DILIGENCE

TO He Father and founder of faith and felicity, That ȝour fassioun formed to his similitude And his Soon our Saviour scheild in necessity, That bocht ȝow from baillis ransom rude, Repleadge and his presonaris with his hart-blude The holy Gaist governor and grounder of grace Of wisdom and weilfair baith fontaine and flude, Give ȝow all that I sie seasit in this place, And scheild ȝow from sin. And with his Spreit ȝow inspire Till I have shawin my desire Silence Sovereign I require For now I begin, ¶ Taken tent to me my Friends and hold ȝow coy, For I am sent to ȝow as messingeir, From ane noble and right redoubtit Roy: The quhilk hes be absent this money ȝeir. Humanity give ȝe his name walled speir: Quha bade me shaw to ȝow but variance, That he intends among ȝow to compear, With ane triumph and awful ordinance: With crown and sword and sceptre in his hand, Temperit with mercy when penitence appeiris: Howbeit that he Long time hes be sleipand, Quhairthrow misreull hes rung their money ȝeiris: That innocentis hes be brought on their beiris, Be falls reporteris of this Nation: Thought young oppressouris at the elder leiris, Be now assurit of reformation. ¶ Sie no misdoeris be sa bald, As to remain into this hauld: For quhy be him that Judas sauld They will be heich hang it. Now faithful folk for joy may sing: For quhy it is the joust bidding Of my sovereign lord the king That nam man be wrangit. Thought he ane quhyll into his flowers Be gouernit be vild trompouris: And sometime Love his paramouris, Hauld ȝe him excusit. For when he meittis with Correction, With Verity and Discretion, They will be banisched aff the town, Quhilk hes him abusit. ¶ And heir be oppin proclamation, I wairne in name of his magnificence, The thrie estaitis of this Nation, That they compear with detfull diligence? And till his grace make their obedience. And first I wairne the Spritualitie, And sie the burgesses spair not for expense: Bot speid Thames heir with Temporality. Also I beseek ȝow famous auditouris, Conveinit in this congregation, To be patient the space of certain houris, Till ȝe have hard our short narration. And also we make ȝow supplication, That nam man taken our words until disdain: Althocht ȝe hear be declamatioun, The common-weill riched piteous complain. Right so the virtuous lady Verity, Will make ane piteous lamentation: Also for the truth sho will impresonit be, And banischit Long time out of the town: And Chastity will make narration, How sho can get nam ludging in this land, Till that the heauinlie king Correction, Meit with the king and common hand for hand. ¶ Prudent peopill I pray ȝow all, Taken nam man grief in special: For we shall speak in general, For pastime and for play. Therefore till all our rymis berung, And our mistoinit sangis be sung, Leteuerie man keip well ane tongue, And every woman tway. Lady I pray ȝow schaw me ȝour name, It dois me noy ȝour lamentation, Then pass to ladies of Religion, Quhilk makes their vow to observe Chastity: Lo where their sits ane Priores of renown, Amangs the rest of Spritualitie. I counsel ȝow but tarrying, Gang tell Humanity the King: Perchance he of his grace bening Will make to ȝow support: Sir I shall baith in bruch and land, With diligence do ȝour command, Upon my awin expense: Sir I have servit ȝow all this ȝeir, Bot I got never ane dinneir Ȝit for my recompense. I will get riches throw that rend, Ester the day of Dume: When in the colpots of Tranent, Butter will grow on brume. All Night I had sa meikill drouth, I might nought sleip ane wink Or I proclaim ocht with my mouth, But doubt I man have drink. Where have we gottin this gudly compan ȝeoun? Swyith out of the field falls raggit loun. God wait give heir be ane well kept place, When sic ane vild beggar Carl may get entres. Fie on ȝow officers that mends nought their failȝies, [] I give ȝow all till the devil baith Provost and Bailȝies Without ȝe cum and chase this Carl away The Devil a word ȝe'is get More of our play. Falls huirsun raggit Carl, quhat Devil is that thou rugs Quhat Devil ails this cruckit carl? Where devil is this thou dwells or quhats thy intent? Thou art the daftest fuill that ever I saw Trows thou man be the law to get remeid, Of men of kirk nam nought till thou be dead. They have nam law except and consuetude, Quhilk law to them is sufficient and Good. It is their law all that they have in use Thought it be Cow, Sow, Ganer, Grise or Guse, Be sure of Priests thou will get nam support, Quhat kind of dassing is this all day? Suyith smaiks out of the the field, away. Into ane presoun put them soon, Sin hang them when the play is done. I warn all that be wrangouslie offendit, Cum and complain and they shall be a nendit. Father ȝe man incontinent, Pass to the Lords of Parliament. For quhy they ar determinate all, To do nam thing by ȝour counsel. Quhat give I find sum holy provincial? Or minister of the grey freiris all? Or any freir that can preich prudently, Shall I bring them with me in company? Than fair-weill sir, for I am at the flicht, I pray the Lord to send ȝow all Good Night. Ȝea that he did father withoutin fail, For Christ Jesus was King of Israel. And is that true?— —Ȝes brother be Alhallows: Christ Jesus had nam property bot the gallows. And left not when he ȝeildit up the Spreit, To by himself ane simpill winding scheit. Christ's successors I understand, Thinks nam shame to have temporal land. Father they have nam will I ȝow assure, In this World to be indigent and pure: Bot sir sen ȝe ar called sapient, Declair to me the cause with true intent Quhy that my lusty Lady Verity, Hes nought be well treatit in this country? Found fuill where hes thou be sa lait? That shall be done but tarrying, Folly ȝe man Gam to the King. Ȝon same is he, cum on thy way: Ȝon with the wings, may hocht see? Peradventure scho be with bairn: Recovered scho nought at the last? Bot drinks scho ocht?