The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Pye persauit the papingo in paine.
He lychtit doun, and fenȝeit him to greit.
Sister, said he, alace, quho hes ȝow slane?
I pray ȝow, mak prouisione for ȝour spreit;
Dispone ȝour geir, and ȝow confes compleit.
I haue power, be ȝour contritioun,
Off all ȝour mys to geue ȝow full remissioun.

I am (said he) one Channoun regulare,
And, of my brether Pryour principall.
My quhyte rocket my clene lyfe doith declare;
The blak bene of the deith memoriall.
Quharefor I thynk ȝour gudis naturall
Sulde be submyttit hole in to my cure:
Ȝe knaw, I am ane holye Creature.

The Reuin come rolpand quhen he hard the rair,
So did the Gled, with mony pieteous pew,
And fenȝeitlye thay contrafait gret cair.
Syster (said thay) ȝour raklesnes we rew;
Now best it is our Iuste counsall ensew,
Sen we pretend to heych promotioun,
Religious men, of gret deuotioun.

I am ane blak Monk, said the ruclande reuin.
So said the gled, I am ane holy freir,
And hes power to bring ȝow quyke to heuin.
It is weill knawin, my conscience bene full cleir;
The blak Bybill pronunce I sall perqueir.
So tyll our brether ȝe wyll geue sum gude;
God wat geue we hes neid of lyues fude.

The Papyngo said: father, be the rude,
Howbeit ȝour rayment be religious lyke,
Ȝour conscience, I suspect, be nocht gude.
I did persaue, quhen preuelye ȝe did pyke
Ane chekin frome ane hen, vnder ane dyke.
I grant, said he; that hen was my gude freind,
And I that chekin tuke, bot for my teind.

Ȝe knawe the faith be ws mon be susteind:
So be the Pope it is preordinate,
That spirituall men suld leue vpon thair teind:
Bot, weill wat I, ȝe bene predestinate,
In ȝour extreme, to be so fortunate,
To haue sic holy consultatioun.
Quharefore we mak ȝow exhortatioun,

Sen dame Nature hes grantit ȝow sic grace
Layser to mak co[n]fessioun generall,
Schaw furth ȝour syn in haist, quhil ȝe haif space:
Syne, of ȝour geir mak one memoriall.
We thre sall mak ȝour festis funerall,
And, with gret blys, bury we sall ȝour bonis,
Syne trentalls twenty trattyll all at onis.

The reukis sall rair, that men sall on thame rew,
And crye Conmemoratio Animarum.
We sall gar cheknis cheip, and geaslyngis pew,
Suppose the geis and hennis sulde crye alarum.
And we sall serue Secundum Vsum Sarum,
And mak ȝow saif: we fynd sanct Blase to borgh,
Cryand for ȝow the cairfull corrynogh.

And we sall syng, about ȝour sepulture,
Sanct Mongois matynis, and the mekle creid,
And, syne, deuotely saye, I ȝow assure,
The auld Placebo bakwart, and the beid.
And we sall weir for ȝow the murnyng weid,
And, thocht ȝour spreit with Pluto war profest,
Deuotelie sall ȝour derigie be addrest.

Father (said scho) ȝour facunde wordis fair,
Full sore I dreid, be contrar to ȝour dedis.
The wyffis of the village cryis, with cair,
Quhen thai persaue ȝour muow ouirthort thar medis:
Ȝour fals consait boith duke & draik sore dreidis.
I maruell, suithlie, ȝe be nocht eschamit
For ȝour defaltis, beyng so defamit.

It dois abhor my pure perturbit spreit
Tyll mak to ȝow ony confessioun.
I heir men saye, ȝe bene one Ypocrite,
Exemptit frome the senȝe and the sessioun.
To put my geir in ȝour possessioun,
That wyll I nocht, so help me dame nature,
Nor of my corps I wyll ȝow geue no cure.

Bot, had I heir the nobyll Nychtingall,
The gentyll Ia, the Merle, and Turtur trew,
My Obsequees and feistis funerall
Ordour thay wald, with notis of the new.
The plesand Pown, most angellyke of hew,
Wald god I wer, this daye, with hym confest,
And my deuyse dewlie be hym addrest.

The myrthfull Maueis, with the gay goldspink,
The lustye Larke, wald god thay war present.
My infortune, forsuith, thay wald forthink,
And conforte me, that bene so Impotent.
The swyft Swallow, in prattick most prudent,
I wate scho wald my bledyng stem, belyue,
With hir moste verteous stone restringityue.

