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The Complaynt of Scotland
Chapter XX


quhou the affligit lady same scotia makis ane exortatione til hyr thre sonis, quhilk is the conclusione of this beuk.

Chap. XX.

O ZE my thre sonnis i hef accusit euyrye ane of zou perticularly in special for the abusione of zour faculteis and officis the quhilk abusione <f 131r> is the cause of the contentione and discord that ringis amang zou, the quhilk contention and discord hes dune mair domage in zour cuntre, nor the grit armye of ingland hes dune. i vald speir ane question, quhat medycyn can help ane seik man that hurtis hym selue vilfully and prouokis his auen seiknes daly? or quhat cite can indure, quhen it is seigit and assailzeit vitht out be enemeis, and vitht in the cite ringis mortal veyr amang the gouuernours and inhabitantis? O ze my thre sonis, quhat can the varld estime of zou, quhen ze ar sa solist on the ruuyne of zour prosperite and on the demolitione of zour comont veil? zour conditions & conuersations is mair lyik til barbarien pepil nor it is to cristyn, pepil ze lament hauyly the cruel veyrs, and ze cry & desyris pace at god, ze heffand rancor in zour hartis contrar zour nychtbours, ze desire mercy at god, ze heffand ane drauen sourd in zour hand to slay ane innocent, ze vald be louit vitht al men and ze hef na cherite to na man Quhy suld god delyuyr zou fra zour enemeis? sen that ze ar mortal enemeis to zour selfis, zour honour is tynt sen that zour vailzeantnes is changit in berkyng on vthirs lyik cattis and <f 131v> doggis, ze hef left the protectione of zour comont salut, and ze ar be cum sodiours & pensionaris to zour enemeis, and alse ze ar be cum enemeis to zour auen veilfair and prosperite. allace vald ze considir the grit ruuyne & perditione that hes cum on diuerse realmis throucht the discentione and diuisione that rang amang the pepil, than i beleue that ze vald treit pace in zour consciens, and cherite to zour nychtbours. the holy scriptour confermis this samyn purpos, quhar crist Iesus said, Omne regnum in se diuisum desolabitur, al realmis that ar diuidit vitht in them selfis be discentione and contentione, sal be left desolat. there for (o ze my thre sonnis) it is na meruel that zour cuntre cum to ruuyne and desolatione, considerand that al sortis of detestabil and onleful veyrs and battellis that distroyit the romanis in the anciant dais, ringis presently amang zou, throucht the discentione, diuisione inuy rancor and auareis that ringis vniuersaly throucht al scotland. the fyrst sort of battellis and veyris that broucht the romans to ruuyne vas callit battellis finityuis, A finibus, that is quhen ane man vndir takkis to conques be violence and tirranye, the landis <f 132r> of his nychtbours that marchis and lyis contigue vitht his landis, as did Ninus kyng of the assiriens, quha vas nocht contentit vitht his auen cuntre, there for he maid veyr on al the cuntreis that circuit his realme. this sammyn sort of veyrs is in scotland for there is nocht mony men, grit nor smal that hes heretage, bot is aye inuentand cauillatione & vrang titilis to hef ther nychtbours heretagis that lyis contigue besyde them, othir be proces & pleyis, or ellis be violens. there vas ane vthir sort of battellis amang the romans callit battellis socialis, that is quhen tounis of ane cuntre makkis veyr contrar vthirs, as of diuerse tounis of germanye and ytalie. Thir samyn sort of veyrs ringis presently in scotland, for there is nocht ane boroustone nor landuard paris vitht in the realme, bot thai hef inuy contrar the tounis and parisis that ar nixt nychtbours to them. the thrid sort of veyris var callit battellis ciuilis, that is quhen citinaris and induellaris of ane cite, hes mortal fede contrar vthirs as vas betuix silla & marius, & quintus lipidius. this samyn sortis of veyris ringis instantly in scotland, for there is nocht ane borroustoune nor parise in scotland bot there <f 132v> is deidly fede amang sum of the induellars of the saidis tounis. there is ane vthir sort of veyris callit battellis intestynis, that is quhen kynsmen and frendis of consanguinite or affinite hes mortal veyr contrar vthirs, as vas betuix Iulius cesar and his gude sone grit pompeus, this samyn sort of veyris ringis instantly in scotland for the intestine veyris that ringis amang the barrons and gentil men of scotland is detestabil to be rehersit, for thai that ar nerest of kyn and blude, hes maist mortal fede contrar vthirs, quha can calkil the degreis of kyn and blude of the barrons of scotland, thai vil conferme this samyn. there is ane vthir sort of veyris callit battellis asephales, that is quhen the pepil gadris togiddir in ane grit conuentione but the autorite of the superior, as did the comontis of germanye quhilkis var the numer of ane hundyr thousand men, thai did grit domage, thai obeit nocht to their dukis and superioris, than the duc of saxon and the langraue of hasse venqueist and distroyit them siclyik as did the comontis of ingland the zeir of 1533 zeris quhilkis var distroyit vndir the trettye of concord, this samyn sort of veyris ringis instantly <f 133r>in scotland for i hef sene nyne or ten tousand gadyr to giddir vitht out ony commissione of the kyngis letteris, the quhilk grit conuentione hes been to put there nychtbours furtht of ther steding and takkis on vytson veddyinsday, or ellis to leyd auaye ane pure manis teynd in heruyst bot thai vald nocht be half sa solist to conuene thre hundretht at the command of the kyngis letteris to pas to resist our ald enemeis of ingland al thir forsaid veyrs hes occurrit throucht the discentione and diuisione of the pepil of ane realme.

