ANE Tragedie in forme of ane Diallog betuix honour gude Fame, and the Authour heirof in ane Trance.
Imprentit at Edinburgh be Robert Lekpreuik. An. Do. 1570.
IN Ianuar the thre and twentie day,
Befoir midnycht, in Lythquo as I lay,
Tumbling sum tyme on bed abon the clais,
Now heir, now thair, quhylis doun, quhylis vp I rais.
Till at the last, in trunkling of ane Ee,
Schir Morpheus the Mair assailzeit me:
With all his sluggische Suldarts out of number
Quhilks led me Captiue, vnto Maister slumber.
Quha softly said, gar keip this pure Catiue,
And tak from him, his speiche, and wittis fiue.
Than come Dame Dreming, all cled in blak Sabill
With Sweyning Nymphis, in cullouris variabill
Amangis the quhilks, befoir me thair appeiris,
Ane woundit man, of ancht and thretrie ȝeiris:
Paill of the face, baith blaiknit blude and ble,
Deid eyit, dram lyke, disfigurat was he.
Nakit and bair, schot throw pudding and panche,
Abone the Nauill, and out aboue the hanche.
Na word he said, quhairthrow I did misknaw him
Because in sic ane stait I neuer saw him,
I wes agast, and sa begouth to feir,
Bot suddanly with him thair did appeir:
Twa graif lyke persounis of greit Maiestie,
And with gude countenance thay said to me:
We ar cum heir, to the (o wofull wycht,
To cause the wryte, that thing thow seis this nycht
For we ar knit, in band maryit togidder,
And to this woundit wycht father and mother.
We him begat within thir twentie ȝeiris,
Thocht deid lyke now he so to the appeiris.
We brocht him vp, as our deir Sone and air,
And he to serue vs, na trauell did spair.
Thocht Atropus hes maid his Corps decay,
Zit Immortall in heuin his Saule dois stay.
And als Immortall he sall with vs rest,
And we with him, sa lang as warld may lest.
Gude Schir (quod I) and ȝe also Madame
Be not offendit, that I speir ȝour Name,
How call thay ȝow, that talkis sa hamely with me?
And quhat is he, that first appeirit vnto me?
That woundit man, quhome ȝe do call ȝour chylde
Quhat is ȝour Names, lat se how ar ȝe stylde.
Quod thay my Sone, of that we think na schame,
Honour I am, heir with my Spous gude fame.
This woundit Chylde of ouris thow may lament,
He was thy Maister ainis, and ȝour Regent.
My Maister ainis (quod I) ȝit is he so,
Nay, nay, (quod thay) he is with vs ago.
We haif him taine out of that wickit lyfe,
And red him of all miserie and stryfe.
Because ȝe warldlingis ar ane Cursit Clan
Ze war not worthie of this godly man,
Allace (quod I) deid lyke he dois appeir,
Be still (quod thay) and to our sayingis heir,
Speid, speid, go to, tak pen, Ink, paper and wryte,
As we honour, and gude fame sall Indyte.
¶ First thow sall wit, he was Sone Naturall
To Iames the Fyft, ȝour King and Prince Royall
Thocht beand ȝoung, to Kirkis he was promotit,
Zit we his hart with Martiall deidis dotit.
For than the Lord, sa blissit his affairis,
That furth of Fyfe he chaist his aduersairis.
With help of gentill men, and subiectis to him,
The quhilkis war willing all seruice to do him.
Thair we begat him, and maid him our awin,
As he is, was, and sa sall euer be knawin,
Syne efter that he passit in to France
Quhair he did vs, and we did him auance.
Than hauing leirnit thair sum Frenche langage
He brocht agane with vs his pucelage,
Now to be schort, it war lang to discerne,
The godly giftis, that this our Sone did lerne.
For as in aige he daylie did Iucres
In vertew sa grew he and lawlynes,
First he did leirne to lufe God aboue all,
And syne his Nichtbour with lufe mutuall,
Trew Faith he leirnit of gude Abraham
with hoip and cheritie knit to the same,
He leirnit als of Salomon the wisdome,
How with the feir of God to reule ane Kingdome,
Of strang Sampsone he had also the fors,
For to resist Gods foes on fute and hors.
Thocht thir tratours that drest him in this cace,
Durst not present thair force befoir his face.
