Dunbar's Remonstrance to the King

Schir, ȝe haue mony servitouris,
And officiaris of dyuers curis ;
Kirkmen, courtmen, and craftismen fyne ;
Doctouris in jure, and medicyne ;
Divinouris, rethoris, and philosophouris,
Astrologis, artistis, and oratouris ;
Men of armes, and vailȝeand knychtis,
And mony vther gudlie wichtis ;
Musicianis, menstralis, and mirrie singaris :
Chevalouris, callandaris, and flingaris;
Cunȝouris, carvouris, and carpentaris,
Beildaris of barkis, and ballingaris ;
Masounis, lyand vpon the land,
And schip-wrichtis hewand vpone the strand ;
Glasing wrichtis, goldsmythis, and lapidaris,
Pryntouris, payntouris, and potingaris ;
And all of thair craft cunning,
And all at anis lawboring,
Quhilk pleisand ar and honorable ;
And to ȝour hienes profitable ;
And richt convenient for to be
With ȝour hie regale majestie ;
Deserving of ȝour grace most ding
Bayth thank, rewarde, and cherissing.
And thocht that I, amang the laif,
Vnworthy be ane place to haue,
Or in thair nummer to be tald,
Als lang in mynd my wark sall hald !
Als haill in everie circumstance,
In forme, in mater, and substance,
But wering, or consumptioun,
Roust, canker, or corruptioun,
As ony of thair werkis all,
Suppois that my rewarde be small !
Bot ȝe sa gracious ar, and meik,
That on ȝour hienes followis eik
Ane vthir sort, more miserabill,
Thocht thai be nocht sa profitable :
Fenȝeouris, fleichouris, and flatteraris ;
Cryaris, craikaris, and clatteraris ;
Sonkaris, groukaris, gledaris, gunnaris ;
Monsouris of France, gud clarat-cunnaris ;
Innopportoun askaris of Yrland kynd ;
And meit revaris, lyk out of mynd ;
Scaffaris, and scamleris in the nuke,
And hall huntaris of draik and duik ;
Thrimlaris and thriftaris, as thay war woid,
Kokenis, and kennis na man of gude ;
Schulderaris, and schowaris, that hes no schame,
And to no cunning that can clame ;
And can non vthir craft nor curis
Bot to mak thrang, Schir, in ȝour duris,
And rusche in quhair thay counsale heir,
And will at na man nurtir leyr :
In quintiscence, eik, ingynouris joly,
That far can multiplie in folie ;
Fantastik fulis, bayth fals and gredy,
Off toung vntrew, and hand ewill dredie :
Few dar of all this last additioun,
Cum in tolbuyth, without remissioun.
And thocht this nobill cunning sort,
Quhom of befoir I did report,
Rewardit be, it war bot ressoun,
Thairat suld no man mak enchessoun :
Bot quhen the vthir fulis nyce
That feistit at Cokelbeis gryce
Ar all rewardit, and nocht I,
Than on this fals world I cry, Fy !
My hart neir bristis than for teyne,
Quhilk may nocht suffer nor sustene
So grit abusioun for to se,
Daylie in court befoir my E !
And ȝit, more panence wald I have,
Had I rewarde amang the laif,
It wald me sumthing satisfie,
And less of my malancolie,
And gar me mony falt ouerse,
That now is brayd befoir myn E :
My mynd so fer is set to flyt,
That of nocht ellis I can endyt ;
For owther man my hart to-breik,
Or with my pen I man me wreik ;
And sen the tane most nedis be,
In-to malancolie to de,
Or lat the venim ische all out, —
Be war, anone, for it will spout,
Gif that the tryackill cum nocht tyt
To swage the swalme of my dispyt !

Quod Dumbar.