O ze my thre sonnis ze knau that thir vordis befor rehersit ar of verite alse ze knau that zour extreme ruuyne approchis verra neir, the quhilk maye be eysylie remedit sa that ze vald nocht be obstinat and obdurit in the rancor and discentione that ringis amang zou. it aperis to me that sum sorseris and vytchis, quhilkis ar instramentis of the ald eneme of mankynd hes tempit zou and hes venqueist zour natural rason i vait nocht quhiddir that i sal iuge zou to be cum frenetic or brutal, for zour conuersations in general is ane monstreus thyng rather nor humain as zour verkis testifeis. the historiographoris rehersis that the tua prudent <f 133v>philosophoris, heraclites and democrites past throucht the varld to haue ane vniuersal iugement of the conuersation of man kynd, than quhan thai var passand throucht the varld & persauand the vice and the vanite and euil conuersatione of euyrie cuntre & alse persauand the grit solistnes of diuerse staitis in conquessing reches, heretagis, digniteis, officies. and autorites, sum be auareis, sum be violens, and extorsions, and sum be ane inexorbitant solistnes contrar rason, and sum be raif and spulze, and sum be trason, and sum be discentione & mortal fede, nocht heffand respect nor rememorance of the schort peregrinatione of this miserabil lyif, nor zit heffand premeditatione of the future eternal beatitude that god hes promest til faythtful men, than heraclites began to veip and lament for pite that he hed of the extreme disrasonabil abusione that rang amang the vniuersal pepil. bot democrites leucht and scornit there foliful conuersatione and solist vanite. allace var thai tua philosophours instantly passand throucht the realme of scotland heraclites vald murn & lament for pite, our misire and our affliction the quhilk hes occurrit and daly occurris throuch <f 134r> our auen occasione. and syklyik democrites persauand our folyful mysgouernance and our miserabil obstinat conuersatione he vald laucht and scorn vs be grit derisione. for doutles thir tua philosophours vald fynd mater aneucht to veip for vs and alse to laucht vs to scorn i vil rehers sex versis in latyn quhilk var conposit be ane knycht of Itale M. Antonio phiremo fregoso and syne i sal rehers the expostion of them in our scottis tong, as neir the sentens of the text as i can.

Defle hominum vitam plusquam heraclite solebas,
In lachrimas totos, solue, age nunc oculos:
Concute maiori splenem democrite risu,
Et toto resonans ore cachinus hiet.
Vita fuit mundi post condita secula nuncquam,
Et risu, pariter dignior, & lachrymis.

To the readar.

Gude readar, veip and murne this mortal lyif
As did the vyise philosophour heraclite
And thou sal laucht for scorne recreatyfe
As fast as did the prudent democrite
Ane murnit for pite, the tothir leucht in dispite
Quhen thai beheld this varldis vanite
Bot var thai nou on lyue, i mycht veil dyit
<f 134v>that tha vald laucht and veip our misire.


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