— Get up Folly but tarrying, And speid ȝow hastily to the King Get up me think the carl is dum. Suyith harlot haist the to the King And let allane thy trattilling. Lo heir is Folly sir already, Ane riched sweir swingeour be our Lady. Marry that is ane ill sauorit dische. Quhat now? me thinks the carl begins to crack, Swyith carl away or be this day I'm break thy back. Heir shall the Carl clime up and fit in the Kings tchyre. Cum down, or be Gods crown falls loun I shall slay the. Loup now give thou list for thon hes lost the ledder For to seek law in Edinburgh was the neirest way, All maneir of men I wairne that be oppressed, Cum and complain and they salbe redressed. For quhy, it is the noble Princes will, That ilk compleiner shall give in his Bill. John the Common-weill. Out of my gait, for Gods saik let me Gam Tell me again Good master quhat ȝe say. Cum over, and I shall schaw the to his grace, John Gods bennesone licht on that lucky face. Stand by the gait, let see give I can loup, I man rin fast incace I get ane coup. Speid the away, thou taryis all to Long: I pray the fell me ane or tway: Folly Nam tarry quhill the market day I will fit down heir be Sanct Clune, And give my babies their disiune. Cum heir Good Glaiks my dochter deir Thousalbe married within ane ȝeir, Upon ane freir of Tillilum, Nam thou art nather deaf nor dum: Cum hidder Stult my soon and air, My joy thou art baith Good and fair: Now shall I efnd ȝow as I may Thought ȝe cry like ane Ke all day. Our new Bishops hes maid ane preaching, Bot thou herd never sic pleasant teiching: Ȝon Bishop will preich throch the coast, He war far meiter for the kitchen, Among the pottis sa Christ me safe. Found Folly shall I be thy Clark, And answer the ay with amen: Quhom to schaips thou to fell that hude? I trow to sum great man of Good. Quhat Hude is that tell me I pray the? Thou leis, I trow thisfuill be man git. Where walled thou be carl, the suth to me schaw? Shaw me thy mater man with all the circumstances How that thou hes happinit on their unhappy chances. How did you person, was he not thy Good friend? Hold thy tongue man, it seims that thou war mangit, Speak thou of Priests but doubt thou will be hangit. Fit down my Lords into ȝour proper places: Sin let the King consider all sic caces. Fit down sir scribe, and fit down dampster to: And fence the Court as ȝe war wont to do. Hoaw Solace, gentle Solace declair unto the king How their is heir ane Lady fair of face: That in this country can get nam ludging, Bot pitifully flemit from place to place Without the king of his special grace, As ane servand his in his court resaif: Brother Solace tell the king all the case That scho maybe resavit among the laif. Famous peopill taken tent and ȝe shall see The thrie estaits of this Nation: Cum to the Court with ane strange gravity, Therefore I make ȝow supplication: Till ȝe have herd our hail narration, To keip silence and be patient I pray ȝow, Howbeit we speak be adulation, We shall say nathing bot the with I say ȝow. Good virtuous men that luifis the verity, I wait they will excuse our negligence: Bot vicious men denude of charity, As feinȝeit falls flattrand Saracens. Howbeit they cry on us ane loud vengeance, And of our pastime make ane falls report. Quhat may we do bot taken in patience? And us refer unto the faithful sort. ¶Our Lord Jesus Peter nor Paull, Could nought compleis the peopill all Bot sum war miscontent: Howbeit they show the verity, Sum said that it war herisie, Be their mayest falls judgement. quhat is in that creill I pray the tell? I trow the trucour lyis in ane trance Get up man with ane mirrie mischance: Or be Sanct Dyonis of France, I'm gar the want thy wallet: Its shame to see man how thou lyis, Quhat is thy name follow that walled I feil? ¶Madame quhat gars ȝow gang sa lait? Tell me how ȝe have done debate, With the Temporal and Spiritual sta it? Quha did ȝow mayest kindness My lords, I persaue that the Spiritual stait, Be way of dead purpois to make debate: For be the counsel of ȝon flattrand freir, They purpois to make all this town on steir. They see the Paip with awful ordinance Makes weir against the michtie King of France: Riched sa they think that prelates should nought sunȝie Be way of dead defend their patrimony. Quhat brybour is this that makes sic beiris? Folly hes thou ane wife at hame? Famous people heartily I ȝow require, This little sport to taken in patience, We traist to God and we leif ane uther ȝeir, Where we have failit we shall do diligence, With More pleasure to make ȝow recompense: Because we have be sum partly tedious With mater rude, denude of eloquence, Likewise perchance, to sum men odious. ¶Now let ilk man his way avance, Let sum Gam drink and sum Gam dance: Menstrell, blaw up ane brawl of France, Let see quha hobbils best: For I will rin incontinent, To the Tavern or ever I stent: And pray to God omnipotent, To send ȝow all Good rest. Sir, I have brought unto ȝour Excellence, Their famous Clark's of great intelligence: For to the common peopill they can preich, And in the Scuilis in Latin tongue can teich This is ane Doctor of Divinity, And their twa Licents men of gravity. I hear men say their conversation, Is mayest in Divine Contemplation, Better bring his to the Leitches heir: