Aganis Haisty Credence of Titlaris

Fals titlaris now growis up full rank,
Nocht ympit in the stok of cheretie,
Howping at thair lord to gett grit thank;
Thay haif no dreid on thair nychtbouris to lie;
Than suld ane lord awyse him weill and se,
Quhen ony taill is brocht to his presence,
Gif it be groundit in to veretie,
Or he thairto gif haistily creddence.

Ane worthy lord suld wey ane taill wyslie,
The taill-tellar, and quhome of it is tald;
Gif it be said for luve or for invy,
And gif the taillis-man abyd at it he wald;
Than eftirwart the pairteis suld be cald
For thair excuse to mak lawfull defence:
Than suld ane lord the ballance evinly hald,
And gif not at the first haistie creddence.

It is no wirschep for ane nobill lord,
For fals taillis to put ane trew man doun,
And, gevand creddance to the first record,
He will not heir his excusatioun;
The tittillaris so in his eir can roun,
The innocent may get no audience;
Ryme as it may, thair is na ressoun
To gif till taillis haistily creddence.

Thir taill-tellaris oft tymes dois grit skaith,
And raissis mortall feid and discrepance,
And makis lordis with thair servandis wraith,
And baneist be withoutin cryme perchance.
It is the grund of stryf and all distance,
Moir perrellus than ony pestillence,
Ane lord in flatterreris to haif plesance,
Or to gif lyaris hestely creddence.

O thow wyse lord, quhen cumis a flatterrer
The for to pleise, and hurt the innocent,
Will tell a taill of thy familiar,
Thow suld the pairteis call incontinent,
And sitt doun sadly in to jugement,
And serche the cause weill or thow gif sentence,
Or ellis heireftir, perchance thow may repent,
That thow to taillis gaif so grit creddence.

O wicket tung, sawand dissentioun,
Of fals taillis to tell that will not tyre,
Moir perrellus than ony fell poysoun,
The pane of hell thow sail haif to thi hyre.
Richt swa thay sail that hes joy or desyre
To gife his eir to heir with patience;
For of discord it kendillis mony fyre
To gif to talis ovir haistie creddence.

Bakbyttaris to heir it is no bourd,
For thay ar excommunicat in all place;
Thre personis severall he slayis with ane wourd —
Him-self, the heirar, and the man saiklace.
Within ane hude he hes ane doubill face,
Ane bludy tung, undir a fair pretence.
I say no moir; bot God grant lordis grace,
To gife to taillis nocht hestely creddence.