The actor
declaris quhou the inglismen
gifis vane credens to the prophesies
of merlyne
Chap. X.
THE
oratours of ingland at there protectors instance
hes set furtht ane buik quhair be thai
intende to preue that scotland vas ane colone of
ingland quhen it vas fyrst inhabit there rasons that
thai allege aperis to them to be inuicibil quhou beit
thai be bot freuol. there speciale intentione is to gar
there cruel inuasions perpetrat contrar oure realme
apeir in the presens of forrain princis that thai haue
ane uist titil to mak veyr contrar vs and quhou beit
that the said poietical beuk be dytit oratourly to persuaid
the vulgar ingnorans til adhere til inuentit fablis
contrar the iust verite. zit notheles realmis ar nocht conquest
be buikis bot rather be bluid. there is ane passage
in the said beuk the quilk the inglismen hes ane
ardant desyr to se it cum til effect. The tenor of the
passage sais that it var verray necessare
<f 65v> for the veilfayre
of ingland and scotland that baytht the realmis
var coniunit to giddir, and to be vndir the gouuernyng
of ane prince and the tua realmis to be callit the ile of
bertan as it vas in the begynnyng quhen the troian
brutus conquest it fra the giantis and also the inglismen
gifis ferme credit to diuerse prophane propheseis of merlyne
and til vthir ald corruppit vaticinaris to quhais
ymaginet verkis thai gyue mair faitht nor to the prophesie
of ysaye, Ezechiel, Ieremie or to the euangel: the
quhilkis prophane prophetis and vaticinaris hes affermit
in there rusty ryme that scotland and ingland sal be
vndir ane prince. The ardant desire and the disordinat
auerisius affectione that inglismen hes to be violent
dominatours of oure cuntray hes prouokit them to mak
cruel veyris contrar vs thir mony zeiris bypast, to that
effect that there diabolic prophane propheseis may be
fulfillit, nocht regardand gyue the vil of god hes permittit
be his diuyne gudnes that sic propheseis cum til
affect, Nor zit thai considyr nocht that al propheseis
hes doutsum and duobil expositionis. zit nochtheles i
hope in god that the rycht sens of there prophane prophesye
sal be fulfillit
<f 66r> in this generatione, and that
inglismen, sal get there desire to there perpetual confusione.
the inglismen exponis the prophesye of merlyne
to there auen affectione as the iueis exponit the prophesie
of cayphas. Cayphas of ane euyl intent spak
treu prophesye, bot zit he and the iueis interpret it to
the vrang sens, quhilk vas cause of there auen condamnation.
Of this sort cresus kyng of lidie exponit and
interpret the ansuer of apollo to the vrang sens, quhen
the cruel veyris vas betuix hym and cirus kyng of pers
and meid. At that time the tua gryt battellis of onnumerabil
men of veyr var campit neir to giddir, except
that the reueir of almy ran betuix them. On the
morne kyng cresus past to the oracle of appollo in the
tempil of delphos desyrand to knau the fyne of the
veyris that vas sa cruel betuix hym and kyng cirus.
Appollo gaue to kyng cresus ane doutsum ansuere of
ambiguite this vas his ansuer, cresus perdet almi
transgressa maxima regna. This vord perdet is
ane verb equiuocum it signifeis to distroye and it
signifies to tyne it is vritin in the the fyft psalme of
Dauid, perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium.
the expositione of
<f 66v> this passage, signifies nocht that god
tynis them that ar learis, for god can tyne na thing,
there can no thing be tynt bot quhen he that tynis
ane thing, and syne knauis nocht quhair it is: bot god
knauis al thing. of this sort kyng cresus exponit the
ansuer of appollo of ane sens, and appollo said his
ansuer of ane vthir sens Cresus interpret that verb
perdet for to distroye, and for that cause he and his
gryt armye past ouer the reueir of almi in hope to
distroye kyng cirus, bot cirus venquest cresus and al
his gryt armye the quhilk mischeif cam on kyng cresus
for the vrang interpretatione of the ansuer of appollo
for he considerit nocht that perdet vas ane verb
equiuocum quhilk hed ane expositione of ambiguite.
There is
ane syklik exempil of pirrus kyng of
eporite that past to the oracle of appollo til inquyre of
the fyne of the veyris that vas betuix hym and the
romanis, appollo gaue ane doutsum ansuere of this sort,
dico te pirre romanos vincere posse pirrus
exponit that verse of this sort pirre dice te vincere
romanos, bot appollo said it of ane vthyr sort, pirre
dico romanos te vincere, as cam til effect eftyruart.
for the romanis venquest kyng pirrus
<f 67r> and chaissit
hym furtht of Italie. There is ane vthir exempil of
ferrand erl of Flanderis quha maid mortal veyr contrar
the kyng of France. he, his mother, and his vyfe, past
til ane augure in holland til inquyre of the fyne of the
veyris betuix hym and the kyng of France. the augure
ansuert, quod he thou sal entir in Paris quhair that
gryte tryumphe and ioye sal be maid at thy entres.
ferrand beand rycht glaid of the ansuere of his augure
he enterit in France vitht ane gryte armye bot or he
cam to Paris, he and his armye var venqueist and he
vas tane presoner and led to paris: than al the parisiens
maid gryt triumphe and ioye for blythtnes be cause that
ferrand there mortel enemye vas disconfeist. Of this
sort, ferrand exponit the ansuere of his augure til ane
vrang sens. Thir exemplis may be conferrit and applyit
vitht the prophesies of merlyne to the quhilk the
inglismen giffis mair confidens nor thai gif to the
euangel, be cause that there ald prophane propheseis
sais that ingland and scotland sal be baitht vndir ane
prince. on this misteous propheseis, thai haue intendit
veyris contrar scotland in hope to conques it: bot as i
haue befor rehersit, i beleue that there prophesie
<f 67v> sal
cum til effect bot nocht to their intent and that ingland
and scotland sal be ane monarche vnder ane prince
in this generatione, conformand til ane prophesie that i
haue red in the inglis chronyklis in ane beuk callit
polichornicon, the quhilk prophesie sais that ingland
sal be first conqueist be the deynis, and syne be the
saxons, and thirdly be the Normandis, and there last
conquessing sal be conquest be the scottis, quhome
inglismen haldis maist vile. and fra that tyme furtht
ingland and scotland sal be bot ane monarche, and sal
lyue vndir ane prince, and sa inglis men sal get there
prophesie fulfillit to there auen mischeif. |