He had lykewyse the Iustice of Iethro,
And als the Chastitie of Scipio.
He had of Dauid the beningnitie,
And of Titus the liberalitie.
Quhat wald thow moir, to tell of all his vertus,
For commoun welthis, he did excell Camillus.
Quhen pleisit God, to send ȝow Scottis ye treuth,
The same to further, at Leith he was not sleuth.
Reforming first his awin with diligence,
In euerie quarter quhair he had puissence.
Than was he stylir Lord Iames at that tyde.
To quhome ȝour Lordis gaif sum reule and gyde.
Sone efter that, ȝour Quene ane wedow was,
The quhilk to bring in Scotland he did pas.
In France he went, and brocht that Lady hame,
Quha efterwart agane changit his name:
Bot ȝit we maryit him, quhen we thocht gude,
Vnto ane Lady of hie kyn and blude.
Than did ȝour Quene mak him baith Erle & lord.
Of Murray land, to quhilk we did accord.
Sa condiscendit all ȝour Lordis togidder,
That nixt ȝour Quene, he suld reule aboue vther
Bot than allace, he did sum thing without vs,
Howbeit that all his lyfetyme he did dout vs:
He did permit ȝour Quene to haif ane Mes,
Throw quhilk at lēth scho grew in greit proudnes
Sa did the Papistis all athort this land,
Aganis the Lord, his will, law and command.
That ȝe almaist amangis ȝow wer deuydit,
Wer not be him, all wes the better gydit.
Sa lang in Court, as our Sone had the steir,
And that ȝour Quene wald his gude counsail heir:
Sa lang all thing ȝeid weill, and wes weill drest,
In quyetnes, peace, policie, and rest.
Nane durst rebell, on ather syde of Forth,
Ouer all this cuntrie, Eist, west, South, & North.
The hiest of thame all, he maid full law,
That did rebell, aganis Iustice and Law.
Than did ȝour Quene sum tyme with vs abyde,
In France and Scotland, baith we did hir gyde:
Bot at the last in hir tranquillitie,
Scho did vs all abandoun wantounlie,
And turnit day in nycht, and nycht in day,
All the nycht lang, to sport, sing, dance, and play.
Till at the last, baith Cupido, and Venus,
Furth of ye Court, gart baneis, chais, and stan [...] vs
Than come dishonour, and Infame our fais,
And brocht in ane, to reule with raggit clais.
Thocht he wes blak, and Moriane or hew,
In credite sone, and gorgius clais he grew.
Thocht he wes forraine, and borne in Piemont,
Zit did he Lords of ancient blude surmont.
He wes to hir, baith secreit, trew, and traist,
With hir estemit, mair nor all the raist.
In yis mene tyme, come hame yan my lord Daclie
Of quhais rair bewtie, scho did sumpart farlie:
The fairest sycht, scho thocht that euer scho saw,
Hir bewtie als, did him in hir snair draw,
For to be schort, thay lufit sa togidder,
That thay culd not be hour of day but vther.
At last scho said, and caist in to hir mynde,
Quhat, quhat, sall I, be thus with Cupide pynde,
That will I not, bot go to my purpois,
Zit first I will, my mynde to sum disclois.
Than with gude vult, and visage meik and mylde,
Brother (quod scho) scho said vnto our Chylde:
Will ȝe not weill, that I marie ane man,
Baith of our Surname, kynreid, blude, and clan:
Lo this is he, standing befoir ȝour face,
Lustie gude lyke, and cum of Royall race.
Him will I marie, and nane vther wycht,
Witnes heirof, to him my treuth I plycht.
In ȝour presence, desyring ȝow lykewyse,
That ȝe be witnes to this Interpryse.
Quhat wald thow mair, without all freinds cōsent
This Lord scho maryit, quhen thay wer absent.
Quha was bot ȝoung, and culd not reule the King,
And thay disperst, that suld haif done sic thing.
Sa this stranger, and fallow of na kin,
In Thuring borne, and wes ane Menstrells sone.
Begouth to reule, and callit Seinȝeour Dauid,
Be quhome ȝour King, and Lords war all dissauid
It wald be lang on this mater to stand,
Our Sone thay chaist syne efter in Ingland,
With sindrie vther Lordis that went vnto him,
The quhilkis wer all of ane opinioun with him.
