¶The Kingis Complaint
WIth hauie hart on Snadoun hill,
Ane ȝoung King I hard schoutand schill
With reuthfull rair he did record:
Pray and as I haif writ this bill
Iudge and Reuenge my cause O Lord.
☞He sayis this caufles I not craif,
Hor he is now gone to his graif
My commoun weill that maist decorde,
Na merwell albeit my hart claif
For sorrow of his deith O Lord.
¶Hard is my chance all tyme and houris
And harder to my Gouernouris,
Ȝe hardest (bot wo am I forde)
To him hes felt of deith the schouris,
And only for thy cause O Lord.
☞Quhen I was not ȝit ane ȝeir auld,
Bothwell that bludy Bouchour bauld,
My Father cruelly deuorde,
He him betrayit and his blude sauld,
Iudge and Reuenge my cause O Lord.
¶Than Father slaine, Mother was schēt
My Gudschir flemit Incontinent,
My self to poysoun it was schorde,
Me to betray was summis Intent
Iudge and Reuenge my cause O Lord.
☞Than vp thow rasit to reule my King,
In to my tender ȝeiris ȝing,
My Faithfull freind that maid him forde,
Iames Regent my Uncle ding,
Iudge and Reuenge my cause O Lord.
¶He was my Buckler and my beild,
He was my Targe, my speir and scheild,
My stait maist hie for to restorde:
He futtit euer mair the feild,
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
☞For me he left Kyn, Freind and wyfe,
For me he sufferit daylie stryfe,
For me he was haill Indeuorde,
For me now he hes loist his lyfe,
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
¶For me that Nobill of Renoun,
With ane Tyke Tratour Hammiltoun,
Was schot, and throw the body borde,
For the mantening of my Crowne
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
☞Peloure thow peirst him, gaif ye peace,
Tratoure to him that gaif the grace,
Behind his bak thy Gunne him g
[...]de:
Quhome thow nor nane of thyn
[...] face,
Iudge and Reuenge his cause
[...] Lord.
¶Lord sen my gratious gyde is gone,
And I am left as Byrd allone,
This thing maist eirnistly I Implorde:
That Instantly thow steir vp one
For to Reuenge his cause O Lord.
☞Sen for my
[...] he is slane,
Lord for thy grace g
[...] agane,
That deith my lyfe ne
[...]uorde,
Quhill that fals tressonabill trane
Be with my hand Reuengd O Lord.
☞O Scotland thy
Iostas[?] trew,
That first Idolatrie ouerthrew
He was, and Christs trew Kirk restorde,
Throw him in my Realme grace ay grew,
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
¶He Abrahamis Faith
but[?] feir profest,
He Dauidis mercy manifest
With Salomonis wit he was decorde,
Sampsonis strenth to him
[...]ccrest
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
☞Theif and Reuer he
did[?] dant,
Iustice and vertew he did
plant[?],
Quhair thair was mys he
gart[?] remorde,
My Faithfull seruand and thy Sanct,
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
¶As his Renoun is all
ouerblawin[?],
And now his deith plainly
forthschawin[?],
Sa sall all blyithnes be abhorde
Quhill his Reuenge be
alswa[?] knawin,
Throw thy help and support O Lord.
☞All ȝe my trew Nobilitie,
That fauourit him, and
seruit[?] me,
Lat not his duilfull deith besmorde,
Bot it Reuenge maist
cruellie[?]
For it is the will of the Lord.
¶And quha his deith dois sair regaird,
And it to puneis will not
spaird[?]
I wow to the in quhome he glorde,
Thay sall not mys ane riche rewaird
For to Reuenge his cause O Lord.
☞Now sall appeir in wark and nature,
Quha is the trew man, quha is the trature
Quha fittis the feild, quha
[...]is not forde,
The trew liege be the Rub
[...]ture
In this cause salbe kend O Lord.
¶And think that thay that did this deid,
With lyke effect dois seik my heid,
For to be beatin downe and smorde
All Faithfull hartis quyte thair meid,
And thow Reuenge my cause O Lord.
☞For surely thair will and Intent,
That seikis of me the Gouernment,
Be fraudfull factiounis, I stand forde,
Wald me forfault in Parliament,
Gif thow withstude thame not O Lord.
My Coronatioun thay deny,
And dois maist spytefully defy
All thame that faithfully restorde,
Me to my Crowne and Seignorie
Thy michtie hand requyte thame Lord.
Last Lord now him of me
hes[?] cure,
And in quhais
handis[?] I think me
sure[?],
Thy puissant power I Implorde,
That he with me lang dayis Indure
For to Reuenge his cause O Lord.
With this the Babe he gifis ane rair,
Quhilk maid my hart to sich sa sair,
That farther I culd not recorde,
Bot with him
sall[?] cry euer mair,
Iudge and Reuenge his cause O Lord.
¶FINIS.