sent to yow as messingeir,
From ane nobill and right redoubtit Roy:
The whilk hes been absent this monie year.
Humanity give ye his name wald speir:
Quha bade me shaw to yow but variance,
That he intendis amang yow to compeir,
With ane triumph and awful ordinance:
With crown and sword and scepter in his hand,
Temperit with mercy when penitence appeiris:
Howbeit that he lang time hes been sleipand,
Quhairthrow misreull hes rung thir monie yeiris:
That innocentis hes been brocht on their beiris,
Be falls reporteris of this natioun:
Thocht young oppressouris at the elder leiris,
Be now assurit of reformatioun.
Sie no misdoeris be sa bauld,
As to remain into this hauld:
For why be him that Judas sauld
Thay will be heich hang it.
Now faithful folk for joy may sing:
For why it is the just bidding
Of my soveraine lord the king
That na man be wrangit.
Thocht he ane whyll into his flouris
Be gouernit be vylde trompouris:
And sometime lufe his paramouris,
Hauld ye him excusit.
For when he meittis with Correctioun,
With Veritie and Discretioun,
Thay will be banisched aff the town,
Quhilk hes him abusit.
And heir be oppin proclamatioun,
I wairne in name of his magnificence,
The thrie estaitis of this natioun,
That they compeir with detfull diligence?
And till his grace mak their obedience.
And first I wairne the Spritualitie,
And sie the burgessis spair not for expense:
Bot speid thame heir with Temporalitie.
Als I beseik yow famous auditouris,
Conveinit in this congregatioun,
To be patient the space of certain houris,
Till ye have hard our short narratioun.
And als we mak yow supplicatioun,
That na man take our words intill disdain:
Althocht ye hear be declamatioun,
The common-well richt pitiouslie complain.
Rycht so the verteous lady Veritie,
Will mak ane pitious lamentatioun:
Als for the truth sho will impresonit be,
And banischit lang time out of the town:
And Chastity will mak narratioun,
How sho can get na ludging in this land,
Till that the heauinlie king Correctioun,
Meit with the king and common hand for hand.
Prudent peopill I pray yow all,
Tak na▪ man grief in special:
For we sall speak in general,
For pastyme and for play.
Therefore till all our rymis berung,
And our mistoinit sangis be sung,
Leteuerie man keep well ane tongue,
And every woman tway.
Rex Humanitas.
O Lord of Lord's and King of kingis all,
Omnipotent of power Prince but peir,
Euer ringand in gloir Celestial
Quha be great micht and haising na mateir
Maid heauin and eird, fire, air and watter cleir:
Send me thy grace with peace perpetual,
That I may rewll my realm to thy pleaseir,
Syne bring my soul to joy angelical.
Sen thow hes giuin me dominatioun
And rewll of pepill subject to my cure,
Be I nocht rewlit be counsel and ressoun,
In dignity I may nocht lang endure.
I grant mystait myself may nocht assure
Nor yet conserve my life in sickernes:
Have pity Lord on me thy creature
Supportand me in all my business.
I thee requeist wha rent was on the Rude,
Me to defend from the deids of defame:
That my pepill report of mebot gude,
And be my saifgaird baith from sin and shame▪
I knaw my day is induris bot as ane dream,
Therefore O Lord I hairtlie the exhort,
To gif me grace to use my diadeame
To thy pleasure and to my great comfort.
Wantonness.
My Soueraine Lord and Prince but peir,
What garris yow mak sic dreirie cheir▪
Be blyth sa lang as year heir,
And pas time with pleasure:
For als lang leifis the mirrie man,
As the sorry for ocht he can:
His banis full sair Sir sall I ban
That dost yow displeasure.
Sa lang as Placebo and I,
Remains into your company,
Ʒour grace sall leif richt mirrely:
Of this haif ye na dout.
Sa lang as ye have us in cure▪
Ʒour grace sir sall want na pleasure:
War Solace heir I yow assure,
He wald rejoice this rout.
Placebo.
Gude brother mine where is Solace
The mirror of all mirrines,
I have great meruell be the Mes
He taries sa lang.
Byde he away we ar bot shent,
I ferlie how he fra us went:
I trow he hes impediment
That lettis him nocht gang.
Wantonness.
I left Solace that same greit loun
Drinkand into the burrows town,
It will cost him half of ane croun,
Althocht he had na mair.
And als he said he wald gang see
Fair lady Sensuality,
The burial of all beauty
And portratour preclair.
[]Placebo.
Be God I see him at the last
As he war chaist rynnand richt fast,
He glowris euin as he war agast
Or fleyit of ane gaist.
Na, he is wod drunkin I trow,
Se ye not that he is wod fow:
I ken well be his creischie mow
He hes been at ane feast.
Solace.
Now wha saw ever sic ane thrang?
Me thocht sum said I had gain wrang,
Had I help I wald sing ane sang
With ane right mirrie noise.
I have sic pleasour at my heart,
That garris me sing the troubill pairt:
Waldsum gude fallow sill the quart
It wald my hairt rejoice.
Howbeit my coat be short and nippit,
Thankis be to God I am well hippit
Thocht all my gold may shone be grippit
Intill ane penny pursse.
Thocht I ane seruand lang haif been,
My purchais is nocht worth ane preine:
I may sing Peblis on the greine
For ocht that I may tursse.
What is my name can ye not guess,
Sirs ken ye nocht Sandie solace?
Thay called my mother bonie Besse
That dwelt between the bowis.
[] Of twelf year auld sho learned to swyfe,
Thankit be the great God on live:
Scho maid me fatheris four or five,
But dout this is na mowis.
When ane was deed sho gat ane other,
Was never man had sic ane mother:
Of fatheris sho maid me ane futher,
Of law it men and leirit:
Scho is baith wise, worthy and wicht▪
For scho spairis nouther kuik nor knycht:
Ʒea four and twenty on ane nicht,
And ay their eine schobleirit,
And gif I lie sirs ye may speir:
Bot saw ye nocht the King cum heir?
I am ane sportour and playfeir
To that Royal young King:
He said he wald within schort space
Cum pas his time into this place:
I pray the Lord to send him grace,
That he lang time may ring.
Placebo.
Solace why taryit ye sa lang?
Solace.
The feind a faster I micht gang:
I micht not thrist out throw the thrang,
Of wyfes fyftein fidder:
Then for to rin I tuik ane rink,
Bot I felt never such ane stink:
For our lordis luif gif me ane drink,
Placebo my deir brother.
Rex Hu.
My servant Solace what gart yow tarie?
Solace.
I wait not sir be sweet saint Marie,
I have been in ane feirie farie
Or ellis intill ane trance:
Sir I have seen I yow assure
The fairest earthly creature,
That ever was formit be nature
And mayest for to advance▪
To luik on hir is great delight,
With lippis reid and cheikis white
I wald renunce all this world quite
For till stand in hir grace:
Scho is wantoun and scho is wise:
And cled scho is on the new gyse,
It wald garall your flesche up rise
To luik upon hir face.
War▪ I ane king it sold be kend,
I sold not spair on hir to spend:
And this same nicht for hir to send,
For my pleasure:
What rak of your prosperity▪
Gif ye want Sensuality?
I wald nocht gif ane silly fly,
For your treasure.
Rex.
Forsuith my friends I think ye ar not wise,
Till counsel me to break commandment
Directit be the Prince of Paradyce:
Considering ye knaw that my intent
Is for till be to God obedient,
Quhilk dost forbid men to be lecherous:
Do I nocht sa perchance I will repent,
Therefore I think your counsel odious
The whilk ye gaif me till.
Becaus I have been to this day
Tanquam tabula rasa:
That is als mekill as to say.
Redie for gude and ill.
Placebo.
Beleiue ye that we will begyll yow,
Or from your virtue we will wyle yow,
Or with evil counsel overseyll yow,
Both into gude and evil:
To take your graces part we grant
In all your deidis participant,
Sa that ye be nocht ane young sanct
And syne ane auld devil.
Wanton.
Beleiue ye Sir that Lecherie be sin,
Na, trow nocht that, this is my ressoun why,
First at the Romance Kirk will ye begin
Quhilk is the lemand lamp of lechery:
Quhair Cardinals and Bischops generally
To luif Ladies they think ane pleasant sport,
And out of Rome hes baneist Chastity
Quha with our Prelates can get na resort.
Solace.
Sir whill ye get ane prudent Queine,
I think your Majesty serein
Sould have ane lusty Concubein,
To play yow withal:
For I knaw be your quality,
Ʒe want the gift of chastity
Fall to
in nomine Domini,
This is my counsel.
I speak Sir under protestatioun,
That nane at me haif indignatioun:
For all the Prelates of this natioun,
For the mayest part:
Thay think na schame to have ane huir,
And sum hes thrie under their cuir:
This to be true I will yow assuir
Ʒe sall heir efterwart.
Sir knew all the mater throch
To play ye wald begin
Speir at the Monks of Bamirrinoch,
Giflecherie be sin.
Placebo.
Sir send ye for Sandie solace▪
Orells your monyeoun Wantonness,
And pray my Lady Priores,
The suith till declare:
Gif it be sin to take Kaity,
Or to leif like ane bummill baty
The buik says
Omnia probate
And nocht for to spair.
Sensuality.
Luifers awalk behald the fiery spheir,
Behauld the natural dochter of Venus:
Behauld luifers this lusty Lady cleir
The fresche fonteine of Knichtis amorous
Repleit with ioyis dulce and delicious·
Or wha wald mak to Venus observance.
In my mirthfull chalmer melodious?
Thair sall they find all pastyme and pleasance.
Behauld my heid behauld my gay attire,
Behauld my halse lusum and lily white:
Behauld my visage flammand as the fire
Behauld my papis of portratour perfect.
To luke on me lufferis hes greit delight,
Rycht sa hes all the Kings of Christindome:
To thame I haif done pleasouris infinite,
And specially unto the Court of Rome.
Ane kis of me war worth in ane morning
A milyioun of gold to Knicht or King.
And yet I am of nature sa towart
I lat no luiffer pas with ane sair heart.
Of my name wald ye wit the verity,
Forsuith they call me Sensuality.
I hauld it best now or we farther gang,
To Dame Venus let us go sing ane sang.
Hamlines.
Madame but tarrying,
For to serve Venus deir,
We sall fall to and sing,
Sister Danger cum neir.
Danger.
Sister I was nocht sweir
To Venus observance,
Howbeit I mak Dangeir:
Ʒit be continuance,
Men may have their pleasance:
Therefore let na man fray,
We will take it perchance,
Howbeit that we say nay.
Hamelines.
Sister cum on your way,
And let us nocht think lang:
In all the haist we may,
To sing Venus ane sang.
Danger.
Sister sing this sang I may not,
Without the help of gude Fund-Ionet:
Fund-Ionet, hoaw cum take a part.
Fund-Ionet.
That sall I do with all my heart:
Sister howbeit that I am hais,
I am content to beir a bais.
Ʒe twa sold luif me as your life,
[]Ʒe knaw I lernit yow baith to swyfe:
In my chalmer ye wait well where,
Sen syne the feind ane man ye spair.
Hamelines.
Fund-Ionet, fy, ye ar to blame,
To speak foul words think ye not schame?
Fund Ionet.
Thair is ane hundredth heir sitand by
[]That luifis geaping als well as I,
Micht they get it in privity:
Bot wha begins the sang let se.
Rex.
Up Wantonness thow sleipis to lang,
Me thocht I hard ane mirrie sang:
I the command in haist to gang
Se what yon mirth may meine.
Wantonness.
I trow Sir be the Trinity
Ʒon same is Sensuality,
Gif it be scho sune sall I sie
That Soverance sereine.
Rex.
Qu hat war they yon to me declare?
Want.
Dame Sensuall baith gude and fair.
Placebo.
Sir scho is mekill to avance,
For scho can baith play and dance:
That perfyt patron of plesance
Ane perle of pulchritude:
Soft as the silk is hir white lyre,
Hir hair is like the goldin wyre:
My heart burnis in ane flame of fire
I sweir yow be the Rude.
I think scho is sa wonder fair,
That in earth scho hes na compair,
War ye well leirn it at luifis lair
And syne had hir anis seen:
I wait be cokis passioun,
Ʒe wald mak supplicatioun,
And spend on hir ane millioun
Hir lufe for till obtain.
Solace.
What say ye sir ar ye content,
That scho cum heir incontinent:
What vails your kingdom and your rent,
And all your great treasure:
Without ye haif ane mirrie life,
And cast aside all sturt and strife▪
And sa lang as ye want ane wife,
Fall to and take your pleasure.
Rex.
Gif that be true whilk ye me tell,
I will not langer tarie:
Bot will gang preif that play my sell,
Howbeit the world me wary.
Als fast as ye may carry,
Speid with all diligence:
Bring Sensuality,
Fra-hand to my presence.
Forsuth I wait not how it stands,
Bot sen I hard of your tythands,
My body trimblis feit and hands
And whiles is hait as fire:
I trow Cupido with his dart,
Hes woundit me out▪ throw the heart
My spreit will fra my body part,
Get I nocht my desire.
Pas on away with diligence,
And bring hir heir to my presence:
Spair nocht for travel nor expense▪
I cair not for na cost:
Pason your way schone Wantonness,
And take with yow Sandie solace,
And bring that Lady to this place,
Or else I am bot lost.
Commend me to that sweitest thing,
And present hir with this same Ring▪
And say I lie in languisching,
Except scho mak remeid:
With siching sair I am bot schent,
Without scho cum incontinent,
My heavy lang our to relent,
And saif me now fra deed.
Wantonness.
Or ye tuik skaith be God's goun,
[]I leuer their war not up nor down
Ane tume cunt into this town,
Nor twenty mile about.
Doubt ye nocht Sir, bot we will get hir,
We sall be feirie for till fetch hir,
Bot faith we wald speid all the better,
Till gar our pursses rout▪
Solace.
Sir let na sorrow in yow sink,
Bot gif us Ducats for till drink:
And we sall never sleip ane wink
Till it be back or eadge:
Ʒe ken well Sir we have no cunye,
Rex.
Solace, sure that sall be no sunyie,
Beir ye that bag upon your lunyie,
Now sirs win well your wage;
I pray yow speid yow sone again
Wantonness.
Ʒe of this sang sir we ar fain,
We sall nether spair wind nor rain▪
Till our days wark be done:
Fairweill for we ar at the flicht,
Placebo rewll our Roy at richt:
We sall be heir man or midnicht,
Thocht we march with the Mone.
Wā.
Pastyme with pleasāce & greit prosperity
Be to yow Soveraine Sensuality,
Sen.
Sirs ye ar welcum where go ye? eist or west?
Wantonness.
In faith I trow we be at the farrest.
Sens.
What is your name I pray you Sir declare?
Wan.
Marie Wantonness the Kings secretair,
Sens.
What King is that whilk hes sa gay a boy?
Wan.
Humanity that richt redoutit Roy,
Quhilk dost commend him to yow hartfullie
And sends yow heir ane ring with ane Rubie
In takin that abuife all creator
He hes chosen yow to be his Paramonr:
He bade me say that he will be bot deed,
Without that ye mak haistelie remeid.
Sēs.
How can I help him althocht he suld for fair▪
Ʒe ken richt well I am na Medcinair.
Sol.
Ʒes lusty lady thocht he war never sa seek,
I wait ye bear his health into your breik:
Ane kis of your sweet mow in ane morning,
Till his seiknes micht be greit comforting,
And als he makes yow supplicatioun,
This nicht to mak with him collatioun.
Sēsualitie.
I thank his grace of his benevolēce,
Gude sirs I sall be reddie evin fra hand:
In me their
•
all be fund
•
a negligence,
Baith nicht & day when his grace will demand,
Pas ye before and say I am cummand,
And thinks richt lang to haif of him ane sicht:
And I to Venus do mak ane faithful band,
That i
•
his arms I think to lie all nicht.
Want.
That sal be done, bot yet or I hame pas,
Heir I protest for Hamelynes your las.
Sens.
Scho shall be at command sir when ye will
I traist scho sall find yow flinging your fill.
Want.
Now hay for joy and mirth I dance,
Tak their ane gay gamond of France:
Am I nocht worthy till avance?
That am sa gude a page:
And that sa spedelie can rin,
To tyst my master unto sin,
The feind a penny he will win
Of this his marriage.
[]I rew richt sair be sanct Michell,
Nor I had pearst hir my awin sell:
For why yon King be Bryds bell
Kennis na mair of ane cunt:
Nor dost the noueis of ane freir:
It war bot almis to pull my eir,
That wald not preif yon gallant geir:
Fy that I am sa blunt.
I think this day to win greit thank,
Hay, as ane brydlit cat I brank:
Alas I have wreistit my schank,
Yit gangis be sanct Michael.
Quhilk of my leggis Sirs as ye trow▪
Was it that I did hurtevin now?
Bot whairto sold I speir at yow
I think they baith ar hiall.
Gude morrow Master be the Mes,
Rex.
Welcum my menyeon Wantonness,
How hes thow sped in thy travel?
Wanton.
Rycht well be him that herry it hell:
Ʒour erand is well done.
Rex.
Then Wantonness how well is me,
Thow hes deseruit baith meit and fie,
Be him that maid the Mone:
Thair is anething that I wald speir,
What sall I do when scho cums heir?
For I knaw nocht the craft perqueir
Of luifers gyn:
Therefore at lenth ye mon me leir▪
How to begin.
Wan.
To kis hir & clap hir sir be not affeard,
Sho will not schrink thocht ye kis hir ane span wthin the baird
Gif ye think that sho thinks shame thē hyd ye bairnseine
[] With hir taill, & tent hir weil, ye wait what I meine:
Will ye leif me Sir first for to go to,
And I sall leirne yow all kewis how to do.
Rex.
God forbid Wantonness that I gif the leife,
Thou art over perilous ane page sic practiks to preife.
Wan.
Now Sir preife as ye pleis, I se hir cumand,
Use yourself grauelie, we sall by yow stand.
Sensuall.
O Queen Venus unto thy Celsitude,
I gif gloir, honor, laud and reverence:
Quha grantit me sic perfect pulchritude,
That Princes of my person have pleasance.
I mak ane vow with humbill observance,
Richt reuerentlie thy Tempill to visie,
With sacrifice unto thy Dyosie.
Till every stait I am so greabill,
That few or nane refuses me at all:
Paipis, Patriarchs or Prelates venerabill,
Common pepill and Princes temporal,
Ar subject all to me Dame Sensuall.
Sa sall it be ay whill the world endures
And specially where youthage hes the cures.
Quha knawis the contrair▪
I traist few in this company,
Wald they declare the verity,
How they use Sensuality:
Bot with me makes repair.
And now my way I man auance,
Unto ane Prince of great puissance,
Quhom young men hes in governance
Rolland into bis rage:
I am richt glaid I yow assure,
That potent Prince to get in cure:
Quhilk is of lustines the luir,
And greitest of curage.
O potent Prince of pulchritude preclair,
God Cupido preserve your celsitude:
And Dame Venus mot keep your court frō cair
As I wald sho suld keep my awin heart-blood:
Rex.
Welcum to me peirles in pulchritude,
Welcum to me thow sweiter nor the Lamber,
Quhilk hes maid me of all dolour denude,
Solace, convoy this Lady to my chamber.
Sensua.
I gang this gait with richt gude will,
Sir Wantonness tarie ye still:
And Hamelines the cap yeis fill
And beir him cumpanie.
That sall I do withoutin dout,
And he and I sall play cap'out,
Wan.
Now Lady len me that batye tout
Fill in for I am dry.
[] Ʒour dame be this trewlie,
Hes gotten upon the gumis
What rak thocht ye and I
Go iunne our iusting Lumis,
Hamelines.
Content I am with gude will,
When ever ye ar reddie:
Ʒour pleasure to fulfill,
Wantonness.
Now well said be our Lady,
He bair my Master cumpanie,
Till that I may endure:
Gif ye be quisland wantounlie,
We sall fling on the flure.
Gude Counsall.
Immortal God mayest of magnificence,
Quhais Majesty na Clark can comprehend:
Must save yow all that giuis sic audience,
And grant yow grace him never till offend,
Quhilk on the Cross did willingly ascend,
And sched his precious blood on every side:
Quhais pitious passioun from danger yow defend,
And be your gracious governor and gyde.
Now my gude friends consider I yow beseik
The caus mayest principal of my cumming,
Princis or Potestatis ar nocht worth ane leik,
Be they not gydit be my gude governing:
Thair was never Empriour, Conqueror nor King,
Without my wisdom that micht their will avance,
My name is Gude Counsall without feinyeing,
Lord's for lack of my lair ar brocht to mischance.
Finallie for conclusioun,
Quha halds me at delusioun:
Sall be brocht to confusioun:
And this I understand,
For I have maid my residence,
With hie Princes of greit puissance,
In Ingland, Italy and France,
And monie other Land.
Bot out of Scotland wa alas,
Ihaifbene fleimit lang time space,
That garris our gyders all want grace
And die before their day:
Becaus they lychtlyit gude counsel,
Fortune turnit on thame hir saill,
Quhilk brocht this Realm to meikill baill,
Quha can the contrair say?
My Lord's I came nocht heir to lie:
Wais me for King Humanity,
Ov erset with Sensuality,
In th'entry of his ring:
Throw vicious counsel insolent,
Sa they may get riches or rent,
To his weilfair they take na tent,
Nor what sal be th'ending.
Ʒit in this Realm I wald mak sum repair,
Gif I beleifit my name suld nocht forfair,
For wald this King be gydit yet with ressoun,
And on misdoars mak punitioun:
Howbeit I haif lang time been exyllit,
I traist in God my name sall yet be styllit.
Sa till I se God send mair of his grace,
I purpois tilrepois me in this place.
Flattery.
Mak room sirs hoaw, that I may rin,
Lo se where I am new cum,
•
egaryit all with sindrie hewis:
Let be your din till I begin,
And I sall show yow of my newis.
Throuchout all Christindome I have past,
And am cum heir now at the last,
Tostit on sea ay sen Ʒuill day:
That we war fain to hew our Mast,
Nocht half an e mile beyond the May.
Bot now amang yow I will remain,
I purpois never to sail again:
To put my life in chance of watter:
Was never seen sic wind and rain,
Nor of Schipmen sic clitter clatter.
Sum bade haill and sum bade standby,
On steirburd hoaw aluiff fy fy:
Quhill all the raipis beguith to rattil:
Was never Roysa fleyd as I,
When all the sails played brittill brattill.
To se the waws it was ane wonder,
And wind that raif the sails in sunder,
Bot I lay braikand like ane Brok:
And shot sa fast above and under,
The Devil durst not cum neir my dok.
Now am I scapit fra that effray,
What say ye sirs am I nocht gay?
Se ye not Flattery your awin fuill?
That yeid to mak this new array,
Was I not heir with yow at Ʒuill?
Ʒes be my faith I think on well.
Quhair ar my fallows that wald nocht fail?
We suld have cum heir for ane cast.
Hoaw Falset hoaw.—
Falset.
—Wa sair the Devil
Quha is that that cryis for mesa fast
Flat.
Quhy Falset brother knawis thou not me?
Am I nocht thy brother Flattrie?
Falset.
Now welcome be the Trinity
This meitting cums for gude
Now let me bresse the
••
my armis,
When friends meits harts warmis:
Quod Iok that frelie fud:
How happinit yow into this place?
Flattery.
Now be my saul evin on a cace.
I come in sleipand at the port,
Or ever I wist amang this sort.
Quhair is Dissait that limmer loun?
Falset.
I left him drinkand in the town,
He will be heir incontinent.
Flattery.
Now be the holy Sacrament,
Thay tydingis comforts all my heart:
I wait Dissait will take my part.
