ROBERT the III King of Scotland, His Answer to a Summonds sent by HENRY the IV Of England, To do Homage for the CROWN of SCOTLAND.
EDINBURGH, Printed in the Year, M.DCC.
ROBERT the III King of Scotland, His Answer to a Summonds sent Him by Henry the IV of England, to do Homage for the Crown of Scotland.
DUreing the Reign of the Royal
Robert,
The second of the good
Stewart;
Henrie of
England the feard King
To
Scotland sent and ask'd this thing;
To spier at
Robert, Why he not made
Him Homage for his Lands braid,
For why he ought of Heretage,
At
London to do him Homage;
And that in Right of
Brutus King,
Who had
England in Governing.
Why then caused he through his Guilt
So meikle sakless Blood be spilt.
VVhen King
Robert wise and wight,
Had heard and seen this writ be sight;
Therfor he grew full matalent
To tell his Barrons, of his intent,
He called a Council to
Stirvling Town
And there came Lords of great renown
And at them all he asked of it
If he should answer be his awne wit,
The Lords were all faine of that thing,
And referred it to their Noble King;
So without Council of onie man,
To Dyte and VVrite the King began.
This was the effect of his VVriteing,
All is sooth and na Liesing.
"I
Robert be God's might
King of the
Scots and
Isles be Right,
From hight of Hills to the Ocean
Sea,
Our Heretage was ever free;
To thee
Hary of Lancaster,
Thy 'Pystle I have considered well.
Duke of that
Ilk thou should be cal'd
It was thy righteous Style of auld,
But nae King I will call thee,
For hurting of Kings Majestie;
For I will take nae heeding
Of they unrighteous Invading;
For what was right (as is well knawn)
Ye all defould within your awn:
But we will do you understand
VVhat we declare fornent
Scotland.
Your inward Tale we have well seen,
Baith first and last what you do mean;
Therefor thou shalt an answer have,
E'en by my self, attour the leave;
The first point is, God wittness bear,
No Blood for me be spilt in VVeir,
But gif it be in my Defence,
Through thy usurping Violence.
And whereas that thou VVritest thus,
Since born were Sons to Old
Brutus,
That our Antecessours should be,
Servants to Yours in ilk Degree;
Thou Lyest, thereof it is well knawn,
VVe was ay free within our awn.
Albeit
John Balioll made a Band,
Contrar the Right of fair
Scotland.
That he was false we will defend
VVith Lives and Fortunes to the end;
For our Heretage was ever Free,
Since
Scota of
Aegypt tuik the Sea,
Whilst ye have ever Conquered been:
For, a Thousand pounds of Gold schein
To
Julius Caesar Payit yee,
Of Tribute, thus ye was not free;
With
Saxons syne ye were orthrawn,
With them twa Chiftans of your awn,
And other folks in Company
All Soldiers Born in
Germany,
Came with sik power in great hast
That made your Lands baith bair and waist;
And slew your Gentles of
Ingland
At
Salysbury as I understand,
In taken is the Hingand Stanes,
That there were set up for the Nanes;
In
Latin is a Memorial,
That
Saxons had orset you all.
Then
Harald, the Son of
Denmark King
The third time raise o're you to Reign,
And in ilk House, as is well knawn,
You were defould within your awn;
They Occupyed your Maids and Wifes,
In Bondage thus you led your lives.
When this was done and all by past,
The fourth Conquest aproached fast;
A Bastard came out of
Normandy,
Conquest
Ingland all hailily;
And yet amongst you Reigns that Blood,
And mikle uther that is nae good:
G
[...]f thou trows not, this true to be
The Register Read and thou shalt see.
Thus four times thirld and overharld
You're the great refuse of all the Warld;
Nor got thou Righteous thy felf to Reigne,
Thy awn realm kennes well this thing;
At
London thou Swair in Parliament,
Ingland ten Year thou should absent;
Then wast thou manifestly mansworn,
Or ever three Years was out worn
Thou raise Treasonably for to Reigne,
And slew
Richard thy Native King.
Forsooth the Proverb tells of this,
Whilk often times true founden is:
Flyte with thy Nighbour, and he will tell
All the mischeifs that thee befell.
But
Scotland yet I dare well say
Was ever free unto this day,
Nor never stranger weer'd our Crown
Except of late a mansworn lowne,
That was
Langshanks call'd
Edward,
Tuik on him to declare the pairt
Between the
Bruce and
John Balion;
Then through your false illusion,
Where that
John Baliol had no right,
And so took Treasonaly to hauld by slight;
Castles and Strengths of our Country
Your
Edward tuik most Cheatingly,
While
William Wallace wight and wise
Right worthily rescued us thrice;
Then Valiant
Bruce right racklesly
First tint, syne wan us worthyly;
With him was
Graham, and the
Dowglas
That proved full well in many a place,
And
Thomas Randolf wise and wight,
There was not then a worthier Knight,
Then thir expelled your false Barnage,
And fredd our Realm of all Thirlage.
If you trow us not of this,
Sixty Thousand you well did miss
At
Bannokburn discomfist was,
And Your false King away did pass
Throw an inborn Traytour as was well ken'd
In
England free he did him send,
Or else we then had tane your King
Who had
Ingland in governing.
When ane Year comen was and gane,
Then
Edward of
Carnarven
Discomfist he was at
Byland
By Messengers I understand,
Sir
Walter Stewart then in hy
He Chased him all openly
Twixt
Scarborough Castle he him chass'd,
Syne to his Host returned in hast;
But then the Clergy of
Ingland
Renewed again with stalwart Hand,
At
Newtoun as it was well knawn
VVhere hastily they were orthrawn
By the good
Dowglass, sooth to say,
And
Thomas Randolf Earle of
Murray,
There Thirty thousand were dung to Dead
Withouten succor or remeid;
Syne after that,
Robert the
Bruce
Took hail state, and could reduce
Northumberland all to him sell,
As many Cronicles can tell.
Then ye were fain from Weirs to cease,
And sought by Mariage for a Peace,
Begging our Prince the
Bruce Davie
On Your Dame
Jean to play a Pavy.
Ye made this evident, and drew a Band
Under the great Seal of
Ingland,
VVhilk we have plainly for to shaw,
The verity if ye will knaw.
All this is true, I'le testifie
And provei
[...] on Sixty against Sixty,
Or Fortie for Fortie, gi
[...] You like,
Or Twentie to Twentie of ilk Kinrick,
Or Nine, Aught, Seven, Four, Three, or Two
Born of Antient Blood also,
Or Hand to Hand if You think meet,
And so Sir Duke I do you Greet.
FINIS.