 | Satirical poems of the reformation |  |
139
XVIII. The Admonitioun to the Lordis.
For lois, thow, Lythquo, may miserably lamēt
Thy fait Infortunat, and duilfull destanie:
That precious peirle, James, our Regent,
In the was slane, dissauit duilfullie.
O cursit hour! o deid of fellonie!
O waryit hand! o wappin violent!
That spairit not his greit Nobilitie,
Sa vndeseruit suddandly to be schent.
Thy fait Infortunat, and duilfull destanie:
That precious peirle, James, our Regent,
In the was slane, dissauit duilfullie.
O cursit hour! o deid of fellonie!
O waryit hand! o wappin violent!
That spairit not his greit Nobilitie,
Sa vndeseruit suddandly to be schent.
In wickit hour he saift the from the Gallous,
Or schew his grace to sic ane graceles grume,
Had thow bene hangit, Tratour, and thy fallowis,
This cōmoun weill had borne the Laurell blume.
Better Justice was not from hence to Rome;
Mair quyet peace befoir neuer King heir held:
Allace! that sic ane Tratour suld consume
His dayis befoir our King had bene of eild.
Or schew his grace to sic ane graceles grume,
Had thow bene hangit, Tratour, and thy fallowis,
This cōmoun weill had borne the Laurell blume.
Better Justice was not from hence to Rome;
Mair quyet peace befoir neuer King heir held:
Allace! that sic ane Tratour suld consume
His dayis befoir our King had bene of eild.
140
Dowglas & Hume, addres ȝow now anone
His tressonabill dolent deith for to Reuenge,
With Atholl, Erskyn, and Stewartis euerie one;
Grame and Lyndsay, remember on this change,
Schaw now he lufit the manly Laird of Grange.
Glenkarne and Sempil, conuene with ane accord:
Throw out this Realme lyke Ratches se ȝe range,
And seik thair blude that hes his body borde.
His tressonabill dolent deith for to Reuenge,
With Atholl, Erskyn, and Stewartis euerie one;
Grame and Lyndsay, remember on this change,
Schaw now he lufit the manly Laird of Grange.
Glenkarne and Sempil, conuene with ane accord:
Throw out this Realme lyke Ratches se ȝe range,
And seik thair blude that hes his body borde.
All vther Erlis and Barrounis of renoun,
Conuene ȝour selfis, with hart and haill Intent,
All partakeris to put to confusioun
With him that slew that Abell Innocent;
And in ȝour harts perfytlie do it prent,
Gif one of ȝow siclyke had loist his breith,
How day and nycht he wald be deligent
Ȝour cause and quarrell Reuenge vnto the deith.
Conuene ȝour selfis, with hart and haill Intent,
All partakeris to put to confusioun
With him that slew that Abell Innocent;
And in ȝour harts perfytlie do it prent,
Gif one of ȝow siclyke had loist his breith,
How day and nycht he wald be deligent
Ȝour cause and quarrell Reuenge vnto the deith.
Edinburgh, Dundie, & vther Burrow tounis,
Remember how the Regent lufit ȝow weill:
Heill nor conceill, reset nane of thay lownis,
Nother art nor part, that did his body keill.
Sen he was keipar of ȝour commoun weill,
Cleik on his quarrell, and schortly ȝow dispone:
Lat neuer yai Ruffians within ȝour rowmis reill,
Bot kyith now kyndenes quhen that his grace is gone.
Remember how the Regent lufit ȝow weill:
Heill nor conceill, reset nane of thay lownis,
Nother art nor part, that did his body keill.
Sen he was keipar of ȝour commoun weill,
Cleik on his quarrell, and schortly ȝow dispone:
Lat neuer yai Ruffians within ȝour rowmis reill,
Bot kyith now kyndenes quhen that his grace is gone.
Ȝoung tender King now behind dois abyde;
Thy seruand schot was only for thy saik;
Had he not tane thy Gouernance and gyde,
Lang mycht he leuit with Lady An his maik:
Na tratour Hāmiltoun had geuin yat mortal straik,
War not in hope to mak thy Grace forlorne:
Thay thocht his deith wald mak thy power waik,
And than obtene thay socht sa lang beforne.
Thy seruand schot was only for thy saik;
Had he not tane thy Gouernance and gyde,
Lang mycht he leuit with Lady An his maik:
Na tratour Hāmiltoun had geuin yat mortal straik,
War not in hope to mak thy Grace forlorne:
Thay thocht his deith wald mak thy power waik,
And than obtene thay socht sa lang beforne.
141
Bot God, that hes thy Maiestie in cure,
Will fruster all thair fulische Interprysis,
As war thay Bouchers thy Father did combure,
Quha flemit ar for thair deuillische deuysis.
Thair fact and act all Scotland now disprysis;
Thair awin misdeidis hes sa vndone thair weill,
Thay dar neuer enter in Jugement nor assysis,
Nor clame thair lands, that did thy Father keill.
Will fruster all thair fulische Interprysis,
As war thay Bouchers thy Father did combure,
Quha flemit ar for thair deuillische deuysis.
Thair fact and act all Scotland now disprysis;
Thair awin misdeidis hes sa vndone thair weill,
Thay dar neuer enter in Jugement nor assysis,
Nor clame thair lands, that did thy Father keill.