Compt me the cace, vnder confessioun,
The Gled said, proudlye, to the Papingo,
And we sall sweir, be our professioun,
Counsall to keip, and schaw it to no mo.
We the beseik, or thow depart ws fro,
Declare to ws sum causis reasonabyll,
Quhy we bene haldin so abhominabyll.

Be thy trauell thow hes Experience,
First beand bred in to the Orient,
Syne, be thy gude seruyce and delygence
To Prencis maid heir in the Occident:
Thow knawis the vulgare pepyllis Iugement,
Quhare thow transcurrit the hote Meridionall,
Syne, nyxt the Poill, the plage Septemtrionall:

So, be thyne heych ingyne superlatyue,
Off all countreis thow knawis the qualiteis,
Quharefore I the coniure, be God of lyue,
The veritie declare, withouttin leis,
Quhat thow hes hard, be landis, or be seis,
Off ws Kirkmen, boith gude and euyll reporte,
And quhov thay Iuge, schaw ws, we the exhorte.

Father, said scho, I, catyue Creature,
Dar nocht presume with sic mater to mell.
Off ȝour caces, ȝe knaw, I haue no cure:
Demand thame quhilk in prudence doith precell.
I maye nocht pew, my panes bene so fell,
And, als, perchance, ȝe wyll nocht stand content
To knaw the vulgare pepyllis Iugement.

Ȝit, wyll the deith alyte withdrawe his darte,
All that lyis in my Memoryall
I sall declare, with trew vnfenȝeit hart;
And first I saye to ȝow, in generall,
The commoun peple sayith ȝe bene all
Degenerit frome ȝour holy prematyuis,
As testyfeis the proces of ȝour lyuis.

Off ȝour peirles, prudent predicessouris
The beginnyng, I grant, wes verray gude.
Apostolis, Martyres, Uirgines, Confessouris,
The sound of thair excellent Sanctitude
Was hard ouer all the warld; be land and flude
Plantyng the faith be Predicatioun,
As Christe had maid to thame Narratioun.

To fortyfie the faith thay tuke no feir,
Afore Prencis precheing full prudentlie;
Of dolorus deith thay doutit nocht the deir,
The veritie declaryng feruentlie;
And Martyrdome thay sufferit pacientlie.
Thay tuke no cure of land, ryches, nor rent:
Doctryne and deid war boith equeuolent.

To schaw at lenth thair workis wer gret wounder;
Thare myracklis thay wer so manifest;
In name of Christe thay halit mony hounder,
Rasyng the dede, and purgeing the possest,
With peruerst spretis quhilks had bene opprest.
The crukit ran, the blynd men gat thare Ene,
The deiff men hard, the lypper war maid clene.

The Prelatis spowsit wer with pouertie,
Those dayis quhen so thay flurisit in fame;
And with hir generit Lady Chaistitie,
And dame Deuotioun, notabyll of name:
Humyll thay war, simpyll, and full of schame.
Thus, Chaistitie and dame Deuotioun
War principall cause of thare promotioun.

Thus thay contynewit, in this lyfe deuyne,
Aye tyll thare rang, in Romes gret Cietie,
Ane potent Prince was namit Constantyne,
Persauit the kirk had spowsit pouertie.
With gude intent, and mouit of pietie,
Cause of Diuors he fande betuix thame two,
And partit thame, withouttin wordis mo.

Syne, schortlie, with ane gret solempnitie,
Withouttin ony Dispensatioun
The kirk he spowsit with dame Propirtie,
Quhilk haistayle, be procliamatioun,
To pouertie gart mak narratioun,
Under the pane of peirsyng of hir eine,
That with the kirk scho sulde no more be seine.

Sanct Syluester, that tyme, rang Pope in rome,
Quhilk first consentit to the mariage
Off propirtie, the quhilk began to blome,
Taking on hir the cure, with heych corrage.
Deuotioun drew hir tyll one heremytage,
Quhen scho considerit lady propirtie,
So heych exaultit in to dignitie.

O Syluester, quhare was thy discretioun?
Quhilk Peter did renounc[e] thow did resaue.
Androw and Ihone did leif thare possessioun,
Thar schippis, & nettis, lyinnes, and all the laue.
Off temporall substance no thing wald thay haue,
Contrarius to thare contemplatioun,
Bot, soberlye, thare sustentatioun.

