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<f 113v>
Quhou the affligit lady
accusis hir eldest sonne callit the nobilis and gentil men
Chap. XVII.
O MY eldest sonne (nobilis)
this seueir reproche
contrar thy zongest brother, is no occasione to
gar the gloir for gyf thou hed grace to ken thyself,
thou vald sune persaue that thy vicius lyif deseruis
ane mair extreme reproche. for the vice of thy
zongest brother suld be supportit be rason of his ignorance
ande of his pouerte bot thou can haue na excusatione
to cullour thy mischeuous conuersation ande the
violent extorsions that thou daly committis contrar thy
tua brethyr, lauberaris & clergie. ande alse thou art
the special cause of my ruuyne for thou ande thy sect
that professis zou to be nobilis ande gentil men there
is nocht ane sperk of nobilnes nor gentrice amang the
maist part of zou Ande nou be cause mony of zou,
ascribis sa grit gloir of zour pretendit gentreis ande
nobilnes, i vil discriue the stait of nobilnes ande gentilnes
to that effect that ze may persaue zour grit error.
THE PHILOSOPHOVRS ande
iurisconsultours
in the anciant dais, hes <f 114r> familiarly discriuit one
thing be the contrar thyng. thai gart the discriptione
of ane vilaine (quhilk ve cal ane carl in our scottis
langage) manifest the conditions of ane gentil man
siclyik thai gart the discriptione of ane gentil man
manifest the conditione of ane villaine be rason that
and gentil man or ane nobil man. ande ane villaine
hes direct contrar conditions, & sa be the discriptione
of ony ane of thir tua contrareis, tha gat ane solide
knaulage of the tothir. Siklyik quhen thai discriuit
vertu, tha fyrst delatit ande payntit the conditions of
vice, ande quhen thai discriuit liberte, thai fyrst
payntit ande dilatit the conditions of seruitude. And
nou sen this purpos hes occurrit to speik of gentreis
ande nobilnes, i vil fyrst discrue the origine of gentil
men, be the quhilk ze may knau, quha is ane vilaine.
Bot fyrst i man reherse the stait of the pepil that var
in the gude anciant dais quhilk sum men callit the
goldin varld, there vas na defferens of staitis at that
tyme amang men, nothir in preeminens dignite superiorite
nor honour, for at that tyme, all men var egal, &
nocht partial nor deuidit, for the pepil lyuit al to
gydthir in ane tranquil & louabil communite,
<f 114v>ande
thai left no thing to there posterite, bot regrettis for the
alteratione of that gude varld. in thai dais the pepil
eit nor drank nocht bot quhen hungir constrenzet them
& than there maist delegat refectione vas acquorns,
vyild berreis, green frutis, rutis & eirbis ande thai
drank the fresche vattir. at sum tyme thay past in the
forrestis to the course and hunting, and sleu vyild
beystis syne dryit the flasche at the sune or thai eit it.
and thai that var of maist tendir conplexione, couurit
them vitht the skynnis of tha vyild beystis to keip
them fra cald At that tyme ther vas no ceremonial
reuerens nor stait, quha suld pas befor or behynd,
furtht or in at the dur, nor zit quha suld haue the
dignite to vasche ther handis fyrst in the bassine nor
zit quha suld sit doune fyrst at the tabil. at that tyme
the pepil var as reddy to drynk vattir in ther bonet or
in the palmis of ther handis as in ane glas or in ane
tasse of siluyr. At that tyme thai lay al to gydthir in
ane cauerne, as dois presently the sophistic egiptiens.
