Classic Poem

For lois thow Lythquo may miserably lamet
Thy fait Infortunat, and duilfull destanie,
That precious peirle James our Regent
In the was slane, dissauit duilfullie.
O cursit hour, o deid of fellonie
O waryit hand, o wappin violent,
That spairit not his greit Nobilitie
Sa vndeseruit suddandly to be schent.

In wickit hour he saift the from the Gallous
Or schew his grace to sic ane graceles grume.
Had thow bene hangit Tratour and thy Fallowis
This comoun weill had borne the Laurell blume
Better Justice was not from hence to Rome,
Mair quyet peace befoir neuer King heir held,
Allace that sic ane Tratour suld consume
His dayis before our King had bene of eild.

Dowglas & Hume addres zow now anone,
His tressonabill dolent deith for to Reuenge:
With Atholl, Erskyn, and Stewartis everieone
Grame, and Lyndsay remember on this change.
Schaw now he lufit the manly Laird of Grange
Glenkarne, and Sempil, conuene with ane accord
Throw out this Realme lyke Ratches se ze range,
And seik thair blude that hes his body borde.

All vther Erlis and Barrounis of renoun,
Conuene zour selfis with hart and haill Intent;
All partakeris to put to confusioun:
With him that slew that Abell Innocent.
And in zour harts perfytlie do it prent.
Gif one of zow siclyke had loist his breith
How day and nycht he wald be diligent
Zour cause and quarrell Reuenge vnto the deith.

Edinburgh Dundie & vther Burrowtounis,
Remember how the Regent lufit zow weill
Heill nor conceill, reset nane of thay lownis,
Nother art nor part, that did his body keill.
Sen he was keipar of zour commoun weill,
Cleik on his quarrell, and schortly zow dispone
Lat neuer yat Ruffians within zour townis reill
Bot kyith now kyndenes quhen that his grace is gone.

Zoung tender King now behind dois abyde
Thy seruand schot was only for thy saik,
Had he not tane thy Gouernance and gyde
Lang mycht he leuit with Lady An his maik,
Na tratour Hamiltoun had geuin yat mortal straik
War not in hope to mak thy Grace forlorne
Thay thocht his deith wald mak thy power waik
And than obtene thay socht sa lang beforne.

Bot God that hes thy Maiestie in cure,
Will fruster all thair fulische Interprysis
As war thay Bouchers thy Father did combure
Quha flemit at for thair deuillische deuysis.
Thair fact and act, all Scotland now disprysis,
Thair awin misdeidis hes sa vndone thair weill
Thay dar neuer enter in Jugement nor assysis,
Nor clame thair lands, that did thy Father keill.

Quhat trow ze Tygers, that God omnipotet
Will wynk unsene sic wickitnes and wrang
Ze may be sure his bow is reddy bent
Zow to ruit out, luke ford and think not lang.
Hammiltou and Hepburne ze will sing baith ane sang
Shrewit is that seruice ze haif schawin to zour King,
Wald poysonit him self, his Father wyrreit strang,
Now slane his Regent to mak your selfis to ring.

Wo worth unlefull meinis manifest,
That ze haif socht to bruik Authoritie.
Zit vn obtenit, quhill that our King may lest
Quhome Christ conserue in his Minoritie.
That tender plant our Superioritie
Suld haif, quha is our kyndely King of nature,
The King of Kingis of his Maioritie,
Mak neuer ane King ouer Scotland of a Tratoure.

Wo to the scheddars of his saikles blude,
Wo cause of wo, sa mony did commend
Wo to thay Gylouris of godlynes denude,
Wo to thay Pelouris, sic Interprysis pretend.
Wo thame Inuolue, now quhen his wo hes end,
Wo and eik wrak, mot fall that bludy band
Wo will thay cry, and rew that they him kend,
For wo quhen that thay lois baith lyfe and land.

Schamt is thatsort, with schame yey wilbe schet
Schamt schameles, schame hes schawin vnto yis natiou
Schamt ar yai tratouris, sic tressoun did inuet
Schame sorrowles will be thair Castigatioun.
For schame thay dar neuer clame now dominatioun,
To purches place did sa his deith preuent,
Place haif thay loist, and fund thair desolatioun,
That socht sic place, till God had bene content.

And God thair pryde will puneis presentlie,
That dois pretend be murther manifest
To Royall roume, and heich Authoritie,
Huiking na harme sa thay may be possest.
In warldlie welth quhilk wisdome suld detest,
Quhen it proceidis of falset and Inuy:
Vain gloir, dissait, or ocht that may molest
Gude governance throw teinful Tratory.

Wyse Nobill Lords my schedull now cosidder
And gif the wysest Lord the Gouernance,
Sinder not now that ar assemblit togidder
Quhill ane be chosin the commoun weill to auance.
Sic as will puneis this last vnhappy chance,
And feiris God now sen the roume dois waik
Chosin lyke the tother, ze myster not to pans,
For in all Scotland he hes not left his maik.

Now is he weill and ze in wo God wait,
Zour wickitnes and warkis hes the wyte,
Zour Inobedience hes purchessit Goddis hait:
Zour gredynes to eik zour Rentis greit.
In vaine ze reid the Scripture as ane ryte.
And of the pure hes na Compassioun
Thir ar the causis, that ze of him ar quyte
That rewlit zow, and wald maid Reformatioun.