The Deploratioun of the Cruel murther of Iames Erle of Murray, vmquhile Regent of Scotland, togidder with ane admonitioun to the Hammiltounis committaris thairof, and to all thair Fortifearis, mantenaris, or assistance, with ane Exhortatioun to the Lordis and Nobilitie, keiparis and defendaris of our Kingis Grace Maiestie.
QUhile as with flesche, and blude we go about,
The wondrous warkis of God for to discriue,
Dans quhil we pleis, we sal not find yame out
Bot sall Iudge God, aganis all ressoun striue.
Quhen as be tholis, proude Delours to depriue
The lyuis from sic, as halely wes his,
Be Cruell murther, thame reuthles for to riue
The flesche of man can neuer considder this.
❧ Bot quha that wald the mater vnderstand,
He man luke lawer, and enter in the Spreit,
And than he sall persaif, the cause fra hand,
That God wirkis na thing, bot as a Iudge discreit.
Quhen as the pepill with sinnis ar repleit
Without remors, as thay ar, at thir houris
Than to that end, his plaiges be may compleit,
He takis from thame thair godly Gouernouris.
¶ And this he vsis mony sindrie sortis,
Sum tyme be seiknes, in to thair beddis to be,
Sum slane be tratouris, bot not for thair consortis,
Bot to that end, thay suld distroyit be.
And rutit furth clene out of memorie,
He tholis sic wickit, proude Conspiratouris,
To execute thair lurking traytorie,
And bring to deith thair godly Gouernouris.
❧ We se also the wickit of the warld, 1. To. 3.
Still beir the godly at deidly Indignatioun,
Sum tyme be tratouris, ar Innocentis ouerharld,
And thocht trew men, haif heir bot tribulatioun.
We suld not haif sic thingis in admiratioun,
As gif it wer, ane new thing chansit to man,
For sa it was, euin from the first Creatioun,
And still hes bene, sen that this warld began.
¶ This mortall seid, this haitrent and Inuie,
Did first begin, as Gods awin buke dois tell,
As in the Genesis we may plainly spie, Gen. 4.
Betuix twa brether, Cain and Abell.
Cain aganis his brother did Rebell,
And susseit not, to sched his saikles blude
And for this cause, I pray ȝow mark it well,
His warkis war euill, and faithfull Abells gude.
☞ And of thir twa, this haill warld did discend,
Quhilk neuer can, amangis thame selfis aggrie,
Bot baith thair ofspringis may be cleirly kend,
Curst Cains Clan, be thair Impietie.
And Abells seid for richt and equitie,
And thus all murtherars at discendit doun
Of Curst Cain, and his posteritie,
As is the Tyrane, and Tratour Hammiltoun.
❧ For luke how Iustice was the verray cause,
To curst Cain, his brother for to kill,
Sa is it ȝit, but dout, the only clause,
That moues the wickit, vnto thair Raging still.
Thay gloir na thing, bot euer in to Ill,
And makis tha
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euer, but mercy to maligne,
And quhen thay may, thair wickit wayis fulfill,
Thay will not thole, ane godly man to Rigne.
☞ The Probatioun heirof.
TO preis this part, I plainly mycht propone,
Exemplis seir, maist Notabill and trew,
Bot for thame all, I will bot vse heir one,
Of our deir Maister, and Sauiour Christ Iesew.
In quhome na spot of sin, it neuer grew,
Ȝit nocht theles, the bischoppis mycht not byde him,
Quhill on a Croce, on lenth and breid him drew,
And hangit vp for spyte, twa theuis besyde him.
¶ For to mak mentionn of the Marterdome
Of Gods Prophets, it wer sum thing to lang,
And for to reckin the reuthles rage of Rome,
Quhair sindrie godly, thay dulefullie doun dang.
It wer prolixt, thairfoir I let thir gang,
And to my purpois but proces mair proceid,
How wickit men delyris ay in to wrag,
And may not suffer to haif ane godly heid.
❧ Sen sa it was, that Christ baith God and man,
With his Apostillis, and Propheits gat na rest,
Bot euer hatit be Cain, and his clan,
As Gods trew word dois mak it manifest.
