A Dialogue Betwixt Experience and a Courtier, Title page – To the book
❧ Ane Dialog betuix Experience and ane Courteour.
Off the Miserabyll Estait of the Warld.
☞ Compylit be Schir Dauid Lyndesay of ye Mont Knycht alias, Lyone Kyng of Armes. And is Deuidit in Foure Partis. As efter Followis. .&c.
And Imprentit at the Conmand and Expensis off Doctor, MACHABEVS, In Copmāhouin.
Absit Gloriari, Nisi in Cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi,
THE EPISTIL.
THOV Lytil quair, of mat miserabyll
Weil auchtest yu, couerit to be wt sabyl
renūceād grene ye purpur reid & quhit
To delicat mē, yu art nocht delectabyll
Nor ȝit tyll amorous folkis amiabyll
To reid on the, thai wyl haif no delite
Warldlye Peple, wyll hauehave at the dispyte
Quhilk fyxit hes thare hart, and hole intentis
On Sensuall Luste, on Dignitie, and Rentis.
¶We hauehave no Kyng, the to present allace.
Quhilk to this countre, bene ane cairfull care
And als our Quene, of Scotland Heretour
Sche dwellith ī France, I pray God saif hir grace
It war to lang, for the to ryn that race
And far langar, or that ȝoung tender flour
Bryng home tyll ws, ane Kyng and Gouernour,
Allace tharefor, we may with sorrow syng
Quhilk moste so lang, remane without one kyng
☞ I nott quhome to thy Simpylnes to sende.
With Cunnyg Men, frome tyme that yu be kende
Thy Vaniteis, no waye thay wyll aduance
Thynkand the proude, sic thyngis to pretende
Nochtwithstanding, ye straucht way sal yu wende
To thame, quhilk wes the realme in gouernance
Declare thy mynde to thame, with circumstance
Go first tyll Iames, our Prince, and Protectour
And his Brother, our Spirituall Gouernour
❧And Prince of Preistis, in this Natioun.
Efter Reuerend Recommendatioun
VnderUnder thare feit, thow lawlye the submyt
And mak thame humyll supplicatioun
Geue thay in the, fynd wrang Narratioun
That thay wald pleis, thy faltis to remyt
And of thare grace, geue thay do the admyt
Than go thy waye, quhare euer thow plesis best
Be thay content, mak reuerence to the rest.
❧To faithfull Prudent Pastourꝭ Spirituall
To Nobyll, Erlis, and Lordis Temporall
Obedientlye, tyll thame thow the addres
Declaryng thame, this schort memoriall
Quhow Mankynd bene, to miserie maid thrall
At lenth to thame, the cause planelie confesse
Beseikand thame, all lawis to suppresse
Inuentit, be Mennis Traditioun
Contrar to Christis Institutioun.
And cause thame cleirlye, for tyll vnderstand
That for the brekyng of, the Lordꝭ command
His Thrynfall wande, of Flagellatioun
Hes Scurgit, this pure Realme of Scotland
Be mortall weris, baith be sey and land
With mony terrabyll trybulatioun
Tharefor mak to thame trew narratiounRe. xxiiii. & the .ii.
That al thir weris, this derth, hunger, and Pest
Was nocht, bot for our Synnis manefest.i. Cor. iii.
Gene. viiDeclare to thame, quhow in the tyme of Noye
Alluterlye, God did the warld distroye
As Holy Scripture, maketh mentioun
Sodom, Gomor, with thare Regioun and Roye
Gene. xixGod sparit nothir Man, Woman, nor Boye
Bot all wer brynt, for thare offentioun
Iherusalem, that moste tryumphant town
Mathew .xxiii.Distroyit wes, for thare Iniquytie
Luc. xiii.As in the Scripture, planelye thay may se.
¶Declare to thame, this mortall miserie.
Be sweird and fyre, derth, pest, and pouertie
Iere, xv.Procedis of Syn, gyf I can rycht discryue
For laik of Faith, and for Ydolatrye
For Fornicatioun, and for Adultrye
Off Princis, Prelatꝭ, wt mony ane man & wyue
Expell the cause, than the effect belyue
Sall cease, quhen that the peple doith repent
Than God sall slak his bow, quhilk ȝit is bent.
Mak thaim requeist, quhilk hes the Gouernance
The Sinceir word of God for tyll Auance
Conforme to Christis Institutioun
Without Ypocrisie, or dissimulance
Causyng Iustice, hauld ewinlye the Ballance
On Publicanis, makyng punyssioun
Commendyng thame, of gude conditioun
That beyng done, I dout nocht bot the Lorde
Sall of this countre, hauehave Misericorde.
❧ Thoucht God, with mony terrabyll effrayis.
Hes done this cuntrie scurge, by diuers wayis
Be Iuste Iugement, for our greuous offence
Declare to thame, thay sall hauehave mery dayis
Efter this trubyll, as the Propheit sayis
Quhen God sall se, our humyll Repentence
Tyll strange pepyll, thoucht he hes geuin lycence
To be our scurge, Induryng his desyre
Wyll quhen he lyste, that Scurge cast in the fyre
Pray thame, that thay putt nocht thare esperance
In mortall Men, onelye thame tyll aduance
Bot principallye in God OmnipotentPsalme .c. xvii.
Than neid thai not, to charge ye realme of France
With Gounnis, Galayis, nor vther Ordinance
So that thay be, to God Obedient
In thir premyssis, be thay nocht negligent
Displayand Christis Banar, hie on heycht
Thare Ennimeis, of thame sall hauehave no mycht.
Go hence pure Buke, quhilk I hauehave done indyte
In rurall ryme, in maner of dispyte
Contrar, the warldlis Variatioun
Off Rethorick, heir I Proclame the quyte
Idolatouris, I feir sall with the flyte
Because of thame, thow makis Narratioun
Bot cure thow nocht, the Indignatioun
Off Hypocritis, and fais Pharisience
Quhowbeit on the, thay cry ane lowde vengence
¶Requeist the Gentyll Redar, that the redis.
Thocht Ornat termes, in to thy park not spredis
As thay in the, may hauehave experience
Thocht Barran feildis, beris nocht bot weidis
Ȝit brutall beistis, sweitlye on thame feidis
Desyre of thame, none vther recompance
Bot that thay wald, reid the with pacience
And geue thay be, in ony way offendit
Declare to thame, it salbe weill amendit.
*FINIS*
Heirendis ye Epistil & follouis ye Prologe .&c.