SATIRE ON THE AGE.

Quhair is the blythness that hes beinBayth in brugh and landwart sein[1080]Amang lordis, and ladeis schein[1081],Dansing, singing, game, and play?Bot weill I wat nocht quhat thay mein;All merriness is worne away.For now I heir na worde of YuleIn kirk, on cassay[1082], nor in skuill:Lordis lettis thair kitchingis cule,And drawis thame to the Abbay,[1083]And skant hes ane to keip thair mule;All houshalding is worne away.I saw no gysaris[1084]all this yeir,Bot kirkmen cled lyk men of weir,[1085]That never cummis in the queir[1086];Lyk ruffianis is thair array;To teitche and preitche that will not leir[1087];The kirk gudis thai waste away.Kirkmen affoir[1088]wer gud of lyfe,Preitchit, teichit, and staunchit stryfe;Thay feirit nather sword nor knyf,For luif of God the faith to say;All honorit thame, baith man and wyf,Devotion wes nocht away.Our fatheris wyse were, and discreit;Thai had bayth honour, men, and meit;With luif[1089]thai did thair tennentis treit,And had aneuch in press to lay;Thay wantit nather malt nor quheit,And mirrines wes nocht away.And we hald nather Yule nor Pace[1090],Bot seik our meit from place to place;And we haive nather luk nor grace.We gar[1091]our landis dowbill pay;Our tennentis cry Alace! Alace!That routh[1092]and pittie is away.Now we haive mair, it is weill kend[1093],Nor our forbearis[1094]had to spend;Bot far les at the yeiris end;And never hes ane mirrie day:God will na ryches to us sendSua lang as honour is away.We waist far mair now, lyk vaine fuillis,We and our paige, to turs[1095]our muillis,Nor thai did than, that haid grit Yuillis,Of meit and drink said never nay;Thay had lang furmes[1096]quhair we haive stuillis,And mirrines wes nocht away.Of our wanthrift sum wyttis playes[1097],And sum thair wantoune vaine arrayis;Sum the wyt on thair wyfes layesThat in the court wald gang[1098]sa gayAnd care nocht quha the merchand payis,Quhill[1099]part of land be put away.The kirkmen keipis na professioune;The temporall men commitis oppressioune,Puttand the puire from thair possessioune;Na kynd of feir of God haive thay:Thay cummar[1100]baith the kirk and sessioune,And chasis charitie away.Quhen ane of thaime susteinis wrangWe cry for justice, heid and hang;Bot when our neichbouris we our-gang[1101]We laubour justice to delay:Affectioune blindis us sa lang,All equitie is put away.To mak actis we haive sum feill[1102];God watt gif that we keip tham weill!We cum to bar with jak of steill[1103]As we wald bost the judge and fray[1104].Of sic justice I have na skeill[1105],Quhair reull and ordour is away.Our lawis ar lichtleit for abusioune[1106];Sumtyme is clokit with collusioune;Quhilk causis of bluid the great effusioune,For na man spairis now to slay.Quhat bringis cuntreis to confusioune,Bot quhair that justice is away?Quha is the wyte[1107], quha can schew us?Quha bot our nobillis, that sould know us,And till honorabill deidis draw us!Let never comouneweill decay,Or els sum mischief will befaw us,And nobillnes we put away.Put our awin lawis to executioune;Upon transgressouris mak punitioune;To cruell folk seik na remissioune;For peace and justice let us pray,In dreid sum strange new institutiouneCum, and our custome put away.Amend your lyfis, ane and all,And be war of ane suddan fall,And pray to God, that maid us all,To send us joy that lesteis ay;And let us nocht to sin be thrall,Bot put all vyce and wrang away.

Quhair is the blythness that hes bein

Bayth in brugh and landwart sein[1080]

Amang lordis, and ladeis schein[1081],

Dansing, singing, game, and play?

Bot weill I wat nocht quhat thay mein;

All merriness is worne away.

For now I heir na worde of YuleIn kirk, on cassay[1082], nor in skuill:Lordis lettis thair kitchingis cule,And drawis thame to the Abbay,[1083]And skant hes ane to keip thair mule;All houshalding is worne away.

For now I heir na worde of Yule

In kirk, on cassay[1082], nor in skuill:

Lordis lettis thair kitchingis cule,

And drawis thame to the Abbay,[1083]

And skant hes ane to keip thair mule;

All houshalding is worne away.

I saw no gysaris[1084]all this yeir,Bot kirkmen cled lyk men of weir,[1085]That never cummis in the queir[1086];Lyk ruffianis is thair array;To teitche and preitche that will not leir[1087];The kirk gudis thai waste away.

I saw no gysaris[1084]all this yeir,

Bot kirkmen cled lyk men of weir,[1085]

That never cummis in the queir[1086];

Lyk ruffianis is thair array;

To teitche and preitche that will not leir[1087];

The kirk gudis thai waste away.

Kirkmen affoir[1088]wer gud of lyfe,Preitchit, teichit, and staunchit stryfe;Thay feirit nather sword nor knyf,For luif of God the faith to say;All honorit thame, baith man and wyf,Devotion wes nocht away.

Kirkmen affoir[1088]wer gud of lyfe,

Preitchit, teichit, and staunchit stryfe;

Thay feirit nather sword nor knyf,

For luif of God the faith to say;

All honorit thame, baith man and wyf,

Devotion wes nocht away.

