VERITY

¶ Luif Justice ȝe quha hes ane Judges cure, In earth and dried the awful Judgement, Of him that shall cum judge baith rich and pure, Right terribilly with bloody wounds rend. That dreidfull day into ȝour hearts imprent: Beleuand well how and quhat manner ȝe Use Justice heir till uthers, their at length That day but doubt sa sallȝe iudgit be. Woe than and duill be to ȝow Princes all, Suffer and the pure anes for till be oppressed: In everlasting burn and fire ȝe shall With Lucifer riched dulfullie be dressed. Therefore in time for till eschaip that nest, Fear God, do law and Justice equally, Till every man: see that nam puir oppressed Up to the hevin on ȝow ane vengeance cry. Be joust judges without favour or fead, And hauld the Balance evin till every wicht: Let not the fault be left into the head, Then shall the members reulit be at riched. For quhy subjects do follow day and Night Their governors in virtue and in vice. Ȝe ar the lamps that should schaw them the licht Lo leid them on this sliddrie rone of ice. And give ȝe walled ȝour subjectis war well geuin, Then verteouslie begin the dance ȝour fell: Going before then they anon I wein, Shall follow ȝow, either till heuin or hell: Kings should of Good exempils be the well Bot give that ȝour strands be intoxicate, In steid of wine they drink the poison fell: Thus people follows ay their principate. And speciallyȝe Princes of the Priests, That of peopill hes spiritual cuir, Daylyȝe should revolve into ȝour breistis, How that their holy words ar still mayest sure In virtuous life give that ȝe do endure The people will taken More tent to ȝour deids Then to ȝour words: and also baith rich and puir Will follow ȝow baith in ȝour warks and words. Heir sal Flattery spy Verity with ane dum countenance. Give men of me walled have intelligence, Or knaw my name, they call me VERITY. Of Christis law I have experience, And hes over saillit many stormy Say. Now am I seikand King Humanity, For of his grace I have Good esperance, From time that he acquaintit be with me, His honour and heich gloir I shall avance. I will recant nathing that I have schawin, I have said nathing bot the verity: Bot with the King From time that I be knawin I dreid ȝe spaiks of Spritualitie Shall rew that ever I came in this country For gifthe Verity plainly war proclamit, And specially to the Kings Majesty, For ȝour traditions ȝe will be all defamit. For our christ's saik I am riched well content To suffer all thing that shall pleis his grace, Howbeit ȝe put ane thousand to torment, Ten hundredth thousand shall rise into their place. Verity sits down on his knies and says. Get up, thou, thou sleipis all too Long, Oh Lord, And make sum ressonabill reformation On them that dois tramp down thy gracious word, And hes ane deadly indignation At them quha makes mayest true narration: Suffer me not Lord More to be molest, Good Lord, I make the supplication With thy vnfreinds let me nought be suppressed: ¶Now Lords do as ȝe list, I have nam More to say. Unfaithful members of iniquity, Dispytfullie, my Lord, hes us supprysit. We thank ȝou sir of ȝour benignity, Bot I beseek ȝour majesty Royal: That ȝe walled pass to King Humanity. And fleime from him ȝon Lady Sensual, And enter in his service Gude-counsell, For ȝe will find him very counsalabill. Sapience sir was ane very loun, And Discretion was nathing war: The with Sir, give I walled report, They did beguile ȝour Excellence: And walled not suffer to resort Ane of us thrie to ȝour presence. My Sovereign I beseek ȝour excellence, Use Justice on Spritualitie: The quhilk to us hes done great violence, Because we did rehers the verity. They put us close into Captivity, And sa remanit into subjection: Into great languor and calamity, Till we war fred be King Correction. With the advise sir of the Parliament, Hairtlie we make ȝow supplication: Cause King Correction taken incontinent, Of all this sort examinatioun. Give they be digne of deprivation, Ȝe have power for to correct sic cases: Chease the mayest cunning Clerks of this Nation, And put More prudent pastors in their places. My prudent Lords I say that pure craftsmen, Abuse sum Prelates ar More for to commend: Gar exame them and sa ȝe shall soon ken, How they in virtue Bishops dois transcend. Now cause sum of ȝour cunning Clark's Quhilk ar expert in heavinlie warks, And men fulfil it with charity That can well preiche the verity, And gifto sum of them command Ane sermon for to make fra-hand. Forsuith my friend ȝe have ane wra ̄ g judge meant, For in this Buik their is nam heresy: Botour Christ's word, baith dulce and redolent, Ane springing well of sinceir verity. Be blithe sister, I trust within short space, That we shall be riched honorably restored: And with the King we shall be at concord, For I heir tell divine Correction Is new landit thankit be Christ our Lord, I wait he will be our protection. The Prophesy of the Propheit Isaiah Is practickit alace, on me this day: Quha said the verity should be trampit down Amid the strait, and put in strange presoun. His five and fifty chapter quha list luik, Shall find their words writtin in his Buik. Riched sa Sanct Paull wrytis to Timothy, That men shall turn their earis from verity. Bot in my Lord God I have esperance, He will provide for my deliverance. Bot ȝe Princes of Spirituality, Quha should defend the sinceir verity, I dreid the plagues of Johnes Revelation Shall sal upon ȝour generation. I counsel ȝow this miss amend, Sa that ȝe may eschaip that fatal end. Alace, alace, quhat gars their temporal Kings Into the Kirk of Christ admit sic doings? My Lords for Love of Christ's passion, Of their ignorants make deprivation. Quhilk in the court can do bot flatter and fleich, And put into their places that can preich. Send forth and seek sum devoit cunning Clark's, That can steir up the peopill to Good warks.