Robert Sempill :: An Anthology of 16th and Early 17th Century Scots Poetry

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Robert Sempill

37. The Bird in the Cage
37a. Lenvoy
38. Maddeis Lamentatioun
39. Maddeis Proclamatioun

The Bird in the Cage

A bailfull bird that wantis wingis to fle,

Nureist in a nest, richt craftie wylis to hatche;

For fault of feit borne in ane ark of tre;

ark of tre: wooden chest

In craftines to Synon worthie matche;

A gylefull grume, all gude men to dispatche

grume: fellow

And be a gyde to blinde men in a rank,

Ȝit for sic service servis bot lytill thank;

A scurvie schollar of Machiavellus lair,

Inventing wylis anoyntit kingis to thrall;

To heis on hicht pure pesantis full of cair

heis: raise

From base estait to throne imperiall,

And mychtie men lyke wretchit Irus fall,

And ly alaw lyke loytring lubbers leud,

alaw: down lowlubbers: sluggards

For feir of storme full fane thair saillis to schreud;

schreud: shoud

And Doegis craft richt cunningly imprent,

imprent: remember

Quha can in hart pure Davids regne to stay;

Achitophell misordour to invent;

A proud Haman, the faithfull to betray;

Sobney the scribe, fals tressoun to display;

Uprois to rais ane atheist Abiron;

To stalwart knichtis ane gylefull Ganȝelon;

Ane flattring face with outwart schaw serene;

Sour aloes with bitter gall commixt;

Ane luiring bait fond fischis to wirk tene

tene: sorrow

Not spying deith till thay on lyne be fixt;

Quhen tyme is tynt than find thai trew this text:

Ovir lait it is the stabill dure to breik,

Quhen sturdie steid is stollin and far to seik.

To civill weir and intestine discord

This bird can blaw the trumpet craftelie,

Quhais strenth and force consistis in pratting word,

pratting: crafty

With serpentis sting, under simplicitie;

A wylie wicht to practeis palȝardrie,

palȝardrie: deception

With warldly wit weill firnissit at will,

Quhais devillische dryftis puttis all in poynt to spill.

dryftis: schemesspill: ruin

This birdis counsall confoundit hes this land,

Turnd up syde doun of richt and equitie,

Displacit peace with discordis feirfull wand,

That movit hes thift, reif and crueltie,

Murther but mercy, bludie tirrannie,

Wandreth, wanrest, feirfull ambitioun,

Wandreth: troublewanrest: unrest

Aspyring up with pryde to heich renoun.

This bailfull bird richt beinly can upbeild,

beinly: comfortably

In castellis strang hir noysum nest to byde;

The feildis plane can not fra schame hir scheild.

Quha heichest clymmis the soner may thay slyde:

In warldly wit, by God, quha dois confyde

Will be bet doun be duilfull destanie,

And end thair lyfe with wretchit miserie.

O monstrous bird! God nor the gleddis ȝe get,

gleddis: kites

Or ravinnis the rug with bludie beik in bittis;

rug: tear

The pyet pyke thy ene on gallous set,

pyet: magpie

As Haman hangit hie on hicht with tittis.

tittis: jerks

The forkit claver, besyde the croce that sittis,

Mot be thy beir at thy last funerall,

beir: bier

Quhen Dustifit to dance sall furth the call.

I traist in God that anis sall cum the day

Pluk at the craw quhen barnis sall with this bird,

Or blind Hary with hir to sport and play,

With fauldit neif, and tak hir mony gird.

neif: fistgird: blow

Keip weill thy taill, gude Phillip, I am hird

The to award from buffettis, heir me by,

The bony boy with sounding voice sall cry.

Dirtin bedreidis, the Proverb sayis of auld;

bedreidis: fears

Ane scabbit hors will feill quhair he is sair;

Quha giltie bene of vicis laitly tauld

Will deme of thame all men speikis lait and air,

Quhairby thair lyfe is ay bot lasting cair,

Fretting with feir in inward conscience,

As hoiplost wichtis without all pacience.

hoiplost: hopeless

Evin so sum man, that menis not in his mynd

Bot monstrously for to mantene misordour,

Achitophellis air, ane Ganȝelon of strynd,

strynd: descent

Falser than thevis that levis on the Bordour,

Quha craftelie his awin affairis to furdour,

Will think I speik of him in this my ryme,

Johne Gukstounis eye to bleir, quhen he thinkis tyme.

Lenvoy

Jak in the bokis, for all thy mokis,

A vengeance mot the fall!

Thy subteltie and palȝardrie

Our fredome bringis In thrall:

Thy fair fals toung dois still impung

Our crown imperiall;

Lyke wavering thane, thy proces vane

Will brew the bitter gall.

