The Lamentatioū of Lady Scotland Compylit be hir self, speiking in maner of ane Epistle, in the Moneth of Marche, the ȝeir of God. 1572.
¶ Imprentit at Sanctandrois Be Robert Lekpreuik. 1572.
¶ To the richt honourabill and godly leirnit Gentilman the Laird of Dune Minister of Goddis word, and Superintendent of his Kirk in Angous, Mernis. &c. P. R. his humbill Seruant. S.
TO quhome suld I my Rurall veirse direct,
Bot vnto him that can thame weill correct,
Befoir quhome suld this mater ga to licht,
Bot to ane Faithfull Godly Christin Knicht,
To quhome can I this lytill throuch propyne,
Bot vnto ane of Excellent Ingyne,
Not for the termes nor for the worthynes,
Of ony thing that I do heir expres:
Bot for becaus I aucht of bound dewtie
To dedicat to him sum Noueltie.
Go bill than to the Laird of Dune I send the,
Beseiking him to tak his pen and mend the,
Mend the (alaik) quhy suld he tals that pane:
To sicht the ones it will bot vex his brane
For as in sum Schyre thair is bot ane myre
Quhilk is ouir all that man and beist dois tyre:
Sa into the he sall bot ane fault find
Quhilk is ouir all befoir and als behind.
Ȝit not the les I knaw him sa discreit,
Gif he mend not thy veirse and haulting feit
Ȝit at the leist sa surely he will byde the
That Poets nane sall se the to diryde the,
Pas on than bauldly and to him deploir
This present stait, fair weill I say no moir.
¶ The Lamentationn of Lady Scotland compylit be hir self, speiking in maner of ane Epistle, in the Moneth of Marche ye ȝeir of God 1572.
ȜE vapurs wak and warters in the air
Ȝe Seyis sa deid, ȝe fludis and Fontanis fair
Heir my complaint to ȝow my cace I mene
That ȝe may wellis gif to my febill Ene
To testifie with teiris my wofull cace
And with ȝour murning weid absconse my face.
¶ My husband deir gude Iohne the cōmoun weill
To quhome I did all my affairis reueill,
As he to me did in our faithfull dayis
But fraude, or gyle or tressoun ony wayis,
Than lusty gay and flurisching wer we.
Trew faithfull Children he begat on me
Sic lufe and faith to vther thay did beir,
That thay knew not quhat beist was Ciuile weir,
My heid wald not disdane my leggis and feit,
My Eine foirsaw all perrallis micht me meit,
My hands and armes ay reddy to defend me,
To snib my Children gif thay did offend me,
My body was weill cled with Policie,
My Hat was of Iustice and Equitie,
My Coller of trew Nichtbour lufe it was
Weill prenit on with Kyndnes, and solas.
My Bluiffis wer of fre Liberalitie
My Sleiffis wer of, to borrow and len glaidlie,
My Lais and Mailȝeis of trew parmanence,
My Stomak maid was of clene Conscience.
My waist was gyrdit with Sobrietie,
My Leggs and feit schod with Simplicitie.
My hart was haill, my stomach weill disposit,
Of peice and rest my Bowellis wer composit.
Quhat wald ȝe moir Schir commoun weill and I
Held hous lang tyme, bot Sathan had Inuy
To se vs so, than callit he Seditioun
With pryde his Sone to quhome he gaif cōmissioun
To tak with thame discord and Nichthour feid
(Efter I mene that our gude barnis wer deid)
To poysoun me with thair Infectir cryme,
With sum of my awin Children of this tyme,
Of quhilks I pray the Lord God mak me fre,
Ambitioun will not lat thame aggre,
Thir mony ȝeiris thay haue me disconfortit,
I trauell ȝit as I had thame aduortit,
The malice greit that ilk to vther beiris,
Dois ryfe my bowells with thair Ciuile weiris,
Sair boistit thay my husband commoun weill,
And maid thair vowis with aithis him for to Keill.
In ony part quhair thay him with me fand
Quhairfoir, for feir he fled from me Scotland.
Away sum sayis to Veneis is he gone,
Or to the Swisches as thay do suppone,
Quhair he is saif from danger, hurt, or skaith,
Heir wald he deit of cauld and hounger baith,
Thus am I left as wedow in distres,
For commoun weill, my bairnis left Fatherles.