thai purgit ther belleis ande excercit the verkis of
nature, ilk ane in vthirs presens vitht out schame reproche or
offens. than ane lang tyme ther eftir nature
<f 115r> prouokit them to begyn sum litil police. for sum of
them began to plant treis, sum to dant beystis, sum
gadthrid the frutis, ande kepit them quhil on to the
tyme of necessite, ande sum neurist ther childir, at
that tyme the pepil drank nothir vyne nor beir, nor na
vthir confekkit drynkis. at that tyme straynge cuntreis
var nocht socht, to get spicis eirbis drogis gummis &
succur for to mak exquisit electuars to prouoke the
pepil til ane disordinat appetit. At that tyme ther
vas no sumpteous clethyng of fine claytht and of gold
& silk of diuerse fassons, at that tyme in the begynnyng
of ther police, coppir bras and yrn and vthir
mettellis var meltit to mak vtensel veschel necessair to
serue ane houshald and var nocht meltit to be gunnis
ande cannons to sla doune the pepil. Ande nou sen
that goldin varld is past, ther hes succedit ane yrn
varld quhilk hes altrit euerye gude thing in infelicite
and myscheif, for meiknes is changit in maleis, trauail
in ydilnes, rest in excesse, pace in veyr, eyse in pane,
loue in hatrent, cherite in crualte, iustice in extorsions,
almis in thyft, kyndness in persecutione, supporting of
ignorance in detractione pitie in rigor, ande faytht in
<f 115v> ypocrysie, and sa euyrie thing is altrit fra ane gude
stait in ane abhominabil qualite. The cause of this
alteratione hes procedit fra the euyl conditions of men
that began tyl oppresse ther nychtbours ande til
eschaip sic oppressione, the pepil chesit ane certan of
gouuernours of the maist robust & maist prudent to be
there deffendours, ande alse thai randrit them tributaris
ande subiectis to there said gouuernours & there gouuernours
gat for ther panis and laubyr the butin and
spulze that thai conqueist fra the tirran oppressours.
Thai gouuernours var sa nobil in there auen curage
that thai distribut the maist part of the butine ande
spulze amang the pepil that hed vsit them maist
vailzeantly contrar ther enemeis, ande thai that var
lasche couuardis gat nothing. Of this sort began the
fyrst nobilnes ande gentreis in the varld, for thai that
var vailzeant, thai var reput for nobilis ande gentil
men, ande thai that var vicius & couuardis var reput
for vilainis ande carlis. The chartagiens vsit that
sammyn fassoune ane lang tyme for thai gaue to the
sodiours that bure them maist vailzeantly contrar ther
enemeis, ane certan of gold ringis, for ane
<f 116r> takyn of perpetual nobilite. Siklyik euyrie vailzeant roman
sodiour vas crounit vitht ane croune on his hede in
takyn of nobilite. The macedoniens vsit that sammyn
vse ane lang tyme, ande quhen ane macedonien hed
nocht venqueist ane of his enemeis, he vas bundin til
ane post, ande degradit fra his nobilite. in ald tymis
in germanye, ane alman vas ay repute for ane villain,
quhil on to the tyme that he vas mareit, and he gat
neuyr lecens to marye, quhil on to the tyme, that he hed
presentit the hede of ane of his enemeis to the kyng of
germanye. Siklyik in sythia at ane banket of tryumphe,
the kyng presentit ane goldin tasse ful of vyne to the
companye at the tabil. bot nane of them vas admittit
to drynk in that tasse, bot sa mony as hed venqueist
ane of ther enemeis in ane conflict, for he that hed
neuyr dune ane vailzeant act contrar his enemeis, vas
reput for ane inciuile villaine. Mardocheus conqueist
the gre of nobilite fra artaxerxes throucht his vertu,
ande Ioseph vas maid ane gentil man be pharaon for
his vertu. Than the successours of thir nobil men var
repute for gentil men as lang as thai vsit verteous
verkis of nobilite, as did
<f 116v> there predecessours. Bot fra
tyme that the successours of thir nobil, men be cam
vicius, than tha var degradit fra there nobilite ande fra
there gentreis, and thai var repute for inciuile vilaynis.
