Ane compendious and breue tractate concernyng ye Office and Dewtie of Kyngis spirituall pastoris, and temporall iugis. Laitlie compylit be William Lauder, for the faithfull instructioun of Kyngis and Prencis. Edited by Fitzedward Hall |
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| FOLLOUIS THE INSTRUCTIOUN TO PRENCIS, HOW
THAY SALL ALSWEIL INHEREIT THE HEUIN AS THE ERTH. |
 | Ane compendious and breue tractate concernyng ye Office and Dewtie of Kyngis |  |
FOLLOUIS THE INSTRUCTIOUN TO PRENCIS, HOW THAY SALL ALSWEIL INHEREIT THE HEUIN AS THE ERTH.
Attend, O Prencis, and tak tentVnto this Doctryne Subsequent;
And thareto wyselie do aduert,
And prent the samyn in ȝour hert.
First cause ȝour prechours, all and od,
Trewlie sett furth the wourd of God,
But fictioun, fraude, or flatterie.
Latt it be knawin to ilk degre,
That all may vnderstand, and knaw
To lufe and feir his Godlie law;
In the quhilk Law ȝe may vpbryng
Ȝour liegis, as ane godlie kyng;
Throw quhilk Law, also, thay may leir
Ȝow as thare kyngs and Prencis feir,
And do ȝow homage and reuerence,
With all detfull Obedience.
For thay that ar ane faithles clan
Can nother dreid God, kyng, nor man.
Quhare faith is nocht, no grace can be,
Bot Myscheif, wo, and myserie;
And, quhare faith is, thare is all grace,
Thare is prosperitie, lufe, and peace.
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In daylie trubbyll thay sall ryng;
For thay tak nother thocht nor cure
But reuth for to oppresse the pure.
Thay haue nocht God before thare Ee,
Bot seruis thare Sensualytie:
And swa that realme is neuer at rest;
Bot styll the pure ar sore opprest.
Thus, without kyngs Y-groundit be
In Goddis wourd of verytie;
Thare Liegis, also, godlie men,
Doand goddis wourd, parfytlie ken;
And but trew precheours; I mak plaine,
All Realmes sall vnderly gret paine,
And sall nocht mys the scurge and rod
Off the hie puissant and mychtie god.
Also (I saye) vnto ȝow, Kyngis,
Ȝe sall be plukkit frome ȝour ryngis
Rycht dulefullie, withouttin dreid;
Nocht onely ȝe, bot als ȝour seid;
And haistelie, or euer ȝe knaw,
Ȝe salbe plagit, one and aw,
Boith with the sweird, the fyre, and pest:
I mak it to ȝow manyfest,
Sett ȝe nocht furth Godds wourd on hycht,
And mak it cum vnto the lycht.
Geue ȝe Indure vnto ȝour fyne,
Ȝe sall nocht mys the sam rewyne:
For God sall steir vpe Nationis
Aganis ȝour Generationis,
Quhilk sall, at schorte Narratioun,
Bryng ȝow to dissolatioun.
Thocht, to defend ȝow, ȝe wald prease,
Ȝe sall haue nother harts nor grace,
Eccept with godds wourd ȝe be armit,
And it into ȝour herts confermit.
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It suld nocht be throung down, nor smurit;
Itt suld nocht wreistit be, nor wryit,
Nor vnto prophane thyngs applyit.
Itt suld be precheit to all dois seik it:
Itt nother suld be paird nor ekit,
Saif Scripture with Scripture ȝe expone
Conforme vnto the trewtwiche stone,
Quhilk is the auld and new Testament,
Quhilk suld be taucht most deligent
Be faithfull Pastors that preche can
But feir of ony erthlie man.
Thay suld nocht be abasit to preche,
Nor for no kynde of fauour fleche;
Bot trewlie thay suld do thare cure,
But feir of ony creature.
Wo be to thame that dois knaw
Godds wourd, syne dois the contrar schaw,
In Pulpet or in preching place
Speking aganis godds wourd of grace.
Better to thame haue bene vnborne:
Thay ar the peple that ar forlorne,
Quhilk nother sall be heir nor hyne
Remittit for thare fals Doctryne.
Preis neuer, O Prencis, in ȝour cure,
No waye for to oppresse the pure:
Be nocht gredie nor Couatus;
Be Liberall, gude, and gratious;
Be humyll, meik, and pacient,
And to do Iustice diligent.
Help thame that help of ȝow requyris,
Conforme vnto thare Iuste desyris.
Be nocht ouir facill for to trow,
Quhill that ȝe try the mater throw.
Preis euir to win ȝour Liegis hartis,
Rather than Conqueis gold in cartis.
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Than all is ȝours that thay possesse:
Than neid ȝe nocht, no tyme nor ceasone,
Be ferit for falset or for treasone:
Than can ȝe be no maner want
Gold, thocht ȝour pose wer neuer sa skant.
And gredie Prencis, dowtleslie,
Sall nocht faill to end myserablie:
For oftymes it is cleirly kend,
Wrang Conquest maks myscheuous end.
Att schorte, ȝe daylie do aduert
To serue ȝour God with faithfull hert.
FINIS.
NOW haue ȝe, Kyngs, my Document,
Quhilk in ȝour herts, I pray ȝow, prent;
And, doyng this, ȝe be nocht feird
But doute for to possesse the eird:
Ȝour seid and ȝour Posteritie
Sall, efter ȝow, ryng happelie,
And sall, at last, but proces more,
Heir throw cum to the heuinnis glore.
Quhilk in ȝour herts, I pray ȝow, prent;
And, doyng this, ȝe be nocht feird
But doute for to possesse the eird:
Ȝour seid and ȝour Posteritie
Sall, efter ȝow, ryng happelie,
And sall, at last, but proces more,
Heir throw cum to the heuinnis glore.
ȜITT want ȝe, Kyngs, ȝour Officiaris
Ciuile And Gostlie Mynistaris.
Attend heirfor, quhow ȝe sulde chuse
Ȝuor Pastoris that suld precheing vse.
Ciuile And Gostlie Mynistaris.
Attend heirfor, quhow ȝe sulde chuse
Ȝuor Pastoris that suld precheing vse.
| Ane compendious and breue tractate concernyng ye Office and Dewtie of Kyngis | |