We suld not grude, howbeit we be opprest,
As was our Maister, and brethrene vs beforne,
Bot be assurit it will cum for the best,
And better to thame that thay had neuer bene borne.
¶ I mene not heir, that thay suld pas vnpunissit,
For thair trespas, nor neuer sit thing thocht,
For than suld Iustice and Law be clene diminissit
Gif thay war spairit, this wickit wark hes wrocht.
That our gude gyde to bailfull beir hes brocht,
Lat vs assemble thairfoir with curage stout,
And lat thay tratouris, out throw this land be socht,
And neuer leif thame till thay be rutit out.
¶ Ane admonitioun to all the Hammiltoūis and thair assistaris, counsallaris, and pertakeris of this maist vile and abhominabill Murther.
O Teinfull tratouris, quhy did ȝe him deuoir?
Maist schamefullie, that puneist euerie vice,
Quha wes the cheif mantenar of Gods gloir,
In to this Realme, and lufit all Iustice.
Ȝour bailfull blude can neuer pay the price
Of his deir deith, wrocht be ȝour wickitnes.
Wa worth ȝow Uillanis, that slew that Prince maist wise,
For na cause ellis, bot for his rythteousnes.
¶ For sen ȝe first in to this Realme began,
Ȝe wer ay callit for ȝour tyrannie
Strypis of the Schyre, the maist vnworthie clan
That euer wes bred, or sene in this countrie.
As schawis weill be ȝour Genalogie,
For thift and murther, reif and oppressiounis,
With Guldis and Rukis, blasnit equallie
Is the auld armes of the Hammiltounis.
❧ And quha wald seik, ane man but conscience.
Ane Renegat for to deny his Creid,
To tak ane pure man vnder his credence
Syne cut his throt, and toung out of his heid.
To put ane hundreth for to beg thair breid,
And bring Iust men vnto confusioun
To do ane horrible, and ane vnworthie deid,
Seik neuer farther than ane Hammiltoun.
❧ Ane midding tuilȝour, but manheid at assay.
Ane vailȝeand tyrane, ane febill Campioun,
Ane wyfe with Childe, that manfully can slay,
Ane noysum nychtbour, proude in oppressioun.
Ane teinfull tratour of rycht Successioun,
To Crucifie Christ, that compts not a feg,
I say to ȝow for schort conclusioun,
Come neuer ane gude byrde of the Deuillis eg.
¶ How horriblie ȝe spuilȝeit vnder nycht
In his awin hous, maist schamefull for till heir,
Ane Nobill Lord, Iames of Torphicen knycht,
He can declair, gif ony man lyst speir.
Ȝe left him not ane Malȝe nor Deneir,
Syne vnder truste, neir schot him, and his wyfe,
And Tymothie wes in ane felloun seir,
Bot praisit be God, thay chaipit with thair lyfe.
Our Kingis Grandschir, at Lythquo feild ȝe slew,
Baneist his gudschir, from his kynde heritage,
His Fatheris murther also ȝe cleirly knew,
Mischantly hangit, ane wickit vassalage.
Thir ar ȝour warkis, euin from ȝour first karnage,
God wait gif ȝe be Iasps to hald in stoir,
Or bony byrdis to keip in to ane Cage,
Christ keip our King out of ȝour handis heirfoir.
¶ Ȝe flew our Regēt, because his warks wer gude,
Quha was the Lampe of lycht in to this land,
As houngrie tykis, ȝe thristit for his blude,
That sauit ȝow, quhen ȝe wer in his hand. Nu. 35.
Quhen ȝe culd not resist his forcie wand, Gal. 5.
Ane suithfast sentence, heirfoir I sall ȝow tel Ioa. 3.
Pronouncit be God, I lat ȝow vnderstand, Gen. 9.
All murtherars thay sall Inherit hell. Apo. 22.
¶ Ane admonitioun to the assistaris, counsallaris, by lyaris, and Reioysaris in this maist detestabill murther.