Be this Dauid ȝour Lordis did this sustene,
Be him ȝour King was lychtlyit with ȝour Quene
Be him all thing was reulit in the Court,
For him come all this cummer, stryfe and stourt.
Throw him, in him, be him, ȝour Court was gydit
Quhill that ȝour King and Lordis culd not abyde it.
The quhilks schortly in Coūsall did cōfidder,
And with ane mynde thay did consent togidder,
Dauid to slay, quhair euer thay mycht haif him.
Concluding thus, on nycht thay did persaue him
At Supper tyme, quhair he was in hir Chalmer,
Than come ȝour king, & sum Lords with ane glamer.
And reft him from hir, in spyte of his nois,
Syne schot him furth, quicklie amang his fois.
Quha stickit him, withouttin proces moir,
Bot all this mischeif come sensyne thairfoir:
Howbeit scho was sone closit vp beliue,
Hir Bairdis defendit, and hir self Captine,
Zit culd scho not in hart sic thing forȝet,
Bot baid hir tyme, quhill scho hir tyme mycht get.
Than come thir Lords, the nixt morne efter hame,
And maist humblie our Sone, halsit that Dame.
Quha was with Chylde, & neir sax monethis gone
And him forgaif, and maid to him hir mone.
Say and brother, allace had ȝe bene heir,
I had not cum in all this sturt and steir.
My Secretar is slane in my presence,
Oh, oh brother, allace quhat greit offence?
Madame (quod he) cair not that is small tynsall
He wes our fo, and gaif ȝour grace euill counsall.
Weill, weill, (quod scho) at leist brother lat se,
Gif ȝe can set me at full libertie.
For I am keipit as in Presoun heir,
And na seruand of myne dar cum me neir:
With hir fair wordis, he set hir clene at fredome,
By our aduyse, quhilk was bot lytill wysdome.
For to Dunbar that nycht scho raid in haist,
Behind ane man in poist, as scho war chaist.
Thair come till hir anew of men fra hand,
Quhilkis chaist ȝour Lords sone efter in Ingland.
Quhair thay remanit baneist and absent.
Quhill France and Ingland maid thappoyntment
This quhen we thocht ilk thing wes weill aggreit
Zit wes ȝour Quenis hart na wayis satisfeit.
Bot with bothwell scho maid conspiracie,
Seikand the way to cause hir husband die.
Heir we lat pas, greit tressounis thay committit
Quhilks for schortnes of tyme, we haif omittit.
Bot of ȝour King, schortly for to declair,
Bothwell with pulder blew him in the air:
At hir requeist, quhilk is ane thing weill knawin,
As sen syne tauld sum seruands of thair awin.
The quhilk bothwell, for all his fylthie body
Maryit he was, vnto ane Nobill Lady.
Bot ȝit ȝour Quene, be wrang law falslie forcit,
Maid him and hir, from vther be deuorsit:
Than went our Sone, schortly in France agane,
Quhair that we thre, togidder did remane.
Sa in our absence, maryit scho bothwell,
Quha did hir husband kill, as thow hard tell:
Of this ȝour Nobills, culd not be content,
With burghis and cōmounis, fordwarts furth thay wēt.
Quhair thay met vther, vpon Carbarrie hil,
Tuke hir, he fled, and na blude thay did spill.
Than in Lochleuin, scho wes put as in waird,
Thocht efrerwart, scho had ane sleuthfull gaird.
Zit did ȝour Lords, auyse thame of ane thing,
To crowne hir Sone, ȝour Prince, & mak him king
Quhilk act thay did, with his Motheris consent
Confirmit be the Lords in Parliament.
And than because, he wes ouer ȝoung to gouerne
Amangis thame selfis, wyslie thay did discerne:
For to elect our Sone in his absence,
Regent to be, vnto ȝour ȝoungly Prence.
Than did ȝour Lords, send for him to cum hame,
With him come we, baith honour, and gude fame.
All burghs and cōmounis, halelie did yai loif him,
Bot sindrie said, that thay wald haif nane of him:
Sa gydit he, ane quhyle with pacience,
Quhill he mycht to his fais mak resistence.
Bot at the last, ȝour Quene wes lattin furth,
Conuoyit away, be sum wes lytill gude worth;
And spedelie, to Hammiltoun scho went,
Quhair scho fand men, anew Incontinent:
The quhilks dispysit, vs honour and fame
Thairfoir all turnit to thair vtter schame.
