 | Satirical poems of the reformation |  |
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XXVII. Ane admonitioun to my Lord Regentis Grace.
Maist loyall lord, ay ffor þi lawtie lowitt,
Now be not lakkit ffor deloyaltie;
Thocht to þe princes place thow be promowit,
Be not abusitt be authoritie,
Bott schaw thy treuth and thy integrytie,
Sen we sa far orsellfis hes submittit,
And King and Cowntray, lawis, and libertie,
Onto thy cair and creditt have cōmittit.
Now be not lakkit ffor deloyaltie;
Thocht to þe princes place thow be promowit,
Be not abusitt be authoritie,
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Sen we sa far orsellfis hes submittit,
And King and Cowntray, lawis, and libertie,
Onto thy cair and creditt have cōmittit.
Thy hous hes ay bene trustye and enteir,
Defamitt nocht wt fraud and fickilnes;
Bott schaw thyselff both scharpe, sauge, and sinceir,
Endewit with wertew, witt, and wirthines,
Ingein, Judgment, Justice, and gentilnes,
Craft, conduct, cair, and Knawlauge to cōmand,
Heroyk hartt, honor, and hardines,
Or in this storme thy staitt will newer stande.
Defamitt nocht wt fraud and fickilnes;
Bott schaw thyselff both scharpe, sauge, and sinceir,
Endewit with wertew, witt, and wirthines,
Ingein, Judgment, Justice, and gentilnes,
Craft, conduct, cair, and Knawlauge to cōmand,
Heroyk hartt, honor, and hardines,
Or in this storme thy staitt will newer stande.
We haue the chosin to the cheifest charge,
Ouir tossit galay to gowerne and to gyde;
Be war wt bobbis: scho is a bruikle barge,
And may na bitter blastis weill abyde:
Thow may hir tyne in turning of a tyde;
Cast weill thy courss, thow hes ane kittle cwir;
Off parrellis pance, and ffor sum port prowyde,
And anker sikker quhair thow may be suire.
Ouir tossit galay to gowerne and to gyde;
Be war wt bobbis: scho is a bruikle barge,
And may na bitter blastis weill abyde:
Thow may hir tyne in turning of a tyde;
Cast weill thy courss, thow hes ane kittle cwir;
Off parrellis pance, and ffor sum port prowyde,
And anker sikker quhair thow may be suire.
All Boreas bitter blastis are not blawin;
I feir sum boide and bobbis be behind;
Be tyde and tempest thow may be orthrawin,
And mony fairlie fortounes thow may find,
As channellis, craigges, beddis, and bankis blind,
Leckand, wanlukis quhairby thow may be loist,
Bewar thairfoir wt wadder, waw, and wind,
With oncouth coursis, and onknawin coist.
I feir sum boide and bobbis be behind;
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And mony fairlie fortounes thow may find,
As channellis, craigges, beddis, and bankis blind,
Leckand, wanlukis quhairby thow may be loist,
Bewar thairfoir wt wadder, waw, and wind,
With oncouth coursis, and onknawin coist.
Be war wt strangearis in thy sterne to steir;
Thocht on ane courss we can not condiscend,
Suppois sum perntt perrell now appeir,
And sum hes wyritt and will not with us wend,
Be meitar meaines thow mon thatt make mend,
Nor daingeris be ye doubill to divertt:
Thairfoir, I pray the, prudentlie perend,
And putt not all in perell ffor a pairt.
Thocht on ane courss we can not condiscend,
Suppois sum perntt perrell now appeir,
And sum hes wyritt and will not with us wend,
Be meitar meaines thow mon thatt make mend,
Nor daingeris be ye doubill to divertt:
Thairfoir, I pray the, prudentlie perend,
And putt not all in perell ffor a pairt.
Thow will putt all intill apperand perell,
Gif Inglis forcis In þis realme repair;
Sic ar not meitt ffor to decide our querrell,
Thocht farlandis fulis seme to have fedderis fair.