Quhat? trow ȝe, Tygers, that God omnipotēt
Will wynk vnsene sic wickitnes and wrang?
Ȝe may be sure his bow is reddy bent
Ȝow to ruit out: luke ford and think not lang.
Hammiltoū and Hepburne, ȝe will sing baith ane sang:
Schrewit is that seruice ȝe haif schawin to ȝour King;
Wald poysonit him self, his Father wyrreit strang,
Now slane his Regent to mak ȝour selfis to ring.
Will wynk vnsene sic wickitnes and wrang?
Ȝe may be sure his bow is reddy bent
Ȝow to ruit out: luke ford and think not lang.
Hammiltoū and Hepburne, ȝe will sing baith ane sang:
Schrewit is that seruice ȝe haif schawin to ȝour King;
Wald poysonit him self, his Father wyrreit strang,
Now slane his Regent to mak ȝour selfis to ring.
Wo worth vnlefull meinis manifest,
That ȝe haif socht to bruik Authoritie!
Ȝit vn obtenit quhill that our King may lest,
Quhome Christ conserue in his Minoritie!
That tender plant our Superioritie
Suld haif, quha is our kyndely King of nature:
The King of Kingis, of his Maioritie,
Mak neuer ane King ouer Scotland of a Tratoure!
That ȝe haif socht to bruik Authoritie!
Ȝit vn obtenit quhill that our King may lest,
Quhome Christ conserue in his Minoritie!
That tender plant our Superioritie
Suld haif, quha is our kyndely King of nature:
The King of Kingis, of his Maioritie,
Mak neuer ane King ouer Scotland of a Tratoure!
Wo to the scheddars of his saikles blude!
Wo! cause of wo, sa mony did commend!
Wo to thay Gylouris of godlynes denude!
Wo to thay Pelouris sic Interprysis pretend!
Wo thame Inuolue, now quhen his wo hes end!
Wo and eik wrak mot fall that bludy band!
Wo will thay cry, and rew that thay him kend!
For wo, quhen that thay lois baith lyfe and land!
Wo! cause of wo, sa mony did commend!
Wo to thay Gylouris of godlynes denude!
Wo to thay Pelouris sic Interprysis pretend!
Wo thame Inuolue, now quhen his wo hes end!
Wo and eik wrak mot fall that bludy band!
142
For wo, quhen that thay lois baith lyfe and land!
Schamt is yat sort, with schame yai wilbe schēt;
Schamt schameles, schame hes schawin vnto yis natioū.
Schamt ar yai tratouris sic tressoun did inuēt;
Schame sorrowles will be thair Castigatioun.
For schame thay dar neuer clame now dominatioun,
To purches place, did sa his deith preuent:
Place haif thay loist, and fund thair desolatioun,
That socht sic place till God had bene content.
Schamt schameles, schame hes schawin vnto yis natioū.
Schamt ar yai tratouris sic tressoun did inuēt;
Schame sorrowles will be thair Castigatioun.
For schame thay dar neuer clame now dominatioun,
To purches place, did sa his deith preuent:
Place haif thay loist, and fund thair desolatioun,
That socht sic place till God had bene content.
And God thair pryde will puneis presentlie,
That dois pretend, be murther manifest,
To Royall roume, and heich Authoritie,
Huiking na harme sa thay may be possest
In warldlie welth, quhilk wisdome suld detest,
Quhen it proceidis of falset and Inuy,
Vaine gloir, dissait, or ocht that may molest
Gude gouernance throw teinfull Tratory.
That dois pretend, be murther manifest,
To Royall roume, and heich Authoritie,
Huiking na harme sa thay may be possest
In warldlie welth, quhilk wisdome suld detest,
Quhen it proceidis of falset and Inuy,
Vaine gloir, dissait, or ocht that may molest
Gude gouernance throw teinfull Tratory.
Wyse, Nobill Lords! my Schedull now cōsidder,
And gif the wysest Lord the Gouernance;
Sinder not now that ar assemblit togidder,
Quhill ane be chosin the commoun weill to auance:
Sic as will puneis this last vnhappy chance,
And feiris God now sen the roume dois waik,
Chosin lyke the tother, ȝe myster not to pans,
For in all Scotland he hes not left his maik.
And gif the wysest Lord the Gouernance;
Sinder not now that ar assemblit togidder,
Quhill ane be chosin the commoun weill to auance:
Sic as will puneis this last vnhappy chance,
And feiris God now sen the roume dois waik,
Chosin lyke the tother, ȝe myster not to pans,
For in all Scotland he hes not left his maik.
Now is he weill, and ȝe in wo, God wait,
Ȝour wickitnes and warkis hes the wyte;
Ȝour Inobedience hes purchessit Goddis hait;
Ȝour gredynes to eik ȝour Rentis greit.
In vaine ȝe reid the Scripture as ane ryte,
And of the pure hes na Compassioun:
Thir ar the causis that ȝe of him ar quyte,
That rewlit ȝow and wald maid Reformatioun.
Ȝour wickitnes and warkis hes the wyte;
Ȝour Inobedience hes purchessit Goddis hait;
Ȝour gredynes to eik ȝour Rentis greit.
143
And of the pure hes na Compassioun:
Thir ar the causis that ȝe of him ar quyte,
That rewlit ȝow and wald maid Reformatioun.
Finis.
| Satirical poems of the reformation | |