University of Virginia Library

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XIII. The Deploratioun of the Cruell Murther of Iames Erle of Murray, vmquhile Regent of Scotland, togidder with ane admonitioun to the Hammiltounis committaris thairof, and to all thair Fortifearis, Mantenaris, or assistance, with ane Exhortatioun to the Lordis and Nobilitie, keiparis and defendaris of our Kingis Grace Maiestie.

Quhile as with flesche and blude we go about,
The wondrous warkis of God for to discriue,
Pans quhil we pleis, we sal not find yame out,
Bot sall Judge God aganis all ressoun striue,
Quhen as he tholis proude Pelours to depriue
The lyuis from sic as halelie wes his,
Be cruell murther thame reuthles for to riue?
The flesche of man can neuer considder this.

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Bot quha that wald the mater vnderstand,
He man luke lawer, and enter in the Spreit,
And than he sall persaif the cause fra hand,
That God wirks na thing bot as a Judge discreit.
Quhen as the pepill with sinnis ar repleit
Without remors, as thay ar at thir houris,
Than, to that end his plages he may compleit,
He takis from thame thair godly Gouernouris.

And this he vsis mony sindrie sortis,
Sumtyme be seiknes in to thair beddis to de,
Sum slaine by tratouris bot not for thair confortis,
Bot to that end thay suld distroyit be,
And rutit furth clene out of memorie.
He tholis sic wickit, proude Conspiratouris
To execute thair lurking traytorie,
And bring to deith thair godly Gouernouris.

1. Jo. 3.

We se also the wickit of the warld
Still beir the godly at deidly Indignatioun;
Sum tyme be tratouris ar Innocentis ouerharld,
And, thocht trew men, haif heir bot tribulatioun.
We suld not haif sic thingis in admiratioun,
As gif it wer ane new thing chansit of man,
For sa it wes euin from the first Creatioun,
And still hes bene sen that this warld began.

This mortall feid, this haitrent and Inuie,
Did first begin, as Gods awin buke dois tell,

Gen. 4.

As in the Genesis we may plainly spie,
Betuix twa brether, Cain and Abell.
Cain aganis his brother did Rebell,
And susseit not to sched his saikles blude;
And for this cause, I pray ȝow mark it well,
His warkis war euill, and faithfull Abells gude.

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And of thir twa this haill warld did discend,
Quhilk neuer can amangis thame selfis aggrie,
Bot baith thair Ofspringis may be cleirly kend,
Curst Cains Clan be thair Impietie,
And Abells seid for richt and equitie.
And thus all murtherars ar discendit doun
Of curst Cain and his posteritie,
As is the tyrane and tratour Hammiltoun.

For, luke how Justice was the verray cause
To curst Cain his brother for to kill;
Sa is it ȝit, but dout, th[e] only clause
That moues the wickit vnto thair Raging still.
Thay gloir na thing, bot euer in to Ill,
And makis thame euer but mercy to maligne;
And, quhen thay may thair wickit wayis fulfill,
Thay will not thole ane godly man to Rigne.

The Probatioun heirof.

To preif this part I plainly mycht propone
Exemples seir, maist Notabill and trew;
Bot for thame all I will bot vse heir one
Of our deir Maister and Sauiour, Christ Jesew,
In quhome na spot of sin it neuer grew,
Ȝit nocht theles the Bischoppis micht not byde him,
Quhill on a Croce on lenth and breid him drew,
And hangit vp for spyte twa theuis besyde him.

For to mak mentioun of the marterdome
Of Gods Prophets, it wer sum thing to lang;
And for to reckin the reuthles Rage of Rome,
Quhair sindrie godly thay dulefully doun dang,

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It were prolixt; thairfoir I let thir gang,
And to my purpois, but proces mair, proceid,
How wickit men delytis ay in to wrang,
And may not suffer to haif ane godly heid.

Sen sa it wes that Christ, baith God and man,
With his Apostills and Prophets gat na rest,
Bot euer hatit be Cain and his clan,
As Gods trew word dois mak it manifest,
We suld not grudge howbeit we be opprest,
As wes our Maister and brethrene vs beforne,
Bot be assurit it will cum for the best,
And better to thame that thay had neuer bene borne.

I mene not heir that thay suld pas vnpunissit
For thair trespas, nor neuer sic thing thocht:
For than suld Justice and lufe be clene diminissit,
Gif thay war spairit this wickit wark hes wrocht,
That our gude gyde to bailfull beir hes brocht.
Lat vs assemble thairfoir with curage stout,
And lat thay tratouris out throw this land be socht,
And neuer leif thame till thay be ruitit out.

Ane Admonitioun to all the Hammiltoūis and thair assistaris, counsallaris, and pertakeris of this maist vile and abhominabill Murther.

O Teinfull tratouris! quhy did ȝe him deuoir
Maist schamefullie, that puneist euerie vice,
Quha wes the cheif mantenar of Gods gloir
In to this Realme, and lufit all Justice?
Ȝour bailfull blude can neuer pay the price
Of his deir deith, wrocht be ȝour wickitnes,

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Wa worth ȝow Uillanis that slew that Prince maist wise
For na cause ellis bot for his rychteousnes!

For sen ȝe first in to this Realme began,
Ȝe wer ay callit for ȝour tyrannie
Strypis of the Schyre, the maist vnworthie clan
That euer wes bred, or sene in this countrie,
As schawis weill be ȝour Genalogie:
For thift and murther, reif and oppressiounis,
With Guldis and Rukis blasit equallie,
Is the auld armes of the Hammiltounis.

