Classic Poem

Alas! whom to should I complain
In my extreme necessitie;
Or whom to shall I make my moan?
In Court na dog will do for me,
Beseeching some for charitie
To bear my supplication
To Scudlar, Luffra and Bawtie
Now, ere the King pass from the town.

I have followit the court so lang,
While, in gude faith I may na mair;
The country knows I may nocht gang,
I am so crooked, auld and sair,
That I wit not where to repair;
For, when I had authoritie,
I thocht me so familiar,
I never dread necessitie.

I rue the race that Geordie Steill
Brocht Bawtie to the Kingis presence,
I pray God, let him ne'er do weill,
Since soon I gat na audience;
For, Bawtie now gettis sic credence,
That he lies on the Kingis nicht-gown,
Where I perforce for my offence,
Must, in the close, lie like ane loon.

For I have been, ay to this hour,
Ane worrier of lamb and hog,
Ane tyrant and ane tulzeour,
Ane murderer of many ane dog:
Five foals I chased out thro' ane scrog,
Wherefore their mothers did me warrie;
For they were drownit all in ane bog;
Speir at John Gordon of Pittarie,

Whilk in his house did bring me up,
And usit me to slay the deer,
Sweet milk and meal he gart me sup,
That craft I learnit soon perqueir,
All other virtue ran arrear,
When I began to bark and fight;
For there was neither monk, nor friar,
Nor wife, nor bairn, but I wald bite.

When to the King the case was known
Of my unhappy hardiness,
And all the truth unto him shown,
How every dog I did oppress;
Then, 'gan his grace express,
I should be brocht to his presence;
Nochtwithstanding my wickedness,
In court I gat great audience.


So they that gave me to the King,
I was their mortal enemie,
I took care of no kind of thing,
But please the Kingis majestie;
But when he knew my crueltie,
My falseness and my plain oppression,
He gave command that I should be
Hangit, and that without confession.

And yet because that I was auld
His grace thocht pity for to hang me,
But let me wander where I wald,
Then set my fois for to fang me.


Gude brother Lanceman, Lyndsay's dog,
Whilk ay has keepit thy lautie,
And never worryit lamb nor hog,
Pray Luffra, Scudlar and Bawtie
Of me Bagsche to have pitie,
And provide me ane portion,
In Dunfermline, where I may dre
Penance for my extortion:

Get by their solicitation
Ane letter from the Kingis grace,
That I may have collation,
With fire and candle in the place.
But I will live short time, alas!
Want I gude fresh flesh for my gammis;
Betwixt Ashwednesday and Paice,
I must have leave to worrie lambis.

Bawtie, consider well this bill,
And read this schedule that I send you,
And every point thereof fulfil,
And now in time of mys amend you;
I pray you that ye nocht pretend you,
To climb ower high, nor do na wrang,
But from your foes with richt defend you,
And take example how I gang.

I was that na man durst come near me,
Nor put me forth of my lodging;
Na dog durst fra my dinner scare me,
When I was tender with the King:
Now every tyke does me down thring,
The whilk before by me were wrangit,
And swears I serve na other thing,
But in a halter to be hangit.

Thocht ye be hamely with the King,
Ye, Luffra, Scudlar and Bawtie,
Beware ye do nocht down thring
Your neighbours thro' authoritie;
And your example made by me,
And believe weill ye are but doggis,
Thocht ye stand in the highest gre,
See ye bite neither lambis nor hoggis.


I took na mair count of ane lord
Nor I did of ane kitchen knave;
Thocht every day I made discord,
I was set up above the lave,
The gentle hound was to me slave,
And with the Kingis own fingers fed,
The silly rachis wald I rave:
Thus, for my evil deedis was I dread.

Therefore, Bawtie, look best about,
When thou art highest with the King,
For then thou standis in greatest doubt,
Be thou nocht gude of governing:
Put na puir tyke from his steiding,
Nor yet na silly rachis rave;
He sittis above that sees a' thing,
And of ane knight can mak' ane knave.

When I came stepping o'er the floor,
All rachis great room to me red;
I of na creature took cure,
But lap upon the Kingis bed,
With cloth of gold, tho' it were spread;
For fear ilk freik would stand a far
With every dog I was so dread,
They tremblit when they heard me near.


Wald God I were now in Pittarie,
Because I have been so evil deedie:
Adieu! I dare na langer tarrie
In dread I waif in till ane widdie.