 | Poems (1830) |  |
AGANIS COVETYCE.
Great paine it is to behauld and sie,
Into this realme the great cupiditie;
For this fals warld the poepill hes sa blindit,
To thair intent thay trew it ever bindit;
All haill thair hairtis covetice ar growin,
Thay seik aneuch, bot thay sall never find it,
Quhill that they come ather to hell or hevin.
Into this realme the great cupiditie;
For this fals warld the poepill hes sa blindit,
To thair intent thay trew it ever bindit;
All haill thair hairtis covetice ar growin,
Thay seik aneuch, bot thay sall never find it,
Quhill that they come ather to hell or hevin.
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With gredines ar infected all estaittis,
For to seik land and geir thay seek all gettis;
And cuiris not to gett it wrangouslie,
Be fraud or for force, or with subtilitie;
To find proffeit thay leif na thing unsocht,
Somtyme not spair to us crudeletie,
To thair purpois give that may help thame ocht.
For to seik land and geir thay seek all gettis;
And cuiris not to gett it wrangouslie,
Be fraud or for force, or with subtilitie;
To find proffeit thay leif na thing unsocht,
Somtyme not spair to us crudeletie,
To thair purpois give that may help thame ocht.
Some to get land or geir will nurische stryffe;
Som to get will of ane wreched lyf;
Som will nocht spair for favour nor for feid,
To tak thair nichtbouris roumes our thair heid,
Quhilk thay and thairis hes bruikit this lang tyme;
And som wald haive thair nichtbour put to deid,
To get thair land for ane invented cryme.
Som to get will of ane wreched lyf;
Som will nocht spair for favour nor for feid,
To tak thair nichtbouris roumes our thair heid,
Quhilk thay and thairis hes bruikit this lang tyme;
And som wald haive thair nichtbour put to deid,
To get thair land for ane invented cryme.
Som gatheris geir and hes nocht grace to spend it;
Som dois wrang and hes no will to mend it;
Som leivis all thair dayes wickedlie,
To reiv the puire richt few hes now pitie;
And thair is manie ane that litill cairis
To put baith saull and lyf in jopardie
To mak ane meikill conqueis to thair airis.
Som dois wrang and hes no will to mend it;
Som leivis all thair dayes wickedlie,
To reiv the puire richt few hes now pitie;
And thair is manie ane that litill cairis
To put baith saull and lyf in jopardie
To mak ane meikill conqueis to thair airis.
Som waitt not weill quhat thair airis will be;
Nor quhat will come of thair posteritie;
For som may be great fuillis naturall;
Som may be waistouris and mak quyt of all,
Som great drunkard and spend thair thrist at wyn;
Som may commit sic deidis criminall,
That may thame baith geir and landis tyn.
Nor quhat will come of thair posteritie;
For som may be great fuillis naturall;
Som may be waistouris and mak quyt of all,
Som great drunkard and spend thair thrist at wyn;
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That may thame baith geir and landis tyn.
Thairfoir I thinke it is ane great follie,
For to mak any conqueis wrangouslie;
Syn waitt not give thay bruikit lang them sell,
And quha sall brukit efter cannot tell;
To conqueis lairg som hes great wrangis wrocht,
And put them sell in danger of the hell,
And in short tyme thair conqueis turne to nocht.
For to mak any conqueis wrangouslie;
Syn waitt not give thay bruikit lang them sell,
And quha sall brukit efter cannot tell;
To conqueis lairg som hes great wrangis wrocht,
And put them sell in danger of the hell,
And in short tyme thair conqueis turne to nocht.
I counsall all thairfoir to be content
Of just conqueis with ane sufficient rent;
Quha hes maist land is nocht the best at eis,
Quha meikill hes the mae thay haive to pleis;
And with monie thair deidis salbe spyit;
It is nocht best ane heich estait to cheis,
The grytest ar with moniest invyit.
Of just conqueis with ane sufficient rent;
Quha hes maist land is nocht the best at eis,
Quha meikill hes the mae thay haive to pleis;
And with monie thair deidis salbe spyit;
It is nocht best ane heich estait to cheis,
The grytest ar with moniest invyit.
Som hes bein great and fallen fra hie estait,
The greatest now may gang the samyn gait;
And thay crave God in thair governament;
Mony ar now that hes aneuche of rent,
Yet to get land and geir thay never rest,
Thair greidie hartis can never be content,
Lyk as this warld and thay sould ever rest.
The greatest now may gang the samyn gait;
And thay crave God in thair governament;
Mony ar now that hes aneuche of rent,
Yet to get land and geir thay never rest,
Thair greidie hartis can never be content,
Lyk as this warld and thay sould ever rest.
Yet I do not forbid all uitterlie,
To mak conqueis sua it be done justlie;
First to mak himselffe ane honest lyfe,
To help thair bairnes freindis and wyfe;
And as thay may the puir to help hes neid,
Syn weill provyd thait thair fallow na stryfe,
For thair conqueis efter that thay be deid.
To mak conqueis sua it be done justlie;
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To help thair bairnes freindis and wyfe;
And as thay may the puir to help hes neid,
Syn weill provyd thait thair fallow na stryfe,
For thair conqueis efter that thay be deid.
All yie that has bein given to gredines,
Of all your unjust conqueis mak redres;
And it restor to tham it did belang,
And thinke thair is ane God to punische wrang;
At quham of our misdeidis ask mercie,
For somtyme yie fra land and geir sall gang,
In all your warkis remember ye man die.
This taill is trew and suirer nor the Bass,
Of all your unjust conqueis mak redres;
And it restor to tham it did belang,
And thinke thair is ane God to punische wrang;
At quham of our misdeidis ask mercie,
For somtyme yie fra land and geir sall gang,
In all your warkis remember ye man die.
Malorum radix cupiditas.
| Poems (1830) | |