❧ Children I had in all vertewis porfyte
To peice, and Iustice was thair haill delyte.
Sum of displesure deit for wo, and cair,
Sum wyrteit was, and blawin in the air
And sum in Stirling fchot was to the deid,
That mair was geuin to peice nor Ciuile feid.
Bot ane was slane vnto my skaith and schame,
Becaus he socht to fetche my husband hame,
He was my deir and best belouit Sone,
All that he did for my weilfair was done,
Lyke ane gude Medciner or gude Syruge,
Of euill humouris he did my body purge,
Quhat wald ȝe moir sen Iames in Falkland deit,
Nane for my weill, sa weill with me aggreit,
Nor ȝit sa weill did lufe Schir Commoun weill,
Nor vnto me bure sic ane feruent ȝeill.
Murdreist he was in Lythgow tratrouslie,
The murtherars vnto my beid did fle,
Quhair thay tuik hald, and ȝit dois hald thame fast
And ay sensyne my heid hes bene agast,
For quhy throw falser and Subtillitie,
Thay chaist away Iustice, and Equitie,
For laik of quhilks my heid dois wark and ȝaik,
And all my body trymbill, dois and schaik,
For quhen the heid is seik the Prouerb is
That all the members be the worse I wis.
¶ My claiths ar reuin that pietie is to se,
Particular weill hes spuilȝeit Policie,
My Coller rent is be Dame Fremitnes,
The Prenis thairof ar reft be sad Nysenes,
Dame Nigartnes my Gluifis hes hint away
Iak for him self my Sleifis dois reist and stay.
My Lace and Mailȝeis tane be variance,
My Stomak worne is be dissimulance,
My belt is cuttit of pure Gluttonie
My leggs and feit now schod with Pouertie
My hart is seik, my stomach keipis na meit
My bowells Rumbills, as thay wald vther eit.
Now for to couer all this vilannie
Ane Cloik thay gif me of authoritie,
Authoritie (alaik) na les thay mene
For thay desyre neuer to se thair Quene,
Bot that thay may in hir Name bruik offices
With power to cleik vp the benefices.
Nane I excuse on ather syde, for quhy
Ilk ane his awin hous seikis to edify,
And nane dois cair for Commoun weill ane Prene,
¶ I grant I had ane Douchter was ane Quene
Baith gude and fair, gentill and Liberall,
Dotit with verte wis and wit Naturall,
Prignant in Spreit in all things honourabill,
Lusty gude lyke, to all men fauourabill.
Schamefull to euill, baith honest meik and law,
Thir vertewis all, scho had quhyls scho stude a [...]
Of God Eterne, as of hir Gouernour,
And quhen scho did regaird hir hie Honour.
Bot at the last throw filthy speiche and countell,
That scho did heir of sum curst Rittie vnsell,
Fra scho gaif eir to sir vyle bawderie
God, Schame, and honour, scho forret all thre
It wer to lang the vices to reheirse
Quhairin from thyne scho did hir self exerce.
The Reider wald thame think maist Insolent,
Bot I thame leif becaus thay ar Recent.
For quhilks scho was thocht vnworthy to King
Ane Crowne to bruik, or ony Royall thing.
Sa all my Children with hir awin consent
Deposit hir in oppin Parliament
Than wald scho that thay suld hir awin sone crowne
Quhilk thing thay did, sa Syce vp and Sink to downe
God saue his grace, for quhy the same is he
In me that hes the trew authoritie.
Praisit be God I haue [...]re at command
That fair ȝoung Prince, in Stirling my richt hand▪
Wer not in hope I leif to se that day
That he sall purge thir foull humburis away,
And me restoir agane vnto my helth,
Ȝea, caus my Children flurifche in all welth.
Wer not he is brocht vp in all gude thing
Affeiring to ane Godly Prince and King,
Be gude Lord Deddy my trew faithfull freind
Cum of ane race of men to me maist Kynd.
For Lady Minnie I dar [...]ak in hand
Happy is he hes sic ane Gouernand.
Wer not thir things, that maks me leif in hope
At I [...]ertie to se this Lyonn scope,
One day to Rore, and Ramp vpon his fois,
To bring thame law, that now sa proudly gois,
Wer not thir thingis I say and otherrs mo
I wald dipair, and die for pane and wo.