Thy feddrum fair will wirk the cair,

feddrum: feather cote

For all thy Syren sangis;

Ane futles gyde that mon abyde

To pay for all our wrangis.

With wallaway thou'll curs the day

Quhen justice falset fangis,

fangis: siezes

With helteris hie to ty on tre

helteris: halters

Thy poysonit edder stangis!

Remord in mynd thy gret madnes;

Remord: repent, have remorse

Recant thy cairfull cowardnes;

Leid not our lordis with wilfulnes,

Lyke blind men in the myre.

Sen thow hes wrocht sic wickitnes

Be thy avise and craftines,

Or thow depart to Hell furnes

Repent and have thy hyre.

This bill Maddie the sendis,

And biddis to end it reid:

It schawis hir dew commendis,

But favour or ȝit feid.

God send thame evill to speid

Our king that vilipendis,

vilipendis: despise

Or ȝit dois seik thair deid,

That dewly him defendis.

Amen, say ane and all

Of faithfull in this land;

And for trew concord call,

As God dois us command.

Strang is the Lordis hand

To keip all His from thrall,

And with His threitning wand

Will mak His fais to fall.

Maddeis Lamentatioun

Quhen bludy Mars, with his undantit rage,

With Saturne maid this cruel conspiratioun,

And curst Juno, with birnand feirs curage,

Amangis planettis had greitest dominatioun,

I hard ane voice, with drerie lamentatioun,

Sayand: 'O Lord! help now with thy rycht hand!

Gone is the joy and gyde of this natioun:

I mene be James, Regent of Scotland.

Quhen Lachesis hir threid had drawin to lenth,

Prolonging furth this princes lyfe in gloir,

Than Atropus, extending furth hir strenth,

This fatell threid, allace! for to devoir.

Now Justice, oh! quha sal thy sword decoir?

decoir: adorn

This comoun weil quhat wicht sal now warrand,

Sen he is gone, that governd us befoir,

That upricht prince, James, Regent of Scotland?

His gude beginning quha that culd richt report?

Quhen this regioun of reule was destitude,

In plane parliament our nobilis did exhort

That innocent to tak the fortitude

Of this fals ile, of justice than denude,

And with thair aithis promysit with him to stand.

Justice to keip in mynde he did conclude,

Sa lang as he was Regent in Scotland.

Sen Fergus dayis his lyke was never none

In equall justice, and deidis martiall;

Thir realmes twa he knat up baith in one,

Quhilk never prince befoir culd do at all.

The sovage daillis he dantonit and maid thrall;

dantonit: put down

To serve thair king he gart thame gif thair band:

With fyre and sword for grace he gart them call:

That prudent prince, James, Regent of Scotland.

His commoun weill he lufit over all thing;

In trew religioun na prince mycht be his peir;

Idolatrie but reuth he did down thring;

reuth: pitythring: throw

All sorsarars he puneist far and neir;

Na homiceid nor theif than durst appeir

Within his sycht for dreid of dynt of brand;

dynt: strokebrand: sword

Just men he maid his fallow and his feir --

This humane prince, James, Regent of Scotland.

The Devill seand this godly prince sa bent,

Throw auld malice he gaif to rage throw feid,

feid: enmity

His spreit inferne he send incontinent

Amangis tratours for to conspyre his deid;

And cruelly, but mercy or remeid,

With schot of gunne thai murdreist him fra hand,

fra hand: immediately

Schort over twa yeiris quhen he had rung in deid,

This innocent prince, James, Regent of Scotland.

Ȝe vertuous men, lament his cairfull chance,

Sen he is gone that suld ȝow fortifie;

All ȝe that wald the trew Gospell avance,

Beuaill, beuaill for that sweit Josue,

Ȝour secund Moyses, that led ȝow throw the se.

Had he indurit your Canane land had stand.

Dispair not yit. Christ will your capitane be,

Sen he is gone, James, Regent of Scotland.

Ȝe pure comounis, that lang hes bene opprest,

And ye Burrowis, murne and regrait his fall!

Gif he had leifit, na man durst ȝow molest,

For quhy, he was ane watcheman on your wall:

Now, sen na prince may leif uprycht at all

In this fals realme, onslane in burgh and land,

Adew now, mirrour of justice principall,

Maist godly prince, James, Regent of Scotland.

This commoun weil he luifit sa tenderlie,

Quhilk to mantene na thing maid him agast:

His lufe to it he schew maist faithfullie,

And with his blude he seillit it up at last.

Had he mantenit all tratours that trespast,

His godly lyfe in joyis ȝit had stand;

That wald he not, and sa this prince is past:

That innocent, James, Regent of Scotland.

Now ȝe, his followeris of his interpryse,

Think on the murther of that innocent!