Ihone the Baptist went to the wyldernes;
Lazarus, Martha, and marie Magdalane
Left heretage and guddis, more and les;
Prudent Sanct Paule thocht propertie prophane;
Frome toun to toun he ran, in wynde and rane,
Upon his feit, techeing the word of grace,
And neuer was subiectit to ryches.

The gled said: ȝit I heir no thyng bot gude.
Proceid schortlye, and thy mater auance.
The Papyngo said: father, be the rude,
It wer to lang to schaw the circumstance,
Quhow propertie, with hir new alyance,
Grew gret with chylde, as trew men to me talde,
And bure two dochteris, gudlie to behalde.

The eldest Dochter named was ryches,
The secunde Syster, Sensualytie;
Quhilks did incres, within one schorte proces,
Preplesande to the Spiritualytie,
In gret substance and excellent bewtie.
Thir Ladyis two grew so, within few ȝeris,
That in the warld wer non mycht be thare peris.

This royall Ryches and Lady Sensuall
Frome that tyme furth tuke hole the gouernance
Off the moste part of the stait spirituall,
And thay, agane, with humyll obseruance,
Amorouslie thare wyttis did auance,
As trew luffaris thare ladyis for to pleis:
God wate geue, than, thare hartis war at Eis.

Soune thay forȝet to study, praye, and preche;
Thay grew so subiect to dame sensuall
And thocht bot paine pure pepyll for to teche.
Ȝit thay decretit, in thare gret counsall,
Thay wald no more to mariage be thrall,
Traistyng surely tyll obserue Chaistytie;
And all begylit, quod Sensualytie.

Apperandlye, thay did expell thare Wyffis,
That thay mycht leif at large, without thirlage,
At libertie to lede thare lustie lyffis,
Thynkand men thrall, that bene in mariage:
For new faces prouokis new corrage.
Thus, Chaistytie thay turne in to delyte:
Wantyng of Wyffis bene cause of appetyte.

Dame Chaistitie did steill away for schame,
Frome tyme scho did persaue thare prouiance.
Dame Sensuall one letter gart proclame,
And hir exilit Italy and France:
In Inglande couthe scho get none ordinance:
Than to the Kyng and courte of Scotlande
Scho markit hir, withouttin more demande.

Traistyng in to that court to get conforte,
Scho maid hir humyll supplycatioun.
Schortlye, thay said, scho sulde get na supporte,
Bot bostit hir with blasphematioun:
To preistis go mak ȝour protestatioun.
It is, said thay, mony one houndreth ȝeir
Sen Chaistitie had ony entres heir.

Tyrit for trauell, scho to the preistis past,
And to the rewlaris of religioun.
Off hir presens schortlye thay war agast,
Sayand, thay thocht it bot abusioun
Hir to resaue: so, with conclusioun,
With one auyce, decretit, and gaue dome,
Thay walde resset no Rebell out of Rome.

Sulde we rasaue that Romanis hes refusit,
And baneist Inglande, Italye, and France,
For ȝour flattrye, than wer we weill abusit.
Pass hyne, said thay, and fast ȝour waye auance.
Amang the Nonnis go seik ȝour ordinance;
For we haue maid aith of fidelytie
To dame Ryches and Sensualytie.

Than paciently scho maid progressioun
Towarde the Nonnis, with hart syching ful sore.
Thay gaif hir presens, with processioun,
Ressauand hir with honour, laud, and glore,
Purposyng to preserue hir euer more.
Off that nouellis come to dame Propertie,
To Ryches, and to Sensualytie,

Quhilks sped thame at the post, rycht spedalye,
And sett ane seage, proudlye, about the place.
The sillye Nonnis did ȝeild thame haistelye,
And humilye of that gylt askit grace,
Syne gaue thair bandis of perpetuall peace.
Ressauand thame, thay kest vp wykketis wyde:
Than Chaistytie walde no langer abyde.

SO, for refuge, fast to the freris scho fled,
Quhilks said, thay wald of ladyis tak no cure.
Quhare bene scho now? than said the gredy gled.
Nocht amang ȝow, said scho, I ȝow assure.
I traist scho bene vpon the borrow mure,
Besouth Edinburgh, and that rycht mony menis,
Profest amang the Systeris of the schenis.

