Quhou
the actor conferris the passagis of
the thrid cheptour of ysaye vitht the
afflictione of scotland
Chap. IIII
Ve maye
persaue for certan, that ve haue bene
scurgit vitht al the plagis, that ar befor rehersit
in the xxviii cheptour of deuteronome, that is to
say vitht pestelens, vitht the sourde, vitht brakkyng
doune of our duelling housis, vitht spulze of our cornis
ande cattel.
Siclyik as it is befor rehersit in the xxvi of leuitic,
ve haue sauen oure feildis to the behufe of
oure enemeis, ve haue fled fast fra oure enemeis,
quhen ther vas nocht mony of them perseuuand vs.
ande alse ve maye persaue that ve haue beene scurgit
vitht the plagis that ar
<f23v> contenit in the thrid cheptour
of esaye, quhilk sais that the lord sal tak auaye the
mychty men & the sterk men, fra hierusalem ande fra
iuda, that is to saye, the lord hes tane fra vs, oure
lordis ande barons ande mony vthir nobil men that
vald haue deffendit vs fra oure ald enemeis. the said
cheptour sais that the lord sal tak the iugis ande the
prechours. that passage of ysaye maye be veil applyit
tyl vs, for as to the iugis ande iustice that ringis presently
in oure cuntre, god maye sende vs bettir quhen
he pleysis. ande as to the precheours, i reffer, that to
the vniuersal auditur of oure realme. the foir said thrid
cheptour sais, that the pepil of iherusalem ande iuda,
ilk ane sal ryise contrar vthirs: that passage of the text
nedis nocht ane alligoric expositione, for the experiens
of that passage is ouer manifest in oure cuntre. the
said cheptour of esaye sais that effemmenet men sal
be superiors to iherusalem ande iuda, that passage is
ouer euident in oure cuntre, for ther is maye of the
sect of sardanapalus amang vs, nor ther is of scipions,
or camillus. the foir said cheptour of esaye sais that the
lord sal gyf to iherusalem ande iuda zong kyngis to
gouuerne them. that passage of esaye
<f24r> vald be veil considrit,
ande nocht to be vndirstandin be the letteral
expositione, as diuerse of the maist famous doctours of
the kyrk hes rehersit: for quhou be it that oure zong
illustir princis be ane tendir pupil, ande nocht entrit
in the aige of puberte, that follouis nocht, that hyr
zouthed is ane plage sende be god to scurge vs, for the
zouthed of ane prince or of ane princesse, is nocht the
cause of the ruuyne of ane realme, nor zit the perfyit
aige of ane prince is nocht the cause of the gude gouuernyng
of ane public veil. Roboam kyng of israel
beand fourty zeir of aige, he tynt ten tribis of his
realmis, throucht misgouuernance that procedit of euil
counsel. Ande in opposit, Osias vas bot aucht zeir of
aige, quhen he vas vnctit kyng, & quhou be it of his
zouthed, zit he gouuernit veil the cuntre ande the
public veil. ther for as the eloquent cicero sais, ve suld
nocht leuk to the aige nor to the zouthed of ane person
bot rather to ther vertu. ve haue diuerse uthir
exemplis, quhou that realmis hes beene veil gouuernit,
quhen the princis var in tendir aige, as of spangze ande
flandris, quhen charlis elect empriour vas bot thre zeir
of aige. ande quhou be it
<f24v> that Salomon hes said, cursit
be the eird that hes ane zong prince, thai vordis ar to
be vndirstandin of inconstant superiors of ane cuntre
that ar nocht in ane accord to gouuerne the public veil,
nor zit hes ane constant substancial counsel to gouuerne
ane realme quhen the prince or princes ar in tendir
aige, ther for that terme zouthed, suld be vndirstandin
for ignorance & inconstance, ande nocht for
zong of zeiris, for euyre inconstant or ignorant person
is aye repute ande comparit to zong childir that hes na
discretione. Sanct paul vritis to the corinthiens that
var pepil in perfect aige. quod he, my bredir, be ze
nocht in zour vit lyik childir, bot ze sal be of litil
maleise, ande of profond knaulage. par chance sum
inuyful detrakkers vil maling contrar me, sayand that i
suld nocht haue applyit nor conferrit the xxviii of
deutero. nor the xxvi of Leuitic, nor the thrid of esaye.
to the afflictione of oure cuntre, be rason that the contenu
of thir for said cheptours var said to the pepil of
israel, ande nocht to the pepil of scotland. thir detrakkers
maye saye as veil that the ten commandis var
gyffin to the pepil of Israel, ande nocht tyl cristin men,
ande sic
<f25r> lyik thai maye saye that the doctryne of the
euangelistis is nocht to be kepit be cristin men, siclyik
thai may saye that the epistylis of paul suld be kepit
be the romans, corrinthiens, epheseis & be vthir nations
that he vrit to in his dais, ande nocht to be kepit
be vs that professis vs to be cristin men. Sic opinions
ande allegeance suld nocht haue audiens amang cristin
pepil. for ther is no thyng said in the scriptour, bot it
is said generelye tyl al them that hes resauit the zoilk
ande the confessione of crist. Sanct paul vritis to the
romans, sayand euyrye thing that is vritin in the
scriptur, is vrityn tyll oure edeficatione, thir vordis
maye suffice til adnul the peruerst opinions of inuyful
calumniaturis ande of secret detrackers.
|