Valerius maximus rehersis the nobilite of scipio the
affrican, quha hed ane soune that vas nothir vailzeant
nor verteous, on ane daye, he beand clethid in ane
lang quhyt goune, as the vse vas to be borne at the distributione
of the officis of rome, he desirit the office of
pretoir at the senat, on ane place callit campus martius.
At that tyme, his frendis cam til hym ,& but reuerens,
thai reft fra hym ane signet of gold that vas on his
fingare, vitht in the quhilk vas grauit his fathers hede,
sayand til hym, o inperfect ande vicius contrafait gentil
man, thou deseruis nocht to veyr this nobil signet,
vitht in the quhilk is grauit thy fathers hede, considerand
that thou hes nothir vertu nor vailzeantnes,
there for ve degraid the, fra the nobilite and gentreis,
that thou pretendit to succeid to, be the deceisse of thy
fathere. This exempil of scipio makkis manifest, that
na man can mereit or can be capabil of nobilnes or
gentreis bot gyf tha be verteous. There for that stait
<f 117r>of gentreis is ane accidental qualite, in sa far as it may
cum til ane persoune be his vertu, ande he maye be
degradit fra it for his vice. (O my eldest soune nobilis
and gentil men) the armys that ze bair in zour scheildis
and in zour seylis in zour signetis, and alse is payntit
on zour vallis & in zour glasyn vindois, thai var gyuyn
to zour predecessours, be the prince, for ane takyn of
nobilnes, for the nobil actis that thay hed dune for the
comont veil of the realme & ze that ar there successours
ze bayr the samyn armis for ane takyn that ze ar
obleist to follou the futsteppis of zour predecessours in
vertu. or ellis ze merit to be degradit fra the armis that
ze bair & fra the gentreis that ze professe, as vas dune
tyl zong scipio befor rehersit. there is diuerse princis
that gyffis the tryumphe of knychted and nobilite, vitht
leuerairis, armis ande heretage, to them that hes committet
vailzeant actis in the veyris, siklyik as the
empriour makkis the ordur of knychthed of the fleise
the king of france makkis the ordour of the cokkil
the kyng of ingland makkis the ordour of knychthede
of the gartan. None of thir knychtis resauis thir hie
digniteis, throucht ane affectyu
<f 117v>loue that there prince
hes touart them. bot rathere for the vailzeant actis that
there prince hes knauen them til haue committit for
ther public veil. The romans in the anciant dais,
ordand ane tryumphe of nobilite to be gyffin to them
that hed borne them maist vailzeantly contrar the
enemeis of rome The ordour of there tryumphe vas
of this sort, quhen ony romane hed dune ane vailzeant
act, he vas set in ane charriot veil acoutreit, quhilk vas
drauen vitht foure horse, be cause in the anciant dais,
the romans vsit to fecht in battel in charriotis. Than
he that hed venqueist his enemye be straikis ande
strang battel he vas crounit vitht ane palme of gold,
be rason that the palmetre hes schearp broddis and
pikis. And he that hed venqueist his enemye, be
practik of veyr ande sleu and tuke his enemeis fleand
fra the battel vitht out hurt til hym, he vas crounit
vitht ane croune of laure tre, be cause the laure tre hes
no schearp broddis nor pikis. This last tryumphe of
laure tre vas callit tropheum, quhilk singnifeis ane ioyful
victoree for the victoree is ioyful quhen the enemeis
are venqueist vitht out domage to the venquesair.