Extend your strenthis and all togidder ryse;

Pas endlang Clyde but reuth incontinent.

endlang: the length ofreuth: pity

Meg Lochis get, that did the mys invent,

mys: crime

That apostat, that Feyndis awin seriand,

seriand: sergeant

Seis not quhill he and his curst kin repent

The slauchter of our Regent of Scotland.

That infant babe, that ȝe haif taine in cure,

Saif him from skaith and stif togidder byde;

Remember quhat ȝe haif in hand, be sure;

Ȝour fais will lauch quhen they se yow devyde;

Lat na vaine gloir, covetice, nor pryde

Expell freindschip to wrak ȝow and this land.

Keip the last wordis of our just joy and gyde,

Quhen he deceissit, James, Regent of Scotland.

Hudge is your fais within this fals regioun

With ithand trystis contractand up new bandis

ithand: diligenttrystis: engagements

To bring ȝow to schame and confusioun:

Gaird ȝow ȝow lufe, sen ȝe wait how it standis,

Your prince and strenth keip weill in faithful handis;

For, gif ȝour fais tryumphis ouer ȝow to stand,

Schaip yow for deid, or dwell in uther landis,

Sen he is gone, James, Regent of Scotland.

Ȝour cause is just, gif ȝe wald all persew,

Bot quhair devisioun lurkis it is ane pyne;

Christ hes it sed, and doutles it is trew,

That kingdome sall come to greit ruyne

Quhen that devissioun hes his sait and tryne.

tryne: throne

Thairfoir be war, counsall is na command:

For, gif ȝe perische, ȝour cause and freindis sall tyne:

For now they want James, Regent of Scotland.

Greit is the danger ȝe stand in now, but dout,

And ȝe haif schame fra your purpois to fle;

Spair not for geir, bot with bauld hartis be stout,

Mantene Gods cause, to commoun weill haif ee,

And ȝe that is of maist magnificie

Ȝour baner sall display with His awin hand,

To the confusioun of ȝour enemie,

Sen he is gone, James, Regent of Scotland.

O Thow that art omnipotent conding,

conding: worthy

Thre persounis ringand in ane Trinitie!

Help this pure realme and preserve our young king

Fra schame and deid and feid of enemie.

Amangis our nobillis plant peace and unitie;

Fra mercyles strangers saif us with Thy rycht hand:

Our sinnis is greit, ȝit mercy rests with The.

Adew for ay! James, Regent of Scotland.

Maddeis Proclamatioun

In lofty veirs I did reheirs

My drerie lamentatioun,

And now, allace! Maist cairful cace,

I mak my proclamatioun.

Desyring all, baith greit and small,

That heiris me be narratioun,

Not for to wyte my rude indyte,

wyte: blameindyte: composition

Sen maid is intimatioun.

I do intend nane to offend

That feiris God arycht,

Thocht murtherars and blud scheddars

Wald haif me out of sycht.

Thair malice vane I do disdane,

And curse thair subtell slycht.

My name is knawin, thair bruit is blawin

bruit: reportblawin: circulated

Abrode baith day and nycht.

For I, a wyfe with sempill lyfe,

Dois wyn my meit ilk day,

For small availl, ay selling caill,

The best fassoun I may.

Besyde the Throne I walt upone

Throne: Tron

My mercat but delay;

Gif men thair walk, I heir thair talk,

And beiris it weill away.

In felloun feir at me thay speir,

felloun: terriblespeir: ask

Quhat tythands in this land?

Quhy sit I dum and dar not mum,

mum: whisper

Oft tymes thay do demand.

To thame agane I answer plane,

Quhair thay beside me stand:

Na thing is heir bot mortall weir,

Wrocht be ane bailfull hand.

A wickit race of grumis but grace,

Of Kedyochis curst clan,

Be tressoun vile quha dois defyle

Thame self, baith wyfe and man,

As lait is sene with weiping ene,

Thairfoir I sall thame ban,

ban: curse

Caus our Regent maist innocent

That cursit seid over ran.

Quhat cruelteis thay enemeis

Hes wrocht be tymes past

I lat over slyde; I may not byde,

Sa fair I am agast,

Thair anterous actis, thair furious factis:

anterous: daring

Auld bukis quha will over cast,

And men on live can ȝit discrive

Thair doings first and last.

Thairfoir, my Lords, as best accords,

Sen ȝe are hapnit hidder,

This I will say tuix sport and play:

My wordis weill considder,

And ponder thame for ȝour awin schame,

To mark thame be not lidder:

lidder: limp

Lat na mans feid, throw feirfull dreid,

Your hartis mak to swidder.

swidder: hesitate

For I heir say thay will display

Thair baners on the field,

Thinkand but dout to ruit ȝow out,

Or cause ȝow seik sum b[eild].

b[eild]: shelter

At thame rycht fane, or [els be sl]ane:

That ganȝell will thay ȝeild:

ganȝell: recompense

Stand not abak, oh febill pak,

Bot swordis leir to weild.

