 | The Sempill Ballates |  |
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XXIII. Ane Ballate of the Captane of the Castell.
At the castle of Edinburch,
Vpoun the bank baith greine and rouch,
As myne alone I lay,
With paper, pen, and inke in hand,
Musing, as I could vnderstand,
Off the suddan decay
That vnto this puir natioune
Apeirandly dois come:
I fand our Congregatione
Was caus of all, and some
Whois aucthoris, instructoris,
Hes blindit thame so long,
That, blameles and schameles,
Both riche and poure they wrong.
Vpoun the bank baith greine and rouch,
As myne alone I lay,
With paper, pen, and inke in hand,
Musing, as I could vnderstand,
Off the suddan decay
That vnto this puir natioune
Apeirandly dois come:
I fand our Congregatione
Was caus of all, and some
Whois aucthoris, instructoris,
Hes blindit thame so long,
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Both riche and poure they wrong.
These wicked, vaine veneniaris,
Proud poysoned Pharisianes,
With thair blind guydis but grace,
Hes caused the puire cuntrie
Assist vnto thair traitorie,
Thair Prince for to displace:
For teine I can not testifie
How wrangouslie they wrocht,
When thai thair Prince so pitiouslie
In prisone strong had brocht;
Abused hir, accused hir,
With serpent wordis fell,
Of schavelis and rebellis,
Lyk hiddeous houndis of hell.
Proud poysoned Pharisianes,
With thair blind guydis but grace,
Hes caused the puire cuntrie
Assist vnto thair traitorie,
Thair Prince for to displace:
For teine I can not testifie
How wrangouslie they wrocht,
When thai thair Prince so pitiouslie
In prisone strong had brocht;
Abused hir, accused hir,
With serpent wordis fell,
Of schavelis and rebellis,
Lyk hiddeous houndis of hell.
These dispaired birdis of Beliall,
Thocht nocht but to advance thaim sell,
Fra thai had hir down throwin;
With errore and hypocrisie,
To committ open traitorie,
As cleirlie now is knowin:
But the grit God omnipotent,
That secreitis thochtis dois serche
Releivit hes that innocent
Out of thair rage so fearce;
Provydet and guyded
Hir to vncouth land,
Whair wander and sclander
With enemies none sho fand!
Thocht nocht but to advance thaim sell,
Fra thai had hir down throwin;
With errore and hypocrisie,
To committ open traitorie,
As cleirlie now is knowin:
But the grit God omnipotent,
That secreitis thochtis dois serche
Releivit hes that innocent
Out of thair rage so fearce;
Provydet and guyded
Hir to vncouth land,
Whair wander and sclander
With enemies none sho fand!
Sen tyme of which ejectione,
This cuntrie is come in subjectione
And daylie seruitud.
With men of weir in garisone,
To the commones oppressione,
By slicht, and suddrone bloud;
Whose craft, ingyne, and polycie
Full reddy bent is euer,
Be treasone vnder amitie
Our nobles to disseaver:
Some rubbing, some budding,
Thair studie thai employ,
That slichtlie, vnrichtlie,
They may this realme enjoy.
This cuntrie is come in subjectione
And daylie seruitud.
With men of weir in garisone,
To the commones oppressione,
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Whose craft, ingyne, and polycie
Full reddy bent is euer,
Be treasone vnder amitie
Our nobles to disseaver:
Some rubbing, some budding,
Thair studie thai employ,
That slichtlie, vnrichtlie,
They may this realme enjoy.
This guyding gart grit greif aryse
In me, wha nawayis culd devyis
To mend this grit mischance;
And als I argoued all the cais,
I hard ane say, within this place,
“With help of God and France
I sall, within ane litill space,
Thy dolouris all to drese!
With help of Christ thow sall, or Pasche,
Thy kyndlie Prince posses;
Detrusaris, refuisaris,
Of hir authoritie;
Nane cairand or spairand,
Shall outher die or flie.
In me, wha nawayis culd devyis
To mend this grit mischance;
And als I argoued all the cais,
I hard ane say, within this place,
“With help of God and France
I sall, within ane litill space,
Thy dolouris all to drese!
With help of Christ thow sall, or Pasche,
Thy kyndlie Prince posses;
Detrusaris, refuisaris,
Of hir authoritie;
Nane cairand or spairand,
Shall outher die or flie.