quhen thir romans entrit in rome to
<f 118r> resaue there
tryumphe for ther vailzeant actis, the senat, the gentil
men and the comont pepil met them in there best
array vitht grit solempnite, and syne conuoyit them to
the plane mercat befor the capitol to resaue there
tryumphe of dignite as tha hed deseruit. Bot allace
(o ze my eldest sone nobilis ande gentil men) there is
nocht mony of zou that meritis to veyr the ensenze of
the fleise, of the cokkil nor of the gartan, nor zit there
is nocht mony of zou that meritis to be borne in ane
charriot to resaue the tryumphe of the palme tre nor of
the laure tre, for zour imbecilite auereis ande contentione
that ringis amang zou, rather deseruis degrading
fra zour pretendit gentreis, nor ze deserue louyng or
commendation for vertu. There for ze ar in grit error
quhen ze professe zou to be gentil men, & syne committis
no actis efferand for zour professione bot vald
ze considir the origine of zour gentreis, than ze vald
nocht be sa arrogant as to desire the gloir and the stait
of ane dignite that ze deserue nocht. There is mony
of zou that professis to be gentil men be successione of
zour predecessours bot ze considir nocht that
<f 118v>the gre
of gentreis procedis fra vertu. The philosophour sais
that the cause of ane thing is of mair efficacite, nor is
the thyng that procedis fra the cause, ergo vertu suld
preffer the successours of verteous men. Ane verteous
man beand discendit of ane verteous genoligie doutles
he is ane rycht gentil man, and in opposit, ane vicius
man beand discendit of verteous genoligie, he suld be
reput mair vile and odius nor ony infamous vilaine
plebien, ande alse thai suld be degradit fra there
gentreis that thai haue ascribit til haue be successione,
ande thai suld be conpellit to virk vile mecanyk laubir
to that effect that the honour of verteous gentil men, be
nocht maculat vitht the vice ande inciuilite of vicius
pretendit gentil men. There for as i haue said of befor
the sone of ane prince beand distitut of vertu is no
gentil man, ande in apposit ane sone of ane mechanyc
plebien beand verteous he is ane gentil man for that
cause the poiet francis petrarch a florentyne said, i hed
leuyr be the sone of vicius tarsites i vsand ane verteous
conuersatione nor to be the sone of the vailzeant
achilles i beand vicius. The philosophour plutarque
rehersis, that iphicrates
<f 119r> vas ane pure mecanyk craftis
man discendit of inciuil plebiens zit nochtheles throucht
his vertu he vas elect to be kyng of the cuntre, there
vas ane vicius gentil man at that tyme callit hermodius
quha reprocht iphicrates, sayand,, o iphicrates it efferis
nocht for thy stait & faculte to be ane kyng be rason
that thy father vas ane mecanyc tailzour discendit of
inciuile pure pepil, there for thou art nocht ane gentil
man, iphicrates ansuert o hermodius throucht my
vertu my successours sal be reput gentil men and sa
my gentreis begynnis at myself bot thou ande thy
gentreis sal end to gydthir, & thy successours sal be
reput for vilaynis be cause of thy vicius conuersatione.
This exempil makkis manifest, that ane person may
succeid to heretage and to mouabil gudis of his predecessours
bot no man can succeid to gentreis nor to
vertu, for vertu & gentreis most proceid fra the spreit
of hym self and nocht fra his predecessours. iuuenal
the poiet rehersis, that buciphal the grit horse of
allexander hed mony comodius propreteis for as sune
as he sau alexander, he knelit ande maid hym reuerrens,
ande syne tholit hym to lope on hym, & alse
<f 119v>he vas strynthy ande auful in ane battel contrar the
enemeis of alexander. ande quhen he vas saidlyt vitht
his best bayrdit harnessing, he vald thole no man to
ryde on hym bot alexander. This samyn horse busiphal
hed ane brother, generit and folit of the samyn horse
and meyr that folit hym. this tothir horse vas grit
fayr and gude lyik, bot nochtheles the maist perfyit
industreus horse dantars of macedon culd nocht gar
hym be veil bridilit nor manerit in na comodius sort
conuenient to serue ane prince, quhar for he vas nocht
treittit bot rather deiekkit ande chaissit to the vyild
barran feildis to seik his meyt, ande oft tymis he vas
put in ane cart to drug and drau, quhar he vas euyl
dung & broddit.