Defend ȝour richt in Goddis sicht:

Quhome of do ȝe stand aw?

Rycht few, I trow, will ȝow allow,

Gif ȝe ȝour selfis misknaw.

Stand to, thairfoir, fyle not the scoir,

fyle not the scoir: don't foul the line

But all togidder draw,

Not in cat harrowis lyke cankrit marrowis,

cat harrowis: opposite directions

For feir of efter flaw.

efter flaw: evil consequences

Do ȝe not se that mad menȝe

menȝe: gang

How thay ar warin crous?

To wirk ȝow tene thai mak the Quene

Thair strenth and strang blokhous.

The murther, fy! thay do deny,

And countis ȝow not ane sous:

sous: halfpenny

Thair proude pretence, throw negligence,

Will be maist dangerous.

To Lythquo toun thay ar all boun,

Quhair thay the murther wrocht,

And thinkis to de or fortifie

Thair fellony forethocht;

forethocht: intention

And trewlie I can not espy

Quhat uther thing thay socht,

Bot King put doun and clame the croun,

Be bludy murther bocht.

I pans and muse how thay excuse

pans: ponder

This murther perpetrate,

Or with quhat grace haldis up thair face,

Quhair it is nominate

Gif (as I trow) thay it allow

Like wolfis insatiate,

Quha can repent that thay be schent

schent: destroyed

With blude commaculate?

Fall to, thairfoir, I ȝow imploir,

My Lords, with ane assent,

And think it lang ay quhil ȝe fang

The feiris that did invent

This crueltie, be tyrannie,

To sal our rycht Regent,

For thay maist sure dois still indure

With hartis impenitent.

That ma in deid is worth sum meid,

His fault that dois confes;

Bot quhat rewarde suld be preparde

For him that dois transgres,

And will not graunt, bot rather vaunt

In his unhappynes?

Maist sure the gallous, with all his fallous,

For gif self lufe was from abufe

Dejectit out of Hevin,

Quhen Lucifer wald be ane bar

To God, and think him evin,

Quhat sall we wene of tratours kene,

That ithandly hes strevin

ithandly: constantly

For to deface the nobill race

Of Stewarts, od and evin?

Considder weill thair cankrit zeill

Hes thristit mony day

thristit: thirsted

For to posses, but godlynes,

The crowne withouttin stay;

As now of lait thair curst consait

With murther thay display,

Quhen thay thocht gude to drink this blude,

Be that ungodly way.

Bot Sathan sure dois thame allure

With wordis fals and vane,

Ay promysing thame to be king

Quhairof thay ar full fane.

In Paradice he did intice,

Be subtell craft and trane,

The man first maid, sa God hes said

In sacrede Scripture plane.

He said that he suld equall be

To God Omnipotent,

The apill sweit gif he wald eit,

Quhairof was maid restraint.

With small defence he gaif credence,

Bot did he not repent,

Quhen efterwart he felt the smart

And God aganis him bent?

Sa sall all thay that dois this day

With mischant mynde maling

mischant: wickedmaling: ill-intentioned

Aganis the treuth, but ony reuth,

reuth: pity

And crowning of our King.

And this thay mufe for thair behufe

To place thair awin ofspring;

But thay repent, thay will be schent,

And Hell at thair ending.

Authoritie gif just he be,

Quhy do thay this ill will him?

His graitfull gide, throw pevische pride,

Allace! quhy did thay kill him?

Thair heid supreme in to this realme

Admit gif thay not will him,

Than ye, my Lords, cut of with cords

Thame will be troublous till him.

Revenge this wrang, lat tratours hang,

Gods Lawis dois sa requyre:

Lat Caleb eik and Josue seik

The promysit impyre.

Thocht murmurars and murtherars

Wald all ȝour deith conspyre,

In wyldernes with cursitnes

At lenth thay will all tyre.

That campion of Babilon,

That bludy beildar up,

With mytrid heid, ane homyceid

That saikles blude dois sup,

saikles: innocent

Gar cow his crowne, or put him doun

cow: crop

That he may taist the cup,

Quhairwith oft tymes, for saikles crymes,

Mennis lyves he interup.

And se that never ȝe do dissever

From first contractit band,

Quhen ye our King, of ȝeiris ȝing,

Maid rewlar of this land.

Lat not invy cause sum ly by,

Bot all togidder stand;

Than God the Lord misericord

misericord: merciful

Will be ȝour sure warrand.

From Cail mercat, quhair as I sat,

Thir wordis I did indyte

The wyfis amang, that thocht greit lang

To se my awin hand wryte.

Gif ony be that will judge me

To speik bot in dispyte,

Gar mend the mis committit is,

And I na mair sall flyte.