Classic Poem

A NE Cuning Clerk Experience
And Maister of Intelligence,
New landit in Inchekeith;
This lytill Seduall schortly sends
To all that the gude caus defends
That is the barnis of Leith.

Becaus I hard of ane Conuetion
Now to be maid for this dissentioun
That is into this land.
That anis thair may be finall pace:
How sone I vnderstude the cace,
I maid me to frahand.

To send this Sedull in a gayth
That nane of zow kep ony skayth
For laik of Premonitioun:
For ofttymes into treating trewis
Cuis tydingis yat richt mony rewis
Be Tratorie and Seditioun.

As for exempillis gif I list
I haue anew wald I insist
Baith Forane and at hame
Bot to my purpois to proceid
Of peace and concord thair is neid
In pure Scotland be name.

Quhilk neuer in sic perrill stude
Sen that our Lord deit on the Rude
Foull fall thame hes the wyte:
For it is ouirgane with a flude,
Of murther and of saikles blude:
Allace for leif to flyte.

Scotland this blude hes first begun,
And lang in bludschedding hes run,
And Patrone of mischeif:
The rest at it beginnis to leir
Allace that pietie is to heir
I pray God send releif

For innocets ar murtherit downe
without remors in land and towne,
Quhat leid may leif on lyfe:
And thay hald gait I trow frahand
Sir murther salbe in all land
Of Children man an wyfe.

That seis als greit as Moyis stude
Sall drowne ye warld of mais blude
Quhat mischeif do thay mene:
Zone cursit battell as I trow
Quhilk thay at Trent did all auow
Thay think now to sustene.

For murtherars dois all considder
Thay and ye Papists rynis togidder
Thay ar ane blyssit pak.
And thair wer not a God abone
I wald be fleit I tell zow, sone
That all suld gang to wrak.

Bot sa lang as our God dois Ring
Quhilk salbe ay without ending
We neid not for to feir.
Thocht yai suld all rin by yair mynd
Our God to vs salbe sa kynd
Thay sall vs neuer deir.

Bot zit sen baith in France and heir
Thay haue one butt as dois appeir
That is to cut all doun,
That Justice lufis and haitis vice
Thairfoir my ladds of Leith be wice
Ze ken zour warisoun.

I pray zow all be circumspect
Zour enemeis dois not neglect
Occasiounis to ouirsyle zow,
And gif thay may, thay will not spair
Outher be foull play or be fair,
Agane zit to begyle zow.

Ze haue mair neid thame now to feir
Nor quhen thay come in feir of weir
Downe to the Gallow Ley:
For than ze knew thay wer zour fais
Bot now tha cum in freinds clais
Quhilk is ane sairer sey.

I speik not this that ze suld stay
From zour Couentiou and zour day
Or ony wayis dissaue thame:
Bot that ze may prouyde befoir
To haue ane pyn for euery boir,
And to be richt war with thame.

Ze knaw thair faith in tymes past
Thairfoir luke that ze festin fast,
And tak gude tent about zow:
For trewly and ze be not wyse
Ze sall not mys to se ane gyse
That sall not weill content zow.

And zit I rid yame leaue yair tressou
And euin be weill content of ressoun,
Sen Fortoun with a Reill
Hes wrocht thame ane vnabill charr
And blawin thame blind or thay wer warr
With turnin of hir Quheill.

For quhy befoir thay did pretend,
The Quenis authoritie to defend,
To gar men trow thay ludehir;
Howbeit yai wald haif wist hir swou mad
Intil a bait vpo Lochlowmod
But boddum air or Ruther.

Thairfoir hir caus thay did procure
Becaus yai thocht yat scho was sure
And keipit to thair hand:
Bot zit sic farleis hes bene sene
That Frace wil haif hir brocht hame Quene
And fred out of Ingland.

And gif that be I wald thay wist,
That su of thame mon flit thair Kist,
For all this brawling beir:
Bot sillie saulis thay ar sa daft
Thay ken nathing I trow, bot craft:
Thay ar bot zit to leir.

