Classic Poem

In Januar 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 up I rais;
Till at the last, in tumkling 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 clad in blak sabill,
With sweyning nymphis in cullouris variabill;
Amangis the quhilks, befoir me thair appeiris
Ane woundit man, of aucht and threttie zeiris,
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 nauil, and out abone 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 write that thing thow seis this nycht;
For we are knit, in band maryit togidder,
And to this woundit wycht father and mother;
We him begat within thir twentie zeiris,
Thocht deid lyke now he so to the appeiris;
We brocht him vp, as ovr deir sone and air,
And he to serue vs na traueil did spair;
Thacht 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 ze also Madame,
Be not offendit that I speir zour name.
How thay call zow, that talkis sa hamely with me,
And quhat is he that first appeirit vnto me,
That woundit man, quhome ze do call zour chylde,
Quhat is zour names, lat se how ar ze 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 zour Regent.
My Maister ainis! (quod I): zit 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 ze wardlingis 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 natural
To James the Fyft, zour King and Prince Royal:
Thocht, beand zoung, to kirkis he was promotit,
Zit we his hart with martiall deidis dotit:
For them 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 into 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 age he daily did incres,
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 justice of Jethro,
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 zow 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 stylit Lord James at that tyde,
To quhome zour Lordis gaif sum reule and gyde.
Sone efter that, zour 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 zit we maryit him, quhen we thocht gude,
Unto ane Lady of hie kyn and blude:
Than did zour Quene mak him baith Erle & Lord
Of Murray land, to quhilk we did accord;
Sa condiscendit all zour Lordis togidder,
That, nixt zour Quene, he suld reule abone vther.
Bot than, allace, he did sum thing without vs,
Howbeit that all his lyfetyme he did dout vs:
He did permit zour Quene to haif ane Mes,
Throw quhilk at leth scho grew in greit proudnes;
Sa did the Papistis all, athort this land,
Aganis the Lord his will, law, and command,
That ze almaist amang zow wer deuydit,
Wer not be him all wes the better gydit.
Sa lang in court as our sone had the steir,
And that zour Quene wald his gude counsail heir,
Sa lang all thing zeid weill, and wes weill drest,
In quyetnes, peace, policie and rest:
Nane durst rebell on either syde of Forth,
Ouir all this cuntrie, eist, west, south, & north:
The hiest of thame all he maid full law,
That did rebell aganis justice and law.
Than did zour Quene sum tyme with vs abyde;
In France, and Scotland baith, we did her 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 stane 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,
Zis 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, cam hame yan my Lord Darlie,
Of quhais rair bewtie scho did sumpart farlie,
The fairest sycht, scho thocht, that euir 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:
Then with gude vult, and visage meik and mylde,
Brother, (quod scho), scho said vnto our chylde,
Will not ze weill that I marie ane man,
Baith of our surname, kynreid, blude and clan?
Lo this is he standing befoir zour 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 your presence, desyring zow lykewyse
That ze be witnes to this interpryse.
Quhat wald thow mair? without all friends cosent,
This Lord scho maryit quhen thay were absent,
Quha was bot zoung, and culd not reule the ring,
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 Seinzeour Dauid,
Be quhome zour 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 zour Lordis did this sustene;
Be him zour King was lychtlyit with zour Quene:
Be him all thing was reulit in the court;
For him cum all this cummer, stryfe, and stourt;
Throw him, in him, be him, zour court was gydit,
Quhill that zour Kind and Lordis culd not abyde it;
The quhilkis schortly in cousall did cofidder,
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 zour 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 his mischeif come sensyne thairfoir.
Howbeit scho was sone closit vp beliue,
Hir gairdis defendit, and hir self captiue;
Zit culd scho not in hart sic thing forzet,
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:
Sayand, Brother, allace, had ze bene heir,
I had not cum in 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 zour Grace euill cousall.
Weill, weill, (quod scho), at leist, brother, lat se
Gif ze can set me at full libertie;
For I am keipit as in presoun heir,
And na servand of myne dar cum me neir.
With hir fair wordis, he sat hir clene at fredome,
Be 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,