And quha wald seik ane man but conscience,
Ane Renegat for to deny his Creid,
To tak ane pure man vnder his credence,
Syne cut his throt and toung out of his heid;
To put ane hundreth for to beg thair breid,
And bring Just men vnto confusioun;
To do ane horrible and ane vnworthie deid?
Seik neuer farther than ane Hammiltoun.

Ane midding tuilȝour but manheid at assay;
Ane vailȝeand tyrane, ane febill Campioun,
Ane wyfe with Childe that manfully can slay;
Ane noysum nychtbour proude in oppressioun;
Ane teinfull tratour of rycht successioun,
To Crucifie Christ that compts not a feg;
I say to ȝow for schort conclusioun:
Come neuer a gude byrde of the Deuillis eg.

How horriblie ȝe spulȝeit vnder nycht
In his awin hous, maist schamefull for till heir,
Ane Nobill Lord, James, of Torphichen Knycht,
He can declair gif ony man lyst speir.
Ȝe left him nocht ane Malȝe nor Deneir,
Syne, vnder truste, neir schot him and his wyfe,

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And Tymothie wes in ane felloun feir,
Bot, prasit be God, they chaipit with thair lyfe.

Our Kingis Grādschir at Lighquo feild ȝe slew;
Baneist his Gudschir from his kynde heritage;
His Fatheris murther also ȝe cleirly knew,
Myschantly hangit, ane wickit vassalage.
Thir are ȝour warks euin fra ȝour first barnage,
God wait gif ȝe be Jaips to hald in stoir,
Or bony byrdis to keip in to ane Cage:
Christ keip our King out of ȝour handis heirfoir!

Ȝe slew our Regent because his warks wer gude,
Quha wes the Lampe of lycht in to this land:
As houngrie tykis ȝe thristit for his blude,

Nu. 35.

That sauit ȝow quhen ȝe wer in his hand,

Gal. 5.

Quhen ȝe culd not resist his forcie wand;

Joa. 3.

Ane suithfast sentence heirfoir I sall ȝow tell,

Gen. 9.

Pronuncit be God, I lat ȝou vnderstand:

Apo. 23.

All Murtherars thay sall Inhereit hell.

Ane admonitioun to the assistaris, counsallaris, by lyaris, and Reioysaris in this maist detestabill murther.

Nocht only thay, bot all that sic assistis,
Or fortefeis, or ony wayis manteins,
Incurris his Curse: now luke Gods buik quha listis,
For it is not mans Judgement sa yat deims.
And quha that this seir sentence small esteims,
The tyme sall cum that he sall weip and murne,
Quhen hiddeous Hell, with greuous glowād gleims,
Baith body and Saule for euer mair sall burne.

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Moirouer, all thay of that Genalogie,
And of that Surname, we mak thame Intimatioun,
Thay salbe repute of this foule cryme gyltie,
Quha nocht compeiris to mak Purgatioun;
Farther, all thay geuis consultatioun,
Or thame assistis in to this fylthie fact,
And not compeiris to our Conuentioun:
Thay salbe haldin pertakeris of this act.

Be war, heirfoir, and be effrayit of this:
Lat sic tryit tratouris defend thair awin curst cause;
Tyne not ȝour landis and als the heuinis blis,
Bot be obeysant to God and mans Lawis;
And be not flatterit with thair vaine wordis & sawis,
For thay can not of this foule fact be clengit.
Thocht mā wald wink, ȝit God, yat all thing knawis,
He will not leif this vile wark vnreuengit.

The Exhortatioun to the Lordis and Nobilitie persewaris of this cruell Murther, and defendaris of our King.

Psal. 5.

God sayis, my Lords, he will be aduersair
To bludy boucheris that stand of him na feir.
My Lords, thir wordis suld curage ȝow far mair
Nor the haill help of man baith far and neir.
Fall to, heirfoir, with blyith and mirrie cheir.
We ar anew, thairfoir heis vp ȝour hartis,
And fordwarts marche, sa sall we se and heir
Quhat lurkand lubers will tak thir Lymmers parts.

Thay fylde the feilds befoir quhē first yai faucht,
Quhair we for ane, thay wer in number thre;
We trowit from thence thay suld haif sittin saucht,
And suld haif tyrit of all thair tyrannie.

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Bot now, allace! the contrare we may se:
Our vaine pietie hes maid vs this fals traine.
Gods Curse thairfoir lycht on thame all for me,
That outher hes pietie or reuth on thame againe.

Gif ȝe do nocht Reuenge this fylthie fact,
Ȝe will be schamit, ȝe may weill vnderstand;
And will be namit ane fals and febill pack,
That euer regned in ony Realme or land.
With curage, heirfoir, now be the baner stand,
And wyn for euer honour and Renoun:
Do ȝe not this ȝe ar ane bailfull band,
And seruis nocht ells bot Goddis malesoun.

For Gods Curse, his vengance, and maledictioū,
Sall neuer from ȝou, nor fra ȝour seid depart;
Ȝe sall sustene maist sorrowfull afflictioun,
That euer tholde men in ony land or airt.
Sic hauie harme sall happin to ȝour hart.
Gif this foule murther with silence be ouer past,
Thir same tratouris sall mak ȝour selfis to smart,
And salbe ȝour distructioun at the last.

And gif sa hapnis, ȝe may rycht weill considder,
This plaigue maist Justly of Gods hands ȝe craif.
Far better it is thairfoir to ryse togidder,
For to reuenge the Murther with the laif,
Nor Gods seir wraith abone ȝour heidis to haif,
For the ouerseing of sic a fylthie cryme;
For Gods plaigues approchis, I persaif,
Gif ȝe defer schort quhyle and suffer tyme.

Fall to thame fraklie, to fecht thay haif na faces;
Persew thame peirtly and ȝe sall se thame fle;
Rune is thair glas, and gone now is thair graces,
In to respect of this foule tratorie.