The Epistil to the Redar

Thou lytill Quair, of mater miserabyll,
Weil auchtest thou coverit to be with sabyll,
Renunceand grene, the purpur, reid, and quhit :
To delicat men thou art nocht delectabyll,
Nor yit tyll amorous folkis amiabyll :
To reid on thee thai wyl haif no delite ;
Warldlye peple wyll have at thee dispyte,
Quhilk fyxit hes thare hart and hole intentis
On sensuall luste, on dignitie, and rentis.

We have no Kyng thee to present, allace !
Quhilk to this countrie bene ane cairfull cace ;
And als our Quene, of Scotland Heretour,
Sche dwellith in France : I pray God saif hir Grace.
It war too lang for thee to ryn that race,
And far langar or that young tender Flour
Bryng home tyll us ane Kyng and Governour.
Allace, tharefor, we may with sorrow syng,
Quhilk muste so long remane without one Kyng.

I nott quhome to thy simpylnes to sende :
With cunnyng men, from tyme that thou be kende,
Thy vaniteis no waye thay wyll advance,
Thynkand thee proude sic thyngis to pretende ;
Nochtwithstanding, the straucht way sal thou wende
To thame quhilk hes the realme in governance :
Declare thy mynde to thame with circumstance.
Go first tyll James, our Prince and Protectour,
And his Brother, our Spirituall Governour,

And Prince of Priestis in this Natioun :
Efter reverend recommendatioun,
Under thare feit thow lawlye thee submyt,
And mak thame humyll supplicatioun,
Geve thay in thee fynd wrang narratioun,
That thay wald pleis thy faltis to remyt :
And of thare grace geve thay do thee admyt,
Than go thy waye quhare ever thow plesis best ;
Be thay content, mak reverence to the rest :

To faithfull prudent Pastouris Spirituall,
To nobyll Erlis, and Lordis Temporall,
Obedientlye tyll thame thow thee addres,
Declaryng thame this schort memoriall,
Quhow Mankynd bene to miserie maid thrall.
At lenth to thame the cause plainlie confesse,
Beseikand thame all lawis to suppresse
Inventit be mennis traditioun,
Contrar to Christis institutioun :

And cause them cleirlye for tyll understand
That, for the brekyng of the Lordis command,
His thrynfald wande of flagellatioun
Hes scurgit this pure Realme of Scotland,
Be mortall weris baith be say and land,
With mony terrabyll trybulatioun.
Tharefor, mak to thame trew narratioun,
That all thir weiris, this derth, hunger, and pest,
Was nocht bot for our synnis manifest.

Declare to thame quhow, in the tyme of Noye,
Alluterlye God did the warld destroye,
As Holy Scripture maketh mentioun ;
Sodom, Gomor, with thare regioun and roye ;
God sparit nother man, woman, nor boye ;
But all were brynt for thare offensioun.
Jherusalem, that moste tryumphant town,
Distroyit was for thare iniquity,
As in the Scripture planelye thay may se.

Declare to thame, this mortal miserie,
Be sweird and fyre, derth, pest, and povertie,
Procedis of syn, gyf I can rycht discryve,
For laik of faith, and for idolatrye,
For fornicatioun, and for adultrye,
Of Princis, Prelatis, with mony ane man and wyve,
Expell the cause, than the effect belyve
Sall cease : quhen that the peple doith repent,
Than God sall slak his bow, quhilk yit is bent.

Mak thame requeist quhilk hes the Governance
The sinceir word of God for tyll avance
Conforme to Christis institution.
Without hypocrisie or dissimulance :
Causying Justice hauld evinlye the ballance ;
On Publicanis making punyssioun ;
Commendyng thame of gude conditioun.
That beyng done, I dout nocht bot the Lorde
Sall of this countrie have misericorde.

Thoucht God with mony terrabyll effrayis
Hes done this countrie scurge by divers wayis ;
Be juste jugement, for our grevous offence,
Declare to thame they sall have mery dayis,
Efter this trubyll, as the Propheit sayis,
Quhen God sall se our humyll repentance :
Tyll strange pepyll thoucht he hes gevin lycence
To be our scurge induryng his desyre,
Wyll, quhen he lyste, that scurge cast in the fyre.

Pray thame that thay putt nocht thare esperance
In mortall men onelye, thame tyll advance,
Bot principallye in God Omnipotent :
Than neid thai not to charge the realme of France
With gounnis, galayis, nor uther ordinance,
So that they be to God obedient ;
In thir premyssis be thay nocht negligent,
Displayand Christis banar hie on heycht,
Thair ennimeis of thame sall have no mycht.

Go hence, pure Buke, quhilk I have done indyte
In rurall ryme, in maner of dispyte,
Contrar the Warldis variatioun :
Of Rethorick heir I proclame thee quyte.
Idolatouris, I feir, sall with thee flyte,
Because of thame thow makis narratioun :
Bot cure thow nocht the indignatioun
Of Hypocritis, and fals Pharisience,
Quhowbeit on thee thay cry ane lowde vengence.

Requeist the Gentyll Reder that thee redis,
Thocht ornat termes in to thy park not spredis,
As thay in thee may have experience :
Thocht barran feildis beris nocht but weidis,
Yit brutall beistis sweitlye on thame feidis :
Desyre of thame none uther recompence
Bot that thay wald reid thee with pacience :
And, geve thay be in ony way offendit,
Declare to thame, it salbe weill amendit.