Of the Warldis Instabilitie. To the King

This waverand warldis wretchidness,
The failȝeand and frutless bissines,
The mispent tyme, the service vaine,
For to considder is ane pane.

The slydand joy, the glaidness schort,
The feinȝeid luif, the fals confort,
The sweit abayd, the slichtfull trane,
For to considder is ane pane.

The sugurit mouthis, with myndis therfra,
The figurit speiche, with faceis tua,
The plesand toungis, with hartis unplane,
For to considder is ane pane.

The leill labour lost, and leill seruice,
The lang availl on humill wyse,
And the lytill rewarde agane,
For to considder is ane pane.

Nocht I say all be this cuntre,
France, Ingland, Ireland, Almaine,
Bot als be Italie and Spane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

The change of warld fra weill to wo,
The honourable vse is all ago,
In hall and bour, in burgh and plane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

Beleif dois hep, traist dois nocht tarie,
Office dois flit, and courtis dois varie,
Purpois dois change as wynd or rane;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

Gude rewle is banist our the Bordour,
And rangat ringis but ony ordour,
With reird of rebaldis, and of swane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

The pepill so wickit ar of feiris,
The frutless erde all witness beiris,
The ayr infectit and prophane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

The temporall stait to gryp and gather,
The sone disheris wald the father,
And as ane dyvour wald him demane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

Kirkmen so halie ar and gude,
That on thair conscience, rowme and rude,
May turne aucht oxin and ane wane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

I knaw nocht how the kirk is gydit,
Bot beneficis ar nocht leill devydit ;
Sum men hes sewin, and I nocht ane;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

And sum, vnworthy to browk ane stall,
Wald clym to be ane cardinall,
Ane bischoprik may nocht him gane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

Vnworthie I, amang the laif,
Ane kirk dois craif, and nane can haif ;
Sum with ane thraif playis passage plane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

It cumis be king, it cumis be quene,
Bot ay sic space is ws betwene,
That nane can schut it with ane flane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

It micht have cuming in schortar quhyll
Fra Calȝecot and the new-fund Yle,
The partis of Transmeridiane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

It micht, be this, had it bein kynd,
Cummin out of the desertis of Ynde,
Our all the grit se occeane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

It micht have cuming out of all ayrtis,
Fra Paris, and the Orient partis,
And fra the Ylis of Aphrycane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

It is so lang in cuming me till,
I dreid that it be quyt gane will,
Or bakwart it is turnit agane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

Vpon the heid of it is hecht
Bayth unicornis, and crownis of wecht,
Quhen it dois cum, all men dois frane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

I wait it is for me provydit,
Bot sa done tyrsum it is to byd it,
It breikis my hairt, and birstis my brane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

Greit abbais grayth I nill to gather,
Bot ane kirk scant coverit with hadder;
For I of lytill wald be fane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

And for my curis in sindrie place,
With help, Schir, of ȝour nobill Grace,
My sillie saule sall never be slane ;
Na for sic syn to suffer pane.

Experience dois me so inspyre,
Of this fals failȝeand warld I tyre,
That ever more flytis lyk ane phane ;
Quhilk to considder is ane pane.

The formest hoip ȝit that I haue
In all this warld, sa God me saue,
Is in ȝour Grace, bayth crop and grayne,
Quhilk is ane lessing of my pane.

Finis quod Dumbar.