Classic Poem

Be governour baith guid and gratious;
Be leill and luifand to thy liegis all;
Be large of fredome and no thing desyrous;
Be just to pure for ony thing may fall;
Be ferme of faith and constant as ane wall;
Be reddye evir to stanche evill and discord;
Be cheretabill, and sickerlye thou sall
Be bowsum ay to knaw thy God and Lord.

Be nocht to proud of wardlie guidis heir;
Be weill bethocht thai will remane na tyde;
Be sicker als that thou man die but weir;
Be war thairwith the tyme will no man byde;
Be vertewus and set all vyce on syde;
Be patient, lawlie and misericord;
Be rewlit so quhairevir thou go or byde;
Be bowsum ay to knaw thy God and Lord.

Be weill avysit of quhome thow counsale tais;
Be sewer of thame that thai be leill and trew;
Bethink the als quhidder thai be friendis, or fais.
Be to thy saull, thair sawis or thou persew:
Be nevir our hastye to wirk and syne to rew;
Be nocht thair freind that makis the fals record;
Be reddye evir all guid workis to renew;
Be bowsum ay to knaw thy God and Lord.
Be traist and conquese thy awin heretage
Be ennemyes of auld now occupyit;
Be strenth and force thou sobir thai man swage
Be law of God — thair may no man deny it;
Be nocht as lantern in mirknes unspyit;
Be thou in rycht thi landis suld be restored,
Be wirschop so thy name beis magnefeit;
Be bowsum ay to knaw thy God and Lord.

Be to rebellis strong as Iyoun eik;
Be ferce to follow thame quhairevir thai found;
Be to thy liegemen bayth soft and meik;
Be thair succour and help thame haill and sound;
Be knaw thy cure and caus quhy thow was cround;
Be besye evir that justice be nocht smord;
Be blyith in hart; thir wordis oft expound;
Be bowsum ay to knaw thy God and Lord.