Be þai acquentitt, thai will creip innermair,
And wilbe noysum nytbors and Enorme,
and schortlie will sitt till or syddis as sair
As now the rebellis quhome thay sould reforme.
Gif Inglis forcis In þis realme repair;
Sic ar not meitt ffor to decide our querrell,
Thocht farlandis fulis seme to have fedderis fair.
Be þai acquentitt, thai will creip innermair,
And wilbe noysum nytbors and Enorme,
and schortlie will sitt till or syddis as sair
As now the rebellis quhome thay sould reforme.
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Thatt freindschip is ay fecfullest afar,
And langest will indwir wt lytle daile;
I feir wt ws and tyme itt wirk to war,
ffra þai aganes or partye anis prewaile;
quha waitt bot syne þai will orselffis assaile?
Ald feyis ar sindle faythfull [freindis] fund:
ffirst help þe halff, and syne orharrill the haill,
Wilbe a wofull weilfar of or wound.
And langest will indwir wt lytle daile;
I feir wt ws and tyme itt wirk to war,
ffra þai aganes or partye anis prewaile;
quha waitt bot syne þai will orselffis assaile?
Ald feyis ar sindle faythfull [freindis] fund:
ffirst help þe halff, and syne orharrill the haill,
Wilbe a wofull weilfar of or wound.
Oure bretherene may remember ȝitt in France
the fayth and freindschip thatt thai wt þame fand,
And how þai did þe word of God awance,
ffra the Newhawin thay gatt into þair hand;
and how þai newir pairtitt wt þatt pand,
quhill bayt the syddis thame forcitt to reteir;
Even at Leyth gif thatt thow latt þame Land,
The samin practeiss plainlie will appeir.
the fayth and freindschip thatt thai wt þame fand,
And how þai did þe word of God awance,
ffra the Newhawin thay gatt into þair hand;
and how þai newir pairtitt wt þatt pand,
quhill bayt the syddis thame forcitt to reteir;
Even at Leyth gif thatt thow latt þame Land,
The samin practeiss plainlie will appeir.
Be thair exemple Lerne experience,
ane forene mache or maister to admitt;
Reid, fra þe Saxonis gat preeminence,
How sone þai socht as souueragnes to sitt.
Reid how þai forcitt the Britonis folk to flitt,
And yitt posseidis that peoples proprietie:
Bewar! we may be walteritt or we witt,
And lykwayis Loss or land and libertie.
ane forene mache or maister to admitt;
Reid, fra þe Saxonis gat preeminence,
How sone þai socht as souueragnes to sitt.
Reid how þai forcitt the Britonis folk to flitt,
And yitt posseidis that peoples proprietie:
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And lykwayis Loss or land and libertie.
Ane thowsand sick examples I could schaw,
and mony noble nationis may name,
quha lost att lenth þair libertie and Law,
And sufferitt hes greit sorrow, syt, and schame;
Thatt, for to help þair harmis and hurtt at hame,
feychitt forayne forces into þair supportt,
quha fuilȝeit syne thair fredome, force, and fame,
And thame subdewit in þe samin sorte.
and mony noble nationis may name,
quha lost att lenth þair libertie and Law,
And sufferitt hes greit sorrow, syt, and schame;
Thatt, for to help þair harmis and hurtt at hame,
feychitt forayne forces into þair supportt,
quha fuilȝeit syne thair fredome, force, and fame,
And thame subdewit in þe samin sorte.
ffleand Charibd be war in Scyll to fall,
and sa estchew ciuill dissentioun,
That our estaitt to straingearis be not thrall;
the canker of or auld contentioun
will keip na cūnand nor cōventioun,
Bott, gif thow gif thame creidit to correct ws,
Be craftye way, will, and Inventioun,
And subtill slyt, thay will seik to subiect ws.
and sa estchew ciuill dissentioun,
That our estaitt to straingearis be not thrall;
the canker of or auld contentioun
will keip na cūnand nor cōventioun,
Bott, gif thow gif thame creidit to correct ws,
Be craftye way, will, and Inventioun,
And subtill slyt, thay will seik to subiect ws.