To ȝow Vapouris and watters in the air
And sey is sa [...]eip, I downe my plaint declair,
Ȝe sey is I say, gif passage and ȝe can
Till sum Faithfull to bring hame my gude man.
¶ And ȝe my Kirk my Faithfull Mother deir
That purgit art of Channoun, Monk, and Freir
Of Papist Preist, Papist and Papistrie
Bot not assace, clene of Hypocrasie,
Of auarice, pryde and ambitionn
Thocht ȝe haue left all Superstitioun.
I grant the word of God is trewlie Preichit
And in the schuills Exercise trewlie teichit,
Ȝit sayis the Commounis ȝe do not ȝour office,
For vpaland thay haue not dew seruice.
The rowmis appointit pepill to confidder
To heir Gods word, quhair thay suld pray togidder
Ar now conuertit in scheip Coits and Fauldis,
Or ells ar fallin, becaus nane thame vphauldis.
The Parische Kirks I mene thay sa misgyde
That nane for wynd and rane thairin may byde.
Thairfoir na plesure tak thay of the tempill
Nor ȝit to cum quhair nocht is to contempill,
Bot Crawis and Dowis cryand and makand beir
That nane throuchly the Minister may heir:
Baith Fedders Fylth, and Doung dois ly abrod
Quhair folk suld sit to heir the word of God,
Quhilk is occasioun to the aduersaryes
To mok and scorne sic things befoir ȝour eyes.
Thus to disdane the hous of Orisoun
Dois mak folk cauld to thair Deuotioun
And als thay do disdane to heir Gods word
Thinking the same to be ane Iesting bourd,
Thay go to labour drinking or to play
And not to ȝow vpon the Sabboth day,
Sa thay prouoke the wraith of God allace,
Quhilk hes maid me to fall in this distres.
Ȝit suld I not blame ȝow that sic dois perische
Bot Lords and Lairds, & Cōmouns of ilk Parische,
The quhilk wer wont for to caus euerie pleuch
In vphalding the Kirk to pay aneuch.
To do the same ȝe suld thame ȝit exhort
Togidder that thay suld the pure support.
The Prouerb is of Palice Kirk and brig
Better in tyme to beit, nor efter to big.
Ȝe Collegis and Vniuersitie,
That to all vthers suld exempill be,
I se ȝour tempills cassin downe and reuin,
The maist part ar bot theikit with the heuin.
This quhilk to ȝow I do sa planely wryte
The Commounis speiks of ȝow and dois bakbyte
Amend sic things I humblic ȝow beseik,
And dit the mouths of thame that sa dois speik.
Making ȝour lyfis and Conuersatiouns
To preiche and teiche lyke vnto ȝour persouns.
It suld be ȝe Mother suld me Instruct
It suld be ȝe to Christ suld me conduct.
It suld be ȝe suld schaw me the richt way
How I suld serue my God baith nicht and day
It suld be ȝe that suld do diligence
For to aggre this Ciuile difference.
It suld be ȝe throw Preiching suld me mufe
To Cheritie and freindly Nichthour lufe,
It suld be ȝe that suld gif gude exempill
Of lyfe and warks to thame dois ȝow contempill.
It suld be ȝe that suld be at all tyme
Clene without spot, and purgit of all cryme.
It suld be ȝe Mother, it suld be ȝe
To quhome the pepill suld giue eir and Ee,
It suld be ȝe schortly I say no moir,
That to all vertewis suld ȝow Indeuoir.
¶ And ȝe my Barrouns and Nobilitie
That dois oppres my pure Communitie,
Quhair i [...] ȝour wit, ȝour ressoun sence and feill
To fle away my husband Commoun weill,
Quhat haue ȝe wyn sensyne, lat se ȝour ganis?
Gar pryse ȝour proffeit & esteme ȝour panis,
The panis I wait, the proffeit will surmont,
A greit daill moir nor ȝe can mak ȝour compt,
I find sensyne the Ȝow hes borne the bell,
Wyfis Maisters bene in geuing haill Counsell.
To Lords and Lairds I speik generallie
As may be sene allace ouir weill on me.
Hwine Huntly Grange, and all ȝe of that syde
Behald now how ȝe do the mater gyde,
To caus my Sisters France & Ingland scorne ȝow.
That walterars of Courts ȝe lat suborne ȝow,
Ȝit ȝe and thay did sweir with aithis conding
And did sybscryue to be trew to the King.
