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The Complaynt of Scotland
Chapter XIIII


<f 89r>

Quhou the actor declaris that conspiratours ar ay punest to the detht be the princis that gat profeit of there conspiratione.

Chap. XIIII.

THER  is ane exempil quhou that eftir the dolorus battel of cannes quhilk i hef oft rehersit of befoir quhar that the nobil counsul emilius paulus vas slane vitht xiiii thousand of the maist nobillis of italie, quhen that annibal send to cartage thre muis of gold ryngis, quhilkis he hed gottin on the fingaris of the maist nobil romans that var slane, for ane testimonial of his grit victorie. and eftir this dolorus battel diuerse citeis and castellis of Italie randrit them to annibal, sum be compulsion and sum be fre vil be cause that thai var disparit that the romans culd euer hef pouer to resist the cartagiens, & sum of them randrit them be trason for monye that thai resauit fra annibal as did the nobil cite of capee, zit noctheles inconstant foirton alterit the prosperite of the cartagiens quhilk vas occasione that the romans be grit vailzeantnes recouerit & conquest diuerse <f 89v>of ther auen tounis and castellis fra annibal quhilk vas grit blythnes to sa mony tounis and castellis that vas onconquest be annibal. And als it vas as ongrit blythnes to sa mony castellis and tounis quhilkis hed randrit them be trason to annibal. than thir nobil romans heffand grit affectione to be reuengit on annibal for the grit slauchtir committit at cannes, past vitht ane armye of xxxiii legions befor the toune of cape and be grit industre thai maid tua lang depe fosses about al the toune in sic ane sort that nane of the men of veyr of cape culd ische furtht bot gif thai cam vitht in the romans camp. at that tyme fuluius flaccus vas captan and duc of the romans armye, the romans hed nocht monye hors to ryde in forrais and in prikkyng contrar ther enemes bot the men of veir of capes as numydiens quhilk annibal left in garnison var veil furnest vitht grit nummir of hors the quhilkis ischit furtht daly fra capes and did grit domage contrar the romans. ther vas at that tyme ane roman callit auius ane centurion quha diuysit that the romans suld tak sa mony hors men as thai mytht furneis and to gar tua men ryde on euerye hors, and euerye ane to hef ane <f 90r>lycht scheild and vij dartis in ther handis. than quhen the hors men of capes ischit to mak ane scarmouche on the romans the hors men of the romans tua on ilk hors met and recontrit the cartagiens and at ther meting tha that reid behynd on the hors discendit on ther fute vitht ther dartis. of this sort the romans on hors and on fute disconfeist the cartagiens of capes be cause thai of capes kneu nocht of the subtilite that the romans hed ordand contrar them, the remanent of the cartgiens that var nocht slane fled vithtin the toune to saif them bot al the romans armye follouit sa haistylye quhil thai gat entres vitht in the toune and pat it to sac and ther eftir the nobil consul fuluius flaccus past to the tribunal & gart al the principal lordis of capes compeir, and than he gart bynd ther handis in iryn chenzeis be cause of the trason that thai committit contrar ther natiue cuntre. and syne he send ane certan of them to be put in preson in the toune of theane, and ane vthyr certan to the toune of calles, than eftir that he hed put ordour to the maist vrgent byssenes of capes, he departit and past to theane and to calles to gar exsecut iustice on the conspiratours of capes, quhar he gart strik the <f 90v>heydis fra them of capes that var in preson in theane and syne past to calles to gar exsecut iustice on the remanent, he beand ther aryuit he gart bryng furtht the presoners to be iustifiet, at that samyn instant hour the senat ande faders conscript of rome send ane post in message vitht ane closit vryting to fuluius flaccus chargeand hym to be mercyful and nocht ouer rigorus in exsecutione of his iustice. he hefand suspitione of the contineu of ther vrytingis and als heffand ane feruent affectione to puneis tratours, he resauit the vryting in his kar hand, and vald nocht apin it nor reid it quhil the boreau hed strikyn the heydis fra the presoneris of calles quhilkis hed conspyrit contrar capes, this exsecutione of iustice beand endit, he apnit the vrytingis and eftir that he hed red the contineu of it, he said to the post, my frend this vryting is cum ouer lait and behynd the hand, of this sort the traturs of capes var punest. for this nobil consul fuluius flaccus gart sla 25 of the maist nobillis of capes. Siklik gif ther be ony of the tounis villagis or castellis of scotland that hes randrit them to be subiectis til ingland be trason i vald god that fuluius flaccus var diligat iuge to puneis <f 91r>them as he punest the conspiratours of capes, for the forsaid fuluius flaccus gat as grit commendatione for the extreme iustice that he gart exsecut on tresonabil tratours, as he gat for his vailzeantnes quhen he conquest the toune of capes fra annibal.