He is richt crafty as ye ken,
And counsallour to the Merchand-men:
Let us lie down heir baith and spy,
Gif we persaue him cummand by.
Dissait.
Stand by the gait that I maysteir,
Aisay Koks bons, how cam I heir?
cannot mis to take sum feir,
Into sa greit ane thrang:
Marie heir ane cumlie congregatioun,
What ar ye sirs all of ane natioun?
Masters I speak be protestatioun,
In dreid ye take me wrang.
Ken ye not sirs what is my name?
Gude faith I dar not schawit for schame:
Sen I was clekit of my Dame,
Ʒit was I never leill:
For Katie vnsell was my mother,
And common thief my father-brother:
Offic friendship I had ane fither,
Howbeit I cannot steill.
Bot yet I will borrow and len,
As be my cleathing ye may ken;
That I am cum of nobill men,
And als I will debait,
That querrell with my feit and hands:
And I dwell amang the merchands,
My name gifonie man demands,
Thay call me Dissait▪
Bon-iour brother with all my heart,
Heir I am cum to take your part,
Baith into gude and evil:
I met Gude counsel be the way,
Quha pat me in ane felloun fray,
I gif him to the Devil.
Falset.
How chaipit ye I pray yow tell?
Dissait.
I slipit into ane bordell:
And hid me in ane bawburds bed:
[]Bot suddenlie hir schankis I sched▪
With hoch hurland amang hir howis▪
God wait gif we maid monie mowis:
How came ye heir I pray yow tell me?
Falset.
Marie to seek King Humanity.
Dissait.
Now be the gude Lady that me bair,
That samin hors is my awin Mair:
Now with our purpois let us mell,
What is your counsel I pray yow tell?
Sen we thrie seiks yon nobill King,
Let us deuyse sum subtle thing:
And als I pray yow as my brother,
That we ilk ane be true to other.
I mak ane vow with all my heart,
In gude and evil to take your part▪
I pray to God nor I be hangit,
Bot I sall die or ye be wrangit.
Falset.
What is thy counsel that we do?
Marie sirs this is my counsel lo,
Till take our time whill we may get it,
For now thait is na man to let it:
Fra time the King begin to steir him,
Marie gude counsel I dreid cum neir him,
And be we knaw in with Correctioun.
It will be our confusioun:
Therefore my deir brother deuyse
To find sum toy of the new gyse.
Flat.
Marie I sall find ane thousand wyles,
We man turn our claithis & change our stiles:
And diasagyse us that na man ken us,
Hes na man Clarkis cleathing to len us:
And let us keep grave countenance,
As we war new cum out of France.
Dissait.
Now be my soul that is well deuysit▪
Ʒe sall se me sone disagysit,
Falset.
And sa sall I man be the Rude,
Now sum gude fallow len me ane hude.
Dissait.
Now am I buskit and wha can spy,
The Devil stik me gif this be I:
If this be I or not, I cannot well say,
Or hes the Feind or Fatie-folk borne me away,
Falset.
And gif my hair war up in ane how,
The feind ane man wald ken me I trow:
What says thou of my gay garmoun▪
Dissait.
I say thou luiks euin like ane loun:
Now brother Flattery what do ye,
What kind of man schaip ye to be?
Flattrie.
Now be my faith my brother deir,
I will gang counterfit the Freir,
Dissait.
A Freir, whairto ye can nor preiche.
Flattrie.
What rak man I can richt well fleich?
Perchance I will cum that honor,
To be the Kings confessor.
Pure Freirs ar free at any fealt,
And marchellit ay amang the best.
Als God to hes lent them sic graces,
That Bischops puts them in their places:
Out-throw their Dioceis to preiche,
Bot ferlie nocht howbeit they fleich:
For show they all the verity,
Thaill want the Bischops charity.
And thocht the corn war never sa skant,
The gudewyfis will not let Freirs want:
For why they ar their confessors,
Thair heauinlie prudent counsalours.
Therefore the wyfis plainly takes their parts,
And shawis the secreits of their harts,
To Freirs with better will I trow,
Nor they do to their bed-fallow.
Dissait, And I reft anis ane Freirs coull,
Bvtuix Sanct-Iohnestoun and Kinnoull:
I sall gang fetch it, gif ye will tarie.
Flattrie.
Now play me that of companarie.
Ʒe faw him nocht this hundredth year,
That better can counterfeit the Freir.
Dissait.
Heir is th
•
gaining all and sum,
That is ane koull of Tullilum.
Flattrie.
Quha hes ane portouns for to len me?
The feind ane soul I trow will ken me.
Falset.
Now gang thy way where ever thow will,
Thow may be fallow to freir Gill:
Bot with Correctioun gif we be kend,
I dreid we mak ane schamefull end.
Flattrie.
For that mater I dreid nothing,
Freiris ar exemptit fra the King:
And Freiris will reddie entries get,
When Lord's ar haldin at the yet.
Falset.
We man do mair yet be Sanct James,
For we mon all thrie change our names
Hayif me, and Isall baptize thee:
Dissait.
Be God and their-about may it be.
How will thou call me I pray the tell?
Falset.
I wait not how to call my sell.
Dislait.
Bot yet anis name the bairns name,
Falset.
Discretioun, Discretioun in God's name.
Dislait.
I neid nocht now to cair for thrift,
Bot what shall be my God bairne gift?
Falset.
I gif yow all the Deuilis of hell,
Dissait.
Na brother hauld that to thy sel.
Now sit down let me baptize the
I wait not what thy name sold be:
Falset.
Bot yet anis name the bairns name.
Dissait Sapience in ane warlds-schame.
Flatrie.
Brother Dissait cum baptize me,
Dissait.
Then sit down lawlie on thy kne.
Flatrie.
Now brother name the bairns name,
Dissait.
Devotioun the Deuillis name,
Flattrie.
The devil resaue the lurdoun loun,
Thow hes weat all my new schawin croun.
Dissait.
Devotioun, Sapience and discretioun,
We three may rewll this Region.
We sall find monie crafty things,
For to begyll are hundredth Kingis.
For thow can richt weil crak and clatter,
And I sall feinye, and thow sall flatter.
Flattrie.
Bot I wald have or we depairtit,
Ane drink to mak us better hartit.
Now the King sall cum fra his chamber.
Dissait.
Weill said be him that herryit hell,
I was euin thinkand that my sell.
Now till we get the Kings presence,
We will sit down and keep silence:
Ise ane yeoman what ever be,
I will wod my life yon same is he.
Feir nocht brother, bot hauld yow still,
Till we have hard what is his will.
Rex.
Now where is Placebo and Solace?
Quhair is my minyeoun Wantonness?
Wantonness hoaw, cum to me sone,
Wantonness.
Quhy cryit ye sir till I had done?
Rex.
What was ye doand tell me that?
Wantonness.
Mary leirand how my father me gat.
I wait nocht how it stands but doubt.
Me think the world rinnis round about.
Rex.
And sa think I man be my thrift
I se fyteine Mones in the lift.
Hamelin.
Gat ye nocht that whilk ye desyrit?
Sir I belief that ye ar tyrit.
Danger.
Bot as for Placebo and Solace
I held them baith in mirrines,
Solace.
Now show me sir I yow exhort▪
How ar ye of your luif content
Think ye not this ane mirrie sport:
Rex.
Ʒea that I do in verament.
What bairnis ar yon upon the bent,
I did nocht se them all this day.
Wantonness.
Thay will be heir incontinent,
Stand still and heir what they will say.
Now the vycis cums and makes salutatioun, saying.
Dissait.
Laud honor, gloir, triumph & victory
Be to your mayest excellent Majesty.
Rex.
Ʒe ar welcum gude friends be the Rude,
Appeirandlie ye seime sum men of gude,
What ar your names tell me without delay,
Dissait.
Discretioun Sir, is my name perfay.
Rex.
What is your name sit with the clipit croū
Flattrie.
But dout my name is called Devotioun.
Rex.
Welcum Devotioun be Sanct Iame:
Now si
•
ray tell what is your name?
Falset.
Marie sir they call me, what call they me?
Rex.
Can ye nocht tell what is your name?
Falset.
I kend it when I cam fra hame.
Rex.
What gars ye can nocht schawit now?
Falset.
Marie they call me thin-drink I trow?
Rex.
Thin-drink▪ what lynde of name is that?
Dissait.
Sapiens thou seruis to beir ane plat▪
Me think thow schawis the not well wittit;
Falset.
Sypeins, sir sypeins, marie now ye hit it.
Flattrie.
Sir gif ye pleis to let him say,
His name is SAPIENTIA.
Falset.
That same is it be Sanct Michell▪
Rex.
Quhy could thou not tell it thy sell?
Falset.
I pray your grace appardoun me,
And I sall show the verity:
I am sa full of Sapience,
That sometime I will take ane trance.
My spreit wes reft fra my body,
Now heich above the Trinity.
Rex.
Sapience suld be ane man of gude:
Falset.
Sir ye may ken that be my hude.
Rex.
Now have I Sapience and Discretioun,
How can I faill to rewll this Region?
And Devotioun to be my confessor,
Thir thrie came in ane happy hour,
Heir I mak the my secretar,
And thow shall be my thesaurar:
And thow shall be my counsallour,
In spriruall things and confessor
Flattrie.
I sweir to yow sir be sanct An,
Ʒe met never with ane wiser man,
For monie a craft sir do I can,
War they well knaw in▪
Sir I have na feill of flattrie,
Bot fosterit with Philsophie,
Ane strange man in Astronomy,
Quhilk shall be schawin.
Falset.
And I have greit intelligence
In quelling of the quintessence:
Bot to preif my experience,
Sir len me forty crowns:
To mak multiplicatioun,
And take my obligatioun,
Gifwee mak falls narratioun,
Hauld us for very lownes.
Dissait.
Sir I ken be your Physnomie,
Ʒe sall conqueis, or else I lie,
Danskin, Denmark, and Almane,
Spittelfeild and the Realm of Spane.
Ʒe sall have at your governance.
Ranfrow and all the Realm of France.
Ʒea Rugland and the town of Rome,
Castorphine and all christindome.
Quhairto sir be the Trinity,
Ʒe ar ar ane very Apersie.
Flattrie.
Sir when I dwelt in Italy,
I leirit the craft of Palmistrie,
Schaw me the lufe Sir, of your hand,
And I sall gar yow understand,
Gif your grace be infortunat,
Or gif ye be predestinat.
I see ye will have fyfteine Queens
And fyfteine scoir of Concubeines:
The Virgin Marie safe your grace,
Saw ever man sa white ane face:
Sa greit ane arm, sa fair ane hand,
Thairs nocht sic ane leg in all this land.
War ye in armis I think na wonder,
Howbeit ye dang down fyfteine hunder.
Dissait.
Now be my soul thats true thow says
Wes never man set sa well his clais:
Thair is na man in Christintie,
Sa meit to be ane King as ye,
Falset.
Sir thank the holy Trinity:
That send us to your cumpanie:
For God nor I gaip in ane gallows,
Gif ever ye fand thrie better fallows.
Rex.
Ʒe ar richt welcum be the Rude,
Ʒe seime to be thrie men of gude.
Heir sall Gude-counsel show himself in the field
Bot wha is yon that stands sa still?
Ga spy and speir what is his will.
And gif he yearnis my presence,
Bring him to me with Diligence.
[] Dissait.
That sall we do be God's breid:
We's bring him eather quick or deed.
Rex.
I will sit still heir and repois,
Speid yow again to me my Iois,
Falset.
Ʒe hardly Sir, keep yow in clois
And quiet till we cum again:
Brother I trow be coks toes,
Ʒon bairdit bogill cums fra ane train.
Dissait.
Gif he dost sa he shall be slain,
I doubt him nocht, nor yet ane other:
Trowit I that he come for ane train,
Of my freindis I sold rais ane futher.
Flattrie.
I doubt full sair be God him sell,
That yon auld churl be Gude-counsel:
Get he anis to the Kings presence,
We thrie will get na audience.
Dissait.
That matter I sall take on hand,
And say it is the Kings command,
That he anon devoyd this place,
And cum nocht neir the Kings grace:
And that under the pain of tressoun:
Flattrie.
Brother I hauld your counsel ressoun.
Now let us heir what he will say,
Auld lyart beard, gude day, gude day.
Gude-counsel.
Gude day again sirs be the rude
The Lord mot mak yow men of gude.
Dissait.
Pray nocht for us to Lord nor Lady,
For we ar men of gude already,
Sir show to us what is your name?
Gude-counsel.
Gude-counsel they call me at hame,
Falset.
What says thow carle, ar thow Gude-counsel?
Swyith pak the sone unhappy vnsell.
Gif ever thou cum this gait again,
I vow to God thou sall be slain.
Gude-counsel.
I pray yow sirs, gif me license,
To cum anis to the Kings presence:
To speak bot twa words to his grace,
Flattrie.
Swyith horsune carle, devoyd this place.
Gude-counsel.
Brother I ken yow well aneuch,
Howbeit ye mak it never sa teuch:
Flattrie, Dissait and Fals-report,
That will not suffer to resort:
Gude-Counsall to the Kings presence.
Dissait.
Suyith hursun carle gang pak the hence,
Gif ever thou cum this gait again,
I vow to God thousall be slane.
Heir sall they hurl away Gude-Counsall.
Sen at this time I can get na presence,
Is na remeid bot take in patience.
Howbeit Gude-counsel haistelie be nocht hard
With young Princes yet sold they noch be skard.
Bot when youthheid hes blawin his wanton blast,
Then fall Gude-counsel rewll him at the last.
Now the Vycis gangs to ane counsel.
Flattrie.
Now whill Gude-Counsall is absent,
Brother we mon be diligent:
And mak betwix us sikker bands,
When vacadns fallis in onie Lands.
That every man help well his fallow,
Dissait.
I had deir brother be Alhallow.
Sa ye fische nocht within our bounds,
[] Flattrie.
That sall I noch be God's wounds▪
Bot I sall plainly take your partis,
Falset.
Sa sall we thine with all our hartis.
Bot haist us whill the King is young,
Let every man keep well ane tongue.
And in ilk quarter have ane spy,
Vs till adverteis haistelly,
When ony casualities,
Sall happin into our countries,
And let us mak provisioun,
Or he cum to discretioun▪
Na mair he waits now nor ane sant,
What thing it is to haif or want,
Or he cum till his perfect age,
We sall be sikker of our wage:
And then let every carle craif other.
Di.
Yat mouth spcik mair my awin deir brother.
For God nor I rax in ane raip,
Thow may gif counsel to the Paip.
Now they return to the King.
Rex.
What gart you bid sa lang fra my presence?
I think it lang since ye depairtit thence.
What man was yon with an greit bostous beird
Me thocht he maid yow all thrie very feared.
Dissait.
It was ane laidlie lurdan loun,
Cumde to break buithis into this town:
We have ga
•
t bind him with ane poill,
And send him to the theisis hoill:
Rex.
Let him sit their with ane mischance,
And let us go to our pastance.
Wantonness.
Better go revel at the rackat,
Or ellis go to the hurlie hackat,
Or then to show our curtlie corsses,
Ga se wha best can rin their horses.
Solace.
Na soveraine or we farther gang
Gar Sensuality sing ane sang.
Heir sall the Ladies sing ane sang▪ the King sall lie down amang the Ladies and then Veritie sall enter.
Veritie.
Diligite Iustitiam qui iudicatis terram.
Luif Justice ye wha hes ane Judges cure,
In earth and dried the awful Judgment,
Of him that sall cum judge baith rich and pure,
Rycht terribilly with bludy wounds rent.
That dreidfull day into your harts imprent:
Beleuand well▪ how and what manner ye
Use Justice heir til vthers, their at lenth
That day but doubt sa sallye iudgit be.
Woe than and duill be to yow Princes all,
Suffer and the pure anes for till be oppressed:
In everlasting burn and fire ye sall
With Lucifer richt dulfullie be dressed.
Therefore in time for till eschaip that nest,
Feir God, do law and Justice equally,
Till every man: se that na puir oppressed
Up to the hevin on yow ane vengeance cry.
Be just judges without favor or fead,
And hauld the Ballance euin till every wicht:
Let not the fault be left into the head,
Then sall the members reulit be at richt.
For why subjects do follow day and nicht
Thair governors in virtue and in vice.
Ʒe ar the lamps that sold show them the licht
Lo leid them on this sliddrie rone of ice.
Mobile mutatur semper cum principe vulgus.
And gif ye wald your subiectis war well geuin,
Then verteouslie begin the dance your sell:
Going before▪ then they anon I wein,
Sall follow yow, either till heaven or hell:
Kings sold of gude exempils be the well▪
Bot gif that your strands be intoxicate,
In steid of wyne they drink the poison fell:
Thus pepill follows ay their principate.
Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, vt videant opera vestra bona.
And speciallyye Princes of the Priests,
That of peopill hes spiritual cuir,
Daylyye sold revolve into your breistis,
How that thir holy words ar still mayest sure
In verteous life gif that ye do endure
The pepill will take mair tent to your deids
Then to your words: and als baith rich and puir
Will follow yow baith in your warks and words.
Heir sal Flattrie spy Veritie with ane dum countenance.
Gif men of me wald have intelligence,
Or knaw my name, they call me VERITIE.
Of Christis law I have experience,
And hes over saillit many stormy sey.
Now am I seikand King Humanity,
For of his grace I have gude esperance,
Fra time that he acquaintit be with me,
His honor and heich gloir I sall avance.
Heir sall Veritie pas to hir saith.
Dissait.
Gude day father, where have ye been?
Declair till us of your nouels.
Flattrie Thair is now lichtit on the grene,
Dame Veritie, be Buiks and bells.
Bot cum scho to the Kings presence
Thair is na buit for us to bide.
Therefore I red us all go hence.
Falset.
That will we nocht yet be Sanct Bryde
Bot we sall ather gang or ride,
To Lord's of Spritualitie,
And gar them trow yon bag ofpryde,
Hes spokin manifest heresy.
Heir they cum to the Spiritualitie.
Flattrie.
O reverent fatheris of the Sprituall stait,
We counsel yow be wise and vigilant:
Dame Veritie hes lychtit now of lait,
And in hir hand beirand the Newtestament▪
Be scho ressauit but doubt we ar bot schent,
Let hir nocht Judge thairfoir into this Land,
And this we reid yow do incontinent,
Now whill the King is with his luif sleipand.
Spritualitie.
We thank yow friends of your benevolence,
It sall be done evin as ye have devysit:
We think ye serve ane gudlie recompense,
Defendand us that we be nocht supprysit.
In this mater we man be well aduysit,
Now whill the King misknawis the verity,
Be scho ressauit then we will be deprysit,
What is your counsel brother now let se?
Abbot.
I hauld it best that we incontinent,
Gar hauld hir fast into Captivitie:
Unto the thread day of the Parliament
And then accuse hir of hir heresy:
Or than banische hir out of this cuntrie,
For with the King gif Veritie be knawin▪
Of our greit gloir we will degradit be
And all our secreits to the commouns schawin.
Persone.
Ʒese the King is yet effeminate,
And gydit be Dame Sensuality,
Rycht sa with young counsel intoxicate,
Swa at this time ye haif your liberty.
To take your time I hauld it best for me,
And go destroy all thir Lutherians:
In special yon lady Veritie,
Spirituali.
Schir Persone ye sall be my commissair,
To put this mater till executioun▪
And ye sir Freir, because ye can declare
The haill process, pas with him in commissioun,
Pas all togidder with my braid bennisoun,
And gifscho speiks against our liberty,
Then put hir in perpetual presoun,
That scho cum nocht to King Humanity.
Heir sall they pas to Verity.
Persone.
Lustie Lady we wald fain understand,
What earand ye haif in this Region?
To preich or teich wha gaif to yow command,
To counsel Kingis how gat ye commissioun?
I dreid without ye get ane remissioun,
And syne renunce your new opiniones
The spiritual stait sall put yow to perditioun
And in the fire will burn yow flesche and bones.
Veritie.
I will recant nothing that I have schawin,
I have said nothing bot the verity:
Bot with the King fra time that I be knawin
I dreid ye spaiks of Spritualitie▪
Sall rew that ever I came in this cuntrie
For gifthe Veritie plainly war proclamit,
And specially to the Kings Majesty,
For your traditions ye will be all defamit.
Flattrie.
What buik is that harlot into thy hand,
Out walloway, this is the New Test'meant,
In Englisch tongue, and printit in England,
Herisie, heresy, fire, fire incontinent.
Verity.
Forsuith my friend ye have ane wrāg judgment,
For in this Buik their is na heresy:
Botour Christ's word, baith dulce and redolent,
Ane springing well of sinceir verity.
Dissait.
Cum on your way for all your yealow locks
Ʒour vantoun words but doubt ye sall repent:
This nicht ye sall forfair ane pair of stocks,
And syne the morne be brocht to thoill Judgment.
Veritie.
For our christs saik I am richt well content
To suffer all thing that sall pleis his grace,
Howbeit ye put ane thousand to torment,
Ten hundredth thousand sall rise into their place.
Veritie sits down on hir knies and says.
Get up, thow, thow sleipis all too lang, O Lord,
And mak sum ressonabill reformatioun
On them that dost tramp down thy gracious word,
And hes ane deidlie indignatioun
At them wha makes mayest true narratioun:
Suffer me not Lord mair to be molest,
Gude Lord, I mak the supplicatioun
With thy vnfreinds let me nocht be suppressed:
Now Lord's do as ye list,
I have na mair to say.
Flattrie.
Sit down and take yow rest,
All nicht till it be day.
Thay put Veritie in the stocks and return to Spritualite.
Dissait.
My Lord we have with diligence
Bucklit up well yon bledrand baird:
Spritualitie.
I think ye serve gude recompense,
Tak thirten crowns for your rewaird.
Verity.
The Prophesy of the Propheit Isaiah
Is practickit alas, on me this day:
Quha said the verity sold be trampit down
Amid the streit, and put in strang presoun.
His five and fyftie chapter wha list luik,
Sall find thir words written in his Buik.
Richt sa Sanct Paul wrytis to Timothy,
That men sall turn their earis from verity.
Bot in my Lord God I have esperance,
He will provide for my deliverance.
Bot ye Princes of Spiritualitie,
Quha sold defend the sinceir verity,
I dreid the plagues of Iohnes Revelatioun
Sall sal upon your generatioun.
I counsel yow this miss toamend,
Sa that ye may eschaip that fatal end.
Chastity.
How lang sall this inconstant world endure,
That I sold baneist be sa lang alas:
Few creatures or nane takis on me cure,
Quhilk gars me monie nicht lie harbrieles.
Thocht I have past all year fra place to place,
Amang the Temporal and Spiritual staits:
Nor amang Princes I can get na grace,
Bot boustuouslie am halden at the yetis.
Diligence.
Lady I pray yow show me your name,
It dost me noy your lamentatioun,
Chas.
My friend their of I neid not to think shame,
Dame Chastity baneist from town to town.
Diligence.
Then pas to ladies of Religioun,
Quhilk makes their vow to observe Chastity:
Lo where their sits ane Priores of renown,
Amangs the rest of Spritualitie.
Chastity.
I grant yon Lady hes vowit Chastity,
For hir professioun thairto sold accord:
Scho maid that vow for ane Abesie,
Bot nocht for Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fra time that they get their vows, I stand for'd,
Thay banische hir out of their cumpanie,
With Chastity they can mak na concord
Bot leids their lyfis in Sensuality,
I sall observe your counsel gif I may,
Cum on and heir what yon Lady will say?
Chastity passis to the Lady Priores and says.