In takin quhairof with all ȝe did aggre
To Crowne and place him in authoritie.
Gif ȝe wirk weill ȝour deids aue day will schaw
For raising fyre aganis my actis and law,
In halding towns and strenths ȝour King aganis,
Hutting the rest of ȝour brether to panis,
Quhome I excuse not as I said befoir
For I persaif ambitioun and vane gloir
And gredynes, to reule dois blind ȝow baith,
Quhilk dois redound to my greit hurt and skaith.
Ȝour tennents pleuȝeis that thay ar opprest
Be ȝow and ȝours, that dois thame soir molest,
Ȝe hicht yair maills, yair pleuchs ȝe dowbil onyame
Thay tyne thair tyme at sic things to opone yame
For na rest will ȝe get into ȝour raggs
Gif sum sect knaw that thay haue geir or baggs,
Ȝour Nichtingaills will sing sa in ȝour cir [...],
That ȝe sall nichtly haue Domestik weiris,
Ȝone Carle (quod scho) my Ioy dois beinly dwell
And all prouisioun hes within him sell
In barne, in byre, in hall Girnell and Seller
His wyfe weiris weluot vn hir Gowne and Coller,
Thay ar sa riche, that thay do vs misknaw,
Than better sone to drug nor lait to draw
Sone is his Gersum hichtit and his Maillis,
Him self growis waik, his geir and houshald faillis
Quhair sic wer wont to haue Guse Cok and Hen
Breid drink and bedding to treit honest men,
Now drink thay Mylk, and Swaits in steid of Aill,
And glaid to get Peis breid and watter Caill,
Quhair sic wer wont to ryde furth to the weir
With Iak and Sword, gude hors Knapscall & speir
Quhair sic wer wont brauely to mak thame bowne
With Lord or Laird to ryde to Gurrdwis towne,
Quhair sic wer wont at all Games to be reddy
To schuit or loup, for to exerce thair body,
Now mon thay wirk and labour pech and pant
To pay thair Maisters Maillis exhorbitant.
Ryue out the Mures, the bestialls gers inrak
Thay ar sa waik thay dow not beir a Iak.
And gets waik bairns euill nureist in distres,
Sa be sit wayis my Commouns dois dicres
My torment sair constrynis me this to speik
Na merwell quhy, for I am wondrous seik.
Gefeiking ȝow my feiknes to remerd
Quhilk may be done, ceiffing ȝour Ciuile feid.
To follow Christ and his Commandement,
Quha said befoir his last department
Ilk one lufe other with [...]i [...] freindly lufe
That ȝe may be the bairnis of God abufe,
And cleith ȝow with fair Garments clene & quhyte,
Without malice, contentioun or dispyte,
Aganis my cūming, quhilk trewly salbe
Quhen ȝe leist wene in twinkling of ane Ee.
Thus said the Lord to ȝow and to all men
That be thir marks thay fall Gods children ken.
Heirfoir my Nobills seik peice do that ȝe can
To follow Christ and chais away Sathan,
With his Supposts and all that taks in hand
For to diuorse me from my gude husband.
¶ Now ȝe my Burges, Craftis & Merchand men
And ȝe my Commounis with my hynd ȝemen,
To ȝow I haue sum purpois for to say
How, quhen, and quhy, my husband fled away,
First thair come in lurkand vpon ȝour gait
Pryde and Inuy, with falset and dissait.
Quhat suld thay seik lang tyme thay lay thairout.
Till ane Ȝule euin ȝour wyfes to counsall went.
Than spak ane Lawers wyfe baith trym and gent,
Cūmers (qood scho) it is pietie to se
Folk in a towne for cauld and hounger die,
It is mair schame in Burgh for to se beggers
Nor it is skaith in Crawmont to want dreggers.
Quhairof dois serue our greit cheir and fair bigging
Bot for to help the pure that gais a thigging?
Quhairof do is serue our husbands gold and rent
Bot to sustene the pure and Indigent?
Ȝit lar vs ludge ȝone twa that gais befoir
Pryde and Inuy, gif we will do no moir.
And gif our husbands speirs quhy did we so
Answer we may we left thame vther two.
Now gif ȝe pleis Cummers I fall begin
This same cauld nicht to tak ane of thame in,
We knaw thame not (quod thay) hot tak ȝe ane
We must not leif the vther bird alane.
