Works, Poem 7
The Complaint and Publiet Confeſſioun of the Kingis auld Hound, callit Bagſche, directit to Bawte, the Kingis beſt belouit Dog, and his Companȝeonis. Maid at Command of King Iames the Fyft, be Schit Dauid Lindeſay of the Mont Knycht, Alias, Lyoun king of Armes. &c.
ALlace, quhome to ſuld I complayne
In my extreme Neceſſitie.
Or quhameto ſall I mak my maine,
In Court na Dog wyll do for me.
Beſeikand ſum for Cherite
To beir my Supplicatioun,
To Scudlar, Luffra, and Bawte.
Now or the King pas of the toun.
I hauehave followit the Court ſo lang,
Quhill in gude faith I may no mair.
The Countre knawis I may nocht gang,
I am ſo crukit, auld, and ſair,
That I wait nocht quhare to repair.
For quhen I had authorite,
I thocht me ſo familiar,
I neuer dred neceſſite.
I rew the race that Geordie Steill
Brocht Bawte to the kingis preſence.
I pray God lat hym neuer do weill,
Sen ſyne I gat na audience.
For Bawte now gettis ſic credence,
That he lyis on the Kingis nycht goun.
Quhare I perforce for my offence,
Man in the clois ly lyke ane loun.
For I haif bene ay to this hour,
Ane witrear of lamb and hog,
Ane tyrrane, and ane Tulȝeour,
Ane murdreiſſar of mony ane dog.
Fyue foullis I chaiſt outthroch ane ſcrog,
Quharefor thare motheris did me warie.
For thay war drownit all in ane bog.
Speir at Ihone Gordoun of Pittarie.
Quhilk in his hous did bryng me vp,
And vſit me to ſlay the deir.
Sweit milk and meill he gart me ſup,
That craft I leirnit ſone perqueir.
All vther vertew ran arreir,
Quhen I began to bark and flyte.
For thare was nother Monk nor freir,
Nor wyfe nor barne, bot I wald byte.
Quhen to the King the care was knawin
Of my vnhappy hardines,
And all the ſuth vntounto hym ſchawin
How euerilk dog, I did oppres,
Than gaue his grace command expres,
I ſuld be brocht to his preſence.
Nochtwithſtanding my wickitnes,
In Court I gat greit audience.
☞ I ſchew my greit Ingratitude
To the Capitane of Badzeno,
Quhilk in his hous did find me fude
Two ȝeir with vther houndis mo.
Bot quhen I ſaw that it was ſo,
That I grew hich into the Court,
For his reward I wrocht hym wo
And cruellie I did hym hurt.
So thay that gaue me to the King,
I was thare mortall Enemie.
I tuke cure of na kynd of thing
Bot pleis the Kingis Maieſtie.
Bot quhen he knew my crueltie,
My falſet and my plane oppreſſioun,
He gaue command that I ſuld be
Hangit without confeſſioun.
And ȝit becauſe that I was auld,
His grace thocht petie for to hang me,
Bot leit me wander quhare I wald,
Than ſet my fais for to fang me.
And eueryevery bouchour dog doun dang me.
Quhen I trowit beſt to be ane laird,
Than in the court ilk wicht did wrang me.
And this I gat for my rewaird.
I had wirreit blak Makeſoun,
Wer nocht that rebaldis come and red.
Bot he was flemit of the toun,
Frome tyme the King ſaw how I bled.
He gart lay me vponupon ane bed,
For with ane knife I was miſcheuit.
This Makeſoun for feir he fled
Ane lang tyme or he was releuit.
And Patrik Striuiling in Ergyle,
I bure hym bakwart to the ground.
And had hym ſlane within ane quhyle,
Wat nocht the helping of ane hound.
Ȝit gat he mony bludie wound,
As ȝit his ſkyn wyll ſchaw the markis,
Find me ane Dog, quhate euer ȝe found
Hes maid ſa mony bludie ſarkis.
Gude brother Lanceman, Lyndeſayis dog,
Quhilk ay hes keipit thy laute,
And neuer wirryit lamb nor hog,
Pray Luffra, Scudlar, and Baute,
Of me Bagſche, to hauehave pitie,
And prouide me ane portioun
In Dumfermeling, quhare I may dre
Pennance for my extortioun.
Get be thare Soliſtatioun
Ane letter frome the kingis grace,
…hat I may hauehave Collatioun,
With fyre and Candil in the place.
Bot I wyll leif ſchort tyme, allace,
Want I gude freſche fleſche for my gammis,
Betuix Aſwedniſday and Paice,
I man hauehave leue to wirrie Lamhis.
Baute conſidder weill this bill,
And reid this Cedul… that I ſend ȝow.
And euerilk poynt thareof fulfill,
And now in tyme of mys amend ȝow.
I pray ȝow that ȝe nocht pretend ȝow
To clym ouer hie, nor do na wrang.