My prudent lusty Lastie Priores,
Remember how ye did vow Chastity:
Madame I pray yow of your gentilnes,
That ye wald pleis to haif of me pity:
And this ane nicht to gif me harberie,
For this I mak yow supplicatioun
Do ye nocht sa Madame I dreid perdie,
It will because of depravatioun.
Priores.
Pas hynd Madame, be Christ ye cum nocht heir,
Ʒe ar contrair to my cumplexioun:
Gang seek ludging at sum auld Monk or Freir,
Perchance they will be your protectioun.
Or to Prelates mak your progressioun,
Quhilks ar obleist to yow als well as I:
Dame Sensuall hes geuin directioun
Ʒow till exclude out of my cumpany.
Chastity.
Gif ye wald wit mair of the verity,
I sall show yow be sure experience,
How that the Lord's of Sprituality,
Hes baneist me, alas, fra their presence.
Chastity passes to the Lord's of Spritualitie,
My Lord's, laud, gloir, triumph and reverence,
Mot be unto your holy Sprituall stait:
I yow beseik of your benevolence,
To harbry me that am sa desolait▪*
* Lord's I have past throw money uncouth schyre,
Bot in this Land I can get na ludgeing
Of my name gif ye wald haif knawledging,
Forsuith my Lord's they call me Chastity,
I yow beseik of your graces bening.
Gif me ludging this nicht for charity.
Spritualitie.
Pas on Madame we knaw yow nocht
Or be him that the world wrocht,
Ʒour cumming sall be richt deir co
•
t
Gif ye mak langer tarie.
Abbot.
But doubt we will baith leif and die
With our luif Sensuality,
We will haif na mair deall with the,
Then with the Queen of Farie.
Persone.
Pas hame amang the Nunnis and dwell,
Quhilks ar of Chastity the well:
I traist they will with Buik and bell,
Ressaue yow in their Closter.
Chastity.
Sir, when I was the Nunnis amang,
Out of their dortour they me dang,
And wald nocht let me bide sa lang,
To say my Pater noster.
I se na grace thairfoir to get,
I hauld it best or it be lait,
For till go prove the Temporal stait
Gif they will me resaif:
Gud-day my Lord Temporalitie,
And yow merchant of gravity:
Ful fain wald I have harberie,
To ludge amang the laif.
Tempora.
Forsuith we wald be weil content,
To harbie yow with gude intent,
War nocht we haif impediment:
For why we twa ar maryit:
Bot wist our wyfis that ye war heir,
Thay wald mak all this town on steir:
Therefore we reid yow rin areir,
In dreid ye be miscaryit.
Chastity.
Ʒe men of craft of greit ingyne▪
Gif me barbrie for Christis pyne:
And win God's bennesone and mine,
And help my hungry heart:
Sowtar.
Welcum be him that maid the Mone,
Till dwell with us till it be June:
We sall mend baith your hois and schone,
And plainly take your part.
Taylor.
Is this fair Lady Chastity?
Now welcum be the Trinity:
I think it war ane great pity
That thou should lie thairout:
Ʒour great displeasour I forthink,
Sit down Madame and take ane drink:
And let na sorrow in yow sink,
Bot let us play cap'out.
Sowtar.
Fill in and play cap'out,
For I am wonder dry:
[]The Devil snyp aff their snout,
That haits this company.
Iennie.
Hoaw mynnie, mynnie, mynnie.
Taylours wife.
What wald thow my deir dochter Iennie?
Iennie my Joy, where is thy dadie?
Ienny.
Mary drinkand with ane lusty Lady,
Ane fair young maiden cled in white,
Of whom my dadie takes delight,
Scho hes the the fairest form of face,
Furnischit with all kind of grace:
I traist gif I can reckon richt,
Scho schaips to ludge with him all nicht.
Sowt. wife.
What dost the Sowtar my gudman?
Iennie.
Mary fillis the cap and turns the can.
Or he cum hame be God I trow
He will be drunkin like ane sow.
Taylours wife.
This is ane greit dispyte I think,
For to resaue sic ane kow-clink:
What is your counsel that we do?
Sowtars wife.
Cummer this is my counsel lo▪
Ding ye the tane, and I the other.
Taylours wife.
I am content be God's mother.
I think for me they huirsone smaiks,
Thay serve richt well to get their paiks.
What master feind neids all this haist▪
For it is half ane year almaist
[] Sen ever that loun laborde my ledder,
Sowters wife.
God nor my trewker mence ane ledder,
For it is mair nor forty days,
[] Sen ever he cleikit up my clayis:
And last when I gat chalmer glew,
That foul Sowter began till spew.
And now they will sit down and drink,
In company with ane kow-clink.
Gif they haif done us this dispyte
Let us go ding them till they dryte.
Heir the wifis sall chase away Chastity.
Tayl. wife.
Go hence harlot▪ how durst thow be sa bauld
To ludge with our gudemen but our license:
I mak ane vow to him that Judas sauld,
This rock of mine sall be thy recompense.
Schaw me thy name dudron with diligence:
Chastity.
Marie Chastity is my name be Sanct Blais.
Taylor wife.
I pray God nor he work on the vengeance.
For I luifit never Chastity all my days.
Sowt. wife.
Bot my gudeman the truth I sall the tell,
Gars me keep Chastity sair agains my will:
Becaus that Monstour hes maid sic ane mint
With my bedstaf that dastard beirs ane dint.
And als I vow cum thow this gait again,
Thy buttoks shall be beltit be Sanct Blaine.
Heir sall they speak to their gudemen and ding them.
Tayl. wife.
Fals hurson carle, but dout thou sall forthink,
That evar thow eat or drink with yon kow-clink.
Sowtars wife.
I mak ane vow to Sanct Crispine▪
Ise be revengit on that graceless grume:
And to begin the play take their ane flap.
Sowtar.
The feind re
•
laue the hands that gaif me that.
Sowt. wife.
What now huirsun, begins thow for til ban?
Tak their ane other upon thy peild harne-pan.
What now cummer, will thow nocht take my part?
Taylours wife.
That sal I do cummer with all my heart.
Heir sall they ding their gudemen, with silence.
Taylor.
Alas gossop, alas how stands with yow▪
Ʒon cankart carling alas hes brokin my brow.
Now weils yow Priests, now weils yow all your life's▪
That ar nocht weddit with sic wickit wyfes.
Sowtar.
Bischops ar blist howbeit that they be waryit,
[] For they may fuck their fill and be vnmaryit.
Gossop alas, that blak band we may wary,
That ordanit sic puir men as us to mary.
What may be done bot take in patience?
And on all wyfis we'ill cry ane loud vengeance.
Heir sall the wyfis stand be the watter side and say.
Sowtars wife.
Sen of our cairls we have the victory,
What is your counsel cummer that be done:
Tayl. wife.
Send for gude wine & hald our selfs merry,
I hauld this ay best cummer be Sanct Clone.
Sowt. wife.
Cūmer will ye draw aff my hois & schone,
To fill the Quart I sall rin to the town.
Taylours wife.
That sal I do be him that maid the Mone
Withall my heart, thairfoir cummer sit down.
Kilt up your claithis abone your waist,
And speid yow hame again in haist
And I sall provyde for ane paist,
Our corsses to comfort.
Sowtars wife.
Then help me for to kilt my clais,
What gif the padoks nip my tais.
I dreid to droun heir be Sanct Blais,
Without I get support.
Sho lifts up hir clais above hir waist & enters in ye water▪
Cummer I will nocht droun my sell,
Go east about the nether mill:
Taylours wife.
I am content be Bryds bell,
To gang with yow where ever ye will.
Heir sall they depairt and pas to the Palyeoun.
Diligence
to Chastity.
Madame what gars yow gang sa lait?
Tell me how ye have done debait,
With the Temporal and Spiritual sta it?
Quha did yow mayest kindness▪
Chastity.
In faith I fand bot ill and war,
Thay gart me stand fra thame askar:
Evin lyk ane beggar at the bar,
And fleimit mair and less.
Diligence.
I counsel yow but tarrying,
Gang tell Humanity the King:
Perchance he of his grace bening
Will mak to yow support:
Chastity.
Of your counsel I am content,
To pas to him in continent,
And my service till him present,
In hope of sum comfort.
Heir sall they pas to the King.
Dil.
Hoaw Solace, gentil Solace declare unto the king
How their is heir ane Lady fair of face:
That in this cuntrie can get na ludging,
Bot pitifullie flemit from place to place▪
Without the king of his special grace,
As ane servand hir in his court resaif:
Brother Solace tell the king all the cace▪
That scho may-be resavit amang the laif.
Solace.
Soverane get up and se ane hevinlie sicht
Ane fair Lady in whyt abuilyement:
Scho may be peir unto ane king or knicht,
Most lyk ane Angel be my judgment.
Rex.
I sall gang se that sicht incontinent▪
Madame behauld gif ye have knawledging
Of yon Lady, or what is hir intent,
Thairefter we sall turn but tarrying.
Sensua.
Sir let me se what yon mater may meine
Perchance that I may knaw hir be hir face:
But doubt this is Dame Chastity I weine,
Sir I and scho cannot bide in ane place,
But gif it be the pleasour of your grace,
That I remain into your company:
This woman richt haistelie gar chase,
That scho na mair be seen in this country.
Rex.
As ever ye pleis sweet heart sa sall it be,
Dispone hir as ye think expedient:
Evin as ye list to let hir live or die,
I will refer that thing to your Judgment.
Sensuality.
I will that scho be flemit incontinent,
And never to cum again in this cuntrie:
And gif scho dost but doubt scho sall repent,
As als perchance a duilfull deed sall die.
Pas on sir Sapience and Discretioun,
And banische hir out of the kings presence.
[]Dis.
That sall we do Madame be gods passioun,
We sall do your command with diligence.
And at your hand serve gudely recompense,
Dame Chastity cum on, be not agast,
We sall right sone upon your awin expense,
Into the stocks your bony fute mak fast,
Heir sall they harll Chastity to the stoks and scho sall say▪
I pray yow sirs be patient,
For I sall be obedient
Till do what ye command,
Sen I se their is na remeid,
Howbeit it war to suffer deed,
Or flemit forth of the land.
I wyte the Empreour Constantine,
That I am put to sic ruin,
And baneist from the Kirk:
For sen he maid the Paip ane King,
In Rome I could get na ludging;
Bot heidlangs in the mirk.
Bot Lady Sensuality,
Sensyne hes gydit this cuntrie,
And monie ef the rest:
And now scho reulis all this land,
And hes decryit at hir command,
That I suld be suppressed.
Bot all comes for the best,
Til him that louis the Lord:
Thocht I be now molest,
I traist to be restorde.
Heir sall they put hir in the stocks.
Sister alas, this is ane cairful cace,
That we with Princes sold be sa abhorde:
Verity.
Be blyth sister, I trust within schort space,
That we sall be richt honorablie restorde:
And with the King we sall be at concord,
For I heir tell divyne Correctioun
Is new landit thankit be Christ our Lord,
I wait he will be our protectioun.
Hir sall enter Corrections Varlet.
Varlet.
Sirs stand abak and hauld yow coy,
I am the King Correctiouns boy,
Cum heir to dres his place:
Se that ye mak obedience
Until his no bill excellence,
Fra time ye se his face.
For he makes reformatiouns,
Out-throw all Christin Natiouns,
Quhair he finds great debaits.
And sa far as I understand▪
He sall reform into this Land,
Evin all the thrie estaits.
God forth of heavin hes him send,
To punische all that dost offend
Against his Majesty
As lyks him best to take vengeance,
Sumtyme with Sword and Pestilence
With derth and poverty.
Bot when the peopill dost repent,
And beis to God obedient,
Then will he gif them grace:
Bot they that will nocht be correctit,
Rychtsudanlie will be deiectit,
And fleimit from his face.
Sirs thocht we speak in general,
Let na man into special
Tak our words at the warst:
What ever we do what ever we say
I pray yow take it all in play▪
And judge ay to the best.
For silence I protest
Baith of Lord, Laird and Lady:
Now I will rin but rest,
And tell that all is ready.
Dissait.
Brother heir ye yon proclamatioun,
I dreid full sair of reformatioun,
Ʒon message makes me mang it:
What is your counsel to me tell,
Remaine we heir be God him sell
We will be all three hang it.
Flattrie.
I will gang to Spiritualitie,
And preich out-throw his dyosie,
Quhair I will be vnknawin.
Or keep me close into sum closter,
With money piteous Pater noster,
Till all thir blasts be blawin.
Dissait.
I will be well treitit as ye ken,
With my masters the merchand men;
Quhilk can mak small debait:
Ʒe ken richt few of them that thryfes,
Or can begyll the landwart wyfes,
But me thairman Dissait.
Now Falset what sall be thy schift?
Falset.
Na cuir thow nocht man for my thrift
Trows thou that I be daft:
Na I will leif ane lusty life▪
Withoutin ony sturt and strife
Amang the men of craft.
Flattrie.
I na mair will remain besyd yow,
Bot counsel yow right well to gyde yow▪
Byd nocht on Correctioun.
Fair-weil, I will na langer tarie,
I pray the alrich Queen of Farie,
To be your protectioun.
Dissait.
Falset I wald we maid ane band,
Now whill the King is yet sleipand,
What rack to steill his Box?
Falset.
Now well said be the Sacrament,
I sall it steill incontinent
Thocht it had twenty lox.
Heir sall Falset steill the Kings Box with silence.
Lo heir the Box now let us ga,
This may suffice for our rewairds:
Dissait.
Ʒea that it may man be this day,
It may well mak of landwart lairds.
Now let us cast away our clais,
In dreid sum follow on the chase▪
Falset.
Rycht well deuysit man be Sanct Blais,
Wald God we war out of this place.
Dissait.
Now sen their is na man to wrang us
I pray yow brother with my heart,
Let us ga part this pelf amang us,
Syne haistely we sall depart.
Falset.
Trows thou to get als mekill as I▪
That sall thow nocht, I staw the Box:
Thou did nothing bot luikit by.
Ay lurk and like ane wily Fox.
Dissait.
Thy heid sall beir ane cuppill of knox
Pellour without I get my part:
Swyith huirsun smaik ryfe up the lox,
Or I sall stick the throuch the heart.
Heir sall they fecht with silence.
Falset.
Alas forever my eye is out,
Walloway will na man red the men?
Dissait.
Upon thy craig take their ane clout,
To be courtesse I sall the ken.
Pair-well, for I am at the flicht,
I will nocht bide on ma demands,
And we twa meit again this nicht,
Thy feit shall be with forty hands.
Heir sal Dissait rin away with the Box throuch the wate
•
.
Divyne Correctioun.
Beati qui esuriunt & sitiunt Iustitiam.
Thir ar the words of the redoutit Roy,
The Prince of peace above all Kings King:
Quhilk hes me sent all cuntries to convoye,
And all misdoars dourlie to down thring.
I will do nocht without the conveining
Ane Parleament of the estaits all,
In their presence I sall but feinyeing
Iniquity under my Sword down thrall.
Thair may no Prince do acts honorabill,
Bot gif his counsel thairto will assist:
How may he knaw the thing mayest profitabil,
To follow virtue and vycis to resist:
Without he be instructit and solist:
And when the King stands at his counsel sound,
Then wealth sall wax and plenty as he list,
And policy sall in his Realm abound.
Gif ony list my name for till inquyre,
I am called Divine CORRECTIOVN▪
I fled throch money uncouth land & schyre,
To the greit profit of ilk Natioun.
Now am I cum into this Region,
To teill the ground that hes been lang vnsawin:
To punische tyrants for their transgressioun,
And to caus leill men live upon their awin.
Na Realm nor Land but my support may stand
For I gar Kings live into Royalty:
To rich and puir I beir ane equal band,
That they may live into their awin degrie.
Quhair I am nocht is no tranqullitie
Be me tratours and tyrants ar put down:
Quha thinks na schame of their iniquity
Till they be punisched be me Correctioun,
What is ane King nocht bot ane officiar,
To caus his Leiges live in equity:
And under God to be ane punischer,
Of trespassours against his Majesty.
Bot when the King dost live in tyranny,
Breakand Justice for fear or affectioun:
Then is his Realm in weir and poverty,
With schamefull slauchter but correctioun.
I am ane Judge richt potent and seveir,
Cum to do Justice monie thousand mile:
I am sa constant baith in piece and weir,
Na bud nor favor may my sicht oversyle.
Thair is thairfoir richt monie in this I will,
Of my repair but doubt that dost repent:
Bot verteous men I traist sall on me smyle,
And of my cumming sall be richt well content.
Gu. coūs.
Welcum my Lord welcum ten thousand tyms
Till all faithful men of this Region,
Welcum for till correct all falts and cryms:
Amang this cankerd congregatioun.
Louse Chastity I mak supplicatioun,
Put till freedom fair Lady Veritie:
Quha be unfaithful folk of this Natioun,
Lyis bund full fast into Captivitie.
Correctioun.
I mervel Gude-counsel how that may be,
Ar ye nocht with the King familiar?
Gude-counsel.
That I am nocht my Lord, full ways me,
Bot like ane beggeram halden at the bar:
Thay play bo-keik evin as I war ane skar:
Thair came thrie knaves in cleithing counterfeit
And fra the King they gart me stand affar.
Quhais names war Flattrie, Falset and Dissait.
Bot when they knaves hard tell of your cumming,
Thay staw away ilk ane ane sindrie gait.
And cuist fra them their counterfit cleithing,
For their leuing full well they can debait:
The merchandmen they haif resauit Dissait.
As for Falset, my Lord, full well I ken,
He will be richt well treitit air and lait,
Amang the mayest part of the crafts men.
Flattrie hes taine the habit of ane Freir
Thinkand to begyll Spiritualitie.
Correctioun.
But dout my friend and I live half ane yeit
I sall search out that great iniquity.
Quhair lyis yon Ladies in Captivity?
How now Sisters wha hes yow sa disgysit?
Veritie.
Vnfaithfull members of iniquity,
Dispytfullie, my Lord, hes us supprysit.
Correctioun.
Gang put yon Ladyis to their liberty
Incontinent and break down all the stocks:
But doubt they ar full deir welcum to me,
Mak diligence, me think ye do bot mocks
Speid hand and spair nocht for to break the locks▪
And tenderlie take them up be the hand
Had I them heir they knaves suld ken my knocks
That them oppressed and baneist aff the land.
Thay take the Ladyis forth of the stocks, and Veritie sall say.
Veritie.
We thank you sir of your benignity,
Bot I beseik your majesty Royal:
That ye wald pas to King Humanity.
And fleime from him yon Lady Sensuall,
And enter in his service Gude-counsel,
For ye will find him very counsalabill.
Correctioun.
Cum on Sisters as ye haif said, I sall,
And gar him stand with yow thrie firm and stabill,
Correctioun passis towards the King with Veritie Chastity and Gude-counsel.
Wantonness.
Solace knawis thou not what I se?
Ane knicht or ellis ane king thinks me,
With wantoun wings as he wald flee,
Brother what may this meine?
I understand nocht be this day,
Quhidder that he be friend or fay:
Stand still and hear what he will say,
Sic ane I haif nocht seine.
Solace.
Ʒon is ane stranger I stand forde,
He semes to be ane lusty Lord:
Be his heir-cumming for concord,
And be kind till our King:
He sall be welcome to this place,
And treatit with the Kingis grace:
Be it nocht sa, we sall him chace,
And to the devil him ding.
Placebo.
I reid us put upon the King;
And walkin him of his sleiping:
Sir rise and se ane uncouth thing.
Get up, ye lie too lang.
Sensuality.
Put on your hude John-Fule, ye raif,
How dar ye be so pertsir knaif
To tuich the King? sa Christ me saif,
Fals huirsone thow sall hang.
Correction.
Get up sir King, ye haif sleipit aneuch
Into the armis of Lady Sensual.
Be suit that mair belangis to the pleuch,
As efterward perchance rehears I sall.
Remember how the King Sardanapall,
Amang fair Ladies tuke his lust sa lang,
Sa that the mayest pairt of his Leiges all
Rebeld, and syne him duilfully down thrang.
Remember how into the time of Noy,
For the foul stinck and sin of lechery,
God be my wande did all the world destroy,
Sodom and Gomore richt sa full rigorously,
For that vyld sin war brunt in mayest cruelly.
Therefore I the command incontinent,
Banische from the that huir Sensuality,
Or else but doubt rudlie thow sall repent.
Rex.
Be whom have ye sa greit authority?
Quha dost presume for til correct ane King?
Knaw ye nocht me greit King Humanity?
That in my Region Royally dost ring.
Correct.
I have power greit Princes to doū thring▪
That lives contrair the Majesty Divyne
Against the truth whilk plainly dost maling,
Repent they nocht I put them to ruyne.
I will begin at thee whilk is the head,
And mak on the first reformatioun,
Thy Leiges than will follow the but pleid,
Swyith harlot hence without dilatioun.
Sensuality.
My Lord I mak yow supplicatioun,
Gif melicence to pas again to Rome:
Amang the Princes of that Natioun,
I lat yow wit my fresche beauty will blume
Adew Sir King I may na langer tarry,
I cair nocht that, als gude luife cums as gais,
I recommend yow to the Queen of Farie.
I se ye will be gydit with my fais,
As for this king I cure him nocht twa strais:
War I amang Bischops and Cardinals,
I wald get gold, silver and precious clais,
Na earthly joy but my presence avails.
Heir sall scho pas to Spiritualitie.
My Lord's of the Sprituall stait,
Venus preserve yow air and lait:
For I can mak na mair debait,
I am partit with your king:
And am baneischt this Region,
Be counsel of Correctioun:
Be ye nocht my protectioun,
I may seek my ludgeing.
Spiritualitie.
Welcum our days darling,
Welcum with all our heart:
We all but feinyeing,
Sall plainly take your part.
Heir sal the Bishops, Abbots and Persons kis the Ladies.
Correctioun.
Sen ye ar quite of Sensuality,
Resaue into your service Gude-counsel:
And richt sa this fair Lady Chastity,
Till ye mary sum Queen of blood-royal.
Observe then Chastity matrimonial,
Richt sa resaue Veritie be the hand,
Use their counsel your fame sall never fall,
With thame thairfoir mak ane perpetual band.
Heir sall the King resaue counsel Veritie & Chastity.
Now sir take tent what I will say,
Observe thir same baith nicht and day,
And let them never part yow fray.
Or else withoutin doubt:
Turn ye to Sensuality,
To vicious life and rebaldrie,
Out of your Realm richt schamefullie,
Ʒe sall be ruttit out.
As was Tarquine the Roman King,
Quha was for his vicious living
And for the schamefull ravisching
Of the fair chaist Lucres,
He was digraidit of his croun,
And baneist aff his Region:
I maid on him correctioun,
As stories dost express.
Rex.
I am content to your counsel toinclyne
Ʒe beand of gude conditioun.
At your command sall be all that is mine,
And heir I gif yow full commissioun,
To punische faults and gifremissioun,
To all virtue I shall be consociabill,
With yow I sall confirm ane vnioun,
And at your counsel stand ay firm and stabill.
The king embraces Correction with a humbil countenance▪
Correctioun.
I counsel yow incontinent,
To gar proclaim ane Parliament,
Of all the thrie estaits.
That they be heir with diligence,
To mak to yow obedience,
And syne dres all debaits.
Rex.
That shall be done but mair demand,
Hoaw Diligence cum heir fra hand,
And take your informatioun:
Gang warn the Spiritualitie,
Rycht sa the Temporalitie,
Be oppin proclamatioun,
In gudlie haist for to compeir
In their mayest honorabill maneir,
To gif us their counsals:
Quha that beis absent to them show,
That they sall vnderly the law,
And punischt be that fails.
Diligence.