    There is ane vdir exempil of the punitione of traturs as thucidides the historien greik rehersis in the xv cheptor of his fyrst beuk, quhen pausanias quha hed commissione of the armye of the lacedomoniens quhen he past to defend hellespont he vas depriuit of that dignite be cause he hed intelligens vitht the enemeis of greice than he beand depriuit he of ane profond maleis departit fra lacedemonia and gart the pepil beleif at his departing that his purpos vas to pas to hellespont to be ane sodiour for the deffens of that cuntre be rason it vas ane of the subiectis of rome. bot notheles his purpos vas to pas to the kyng of meid quha vas mortal eneme to al greice in hope to conueen and accord vitht the said kyng of meid contrar the greikis. than to mak his traison mair patent, he send ane certan of presoners of meid to the kyng and he gart the bruit gang that thai presoneris hed <f 91v>eschaipit & brokyn the preson contrar his vil, the quhilk presoneirs he had conquest of befor furtht of the cite of bizante quhen the kyng of meid hed left them in garnison to kep the said cite fra the grekis & also he vreit ane lettir to the kyng of meid as eftir follouis.

    Pausanias duc of spart, to the kyng xerxes salut, i hef send to the thir presoners the quhilk i hef conquest in fair and honest veyris, contrar the quhilk present i hef send to the, to that effect that i maye conques thy loue & thy fauoir, and als i am of ane intentione to spouse thy dochtir gif it be thy pleseir therefor gif thou vil consent to this mariage i sal put al greice in thy subiectione the quhilk i can do rytht eysylie sa that i can hef intelligence & familiarite vitht the. quhar for gif thou be content of my desyre, thou sal send ane of thy maist familiaris to communicat mair ample of this byssynes. Quhen exerxes hed red this vryting of pausanias he send ane ansuer in vreit vitht ane of his familiar frendis callit artabasus to quhome he gef commissione til accord vitht pausanias. this vas the tenor of exerxces vryting . kyng exerxes of meid to pausanias salut, i thank the of the pleseir and benefice <f 92r>that thou hes dune to me in the sendyng hame the presoners quhilk thou conquest in my cite of bezance, the quhilk i nor myne sal neuer forzet quhil ve dee. i exort the that thou be solist nytht and daye til exsecut and to fulfil thy promes and i sal nocht spair gold syluyr nor men of veir to be at thy command, and as to my dochtyr i assure the that sche sal be thy spousit vyf, thou sal gif credence to this berar artabasus, quha is my secretar and my speciale frend. Quhen pausanias hed resauit this vryting fra exerxces kyng of meid he began euere day to prattik his intent contrar the grekis and als he be cam familiar vitht the barbariens the quhilk familiarite vas occasione that the grekis tuke ane real suspetione and ane vehement imaginatione of his coniuratione and conspiratione. quharfor til eschaip the danger and domage that mytht succede fra his trason, the ephores of lacedemonia send ther sergent to summond hym to compeir in the toune of spart vndir the pane to be reput rebel and enemye to grece. than he beleuand to keip hym fra ane gritar suspetione and als hefand hope to purge hym of al crymes throcht giftis and moneye that <f 92v>he thocht to distribut amang the senaturis of lacedemonia, he past forduart vitht the sergent to the toune of spart. than incontenent the ephores constitut hym presoneir for the ephores of lacedemonia var of sa grit authorite that thai mycht constitut and compel ther kyng or ther duc to be presoneir. the