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Quhou the affligit lady
Dame scotia repreuis hir sycond soune callit sperutualite.
Chap. XIX.
O (my sycond soune)
sperutualite thou hes herd the
familiar repreif that i haue pronuncit be the vay of
correctione, to thy tua brethir nobilis & lauberaris,
bot my accusatione contrar them is na purgatione to
the. for thou deseruis nocht alanerly ane mair inuectyue
reproche for thy demeritis, bot as veil thou deseruis to
be puneist realy & to be degradit fra thy holy office.
the maist part of the vicis that thy tua brethir hes committit,
maye be supportit & excusit be rason of chere
ignorance bot thou can nocht allege ignorance for thy
excusatione, considerand that god hes gyffin the his lau
in thy moutht to be distribut betuix the and thy tua
brethir, as is vrityn in the sycond cheptour. of the
prophet malachias, quhilk sais, labia enem sacerdotis
custodiunt scientiam, & legem requirent
ex ore eius quia angelus
<f 125r>domini exercituum
est. that is to say. the lippis of the preist sal keip the
sciens of god, and the pepil sal desire the lau to be
schauen to them, furtht of his moutht, be cause he is
the messengeir of the lord. O thou my sycond soune,
this autorite that god hes gyuyn to the is vondir grit,
ther for sen god hes dotit thy faculte in maist honorabil
dignite and autorite, abufe the stait of thy tua brethir
nocht alanerly in the knaulege of diuyne sciens bot als
veil in humanite as in til sciens liberalis & in moral &
natural philosophie the quhilk gracis and propreteis ar
nocht grantit be god for thy particularite bot rather god
hes ordand the, to be ane dispensatour of his gyftis
amang the ignorant pepil, ther for i vald thou var solist
to distribute the talent that the lord gef til his saruand.
And thou can nocht distribut it bettir nor to purches
vnite and concord betuix the and thy tua brethir for
the prudens and autorite that the lord hes gyffin to the
suld suppreme ther ignorante error & obstination Ther
for as lang as thou ar neclegent in thy office sa lang
sal ther ay be discentione discord & hatrent in the
realme, quhilk sal be occasione of thy auen ruuyne.
<f 125v> Ther for i exort the til animaduert and to perpend
maturly thir vordis in drede that thou repent thy neclegens
quhen thou hes na laszar nor oportunite to
remede thy abusion.
And fyrst to begyn thou
suld set al thy felicite to
correct thy self of thy lang abusione, that is to say
thou suld gyf gud exempil in thy conuersatione,
conformand to thy professione and to thy doctryn, to that
effect that the pure pepil may follou thy futsteppis as
is vritin in Mathou Luc and Ihone sic luceat lux
vestra coram hominibus, vt videant opera vestra
bona. Ther for thai that hes autorite and gyfis
euyl exempil, suld be mair realye puneist nor the pepil
suld be that contemnis and disobeys ther authorite. it
is vritin in the brasyn tablis of the antiant lauis of
rome, that there vas mair rigorus punitione exsecutit on
ane man of autorite that gef euyl exempil nor vas exsecutit
on murdresaris and tratours. Romulus the fyrst
kyng of rome, institut ane lau amang the ytaliens that
transgressours suld be puneist mercyfully efferand for
the qualite of ther crymis, and alse he statut that
quhen men of autorite and dignite committit thai samyn
crymis, tha var led and conuoyit
<f 126r> dishonestly to the
plane marcat befor the capitol quhar thay resauit
doubil punitione, be cause the euyl exempil of ther
maluersatione prouokyt the pepil til adhere to vice &
to detest vertu. Hermes the philosophour said, that
the error & the euyl exempil of ane man of autorite
maye be comparit til ane onexpert master of ane schip,
quhilk throucht his misgouerance is occasione that
the schip pereseis, and tynis nocht hym self alanerly,
bot as veil he tynis al them that ar of his companye.
ther for it var verray necessair that men of autorite or
ministers of the kyrk, to gyf gude exempil in ther conuersation
to that effect that the ingnorant pepil may
follou ther futsteppis. The philosophour plutarque rehersis
ane exempil of the partan quhilk repreuit ane of
hyr zong partans be cause the zong partan vald nocht
gang euyn furtht bot rather sche zeid crukit bakuart
and on syd. than the zong partan ansuert, quod sche
mother, i can nocht gang of my auen natur as thou
biddis me bot nochtheles, vald thou gang furtht rycht
befor me, than i sal leyrn to follou thy futsteppis. This
exempil tendis that the discipil follouis the conuersatione
of his preceptor rather nor he
<f 126v>follouis his
doctrine. allace o my sune sperualite the abusion of
thy office is the cause of the discentione that is betuix
the and the temporal stait for ze tua ar lyike cattis and
doggis berkkand on vthirs ther for ther is nocht ane
of zou bettir nor ane vthir, for that cause the gramariaris
can fynd na greis of comparaison in zour gudnes, for
that terme bettir is of the comparatyue gree and that
terme gude, is of the positiue gree, the quhilk positiue
gree, is nocht in mony of zou, conformand tyl ane reul
of the lau. L. cum furti.ff.de condi.furti. the quhilk
reul sais, comparatiuus presupponit posituum.