Sir I sall baith in bruch and land,
With diligence do your command,
Upon my awin expens:
Sir I have servit yow all this year,
Bot I gat never ane dinneir
Ʒit for my recompense.
Rex.
Pas on and thou shall be regairdit,
And for thy service well rewairdit,
For why with my consent,
Thou sall have yeirly for thy hire,
The teind mussellis of the ferrie mire,
Confirmit in Parliament.
Diligence.
I will get riches throw that rent,
Ester the day of Dume:
When in the colpots of Tranent,
Butter will grow on brume.
All nicht I had sa meikill drouth,
I micht nocht sleip ane wink
Or I proclaim ocht with my mouth,
But doubt I man haif drink.
Correctioun.
Cum heir Placebo and Solace,
With your companyeoun Wantonness,
I knaw well your conditioun:
For tysting King Humanity,
To resaue Sensuality,
Ʒe man suffer punitioun.
Wanton.
We grant my lord we have done ill,
Therefore we put us in your will,
Bot we haife been abusit:
For in gudefaith Sir we beleifit,
That lecherie had na man greifit,
Becaus it is sa vsit.
Placebo.
Ʒe se how Sensuality,
With Principals of ilk cuntrie,
Bene glaidlie lettin in:
And with our Prelatis mair and les,
Speir at my Lady Priores,
Giflechery be sin.
Solace.
Sir we sall mend our conditioun,
Sa ye give us remissioun,
Bot give us live to sing:
To dance, to play at Chess and Tabils,
To reid Stories and mirrie fabils,
For pleasure of our King.
Correctioun.
Sa that ye do navther crime,
Ʒe sall be pardon it at this time,
For why▪ as I suppois
Princes may sometime seek solace,
With mirth and lawful mirrines,
Thair spirits to reioyis.
And richt sa Halking and Hunting,
Ar honest pastimes for ane King,
Into the time of peace:
And leirne to rin ane heavy spear▪
That he into the time of wear,
May follow at the cheace.
Rex.
Quhair is Sapience and Discretioun?
And why cums nocht Devotioun nar?
Veritie.
Sapience sir was ane very loun,
And Discretioun was nothing war:
The suith Sir, gif I wald report,
Thay did begyle your Excellence:
And wald not suffer to resort
Ane of us thrie to your presence.
Chastity.
Thay thrie war Flattrie and Dissait,
And Falset that unhappy loun:
Against us thrie whilk maid debait,
And baneischt us from town to town.
Thay gart us twa fall into sown,
When they us lockit in the stocks:
That dastart knave Discretioun,
Full thifte ouslie did steill your Box.
Rex.
The Devil take them sen they ar gane,
Me thocht them ay thrie very smaiks,
I mak ane vow to Sanct Mavane,
When I them find thays bear their paiks,
I se they have playit me the glaiks,
Gude-counsel now show me the best▪
When I fix on yow thrie my staiks,
How I sall keep my Realm in rest.
Initium sapientiae est timor Domini.
Gud-coun.
Sir, gif your hienes yearnis lang to ring,
First dread your God abuif all other thing.
For ye ar bot ane mortal instrument,
To that great God and King Omnipotent.
Preordinat be his divine Majesty,
To reull his peopill intill unity,
The principal point Sir of ane kings office,
Is for to do to euerilk man justice.
And for to mix his justice with mercy,
But rigor, favor or parcialitie.
Forsuith it is na littill observance,
Great Regions to have in governance?
Quha ever takes on him that kinglie cuir,
To get ane of thirtwa he suld be suir:
Great pain and labor, and that continual,
Or ellis to have defame perpetual.
Quha guydis well they win immortal fame,
Quha the contrair, they get perpetual schame,
Efter whais death but dout ane thousand year
Thair life at lenth rehearst sall be perqueir.
The Chroniklis to knaw Iyow exhort,
Thair sall ye find baith gude and evil report:
For every Prince after his quality,
Thocht he be deed, his deids sall never die.
Sir gif ye please for to use my counsel,
Ʒour fame and name sall be perpetual.
Heir sall the messinger Diligence return and cry a Hoyyes, a Hoyyes, a Hoyyes, and say.
At the command of King Humanity,
I wairne and charge all members of Parliament:
Baith spiritual stait and Temporalitie,
That till his Grace they be obedient,
And speid them to the Court incontinent,
In gude order array it royally,
Quha beis absent or inobedient
The Kings displeasure they sall vnderly.
And als I mak yow exhortatioun,
Sen ye haifheard the first pairt of our play:
Go take ane drink, and mak Collatioun,
Ilk man drink till his marrow, I yow pray.
Tarie nocht lang, it is lait in the day,
Let sum drink Ayle and sum drink Claret wine:
Be great Doctors of Physic I hear say,
That michtie drink comforts the dull ingine.
[] And ye Ladies that list to pisch,
Lift up your taill, plat in ane disch:
And gif that your mawkine cryis whisch,
Stop in ane wusp of stray.
Let nocht your bladder burst I pray yow,
For that war euin aneuch to slay yow:
For yet their is to cum, I say yow,
The best pairt of our Play.
The END of the first part of the SATYRE.
Now sall the pepill mak Collatioun, then beginnis the Interlude, the Kings, Bischops and principal players being out of their seats.
Pauper, the pure man.
OF your almis gude folks for God's luife of heavin,
For I have motherles bairns either sax or seavin:
Gif ye'ill gif me na gude for the luife of Jesus,
Wische me the richt way till Sanct-Androes.
Diligence.
Quhair have we gottin this gudly companyeoun?
Swyith out of the field falls raggit loun.
God wait gif heir be ane well keipit place,
When sic ane vile beggar Carle may get entres.
Fy on yow officiars that mends nocht thir failyies,
[] I gif yow all till the devil baith Provost and Bailyies
Without ye cum and chase this Carle away
The Devil a word ye'is get mair of our play.
Fals huirsun raggit Carle, what Devil is that thou rugs
Pauper.
Quha Devil maid the ane gentill man that wald cut not thy lugs?
Dili.
What now? me thinks the carle begins to crack,
Swyith carle away or be this day Ise break thy back.
Heir sall the Carle clim up and sit in the Kings tchyre.
Cum down, or be God's croun falls loun I sall slay the.
Pauper.
Now sweir be thy brunt schinis the Devil ding them fra the.
Quhatsay ye till thir court dastards be they get hail clais
Sa sune as they leir to sweir and trip on their tais.
Di.
Me thocht the carle called me knave evin in my face
Be Sanct Fillane thou shall be slane, bot gif thou ask grace:
Loup down or be the gude Lord thow sall loss thy heid.
Paup.
I sal anis drink or I ga thocht thou had sworn my deed.
Heir Diligence castis away the ledder.
Dili.
Loup now gif thou list for thon hes lost the ledder▪
Paup.
It is full weil thy kind to loup and licht in a ledder.
Thou sal be fain to fetch again ye ledder or I loup
I sall sit heir into this tcheir till I have tumde the stoup.
Heir sall the Carle loup aff the scaffald.
Swyith beggar bogill haist the away,
Thow art over pert to spill our play.
Pauper.
I will not gif for all your play worth an sowis fart,
For their is richt lytill play at my hungry heart.
Diligence.
What Devil ails this cruckit carle?
Pauper.
Marie meikill sorrow:
I cannot get, thocht I gasp to beg nor to borrow.
Diligence.
Quhair devil is this thou dwells or whats thy intent?
Pauper.
I dwell into Lawthiane ane mile fra Tranent.
Dil.
Quhair wald thou be carle, the suth to me show?
Pauper.
Sir evin to Sanct-Androes for to seek law.
Dili.
For to seek law in Edinburgh was the neirest way,
Pauper.
Sir I socht law their this monie deir day.
Bot I cold get nane at Sessioun nor Seinye,
Therefore the mekill din Devil droun all the meinye.
Dil.
Shaw me thy mater man with all the circumstances▪
How that thou hes happinit on thir unhappy chances.
Pauper.
Gude-man will ye gif me of your Charity
And I sall declare yow the black verity.
My father was ane auld man and ane hoir,
And was of age fourscoir of yeirs and moir.
And Mald my mother was fourscoir and fyfteine,
And with my labor I did thame baith sustain.
We had ane Meir that caryit salt and coill,
And every ilk year scho brocht us hame ane foill.
We had thrie ky that was baith fat and fair,
Nane tydier into the town of air.
My father was sa waik of blood and bane,
That he deit, whairfoir my mother maid great main
Then scho deit within ane day or two,
And their began my poverty and woe.
Our gude gray Meir was baittand on the field,
And our Lands laird tuik hir for his hyreild
The Vickar tuik the best Cow be the head,
Incontinent when my father was deed.
And whē the Vickar hard tell how that my mother▪
Was dead, fra▪ hand he tuke to him ane other,
Then Meg my wife did murne both evin & morrow
Till at the last scho deit for very sorrow:
And when the Vickar hard tell my wife was dead,
The thread Cow he cleikit be the head.
Thair vmest clayis that was of rapploch gray,
The Vickar gart his Clark bear them away.
When all was gain I micht mak na debeat
Bot with my bairns past for till beg my meat.
Now have I tald yow the blak verity,
How I am brocht into this misery.
Dil.
How did ye person, was he not thy gude friend?
[] Pau.
The devil stick him, he cursed me for my teind
And halds me yet under that same process
That gart me want the Sacrament at Pasche.
In gudefaith sir, thocht he wald cut my throt,
I have na geir except ane Inglis grot.
Quhilk I purpois to gif ane man of law.
Diligence.
Thou art the daftest fuill that ever I saw▪
Trows thou man be the law to get remeid,
Of men of kirk▪ na nocht till thou be deed.
Paup.
Sir be what law tell me whairfoir or why?
That ane Vickar sold take fra me thrie ky.
Diligence.
Thay have na law except and consuetude,
Quhilk law to them is sufficient and gude.
Paup.
Ane consuetude against the common well,
Sould be na law I think besweit Sanct Geill.
Quhair will ye find that law tell gif ye can?
To take thrie ky fra ane pure husband man.
Ane for my father, and for my wife ane other,
And the thread Cow he tuke fra Mald my mother.
Diligence.
It is their law all that they have in use
Thocht it be Cow, Sow, Ganer, Gryse or Guse,
Pauper.
Sir I wald speir at yow ane questioun,
Behauld sum Prelates of this Region,
Manifestlie during their lusty▪ lyfis,
[] Thay swyfe Ladies, Madinis and other men's wyfis.
And sa their cunts they have in consuetude,
Quhidder say ye that law is evil or gude?
Dil.
Hald thy tongue man, it seims that thou war mangit,
Speik thou of Priests but doubt thou will be hangit.
Pauper.
Be him that buir the cruel Croun of thorn,
I cair nocht to be hangit evin the morne.
Diligence.
Be sure of Priests thou will get na support,
Pauper.
Gif that be true the seind resaue the sort.
Sa sen I se I get na other grace,
I will lie down and rest me in this place.
Pauper lyis down in the field, Pardoner enters.
Pardoner.
Bona dies, Bona dies,
Devoit peopill, gude day I say yow,
Now tarie ane lytill whyll I pray yow,
Till I be with yow knawin:
Wait ye well how I am namit?
Ane nobill man and vndefamit
Gif all the suith war schawin.
I am sir Robert Rome-raker,
Ane perfect public pardoner
Admittit be the Paip:
Sirs I sall show yow for my wage
My pardons and my pilgramage,
Quhilk ye sall se and graip:
I give to the devil with gude intent,
This vnsell wickit New-testament.
With them that it translait it:
Sen layik men knew the verity,
Pardoners gets no charity,
Without that they debait it.
Amang the wives with wrinks and wyles,
As all my marrowis, men begyles,
With our fair falls flattrie:
Ʒea all the crafts I ken perqueir,
As I was teichit be ane Freir,
Callit Hypocrisy.
Bot now alas, our greit abusioun
Is cleirlie knawin till our confusioun,
That we may sair repent:
Of all credence now I am quite,
For ilk man halds me at dispyte,
That reids the New-test'meant.
Duill fell the brain that hes it wrocht,
Sa fall them that the Buik hame brocht:
Als I pray to the Rude
That Martin Luther that falls loun,
Black Bullinger and Melancthoun,
Had been smorde in their cude.
Be him that buir the crown of thorn,
I wald Sanct Paul had never been borne,
And als I wald his bulks:
War never red in the kirk,
Bot amangs freirs into the mirk,
Or riuen amang ruiks.
Heir sall he lay down his geir upon ane buird and say▪
My patent pardouns ye may se,
Cumfra the Cave of Tartarie,
Weill seald with oster-schellis.
Thocht ye have na contritioun;
Ʒe sall have full remissioun
With help of Buiks and bellis.
Heir is ane relict lang and braid,
Of fine Macoull the the richt chaft blaid,
With teith and all togidder:
Of Collings cow heir is ane horn,
For eating of Makconnals corn,
Was slain into Bawhidder.
Heir is ane coird baith great and lang,
Quhilk hangit John the Armistrang,
Of gude hemp soft and sound:
Gude holy peopill I stand for'd,
Quha ever beis hangit with this cord,
Neids never to be dround.
The culum of Sanct Bryds kow,
The gruntill of Sanct Antonis sow,
Quhilk buit his holy bell:
Quha ever he be heiris this bell clinck,
Gif me ane ducat for till drink,
He sall never gang to hell.
Without he be of Baliell borne,
Masters trow ye that this bescorne?
Cum win this pardoun, cum:
Quha luifis their wyfis nocht with their heart
I have power them for till part,
Me think yow deif and dum.
Hes naine of yow cursed wickit wyfis,
That halds yow into sturt and stryfis,
Cum take my dispensatioun:
Of that cummer I sall mak yow quite,
How be it your selfs be in the wyte,
And mak ane falls narratioun.
Cum win the pardoun now letse,
For meill, for malt or for monie,
For cok, hen, guse or gryse:
Of relicts heir I have ane hunder,
Quhy cum ye nocht this is ane wonder?
I trow ye be nocht wise.
Sowtar.
Welcum hame Robert Rome-raker,
Our holy patent pardoner:
Gif ye have dispensatioun,
To pairt me and my wickit wife,
And me deliver from sturt and strife,
I mak yow supplicatioun.
Pardoner.
I sall yow pairt but mair demand,
Sa I get money in my hand,
Therefore let se sum cunye:
Sowtar.
I have na silver be my life,
Bot five schillings and my schaipping knyfe,
That sall ye have but sunye.
Pardoner.
What kind of woman is thy wife,
Sowtar.
Ane quick Devil Sir, ane storm of strife,
Ane Frog that fyles the wind:
[]Ane fistand flag, a flagartie fuffe,
At ilk ane pant scho lets ane puff,
And hes na ho behind.
All the lang day scho me dispyts,
And all the nicht scho flings and flyts,
Thus sleip I never ane wink:
That Cockatrice, that common huir,
The mekill Devil may nocht in duir
Hir stuburnnes and stink.
Sowtars wife.
Thief carle thy words I hard right well
In faith my freindschip ye sall feill,
And I the fang:
Sowtar.
Gif I said ocht Dame be the Rude,
Except ye war baith fair and gude,
God nor I hang.
Pardoner.
Fair dame gif ye wald be ane wower,
To part yow twa I have ane power,
Tell on ar ye content?
Sowtars wife.
Ʒe that I am with all my heart
Fra that falls huirsone till depart,
Gif this thief will consent.
Causses to part to part I have anew,
[]Becaus I gat na chamber-glew,
I tell yow verily
I meruell nocht, sa mot I life,
[]Howbeit that swingeour cannot swyfe,
He is baith cauld and dry.
Pard.
What will ye gif me for your part▪
Ane cuppill of sarks with all my heart,
The best claith in the land:
Pardoner.
To part sen ye ar baith content,
I sall yow part incontinent,
Bot ye mon do command.
My will and final sentence is,
Ilk ane of yow vthers arsse kis:
Slip down your hois, me thinkis the carle is glaikit,
Set thou not by howbeit scho kiss and slaik it,
Heir sall scho kis hir arsse with silence.
Lift up hir clais, kis hir hoill with your heart,
Sowtar.
I pray yow sir forbid hir for to fart.
Heir sall the Carle kis hir arsse with silence.
Pardoner.
Dame pas ye to the east end of the town,
And pas ye west evin like ane cuckald loun,
Go hence ye baith with Baliels braid blissing,
Schirs saw ye ever mair sorrowles pairting?
Heir sall the boy cry aff the hill.
Wilkin.
Hoaw master, hoaw, where ar ye now?
Pardonner.
I am heir Wilkin widdie fow.
Wilkin.
Sir I have done your bidding,
For I have fund ane great hors bane,
Ane fairer saw ye never nane,
Upon Dame Fleschers midding.
Sir, ye may gar the wyfis trow,
It is ane bane of Sanct Bryds cow,
Gude for the fever quartane:
Sir will ye reull this relict well,
All the wyfis will baith kis and kneill,
Betuixt this and Dumbartane,
Pardoner.
What say they of me in the town?
Wilkin.
Sum says ye ar ane very loun:
Sum says,
Legatus natus:
Sum says y'ar ane falls Saracene,
And sum says ye ar for certain
Diabolus incarnatus.
Bot keep yow fra subiectioun,
Of the cursed King Correctioun.
For be ye with him fangit:
Becaus ye ar ane Rome-raker,
Ane common public cawsay-paker,
But doubt ye will be hangit.
Pardoner.
Quhair sall I ludge into the town?
Wilkin.
With gude kind Cristiane Anderson,
Quhair ye will be well treatit.
Gif ony li nmer yow demands,
Scho will defend yow with hir hands,
And womanlie debait it.
Bawburdie says be the Trinity,
That scho sall beir yow cumpanie,
Howbeit ye bide ane year.
Pardoner.
Thou hes done well be God's mother
Tak ye the taine and I the toother:
Sa sall we mak greit cheir.
Wilkin.
I reid yow speid yow heir,
And mak na langer tarie:
Byde ye lang their but weir,
I dreid your weird yow wary.
Heir sall pauper rise and rax him.
Paup.
What thing was yon that I hard crak & cry?
I have been dreamand and dreueland of myky.
With my richt hand my haill body I saine,
Sanct Bryd, Sanct Bryd, send me my ky again,
I se standand yonder ane holy man,
To mak me help let me se gif he can.
Halie master, God speid yow and gude morne,
Pard.
Welcum to me thocht thou war at the horn,
Cum win the pardoun and syne I sall the saine,
Pauper.
Will that pardoun get me myky again?
Pardoner.
Carle of thy ky I have nothing ado,
Cum win my my pardon and kis my relicts to.
Heir sall he saine him with his relictis▪
Pard.
Now lows thy pursse & lay down thy offrand,
And thou sall have my pardon euin fra-hand.
With raipis and relicts I sall the saine again,
Of Gut or gravel thou sall never have pain.
Now win the pardon limmer, or thou art lost:
Pauper.
My holy father what will that pardon cost?
Pard.
Let se what money thou bearest in thy bag:
Paup.
I have ane grot heir bund into ane rag.
Pard.
Hes thou na other silver bot ane groat?
Pauper.
Gif I have mair sir cum and rype my coat▪
Pard.
Gif me that grot man, gif thou hest na mair,
Pauper.
With all my heart master lo take it their:
Now let me se your pardon with your leif.
Pardoner.
Ane thousand year of pardons I the geif▪
Pauper.
Ane thousand year? I will not live sa lang,
Delyuer me it master and let me gang.
Pardoner.
Ane thousand year I lay upon thy head,
With
tetiens quotiens:
now mak me na mair plead:
Thou hast resaifit thy pardon now already.
Pauper.
Bot I can se na thing sir be our Lady:
Forsuith master, I trow I be not wise:
To pay ere I have seen my marchandryse.
That ye have gottin my groat full sair I rew:
Sir, whidder is your pardon black or blew?
Master, sen ye have taine fra me my cunyie,
My marchandryse show me withouttin sunyie.
Or to the Bischop I sall pas and pleinyie
In Sanct-Androis, & summōd yow to the Seinyie▪
Par.
Qi hat craifis the carle'me thinks thou art not wise.
Pauper.
I craif my groat or ellis my marchandrise.
Pardoner.
I gaif the pardon for ane thousand year,
Pauper.
How sall I get that pardon let me heir?
Pardoner.
Stand still and I sall tell the haill story:
When thow art deed and gais to Purgatory,
Being condempit to pain a thousand year:
Then sall thy pardoun the relief but weir,
Now be content▪ ye ar ane mervelous man:
Pauper.
Sall I get nothing for my grot whill than?
Pardoner.
That sall thou not I mak it to yow plain▪
Pauper.
Na than gossop, gif me my grot again.
What say ye masters call ye this gude resoun?
That he sold promeis me ane gay pardoun:
And he resaue my money in his stead,
Syne mak me na payment till I be dead:
When I am deed I wait full sikkerlie,
My silly soul will pas to Purgatory:
Declair me this? now God nor Baliell bind the,
When I am their cursed carle, where sall I find the?
Not into heavin, bot rather into hell:
When you art their thou cannot help thy sel.
When will thou cum my dolours till abait?
Or I the find my hippis will get ane hait.
Trowis thou butchour that I will by blind lambis:
[]Gif me my grot the devil dryte in thy gambis.
Par.
Suyith stand abak, I trow this man be mangit:
Thou gets not this carle, thocht you suld be hangit
Pauper.
Gif me my grot well bund into ane clout,
[]Or be God's breid Robin sall beir ane rout.
Heir sal they fecht with silence and Pauper sal cast down the buird, and cast the relicts in the water
Diligence.
What kind of dassing is this all day?
Suyith smaiks out of the the field, away.
Into ane presoun put them sone,
Syne hang them when the play is done.
Heir sall Diligence mak his proclamatioun.
Diligence.
Famous peopill take tent and ye sall se
The thrie estaits of this natioun:
Cum to the Court with ane strange gravity,
Therefore I mak yow supplicatioun:
Till ye have heard our haill narratioun,
To keep silence and be patient I pray yow,
Howbeit we speak be adulatioun,
We sall say nothing bot the suith I say yow.
Gude verteous men that luifis the verity,
I wait they will excuse our negligence:
Bot vicious men denude of charity,
As feinyeit falls flattrand Saracens.
Howbeit they cry on us ane loud vengeance,
And of our pastyme mak ane falls report.
What may we do bot take in patience?
And us refer unto the faithful sort.
Our Lord Jesus Peter nor Paul,
Culd nocht compleis the peopill all▪
Bot sum war miscontent:
Howbeit they schew the verity,
Sum said that it war heresy,
Be their mayest falls judgment.
Heir sall the thrie estaits cum fra the palyeoun gangand backwart led be their vices.
Wantonness.
Now braid benedicite,
What thing is yon that I se?
Luke Solace my heart:
Solace.
Brother Wantonness what thinks thow?
Ʒon ar the thrie estaits I trow:
Gangand backwart.
Wantonness.
Backwart, backwart, out wallaway?
It is greit schame for them I say,
Backwart to gang:
I trow the King Correctioun,
Man mak ane reformatioun:
Or it be lang.
Now let us go and tell the King,
Pausa.
Sir we have seen ane mervelous thing
Be our judgment:
The thrie estaits of this Region,
Ar cummand backwart throw this town,
To the Parliament▪
Rex.
Backwart, backwart, how may that be?
Gar speid them haistelie to me:
In dreid that they ga wrang:
Placebo.
Sir I se them yonder cummand,
Thay will be he heir evin fra hand,
Als fast as they may gang.
Gude-coun.
Sir hald you still & skar them nocht▪
Till ye persaue what be their thocht,
And se what men them leids:
And let the King Correctioun,
Mak ane scharp inquisitioun,
And mark them be the heids.
