Classic Poem

Quhen that I had oversene this Regioun,
The quhilk, of nature, is boith gude and fair,
I did propone ane lytill questioun,
Beseikand hir the sam for to declare.
Quhat is the cause our boundis bene so bair?
Quod I: or quhate dois mufe our Miserie?
Or quhareof dois proceid our povertie?

For, throw the supporte of your hie prudence,
Off Scotland I persave the properteis,
And, als, considderis, be experience,
Off this countre the gret commoditeis.
First, the haboundance of fyschis in our seis,
And fructual montanis for our bestiall;
And, for our cornis, mony lusty vaill;

The ryche Ryueris, plesand and proffitabyll;
The lustie loochis, with fysche of sindry kyndis;
Hountyng, halkyng, for nobyllis convenabyll;
Forrestis full of Da, Ra, Hartis, and Hyndis;
The fresche fontanis, quhose holesum cristel strandis
Refreschis so the fair fluriste grene medis:
So laik we no thyng that to nature nedis.

Off euery mettell we have the ryche Mynis,
Baith Gold, Sylver, and stonis precious.
Howbeit we want the Spyces and the Wynis,
Or uther strange fructis delycious,
We have als gude, and more neidfull for us.
Meit, drynk, fyre, clathis, thar mycht be gart abound,
Quhilkis als is nocht in al the Mapamound;

More fairer peple, nor of gretar ingyne,
Nor of more strenth gret dedis tyll indure.
Quharefor, I pray yow that ye wald defyne
The principall cause quharefor we ar so pure;
For I marvell gretlie, I yow assure,
Considderand the peple and the ground,
That Ryches suld nocht in this realme redound.

My Sonne, scho said, be my discretioun,
I sall mak answeir, as I understand.
I say to the, under confessioun,
The falt is nocht, I dar weill tak on hand,
Nother in to the peple nor the land.
As for the land, it lakis na uther thing
Bot laubour and the pepyllis governyng.

Than quharein lyis our Inprosperitie?
Quod I. I pray yow hartfullie, Madame,
Ye wald declare to me the veritie;
Or quho sall beir of our barrat the blame?
For, be my treuth, to se I thynk gret schame
So plesand peple, and so fair ane land,
And so few verteous dedis tane on hand.

Quod scho: I sall, efter my Jugement,
Declare sum causis, in to generall,
And, in to termes schorte, schaw myne intent,
And, syne, transcend more in to speciall.
So, this is myne conclusion fynall:
Wantyng of Justice, polycie, and peace,
Ar cause of thir unhappynes, allace,

It is deficill Ryches tyll incres,
Quhare Polycie makith no residence,
And Policey may never have entres,
Bot quhare that Justice dois delygence
To puneis quhare thare may be found offence.
Justice may nocht have Dominatioun,
Bot quhare Peace makis habitatioun.