Gavin Douglas: Conscience

Pages	Line number	Line
137	1	Quhen halie kirk first flurist in #outheid,
	2	Prelatis wer chosin of all perfectioun;
	3	Off conscience than the brydill had to leid,
	4	And conscience maid the hale electioun.
	5	Syn eftir that come schrewit correctioun,
	6	And thocht that conscience had our large ane weid,
	7	And of his habite out cuttit thay ane skreid.
	8	And fra conscien the con thay clip away ,
	9	And maid of conscience science and na mair;
	10	Bot #it the kirk stude weill full mony day,
	11	For it wes rewlit be mene of wit and layre.
	12	Syn eftir that sciens began to payr,
	13	And thocht at sciens was our lang ane iaip.
	14	The sci away fast can thay rub and scraip.
	15	And fra sci of science wes adew,
	16	Than left thai nocht bot this sillab ens,
	17	Quhilk in our language  signifies that schrew
	18	Riches and geir, that gart all grace go hens;
	19	For sciens both and faythfull conscience
	20	So corruptit ar with this warldis gude
	21	That falset ioukis in everie clerkis hude.
	22	O hungrie ens, cursit with caris calde!
	23	All kynd of folk constrenis thow to wirk:
	24	For the that theif Iudas his maister sald,
	25	For the Symon infectit halie kirk.
	26	To poysoun Iustis thow dois never irk.
	27	Thow fals ens, go hens, thow monsture peralous!
	28	God send defens with conscience in till ws.