When ye ken the occasioun,
That makes them sic persuasioun;
Ʒe may expel the caus:
Syne them reform as ye think best,
Sua that the Realm may live in rest▪
According to God's lawis.
Heir sall the thrie estaits cum and turn their faces to the King.
Spir.
Gloir, honor, laud triumph and victory
Be to your michtie prudent excellence:
Heir ar we cum all the estaits thrie,
Readie to mak our dew obedience.
At your command with humbill observance,
As my pertene to Spiritualitie.
With counsel of the Temporalitie.
Temp.
Sir we with michtie curage at command
Of your superexcellent Majesty,
Sall mak service baith with our heart and hand,
And sall not dreid in thy defense to die:
We ar content but doubt that we may se
That nobill heavinlie King Correctioun,
Sa he with mercy mak punitioun.
Merchand.
Sir we ar heir your Burgessis and Merchands,
Thanks be to God that we may se your face:
Traistand we may now into divers lands,
Convoy our geir with support of your grace.
For now I traist we sall get rest and peace,
Quhē misdoars ar with your sword overthrawin
Then may leil-merchands live upon their awin.
Rex.
Welcum to me my prudent Lord's all,
Ʒe ar my members suppois I be your head:
Sit down that we may with your just counsel,
Aganis misdoars find soveraine remeid.
We sall nocht spair for favor nor for feid,
With your avice to mak punitioun:
And put my sword to executioun.
Cor.
My tender friends I pray yow with my heart,
Declair to me the thing that I wald speir,
What is the caus that ye gang all backwart?
The verity their of fain wald I heir.
Spiri.
Soveraine we have gain sa this money a year
Howbeit ye think we go vndecently,
We think we gang richt wonder pleasantly.
Dil.
Sit down my Lord's into your proper places:
Syne let the King consider all sic caces.
Sit down sir scribe, and sit down dampster to:
And fence the Court as ye war wont to do.
Thay ar set down & Gud-counsel sal pas to his seat.
Rex.
My prudent Lord's of the thrie estaits,
It is our will abuife all other thing,
For to reform all them that makes debaits,
Contrair the richt whilk daily dost maling.
And they that dost the Common-weil down thring
With help and counsel of King Correctioun,
It is our will for to mak punisching:
And plain oppressors put to subiectioun.
Spiritu.
What thing is this sir, that ye have devysit
Schirs ye have neid for till be well advysit
Be nocht haistie into your executioun,
And be nocht our extreime in your punitioun.
And gif ye please to do sir, as we say,
Postpone this Parliament till ane other day.
For why? the peopill of this Region,
May nocht endure extreme correctioun.
Correct.
Is this the part my Lord's that ye will take▪
To mak us supportatioun to correct:
It dost appeir that ye ar culpabill,
That ar nocht to Correctioun applyabill.
Suyith Diligence gaschaw it is our will,
That everilk man oppressed geif in his Bill.
Dili.
All maneir of men I wairne that be oppressed,
Cum and complain and they shall be redressed.
For why, it is the nobill Princes will,
That ilk compleiner sall gif in his Bill.
John the Common-well.
Out of my gait, for God's saik let me ga▪
Tell me again gude master what ye say.
Diligence.
I warn all that be wrangouslie offendit,
Cum and complain and they sall be a nendit.
John.
Thankit be christ yat buir the croun of thorn
For I was never sa blyth sen I was b
••
ne▪
Diligen▪
What is thy name follow▪ that wald I feil?
John.
Forsuith they call me John the common-weil.
Gude master I wald speir at you ane thing,
Quhair traist ye I sall, find yon new cumde King?
Dili.
Cum over, and I sall show the to his grace,
John▪ God's bennesone licht on that lucky face.
Stand by the gait, let se gif I can loup,
I man rin fast incace I get ane coup.
Heir sall John loup the stank or else fall in it.
Dili.
Speid the away, thou taryis all to lang:
John.
Now be this day I may na faster gang.
John to the King.
Gude day, gud day, grit God saif baith your graces
Wallie, wallie fall they twa well fairde faces.
Rex.
Shaw me thy name gude man I the command,
Io.
Marie John the common-weil of fair Scotland
Rex.
The common well hes been amang his fais:
John.
Ʒe sir that gars the common-weil want clais.
Rex.
What is the caus the common weil is crukit?
John.
Becaus the common-well hes been overlukit
Rex.
What gars the luke sa with ane dreirie heart?
John.
Becaus the thrie estaits gangs all backwart.
Rex.
Sir common well knaw ye the limmers that thē leids?
John.
Thair canker cullours I ken them be the heads▪
As for our reverent fathers of Spiritualitie,
Thay ar led be Covetise and cairles Sensuality.
And as ye se Temporalitie hes neid of correctioun▪
Quhilk hes lang time been led be public oppressioun▪
Loe where the loun lyis lurkand at his back,
Get up I think to se thy craig gar ane raip crack.
Loe heir is Falset and Dissait well I ken,
Leiders of the merchants and silly crafts-men.
What mervell thocht the thrie estaits backwart gang?
When sic an vile cumpanie dwells them amang.
Quhilk hes reulit this rout monie deir days,
Quhilk gars John the common-weil want his warm clais
Sir call them before yow and put them in order,
Or else John the common-weil man beg on the bordour.
[]Thou feinyeit Flattrie the feind fart in thy face,
When ye was guyder of the Court we gat litill grace.
Ryse up Falset and Dissait without ony sunye,
I pray God nor the devils dame dryte on thy grunye.
Behauld as the loun lukis evin like a thief,
Monie wicht warkman thou brocht to mischief.
My soveraine Lord Correction I mak yow supplication,
Put thir tryit truikers from Christis congregation.
Correctioun.
As ye have devysit but doubt it sa be done
Cum heir my Sergeants and do your debt sone.
Put thir thrie pellours into pressoun strang,
Howbeit ye sold hang them ye do them na wrahg.
First Sergeant.
Soverane Lord's we sall obey your commands:
Brother upon thir limmers lay on thy hands.
Ryse up sone loun thou luiks evin like ane lurden:
Ʒour mouth war meit to drink an wesche iurden.
Secund Sergeant.
Cum heir gossop, cum heir, cum heir,
Ʒour rackles life ye sall repent:
When was ye wont to be sa sweir?
Stand still and be obedient.
First Sergeant.
Thair is nocht in all this town,
Bot I wald nocht this taill war tald▪
Bot I wald hang him for his goun,
Quhidder that it war Laird or laid.
I trow this pellour be spur-gaid,
Put in thy hand into this cord,
Howbeit I se thy skap skyre skaid:
Thou art ane stewat I stand foird.
Heir sall the vycis be led to the stocks.
Secund Ser.
Put in your leggis into the stocks,
For ye had never ane meiter hois:
Thir stewats stinks as they war Broks,
Now ar ye sikker I suppois.
Pausa.
My Lord's we have done your commands,
Sall we put Covetice in captivity?
Correction.
Ʒe hardly lay on them your hands,
Rycht sa upon Sensuality,
Spi.
This is my Grainter and my Chalmerlaine,
And hes my gold and geir under hir cuiris:
I mak ane vow to God I sall complain,
Unto the Paip how ye do me iniuris.
Covence.
My reverent fathers take in patience,
I sall nocht lang remain from your pesence
Thocht for ane whyll I man from yow depairt,
I wait my spreit sall remain in your heart.
And when this King Correctioun beis absent,
Then sall we twa return incontinent.
Therefore adew.—
—Spiritualitie.
Adew be Sanct Mavene,
Pas where ye will we ar twa natural men.
Sensuality.
Adew my Lord—
Spiritualitie.
—Adew my awin sweet heart.
Now duill fell me that we twa man depart.
Sensuali.
My Lord howbeit this parting dost me pain,
I traist in God we sal meit sone again.
Spiri.
To cum again I pray yow do your cure,
Want I yow twa I may nocht lang endure.
Heir sal the Sergeants chase them away, and they sal gang to the seat of Sensuality.
Tempor.
My Lord's ye knaw the thrie estaits,
For Common-well suld mak debaits:
Let now amang us be devysit,
Sic actis that with gude men be praysit.
Conforming to the common law,
For of na man we sold stand awe.
And for till saif us fra murmell,
Schone Diligence fetch us Gude-counsel
For why he is ane man that knawis,
Baith the Cannon and Civil lawis.
Diligence.
Father ye man incontinent,
Passe to the Lord's of Parliament.
For why they ar determinat all,
To do na thing by your counsel.
Gude-counsal.
That sal I do within schort space,
Praying the Lord to send us grace:
For till conclude or we depart,
That they may profeit esterwart,
Baith to the Kirk and to the King,
I sall desire na other thing.
Pausa.
My Lord's God glaid the cumpanie,
What is the caus ye send for me?
Merchand.
Sit down and gif us your counsel,
How we sall slaik the greit murmell,
Of pure peopill, that is well knawin,
And as the Common-well hes schawin.
And als we knaw it is the Kings will,
That gude remeid be put thairtill.
Sir Common-well keep ye the bar,
Let nane except yourself cum nar.
John.
That sall I do as I best can,
I sall hauld out baith wife and man▪
Ʒe man let this puir creature,
Support me for till keep the dure.
I knaw his name full sickerly,
He will complain als well as I.
Couns.
My worthy Lord's sen ye have taine on hand
Sum reformatioun to mak into this land:
And als ye knaw it is the Kings mind,
Quha till the Common-weil hes ay been kind:
Thocht reif and thift wer stanchit well aneuch,
Ʒit sumthing mair belangis to the pleuch.
Now into peace ye sold provyde for weirs,
And be sure of how money thousand speirs,
The King may be when he hes ocht ado,
For why my Lord's this is my ressoun to.
The husband men and commons they war wont,
Go in the battle formest in the front▪
Bot I have tint all my experience,
Without ye mak sum better diligence:
The Common-well mon other wayis be styllit▪
Or be my faith the King will be begyllit.
Thir pure commouns daily as ye may se,
Declynisdoun till extreme poverrie:
For sum ar hichtit sa into their maill,
Thair winning will nocht find them water kaill.
How Prelates heichts their teinds it is well knawin,
That husband-men may not well hald their awin.
And now begins ane plague amang them new,
That gentill men their steadings takes in rew.
Thus man they pay great ferme or lay their steid,
And sum ar plainly harlit out be the heid,
And ar destroy it without God on them rew.
[] Paup.
Sir be God's breid that taill is very true.
It is well kend I had baith nolt and hors,
Now all my geir ye se upon my cors.
Correction, Or I depairt I think to mak ane order
John.
I pray yow sir begin first at bordour.
For how can we send us aganis Ingland
When we can nocht within our native Land,
Destroy our awin Scots, common trator theifis,
Quha to leill laborers daily dost mischeifis.
[] War I ane King my Lord be God's wounds,
Quha ever held common theifis within their bounds:
Quhairthrow that daily leilmen micht be wrangit
Without remeid their chiftanis suld be hangit,
Quhidder he war ane knicht, ane Lord or Laird
The Devil draw me to hell and he war spaird.
Tempora.
What other enemies hes thou let us ken?
John.
Sir I compleine upon the idill men:
For why sir it is God's awin bidding
All Christian men to wirk for their living.
Sanct Paul that pillar of the Kirk,
Sayis to the wretchis that will not wirk
And been to vertews laith
Qui non laborat non manducet.
This is in Inglische tongue or leit:
Quha labouris nocht he sall not eight.
This been against the strang beggars,
Fiddlers, pypers, and pardoners:
Thir Iugglars, Iestars, and idill cuitchours,
Thir carriers and thir quintacensours:
Thir babil-beirers and thir bairds,
Thir sweir swyngeours with Lord's and Lairds:
Ma then their rents may sustain,
Or to their profeit neidfull been,
Quhilk been ay blythest of discords,
And▪deidly feid amang thar Lord's.
For then they sleutchers man be treatit▪
Or else their querrels vndebaitit.
This been against thir great fat Freiris,
Augustenes, Carmleits and Cordeleirs:
And all vthers that in cowls been cled,
Quhilk labors nocht and been well fed.
I mein nocht laborand Spirituallie,
Nor for their living corporallie:
Lyand in dennis like idill doggis
I them compair to weil fed hoggis▪
I think they do them selfs abuse,
Seeing that they the world refuse:
Haifing professed sic poverty,
Syne fleis fast fra necessity.
What gif they poverty wald profess?
And do as did Diogenes,
That great famous Philosophour,
Seeing in earth bot vain labor,
Alutterlie the world refusit,
And in ane tumbe himself inclusit,
And leifit on herbs and water cauld,
Of corporal fude na mair he wald.
He trottit nocht from town to town,
Beggand to feid his carioun.
Fra time that life he did profess,
The wald of him was cummerles.
Rycht sa of Marie Magdalene,
And of Mary th'Egyptiane:
And of auld Paul the first Hermeit,
All thir had poverty compleit.
Ane hundredth ma I micht declare,
Bot to my purpois I will fair:
Concluding sleuthfull idilnes,
Against the Common-well express.
Correctioun.
Quhom upon ma will ye compleine?
John.
Marie on ma and ma again.
For the pure peopill cryis with cairis,
The infetching of Justice airis:
Exercit mair for covetise,
Then for the punisching of vice.
Ane peggrell thief that steillis ane kow,
Is hangit▪ bot he that steillis ane bow
With als meikill geir as he may turs,
That thief is hangit be the purs.
Sic pykand peggrall theifis ar hangit,
Bot he that all the world hes wrangit,
Ane cruel tyrane ane strang transgressor,
Ane common public plain oppressor,
By buds may he obtain favors
Of Tresurers and compositours.
Thocht he serve greit punitioun,
Gets easy compositioun:
And throch laws consistoriall
Prolixt, corrupt and perpetual.
The common peopill ar put sa under,
Thocht they be puir it is na wonder.
Correction.
Gude John I grant all that is true▪
Ʒour infortoun full sair I rew:
Or I pairt aff this Natioun,
I sall mak reformatioun.
And als my Lord Temporalitie,
I yow command in time that ye
Expell oppressioun aff your lands.
And als I say to yow merchands,
Gif ever I find be land or sie,
Dissait be in your cumpanie:
Quhilk ar to Common-well contrair,
I vow to God I sall not spair
To put my sword to executioun,
And mak on yow extreme punitioun.
Mairover my Lord Spiritualitie,
In gudlie haist I will that ye
Set into few your temporal lands.
To men that labors with their hands.
Bot nocht to ane gearking gentill man,
That nether will he wirk, nor can:
Quhair throch the policy may incresse.
Temporalitie.
I am content sir be the mess:
Swa that the Spiritualitie,
Sets thairs in few als well as we.
Correctioun.
My Spiritual Lord's ar ye content?
Spiritualitie.
Na, na, we man take advysement
In sic maters for to conclude,
Ouir haistelie, we think nocht gude.
Cor.
Conclude ye nocht with the Comon-weil
Ʒe shall be punischit be Sanct Geill.
Heir sall the Bischops cum with the Freir.
Spiritualitie.
Schir we can show exemptioun,
Fra your temporal punitioun:
The whilk we purpois till debait.
Correction.
Wa than, ye think to strive for stair.
My Lord's what say ye to this play?
Temporalitie.
My soverane Lord's we will obey,
And take your part with heart and hand,
What ever ye pleis us to command.
Heir sal the Temporal stait sit down on their knies, & say.
Bot we beseik yow Soveraine,
Of all our cryms that ar bygaine
To gifvs ane remissioun,
And heir we mak to yow conditioun,
The Common-well for till defend
From hence-forth till our lives end.
Correctioun.
On that conditioun I am content
Till pardon yow sen ye repent,
The Common-well take be the hand,
And mak with him perpetual band.
Heir sall the temporal staits, to wit, the Lord's and merchands imbreasse John the Common-well.
John have ye ony ma debaits
Against the Lord's of Spiritual staits?
John, Na sir I dar nocht speak ane word
To plaint on Priests it is na bourd:
Correctioun.
Flyt on thy fow fill I desire the:
Swa that thou show bot the verity.
John.
Grandmerces then I sall nocht spair,
First to compleine on the Vickair.
The pure Cottar being like to die,
Haifand young infants twa or thrie:
And hes twa ky but ony ma,
The Vickar most haif ane of they:
With the gray frugge that covers the bed,
Howbeit the wise be purelie cled,
And gif the wife die on the morne,
Thocht all the bairns sold be forlorn,
The other kow he cleiks away
With the pure cot of raploch gray.
Wald God this custom war put down,
Quhilk never was found it be ressoun.
Temporal.
Ar all they tails true that thou tells?
[] Pauper.
Trew sir, the Devil stick me elles▪
For be the holy Trinity,
That same was practeisit on me.
For our Vickar God give him pyne,
Hes yet thrie tydie kye of mine.
Ane for my father and for my wife ane other,
And the thread cow he tuke for Mald my mother.
John.
Our Persone heir he takis na other pyne,
Bot to ressaue his teinds and spend them syne.
Howbeit he be obleist be gude ressoun,
To preich the Evangel to his parochoun.
Howbeit they suld want preiching sevintin year.
Our Persoun will not want ane scheif of beir.
Pau.
Our bishops with their lusty rokats white,
Thay flow in riches royallie and delight
Lyke Paradise bend their palices and places,
And wants na pleasour of the fairest faces.
Als thir Prelates hes great prerogatyues,
For why they may depairt ay with their wives:
Without ony correctioun or damnage,
Syne take ane other wantoner but marriage▪
But doubt I wald think it ane pleasant life,
Ay on when I list to part with my wife.
Syne take ane other of far greiter beauty,
Bot ever alas my Lord's that may not be,
For I am bund alas in marriage,
Bot they like rams rudlie in their rage.
Vnpysalt rinnis amang the silly yowis,
Sa lang as kind of nature in them growis.
Person.
Thou lies falls huirsun raggit loun,
Thair is na Priests in all this town,
That ever vsit sic vicious crafts.
John.
the feind ressaue they flattrand chafts:
Sir Domine I trowit ye had be dum.
Quhair Devil gat we this ill fairde blaitie bum?
Pers.
To speak of Priests be sure it is na bourds:
Thay will burn men now for rakles words,
And all they words ar heresy in deed,
John.
The mekil feind resaue the saul that leid.
All that I say is true thocht thou be greifit,
And that I offer on thy pallet to preif it.
Spr.
My lords why do ye thoil that lurdun loun,
Of Kirk-men to speak sic detractioun.
I let yow wit my Lord's it is na bourds,
Of Prelates for till speak sic wantoun words.
Heir Spritualitie fames and rages.
Ʒon villain puttis me out of Charity.
Tompo.
Quhy my Lord▪ says he ocht bot verity
Ʒe can nocht stop ane pure man for till pleinye
Gif he hes faltit, summond him to your Seinye.
Spritual.
Ʒea that I sall, I mak greit God a vow
He sall repent that he spak of the kow.
I will not suffer sic words of yon villain.
Pauper.
I han gar gif me my thrie fat ky again.
Spr.
Fals carle to speak to me stands thou not awe?
Pau.
The feind resaue them that first devysit that law
Within an hour after my dade was deed
The Vickar had my kow hard be the heid.
Person.
Fals huirsun carle I say that law is gude,
Becaus it hes been lang our consuetude:
Pauper.
When I am Paip that law I sal put down
It is ane sair law for the pure common.
Spritu.
I mak an vow they words thou sal repent.
Counsall.
I yow require my Lord's be patient.
We came nocht heir for disputatiouns,
We came to make gude reformatiouns.
Heirfoir of this your propositioun,
Conclude and put to executioun.
Mer.
My Lord's conclude that all the temporal lands
Be set in few to laboreris with thait hands.
With sic restrictiouns as sall be devysit,
That they may live and nocht to be supprysit.
With ane ressonabill augmentatioun,
And when they heir ane proclamatioun:
That the Kings grace dost mak him for the weit,
That they be reddie with harneis, bow and speir.
As for myself my Lord this I conclude.
Coun.
Sa say we all your ressoun be sa gude.
To mak ane Act on this we ar content:
John.
On that sir Scribe I take ane instrument.
What do ye of the corspresent and kow?
Counsall.
I will conclude nothing of that as now
Without my Lord of Spiritualitie,
Thairto consent with all this haill clergy.
My Lord Bischop will ye thairto consent?
Spri.
Na, na, never till the day of Judgment.
We will want nothing that we have in use,
Kirtil nor kow, teind lamb, teind gryse nor guse.
Tem.
Forsuith my lord I think we suldconclude,
Seeing this kow ye have in consuetude:
We will discern heir that the Kings grace,
Sall write unto the Paipis holiness:
With his consent be proclamatioun,
Baith corspresent and cow we sall cry down.
Spiri.
To that my Lord's we plainly disassent,
Noter their of I take ane instrument.
Tē.
My lord be him that all the world hes wrocht,
We set nocht by whider ye consent or nocht:
Ʒe ar bot ane estait and we ar twa,
Et vbi major pars ibi tota.
John.
My lords ye haif richt prudentlie concludit,
Tak tent now how the land is clein denudit:
Of gold and silver whilk daily gais to Rome,
For buds, mair then the rest of Christindome.
War I ane King sir be coks passioun,
I sold gar mak ane proclamatioun.
That never ane penny sold go to Rome at all,
Na mair then did to Peter nor to Paul.
Da ye nocht sa, heir for conclusioun
I gif yow all my braid black malesoun.
Merchant.
It is of truth sirs, be my christindome,
That mekil of our money gais to Rome.
For we merchants I wait within our bounds,
Hes furneist Priests ten hundredth thousand punds.
For their finnance, nane knawis sa well as we:
Therefore my Lord's devyse sum remedy.
For throw thir playis and thir promotioun,
Mair for denners nor for devotioun.
Sir Symonie hes maid with them ane band,
The gold of weicht they leid out of the land.
The Common-weil, their throch bein sair oppressed
Therefore devyse remeid as ye think best.
Counsel.
It is schort time sen ony benefice,
Was sped in Rome except greit Bischopries.
Bot now for ane unworthy Vickarage,
Ane Priest will rin to Rome in Pilgramage.
Ane cavell whilk was never at the scule,
Will rin to Rome and keep ane Bischops mule:
And syne cum hame with money colorit crack,
With ane buirdin of benefices on his back.
Quhilk been against the, law ane man alane,
For till posses ma benefices norane.
Thir greit commends I say withoutin faill,
Sould nocht be given bot to the blood Royal:
Sa I conclude my Lord's and says for me,
Ʒe sold annul all this plurality.
Spritualitie.
The Paip hes given us dispensatiouns:
Counsall.
Ʒea that is be your falls narratiouns.
Thocht the Paip for your pleasour will dispence,
I trow that can nocht cleir your conscience.
Advysemy Lord's what ye think to conclude,
Temporalitie.
Sir be my faith I think it very gude,
That fra hence forth na Priests sall pas to Rome.
Becaus our substance they do stillconsume.
For pleyis and for their profeit singulair,
Thay haif of money maid this realm bair.
And als I think it best be my advyse,
That ilk Priest sall haif bot ane benefice.
And gif they keep nocht that fundatioun,
It sall be caus of deprivatioun.
Merchant.
As ye haif said my Lord we will consent,
Scribe mak ane act on this incontinent.
Couns.
My Lord's, their is ane thing yet vnproponit
How Prelates and Priests aucht to be disponit:
This beand done we have the les ado;
What say ye sirs▪ this is my counsel lo:
That or we end this present Parliament,
Of this mater to take rype advysement.
Mark well my Lord's, their is na benefice
Giuen to ane man, bot for ane gude office.
Quha takes office and syne they can nocht vsit,
Giver and taker I say ar baith abusit.
Ane Bischops office is for to be ane preichour,
And of the law of God ane public teachour.
