University of Virginia Library

TO THE RICHT HIGH, LODVVIK DVKE OF LENOX, Earl Darnlie, Lord Tarbolton, Methwen and Aubigne, &c. gret Chamberlaine of Scotland, Iohn Bvrel, wisheth lang life, with happy succes in all your attempts, and efter daith, the ioyes euerlasting.

I will craue pardon of zour excellence,
Incace ze suld esteme this for offence:
Into directing of this Treticie,
Not coresponding to Zour prudencie:
Quhois gud ingyne, & pregnant spretit wit,
Crauis hier warks, with arguments mair grit:
Delyting ancient Histories to heir,
Els of euents and stratagyms of weir:
Zour Hienes Zit, I hope, sall not refuse,
This Pamphilet, a litill to peruse:
Quhilk is composd and maid especiallie,
At sumtime, till expell malancolie:
And not composd, vpon pretencis ill,
To foster folks, into thair fleshly will:
This is not for to nurish turpitud,
Bot rather folks from sick things to seclud:
For to repeit this taill, quhat neid is me,
Sen weill zour wisedome can the mater we:
And promptly all the mater comprehend,
To quhat effect and sens the same dois tend:
Quhairin Zour honour plainly may persaue,
The gud report, quhilk honest lufers haue:
The gret reproch also ze may espy,
Of sick as in licencious lust dois ly:
With syndrie ma things addit be my braine,
To mak this wark, mair plesant prompt & plaine
Quhilk to the purpois, pertinent I fand,
And with the mater, weill aneuch may stand:
Crauing maist humblie of zour clemencie,
For to remit this my audacitie:
Into presenting sick a wark prophane,
Quhilk to the godly, will seeme sumpart vane:
Bot I beleue, na persoun sall present,
For to misconster, this my trew intent.
And speciallie Zour Honour, quhome I craue,
Maist willingly, this wark for to resaue:
Quhilk to Zour potencie, I haue propynd,
In signe and takin of my willing mynd.
And for the lufe, I to Zour honor bure,
And not by ressoun of my litrature.
Presenting it, with hart precordiall,
Vnto zour selcitude in speciall.
Quhois nobill persoun, will take in gud pairt,
The trew affection, of ane faithfull hairt.
Into this Regioun rings zour gret commend,
Becaus, that students dewly ze defend.
Menteining sick intill all touns and shiers,
As to the art of Poëtrie espiers.
Sen in zour persoun, sick gifts we persaue,
Mecaenas name, ze iustly may resaue.
And sen ze are, the onely sonne and hair,
Sprung from the synders, of that Phœnix rair.
Quhois gud report, maks his renoun reaciue,
Into this land, perpetually to leiue.
In seruing God, and syne zour soueraine King,
Into this land, zour name lat lykwais ring.