 | Poems (1830) |  |
19
THE LAIRD OF LETHINGTOUNES COUNSELL TO HIS SON, BEAND IN THE COURT.
My Sone, in court gif thow pleisis remaine,
This my counsall into thy mynd imprent:
In thy speiking luik that thow be nocht vaine;
Behald and heir, and to thy toung tak tent;
Be no lyar, ellis thow art schent;
Found thé on treuth, gif thow wald weill betyde;
To governe all and reull be nocht our bent:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
This my counsall into thy mynd imprent:
In thy speiking luik that thow be nocht vaine;
Behald and heir, and to thy toung tak tent;
Be no lyar, ellis thow art schent;
Found thé on treuth, gif thow wald weill betyde;
To governe all and reull be nocht our bent:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Be nocht ane scornar, nor fainyait flatterar,
Nor yet ane rounder of inventit taillis;
Of it thow heiris be nocht ane clatterar;
Fall nocht in plie for thyng that lyttil vallis:
Haive nocht to do with other mennis faillis:
Fra wicked men thow draw thé far on syde;
Thow art ane fuill gif thow with fuillis daillis:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Nor yet ane rounder of inventit taillis;
Of it thow heiris be nocht ane clatterar;
Fall nocht in plie for thyng that lyttil vallis:
Haive nocht to do with other mennis faillis:
Fra wicked men thow draw thé far on syde;
Thow art ane fuill gif thow with fuillis daillis:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Bewair quham to thy counsall thow reveill,
Sum may scheim trew, and yit dissemblaris be;
Be of thy promeis and conditioune leil;
Waist nocht thy guid in prodigalitie;
Nor put thyne honour into jeopardie;
With folk disfamit nather gang nor ryde;
With wilfull men to argue is follie:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Sum may scheim trew, and yit dissemblaris be;
Be of thy promeis and conditioune leil;
Waist nocht thy guid in prodigalitie;
20
With folk disfamit nather gang nor ryde;
With wilfull men to argue is follie:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Be no dyssar, nor playar at the cairtis,
Bot gif it be for pastyme, or small thing;
Be nocht blawin with windis of all airtis,
Constance in gude of wisdome is ane sign;
Be wyse, and tentie, in thy governing,
And try thame weill in quhame thow wilt confide;
Sum fair wordis will gif, wald see thé hing:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Bot gif it be for pastyme, or small thing;
Be nocht blawin with windis of all airtis,
Constance in gude of wisdome is ane sign;
Be wyse, and tentie, in thy governing,
And try thame weill in quhame thow wilt confide;
Sum fair wordis will gif, wald see thé hing:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Attour all thingis ay to thy Prince be trew
In thocht, and deid, in worde, in wark, and sicht;
Fra tressonabill company eschew;
Thy Prince honour, and proffeit at thy micht;
Set ay fordwart the puir, baith day and nicht;
And lat na thing the commoune weill elyde;
And at all tyme mantein justice and richt:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
In thocht, and deid, in worde, in wark, and sicht;
Fra tressonabill company eschew;
Thy Prince honour, and proffeit at thy micht;
Set ay fordwart the puir, baith day and nicht;
And lat na thing the commoune weill elyde;
And at all tyme mantein justice and richt:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Preiss nocht to be exaltit above uther,
For, gif thow do, thow salbe sair invyit;
Great perall is to tak on hand the ruther,
Quhill first that thy experience be tryit:
Think, at the last thy doing will be spyit,
Thocht thow with slicht wald cover it and hyde;
And all thy craft sall at the croce be cryit:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
For, gif thow do, thow salbe sair invyit;
Great perall is to tak on hand the ruther,
Quhill first that thy experience be tryit:
Think, at the last thy doing will be spyit,
Thocht thow with slicht wald cover it and hyde;
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He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Thocht thow in court be with the heichest plaicit,
In honour, office, or in dignitie,
Think that sumtyme thow may be fra it chaissit;
As sum hes bein befoir, and yet may be;
Neidfull it is thairfoir to gang warlie,
That rakleslie thow snapper nocht, nor slyde;
Ken ay thyself best in prosperitie:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
In honour, office, or in dignitie,
Think that sumtyme thow may be fra it chaissit;
As sum hes bein befoir, and yet may be;
Neidfull it is thairfoir to gang warlie,
That rakleslie thow snapper nocht, nor slyde;
Ken ay thyself best in prosperitie:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Bewar in giffing of ane hie counsall,
In materis grit, and counsall speciallie;
Quhilk, be the wirking of the warld, may faill,
Thocht it scheimis never sa appeirantlie:
Behald the warldis instabilitie;
That never still into ane stait dois byde;
Bot changing ay, as dois the moone and sie:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
In materis grit, and counsall speciallie;
Quhilk, be the wirking of the warld, may faill,
Thocht it scheimis never sa appeirantlie:
Behald the warldis instabilitie;
That never still into ane stait dois byde;
Bot changing ay, as dois the moone and sie:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Gif with the pepill thow wald lovit be,
Be gentle, lawlie, and meik in thy estait;
For an thow be uncourteus, proude, and hie,
Than all the warld sall thé detest and haitt:
Flie fainying, flattering, falsheid, and dissait;
Invent nathing that may the realme devyde;
Or sall occasioun trouble, and debait:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Be gentle, lawlie, and meik in thy estait;
For an thow be uncourteus, proude, and hie,
Than all the warld sall thé detest and haitt:
Flie fainying, flattering, falsheid, and dissait;
Invent nathing that may the realme devyde;
Or sall occasioun trouble, and debait:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
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Grund all thy doing upon suithfastnes;
And hald thé ay gude company amang;
Gather na geir with craft and wretchitnes;
Preiss nocht to conqueis ony thing with wrang;
Evill-gottine gudis lestys never lang;
Thocht all war thyne, within this warld sa wyde,
Thow sall fra it, or it fra thé sall gang:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
And hald thé ay gude company amang;
Gather na geir with craft and wretchitnes;
Preiss nocht to conqueis ony thing with wrang;
Evill-gottine gudis lestys never lang;
Thocht all war thyne, within this warld sa wyde,
Thow sall fra it, or it fra thé sall gang:
He reulis weill, that weill in court can guyde.
Above all thingis, I thé exhort and pray,
To pleis thy God set all thy bussie cuire,
And syne thy Prince serve, luif weill, and obey;
And, as thow may, be helpand ay the puire;
Sen erthlie thingis will nocht ay endure,
Thairfoir in hevin ane place for thé provyde,
Quhair thair is joy, rest, gloir, and all plesour;
Onto the quhilk eternall God us guyde.
To pleis thy God set all thy bussie cuire,
And syne thy Prince serve, luif weill, and obey;
And, as thow may, be helpand ay the puire;
Sen erthlie thingis will nocht ay endure,
Thairfoir in hevin ane place for thé provyde,
Quhair thair is joy, rest, gloir, and all plesour;
Onto the quhilk eternall God us guyde.
| Poems (1830) | |