Our fatheris wyse were, and discreit;Thai had bayth honour, men, and meit;With luif[1089]thai did thair tennentis treit,And had aneuch in press to lay;Thay wantit nather malt nor quheit,And mirrines wes nocht away.

Our fatheris wyse were, and discreit;

Thai had bayth honour, men, and meit;

With luif[1089]thai did thair tennentis treit,

And had aneuch in press to lay;

Thay wantit nather malt nor quheit,

And mirrines wes nocht away.

And we hald nather Yule nor Pace[1090],Bot seik our meit from place to place;And we haive nather luk nor grace.We gar[1091]our landis dowbill pay;Our tennentis cry Alace! Alace!That routh[1092]and pittie is away.

And we hald nather Yule nor Pace[1090],

Bot seik our meit from place to place;

And we haive nather luk nor grace.

We gar[1091]our landis dowbill pay;

Our tennentis cry Alace! Alace!

That routh[1092]and pittie is away.

Now we haive mair, it is weill kend[1093],Nor our forbearis[1094]had to spend;Bot far les at the yeiris end;And never hes ane mirrie day:God will na ryches to us sendSua lang as honour is away.

Now we haive mair, it is weill kend[1093],

Nor our forbearis[1094]had to spend;

Bot far les at the yeiris end;

And never hes ane mirrie day:

God will na ryches to us send

Sua lang as honour is away.

We waist far mair now, lyk vaine fuillis,We and our paige, to turs[1095]our muillis,Nor thai did than, that haid grit Yuillis,Of meit and drink said never nay;Thay had lang furmes[1096]quhair we haive stuillis,And mirrines wes nocht away.

We waist far mair now, lyk vaine fuillis,

We and our paige, to turs[1095]our muillis,

Nor thai did than, that haid grit Yuillis,

Of meit and drink said never nay;

Thay had lang furmes[1096]quhair we haive stuillis,

And mirrines wes nocht away.

Of our wanthrift sum wyttis playes[1097],And sum thair wantoune vaine arrayis;Sum the wyt on thair wyfes layesThat in the court wald gang[1098]sa gayAnd care nocht quha the merchand payis,Quhill[1099]part of land be put away.

Of our wanthrift sum wyttis playes[1097],

And sum thair wantoune vaine arrayis;

Sum the wyt on thair wyfes layes

That in the court wald gang[1098]sa gay

And care nocht quha the merchand payis,

Quhill[1099]part of land be put away.

The kirkmen keipis na professioune;The temporall men commitis oppressioune,Puttand the puire from thair possessioune;Na kynd of feir of God haive thay:Thay cummar[1100]baith the kirk and sessioune,And chasis charitie away.

The kirkmen keipis na professioune;

The temporall men commitis oppressioune,

Puttand the puire from thair possessioune;

Na kynd of feir of God haive thay:

Thay cummar[1100]baith the kirk and sessioune,

And chasis charitie away.

Quhen ane of thaime susteinis wrangWe cry for justice, heid and hang;Bot when our neichbouris we our-gang[1101]We laubour justice to delay:Affectioune blindis us sa lang,All equitie is put away.

Quhen ane of thaime susteinis wrang

We cry for justice, heid and hang;

Bot when our neichbouris we our-gang[1101]

We laubour justice to delay:

Affectioune blindis us sa lang,

All equitie is put away.

To mak actis we haive sum feill[1102];God watt gif that we keip tham weill!We cum to bar with jak of steill[1103]As we wald bost the judge and fray[1104].Of sic justice I have na skeill[1105],Quhair reull and ordour is away.

To mak actis we haive sum feill[1102];

God watt gif that we keip tham weill!

We cum to bar with jak of steill[1103]

As we wald bost the judge and fray[1104].

Of sic justice I have na skeill[1105],

Quhair reull and ordour is away.

Our lawis ar lichtleit for abusioune[1106];Sumtyme is clokit with collusioune;Quhilk causis of bluid the great effusioune,For na man spairis now to slay.Quhat bringis cuntreis to confusioune,Bot quhair that justice is away?

Our lawis ar lichtleit for abusioune[1106];

Sumtyme is clokit with collusioune;

Quhilk causis of bluid the great effusioune,

For na man spairis now to slay.

Quhat bringis cuntreis to confusioune,

Bot quhair that justice is away?

Quha is the wyte[1107], quha can schew us?Quha bot our nobillis, that sould know us,And till honorabill deidis draw us!Let never comouneweill decay,Or els sum mischief will befaw us,And nobillnes we put away.

Quha is the wyte[1107], quha can schew us?

Quha bot our nobillis, that sould know us,

And till honorabill deidis draw us!

Let never comouneweill decay,

Or els sum mischief will befaw us,

And nobillnes we put away.

Put our awin lawis to executioune;Upon transgressouris mak punitioune;To cruell folk seik na remissioune;For peace and justice let us pray,In dreid sum strange new institutiouneCum, and our custome put away.

Put our awin lawis to executioune;

Upon transgressouris mak punitioune;

To cruell folk seik na remissioune;

For peace and justice let us pray,

In dreid sum strange new institutioune

Cum, and our custome put away.

Amend your lyfis, ane and all,And be war of ane suddan fall,And pray to God, that maid us all,To send us joy that lesteis ay;And let us nocht to sin be thrall,Bot put all vyce and wrang away.

Amend your lyfis, ane and all,

And be war of ane suddan fall,

And pray to God, that maid us all,

To send us joy that lesteis ay;

And let us nocht to sin be thrall,

Bot put all vyce and wrang away.

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