THEFT

¶Gam by the gait man, let me gang, [] How Devil came I into this thrang: With sorrow I may sing my sang, And I be taine: For I have run baith Night and day, Throw speid of fut I got away, Give I be kenned heir, wallaway I will be slain. Huirsun they call me common thift: For quhy I had nam uther schift, Sen I was born, In Eusdaill was my dwelling place, Money ane wife gart I cry alace: At my hand they got never grace, Bot ay for lost. Sum say is ane king is cum among us, That purposis to head and hang us: Their is nam grace give he may fang us Bot on and pin. Ring he, we theifiswill get nam Good, I pray God and the holy Rude, He had be smoird into his cude, And all his kin. Get this cursed King me in his grippis, My craig will wit quhat weyis my hippist The Devil I give his tongue and lippis, That of me tellis: Adieu I dar nam langer tarry: For be I kenned they will me carry, And put me in ane sierie fairy, I see nought else. I raife be him that herryit hell, I had almaist forȝet my fell: Will nam Good fallow to me tell, Where I may find The Earl of Rothus best haiknay, That was my earand heir away: He is riched stark as I heir say And swift as wind. Heir is my brydill and my spurris, To gar him lance ouir land and furris: Might I him get to Ewis durris, I taken nam cuir: Of that Horse might I get ane sicht, I haife nam doubt ȝit or midnicht, That he and I should taken the flicht Throch Desert mure. Of cumpanarie tell me brother, Quhilk is the riched way to the Strother, I walled be welcum to my mother, Give I might speid: I walled give baith my coat and bonnet, To get my Lord Lindesay is brown Ionet: War he beȝond the water of Annet, We should nought dreid. Quhat now Oppression my master deir? Quhat mekill Devil hes brought ȝow heir? Master tell me the cause perqueir, Quhat is that ȝe have done? Than master deir give me ȝour hand, And make to me ane faithful band, That ȝe shall cum again From hand Withoutin faill: Man I be hangit allace, allace, Is their nane heir may get me grace? Ȝit or I die give me ane drink. Thought I walled nought that it wittin []Sir in Good faith I am bedirtin: To wit the verity give ȝe pleis Louse down my hois put in ȝour neis. Allace this is ane felon rippit. Pausa. The widdifow wairdanis took my geir, And left me neither Horse nor meir: Nor earthly Good that me belangit, Now walloway I man be hangit. ¶Repent ȝour lyfis, ȝe plain oppressors', All ȝe misdoras and transgreslours: Or else gar choose ȝow Good confessors, And make ȝow ford: For give ȝe tarry in this land, And cum under Correctiouns hand: Ȝour grace salbe I understand, Ane Good sharp coird. ¶Adieu my brethren common theifis, That helpit me in my mischeifis. Adieu Grosars, Nicksons and Bellis Oft have we run out-thoart the fellis. Adieu Robsonis, Haues and Pyslilis That in our craft hes money wyllis. Lytils Trumbels and Armestrangs, Adieu all theifis that me belongs Tailȝeours, Curwings and Elwands, Speidie of fut and wicht of hands. The Scots of Ewisdaill and the Graimis I have nam time to tell ȝour namis: With King Correction and ȝe be fangit, Belief riched well ȝe will be hangit. For Gods saik sir let me make water. Howbeit I have be cattel-gredie It schamis to pische into ane widdy.