To Liuia.

Liuia , I kon thee thanke, when thou doost kisse
Thou turn'st thy cheeke: see what good nature is!
For well thou knowst thy breaths infection,
Able to turne my stomack vpside downe.
Which when I thinke on, but for manners sake,
I'ld pray thee thy cheeke too away to take.

Of Titus.

Titus oft vaunts his gentry euery where,
Blazoning his coate, deruiing's pedegree;
What needest thou daily Titus iade mine eare?
I will beleeue thy houses auncestry;
If that be auncient which we doe forget,
Thy gentry is so; none can remember it.

To the Reader.

Whose hap shall be to reade these pedler rimes,
Let them expect no elaborat foolery,
Such as Hermaphroditize these poore times,
With wicked scald iests, extreame gullerie:
Bunglers stande long in tinck'ring their trim Say,
Ile onely spit my venome, and away.

Proaemium.

As in the greatest of societies,
The first beginners, like good natur'd soules,
Beare with their neighbors poore infirmities:
But after, when ambition controules
Theyr calme proceedings, they imperiously
" (As great things still oerwhelme themselues with weight)
Enuy their countrimens prosperity,
And in contempt of poorer fates delight.
So Englands wits (now mounted the full height,)

Insteede of Ingling termes for thy good will ,
Reader fall to, reade, iest and carpe thy fill.

The Preface.

All fay t ful brether that on the Lord dependis,
Mark weill this schedule that I have send you heir,
Pestiferus prelatis, that Papistrie pretendis,
Sic deuils but dout sall in o r dayis appeir;
Yit God forwairnis you be the weidis they weir,
To ken the lupus in a lamb skyn to appeir,
Makand thair godis of warldlie gudis and geir,
The flock new foundit, and thay in furringis happit.

Veneraill pastoris, in vomiting thair fay t ,
Lyk to ane tyke returning to it agane,

Calling to mynde the mutabiliteis
Of this Inconstant warld sa variabill,
Lyke to ane Schip that saillis on the seis
Tost with winds & wallis Innauigabill.
Bot sen I se na plesure permanabill
Bot as the weid it widderis sone away,
Lat vs go seik the gloir Inestimabill
Quhair we man pas perpetually for ay.

With spreit opprest this plungit in to cair,
Remembring me quhat mater to compyle
Endlang ane Park I past without repair
Be Snawdoun syde the seuint day of Apryle,
And as I walkit wandering not ane myle

Maist loyal lord, ay for yi lawtie lowitt,
Now be not lakkit for deloyaltie!
Thocht to ye princis placethow be promowit,
Be not abusit be authoritie.
Bot schaw thi treuth, and thy integritie.
Sene we sa far ourselfis hes submittit,
And king and contray Lawes and libertie
Unto thy cair, and cradit, haue committit

Thy hous hes ay bene trustie, and inteir;
Defamit nocht with fraud, and fickilnes.
Bot schaw thyself bayth scharp, sage, and sinceir;
Indewit with vertew, wit, and worthines,
Ingyne, jugement, justice, and gentilnes;

Gif wicked vice first sen the warld began
Had age be age, but punishment Increst?
In eirth langsyne yair had been nothing than,
Saif only vice and malice manifest.
Bot to thir dayis sic meanis God ay drest,
Aganis vice that vertew ay hes streuin:
Thoche ather uther be tyme has [ ] opprest
Last Justice bure ay the ballance euin.

Sa of hes plesure it plesit him prouyde
Us to exerce as ship vnder the saill:
Sum tyme in storme, sum tyme in temperate tyde
To let vs knaw this warld is but fraill

The Regentis Tragedie ending with ane
exhortatioun.

James , Earle of Murray, Regent of Renoun,
Now lyis deid, and dulefullie put doun,
Murdreist but mercy, murnand for remeid,
Quha lost his lyfe in Lithquo with ane loun,
Giltles God wait betraist into that toun,
Slane with ane schot, and saikless put to deid,
Feit be our fais throw fellonie and feid;
Hangman to Hary, now Burrio to hir brother,
Weill may this murther manifest the tother!

Quhat leid on lyfe wald nocht lament his lose?