Our Sone and we, wer than in Glasgow towne
To hald the airis, in thay parts he wes bowne.
Than come scho fordwart, with hir strenth & fors,
Ma than seuin thowsand, quhat on fute and hors.
Yea twa for ane, we think thay wer agane vs,
The towne to leaue, yai thocht than to cōstrane vs
Bot we the Langsyde hill befoir thame wan,
And be Gods grace, disconfeist yame ilk man:
We tuke and flew, scho fled in to Ingland,
Quhair scho is ȝit, not at hir awin command:
Our Sone cryit out, lat na mair blude be sched,
Bot tak and saif, the rest that now be fled.
In deid yat day, yair wes slane in yat place,
Ma Hammiltounis, nor ony vther race:
Howbeit the rest, of thame maist gratiouslie
He did intreit, with pardoun and mercie.
Thay him rewardit with Ingratitude,
And traterously this nycht hes sched his blude.
Efter this feild, our Sone in Ingland went,
We left him not, bot wes with him present,
Than did sum Lords, lyft vp yair hornis on hie,
Quhilks did withstand ȝour Kingis authoritie.
Bot he come hame, agane or euer thay wist,
And yair Rebellioun schortly did resist:
Sone efter him, did cum hame my Lord Duke,
For Ciuill weir, yan euerie man did luke:
Bot God the Lord, brocht all sa weill to pas,
That without blude, all weill aggreit was:
Except my Lords, the Duke and Hereis baith,
Wer put in waird, yair wes na vther skaith:
Quhair thay ar ȝit, vnto yis tyme and tyde,
And will be thair, quhill sum men get ye gyde.
Sone efter this to Liddisdaill he went,
Quhairof the theifis, and sit war not content:
For to thair Chyftanis he maid biggingis bair
As efterwart thay did repent full sair.
Than come he north schortly he tuke na rest,
Till all that countrie had componit and drest:
The hiest of thame all, that wald Rebell,
He maid him stoup, and als to knaw himsell.
This being done, amang all vther thing,
He maid thame all subscriue vnto the King:
Baith far and neir▪ of hie and law degre,
Acknawledgeing the Kingis authoritie
Except Lord Fleming, nane war in this land,
Bot to the Kingis grace, had thay geuin yair bam
Sa hauing stablischt all thing in this sort,
To Liddisdaill agane he did resort.
Throw Ewisdaill, Esdaill, and all the Daills rai [...] h [...]
And also lay thre nychtis in Cannabie:
Quhair na Prince lay thir hundreth ȝeiris befoir,
Na theif durst steir, thay did him feir so soir.
And that thay suld na mair thair thift alledge,
Thre scoir and twelf he brocht of thame in pledge,
Syne wardit yam, quhilk maid ye rest keip ordour
Than mycht the Rasche bus keip ky on ye bordour
Quhen he this thocht till haif bene at his eais,
In come on him the Quene of Inglandis fais.
The quhilks to seik, he tuke purpois fra hand,
Without delay▪ he gat Northumberland:
He socht him so, and fand him at the last,
And pat him in Lochleuin quhair he is fast.
Than went he suddanly to Dunbartane,
In snaw, sleit, drift, wind, froist, hailstanis & rane.
In deid lyke snaw, thair words wer soft and fair,
Lyke fieit, quhylis scharp, with promysis maist bair
Lyke dryft also, thay did driue of the tyme,
Till ane fals tratour suid commit this cryme.
Lyke as the froist dois freis vp all fresche watter
Thay freisit him in Stirling on this mater.
Windie it was, and windic was the sessoun▪
As is ye Frēche Prouerb, grand vant, grād tressoū
With scharp hailstanis, thay schot him trateroussie
Lyke rane in greit wind, syne fled suddanlie.
Sa may we weill, the tyme to deid compair,
For all wes trublit, baith se, land and air.
On Sonday than, the quhilk wes ȝisterday,
Vnto this towne, he come soupit and lay:
Dynit this day, and Iust at aleuin houris
Thair wes ane knaif of his Conspiratouris,
Ane Hammiltoun within the bischoppis stair,
Quhilk schot him as thow seis withouttin mair:
Syne at the bak ȝet, suddanlie he fled,
Sum saw him weill, and followit his hors tred.