This realme wt eis the rebellis may repres:
We neid na forayne forces for sa few;
thair lairdis thay loup, thatt reigne is les and les,
Sa suit not sick as seikis ws to subdew;
qlk gif thow do, quhatt ewir may ensew,
To Fergus bluid we rather will obey
Nor in or tyme be tratoris tryitt vntrew,
And gif or realme to Ingland as a pray.
We neid na forayne forces for sa few;
thair lairdis thay loup, thatt reigne is les and les,
Sa suit not sick as seikis ws to subdew;
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To Fergus bluid we rather will obey
Nor in or tyme be tratoris tryitt vntrew,
And gif or realme to Ingland as a pray.
Scoitland come newir ȝitt in seruitude
Sen Fergus first, Bott euir hes bene fre,
And hes bene alwayis bruikit be ane bluid,
and Kin of Kingis discendit grie be gre.
Gif þatt itt be in bondage brot be the,
Then warreitt war thy weirdis and wanhap,
Thairfoir thir forayne fechis sa foirse,
That cachitt we be not wt þe eftir clap.
Sen Fergus first, Bott euir hes bene fre,
And hes bene alwayis bruikit be ane bluid,
and Kin of Kingis discendit grie be gre.
Gif þatt itt be in bondage brot be the,
Then warreitt war thy weirdis and wanhap,
Thairfoir thir forayne fechis sa foirse,
That cachitt we be not wt þe eftir clap.
Mark and mynt att þe honor, laud, and prais,
The vertew, word, worschip, and wassilaige,
Of sic as dochtelie did in þair dayis
To keip þis realme from thraldome and boundage.
Mark als þe wite, vise, wituper, and the waige
Off wntreid traisoun and of tyrannye,
And how sum hes honour and heretage
And lywes lost ffor þair deloyaltie.
The vertew, word, worschip, and wassilaige,
Of sic as dochtelie did in þair dayis
To keip þis realme from thraldome and boundage.
Mark als þe wite, vise, wituper, and the waige
Off wntreid traisoun and of tyrannye,
And how sum hes honour and heretage
And lywes lost ffor þair deloyaltie.
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Sa for thy factes thow may be sure to find
The lyke rewaird of wertew or of wyce;
Thairfoir be not sylitt as a bellie blind,
Nor latt thy selff be led vpoun the yce;
Nor, to content thy marrowis cowatyce,
Putt not þi selff in perrell ffor to perreiss,
Nor beir þe blame quhair wþeris takis the pryce,
Nor beitt þe busse thatt wþeris Eit þe berreiss.
The lyke rewaird of wertew or of wyce;
Thairfoir be not sylitt as a bellie blind,
Nor latt thy selff be led vpoun the yce;
Nor, to content thy marrowis cowatyce,
Putt not þi selff in perrell ffor to perreiss,
Nor beir þe blame quhair wþeris takis the pryce,
Nor beitt þe busse thatt wþeris Eit þe berreiss.
The throne of tryall and theatrie trew
Is ffor to reigne, and rewle aboue the rest;
quha hes þe wogne, him all þe warld dois wew,
and migistratt the man dois manifest.
Sen thow art in þe princes plaice possest,
Luik to be praisitt as thow playis thy pairt,
and, as thow leiffis, so luiffit be and lest,
And alwayis delt wt efter þi desert.
Is ffor to reigne, and rewle aboue the rest;
quha hes þe wogne, him all þe warld dois wew,
and migistratt the man dois manifest.
Sen thow art in þe princes plaice possest,
Luik to be praisitt as thow playis thy pairt,
and, as thow leiffis, so luiffit be and lest,
And alwayis delt wt efter þi desert.
Amen.
Finis.
| Satirical poems of the reformation | |