Rycht sa the Persone unto his parochoun,
Of the Evangel sold leir them ane lessoun.
Thair sold na man desire sic dignities,
Without he be abill for that office.
And for that caus, I say without leising,
Thay have their teinds, and for na other thing.
Sp.
Friend where find ye that we suld prechours be
Coun.
Luik what Sanct Paul wryts unto Timothy
Tak their the Buik let se gif ye can spell.
Spritual.
I never red that, thairfoir reid it your sel.
Counsall sall read thir words on ane Buik.
Fidelis sermo, siquis Episcopatum desiderat, bonum opus desiderat, oportet eum irreprehensibilem esse, vnius vxoris virum, sobrium, prudentem, ornatum, pudicum, hospitalem, doctorem: non vinelentum, non percussorem: sed modestum.
That is
This is a true saying, If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a worthy work: A Bishop therefore must be unreprovable, the husband of one wife, &c.
Spiritualitie.
Ʒe temporal men be him that heryit hell,
Ʒe ar ovir peart with such maters to mell.
Temporalitie.
Sit still my Lord, ye neid not for til braull,
Thir ar the very words of th'Apostill Paul.
Spir.
Sum says be him that woare the croun of thorn,
It had been gude that Paul had neir been borne.
Counsal.
Bot ye may knaw my Lord Sanct Paul's intent,
Schir red ye never the New testament?
Spiritualitie.
Na sir, be him that our Lord Jesus sauld,
I red never the New testament nor auld.
Nor ever thinks to do sir be the Rude,
I heir freiris say that reiding dost na gude.
Counsel.
Till yow to reid them I think it is na lack,
For anis I saw them baith bund on your back:
That samin day that ye was consecrate,
Sir, what meinis that?
[] Spiritualitie.
The feind stick them that wat.
Merchant.
Then before God how can ye be excusit?
To haif ane office and waits not how to us it.
Quhairfoir war gifin yow all the temporal lands?
And all thir teinds ye haif amang your hands.
Thay war giuin yow for other causses I weine,
Nor mummil matins and hald your clayis cleine.
Ʒe say to the Appostils that ye succeid,
Bot ye show nocht that into word nor deed.
The law is plain▪ our teinds suld furnisch teichours:
Couns.
Ʒea that it sold, or sustain prudent preichours.
Pauper.
Sir God nor I be stickit with ane knyfe,
Gif ever our Persoun preichit in all his life.
Persone.
What devil raks the of our preiching vndocht?
Pauper.
Think ye that ye suld have the teinds for nocht?
Persone.
Trowis thou to get remeid carle of that thing?
[] Pauper.
Ʒea be God's breid richt sone war I ane King.
Persone.
Wald thou of Prelates mak deprivatioun?
Pauper.
Na I suld gar them keep their fundatioun,
What devil is this, whom of sold Kings stand awe?
To do the thing that they sold be the law.
War I ane King be coks deir passioun,
I sold richt sone mak reformatioun.
Failyeand thairof your grace sold richt sone find,
That Priests sall leid yow like ane belly blind▪
John.
What gif King David war leiuand in thir days?
The whilk did found sa money gay Abayis:
Or out of heavin what gif he luikit down?
And saw the great abominatioun:
Amang thir Abesses and thir Nunries,
Thair public huirdomes and their harlotries,
He wald repent he narrowit sa his bounds,
Of yeirlie rent thries coir of thousand pounds.
His successors makes litill ruisse I ges,
Of his devotioun or of his holiness.
Abbasse.
How dar thou carle presume for to declare,
Or for to mell the with sa heich a mater?
For in Scotland their did yet never ring,
I let the wit ane mair excellent King.
Of holiness he was the very plant,
And now in heavin he is ane michtfull Sanct.
Becaus that fyftein Abbasies he did found,
Quhair throw great riches hes ay done abound
Into our Kirk and daily yet abunds,
Bot kings now I trow few Abbasies founds.
I dar well say thou art condempnit in hell,
That dost presume with sic maters to mell.
Fals huirsun carle thou art ovir arrogant,
To judge the deids of sic ane holy Sanct.
John.
King James the first Roy of this Region,
Said that he was ane sair Sanct to the croun.
I heir men say that the was sumthing blind,
That gave away mair nor he left behind.
His successors that halines did repent,
Quhilk gart them do great inconvenient.
Abbas.
My Lord Bishop I mervel how that ye,
Suffer this carle for to speak heresy?
Forbe my faith my Lord will ye take tent,
He servis for to be brunt incontinent.
Ʒe can nocht say bot it is heresy,
To speak against our law and liberty.
Spritualitie.
Sancte pater
I mak yow supplicatioun,
Exame yon carle, syne mak his dilatioun:
I mak ane vow to God omnipotent,
That bystour shall be brunt incontinent.
Venerabill father I sall do your command,
Gif he seruis deed I sall sune understand.
Pausa.
Fals huirsun carle show forth thy faith,
John.
Me think ye speak as ye war wraith,
To yow I will nothing declare,
For ye ar nocht my ordinair▪
Elat.
Quhom in trowis thou falls monster mangit?
John.
I trow to God to se the hangit:
War I ane King be coks passioun,
I sold gar mak ane congregatioun,
Of all the freirs of the four ordouris,
And mak yow vagers on the bordours,
Schir will ye give me audience,
And I sall show your excellence:
Sa that your grace will give me leife
How into God that I belief.
Corr.
Schaw forth your faith and fein ye nocht.
John.
I belief in God that all hes wrocht,
And creat everything of nocht.
And in his Son our Lord Jesus,
Incarnat of the Virgin true:
Quha under Pilate tholit passioun,
And deit for our Salvatioun.
And on the thread day rais again,
As holy scriptour schawis plane.
And als my Lord it is well kend,
How he did to the heavin ascend:
And set him down at the richt hand,
Of God the father I understand.
And sall cum judge on Dumisday,
What will ye mair sir that I say?
Correctioun
Schaw forth the rest, this is na game.
John.
I trow Sanctam Ecclesiam,
Bot nocht in thir Bischops nor thir Freirs,
Quhilk will for purging of thir neirs.
[] Sard up the ta raw and down the other,
The mekill Devil resaue the fidder.
Correctioun.
Say what ye will sirs be Sanct Tan,
Me think John ane gude Christian man.
Temporalitie.
My Lord's let be your disputatioun,
Conclude with firm deliberaioun.
How Prelates fra thine sall be disponit:
Merch.
I think for me evin as ye first proponit.
That the Kings grace sall gif na benefice,
Bot till ane peichour that can use that office.
The silly sauls that been Christis scheip,
Sould nocht be givin to gormand wolfis to keep.
What been the caus of all the heresies,
Bot the abusioun of the prelacies?
Thay will correct and will nocht be correctit:
Thinkand to na prince they will be subiectit.
Quhairfoir I can find na better remeid,
Bot that thir kings man take it in their heid.
That their be given to na man bischopries,
Except they preich out throch their diosies.
And ilk person priech in his parochon,
And this I say for final conclusion.
Tempora.
We think your counsel is very gude,
As ye have said we all conclude.
Of this conclusioun Noter we mak ane act:
Scrybe.
I write all day bot gets never ane plack.
Pauper.
Och, my Lord's for the holy Trinity,
Remember to reform the consistory,
It hes mair neid of reformatioun,
Nor Ploutois court sir be coks passioun.
Pers.
What caus hes thou falls pellour for to pleinye
Quhair was ye ever summond to their seinye?
Pa.
Marie I lent my gossop my mear to fecth hame coills
And he hir drounit into the querrell hollis.
And I ran to the Consitory for to pleinye,
And their I happinit amang ane greidie meinye.
Thay gave me first ane thing they call citandum,
Within aucht days I gat bot lybellandum▪
Within ane month I gat ad opponendum,
In half ane year I gat interloquendum,
And syne I gat, how call ye it? ad replicandum:
Bot I could never ane word yet understand him.
And than they gart me cast out many plackis,
And gart me pay for four and twenty actis.
Bot or they came half gait to concludendum,
The feind ane plack was left for to defend him.
Thus they postponit me twa year with their train,
Syne hodie ad octo bad me cum again.
And than thir ruiks they roupit wonder fast,
For sentence silver they cry it at the last.
Of pronunciandum they maid me wonder fain,
Bot I gat never my gude gray meir again.
Temp.
My Lord's we mon reform thir consistory lawis,
Quhais great defame above the heavins blawis.
I wist ane man in persewing ane kow,
Or he had done he spendit half ane bow.
Sa that the kings honor we may avance,
We will conclude, as they have done in France.
Let Sprituall maters pas to Spritualitie,
And Temporal maters to Temporalitie.
Quha failyeis of this sall cost them of their gude,
Scribe mak ane act, for sa we will conclude.
Spritualitie.
That act my Lord's plainly I will declait,
It is again is our profeit singulair.
We will nocht want our profeit be Sanct Geill.
Temporalitie Ʒour profeit is against the Common weil
It shall be done my Lord's as ye have wrocht,
We cure nocht whidder ye consent or nocht.
Quhairfoir servis then all thir Temporal Judges?
Gif temporal maters sold seek at yow refuges.
My Lord ye say that ye ar Sprituall,
Quhairfoir mell ye than with things temporal?
As we have done conclude sa sall it stand,
Scribe put our Acts in order evin fra hand.
Spritualitie.
Till all your acts plainly I disassent,
Notar thairof I take ane instrument.
Heir sall Veritie and Chastity mak their plaint at the bar.
Veritie.
My Soverane I beseik your excellence,
Use Justice on Spritualitie:
The whilk to us hes done great violence,
Becaus we did rehers the verity.
Thay put us close into Captivitie,
And sa remanit into subiectioun:
Into great langour and calamity,
Till we war fred be King Correctioun.
Chast.
My lord I haif great caus for to complain,
I could get na ludging intill this land:
The Spiritual stait had me sa at disdane,
With Dame Sensuall they have maid sic ane band.
Amang them all na freindschip sirs I fand,
And when I came the nobill innis amang,
My Iustie Lady Priores fra hand:
Out of hir do rtour durlie scho me dang.
Veritie.
With the advyse sir of the Parliament,
Hairtlie we mak yow supplicatioun:
Cause King Correctioun take incontinent,
Of all this sort examinatioun.
Gif they be digne of deprivatioun,
Ʒe have power for to correct sic cases:
Chease the mayest cunning Clerks of this natioun,
And put mair prudent pastors in their places.
My prudent Lord's I say that pure craftsmen,
Abufe sum Prelates ar mair for to commend:
Gar exame them and sa ye sall sune ken,
How they in virtue Bischops dost transcend.
Scribe.
Thy life and craft mak to thir Kings kend,
What craft hes thow declare that to me plain?
Tail.
Ane tailyour sir that▪can baith mak and mend,
I wait nane better into Dumbartane.
Scri.
Quhairfoir of tailyeours beirs thou the still?
Tailyeour.
Becaus I wait is nane within ane myll,
Can better use that craft as I suppois:
For I can mak baith doublit coat and hois.
Scri.
How cal they you sir with the schaiping knife?
Sowtar.
Ane sowtar sir, nane better into Fife.
Scribe.
Tel me whairfoir ane sowtar ye ar namit?
Sowtar.
Of that surname I neld nocht be aschamit.
For I can mak schone brotekins and buittis,
Gif me the copy of the Kings cuittis.
And ye sall se richt sune what I can do:
Heir is my lasts and well wrocht ledder lo▪
Couns.
O Lord my God this is an mervelous thing
How sic misordour in this Realm sold ring.
Sowtars and tailye ours they ar far mair expert
In their pure craft and in their handy art,
Nor ar our Prelatis in their vocatioun:
I pray yow sirs mak reformatioun.
Verit.
Alas, alas, what gars thir temporal Kings
Into the Kirk of Christ admit sic doings?
My Lord's for lufe of Christ's passioun,
Of thir ignorants mak depriuatioun.
Quhilk in the court can▪do bot flatter and fleich,
And put into their places that can preich.
Send forth and seek sum devoit cunning Clerks,
That can steir up the peopill to gude warks.
Correctioun.
As ye have done, Madame I am content,
Hoaw Diligence pas hynd incontinent.
And seek out throw all towns and cities:
And visie all the universities.
Bring us sum Doctors of Divinity.
With licents in the law and Theology.
With the mayest cunning Clerks in all this land,
Speid sune your way and bring them heir fra hand.
Diligence.
What gif I find sum holy provincial?
Or minister of the gray freiris all?
Or ony freir that can preich prudentlie,
Sall I bring them with me in cumpanie?
Correction.
Cair thou nocht what estait sa ever he be,
Sa they can teich and preich the verity,
Mayest cunning Clerks with us is best beluifit,
To dignity they shall be first promuifit.
Quhidder they be Munk, Channon, Priest or Freir,
Sa they can preich faill nocht to bring them heir.
Diligence.
Than fair-well sir, for I am at the flicht,
I pray the Lord to send yow all gude nicht.
Heir sall Diligence pas to the palyeoun.
Temporalitie.
Sir we beseik your soverane celsitude,
Of our dochtours to have compassioun:
Quhom we may na way marie be the Rude,
Without we mak sum alienatioun
Of our land for their supportatioun,
For why? the markit raisit been sa hie
That Prelates dochtours of this natioun,
Ar maryit with sic superfluity:
Thay will nocht spair to gif twa thousand pound,
With their dochtours to ane nobill man:
In riches sa they do superabound.
Bot we may nocht do sa be Sanct Allane,
Thir proud Prelates our dochters sair▪ may ban;
That they remain at hame sa lang vnmaryit:
Schir let your Barrouns do the best they can,
Sum of our dochtours I dreid shall be miscaryit.
Correct.
My Lord your complaint is richt ressonabill,
And richt sa to our dochtours profitabill:
I think or I pas aff this natioun,
Of this mater till mak reformatioun.
Heir sall enter common thift.
Thift.
Ga by the gait man, let me gang,
[] How Devil came I into this thrang:
With sorrow I may sing my sang,
And I be taine:
For I have run baith nicht and day,
Throw speid of fut I gat away,
Gif I be kend heir, wallaway
I will be slain.
Pauper.
What is thy name man be thy thrift?
Thift.
Huirsun they call me common thift:
For why I had na other schift,
Sen I was borne,
In Eusdaill was my dwelling place,
Money ane wife gart▪ I cry alas:
At my hand they gat never grace,
Bot ay for lorne.
Sum say is ane king is cum amang us,
That purposis to head and hang us:
Thair is na grace gif he may fang us
Bot on an pin.
Ring he, we theifiswill get na gude,
I pray God and the holy Rude,
He had been smoird into his cude,
And all his kin.
Get this cursed King me in his grippis,
My craig will wit what weyis my hippist
The Devil I gif his tongue and lippis,
That of me tellis:
Adew I dar na langer tarie:
For be I kend they will me carry,
And put me in ane sierie farie,
I se nocht ellis.
I raife be him that herryit hell,
I had almaist foryet my sell:
Will na gude fallow to me tell,
Quhair I may find
The Earl of Rothus best haiknay,
That was my earand heir away:
He is richt starck as I heir say
And swift as wind.
Heir is my brydill and my spurris,
To gar him lance ovir land and furris:
Micht I him get to Ewis durris, I take na cuir:
Of that hors micht I get ane sicht,
I haife na doubt yet or midnicht,
That he and I sold take the flicht
Throch Dysert mure.
Of cumpanarie tell me brother,
Quhilk is the richt way to the Strother,
I wald be welcum to my mother,
Gif I micht speid:
I wald gif baith my coat and bonet,
To get my Lord Lindesay is broun Ionet:
War he beyond the watter of Annet,
We sold nocht dreid.
What now Oppressioun my master deir?
What mekill Devil hes brocht yow heir?
Master tell me the caus perqueir,
What is that ye have done?
Oppressioun.
Forsuith the kings majesty,
Hes set me heir as ye may se:
Micht I speak Temporalitie,
He wald me relief sone.
I beseik yow my brother deir,
Bot half ane hour for to sit heir:
Ʒe knaw that I was never sweir,
Ʒow to defend:
Put in your leg into my place,
And heir I sweir be God's grace,
Ʒow to relief within schort space,
Syne let yow wend.
Thift.
Than master deir gif me your hand,
And mak to me ane faithful band,
That ye sall cum again fra hand
Withoutin faill:
Oppressioun.
Tak their my hand richt faithfully
Als I promit the verelie,
To gif to the ane cuppill of kye
In Liddisdaill.
Thift puts his legs in the stockis.
Haif I nocht maid ane honest schift,
That hes betrasit common Thift?
For their is nocht under the lift,
Ane curster cors:
I am richt sure that he and I,
Within this halyeir craftily
Hes stolen ane thousand scheip and ky,
By meiris and hors.
Wald God I war baith sound and haill,
Now liftit into Liddisdaill
The Mers sold find me beif and kaill,
What rak of bread:
War I their liftit with my life,
The Devil sold stick me with ane knyfe
And ever I come again to Fife,
Quhill I war dead.
Adew I leife the Devil amang yow,
That in his fingers he may fang yow:
With all leill men that dost belang yow,
For I may rew:
That ever I came into this land,
For why ye may well understand,
I gat na geir to turn my hand:
Ʒit anis adew.
Heir sall Diligence conuoy the thrie Clerks.
Dilig.
Sir, I have brocht unto your Excellence,
Thir famous Clerks of greit intelligence:
For to the common peopill they can preich,
And in the Scuilis in Latin tongue can teich▪
This is ane Doctor of Divinity,
And thir twa Licents men of gravity.
I hear men say their conversatioun,
Is mayest in Divine Contemplatioun,
Doctor.
Grace, peace and rest from the hie Trinity,
Mot rest amang this godly cumpanie:
Heir ar we cumde as your obedients,
For to fulfill your just commandments.
What euir it please your Grace us to command,
Sir, it sall be obeyit euin fra-hand.
Rex.
Gud friends ye ar richt welcome to us all,
Sit down all thrie and geif us your counsel.
Cor.
Sir I give yow baith counsal & command,
In your office use exercitioun:
First that ye gar search out throch all your land,
Quha can nocht put to executioun
Thair office after the institutioun,
Of godly lawis, conform to their vocatioun:
Put in their places men of gude conditioun,
And this ye do without dilatioun.
Ʒe ar the head sir of this congregatioun,
Preordinat be God omnipotent:
Quhilk hes me send to mak yow supportatioun,
Into the whilk I shall be diligent.
And wha saever beis inobedient,
And will nocht suffer for to be correctit,
Thay shall be all deposit incontinent,
And from your presence they sall be deiectit.
Counsall.
Begin first at the Spritualitie,
And take of them examinatioun,
Gif they can use their divyne dewetie,
And als I mak yow supplicatioun,
All they that hes their offices misvsit,
Of them make haistie depriuatioun:
Sa that the peopill be na mair abusit.
Correctioun.
Ʒe ar ane Prince of Spritualitie.
How have ye vsit your office now let se?
Spi.
My lords when was their ony Prelates wont,
Of their office till ony King mak count?
Bot of my office gif ye wald have the feill,
I let yow wit I have it vsit well.
For I take in my count twice in the year,
Wanting nocht of my teind ane boll of beir.
I gat gude payment of my Temporal lands,
My buttock-maill, my coattis and my offrands,
With all that dost pertain my benefice,
Consider now my Lord gif I be wise.
I dar nocht marie contrair the common law,
Ane thing their is my Lord that ye may knaw.
Howbeit I dar nocht plainly spouse ane wife,
Ʒit Concubeins I have had four or fyfe.
And to my sons I have giuin rich rewairds,
And all my dochters maryit upon lairds.
I let yow wit my Lord I am na fuill,
For why I ride upon ane amland Muill.
Thair is na Temporal Lord in all this land,
That makssic cheir I let yow understand.
And als my Lord I gif with gude intentioun,
To divers Temporal Lord's ane yeirlie pensioun
To that intent that they with all their heart,
In richt and wrang sal plainly take my part.
Now have I tauld yow sir on my best ways,
How that I have exercit my office.
Cor.
I weind your office had been for til preich,
And God's law to the peopill teich,
Quhairfoir weir ye that mytour ye me tell?
Spiritu.
I wat nocht man be him that herryit hell
Cor.
That dost betakin that ye with gude intent,
Sould teich & preich the auld & New testament
Spritu.
I have ane freir to preiche into my place,
Of my office ye hear na mair whill Pasche.
Chastity.
My Lord's this Abbot and this Priores
Thay scorn their gods, this is my reason why,
Thay bear an habit of feinyeit halines,
And in their deed they do the contrary:
For to live chaist they vow solemnitly,
Bot fra that they be sikker of their bowis
Thay live in huirdome and in harlotry,
Examine them Sir, how they observe their vowis.
Correctioun.
Sir Scribe ye sall at Chastities requeist
Pas and exame yon thrie in gudlie haist.
Scribe.
Father Abbot this counsel bids me speir,
How ye have vsit your Abbay they wald heir.
And als thir Kings hes giuin to me commissioun,
Of your office for to mak inquisitioun.
Abbot.
Tuiching my office I say to yow plainly,
My Monks and I, we leif richt easily:
Thair is na Monks from Carrick to Carraill
That fairs better and drinks mair helsum Aill.
My Prior is ane man of great devotioun,
Therefore daily he gets ane double portioun.
Scribe.
My Lord's how have ye keipt your thrie vows
Abbas.
Indeid richt well till I gat hame my bows.
In my Abbay when I was sure professor,
Then did I leife as did my predecessor.
My paramours is baith als fat and fair,
As ony wench into the town of Air.
I send my sons to Pareis to the scullis,
I traist in God that they shall be na fuillis,
And all my douchters I have well providit,
Now judge ye gif my office be well gydit.
Scr.
Master Person show us gif ye can preich?
Per.
Thocht I preich not I can play at the caiche:
I wait their is nocht ane amang yow all,
Mair ferilie can play at the fut ball:
And for the carts the tabils and the dyse,
Above all persouns I may beir the pryse.
Our round bonats we mak them now four nuickit
Of richt fine stuiff gif yow list cum and luikit.
Of my office I have declarit to the,
Speir what ye pleis, ye get na mair of me.
Scribe.
What say ye now my Lady Priores?
How have ye vsit your office can ye ges?
What was the caus ye refusit harbrie?
To this young lusty Lady Chastity.
Prio.
I wald have harborit hir with gude intent,
Bot my complexioun thairto wald not assent:
I do my office after auld use and wount,
To your Parliament I will mak na mair count.
Veritie.
Now caus sum of your cunning Clerks
Quhilk ar expert in heavinlie warks,
And men fulfill it with charity
That can well preiche the verity,
And gifto sum of them command
Ane sermon for to make fra-hand.
Correction.
As ye have said I am content,
To gar sum preich incontinent,
Pausa.
Magister noster I ken how ye can teiche,
Into the scuillis and that richt ornatlie:
I pray yow now that ye wald please to preiche,
In Inglisch tongue, land folk to edify.
Doctor.
Soverane I sall obey yow humbillie,
With ane schort sermon presently in this place:
And show the word of God vnfeinyeitlie,
And sinceirlie as God will give me grace.
Heir sall the Doctor pas to the pulpit and say.
Si vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata.
Devoit peopill Sanct Paul the preichour says,
The fervent luife and father lie pity,
Quhilk God almichtie hes schawin money wayis
To man in his corrupt fragility,
Exceids all luife in earth, sa far that we
May never to God mak recompense conding
As whasa lists to reid the verity,
In holy Scripture he may find this thing.
Sic Deus dilexit mundum.