It wer ane pitie to begyle thame
I wald blind Jamie wald gang wile thame
The moyane for till find:
How that yai micht eschew ye quene
And that thay micht (the parrel sene)
Go saill ane vther wynd.

Zea thocht sum leuch and sum did dace,
Quhen thir blak tydingis come fra France
Blind Jamie tauld me ells.
That quyetly yai news did fyk yame
And sum of thame dois euin mislyke thame
Als mekle as zoursells.

Thairfoir I trow and thay be wyse,
Thay sall leaue of thair Interpryse
And rather gre with zow:
Nor with the hous of Guyis to mell
Quha is als godles as thair sell
And kens thair gymps I trow.

for get yat hous yair had abone yame
I wed my heid yat yai sal tone yame
And trym yame for thair triks:
Ze thay can think on auld done deids
For brint barne the fyre ay dreids,
Thay will not thole sic prikis.

I wald fane warne zow of al dagers
I cousal zow be war with strangers
That halds zow baith in hand,
I dreid ze ly lang be the eiris,
Or thay think time to end the weiris
And troubill in this land.

It wer gude gif ze culd aggre
Amang zour selfis and let thame be
Ze may wit quhat I mene:
For quhe yat stragers reuls zour roist
It wilbe sure on Scotlands coist
As hes bene hard and sene.

And wer ze weill aggreit I tell
Than Scotland micht do for the sell,
And set als lytill by thame
As they do it for all thair power
thay wald be fane to seik zour fauour
And to zow als apply thame,

Bot till aggre and ze delay
Than Scotland will be bot ane pray
As will be schortly sene:
Till gredie gormondis waitand on
Quhen thay may se occasion
To rute zow all out clene.

For sword and derth hes zow opprest
And also ze haue felt the Pest
Bot zit few dois amend:
Than desolatioun is the last,
Of Gods plagues quhe thir ar past,
Quhilk doutles he will send.

Zea I foirspeik ceis not thir weiris,
The tyme sall cum within few zeiris
That nane of Scottis blude:
In Scotland dar him self auow,
Mair nor in Jurie dois the Jow
For feir of Natiounis rude.

Thau sall zour pure posteritie
In wandering wyde fra this coutrie
Amang all vther Natiounis
Cry out and murne with woful cheir
That pitie salbe for till heir,
Thir kynd of exclamatiounis.

Allace that euer thay wer borne,
That dwelt in Scotland vs beforne
And loist vs sic ane land,
quhilk our forbears ans thocht ours
with plesad castells townis & towrs
And all things at command.

Sum Lords sum Lairds su les degre
Thair commoun welth and policie
As ony Natioun had,
And now na Scottisman dar be thair
Allace quhat hart will not be sair
To see Scottismen sa sad.

Than sall thay warie curse & ban
The murtherars yat yir weiris bega;
Quhen Chronickles thay reid,
Tha Edinburgh that Castell strang
Sall wareit be that stude sa lang
Sic murther for to feid.

Thairfor yir plaigs wald yai eschew
I counsall thame in tyme to rew
And thair mischief repent:
Quhilk gif thay do ze may aggre
Bot otherwise na pace salbe
Thocht ze thairto consent.

For thocht that Saul wil Agag spair
Zit God will haue his will but mair
Fulfillit or he sace:
Gif this ze do not vuderstand
Speir at John Durie or John Brad
Thay will expone the place.

thocht murtherars says yat yai thrist blude
Zit let na nobill me of gude
Be craft that was brocht on it
And rewis yat yai haif tane sic part,
Repenting trewly from thair hart
Feir, thocht Johne Knox expone it

Bot gif yat thay grow proud & heich,
And skar at zow as thay wer skeich,
And on na wayis will bow thame
Let yame pas on to thair defensis
It salbe on thair awin expensis
Or all be done I vow thame

Than quhidder ze conuene or nocht.
Keip thir premissis in zour thocht
Ze that of Leith ar barnis:
The abstinence drawis neir ane end.
Thairfoir I pray zow now attend,
Think on Experience warnis.