Quhilk hors was knawin, belāging to lord Iohue
Quha with the rest, this act maid to be done.
Bot to our Sone we keipit cumpanie,
Quhilk in our armes, within this hour did die.
Than deit with him all vertus Cardinall,
Than deit with him Iustice Imperiall:
For in his tyme, Gods word was trewly preichit,
And in his tyme, Collegis rychtlie teichit.
Not only lufit he vprychteousnes,
Bot als he hatit vice and vitiousnes:
Not only did he lufe God and him ken,
Bot als he hatit all vngodly men.
To Sessioun als, ilk day he went to se,
Gif Iustice wes thair Ministrate trewlie.
The riche and pure, he did alyke regaird.
Puneist the euill, and did the gude rewaird
He wald not lat▪ the Papists cause ga bak,
Gif it wer Iust, bot wald be for him frak.
He wald not thoill, the proud oppres the pure,
Sa far as he, had Regiment and cure.
He did disdane, pryde and ambitioun,
He lufit men, meik of Conditioun:
He did disdane all foull and fylthie word,
In ony sort, outher in eirnist or bourd.
Maist diligent he wes to ryn athort,
To gif the wedow, and fatherles confort:
Maist diligent, to heir the pure mānis bill,
And gif answer, according to Gods will.
Sober he wes, in meir, in drink, and claithis,
He wald not thoill, blaspheming nor na aithis:
Reddy to heir, quhen ony man spak to him,
Mistraisting not, yat ony wald vndo him.
Peace and concord, ouer all for to mantene,
The pure durst leif yair bestiall on the grene.
For stauchter mercy wald he neuer grant,
Baith murtherars, theifis, and Vitches he did dane
For to be schort, lay all ȝour heidis togidder,
Gif ȝe can find amang ȝow sic ane vther.
¶ Get vp (quod thay) it is almaist midnycht,
With yat all thre, thay went out of my sycht:
Because ane man wes knoking at the ȝet,
Quhair I did ly, and had my self forȝet.
Sa rais I vp, all cled in bute and spur,
Quhais yat (quod I) yat knokis at the dur?
I ȝour gude freind, and Nychthour answerit he,
Gar oppin the ȝet, gude brother now lar se▪
Brother (quod I) how dois my Lord I pray ȝow
Departit oh, (quod he) and deid I say ȝow:
Allace (quod I) I find my Dreme ouer trew,
And that full sair, all Scotland sone will rew.
Than to the Palice went I, and ȝeid in,
Thair weiping vocis, hard I making din:
Within the Chalmer I went quhair he departit,
Quhilk sycht to se, God wait maid me sair hartit:
Than come I furth agane, and saw my Lady,
Quhais horsis at the foir ȝet wer alreddy.
To Edinburgh scho went with hart full soir,
Reuenge his deith ȝe Lords, I say na moir.
¶ Epitaphe.
¶ Heir lyis the Corps (gude pepill) of a Princ [...]
Quhais Saule in heuin, with God is glorifeit:
Iames Regent was, murdreist without offence
Be ane fals tratour, sa knawin and notifeit.
Quha wes anis bound, to haif bene Iustifeit,
He gaif him grace, allace aganis all ressoun:
O Hammiltoun, it schawis weill thou wes feit,
Be all that Clan, for to commit this tressoun.
¶ Quhat mouit the to do yis Insolence?
And mak yat Clan, sa to be falsifeit:
To quhōe God knawis, he schew his greit clemēce
Thocht thou with tressoun hes him gratifeit.
With all gude vertewis he wes amplifeit,
With all soull vice, thou hes defylde yair Mai [...]oun
Ressetting the, now haif thay varefeit,
That thay bene weill contentit of this crasoun.
¶ In deid I grant, that his greit patience,
Aganis him self, this deid hes testefeit:
For had he put ȝow doun with diligence
ʒour tressoun had, not this bene ratifeit.
ʒe wer anis all in his will signifeit,
At the Langsyde, sensyne in euerie sessoun:
Now with greit honour is he Magnifeit,
And with greit schame, ȝe sall thoil for this tressoū
¶ OBIIT XXIII. IANVARII. ANNO. DO. M.D.LXIX.