 | Poems (1830) |  |
36
TO KING JAMES VI.
Our Soverane Lord, in to thy tendir aige
Leir to serve God; him luif above all thing:
Thy Counsell chois of guid men just, and saige;
That ar expert, maist abill, and conding,
To gif ane faythfull counsell till ane king
How he sould rewl his realme, in peace and rest:
To luif Vertue; and all vycis doune thring;
Thame to releif that lang hes bein opprest.
Leir to serve God; him luif above all thing:
Thy Counsell chois of guid men just, and saige;
That ar expert, maist abill, and conding,
To gif ane faythfull counsell till ane king
How he sould rewl his realme, in peace and rest:
To luif Vertue; and all vycis doune thring;
Thame to releif that lang hes bein opprest.
Syne be thy Counsell gar it be provydit
How thow sall leif to thi royell estait:
And how thy nobill persoune sall be gydit,
In tyme to cum, and quha sall on thé wait,
To be thy gairde, and serve thé air and lait:
And quhat barrownis sall in thy court remaine,
Thair tyme about it to decoir all gait,
Of thy affairis to tak sum thocht and paine.
How thow sall leif to thi royell estait:
And how thy nobill persoune sall be gydit,
In tyme to cum, and quha sall on thé wait,
To be thy gairde, and serve thé air and lait:
And quhat barrownis sall in thy court remaine,
Thair tyme about it to decoir all gait,
Of thy affairis to tak sum thocht and paine.
Thy propertie, and casualities,
And thay be put to thy utilitie,
Will hald thy hous and pay thy servandis fies,
And find all thing that neidful is to thé;
Gif thow will use na prodigalitie,
Nor vainlie waist the rentis of thy croune:
Now in thy youthe experience haif we—
Thy leifing haill neir brocht to confusioun.
And thay be put to thy utilitie,
Will hald thy hous and pay thy servandis fies,
And find all thing that neidful is to thé;
Gif thow will use na prodigalitie,
Nor vainlie waist the rentis of thy croune:
37
Thy leifing haill neir brocht to confusioun.
Wes never king nor prince in this countrie
To leif upon that had sa greit ane rent,
To thy proffeit gif it weill gydit be,
And nocht in vaine consumit and mispent:
Thairfoir be ressoun thow sould be content
Till leif on it that to thi croun perteinis;
That on thy leigis taxation nor stent
Be never raisit be unlawfull menis.
To leif upon that had sa greit ane rent,
To thy proffeit gif it weill gydit be,
And nocht in vaine consumit and mispent:
Thairfoir be ressoun thow sould be content
Till leif on it that to thi croun perteinis;
That on thy leigis taxation nor stent
Be never raisit be unlawfull menis.
Schir, at thy barrownis thir thrie thingis requyre,
Quhilk be ressoun can nocht denyit be:
First, to breik justice that nane sall thé desyre:
The secound is, that thow may use frilie
Thy awin leifing, sa it ma be trewlie
Put to sic profeitis as it guidlie may:
Thirdlie, that thai thé helpe and fortifie
Justice to do at all tymes, nycht and day.
Quhilk be ressoun can nocht denyit be:
First, to breik justice that nane sall thé desyre:
The secound is, that thow may use frilie
Thy awin leifing, sa it ma be trewlie
Put to sic profeitis as it guidlie may:
Thirdlie, that thai thé helpe and fortifie
Justice to do at all tymes, nycht and day.
Schir, gif na eiris to vaine flatteraris,
Quha at the lenthe will bot thé plaine dissaive:
Na credens gif to comoune clatteraris;
Nor in thy court na bakbytars resaive;
That will of thame, at quhom thai malice haive,
To thy Hienes mony lowd lesing make,
And gar thy grace ane wrang haitrent consaive
Aganes trew men, fra thé till hald thame bak.
Quha at the lenthe will bot thé plaine dissaive:
Na credens gif to comoune clatteraris;
Nor in thy court na bakbytars resaive;
That will of thame, at quhom thai malice haive,
To thy Hienes mony lowd lesing make,
And gar thy grace ane wrang haitrent consaive
Aganes trew men, fra thé till hald thame bak.
38
Mycht sclaunderit men of thé get audiens,
Or war present quhan evill taillis ar tauld,
Thay sould sa weill defend thair innocens,
Thair honestie sa justifie thai wald,
As suld thame schame till lie that war so bald;
And gar thy grace sa ken the veritie,
That thow sould than for honest men thame hald:
And tratlane toungis have our lang leif to lie.
Or war present quhan evill taillis ar tauld,
Thay sould sa weill defend thair innocens,
Thair honestie sa justifie thai wald,
As suld thame schame till lie that war so bald;
And gar thy grace sa ken the veritie,
That thow sould than for honest men thame hald:
And tratlane toungis have our lang leif to lie.
O royell Roy! thy realme ay rewll be rycht;
And be wise counsel gyd thy majestie:
About thy persoun haif, bayth day and nycht,
Godlie, guid men, of fame and honestie:
And do na thing in thy minoritie,
Be the persuasion of ill taillis nocht trew,
That, quhan thow cumis to thy majoritie,
Experience will gif thé caus to rew.
And be wise counsel gyd thy majestie:
About thy persoun haif, bayth day and nycht,
Godlie, guid men, of fame and honestie:
And do na thing in thy minoritie,
Be the persuasion of ill taillis nocht trew,
That, quhan thow cumis to thy majoritie,
Experience will gif thé caus to rew.
Young nobill King, and thy Counsel, I pray
This comoune-weil keip in tranquillitie;
Sa set it fuirth, it will incres ilk day:
To thy leiges do justice equallie,
Without respect to persoun, or pairtie:
That in this land na tuilye be, nor sturt:
And in sum caice thy grace may schawe mercie;
And speciallie quhair na partie is hurt.
This comoune-weil keip in tranquillitie;
Sa set it fuirth, it will incres ilk day:
To thy leiges do justice equallie,
Without respect to persoun, or pairtie:
That in this land na tuilye be, nor sturt:
And in sum caice thy grace may schawe mercie;
And speciallie quhair na partie is hurt.
I pray to God, the gyder of all thing,
Our Soverane saife fra dolour and decay,
And gif him grace to be the nobillest king
That in this regioun rang this monie day!
That he may tak our lang dolour away,
In his non-aige that we haif done susteine:
Falset and wrang be now baneist for ay,
That gud Justice amang us may be sene.
Our Soverane saife fra dolour and decay,
39
That in this regioun rang this monie day!
That he may tak our lang dolour away,
In his non-aige that we haif done susteine:
Falset and wrang be now baneist for ay,
That gud Justice amang us may be sene.
| Poems (1830) | |