Tuiching nothing the great prerogative,
Quhilk God to man in his creatioun lent:
How man of nocht creat superlative
Was to the Image of God omnipotent
Let us consider that special luife ingent,
God had to man when our foir-father fell,
Drawing us all in his loynis immanent,
Captive from gloir in thirlage to the hell.
When Angels fell, their miserabil ruyne
Was never restorit: bot for our misery,
The Sun of God secund person divyne,
In ane pure Virgin tuke humanity:
Syne for our saik great harmis suffered he
In fasting, walking, in preiching, cauld and heit,
And at the last ane schamefull death deit he,
Betwix twa theifis on Cross he yield the Spreit:
And where an drop of his mayest precious blood
Was recompense sufficient and conding,
Ane thousand warlds to ransoun from that wod
Infernal feind, Satan, notwithstanding
He luifit us sa, that for our ransoning,
He sched forth all the blood of his body,
Riven rent and sair wondit where he did hing,
Naild on the Cross on the Mont Calvary.
Et copiosa apud eum redemptio.
O cruel death, be the the venomous
Dragon, the Devil infernal lost his pray:
Be the the stinkand, mirk, contageous,
Deip pit of hell mankynd escaipit fray.
Be the the port of Paradise alsway
Was patent maid unto the heavin sa hie:
Opinnit to man and maid ane reddie way,
To gloir eternal with th'holy Trinity.
And yet for all thisluife incomparabill,
God askis na rewaird fra us again
Bot luife for luife: in his command but fabill,
Conteinit ar all haill the lawis ten:
Baith ald and new and commandments ilk ane,
Luife been the ledder whilk hes bot steppis twa:
Be whilk we may clim up to life again,
Out of this vaill of misery and wa.
Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto cord tuo & proximum tuum sicut teipsum: in his duobus mandatis. &c.
The first step suithlie of this ledder is,
To luife thy God as the fontaine and well
Of luife and grace: and the secund I wis,
To luife thy nichtbour as thou luifis thy sell,
Quha tynis ane stop of thir twa gais to hell,
Bot he repent and turn to Christ anon,
Hauld this na fabill, the holy Evangel
Bears in effect thir words everyone.
Si vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata Dei.
Thay tyne thir steps all they wha ever did sin
In pride, invy, in ire and lecherie:
In covetice or ony extreme win,
Into sweirnes or into gluttony.
Or wha dost nocht the deids of mercy,
Gif hungry meit and gif the naikit clayis.
Pers.
Now walloway thinks thou na schame to lie▪
[] I trow the Devil a word is true thou says:
Thou says their is bot twa steppis to the heavin
Quha failyeis them man backwarts fall in hell,
I wait it is ten thousand mylis and sevin
Gif it be na mair, I do it upon thy sell.
Schort leggit men I se be Bryds bell,
Will nevir cum their, they steppis been sa wyde:
Gif they be the words of the Evangel,
The Sprituall men hes mister of ane gyde.
Abbot.
And I belief that cruikit men and blind,
Sall never get up upon sa hich ane ledder:
By my gude faith I dreid to lie behind,
Without God draw me up into ane tedder.
What and I fall, than I will break my bledder:
[] And I cum their this day the Devil speid me:
Except God make me lichter nor ane fedder,
Or send me down gude Widcok wingis to fly.
Persone.
Cum down dastart and gang sell draiff,
I understand nocht what thow said.
Thy words war nather corn nor caiff,
I wald thy tongue again war laid▪
Quhair thou says pride is deidlie sin,
I say pride is bot honesty.
And Covetice of warldlie win
Is bot wisdom, I say for me.
Ire, hardines and gluttony,
Is nothing ellis but lyfis fude:
The natural sin of lecherie
Is bot true luife, all thir ar gude.
Doctor.
God and the Kirk hes giuin command,
That all gude Christian men refuse them:
Persone.
Bot war they sin I understand,
We men of Kirk wald never use them.
Doctor.
Brother I pray the Trinity,
Ʒour faith and charity to support:
Causand yow knaw the verity,
That ye your subjects may comfort.
To your prayers peopill I recommend,
The rewlars of this nobill regioun:
That our Lord God his grace mot to them send,
On trespassours to mak punitioun.
Prayand to God from feinds yow defend,
And of your sins to gif yow full remissioun:
I say na mair, to God I yow commend.
Heir Diligence spyis the freir roundand to the Prelate
Dili.
My lords, I persaue that the Sprituall stait,
Be way of deed purpois to mak debait:
For be the counsel of yon flattrand freir,
Thay purpois to mak all this town on steir.
First Licent.
Traist ye that they will be inobedient,
To that whilkis▪ decreitit in Parliament?
Diligen.
Thay se the Paip with awful ordinance
Makis weir against the michtie King of France:
Richt sa they think that prelates suld nocht sunyie
Be way of deed defend their patrimony.
First Lice.
I pray the brother gar me understand,
Quhair ever Christ possessit ane fut of land.
Diligence.
Ʒea that he did father withoutin fail,
For Christ Jesus was King of Israel.
Fir. Li.
I grant that christ was king abuse all kings
Bot he mellit never with temporal things:
As he hes plain lie done declare him sell,
As thou may reid in his holy Evangel.
Birds hes their nests, and tods hes their den,
Bot Christ Jesus the Savior of men
In all this world hes nocht ane penny braid,
Quhair on he may repois his heavinlie head.
Diligence.
And is that true?—
—Ʒes brother be Alhallows:
Christ Jesus had na property bot the gallows.
And left not when he yeildit up the Spreit,
To by himself ane simpill winding scheit.
Diligence.
Christ's successors I understand,
Thinks na schame to have temporal land.
Father they have na will I yow assure,
In this world to be indigent and pure:
Bot sir sen ye ar called sapient,
Declair to me the caus with true intent▪
Quhy that my lusty Lady Veritie,
Hes nocht been well treatit in this cuntrie?
Batcheler.
Forsuith where Prelates uses the counsel
Of beggand freirs in monie regioun,
And they Prelates with Princes principal,
The verity but doubt is trampit down.
And Common-well put to confusioun.
Gif this be true to yow I me report:
Therefore my Lord's mak reformatioun,
Or ye depart hairtlie I yow exhort:
Sirs, freirs wald never I yow assure,
That ony Prelates vsit preiching:
And Prelates tuke on them that cure,
Freirs wald get nothing for their fleiching.
Therefore I counsel yow fra hand,
Banische yon freir out of this land,
And that incontinent:
Do ye nocht sa withoutin weir,
He will mak all this town on steir,
I knaw his falls intent.
Ʒon Priores withoutin fabill,
I think scho is nocht profitabill,
For Christis regioun.
To begin reformatioun,
Mak of them deprivatioun,
This is my opinioun.
First Serge.
Sir pleis ye that we twa invaid them,
And ye sall se us sone degraid them,
Of coill and chaplarie?
Correctioun.
Pas on I am richt well content,
Syne banische them incontinent
Out of this cuntrie.
First Sergeant.
Cum on sir freir and be nocht fleyit,
The King our master mon be obeyit,
Bot ye sall have na harm:
Gif ye wald travel fra town to town,
I think this hude and heavy goun
Will hald your wambe ovir warm▪
Flat.
Freir Now what is this that thir monster meins?
I am exemptit fra Kings and Queens,
And fra all human law:
Secund Sergeant.
Tak ye the hude and I the gown,
This limmer luiks als like ane lown,
As any that ever I saw.
First Sergeant.
Thir freirs to chaip punitioun,
Haulds them at their exemptioun,
And na man will obey:
Thay ar exempt I yow assure,
Baith fra Paip, king and Empreour,
And that makes all the pley.
Secund Sergeant.
On Dumisday when Christ sall say
Venite benedicti:
The Freirs will say without delay
Nos sumus exempts.
Heir sall they spuilye Flattrie of the Freirs habit.
Gude-counsel.
Sir be the holy Trinite,
This same is feinyeit Flattrie,
I ken him be his face:
Beleiuand for to get promotioun,
He said that his name was Devotioun,
And sa be gylit your grace,
First Sergeant.
Cum on my Lady Priores,
We sall leir yow to dance:
And that within ane lytill space,
Ane new pavin of France.
Heir sall they spuilye the Priores and scho sall have ane kirtill of silk under hir habit.
Now brother be the Mass,
Be my judgment I think
This holy Priores
Is turnit in ane cowclink.
Priores.
I gif my friends my malisoun,
That me compellit to be ane Nun
And wald nocht let me marie:
It was my friends greadines,
That gart me be ane Priores,
Now hartlie them I wary.
Howbeit that Nunnis sing nichts and days,
Thair heart waitis nocht what their mouth says
The suith I yow declare:
Makand yow intimatioun,
To Christis congregatioun,
Nunnis ar nocht necessair▪
Bot I sall do the best I can,
And marie sum gude honest man,
And brew gude aill and tun:
Marriage be my opinioun,
It is better Religoun,
As to be freir or Nun.
Flat. free.
My Lord's for God's saik let not hang me
Howbeit that widdiefows wald wrang me
I can mak na debait:
To win my meat at pleuch nor harrowis,
Bot I sall help to hang my marrowis,
Baith Falset and Dissait.
Correct.
Than pas thy way & greath the gallous
Syne help for to hang up thy fellow is,
Thou gets na other grace:
Of that office I am content,
Bot our Prelates I dread repent,
Be I fleimde from their face.
Heir sall Flattrie sit beside his marrowis.
Dissait.
Now Flattrie my auld companyeoun,
What dost yon King Correctioun?
Knawis thou nocht his intent?
Declair to us of thy novellis:
Ʒe'ile all be hangit, I se nocht ellis,
And that incontinent.
Dissait.
Now walloway will ye gar hang us?
[] she Devil brocht yon cursed king amang us,
For mekill sturt and strife:
Flattrie.
I had been put to deed amang yow,
War nocht I tuke on hand till hang yow,
And sa I saisit my lyse.
I heir them say they will cry down,
All freirs and Nunnis in this Region,
Sa far as I can feill:
Becaus they ar nocht necessair,
And als they think they ar contrair,
To John the common-well.
Heir sal the Kings and the temporal stait round togider.
Correcti.
With the advice of King Humanity,
Heir I determine with rype advysement,
That all thir Prelates sall deprivit be,
And be decreit of this present Paliament,
That thir thrie cunning Clerks sapient
Immediatlie their places sall posses:
Becaus that they have been sa negligent,
Suffring the word of God for till decres.
Rex Hu.
As ye have said but dout it shall be done,
Pas to and mak this interchainging sone.
The Kings servants lay hands on the thrie prelates & says.
Wanton.
My Lord's we pray yow to be patient,
For we will do the Kings commandment.
Spritualitie.
I mak ane vow to God and ye us handill,
Ʒe sallbe cursed and gragit with buik and candill:
Syne we sall pas unto the Palp and pleinyie,
And to the Devil of hell condemn this meinye▪
For why sic reformatioun as I weine
Into Scotland was never hard nor seine.
Heir sal they spuilye them with silence and put their habit on the thrie Clerks.
Merchant.
We mervell of yow paintit sepulturis,
That was sa bauld for to accept sic cuiris.
With glorious habit rydand upon your Muillis,
Now men may se ye ar bot very fuillis.
Sprituali.
We say the Kings war greiter fuillis nor we
That us promovit to sa greit dignity.
Abbot.
Thair is ane thousand in the kirk but doubt,
Sic fuillis as'we gif they war well socht out,
Now brother sen it may na better be,
Let us gasoup with Sensuality.
Heir sall they pas to Sensuality.
Spritua.
Madame I pray yow mak us thrie gude cheir,
We cure nocht to remain with yow all year.
Sensuality.
Pas fra us fuillis be him that hes us wrocht
Ʒe ludge nocht heir, because I knaw yow nocht.
Spritualitie.
Sir Covetice will ye also misken me?
I wait richt well ye will baith gif and len me:
Speid hand my friend spair nocht to break the lockis,
Gif me ane thousand crouns out of my box.
Covetice.
Quhairfoit sir fuil gif yow ane thousand crowns▪
Ga hence ye seime to be thrie very lowns.
Spritualitie.
I se nocht else brother withoutin faill,
Bot this falls world is turnit top ouir taill:
Senall is vain that is under the lift,
To win our meat we man make other schift.
With our labor except we mak debait,
I dreid full sair we want baith drink and meat.
Persone.
Gif with our labor we man us defend,
Then let us gang where we war never kend.
Spritualitie.
I wyte thir freirs that I am thus abusit,
For by their counsel I have been confusit.
Thay gart me trow it suffysit▪ alas,
To gar them plainly preich into my place.
Abbot.
Alas, this reformatioun I may wary,
For I have yet twa dochters for to marie▪
And they ar baith contractit be the Rude,
And waits nocht how to pay their tocher-gude.
[] Pers.
The Devil mak cair for this unhappy chance,
For I am young and thinks to pas to France.
And take wages amang the men of weir,
And win my living with my sword and speir.
The Bischop, Abbot, person, and Priores depaires altogidder.
Gude-counsel.
Or ye depairt sir aff this Region,
Gif John the Common-well ane gay garmoun:
Becaus the Common-well hes been overluikit,
That is the caus that Common-well is cruikit.
With singular profeit he hes been sa supprysit,
That he is baith cauld, naikit and disgysit.
Correctioun.
As ye have said father I am content,
Sergeants gif John ane new abuilyement.
Of Sating, Damais or of the Velvot fine,
And gif him place in our Parliament syne.
Heir sal they cleith John the common-weil gorgeouslie and set him down amang them in the Parliament.
All verteous peopil now may be reioisit,
Sen Common-well hes gottin ane gay garmoun:
And ignorants out of the Kirk deposit,
Devoit Doctors and Clerks of renoun
Now in the Kirk sall have dominioun:
And Gude-counsel with Lady Veritie
Ar professed with our kings Majesty.
Blist is that Realm that hes ane prudent King,
Quhilk dost delight to heir the verity,
Punisching tha me that plainly dost maling,
Contrair the Common-well and equity.
Thair may na peopill have prosperity,
Quhair ignorance hes the dominioun,
And common-weil be tirants trampit down.
Pausa.
Now masters ye sall heir incontinent,
At great leysour in your presence proclamit
The Nobill Acts of our Parliament,
Of whilks we neid nocht for to be aschamit▪
Cum heir trumpet & sound your warning tone
That every man may knaw what he have done.
Heir sall Diligence with the Scribe and the trumpet pas to the pulpit and proclaim the Actis.
The first Act.
IT is devysit be thir prudent Kings,
Correctioun and King Humanity,
That their Leigis enduring all their Ringis,
With the avyce of the estaits thrie
Sall manfullie defend and fortify
The Kirk of Christ and his Religioun,
Without dissimulance or hypocrisy:
Under the pain of their punitioun.
2.
Als they will that the Acts honorabill,
Maid be our Prince in the last Parliament,
Becaus they ar baith gude and profitabill,
Thay willl that every man be diligent
Them till observe with vnseinyeit intent.
Quha disobey is inobedientlie
Be their law is but doubt they sall repent▪
And painis conteinit thairin sall vnderly.
3.
And als the Common-weil for til advance,
It is statute that all the Temporal lands,
Be set in few after the form of France
Til verteous men that labors with their hands▪
Resonabillie restrictit with sic bands,
That they do service nevertheless
And to besubiect ay under the wands:
That riches may with policy incres.
4.
Item this prudent Parliament hes devysit,
Gif Lord's halds under their dominioun
Theifis, where throch puir peopil bein supprisit:
For them they sall make answeir to the croun,
And to the pure mak restitutioun:
Without they put them in the judges hands▪
For their default to suffer punitioun,
Sa that na theifis remain within their lands.
5.
To that intent that Justice sold incres
It is concludit in this Parliament,
That into Elgin or into Innernesse
Sall be ane suit of Clerks sapient,
Togidder with ane prudent Precident
To do justice in all the Norther Airtis,
Sa equally without impediment,
That they neid nocht seek justice in thir pairts.
6.
With license of the Kirks halines,
That justice may be done continually,
All the maters of Scotland mair and les,
To thir twa famous saits perpetuallie
Salbe directit, because men seis plainly,
Thir wantoun Nunnis ar na way necessair,
Till Common-well nor yet to the glory
Of Christ's Kirk, thocht they be fat and fair.
And als that fragill order feminine,
Will nocht be missit in Christ's Religioun,
Thair rents vsit till ane better fine:
For Common-well of all this Region.
Ilk Senature for that erectioun,
For the vphalding of their gravity
Sall have five hundredth mark of pensioun.
And also bot twa sall their nummer be
Into the North saxteine sall their remain,
Saxtein right sa in our mayest famous town
Of Edinburgh to serve our Soveraine:
Chosen without partial affectioun
Of the mayest cunning Clerks of this Region:
Thair Chancellar chosen of ane famous Clark,
Ane cunning man of great perfectioun,
And for his pensioun have ane thousand mark.
7.
It is devysit in this Parliament,
From this day forth na mater Temporal
Our new Prelates thairto hes done consent
Cum before Judges consistoriall,
Quhilk hes been sa prolixt and partial:
To the great hurt of the community:
Let Temporal men seek Judges Temporal▪
And Sprituall men to Spritualitie.
8.
Na benefice beis giffin in time cumming,
Bot to men of gude eruditioun:
Expert in the holy Scripture and cunning,
And that they be of gude conditioun:
Of public vices but suspitioun,
And qualefiet richt prudentlie to preich,
To their awin folk baith into land and town
Or ellis in famous scuillis for to teich:
Als because of the great plurality
Of ignorant Priests ma then ane Legioun.
Qi hair throch of Teicheouris the heich dignity,
Is vilipendit in ilk Region▪
Therefore our Court hes maid provisioun,
That na Bshops mak teichours in time cumming:
Except men of gude eruditioun,
And for Preistheid qualefeit and cunning▪
Siclyke as ye se in the borrows town
Ane Tailyeour is nocht sufferit to remain,
Without he can mak doublet, coat and gown,
He man gang till his prenteischip again:
Bischops sold nocht ressaue me think certain,
Into the Kirk except ane cunning Clark:
Ane idiot priest Isaiah compaireth plain,
Till ane dum dog that can nocht byte nor bark.
10.
From this day forth se na Prelates pretend,
Under the pain of inobedience
At Prince or Paip to purchase ane command
Again the kow because it dost offense:
Till ony Priest we think sufficience
And benefice for to serve God withal,
Twa Prelatssall na man have from thence,
Without that he be of the blood Royal.
11.
Item this prudent counsel hes concludit,
Sa that our holy Vickars be nocht wraith
From this day forth they shall be clean denudit
Baith of corspresent cow and vmest claith.
To pure commons because it hath done skaith
And mairouer we think it lytill force,
Howbeit the Barrouns thairto will be laith,
From thine-forth they sall want their hyrald hors.
12.
It is decreit that in this Parliament
Ilk Bischop▪ Minister, Prior and Persoun▪
To the effect they may take better tent
To saulis under their dominioun,
Efter the form of their fundatioun,
Ilk Bischop in his Diosie sall remain:
And everilk Persone in his parachoun,
Teiching their folk from vices to refrain.
13.
Becaus that clarks our substance dost cōsum
For bills and process of their prelacies:
Therefore their sall na money ga to Rome
From this day forth or any benefice:
Bot gif it be for greit Archbischopries,
As for the rest na money gais at all:
For the incressing of their dignities,
Na mair nor did to Peter nor to Paul.
14.
Considering yat our Priests for the mayest part
Thay want the gift of Chastity wese:
Cupido hes sa perst them throch the heart,
We grant them license and fry liberty,
That they may have fair Virgins to their wyfis:
And sa keep matrimonial Chastity,
And nocht in huirdome for to leid their lyfis.
15.
This Parliament richt sa hes done conclude
From this day forth our Barrouns temporal,
Sall na mair mix their nobil ancient blood
With bastard bairns of Stait Spiritual:
Ilk stait amang their awin selfs marie sall,
Gif Nobils marie with the Spritualitie,
From thine subject they shall be, and all
Sal be degraithit of their Nobility.
And from amang the Nobils cancellit:
Unto the time they by their liberty,
Rehabilit be the civil magistrate
And sa sall marie the Spiritualitie.
Bichops with bischops sall mak affinity,
Abbots and Priors with the Priores:
As Bischop Annas in Scripture we may se,
Maryit his dochter on Bischop Caiaphas.
Now have ye heard the Acts honorabill,
Devysit in this present Parliament,
To Common-well we think agreabill:
All faithful folk sold heirof be content,
Them till observe with hartlie true intent,
I wait nane will against our Acts rebel,
Nor till our law be inobedient,
Bot Plutois band the potent prince of hell.
Heir sall Pauper cum before the King and say.
Pauper.
I gif yow my braid bennesoun,
That hes givin Common-well a goun:
I wald nocht for ane pair of plackis,
Ʒe had nocht maid this nobill Actis.
I pray to God and sweet Sanct Geill,
To gif yow grace to use them well:
Wer they well keipit I understand,
It war great honor to Scotland.
It had been als gude ye had sleipit,
As to mak acts and be nocht keipit:
Bot I beseik yow for Alhallows,
To heid Dissait and hang his fellows.
And banische Flattrie aff the town,
For their was never sic ane loun.
That beand done I hauld it best,
That every man ga to his rest.
Correctioun▪ As thou hes said it shall be done,
Suyith Sergeants hang yon swingeours sone.
Heir sal the Sergeants lous the presoners out of the and stocks leid them the to gallows.
Frst Ser.
Cum heir sir Thief, cum heir, cum heir
When war ye wont to be sa sweir?
To hunt Cattle ye war ay speidie
Therefore ye sall weave in ane widdie.
Thift.
Man I be hangit▪ alas, alas,
Is their nane heir may get me grace?
Ʒit or I die gif me ane drink.
First Sergeant.
Fy huirsun carle I feil ane stink▪
Thift.
Thocht I wald nocht that it wittin
[]Sir in gude faith I am bedirtin:
To wit the verity gif ye pleis
Louse down my hois▪ put in your neis.
First Segeant.
Thou art ane limmer I stand foird
Slip in thy head into this coird:
For thou had never ane meiter tippit,
Thift.
Alas this is ane fellon rippit.
Pausa.
The widdifow wairdanis tuke my geir,
And left me nether hors nor meir:
Nor earthly gude that me belangit,
Now walloway I man be hangit.
Repent your lyfis, ye plain oppressors,
All ye misdoras and transgreslours:
Or ellis gar choose yow gude confessors,
And mak yow forde:
For gif ye tarie in this land,
And cum under Correctiouns hand:
Ʒour grace shall be I understand,
Ane gude scharp coird.
Adew my brethren common theifis,
That helpit me in my mischeifis.
Adew Grosars, Nicksons and Bellis
Oft have we run out-thoart the fellis.
Adew Robsonis, Haues and Pyslilis
That in our craft hes money wyllis.
Lytils Trumbels and Armestrangs,
Adew all theifis that me belangs▪
Tailyeours, Curwings and Elwands,
Speidie of fut and wicht of hands.
The Scottis of Ewisdaill and the Graimis
I have na time to tell your namis:
With King Correctioun and ye be fangit,
Beleif richt well ye will be hangit.
Fi. Serg.
Speid hand man with thy clitter clatter.
Thift.
For God's saik sir let me mak watter.
Howbeit I have been cattle-gredie
It schamis to pische into ane widdie.
Heir sal Thift be drwin up, or his figour.
Secu. Serge.
Cum heir Dissait my companyeoun
Saw ever ane man lyker ane loun?
To hing upon ane gallows:
Dissait.
This is aneuch to make me mangit,
Duill fell me, that I man be hangit,
Let me speak with my fallows.
I trow wan-fortune brocht me heir
What mekill feind maid me sa speidie?