Quhilks chaist zour 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 zour Quenes 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 zour 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 zit zour Quene, be wrang law falslie forsit,
Maid him and hir from vther be deuorsit.
Than went our sone schortly in France agane,
Quhair we thre togidder did remane:
Sa, in our absence, maryit scho Bothwell,
Quha did hir husband kill, as thow hard tell.
Of this zour nobills culd not be content;
With burghis and comounis forwardts furth thay wet,
Quhair thay met vther vpon Carberrie hil;
Tuke hir; he fled, and na blude thay did spill.
Than in Lochleuin scho wes put as in waird,
Thocht efterwart scho had ane sleuthfull gaird.
Zit did zour Lords auyse thame of ane thing,
To crowne hir sone zour Prince, & mak him King:
Quhilk act thay did, with his motheris consent,
Confirmit be the Lords in Parliament;
And than, because he wes ouer zoung to gouerne,
Amangis thame selfis wyslie thay did discerne
For to elect our sone, in his absence,
Regent to be vnto zour zoungly Prence:
Than did zour Lords send for him to cum hame:
With him come we, baith Honour and Gude Fame.
All burghs and comounis, 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, zour 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;
Te 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;
Zea, twa for ane, we think thay wer agane vs:
The towne to leaue, yai thocht than to costrane vs:
Bot we the Langsyde hill befoir thame wan,
And be Gods grace, disconfeist yame: Ilk man
We tuke and slew; scho fled into Ingland,
Quhair scho is zit, not at hir awin command.
Ovr 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 zour Kingis authoritie;
Bot he come hame agane, or euer thay wist,
And zair rebellioun schortly did resist.
Sone efter him, did cum hame my Lord Duke
For ciuil 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 zit, 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 sic, 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 degree,
Acknawledgeing the Kingis authoritie.
Except Lord Fleming, nane war in this land,
Bot to the Kingis grace had thay geuin thair hand,
Sa hauing stablischt all thing in this sort,
To Liddisdaill agane he did resort;
Throw Ewisdaill, Esdaill, and all the Daills raid he,
And also lay thre nychtis in Cannabie,
Quhair na Prince lay thir hundreth zeiris 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 the 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 sleit, quhylis scharp, with promysis maist bair;
Lyke dryft also, thay did driue of the tyme,
Till ane fals tratour suld 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 windie was the sessoun;
As is ye Freche prouerb, grand vant, grad tressou .
With scharp hailstanis thay schot him traterouslie,
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 zisterday,
Vnto this towne he come, soupit and lay,
Dynit this day, and 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 zet suddanlie he fled;
Sum saw him weill, and followit his hors tred;
Quhilk hors was knawin belaging to Lord Johne,
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 justice 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 justice 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 just, 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 manis bill,
And gif answer according to Gods will.
Sober he wes in meit, 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 meintene,
The pure durst leif yair bestiall on the grene.
For slauchter, mercy wald he neuer grant;
Baith murtheraris, theifis, and vitches he did dant.
For to be schort, lay all zour heidis togidder,
Gif ze can find amang zow 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 zet
Quhair I did ly, and had myself forzet;
Sa rais I vp, all clad in bute and spur:
Quhais yat (quod I) yat knokis at the dur?
I, zour gude friend and nychtbour, answerit he;
Gar oppin the zet, gude brother, now lat se.
Brother, (quod I), how dois my Lord, I pray zow?
Departit, oh! (quod he), and deid, I say zow.
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 zeid 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 zet wer alreddy.
To Edinburgh scho went, with hart full soir.
Reuenge his deith, ze Lords! I say na moir.

EPITAPHE.

Heir lyis the corps (gude pepill) of a Prince,
Quhais saule in heuin with God is glorifeit:
James Regent was murdreitt without offence,
Be ane false tratour, sa knawin and notifeit,
Quha wes anis bound to haif bene justifeit.
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 quhoe, God knawis, he schew his greit clemsce,
Thocht thou with tressoun hes him gratifeit?
With all gude vertewis he wes amplifeit;
With all foull vice thou hes defylde yair maisoun.
Resetting the, now haif thay varefeit.
That thay bene weill contentit of this trasoun.

Indeid, I grant that his greit patience
Aganis him self this deid hes testifeit;
For had he put zow down with diligence,
Zour tressoun had not this bene ratifeit.
Ze 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 ze sall thoil for this tressou.