Classic Poem

TOM T ROATH TO THE ENUIOUS .

I F Momus children seke to knowe my name and where I dwell,
I am Tom Troath and my aboade I list not it to tell
For wise men loue not to enquyre, who where, but what is said
And holde themselves therewith content till further proufe be made.

T HE DOUBLE DEALINGE OF THE R EBELLS IN S
COTLAND .

If tongue could tell or pen could write, the craftie cloaked case
Or yet the treasons to recyte of this newe Regents grace
Then Tullies stile or Vergills vearse of God sure would I crave
His shameles acts here to rehearse as he deserues to have
But that were farre aboue my reach and more then well could be
Sith he all others doeth excell in craft & crueltye.
Yet can I not with silence passe his vices strainge & rare
But that I must set furth the same the truthe least I should spare
And nowe since that it is my luck vnfittest though I be
This Caco's ofsprings to advaunce as semes to his decree
I pray you take it in good parte whats'euer I shall saye
In settinge furth his shameles acts whose shame shall not decaye.
Yet can I not set furth the same nor in such wise expresse
As fittest were for one past shame and past all godlines

This trayto r tyraunt of our tyme This Sathans seed I meane
This Rebell Regent that his prince to mate doeth not desdaine
This perfect patterne of deceipt whose high and hawghtye minde
Is paste so full of pride that hard it were the like to finde
This sinfull seed of lothsome life this bastard past all grace.

At Glocester that Trayto r vile a perfect paterne chase.
Who to obteyne that Kingly seate of this most woorthy land
His brothers sonnes his Nephewes dere to guyde they toke in hand
The lambes alas vnto the wolfe to guyde comitted were
Who murdered them to haue their place as storyes well declare

But shall I say this trayto r nowe at him did learne his lore
Who doeth surpasse his wilie wit a thowsand folde and more
A scholler sure of pregnant wit and apt for such a place
Who trayned vp was in the schole of lyeinge Sathans grace
Where he hath learnd a finer feate then Richard earst did see
To doe the deede and laye the blame on them that blameles be
For he and his companions take agreeing all in one
Did kill the Kinge and laye the blame the sakelesse Queene vpon.
And that this deede to each mans sight might seme to be most plaine
They drewe her from her spowse that night by craft & subtill trayne
And feyned that her suckinge Sonne was in great daunger brought
Wherfore with speed to visit him the messenger be sought
With subtill shifte so feately wrought was cause men thought it trewe
That she of purpose parted thence & of the murder knewe
For if that boeth at once had bene ther murder at that tyme
Then might each babe with half an eye haue spyed who did the cryme
And this suspicion to increase they found a newe devise.
That Bothwell chiefest murderer was tryed by asise
And found not guilty by his peeres of whome the chiefest be
Such as the Kings death did conspire and knewe as well as he.
They cleared him eke by parliamente a traytour false & vile
That they their good and vertuous Queene might soner so beguyle
And when that he was cleared boeth by sise and parlament
To marry then they went about to have her to consent
They sayd that she the realme & they should so most safest be
From daunger of all cevill strife & outward enemy.
Alack good Q. what hap hadst thou so oft thy foes to trust
Couldst thou not shun these bateinge beasts who then had tryed vniust

But I who pray yo u was the man they willed her to take
Forsooth the chiefest murderer whom they most clere did make
And that their purpose once begun might come vnto an end

They caused Trayto r Lidington on her still to attend
That this false mache vilian attempt her euery waye
Whose poysoned words so sugred were that she could not say Nay
But did consent to ther request suspecting nothing lesse
Then they such false deceipt to meane & vse such doables
But when the wofull weding daye was finished & past
Their boyleing malice that laye hid in rageing sort out brast
For they that were of Counsell boeth to murdering of the Kinge

And to the mariage gan to spread howe Bothwell did the thinge
And how he tooke away the Q. by force against her will

And sought himselfe to raigne as Kinge and eke the prince to spill

But (bastard) nowe the truthe is knowne how it thy self it was
That sought to spill boeth prince and Q. and to possesse their place

But when amongst the simple sort this rumo r once was brought

It ran abrode from place to place more swift than can be tho t
So they not privy to the sleight did think it for most sure
That she to wed the murderer the murther did procure
And thus this simple Q. each way was wrapt in wo & care
For they that cannot skill of craft are sonest caught in snare
And then the Traytor Lidington in treason neuer slack
At hand ye pickpurse still before began to start now back
And fled vnto her fruyteles foes her secrets to bewray
Like will to like the proverb saith you know the old said sawe

Then Murray the of longe before this murder did devise
Did voyd the land the rather so to blind the simples eyes
And then his fellowe Traytors all the more their cause to clere
Did rise in armes against their Q. as though she guilty were
But she to save the sackles bloud not willing to offend
Did leave her power and offred them all things amisse t'amend
The traytors not therewith content did lead her thence away
And chainged all her leave attyre into a frock of grey
That done they lead her furth by night vnto Lochleuin hold
And kept her there in prison close that no man se her could