Quhar for i exort the (o my veil belouit sone speritualite)
to correct thy maluersatione for quhen the pepil
disobeyis thy gude doctryne throucht the euyl exempil
of thy maluersatione thou sal be mair doubil puneist
nor tha sal be for the disobediens of thy gude doctryne,
be rason that god hes gyffin to the baytht knaulage and
autorite to gouuerne ther ignorance, doutles thy abusione
and the sinister ministratione of thy office is the
special cause of the scisma and of diuers sectis that
trublis al cristianite, & quhou beit that the rute of thir
scismes and sectis be
<f 127r> in germane denmark and ingland
zit nochtheles the branchis of them ar spred
athort al cristin realmis in sic ane sort that tha hef
maye fauoraris nor aduersaris for diuerse men desiris
ane part of the temporal patrimonye of the kyrk be
cause of the abusione and euyl exempil of the kyrk
men And this plag and scisma sal neuyr be reformit
for na statutis, lauis, punitions, bannessing, byrnyng,
hayrschip nor torment that can be deuisit quhil on to
the tyme that the speritualite reforme ther auen abusion.
ther for gyf the speritualite var as solist to reforme and
to correct ther auen maluersatione as tha ar solist to
puneise them that detrakkis & murmeris ther obstinat
abusione than for certan the gude exempil of there gude
conuersatione vald extinct and supedeit mair haistyar
al peruerst opinions & scismas nor al the punitione that
al cristianite can exsecut. The punitione that the
sperutualite remanent in ther abusione, exsecutis on
scismatikis, maye be comparit til ane man that castis
vlye on ane heyt birnand fyir in hope til extinct it
and to droune it furtht, the quhilk vlye makkis the fyir
mair bold nor it vas of befor. the experiens of this is
manifest for as sune
<f 127v> as ther is ane person slane
brynt or bannest for the halding of peruerst opinions
incontinent ther rysis up thre in his place, ther for sic
punitione maye be comparit tyl ane serpent callit
hydra quhilk hed seuyn heydis. The poietis rehersis
that quhen this said serpent vas assailzet be men to sla
hyr and quhen thir men straik ane or tua of hyr
heydis fra hyr than sche fleid tyl her cauerne and on
the morne vthir tua heydis vald be grouuen on hyr as
of befor and of this sort sche did grit domage baytht
to man and beyst, quhil on to the tyme that nobil
Hercules venqueist hyr than he straik al hyr seuyn
heydis fra hyr. fra that tyme furtht sche lyuit neuyr
agane, this exempil tendis that the scisma that ringis
in this varld sal neuyr be extinct for na punitione that
can be exsecutit bot gyf al the heydis of the vniuersal
cristianite be strikkyn fra them or ellis bot gyf the
ministers reforme & correct ther auen abusione.
Quhar for (o my sone
speritualite) i exort the that
thou cause al thy membris concur to gyddir to mak
reformatione of the sklanderous abusione that ringis
amang them ande ther eftir, thou sal treit vnite and
concord betuix
<f 128r> the uniuersal leigis of scotland be the
maist familiar ande cheritabil vaye that thy ingyne
can inuent or ymagyn, to that effect that ze my thre
sonnis nobilis clergie & lauberaris may pas in ane
faythful accord to resist the cruel inuasions of zour dissaitful
and incredule ald enemeis. Thou hes mair occasione
and mystir to be vigiland in the deffens of the
liberte of thy faculte nor hes thy tua brethir, for gyf
the kyng of ingland prospir in his oniust veyris and
conquessis our realme doutles thy tua brethir vil
tyne ther gudis and there heretage bot there lyuis sal
be saif sa that tha vil be suorne to be inglis slauis, and
renegat scottis. bot he vil nocht grant na grace to thy
faculte bot the samyn grace that kyng henry the eycht
gaue to the sperutualite of ingland that is to saye in
the fyrst, he tuke the patrimone & the temporal landis of
the kyrkis of ingland & anext ane part of them to the
proprite of his croune & ane vthir part he distribut
amang ane certan of grit personagis of his realme,
quhilkis adherit til his tirran opinion, & syne he chesit
furthr ane certan of the hiest genologie of ingland that
hed bene promouit to cathridral digniteis and til vthir
sperutal beneficis
<f 128v> quhome he gart his flaschar lay
ther craggis on ane stok and gart heyde them and syne
he gart hyng ther quartars on potentis at diuerse comont
passagis on the feildis quhar the maist confluens of
pepil passit and repassit, and thridly he compellit pure
speritual men baytht regular and religiouse preistis
monkis and freris to pas to leyrn mecanyc hand
laubyrs sum to be cordinaris, sum to be tailzours, sum
to be marynalis and sa to proceid to diuerse vthir
craftis and thai that var obstinat and disobedient tyl his
cruel statutis he gart bannes ane part of them and presone
the bodies of ane vthir part in perpetual capitiuite.
