William Dunbar: Quhy will #e, merchantis of renoun

Pages	Line number	Line
174	1	Quhy will #e, merchantis of renoun,
	2	Lat Edinburgh, #our nobill toun,
	3	For laik of reformatioun
	4	The commone proffeitt tyine and fame?
	5	Think #e not schame
	6	That onie vther regioun
	7	Sall with dishonour hurt #our name?
	8	May nane pas throw #our principall gaittis,
	9	For stink of haddockis and of scattis,
	10	For cryis of carlingis and debaittis,
	11	For feusum flyttingis of defame.
	12	Think #e not schame,
	13	Befoir strangeris of all estaittis,
	14	That sic dishonour hurt #our name?
	15	#our Stinkand Stull, that standis dirk,
	16	Haldis the lycht fra #our parroche kirk.
	17	#our foirstairis makis #our housis mirk,
	18	Lyk na cuntray bot heir at hame.
	19	Think #e not schame,
	20	Sa litill polesie to work,
	21	In hurt and sklander of #our name?
	22	At #our Hie Crice, quhar gold and silk
	23	Sould be, thair is bot crudis and milk,
	24	And at #our Trone bot cokill and wilk,
	25	Pansches, pudingis of Iok and Iame.
	26	Think #e not schame,
	27	Sen as the world sayis that ilk,
	28	In hurt and sclander of #our name?
175	29	#our commone menstrallis hes no tone
	30	Bot ‘Now the day dawis’ and ‘Into Ioun’.
	31	Cunningar men man serve Sanct Cloun,
	32	And neuir to vther craftis clame.
	33	Think #e not schame,
	34	To hald sic mowaris on the moyne,
	35	In hurt and sklander of #our name?
	36	Tail#ouris, soutteris and craftis vyll
	37	The fairest of #our streitis dois fyll,
	38	And merchandis at the Stinkand Styll
	39	Ar hamperit in ane hony came.
	40	Think #e not schame
	41	That #e haue nether witt nor wyll,
	42	To win #ourselff ane bettir name?
	43	#our burgh of beggeris is ane nest,
	44	To schout thai swent#ouris will not rest.
	45	All honest folk they do molest,
	46	Sa piteuslie thai cry and rame.
	47	Think #e not schame,
	48	That for the poore hes nothing drest,
	49	In hurt and sklander of #our name?
	50	#our proffeit daylie dois incres,
	51	#our godlie workis les and les.
	52	Through streittis nane may mak progres,
	53	For cry of cruikit, blind and lame.
	54	Think #e not schame,
	55	That #e sic substance dois posses,
	56	And will not win ane bettir name?
	57	Sen for the court and the Sessioun,
	58	The great repair of this regioun
	59	Is in #our burgh, thairfoir be boun
	60	To mend all faultis that ar to blame,
176	61	And eschew schame.
	62	Gif thai pas to ane vther toun,
	63	#e will decay and #our great name.
	64	Thairfoir strangeris and leigis treit,
	65	Tak not ouer mekill for thair meit,
	66	And gar #our merchandis be discreit.
	67	That na extortiounes be, proclame
	68	All fraud and schame.
	69	Keip ordour and poore nighbouris beit,
	70	That #e may gett ane bettir name.
	71	Singular proffeit so dois #ow blind,
	72	The common proffeit gois behind.
	73	I pray that lord remeid to fynd
	74	That deit into Ierusalem,
	75	And gar #ow schame,
	76	That sumtyme ressoun may #ow bind,
	77	For to... #ow guid name.