Thare hes scho found hir mother Pouertie,
And Deuotioun, hir awin syster carnall.
Thare hes scho found faith, hope, and charitie,
Togidder with the verteous Cardinall.
Thare hes scho found ane Conuent ȝit vnthrall
To dame Sensuall, nor with ryches abusit,
So quietlye those ladyis bene Inclusit.

The Pyote said: I dreid, be thay assailȝeit,
Thay rander thame, as did the holy Nonnis.
Doute nocht, said scho: for thay bene so artalȝeit,
Thay purpose to defend thame with thair gounnis.
Reddy to schute, thay haue sax gret Cannounnis,
Perseuerance, Constance, and Conscience,
Austerytie, Laubour, and Abstynance.

To resyste subtell Sensualytie,
Strongly thay bene enarmit, feit and handis,
Be abstynence, and keipith pouertie,
Contrar ryches and all hir fals seruandis.
Thay haue ane Boumbard, braissit vp in bandis,
To keip thare porte, in myddis of thare clois,
Quhilk is callit Domine custodi nos,

Within quhose schote thare dar no Enimeis
Approche thare place, for dreid of dyntis doure.
Boith nycht and daye thay wyrk, lyke besye beis,
For thare defence, reddye to stand in stoure,
And hes sic watcheis on thare vtter toure,
That dame Sensual with seage dar not assailȝe,
Nor cum within the schote of thare artailȝe.

The Pyote said: quhareto suld thay presume
For to resyste sweite Sensualytie,
Or dame ryches, quhilkis reularis bene in Rome?
Ar thay more constant, in thare qualytie,
Nor the prencis of Spiritualytie,
Quhilkis plesandlye, withouttin obstaikle,
Haith thame resauit in thare habitakle?

Quhow lang, traist ȝe, those ladyis sall remane
So solyter, in sic perfectioun?
The Papingo said: brother, in certane,
So lang as thay obey correctioun,
Cheisyng thare heddis be electioun,
Unthrall to ryches, or to pouertie,
Bot as requyrith thare necessitie.

O prudent prelatis, quhare was ȝour prescianis,
That tuke on hand tyll obserue Chaistytie,
But austeir lyfe, laubour, and abstenance?
Persauit ȝe nocht the gret prosperitie
Apperandlye to cum of propertie?
Ȝe knaw gret cheir, gret eais, and Ydelnes
To Lychorie was mother and maistres.

Thow rauis vnrockit, the rauin said, be the rude,
So to reproue ryches or propertie.
Abraham and Ysaac war ryche, and verry gude;
Iacobe and Iosephe had prosperitie.
The Papingo said: that is verytie.
Ryches, I grant, is nocht to be refusit,
Prouidyng, alwaye, it be nocht abusit.

Than said the Rauin one replycatioun,
Syne said; thy reasone is nocht worth ane myte,
As I sall preue, with protestatioun,
That no man tak my wordis in dispyte:
I saye, the temporall Prencis hes the wyte,
That in the kirk sic Pastours dois prouyde,
To gouerne saulis that not tham selfis can gyde.

Lang tyme efter the kirk tuke propertie,
The Prelatis leuit in gret perfectioun,
Unthrall to Ryches or Sensualytie,
Under the holy Spreitis protectioun,
Orderlye chosin be electioun,
As Gregore, Ierome, Ambrose, and Augustyne,
Benedic, Barnerd, Clement, Cleit, and Lyne.

Sic pacient Prelatis enterit be the porte,
Plesand the peple be predicatioun.
Now dyke lowparis dois in the kirk resort,
Be Symonie and supplycatioun
Off Prencis be thare presentatioun.
So sillye Saulis, that bene Christis scheip,
Ar geuin to hungre gormande wolfis to keip.

No maruell is, thocht we Religious men
Degenerit be, and in our lyfe confusit:
Bot sing and drynk, none vther craft we ken,
Our Spirituall Fatheris hes ws so abusit:
Agane our wyll, those treukouris bene intrusit.
Lawit men hes, now, religious men in curis;
Profest Uirgenis, in keipyng of strong huris.

Prencis, prencis, quhar bene ȝour heych prudence
In dispositioun of ȝour Beneficeis?
The guerdonyng of ȝour Courticience
Is sum cause of thir gret Enormyteis.
Thare is one sorte, watand, lyke houngre fleis,
For spirituall cure, thocht thay be no thing abyll,
Quhose gredie thristis bene Insaciabyll.