There for (o thou my sycond
sone speritualite) thou
may beleue surly that the kyng of ingland, vil be na
mair gracius, curtas nor merciful to the quhome he
reputis for his mortal eneme nor he hes bene to the
sperutualite of ingland quha vas his faythfful natyue
natural leigis and inhabitaris of his realme, of the
quhilk ther vas sum of them that var of his kyn and
blude bot he regardit nocht tyl ony greis of consanguinite
bot rather he vsit his mercyles crualte contrar
them, to that effect that his auaricius affectione
that he hed touart
<f 129r>the kyrk landis of ingland mycht
be saciat. O ze sperutualite of scotland ze hef grit
cause to tak exempil be zour nychtbours and nocht be
zour selfis conformand to thir tua versis. felix quem
faciunt aliena pericula cautum casus dementis
correctio fit sapientis. Al this veil considrit,
suld be an animaduertens to gar zou be vigilant
and delegent to keip and to deffend the liberte of zour
faculte, the quhilk sal neuyr be veil kepit nor deffendit
bot gyf ze put zour handis to verk that is to saye that
sa mony of zou, that ar defensabil men sal pas in propir
person in battel vitht my lord gouuernour and vitht
the nobil lordis and barrons of scotland contrar the
cruel inuasions of zour ald enemeis of ingland. There
for sen it is neid forse to cheis ane of tua euyllis. that
is to say othir to fecht in battel for the deffens of zour
faculte and liberte. or ellis to be tormentit in captiuite
be zour ald enemeis, ze suld cheis the smallest of thir
tua euillis, conformand to the vordis of cicero, that he
vrit ad quintum fratrem, sayand, in duobis malis
fugiendum maius, leuius est elegendum for it
is les domage and dishonour to fecht in fayr battel for
the deffens of zour liberte
<f 129v> nor to be tormentit in ane
miserabil captiuite. Quhar for i exort zou that ze
change zour sperutual habitis, bayth coulis and syde
gounis in steil iakkis and in cotis of mailze to deffend
zour bodeis fra the crualte of zour enemeis, and thai
that ar agit and nocht abil for the veyr thai heffa nd
patrimone and beneficis thai suld furneis pure preistis
monkis and freris, vitht al necessair thingis conuenient
for the veyris. And than quhen the veyris ar endit
thai maye cleitht them agane vitht there spirutual
habit conformand to ther professione. And nane of
the sperutualite suld be scripulus in this byssynes, considerand
that goddis lau the lau of natur positiue lau,
ciuil and cannon lau hes condiscendit in ane purpos
that al staitis and faculteis vitht out ony acceptione of
persons, ar oblist to pas in battel for the deffens of ther
public veil, and of ther natiue contre. Than quhy suld
preistis or freris allege exemptions sayand, that there
professione oblicis them to sing and say to preche and
praye, and nocht to fecht in battel allace sic exemptions
suld be repellit and adnullit, considerand that the
contrarie of ther allegiance is of verite. The bibil is
ane real
<f 130r>probatione, that kyng dauid that royal
prophete vas ane preist, moises vas ane preist, aaron
vas ane preist ande al the prophetis of Israel var
preistis zit nochtheles thay var ay fyrst in the battel
for the deffens of the landis of promissione and nou be
cause that there is sum ignorant preistis that ar mair
obedient to the canon lau nor thai ar to goddis lau,
there for i vil sateisfe there scrupulus consciens vitht
sum cheptours of the canon lau. in the fyrst it is
vrityn in the xxiij distinctione in the feyrd questione
in the cheptour. Si non, as eftir follouis, sicut antiquitus
ducibus concessum fuit bellare: sic &
modernis, dummodo non bellent desiderio
fundenti sanguinem: sed rem publicam ampliando.
it is vrityn in the xxiii distincione in the
viii questione, as eftir follouis, Saraceni bellantes
contra cristianos, iuste a cristianis impugnantur.
i reffer the expositione of this text to the
vniuersal cristianite to iuge quhiddir that inglismen be
sarrasyns or cristin men. Ther is ane cheptour of the
canon lau that sais this vordis in the xxiii distinctione
in the fyifte question, bella sumpta contra excommunicatos
& infideles meritoria sunt i reffer
the expositione
<f 130v> of this text to be iugit be al cristin
princis, quhiddir that inglis men be excommunicat and
denuncit goddis rebellis be al lauis for ther infidilite,
incrudilite, crualte, tirranrye, sacreleige, & for the
vsurpatione of vthir princis dominions vitht out ony
occasione or iust titil. There is sum scripulus preistis
hefand there consciens subiect to traditions, quha sais
that it is nocht leiful to preistis to pas in battel, vitht
out the lecens of the pape. i vald thir ignorant preistis
vald reid ane cheptour of the canon lau in the xxiii
distinctione in the viii questione callit an episcopo
liceat ad bellum proficisci sine licentia pape
i exort zou my sone speritualite to put al cerimonial
scrupulnes furtht of zour hartis & that ze pas in propir
person contrar zour ald enemeis & than doutles zour
faculte sal nocht be spulzeit fra the liberte that it
possessis. |