Sen it was said it is sevin year,
That I sold weave into ane widdie▪
I leirit my masters to be gredie,
Adew, for I se na remeid:
Luke what it is to be evil-deidie.
Secund Sergeant.
Now in this halter slip thy hand,
Stand still, me think ye draw aback:
Dissait.
Alas master ye hurt my crag,
Secund Sergeant.
It will hurt better I woid an plak,
Richt now when ye hing on ane knag.
Dissait.
Adew my masters merchant men,
I have yow servit as ye ken:
Truelie baith air and lait:
I say to yow for conclusioun,
I dreid ye gang to confusioun,
Fra time ye want Dissait.
I leirit yow merchants money ane wyle,
Vpalands wyfis for to begyle,
Upon ane markit day:
And gar them trow your stuff was gude,
When it was rottin be the Rude,
And sweir it was nocht sway.
I was ay roundand in your ear,
And leirit yow for to ban and sweir,
What your geir cost in France:
Howbeit the Devil ane word was true,
Ʒour craft gif King Correctioun knew,
Wald turn yow to mischance.
I leirit yow wyllis many fauld,
To mix the new wyne and the auld,
That faschioun was na folly:
To sell richt deir and by gude▪chaip,
And mix Ry-meill amang the saip,
And Saiffrone with Oil-dolie.
Foryet nocht ocker I counsel yow,
Mair then the vicker dost the kow,
Or Lord's their doubill maill:
Howbeit your elwand be too skant,
Or your pound wecht thrie vnces want,
Think that bot lytill faill.
Adew the greit Clan Iamesone,
The blood Royal of Clappertoun,
I was ay to yow true:
Baith Andersone and Patersone,
Above them all Thome Williamsone,
My absence ye will rew.
Thome Williamsone it is your pairt,
To pray for me with all your hairt,
And think upon my warks:
How I leirit yow ane gude lessoun,
For to begyle in Edinburgh town,
The Bischop and his Clerks.
Ʒe young merchants may cry alas,
For wanting of your wonted grace,
Ʒon cursed King ye may ban:
Had I leifit bot half ane year
I sold have leirit yow crafts perqueir,
To begyle wife and man.
How may ye merchants mak debait?
Fra time ye want your man Dissait,
For yow I mak great cair:
Without I rise fra deed to life,
I wait well ye will never thryfe,
Farther nor the fourth air.
Heir sal Dissait be drawin up or ellis his figure.
First Ser.
Cum heir Falset & mence the gallows,
Ʒe man hing up amang your fallows,
For your cankart conditioun:
Monie ane true man have ye wragnit,
Therefore but doubt ye shall be hangit,
But mercy or remissioun.
Falset.
Alas, man I be hangit to?
What mekill Devil is this ado?
How came I to this cummer?
My gude masters ye crafts men,
Want ye Falset full well I ken,
Ʒe will all die for hunger.
Ʒe men of craft may cry alas,
When ye want me ye want your grace:
Therefore put into write:
My lessouns that I did yow leir,
Howbeit the commons eyne ye bleir,
Count ye nocht that ane myte.
Find me ane Wobster that is leill,
Orane Walker that will nocht steill,
Thair craftiness I ken:
Or ane Millair, that is na fault,
That will nather steill meall nor malt,
Hauld them for holy men.
At our fleschers take ye na grief,
Thocht they blaw lean mutton and beife,
That they seime fat and fair:
Thay think that practic bot ane mow,
Howbeit the Devil a thing it dow,
To thame I leirit that lair.
I leirit Tailyeours in every town,
To schaip five quarters in ane goun,
In Angus and in Fife:
To vplands Tailyeours I gave gude leife,
To steill ane silly stump or sleife,
Unto kittok his wife.
My gude master Andro Fortoun,
Of Tailyeours that may weir the croun,
For me he will be mangit:
Tailyeour Baberage my sone and air,
I wait for me will rudlie rair,
Fra time he se me hangit.
The barfit Deacon Iamie Ralfe,
Quha never yet bocht kow nor calf,
Becaus he can nocht steall:
Willie Cadyeoch will make na plead,
Howbeit his wife want beife and bread,
Get he gude barmie aill.
To the brousters of Cowper town,
I leife my braidblack malesoun,
Als hardie as I may:
To make thin aill they think na fault,
Of mekill barme and lytill malt,
Agane the market day.
And they can mak withoutin doubt,
Ane kind of aill they call Harns-out,
Wait ye how they mak that?
Ane curtill queine ane laidlie lurdane,
Of strang wesche scho will take ane iurdane,
And settis in the gyle-fat.
Quha drinks of that aill, man or page
It will gar all his harnis rage,
That iurdane I may rew:
It gart my heid rin hiddie giddy,
Sirs God nor I die in ane widdie,
Gif this taill be nocht true.
Speir at the Sowtar Geordie Sillie,
Fra time that he had filled his belly,
With this vnhelthsum aill:
Than all the Baxter's will I ban,
That mixes bread with dust and bran,
And fine flour with beir maill.
Adew my masters Wrichts and Maissouns,
I have neid to leir yow few lessouns,
Ʒe knaw my craft perqueir:
Adew blak-Smythis and Lorimers,
Adew ye crafty Cordiners,
That sellis the schone over deir▪
Gold Smythis fair-well above them all,
Remember my memorial,
With money ane sittill cast:
To mix set ye nocht by twa preinis
Fyne Ducat gold with hard Gudlingis,
Lyke as I leirnit yow last.
When I was ludgit vpaland,
The Schiphirds maid with me ane band,
Richt craftelie to steill:
Than did I gif ane confirmatioun,
To all the Schiphirdis of this Natioun,
That they sold never be leill.
And ilk ane to reser ane other,
I knaw falls Schiphirds fyftie fidder,
War their canteleinis kend:
How they mak in their conventiouns,
On montans far fra ony touns,
To let them never mend.
Amang crafts men it is ane wonder,
To find ten leill amang ane hunder
The truth I to yow tell:
Adew I may na langer tarie,
I man pas to the King of Farie,
Or ellis the right to hell▪
Heir sall he luke up to his fallows hingand.
Wais me for the gude common thift,
Was never man maid ane mair honest schift,
His leifing for to win:
Thair was nocht ane in all Lidsdaill,
That ky mair crastelie culled staill,
Quhair thou hings on that pin.
Satan ressaue thy soul Dissait,
Thou was to me ane faithful mait,
Andals my father brother:
Duill fell the silly merchant men,
To mak them service well I ken,
Thaill never get sic ane other.
Heir sall they festin the cord to his neck with ane dum countenance thairefter he sall say.
Gif any man list for to be my mait,
Cum follow me for I am at the gait:
Cum follow me all catyfe covetous Kings,
Reauers but richt of vthers Realmis and Rings.
Togidder with all wrangous conquerors.
And bring with yow all public oppressors.
With Pharaoh King of Egyptians
With him in hell shall be your recompense.
All cruel schedders of blood innocent,
Cum follow me or ellis rin and repent▪
Prelates that hes ma benefeits nor thrie,
And will nocht teich nor preiche the verity▪
Without at God in time they cry for grace,
In hiddeous hell I sall prepair their place.
Cum follow me all falls corruptit Judges,
With Pontius Pilate I sall prepair your Judges
All ye officials that parts men with their wyfis,
Cum follow me or else gang mend your lyfis:
With all falls leiders of the constrie law,
With wanton Scribs and Clerks intill ane raw.
That to the puir makes money partial train,
Syne
hodie ad octo
bids them cum again.
And ye that takes rewairds at baith the hands,
Ʒe sall with me be bund in Baliels bands.
Cum follow me all cursed unhappy wyfis,
That with your gudemen daily flytis and stryfis,
And quyetlie with rybalds makes repair,
And takes na cure to make ane wrangous air.
Ʒe sal in hell rewairdit be I wein,
With Jezebel of Israel the Queen.
I have ane cursed unhappy wife my sell,
Wald God scho war before me into hell:
That Bismair war scho their withoutin doubt,
Out of hell the Devil scho wald ding out.
Ʒe maryit men evin as ye luife your lyfis,
Let never priests be hamelie with your wyfis.
My wife with priests sho doth me greit onricht
And maid me nine times cuckald on ane nicht.
Fairweil for I am to the widdie wend,
For why falset maid never ane better end.
Heir sal he be heisit up, and not his figure and an Craw or ane Ke shall be castin up as it war his soul.
Flattrie.
Have I nocht chaipit the widdie weil?
Ʒea that I have have be sweet Sanct Geill,
For I had nocht been wrangit:
Becaus I servit be Alhallows,
Till have been merchellit amang my fellowis:
And heich above them hangit.
I maid far ma falts nor my maits,
I begylde all the thrie estaits,
With my hypocrisy:
When I had on my freirs hude
All men beleifit that I was gude▪
Now judge ye gif I be.
Tak mean rackles rubyatour,
Ane thief ane tyrane or ane tratour,
Of every vice the plant.
Gif him the habit of ane freir,
The wyfis will trow withoutin weir,
He be ane very Saint.
I knaw that cowle ane skaplarie,
Genners mair hait nor charity,
Thocht they be blak or blew:
What halines is their within,
Ane wolf cled in ane wedders skin,
Judge ye gif this be true.
Sen I have chaipit this fiery farie,
Adew I will na Langer tarie,
To cumber yow with my clatter:
Bot I will with ane humbill spreit,
Gang serve the Hermeit of Lareit:
And leir him for till flatter.
Heir sal enter Foly
Foly.
Gude day my Lord's and als God saine,
Dois na man bid gude day again?
When fuillis ar fow then ar they fain,
Ken ye nocht me?
How call they me can ye nocht tell?
Now be him that herryit hell,
I wait nocht how they call my sell,
Bot gif I lie.
Diligen.
What brybour is this that makes sic beiris?
Foly.
The feind ressaue that mouth that speirs:
Gude-man ga play yow with your feiris,
With muck upon your mow:
Diligence.
Fond fuill where hes thou been sa lait?
Foly.
Marie cummand throw the Schogait.
Bot their hes been ane great debait▪
Betwixt me and ane Sow.
The Sow cryit guff and I to ga,
Throw speid of fute I gat awa,
Bot in the midst of the cawsa,
I fell into ane midding:
Scho lap upon me with ane bend,
Quha ever the midings sold amend,
God send them ane mischevous end,
For that is bot God's bidding.
As I was pudlit their God wait,
Bot with my club I maid debait:
Ise never cum again that gait,
I sweir yow be Alhallows
I wald the officiars of the town,
That suffers sic confusion▪
That they war harbreit with Mahown,
Or hangit on ane gallows.
Fy fy that sic ane fair cuntrie,
Sould stand sa lang but policy:
I gif them to the Devil hartlie.
That hes the wyte:
I wald the Provost wald take in heid,
Of yon midding to make remeid,
Quhilk pat me and the Sow at feid,
What may I do bot flyte?
Rex.
Pas on my servant Diligence,
And bring yon suill to our presence.
Diligence.
That sall be done but tarrying,
Foly ye man ga to the King.
Foly.
The King, what kind of thing is that?
Is yon he with the goldin Hat?
Diligence.
Ʒon same is he, cum on thy way:
Foly.
Gif ye be King God yow gude day,
I have ane plaint to make to yow:
Rex.
Quhom on Folie?—
—Folie.
Marie on ane Sow.
Sir scho hes sworn that scho sall sla me,
Or ellis byte baith my balloks fra me:
Gif ye be King be Sanct Allan,
Ʒe sold do Justice to ilk man.
Had I nocht keipit me with my club,
The Sow had drawin me in ane dub.
I heir them say their is cum to the town,
Ane King called Correctioun.
I pray, yow tell me whilk is he:
Diligence.
Ʒon with the wings, may hocht se?
Folie.
Now wallie fall that well fairde mow,
Sir I pray yow correct yon Sow:
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Quhilk with hir teith but sword or knyfe,
Had mayest have reft me of my life:
Gif ye will nocht mak correctioun,
Than gif me your protectioun
Of all Swyne for to be skaithles
Betuix this town and Innernes.
Dili,
Foly hes thou ane wife at hame?
Foly.
Ʒea that I have, God send hir schame:
Itrow be this scho is neir deed,
I left ane wife bind and hir heid,
To show hir seiknes I think schame,
Scho hes sic rumbling in hir wambe:
That all the nicht my heart overcasts,
With bocking and with thunder-blasts,
Diligence.
Peradventure scho be with bairne:
Folie.
Alas I trow scho be forfairne.
Scho sobbit and scho feil in sown,
And than they rubbit hir up and down:
Scho riftit, routit and maid sic stends,
Scho yield and gaid at baith the ends.
Till scho had castin ane cuppill of quarts
Syne all turn it to ane rickill of farts.
Scho blubert, bockit and braik it still,
Hir arsse gaid evin like ane wind mill.
Scho stumblit and stutterit with sic stends,
That scho recanti at baith the ends.
Sik dismell drogs fra hir scho schot,
Quhill scho maid all the fluir on flot.
Of hir hurdies scho scho had na hauld,
Quhill scho had twmed hir monyfauld:
Dilig.
Better bring hir to the Leitches heir:
Folie.
Trittill trattill, scho may nocht steir,
Hir very buttoks makes sic beir,
It skars baith foill and fillie:
Scho bocks such bagage fra hir breist,
He wants na bubbils that sittis hir neist,
And ay scho cryis a priest a priest,
With ilk a whillie lily.
Diligence.
Recoverit scho nocht at the last?
Folie
Ʒea bot wit ye weil scho fartit fast.
Bot when scho sichis my heart is sorry,
Diligence.
Bot drinks scho ocht?—
—Folie.
Ʒe be Sanct Marie,
Ane quart at anis it will nocht tarie,
And leif the Devil a drap:
Than sic flobbage scho layis fra hir,
About the wallis, God wait sic wair,
When it was drunkin I gat to skair,
The lickings of the cap.
Diligence.
what is in that creill I pray the tell?
Folie.
Marie I have Folie Hats to sell.
Dili.
I pray the sell me ane or tway:
Folie Na tarie whill the market day▪
I will sit down heir be Sanct Clune,
And gif my babies their disiune.
Cum heir gude Glaiks my dochter deir
Thousalbe maryit within ane year,
Upon ane freir of Tillilum,
Na thou art nather deaf nor dum:
Cum hidder Stult my sone and air,
My joy thou art baith gude and fair:
Now sall I efnd yow as I may
Thocht ye cry like ane Ke all day.
Heir sal the bairns cry keck like ane Kae and he sal put meat in their mouth.
Diligence.
Get up Folie but tarrying,
And speid yow haistelie to the King
Get up me think the carle is dum.
Folie.
Now bum baleriebum bum.
Diligence.
I trow the trucour lyis in ane trance
Get up man with ane mirrie mischance:
Or be Sanct Dyonis of France,
Ise gar the want thy wallet:
Its schame to se man how thow lyis,
Folie.
Wa yet again now this is thryis:
[] The Devil wirrie me and I rise,
Bot I sall break thy pallet.
Me think my pillok will nocht lie down,
Hauld down your head ye lurdon loun,
Ʒon fair las with the Sating goun
Gars yow thus bek and bend:
Take their ane neidill for your cace
Now for all the hiding of your face,
Had I yow in ane quiet place.
Ʒe wald nocht wane to flend.
Thir bony armis that ar cled in silk,
Ar evin als wantoun as any wilk,
I wald forbeir baith bread and milk
To kis thy bony lippis:
Suppois ye luke as ye war wraith,
War ye at quiet behind ane claith,
Ʒe wald not stick to preife my graith,
With hobling of your hippis.
Diligence.
Suyith harlot haist the to the King
And let allane thy trattilling.
Lo heir is Folie sir already,
Ane richt sweir swingeour be our Lady.
Folie.
Thou art not half sa sweir thy sell,
What meins this pulpit, I pray the tell?
Dili.
Our new Bischops hes maid ane preiching,
Bot thou heard never sic pleasant teiching:
Ʒon Bischop will preich throch the coast,
Folie.
Than stryk ane hag into the poast,
For I hard never in all my life,
Ane Bischop cum to preich in Fife.
Gif Bischops to be preichours leiris,
Wallaway what sall word of freiris?
Gif Prelates preich in brugh and land,
The silly freirs I understand
Thay will get na mair meall nor malt,
Sa I dreid freirs sall die for fault.
Sen sa is that yon nobill King,
Will mak men Bischops for preiching:
What say ye sirs, hauld ye nocht best?
That I gang preich amang the rest.
When I have preichit on my best wayis,
Then will I sell my merchandise,
To my bretherin and tender maits,
That dwells amang the thrie estaits.
For I have heir gude chaifery,
Till any fuill that lists to by.
Heir sall Foly hing up his hattis on the pulpet and say.
God sen I had ane Doctors hude.
Rex.
Quhy Folie wald thou mak ane preiching?
Folie.
Ʒea that I wald sir be the Rude,
But either flattering or fleiching.
Rex.
Now brother let us heir his teiching,
To pas our time and heir him raise.
Dili.
He war far meiter for the kitching,
Amang the pottis sa Christ me safe.
Fond Foly sall I be thy Clark,
And answeir the ay with amen:
Foly.
Now at the beginning of my wark,
The feind ressaue that graceless grim.
Heir sal Folie begin hir sermon, as followis.
Stultorum numerus infinitus.
Solomon the mayest sapient King
In Israel whan he did ring,
Thir words in effect did write,
The number of fuillis ar infinite.
I think na schame sa Christ me safe,
To be ane fuill amang the laife,
Howbeit ane hundredth stands heir by,
Preventure als great fuillis as I.
Stultorum.
I have of my Genelogie,
Dwelland in every cuntrie,
Earls, Duiks, Kings, and Empriours,
With money guckit Conquerors:
Quhilk dost in Folie perseveir,
And hes done sa this many year.
Sum seiks to warldlie dignities,
And sum to sensual vanities
What vails all thir vain honors,
Nocht being sure to leife twa houris?
Sum greidie fuill dost fill ane box,
Ane other fuill cummis and breaks the lox:
And spends that other fuillis hes spaird,
Quhilk never thocht on them to wairde.
Sum dost as they sold never die,
Is nocht this folie, what say ye?
Sapientia huius mundi stultitia est apud Deum.
Becaus their is sa many fuillis,
Rydand on hors and sum on muillis:
Heir I have bocht gude chafery,
Till ony fuill that lists to by.
And specially for the thrie estaits,
Quhair I have money tender maits:
Quhilk causit them as ye may se,
Gang backwart throw the haill cuntrie.
Gif with my merchandise ye list to mell,
Heir I have Folie Hattis to sell.
Quhairfoir is this Hat wald ye ken?
Marie for insatiabill merchant men.
When God hes send them abundance
Ar nocht content with sufficiance.
Bot saillis into the stormy blastis,
In Winter to get greater castis:
In money terribill great torment,
Against the Acts of Parliament.
Sum tynis their geir, and sum ar drounde,
With this sic merchants sold be crounde.
Dili.
Quhom to schaips thou to sell that hude?
I trow to sum great man of gude.
Folie.
This hude to sell richt fain I wald,
Till him that is baith auld & called:
Reddie till pas to hell or heavin,
And hes fair bairns sax or seavin:
And is of age fourscoir of year,
And takes ane lasse to be his peir:
Quhilk is nocht fourteine year of age,
And ioynis with hir in marriage:
Geifand hir traist that scho nocht wald,
Rycht haistelie mak him cuckald▪
Quha maryes beand sa neir their dead,
Set on this Hat upon his head.
Dili.
What Hude is that tell me I pray the?
Folie.
This is ane holy Hude I say the,
This Hude is ordanit I the assure,
For Sprituall fuillis that takes in cure,
The saullis of great Diosies,
And regiment of great Abesies,
For gredines of warldlie pelf,
Than can nocht justly gyde them self.
Vthers sauls to safe it settis them well,
Syne sell them a win saullis to the Devil.
Quha ever dost sa, this I conclude,
Upon his heid set on this Hude:
Diligence, Foly is their ony sic men
Now in the Kirk that thou can ken?
How sall I ken them?—
—Folie.
Na keep that clois,
Ex operibus eorum cognoscetis eos.
And fuillis speak of the Prelacie,
It will be hauldin for heresy.
Rex.
Speik on hardly I gif the leife:
Foly.
Than my remissioun is in my sleife.
Will ye leife me to speak of Kings?
Rex.
Ʒea hardly speak of all kin things.
Conforming to my first narratioun,
Ʒe ar all fuillis be Coks passioun.
Dili.
Thou leis, I trow thisfuill be man git.
Folie.
Gif I lie God nor thou behangit.
For I have heir I to the tell
Ane nobill cap imperiell,
Quhilk is nocht ordanit bot for doings,
Of Empreours, of Duiks and Kings.
For princelie and imperial fuillis,
Thay sold have luggis als lang as Muillis.
The pride of Princes without in faill,
Gars all the world rin top ovir taill.
To win them warldlie gloir and gude,
Thay cure nocht schedding of saikles blood.
What cummer have ye had in Scotland,
Be our auld enemies of Ingland?
Had nocht been the support of France,
We had been brocht to great mischance.
Now I heir tell the Empreour,
Schaippis for till be ane Conqueror.
And is muifing his ordinance,
Against the Nobill King of France.
Bot I knaw nocht his just querrell,
That he hes for till mak battle.
All the Princes of Almanie,
Spainye, Flanders and Italy.
This present year ar in ane flocht:
Sum sall their wages find deir bocht.
The Paip with bombard, speir and scheild,
Hes send his army to the field.
Sanct Peter, Sanct Paul nor Sanct Androw,
Raisit never sic ane Oist I trow.
Is this fraternal charity,
▪Or furious folie, what say ye?
Thay leird nocht this at Christis Scuillis:
Therefore I think them very fuillis.
I think it folie be God's mother,
Ilk Christian Prince to ding down other:
Becaus that this hat sold belang them,
Gang thou and part it evin amang them,
The Prophesy withouttin weir,
Of Merling beis compleit this year:
For my gudame the Gyre Carling,
Leirnde me the Prophesy of Marling:
Quhairof I sall show the sentence,
Gif ye will gif me audience.
Flan Fran resurgent, simul Hispan viribus urgent,
Dani vastabunt, Vallones valla parabunt.
Sic tibi nomen in a mulier cacauit in olla:
Hoc epulum comedes—
Diligence.
Marie that is ane il sauorit dische.
Folie.
Sa be this Prophesy plainly appeirs,
That mortal weirs shall be amang freirs:
Thay sall nocht knaw well in their closters.
To whom they sall say their Pater nosters.
Wald they fall to and fecht with speir and shield
The feind mak cuir whilk of them win the field.
Now of my sermon have I maid ane end,
To Gilly-mouband I yow all commend.
And I yow all beseik richt hartfullie:
Pray for the soul of gude Cacaphatie:
Quhilk laitlic drownit himself into Loch leavin,
That his sweet soul may be above the heavin.
Diligen.
Famous peopil hartlie I yow require,
This lytill sport to take in patience,
We traist to God and we leif ane other year,
Quhair we have failit we sall do diligence,
With mair pleasure to mak yow recompense:
Becaus we have been sum part tedious
With mater rude, denude of eloquence,
Likewyse perchance, to sum men odious.
Now let ilk man his way avance,
Let sum ga drink and sum ga dance:
Menstrell, blaw up ane brawll of France,
Let se wha hobbils best:
For I will rin incontinent,
To the Tavern or ever I stent:
And pray to God omnipotent,
To send yow all gude rest.
Rex sapiens aeterne Deus genitorque benign,
Sit tibi perpetuo gloria, laus & honor.
Printed at Edinburgh be Robert Charteris. AN. DO. MDCII.
And are to be sauld in his Buith on the North-side of the Gait, at the West-side of the auld Prouosts Clos head.