This exempil maye be
conferrit to tua brethir gottin
ande borne of ane fathere & mother ane of them
beand verteous suld be reput for ane gentil man. and
the tother beand vicius suld be estemeit and treittit
lyik ane barbir inciuil vilaine. There hes been diuerse
gentil men that thynkis schame that there fathers and
mothers gudschers and grandscheirs hes bene mechanyc
plebiens, Bot sic vane gentil men takkis nocht exempil
of agathocles the
<f 120r>kyng of cecile, quha vas the
sone of ane pottar that formit clay pottis, zit nochtheles
quhen he vas elect in dignite royal, he gart gold smythis
graue ane pot in his armys on euerye pece of his siluyr
veschel, and alse he gart paynt the vallis of his palleis
vitht pottis, the quhilk thing he did to manifest to the
pepil that he thocht no schame that his father hed
been ane mecanyc craftis man discendit of ane pure
genoligie. it is ane grit foly til ane person to pretend
to gentreis be successione or be reches iuuenal confermis
this samyn purpos, nobilitas sola est animum
que moribus ornat, and the vordis of ouid ar consonant
to this samyn, Non census nec clarum
nomen auorum sed probitas magnum ingeniumque
facit.
There for it is grit
arrogance and na les folie
quhen ony person gloris in his hie genoligie considerand
that euyre person is discendit of ane origyne, as
boiecius de consolatione hes rehersit in his thrid beuk.
Omne hominum genus in terris simili surgit
ab ortu. there for vald euyrie man considir his fyrst
origyne he sal fynd that al man kynd ar creat of mud
and clay as is vritin in the sycond cheptour of genesis,
Formauit igitur hominem de
<f 120v>limo terre. ande
alse Ihesus sirach sais in the 10 cheptour of ecclesiasticus,
quhar he repreuis the gloir ande pride of men
quid superbis terra et cinis, that is to say, quhou
ar ze becum predeful, & takkis gloir in this varld? considerand that
ze ar bot eird ande puldir. it is vrityn
on the 18 cheptour of genesis, loquar ad dominum
cum sim puluis & cinis. that is to say, i sal speik
to the lord, quhou be it i am bot puldir ande asse. it is
vrityn in the 17 cheptour of ecclesiasticus, Omnes
homines terra et cinis al men ar eird ande alse.
Thir exemplis suld be
occasione to gar gentil men,
paynt in ther scheildis, ande graue in there signetis,
puldir ase ande eirde, rather nor til haue gart paynt
ande graue the armis of there predecessours, be rason
that fra tyme that thai be aryuit to the fine ande to the
limitis of there peregrinatione of this mortal lyif. than
thai returne to there comont ande general mothere the
eird, the quhilk eird makkis na acceptions of persons
nor defferens of qualiteis betuix gentil men, and mecanyc
men, bot resauis them al indefferently in hir
domicil and receptacle than quhen the corrupit flesche
is consumit fra the banis, no man
<f 121r>can put defferens
betuix ane prince and ane begger The historigraphours
rehersis, that quhen kyng cirus hed venqueist
kyng cresus, he led hym til his paleis ande treittit
hym mair humainly, nor is the vse to treit presoneirs.
On ane day cresus spak hardyly to kyng cirus sayand,
Nobil prince the vulgaris ascribis grite gloir for the
vailzeant actis that thou hes committit for the public
veil of perse ande meid, zit nochtheles thy father
cambises did mair vailzeant actis in his tyme, nor thou
hes dune. kyng cresus vas temerair in his question for
cirus vas offendit contrar kyng cresus thinkand that
ane presoneir suld nocht haue bene sa bold, as til
reproche ane prince that haldis hym in captiuite. Than
cresus persauand kyng cirus in collere and ire, he said
nobil prince gyf thy nobil grace vil gyf me lecens to
rason the mater, thou sal sune persaue that i said nothing
tyl offend the, bot rathere til augment thy gloir.
i said that thy grace hed nocht dune sic ane vailzeant
act, as thy fathere cambises did in his tyme, for he did
ane nobil act, quhen he engeneret the on thy mothere
to gouuerne this realme eftir his deceisse, bot thou hes
nocht dune sic ane nobil act, as
<f 121v> to genner ane nobil
prince lyik thy self to gouuerne the realme quhen thou
art dede.