“Thought God, of his just jugment,
Thole thaim to be ane punishment
To hir, thair supreme heid;
Zit sen thay war participant
With hir, and sho now penitent,
Rycht suirly they may dreid;
As wicked scourges hes bene seine
Get for the scurgene hyre,
When synneris repentis from the splene,
The scourge cast in the fyre:
Swa Mortone, be fortone,
May get this same reward;
His boasting, nor posting,
I doe it not reguard.
Thole thaim to be ane punishment
To hir, thair supreme heid;
Zit sen thay war participant
With hir, and sho now penitent,
Rycht suirly they may dreid;
As wicked scourges hes bene seine
Get for the scurgene hyre,
When synneris repentis from the splene,
The scourge cast in the fyre:
Swa Mortone, be fortone,
May get this same reward;
His boasting, nor posting,
I doe it not reguard.
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“Bayth him and all thair cumpany,
Thocht England wald thaim fortifie
I cair thaim nocht a leike;
“For all thair grit munitione,
I am in suire tuitione,
This hauld it sall me keip.
My realme and Princes libertie
Thairin I sall defend,
When traitouris salbe hangit hie,
Or make some schamfull end.
Assuire thame, I cuire them,
Ewin as thei do deserve;
Thair tressone, this cessone,
It sall not make me suerve:
Thocht England wald thaim fortifie
I cair thaim nocht a leike;
“For all thair grit munitione,
I am in suire tuitione,
This hauld it sall me keip.
My realme and Princes libertie
Thairin I sall defend,
When traitouris salbe hangit hie,
Or make some schamfull end.
Assuire thame, I cuire them,
Ewin as thei do deserve;
Thair tressone, this cessone,
It sall not make me suerve:
“For I haue men and meit aneugh,
They know I am ane tuilzeour teoch,
And wilbe rycht sone greved;
When thei haue tint als mony teith
As thei did at the seige of Leith,
They wilbe faine to leive it.
Then quha, I pray you, salbe boun
Thar tinsall to advance,
Or gif sic compositione
As thei gat then of France?
This sylit, begylit,
They will bot get the glaikis;
Cum thai heir, thir tuo yeir,
They sall not misse thair paikis.
They know I am ane tuilzeour teoch,
And wilbe rycht sone greved;
When thei haue tint als mony teith
As thei did at the seige of Leith,
They wilbe faine to leive it.
Then quha, I pray you, salbe boun
Thar tinsall to advance,
Or gif sic compositione
As thei gat then of France?
This sylit, begylit,
They will bot get the glaikis;
Cum thai heir, thir tuo yeir,
They sall not misse thair paikis.
“As for my nychtbouris, Edinburch toun,
What salbe thair part, vp or downe,
I can not yit declair;
Bot one thing I make manifest,
Gif thei me ony thing molest
Thair buithis salbe made bair.
Gif fyre may thair buildingis sacke,
Or bullat beat thaim downe,
They sall nocht faill that end to mak
The staires made in this toun.
Swa use thaim, and chuse thaim,
What pairt thei will ensew;
Forsake me, or take me,
They sall drink as thei brew!”
What salbe thair part, vp or downe,
I can not yit declair;
Bot one thing I make manifest,
Gif thei me ony thing molest
Thair buithis salbe made bair.
Gif fyre may thair buildingis sacke,
Or bullat beat thaim downe,
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The staires made in this toun.
Swa use thaim, and chuse thaim,
What pairt thei will ensew;
Forsake me, or take me,
They sall drink as thei brew!”
He bade me rise and muse na mair,
But pray to God both lait and aire,
To saue this noble ludge,
Which is, in all prosperitie,
And lykwayis in aduersitie,
Our Princes plane refuge.
Thairfoir, all trew men I exhort,
That ze with me accord,
That we all, baith in ernest and sport,
Aske at the leving Lord.
That hanged, or manged,
Mot ilk man mak his end,
Wha dewlie and trewlie
Wald nocht this house defend!
But pray to God both lait and aire,
To saue this noble ludge,
Which is, in all prosperitie,
And lykwayis in aduersitie,
Our Princes plane refuge.
Thairfoir, all trew men I exhort,
That ze with me accord,
That we all, baith in ernest and sport,
Aske at the leving Lord.
That hanged, or manged,
Mot ilk man mak his end,
Wha dewlie and trewlie
Wald nocht this house defend!
Finis.
| The Sempill Ballates | |