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 ELECTION OFF THE SPIRITUALL PASTORES. |
 | Ane compendious and breue tractate concernyng ye Office and Dewtie of Kyngis |  |
FOLLOUIS THE ELECTION OFF THE SPIRITUALL PASTORES.
O kyngis, quhen that ȝe go to chuseȜour pastours that suld preching vse,
Ȝe suld not chuse thaim for yair blude,
Nor for thare ryches, nor thare gude,
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Nor for thare strenth nor vassallage.
Ȝe sulde nocht chuse vnto that cure
Ane Vinolent nor wod Pasture,
No sleprie hird, nor errogant,
Bot prudent, wyse, and vigelant;
No Pastor gewin to feid the flesche:
All sic ȝe suld frome ȝow depesche:
None couatus of wardly glore,
None to heape ryches vpe in store,
None hasardours at cards nor dyce,
None geuin to foule nor fylthie vyce.
Ȝe suld not chuse thame cause ȝe lufe thame,
Nor for no fauour suld promoue thame
To that most gret and wechty cure,
Except ȝe vnderstude, moste sure,
Thame apt and ganand for the ȝok,
For to Instruct the christin flok,
And, with exempyll of thare lyfe,
To edefye Man, Maid, and wyffe.
Ȝour Hirdis thay suld be harborus,
Godlie, gude, and gratious,
Mercyfull, modest, and meik,
Cheritabyll to the pure and seik.
Hirds suld nocht spair, for fleschelie paine,
To passe in wynd, frost, snaw, or raine,
But hors or mule, vpon thare feit,
To preche, with humyll hert and spreit,
Godds trew wourd, moist clene and pure,
To euery kynde of Creature;
As Peter did, thare predecessour,
Geue thay wald be his trew successour.
Bot, thocht thay ryde on mulis or hors,
Itt is bot small regarde or fors,
Swa thay godds wourd wald trewly teche,
And it plaine to the peple preche.
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That hes the fouth of heuinly fude
To satisfie the houngre scheip
Quhilk in thare cure thay haue to keip.
Sic Pastoris wyll be weill content
To leif vpon the fer les rent,
Nor hes sum Vicare for his waige,
Or Rector for his Rectoraige.
Heir, quhat our Pastoris thay may spend,
Me neidis nocht schew; sen it is kend.
Geue thay godds wourd hes weill declaird,
I saye thare leueings ar weill waird;
And, geue thay haue the floke abusit,
Ȝe, Kyngs, sall be for that accusit
Be the gret potent kyng of kyngis
That heris and seis all thir thyngis;
Because ȝe mouit thame to sic curis
Quhilk nother techis ryche nor puris.
Heirfor considder, O ȝe kyngis
That at thir present houris ryngis,
Geue ȝe haue chosin ȝour Pastoris thus
As I afore haue done discus;
And geue thay haue thir properteis,
Thir gude conditionis and qualyteis;
And geue thay dewly do thair cure
To euery kynd of Creature
That thay ar detbound for to do:
I pray ȝow tak gude hed heir to.
Geue myster be, mak reformatioun,
Rycht as ȝe lufe ȝour awin Saluatioun.
It wyll be to ȝour chargis laid;
And to ȝow, Kyngs, It wyll be said:
“Wo be to ȝow, that gaif my scheip
To gredie raueand Wolfis to keip.”
Ȝe, kyngs, hes wyte, of this be sure,
That pat sic Pastoris to sic cure.
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For ȝe leue in ane feirfull stait.
Merk, heir, how I haue schawin ȝow cleir
The way, the fassoun, and maneir,
Hov ȝe ȝour spiritual hirdis suld chuse;
And how yai hirdis yar lyffs suld vse;
And how thay suld Instruct thare floke
That ar subiectit to thare ȝoke;
And, als, quhow God sall ȝow correct,
Geue ȝe vnqualifeit hirds Elect.
The way, the fassoun, and maneir,
Hov ȝe ȝour spiritual hirdis suld chuse;
And how yai hirdis yar lyffs suld vse;
And how thay suld Instruct thare floke
That ar subiectit to thare ȝoke;
And, als, quhow God sall ȝow correct,
Geue ȝe vnqualifeit hirds Elect.
Now followis nyxt, and, first of all,
To chuse ȝour Iugis temporall;
To quhilk my pen I sall prepare,
With helpe of God, for to declare
How ȝe sulde cheis thame faithfullie,
And of quhat fassonis thay suld be;
And quhat gret Maledictionis,
Quhat plagis and sore afflictionis,
Sall fall wpon the realmes and kyngis
Quharin no faithfull Iugis ryngis.
To chuse ȝour Iugis temporall;
To quhilk my pen I sall prepare,
With helpe of God, for to declare
How ȝe sulde cheis thame faithfullie,
And of quhat fassonis thay suld be;
And quhat gret Maledictionis,
Quhat plagis and sore afflictionis,
Sall fall wpon the realmes and kyngis
Quharin no faithfull Iugis ryngis.
FINIS.
| Ane compendious and breue tractate concernyng ye Office and Dewtie of Kyngis | |