Quhen kyng cirus herd the
subtil discymilit pleisant
interpretatione of cresus vordis, he smylit and leuch
and changit his coller in glaydnes. bot zit kyng cirus
exortit cresus familiarlye tyl expone the iust verite of
his vordis. Cresus ansuert, nobil prince, sen thou hes
coniurit me sa extremly to declair the verite, doutles i
sal hald no thing obscure, quhou be it thou gar me
suffer the cruel detht the occasione of my vordis procedit,
be cause i iuge that thou art nocht sa quyk
spretit, sa prudent nor sa nobil, as vas thy fathere cambises,
ande to conclude, thou hes nocht sic ane hede, as
he had in al his byssynes. kyng cirus ansuert, i sal
sune knau the verite of thy purpos. than kyng cirus
past to the tempil ande he gart delue vp al the banis
of the detht pepil furtht of there supulture and keist
ouer euyrye bane ande contemplit euyry hardyn pan,
ane be ane than cresus & vthir gentil men meruelit
nocht litil of his consait, sayand, ve exort the nobil
prince to tel thy intentione of that byssynes. Cirus
ansuert o cresus thou said, nocht lang syne, that my
hede vas nocht
<f 122r>to be comparit to my fathers hede,
there for i am leukand gyf i can fynd my fathers hardyn
pan, amang thir dede mennis banis bot i can nocht ken
it amang them for al the hardyn pannis that ar heir ar
al of ane sort, there for i beleue that my fathers hede
ande my hede and al vthir mennis hedis of pure ande
riche are but defferens, there for in tyme to cum thou
sal mak na comparison betuix men, for i persaue that al
men that euyr vas or euyr sal be ar creat of ane masse
of clay and eird. This exempil declaris that na man
suld gloir in his nobilite or gentil blude considerand
that our carions ande corporal natur and carnal origyne
is baytht vile ande infekkit ande there is na defferens
nor acceptions of persons betuix us. the prudent Salomon
accordis vitht this samyn purpos in the 7 cheptor
of his beuk of sapiens sayand sum quidem & ego
mortalis homo similis omnibus de genere terreno
illius qui prior factus est & ce. Nemo
enim ex regibus aliud habuit natiuitatis initium.
i am ane mortal man (sais salomon) lyik til al
vthir men creat of eird as vas our foir fathere adam,
ande al vthir kyngis hed na vthir begynnyng. thir vordis
of Salomon beand
<f 122v>veil considerit is ane souerane remeid
ande salutair medycyn to repreme and distroye the
arrogant consait of them that glorifeis & pridis them to
be discendit of nobilis and gentil men, considerand that
the crop ande rute of our gentreis ande genologie hes
succedit fra adam ande quhen ve entrit in this mortal
lyif ve var naikyt and vepand and quhen ve depart ve
sal be vile and abhominabil, ande ve sal carye no thing
furtht of this varld bot the coulpe of our synnis, or the
meritis of our vertu.