senaturs & inhabitaris of spart, hed nocht sufficient probatione to condamp hym, therfor thai dred to exsecut vengeance on hym be cause he vas discendit of hie geneologie and of the blude ryal of lacedemonia, and als he vas of hie dignite. at that instant tyme he hed ane domestik seruitour quhilk he hed abusit carnalye lang of befoir in his zoutheid quhilk seruitur hed borne the last vrytingis that he hed vrytin to artabasus the secretar of kyng exerxes than this seruituir persauand that nane of the messengeris that hed past of befoir vitht vrytingis to artabasus returnit agane vitht ansuer he heffand dreddor of his auen lyif, he apnit the vrytingis to red the tenor of them. quhar he gat the samyn thing in them quhilk he suspekit & doubtit of befor, that is to say quhou that pausanias vrit to artabasus to resaif his vrytingis & ther eftir to sla the messengeir, this said seruitur <f 93r>brocht the vrytingis to the ephores of lacedemonia the quhilk vryting maid the traison of pausanias manifest, zit nochtheles thai vald nocht exsecut punitione quhil that the verite of his cryme var mair manifest, than be ane subtile cauteil thai gart pausanias seruitur pas to the tempil to tak gyrtht and protectione as dois ane tresgressor that hed committit cryme in ald tymes, it vas vsit in greice that ane seruand that offensit his maister vas punest be the iugis as ane trespassar that hed committit cryme. and syne thai gart ane of ther familiaris aduerteis pausanias quhou that his seruitur hed tane gyrtht in the tempil for sum cryme that he hed committit, and als thai hed gifin sufficient informatione to the seruituir of pausanias quhou he suld vse hym touart his maister. than the ephores past to the samyn tempil and hid them in ane secret place be hynd the curtingis of the tempil to that effect that thai mytht heir the vordis and communicationis that vas to be spokyn betuix pausanias and his seruituir. Pausanias beand aduertest of the presonyng of his seruand past incontenent to the tempil to inquyre his seruituir of the cause of his cummyng to gyrtht in that <f 93v>said tempil. his seruituir ansuert, schyr i hed suspitione and dred my lyif be cause that the messengeris that ze send of befoir to xerxes returnit nocht agane, therfor i apnit zour vritingis quhair that i hef fundyn the thyng that i doubtit, quharfor i meruel that ze haif vrytin to gar sla me, considerand that i hef been ane faithtful seruituir, and ze vait veil that i hef kepit zour consel in secret of al zour byssines that ze hef vrocht vitht kyng exerxces contrar the grekis ther for ze hef committit ane onhumain act in sa far as ze vald gar sla me for my guide seruice. pausanias ansuert sayand, my frend it is of verite that thou says, sic thing i did throcht ane suspetione that i tuik of the, quharfor i pray the to perdone me and heir i sal mak ane promes that i sal euer be ane faithtful maister to the, and i sal recompens the for thy grit faithful labouris therfor i pray the to depart incontenent and pas to artabasus and to declair til hym be tong quhou that i am rytht solist to fulfil the promes that i maid til his maister xerxes, the quhilk i beleif sal cum til ane gude fyne rytht haistylie. the ephores that stude be hynd the curtynis knauand and herand the manifest trason of pausanias thai <f 94r>gart hym dee in presone & ther eftir thai gart cast his body in ane cauerne quhar that the vse vas to cast the carions of comdampnit transgressouris and sa pausanias vas recompensit & reuardit for his trason that he committit contrar his natiue cuntre.

