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IV. ANCIENT SCOTTISH PROPHECY, No. 2.

Qwhen Rome Is removyde in to Inglande,
Ande the prest haffys the poppys power in hande,
Betuix iij. and sex (who so wylle vnderstande),
Mekyll baret ande bale shall fall in brutis lande.
When pryde is most in price, ande wyt is in covatyse,
Lychory is Ryffe, and theffis has haldin þar lyff,
Holy cherche is awlesse, and Justicis ar lawlesse,
Bothte knychtis and knawys clede in on clethinge.
Be the yheris of cryst comyn and gone,
Fully nynty ande nyne, nocht one wone,
Þen shall sorrow be settande vnsell,
Þan shall dame fortowne turne hir whell,
Scho sall turne vp þat ar was doune,
And þan sall leawte ber the crowne.
Betweyne þe cheyss of the somer & the sad winter,
For þe heycht of þe heyte happyne sall wer,
And everyche lorde shall austernly werk;
Þen shall Nazareth noy welle A while,
And þe lilly so lele wytht lovelyche flouris
For harmes of the harde heyte sall hillyne his ledis;
Syne speyde hime at sped, and spawne in þe wynter;
All þe flowris in the fyrth sall folow hime one;
Tat caldwers sall call on carioun the noyus,
And þan sall worthe vp wallys, and wrethe oþir landis;
And erth on tyll albany, if þai may wyne,
Herme wnto Alienys, aneuer þai sall wakyne.

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Þe bruttis blude sall thame waykne & bryttne wyth brandis of stell;
Þar sall no bastarde blode abyde in þat lande.
Þen Albanattus þe kene, kynde kyng offe erthe,
Vnto þe libert shall leng, leve yhe non oþir.
The lyone; leder of bestis[OMITTED]
Shall lowte to þe libert and long hume wytht,
And shall stere hume A stryff be stremis of humber.
Þe stepsonys of þe lyonne steryt vp at ones,
Þe leoperde sall þame stryke doune, and stroy þame for euer;
He sall þame kenly kersse, as cryst has hume bydyne;
And þus he sall þame doune dryff ewyne to þe ende,
For þai luf nocht þe lylly, nor þe libert lelle.
And þai halde to þe harde, happyn as it may,
Ay to þe tayle of somyr tyne hir lappis,
Wytht þat sall A libert be louse when þai lest weyne.
Ane Egle of þe est, ande ane aventruse byrde,
Shall fande flowrys to fange in þat fyrste sesoun;
Sterte to þe stepsonys, stryke þame doune togeþer,
To bynde bandis vnbrokyne þat salbe furthe broucht.
He sall hime [gather] garlandis of þe gay flowrys,
At in þat sesoune spredis so fayre,
And all sall fawlo þe foulke þat þe freke strykis;
A sely northyrune flaw sall fadyne for euer,
Herafter on oþir syde sorow sall Ryse;
Þe barge of bariona bowne to the senkyne;
Secularis sal set þame in spiritual clothis,
And occupy þar offices, ennoyntyd as þai war;
Þar tonsurys tak wytht turnamentis Inowe,
And trow tytylle of trouth þat þe strenth haldis;
Þat salbe tene for to tell the tende of þar sorow,
Þat sall ourdryff the date doune to þe boke.
Þis most betyde in þe time, throw yhe for suthe,
Qwhen A, B, C, may set hume to wryte.
Anon efter Ml. evene to Rewlle,
Tre CCC in A fute semblyt togeþer,

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Ande syne efter ane l, as þe lyne askis,
Tris X ande ane R enterly folowande;
Þis Is þe dolorouse date, under yhe þe glose,
Whereoff whyll merlyne melys in his bokis.
Busk ye wyell, Berwyk! be blyth of þis wordis
Þat Sant bede fande in his buk of þe byg bergh,
Þe trew towne vpon twede, wytht towrys fayre!
Þow sall Releve to þi keng þat is þe kynde Eyr.
Ande oþir burghys abowte, wytht þar brade wall,
Sall wytht þe lyoune beleff, ande longe for euer.