Works, Exhortation
¶Ane adhortatioun of all eſtatis, to the reiding of thir preſent warkis. ☞ (✚) ☜
SEN that it is maiſt worthie for to be
Lamentit, of euerilk warldlie wicht:
* To ſe the warkis of pleſand Poetrie,
To ly ſa hid, and fylit from the ſicht
Of thoſe in hart, quha dois reiois aricht
In Vulgar toung for to behald and heir
Vertew and vyce diſcloſit, and brocht to licht,
In thair richt collouris planelie to appeir.
❧Thairfoir (gude Reidar) haif I trauell tane,
Intill ane volume now breiflie for to bring
Of Dauid Lyndeſay, the haill warkis ilk ane,
Knicht of the Mont, Lyoun, of Amis King.
Quha in our dayis now did laitlie King
Quhais pregnant practick, and quhais ornate ſtyle
To be commendit be me, neidis na thing:
Lat warkis beir witnes, quhilkis he hes done compyle.
¶Thocht Gawine Dowglas Biſchop of Dunkell
In ornate meter ſurmount did euerilk man:
Thocht Bennedie, and Dunbar bure the bell
For the large cace of Rethorik thay ran.
Ȝit neuer Poeit of our Scottiſche clan,
Sa cleirlie ſchew that Monſtour with his markis,
The Romane God, in quhome all gyle began:
As dois gude Dauid Lyndeſay in his warkis.
❧Quhairin na ſtait he ſpairit, bot ſtoutlie ſchew thame,
How thay haith God and man had ſore offendit:
With fleſchehukis of flatterie be neuer clew thame,
Of quhar degre ſa euer thay diſcendit,
Thair auld miſde…d he prayit thame ay to mend it
Empriour, nor King, Duke, …rle, Prince, nor Paip,
Gif thay to queil Chriſtis flock ȝit ſtill precendit:
Goddis Iuſt Iugementis na way ſuld thay eſchaip.
¶With prettie problemis, and ſentences maiſt ſage,
With pleſand prouerbis in his warkis all quhair,
With ſtaitlie ſtoryis aggreing to our age,
With ſimilitudis ſenielie he dois declair,
With weill waillit wordis, wyſe, and familiar,
Of queynt conuoy, this ioyous gem Iocound,
In till his bukis to ſpeik he did nocht ſpair
Aganis all vyte, ay quhair it did abound.
❧Princes approche, cum Rewlaris in ane Randoun:
Reid heir ȝe Lordis of the meyner menȝe,
The end of hicht, ȝour pryde lerne to abandoun.
Cum ſchameles ſchauelingis of Sathanis ſenȝe,
Rynnand in vyce, ay ſtill with oppin renȝe,
Of proud Prelatis reid heir the ſuddane fall:
Quha for to ſtoup ȝit did neuer denȝe,
VnderUnder the ȝock of him that creat all.
¶Cum teynefull tyrānis trimmilling with ȝour trayne:
Cam nouchtie Newtrallis with ȝour bailfull band:
Ȝe haif ane cloik now reddy for the rayne:
For fair wether, ane vther ay at hand.
Idol ateris draw neir to Burgh and land,
Reid heir ȝour lyfe at large, baith mair and min,
With Hypocrites ay ſlyding as the ſand.
As humloik how of wit, and vertew thin.
❧Oppreſſouris of the pure, cum in till pairis:
Flatte raeis flok fordwart, for I hard tell,
Ȝe had ane ſaw richt ſicker for all ſairis.
Lawieris, and Scrybis, quha hes ȝour ſaulis to ſell:
Craftiſmen, and Merchandis, gif ȝe do mell
With fraud or falſet, than I ȝow deſyre,
Reid in this buke, the ſpeiche gif ȝe can ſpell,
Quhat Iuſt reward ȝe ſall haif for ȝour hyre.
¶Amang the reſt, now Courteouris cum hidder,
Thocht ȝe be ſkeich, and ſkip aboue the ſkyis,
Ȝit conſtantlie I pray ȝow to conſidder,
In to this ſcrow, quhar Lyndeſay to ȝow cryis.
Cum all degreis, in Lurdanerie quha lyis,
And fane wald ſe of ſin the feirfull fyne:
And lerne in vertew how for to vpryis
Reid heir this buke, and ȝe ſall find it ſyne.
❧With Scripture, and with ſtoryis naturall,
Richelie repleniſchit from end till end.
In till this buke, quha liſt to reid, thay ſall
Find mony leſſoun largelie to commend
The braid difference quhairm weill may be kend
Betwene verteous and vicious leuing.
Lat vsus thairfoir our lyfe in vertew ſpend,
Sen vyce of mankynd is the haill miſcheuing.
❧Lat Lyndeſay now as he war ȝit on lyif,
Pas furth to lycht, with all his ſentence hie:
VntoUnto all men thair dewtie to deſcryue
Quhairin thay may ane lyuelie Image ſe,
Of his expreſſit mynd in Poetrie,
Prentit, as he it publiſchit with his pen.
That him ſelf ſpeik, I think it beſt for me.
Gif gloir to God, quhilk gaif ſic Giftis to men.
¶FINIS.