NOcht only thay, bot all that sic assistis,
Or fortefeis, or ony wayis mantenis,
Incurris his Curie, now luke Gods buke quha listis
For it is not mans Iudgement sa that deims,
And quha that this soir sentence small esteims,
The tyme sall cum, that he sall weip and murne,
Quhen hiddeous hell with greuous glowād gleims,
Baith body and saule for euer mair sall burne.
❧ Moirouer all thay of that Genalogie,
And of that Surname, we mak thame Intimatioun,
Thay salbe repute of this foule cryme gyltie
Quha nocht compeiris to mak Purgatioun.
Farther all thay, geuis consultatioun,
Or thame assistis in to this fylthie fact
And not compeiris to our Conuentioun,
Thay salbe haldin pertakeris of this act.
❧ Be war heirfoir, and be effrayit of this,
Lat sic tryit tratouris defend thair awin curst cause,
Tyne not ȝour landis, and als the heuinis blis,
Bot be obeysant to God, and mans Lawis,
And be not flatterit with thair vaine wordis & sawis
For thay can not of this foule fact be clengit,
Thocht mā wald wink, ȝit God yat all thing knawis
He will not leif this vile wark vnreuengit.
¶ The exhortatioun to the Lordis and Nobilitie persewaris of this cruell Murther, and defendaris of our King.
GOd sayis my Lords, he wil be aduersair, Psal. 5.
To bludy boucheris, that stand of him na feir,
My Lords, thir wordis suld curage ȝow far mair
Nor the haill help of man baith far and neir.
Fall to heirfoir with blyith and mirrie cheir,
We ar anew, thairfoir heis vp ȝour hartis,
And fordwarts marche▪ sa sall we se and heir
Quhat luckand lubers will tak thir Lymmers parts
❧ Thay fylde the feilds befoir, quhē first yai fauchs
Quhair tha for ane, wer aye in number thre,
We trowit from thence, thay suld haif sittin saucht,
And suld haif tyrit of all thair tyrannie.
Bot now allace, the contrare we may se,
Our vaine pietie, hes maid vs this fals traine,
Gods Curse thairfoir lycht on thame all for me,
That euer hes pietie or reuth on thame againe.
❧ Gif ȝe do nocht Reuenge this fylthie fact
Ȝe will be schamit, ȝe may weill vnderstand.
And will be namit, ane fals and febill pack
That euer rang in ony Realme or land.
With curage heirfoir, now be the baner stand,
And wyn for euer honour and Renoun,
Do ȝe not this, ȝe ar ane bailfull band
And seruis nocht ells, bot Goddis malesoun.
¶ For Gods Curse, his vengance and malediction.
Sall neuer from ȝow, nor fra ȝour seid depart,
Ȝe sall sustene maist sorrowfull afflictioun,
That euer tholde men, in ony land or airt.
Sic hauie harme sall happin to ȝour hart
Gif this foule murther with silence be ouer past,
Thir same tratouris sall mak ȝour selfis to smart
And salbe ȝour distructioun at the last.
❧ And gif sa hapnis, ȝe may rycht weill considder
This plaigue maist Iustly, of Gods hands ȝe craif,
Far better it is thairfoir to ryse togidder
For to reuenge the Murther with the laif.
Nor Gods soir wraith abone ȝour heidis to haif,
For the ouerseing of sic a fythie cryme
For Gods plaigues approchis I persaif,
Gif ȝe prolong schort quhyle and drift ouer tyme.
❧ Fall to thame fraklie, to fecht thay haif na faces,
Persew thame peirtly, and ȝe sall se thame fle,
Rune is thair glas, and gone now is thair graces,
In to respect of this foule tratorie.
And quha supportis thame, or dois fortifie,
I hope to God that is the heid of hallous,
To se thame hyntit in handis haistelie,
Syne hangit hie, but grace vpon the Gallous.
¶ The makaris Exhortatoun to all men in Generall.
AMend ȝour lyues, and call on God for grace,
Pray for ȝour King, with hartie Exhortatioun,
Repent our sinnis, quhill we haif tyme and space
Detest all vice, and foule adhominatioun.
Than God sall gif vs confort and consolatioun,
Pray for the Nobill Quene of Ingland
Quha in our neid still sendis vs supportatioun,
Hir grace lang space, may in gude weilfair stand.
So be it.