Bot frome ȝour fais, with richt defend ȝow,
And tak exemple quhow I gang.
I was that na man durſt cum neir me,
Nor put me furth of my lugeing.
Na dog duiſt fra my Denner ſker me,
Quhen I was tender with the king.
Now euerilk tyke dois me doun thring,
The quhilk before, be me war wrangit,
And ſweris I ſerue na vther thing,
Bot in ane helter to be hangit.
Thocht ȝe b… hamelie with the King,
Ȝe Luffra, Scudlar, and Bawte,
Be wat that ȝe do nocht doun thring
Ȝour nychtbouris throw authorite.
And ȝour exemple mak be me,
And beleif weill ȝe at bot doggis.
Thocht ȝe ſtand in the hieſt gre,
Se ȝe byte nother lambs nor hoggis.
Thocht ȝe hauehave now greit audience,
Se that be ȝow, be nane oppreſt.
Ȝe …ylbe puniſchit for ȝour offence,
Frome tyme the king be weill confeſt,
Thare is na dog that hes tranſgreſt
Throw cruelte, and he may fang hym,
His Maieſte wyll tak no reſt,
Tyll on ane gallous he gat hang hym.
I was anis als far ben as ȝe ar
And had in Court als greit credence,
And ay pretendit to be hiear.
Bot quhen the Kingis excellence,
Did knaw my falſer and offence,
And my prydefull preſumptioun,
I gat none vther recompence,
Bot hoyit, and houndit of the toun.
Wes neuer ſa vnkynd ane corce
As quhen I had authorite.
Of my freindis I tuke na force,
The quhilkis afore had done for me,
This Prouerb, it is of verite,
Quhilk I hard red in tyll ane letter,
Hieſt in Court, nixt the weddie,
Without he gyde hym all the better.
I tuke na mair compt of ane Lord,
Nor I did of ane keiching knaif.
Thocht euerilk day I maid diſcord,
I was ſet vp abone the laif.
The gentill hound was to me ſlaif.
And with the Kingis a win fingeris fed.
The ſillie raichis wald I raif,
Thus for my euill deidis wes I dred.
Tharefor Bawte luke beſt about,
Quhen thow art hieſt with the King.
For than thow ſtandis in greiteſt dout,
Be thow nocht gude of gouerning.
Put na pure tyke frome his ſteiding,
Nor ȝit na ſillie Ratchis raif.
He ſittis aboue that ſeis all thing,
And of ane knicht can mak ane knaif.
Quhen I come ſteppand ben the flure,
All Rachis greit roume to me red.
I of na creature tuke cure,
Bot lap vponupon the kingis bev,
With claith of gold, thocht it wer ſpred,
For feir ilk freik wald ſtand on far.
With euerilk Dog, I was ſo dred
Thay trimblit quhen thay hard me nar.
Gude brother Bawte beir the euin,
Thocht with thy Prince, thow be potent.
It cryis ane vengeance frome the heuin,
For till oppres ane Innocent.
In welth be than moſt vigilent,
And do na wrang to dog nor beiche,
As I hauehave, quhilk I now repent.
Na Meſſane reif, to mak the riche.
Nor for augmenting of thy boundis
Aſk no reward, ſchit at the king.
Quhilk may do hurt to vther houndis,
Expres aganis Goddis bidding.
Chais na pure tyke frome his midding,
Throw caſt of Court, or kingis requeiſt.
And of thy ſelf, preſume no thing,
Except thow art ane brutall beiſt.
Traiſt weill thare is none oppreſſour,
Nor boucheour dog drawer of blude,
Ane Tyrrane, nor ane tranſgreſſour,
That ſall now of the King get gude,
Frome tyme furth, that his Celſitude
Dois cleirlie knaw the verite,
Bot he is flemit for to conclude,
Or hangit hich vponupon ane tre.
Thocht ȝe be cuplit all to gidder
With ſilk, and ſwoulis of ſyluer fyne.
Ane Dog may cum furth of Balquhidder,
And gar ȝow leid ane l…wer tryne.
Than ſal ȝour pleſour, turne in pyne,
Quhen ane ſtrange hounter blawis his horne.
And all ȝour treddingis gar ȝow tyne,
Than ſall ȝour laubour be forlorne.
I ſay no more gude freindis, adew,
In dreid we neuer meit agane.
That euer I kend the Court, I rew.
Wes neuer wycht ſo will of wane.
Lat no Dog now ſerue our Souerane,
Without he be of gude conditioun.
Be he peruerſt, I tell ȝow plane,
He hes neid of ane gude Remiſſioun.
That I am on this way miſcheuit,
The Erle of Hountlie I may warie.
He wend I had bene weill releuit,
Quhen to the Court, he gart me carie.
Wald God I wa… now in Pittarie,
Becauſe I hauehave bene ſo euill dedie,
Adew, I dar no langer tarie.
In dreid, I waif in till ane wyddie.
FINIS.