Sa thay did skaill, and scho tuke with hir pryde
And on the morne scho come furth lyke ane bryde,
With hir new Baist als proud as ane Paycok,
And in hir hart scho did hir Cummers mok:
Quhilk quhen thay saw, with spcid thay ran in hy
And for dispyte amangs thame ludgeit Inuy,
In counterfuting hir in all kin things,
Courche, Coller, Cloik, Belt, Braissets & Rings.
Than wox the Lawers wyfe richt proude in hart
Bot ȝit hir Cummers call it scho apart,
Saying Cummers, quhat is the caus and quhy
That in dispyte of me ȝe treit Inny?
Becaus (quod thay) that ȝe alone tuik pryde,
And thocht that we suld not marche ȝow besyde.
Thairfoir we thocht, in that point ȝe did wrang vs,
Aggre (quod scho) and ludge thame haith amang vs
Quhilk thing thay did, and all did condiscend
To treit and keip thame to the warlds end.
Thus hes ȝour wyfis thir twa tane to be thairs,
And left the vther twa for ȝour affairs,
Quhilk seing ȝe and ȝour wairs gros and grof
And with ȝour wyfis thir two so muche maid of,
Ȝe gros geir left, and went for wynt and spyces,
Frenche claith and silks for to cleith vp thir vyces,
Quhilks for to out with dow bill met and mesure
The vther tway ȝe ludgeit at thair plesure.
Quhat wald ȝe moir ȝe wait weilt quhat I mene
Disinge thame now and chais thame from yow clene
¶ Ȝe Hammer men, ȝe that maks schois & claiths
Ȝe treit thir twa with mony manesworne aiths,
And ȝe lykewise all Crafts in Generall
Alaik I feill ȝow to thame bound and thrall,
Mairouir ȝour drinking Extraordinair
Maks oft ȝour wyfis and biarns euill to fair,
Quhen ȝe wald drink in hous ȝe may be bauld
To do the same at hame with ȝour houshauld.
All byganis mend in tyme to cum luik ȝe,
Begyle na man bot wirk ȝour wark trewlie.
¶ To yow my Commouns quhat mait can I say:
I pietie yow as far furth as I may,
Now pure ȝe ar, ȝit purer wald ȝe be
For vsing proud pure Prodigalitie.
Thair is na Lord nor Laird in all this land
Bot ye man counterfait in claiths fra hand,
Fra top to ta, thocht ye suld beg and borrow,
Iohne ga your way for it will not be forrow
Ȝe suld your ground grube with Simplicitie,
And mak your claiths conforme to your degre.
Bot ye your wyfe and bairns can tak na rest
Without ye counterfait the worthyest,
Buft brawlit hois, Coit, Dowblet, sark and scho,
Ȝour wyfe and bairns conforme mon be thairto
Leif of, and leirne your bairns to saw and teill,
Sic doings chaist away the Commoun weill.
All thir foirfalts that I haue done reheirs
That Lords, Lairds, Ladys, & Lawers dois exerce,
Kirk, Burges, Merchand, Cōmouns Crafts and all
Hes haill the wyte of this my wofull fall.
Amend heirfoir, and call to God for Grace,
Beseiking him to gif vs rest and peace.
In our lyfe tyme that we may trewly knaw
Ane God Eterne, ane Faith, ane King, ane law,
And at the last to bring vs to his gloir
To King with him in blys for euer moir. Amen.
The Conclusioun be P. R. to all and sum.
¶ All that this reids the mater sad will think
Sum that this heiris I wait will discommendée
Thocht all and sum heir at partly do schrink
Ȝit sory I that thay suld be offendit
Heirfoir I wald that this wer blythlie endit
For to mak all or sum lauch at the last
Than all and sum sall heir in tyme by past
Quhen Fornicatioun haldin was na cryme
How that sum Prelats did walk pray and fast
And serue in Kirk according to that tyme.
❧ A Prelat ane day in his bed to sport him
Did clap his lufe with kissis soft and sweit
In this meane tyme thair was to recomfort him
Peirtryks and Pleuers pyping on the speit
Than vp he rais, and maid him for thame meit
With gude quhyte wyne and all the partinence
Quhen he had tane this on his Couscience
He gaif ane greit pech lyke ane weill fed stitk
Och Lord (quod he) now gif me patience
Quhat stres thoill we to serue thy haly Kirk▪
☞ FINIS.