Prencis, I pray ȝow, be no more abusit,
To verteous men hauyng so small regarde.
Quhy sulde vertew, throuch flattrye, be refusit,
That men, for cunnyng, can get no rewarde?
Allace, that euer one braggar, or ane barde,
Ane hure maister, or commoun hasarture,
Sulde in the kirk get ony kynde of cure.

War I one man worthy to weir ane croun,
Aye quhen thare vakit ony beneficeis,
I suld gar call ane Congregatioun,
The principall of all the preliceis,
Moste counnyng clerkis of Uniuersiteis,
Moste famous fatheris of religioun,
With thare aduyse, mak dispositioun.

I sulde dispone all offices Pastorallis
Tyll Doctours of deuynitie, or Iure,
And cause dame Uertew pull vp all hir salis,
Quhen counnyng men had in the kirk moist cure;
Gar Lordis send thare sonnes, I ȝow assure,
To seik science, and famous sculis frequent;
Syne, thame promoue that war moste sapient.

Gret plesour war to heir ane Byschope preche,
One Dane, or Doctour in Diuinitie,
One Abbote quhilk could weill his conuent teche,
One Persoun flowyng in Phylosophie.
I tyne my tyme, to wys quhilk wyll nocht be.
War nocht the precheing of the beggyng freris,
Tynt war the faith amang the Seculeris.

As for thare precheing, quod the Papingo,
I thame excuse: for quhy? thay bene so thrall
To Propertie and hir ding Dochteris two,
Dame Ryches and fair lady Sensuall,
Thay may nocht vse no pastyme spirituall;
And in thare habitis thay tak sic delyte,
Thay haue renuncit russat and roploch quhyte.

Cleikand to thame skarlote and Crammosie,
With Meneuer, martrik, grice, & ryche armyne,
Thare lawe hartis exaultit ar so hie,
To see thare Papale pompe it is ane pyne.
More ryche arraye is, now, with frenȝeis fyne,
Upon the bardyng of ane Byscheopis Mule,
Nor euer had Paule or Peter agane ȝule.

Syne, fair ladyis thare Chene may not eschape,
Dame Sensuall so sic seid haith in tham sawin.
Les skaith it war, with lycence of the Pape,
That ilke Prelate one Wyfe had of his awin,
Nor se thar bastardis ouirthort the cuntre blawin:
For, now, be thay be weill cumin frome the sculis,
Thay fall to work, as thay war commoun bullis.

Pew, quod the gled, thow prechis all in vaine:
Ȝe Seculare folks hes of our cace no curis.
I grant, said scho: ȝit men wyll speik, agane,
Quhow ȝe haif maid a hundreth thousand huris,
Quhilkis neuir hade bene, war not ȝour lychorus luris:
And, geue I lee, hartlye I me repent;
Was neuer Bird, I watt, more penitent.

Than scho hir schraue, with deuote contynance,
To that fals gled, quhilk fenȝeit hym one freir;
And, quhen scho had fulfyllit hir pennance,
Full subtellye at hir he gan inqueir.
Cheis ȝow, said he, quhilk of ws brether heir
Sall haue of all ȝour naturall geir the curis:
Ȝe knaw none bene more holye creaturis.

I am content, quod the pure Papingo,
That ȝe, freir Gled, and corby monk, ȝour brother,
Haue cure of all my guddis, and no mo,
Sen, at this tyme, freindschip I fynd non vther.
We salbe to ȝow trew, as tyll our Mother,
Quod thay, and sweir tyll fulfyll hir intent.
Off that, said scho, I tak ane Instrument.

The Pyote said: quhat sall myne office bee?
Ouirman, said scho, vnto the tother two.
The rowpand Reuin said: sweit syster, lat se
Ȝour hole intent; for it is tyme to go.
The gredie gled said: brother, do nocht so.
We wyll remane, and haldin vp hir hede,
And neuer depart frome hir, tyll scho be dede.

The Papingo thame thankit tenderlye,
And said: sen ȝe haue tane on ȝow this cure,
Depart myne naturall guddis, equalye,
That euer I had, or hes, of dame Nature.
First, to the Howlet, Indegent and pure,
Quhilk on the daye, for schame, dar nocht be sene,
Tyll hir I laif my gaye galbarte of grene.