O my eldest soune nobilis &
gentil men, quhy
vil ze nocht considir thir vordis befor rehersit? quhilk
vordis suld be occasione to gar zou mortife zour vane
consait of zour pretendit gentreis. ze professe zou to be
gentil men bot zour verkis testifeis that ze ar bot inciuile
vilainis. ze vald be reput & callit vertuous and
honest quhou be it that ze did neuyr ane honest act,
and ze reput vthir men for vilanis that did neuyr ane
vilaine act. it aperis that quhen zour nobil predecessours
decessit, thai tuke ther vertu and gentreis vitht
them to ther sepulture and thai left na thing vitht zou
bot the stile of there gentreis. the
<f 123r>vordis of the holy
man Iob maye be veil applyit to this samyn purpos
quhen he said mortui sunt nobiles, & innobiles
sunt filij eorum. quod he al nobil men ar decessit
& ther sonnis ande successours ar bot vilanis the vordis
of Iob ar ouer manifest in our cuntre, for i see no thing
amang gentil men bot vice. for honestee is maculat
ignorance is prisit, prudens is scornit, chestite is
banneist the nychtis ar ouer schort to gentil men to
commit there libedeneus lust and the dayis ar ouer
schort to them to commit extorsions on the pure pepil,
ther blasphematione of the name of god corruptis the
ayr. The prodig pride that ringis amang gentil men is
detestabil. nocht alanerly in costly clethyng abufe ther
stait bot as veil in prodig expensis that thai mak on
horse and doggis abufe ther rent or reches. ane man is
nocht reput for ane gentil man in scotland, bot gyf he
mak mair expensis on his horse and his doggis nor he
dois on his vyfe & bayrnis. The poiettis fenzeis that
the grecian dyameid hed horse that eit men & alse thai
hef fenzet that acteon vas transformit in ane hart and
there eftir he vas stranglit to dede vitht his auen doggis.
The expositione of
<f 123v> thir tua exemplis maye be applyit
to the gentil men of scotland. The horse of diameid
eit no men, bot the superflu & prodig expensis that he
maid on corne to feid ane grit numir of onutil horse,
gart the victualis be deir and skant, quhilk vas occasione
that the pure pepil deit for hungir. of this sort the
poiettis fenzeis that dyamedis horse eit men, be cause
tha eit the corne that vald haue sauit the lyuis of the
pure pepil fra hungir. Siklyik acteon vas nocht transformit
in ane hart nor zit his doggis sleu hym nocht.
the expositione of this vas that acteon vas ane vane
gentil man that set al his felicite on doggis for hunting
on the quhilkis he maid ouer prodig expensis abufe
his faculte quhilk vas occasione that he sellit his heretage
til entretene his vane pleseir & ther eftir he fel in
pouerte. ther for the poietis fenzeis that his doggis distroyit
hym. alace there is ouer mony horse in scotland
lyik dyamedis horse that eitis the pure pepil, and there
is ouer mony doggis in scotland that virreis there
master as acteon vas virreit, i repreif nocht gentil men
for the halding of horse & doggis, for horse ar necessair
and doggis ar for recreatione. bot i repreif the ouer
prodig expensis
<f 124r>that sum gentil men makkis on horse
and doggis abufe ther stait and faculte it var verray
necessair and honest for ther auen veil that sic prodigalite
var moderat the philosophour xenophon rehersis
that cirus kyng of perse and meid vas verray solist in
hunting ande he maid grit expensis on his horse bot
he gart sic expensis cum til ane gude effect. for he vsit
hunting til excerse his gentil men to deip them fra ydilnes
ande he maid grit expensis on horse be cause thai
var necessair for his veyris.
O ze my eldest soune
nobilis and gentil men
exort zou to correct zour selfis of the artiklis of this accusatione,
and alse that ze adhere til al verteous byssynes
and that ze accord and agre vitht zour tua bredthir
lauberaris ande clergie to that effect that ze may releif
me of my afflictione. for doutles gyf that discentione
ande rancour remanis amang zou, in schort dais zour ald
enemeis sal ocupie zour heretagis and duelling placis, &
the posterite of zour generatione sal be put furtht of rememorance.
Nou i vil saye ane familiar reproche, be the
vay of correctione to my sycond soune callit sperutualite,
to that effect
<f 124v> to gar zou al thre brethir concur to
gyddir on ane substancial constant gude purpos, for the
deffens of zour natiue cuntre. |
