Classic Poem

Excellent Princes! potent, and preclair,
Prudent, peerles in bontie and bewtie!
Maist nobil quene of bluid under the air!
With all my hairt, and micht, I wylcum thee
Hame to thy native peple, and cuntrie.
Besakand God to gif the grace to have
Of thy leigeis the hairtis faythfullie,
And thame in luif, and favour to resave.

Now sen thow art arryvit in this land,
Our native Princes, and illuster Quene!
I traist to God this regioun sall stand
An auld fre land, as it lang tyme hes bene.
Quhairin, richt sone, thair sall be hard and sene
Grit joy, justice, gud peax, and policie:
All cair, and cummer, baneist quyte and clene;
And ilk man leif in gud tranquillitie.

I am nocht meit, nor abil, to furthset
How thow sall use discreitlie all thing heir:
Nor of ane Princes the dewtie and the det,
Quhilk I beleif thy hienes hes per queir .
Bot, gif neid be, thair is anew can leir
Thy majestie, of thy awn natioun;
And gif thee counsal how to rewle and steir,
With wysdome, all belangand to thy woune.

Yet I exhort thee to be circumspect
Of thy counsale in the electioun.
Cheis saythful men of prudens and effect,
Quha will for wrang mak dew correctioun;
And do justice, without exception.
Men of gude lyf, knawlege, and conscience,
That will nocht failye for affectioun;
Bot of gude fame, and lang experience.

Quhilk, gif thow do, I hope that thow sall ring
Lang in this land in grit felicitie.
Will thow pleis God, he will thee send all thing
Is nedeful to mantene thy royaltie.
Quha gif the grace to gyd sa prudentlie,
That all thy doing be to his plesour;
And of Scotland to the commoditie,
Quhilk, under God, thow hes now in thy cure.

And gif thy hienes plesis for to marie,
That thow haif help I pray the trinitie
To cheis, and tak, ane husband without tarie
To thy honour, and our utilitie.
Quha will, and may, mantein our libertie;
Replete of wisdome and of godlines;
Nobill, and full of constance and lawtie:
With guid successioun, to our quyetnes,

Madame, I wes trew servand to thy mother;
And in hir favour stud ay, thankfullie,
Of my estait alls weil as ony other:
Prayand thy grace I may resavit be
In siklyk favour with thy majestie;
Inclynand ay to me thy gracious eiris:
And, amang other servands, think on me. —
This last request I lernit at the freiris.

And thoch that I to serve be nocht sa abil,
As I wes wont, becaus I may not see;
Yet in my hairt I sall be ferme and stabil
To thy hienes, with all sidelitie.
Ay prayand God for thy prosperitie;
And that I heir thy peple, with hie voce,
And joyful hairtis, cry continwallie
Viva Marie tre nobil royne d'Escoss.