My brycht depurit Ene, as christall cleir,
On to the Bak ȝe sall thame boith present,
In Phebus presens quhilk dar nocht appeir,
Off naturall sycht scho bene so Impotent.
My birneist beik I laif, with gude entent,
Onto the gentyll, pieteous Pillycane,
To helpe to peirs hir tender hart in twane.

I laif the Goik, quhilk hes no sang bot one,
My musyke, with my voce Angelycall.
And, to the Guse, ȝe geue, quhen I am gone,
My Eloquence and toung Rethoricall:
And tak and drye my bones, gret and small;
Syne, close thame in one cais of Ebure fyne,
And thame present onto the Phenix, syne,

To birne with hir, quhen scho hir lyfe renewis.
In Arabye ȝe sall hir fynde, but weir,
And sall knaw hir be hir moste heuinly hewis,
Gold, Asure, Gowles, Purpour, and Synopeir:
Hir dait is for to leif fyue houndreth ȝeir:
Mak to that bird my commendatioun.
And, als, I mak ȝow supplycatioun,

Sen of my corps I haue ȝow geuin the cure,
Ȝe speid ȝow to the court, but tareyng,
And tak my hart, of perfyte portrature,
And it present onto my Souerane Kyng:
I wat he wyll it clois in to one ryng.
Commande me to his grace, I ȝow exhorte,
And of my passioun mak hym trew reporte.

Ȝe thre my trypes sall haue, for ȝour trauell,
With luffer and lowng, to part equale amang ȝow,
Prayand Pluto, the potent prince of hell,
Geue ȝe failȝe, that in his seit he fang ȝow.
Be to me trew, thocht I no thyng belang ȝow:
Sore I suspect, ȝour conscience be to large.
Doute nocht, said thay: we tak it with the charge.

Adew, brether, quod the pure Papingo:
To talking more I haue no tyme to tarye;
Bot, sen my spreit mon fra my body go,
I recommend it to the quene of farye,
Eternallye in tyll hir court to carye,
In wyldernes, among the holtis hore.
Than scho inclynit hir hed, and spak no more.

Plungit in tyll hir mortall passioun,
Full greuouslie scho gryppit to the ground.
It war to lang to mak narratioun
Off sychis sore, with mony stang and stound.
Out of hir wound the blude did so abound,
One coumpas round was with hir blude maid reid:
Without remaid, thare wes no thyng bot dede.

And, be scho had In Manus tuas said,
Extinctit wer hir naturall wyttis fyue.
Hir hed full softlye on hir schulder laid,
Syne ȝaild the spreit, with panes pungityue.
The Rauin began rudely to ruge and ryue,
Full gormondlyke his emptie throte to feid.
Eait softlye, brother, said the gredy gled:

Quhill scho is hote, depart hir ewin amang ws.
Tak thow one half, and reik to me ane vther:
In tyll our rycht, I wat, no wycht dar wrang ws.
The Pyote said: the feinde resaue the fouther.
Quhy mak ȝe me stepbarne, and I ȝour brother?
Ȝe do me wrang, schir gled; I schrew ȝour harte.
Tak thare, said he, the puddyngis, for thy parte.

Than, wyt ȝe weill, my hart wos wounder sair,
For to behalde that dolent departyng,
Hir Angell fedderis fleyng in the air:
Except the hart, was left of hir no thyng.
The Pyote said: this pertenith to the kyng,
Quhilk tyll his grace I purpose to present.
Thow, quod the gled, sall faill of thyne entent.

The Rauin said: god, nor I rax in ane raipe,
And thow get this tyll other kyng or duke.
The Pyote said: plene I nocht to the pape,
Than in ane smedie I be smorit with smuke.
With that the gled the pece claucht in his cluke,
And fled his way: the laue, with all thare mycht,
To cheace the gled, flew, all, out of my sycht.

Now haue ȝe hard this lytill Tragedie,
The sore complent, the testament, & myschance
Off this pure Bird, quhilk did ascend so hie.
Beseikand ȝow, excuse myne Ignorance,
And rude indyte, quhilk is nocht tyll auance.
And, to the, quair, I geue commandiment,
Mak no repair quhare Poetis bene present:

Because thow bene but Rethorike so rude,
Be neuer sene besyde none other buke,
With Kyng, nor Quene, with Lord, nor man of gude.
With coit vnclene, clame kynrent to sum cuke:
Steil in ane nuke, quhen thay lyste on the luke.
For smell of smuke men wyll abhor to beir the;
Heir I mansweir the; quhairfor, to lurke go leir the.