    Ther is ane vthir exempil of the punitione of trason in the fyrst cheptor of the second beuk of samuel quhen the philistiens faucht in ane battel contrar the childir of israel quhar that kyng saul vas slane on the montan of gelboye. at that tyme ther departit ane zong man of the amalekytes blude fra the camp of saul quha presentit hym on his kneis befoir dauid. than dauid said til hym. quhar fra ar thou cum presentlye, the zoung man ansuert, i am cum fra the camp of Israel, dauid said til hym: i pray the that thou declair to me al the nouelles of the battel, the zong man ansuert, the pepil ar fled fra the battel and ther is ane grit nummer of the pepil deid, & als saul and his sone iehonathan ar dede. dauid said to the zoung man that brocht the nouuelles, quhou knauis thou that saul and ieonathan his sone ar dede the zoing man ansuert, quod he be chance i arryuit on the montan of gelboye quhar i beheld <f 94v> saul leynand on his speyr than he lukit be hynd hym sayand to me, quhat art thou, to quhome i ansuert, i am ane amalaket. than he said, i pray the to sla me for mellancolye hes assailzet me, bot nochtheles my lyif is zit in my body, than i past and i sleu hym be cause that i kneu that he culd nocht eschaip vitht his lyif, and i tuke his croune fra his hede and his brascheletis fra his armis the quhilkis i haif brocht heir to the. than dauid lamentit hauylye the dede of saul and of his sone iehonatan & the slauchtyr of the grit numer of pepil that var slane. than eftir his dolorus lamentatione he said to the zoung man that hed brocht hym the nouuellis. quhy dred thou nocht to put thy handis in the vnctit kyng of the lord. than dauid callit on ane of his sodiours and gart gym sla that zong man in his presens, sayand thy blude sal be on thy hede for thy moutht hes testifet contrar thy self quhen that thou confessit that thou sleu the vnctit kyng of the lord, of this sort this zoung man vas punest for the slauchtyr of kyng saul. Ther is ane vthir exempil of the punitione of trason as is vrytin in the fyft cheptor of the second beuk of samuel quhen that rechab and banach his <f 95r> brudir entrit in the house of isbosetht the sone of kyng saul & thair thi strak hym trocht the fyft ryb of his syde vitht ane dagar, quhen he vas slepand in his bed, and ther eftir thai cuttit his hede fra his body & brocht it to dauid til ebron sayand behald heir the hede of isbosetht the sone of kyng saul thy mortal enemye, the lord hes tane vengeance on kyng saul and on his seid, dauid ansuert to rechab and baanach and said, syklik as the lord quhilk delyuerit me fra tribulatione is lyuand, and als sykilik as i gart sla hym that brocht me the nouuelles of the dede of kyng saul, be mair rytht i suld gar sla them that hes slane the iust isbosetht quhen he vas lyand slepand in his bede. than kyng dauid gef command til his sodiours to sla rechab and baanatht, than the soudiours at dauid command fyrst cuttit the feit and the handis fra the tua tratours that sleu isboseth in his bed and syne hangit them baytht on ebron hil of this sort traturs suld be ay reuardit quhen thai commit trason contrar ther prince. Ther is ane vther exempil of the punitione of tratouris that betrasis ther natyf prince quhen the cruel veyris var betuix. darius kyng of perse and grit alexander of macedon, ther vas ane captan <f 95v> of kyng darius quha vas verra familiar & in grit fauoir vitht darius callit bessus quha sleu his maister kyng darius in hope to get ane grit reuard fra kyng alexander kyng alexander cam at that instant tyme quhen darius vas in the agonya and deitht thrau troch the mortal vondis that he hed resauit fra bessus his seruituir than alexander maid ther ane solempnit vou to reuenge the trason committit be the said bessus than he gart his sodiours serche & seike bessus quha vas gottyn in the forest and vas brocht and led bundyn in ane chenze befor kyng alexender this nobil alexander gart his sodiours pul doune the crops of the green treis and ther eftir tha band his tua armis vitht cordis to the crops of ane of the treis and he gart bynd his feit to the crops of the tothir tre & than gart lat louse the crops of the tua treis and tha sprang vp rytht of ther ald fasson & in the rysing vp thai dreu the body of bessus in peces of this sort bessus vas reuardit for his trason committit contrar his rythteous prince Ther is ane exempil of the trason that ane blac iacopyne frere committit contrar henry the seuynt of that name the toune of florens vald nocht obeye to the empir. quhar for the said <f 96r> Empriour , Henry brotht ane grit armye to seige the toune of florens than ane blac iacopyne frere gat ane grit some of moneye fra the florentynis to tak on hand to sla the empriour be cause this said frew vas familiar vitht the said empriour. than he trocht auereis he poysont the host of the sacrament vitht poyson ther eftir that nobil empriour past to resaif the body of god under the forme of brede and as soune as he hed resauit it in his moutht his body began to suel and sa he decessit. The verite of this trason vas persauit be the phicisians and medicinaris quhar for the men of veyr of this nobil empriour gart quartyr that fals frere betuix iiij hors and sa he vas reuardit for hit trason. There is diuerse vthirs exemplis of the myscheif that god sendis on conspiratours there for i exort zou my thre sonnis that gyf ony of zou hes faltit contrar zour comont veil throucht ignorance or abusione that ze correct zour selfis than god sal be zour frend.


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