Then when they had this brought to passe their trayt r ous false desire
They sent with speed to Bastard James & willd him to retyre
Who comeinge home for loue he bare the prince as he did saye
Did take in hand to rule the realme lest it fell in decay
Howe well this Traytor lovs the Child comytted to his gward
Is plaine in that the mother dere he kept in Crewell warde

And causd her thereby forced fact the present death to shunne
Her Royall Crowne for to resigne vnto her tender sonne
And make this mynyon Murray eake chiefe Regent of the land
Vntill the prince of lawfull age the same shall take in hand

W ch while he would as Richard did if he might haue his will
His Nephewe younge his sisters sonne by secret meanes to spyll
And then he would vsurpe the Crowne as next heire to the same

W ch doeth appeare in that he doeth his father so defame
And saith his brother precontract was in most solomne wise
Vnto the Kinge before that he was maried to the Guise
Although that wisemen know the truthe this sorceress how she wrought
By rings and wichcrafte from the Q. the Kings minde to haue brought

And thus this trayto r doeth debase the Q. in all he can
That from her grace withdrawe he might the hearts of euery man
A Cowle a Cowle for such a greke were fitter for to weare
Then this Apostat deacon should such princely Rule to beare
But where is nowe true discipline dare no man take in hand
To teach such false Apostate Monks their faults to vnderstand
And neake this base borne Deacon come home to his former state
From whence the Lither Lozell fled least he should live too straight
But sure no marvell though Gods rodd hath plagued this noble dame
That gaue to Monkes should serue in Churche such place of worldly fame
Yet he not all vnmindfull of this Ladies gratefull deed
Did purpose with a cruell death to quick her for her nede
But God Almightie in whose hands the harts of princes be
Preserue her from these false attempt & vile captivitye
And when this Noble pray was past this brothers bloudy night
He rages like a Tiger fell for sorowe and for spite
So seing that he could not then his Noble Q. to spill
Vpon her faithfull subiects he began to work his will
For some he cast in prison depe no cause at all thereto

And some he thrust out of the realme to work them great r woe
And some he put to cruell death his rage for to fulfill
No meanes he left there vnattempt her subiects lives to spill
Yet not content in this great rage on men to play his parte
In spight of God against his Christe he gan to shewe his art
And pulled thence boeth bells & lead with iewells many one
That he and his companions might more braver therein gone
For sure I am that some of them amongst his Trayterous trayne
Have on their back more lead at once then covereth Churches twayne
So that no hardned hearte of brasse but would lament right sore
To se prophaneing of each place as serueth God and yore
And when he had this sacrelidge comitted euery where
On loftye Towres & Castles stronge his rage did then appere
On Dunbarre first he spued his spite a castle fayre and stronge
And there he wrought boeth day and night till it was layd alonge
Then uisteth furth and Loghinuar so semely to the shewe
He spoyld them first & sackt them then who could more cruell doe

The lord of Sterlinges howse likewise did fele the form r chauce

W ch trayterouslye he did deface his glorie to advaunce

Then Roslin Bower of brave attyre w th Saintclere doth possesse
Most shamefully he ransauckt so to work him more distresse
Lord Harris lands that Baron bolde who let him of his will
When he was gone throughout the same he did both robb & spill
But what should I here longer staye eche place here to recyte
Sith few there are but that his rage hath nowe defaced quite
When he had wrought his wilfull witt & had his false intent
To blinde the eyes of faithfull men he calld a parlament
Where flockt his fellowe Traytors all both Moreton and Magill
With Lindsay Marre and Ledington yea Balflour laye not still
With other of this fruyteles flock and falsely did invent
That all things there concluded were by full & whole consent
Thus sinfull Sathan workt his will through these his children dere
That falsehood raignes in steed of right as here it doeth appere
Yet haue they not so slilye wrought though Sathan was their guide
But that their treason euery deale at last as well espied
For they to some were innocent of this most haynous deed
Did catch 4 of the murderers and put to death with speed
Whereby they hope to make men think herein that they were clere
Sith Justice they did execute on some that guylty were
As Hepburne Daglace Penory too John Hey made vp the messe

W ch 4 when they were put to death the treason did confesse
And said that Murray Moreton to with others of their rowte
Were guylty of the murder vile though nowe they loke full stowte
Yet some perchaunce do think that I speake for affection here
Though I would so 3000 can herein true witnes beare
Who present were as well as I at the execution tyme
And hard how these in conscience prickt confessed who did the cryme
Wherefore all princes take good heed let this for warning stand

And trye before yo u trust I warne lest check be nere at hand
But though his check it semes so sure that mate is now at hand
Yet may his Q. such gward procure as shall his force withstand
And then she may as he began bid check & mate with thee
And warne him since his force is done to yeld or els to flye
To yeld I meane from false attempt & flye such vaine request

And gward himself w th reasons rule and set his heart at rest
And spend no more his tyme in vaine such false attempts to trye
Least if they vse them over oft hele clime I feare to highe
And thus I reaste & make an end and wish him to beware
No more such checks & tawnes to give least he be caught in snare.