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The Complaynt of Scotland
Chapter XIX


Quhou the affligit lady Dame scotia repreuis hir sycond soune callit sperutualite.

Chap. XIX.

O (my sycond soune) sperutualite thou hes herd the familiar repreif that i haue pronuncit be the vay of correctione, to thy tua brethir nobilis & lauberaris, bot my accusatione contrar them is na purgatione to the. for thou deseruis nocht alanerly ane mair inuectyue reproche for thy demeritis, bot as veil thou deseruis to be puneist realy & to be degradit fra thy holy office. the maist part of the vicis that thy tua brethir hes committit, maye be supportit & excusit be rason of chere ignorance bot thou can nocht allege ignorance for thy excusatione, considerand that god hes gyffin the his lau in thy moutht to be distribut betuix the and thy tua brethir, as is vrityn in the sycond cheptour. of the prophet malachias, quhilk sais, labia enem sacerdotis custodiunt scientiam, & legem requirent ex ore eius quia angelus <f 125r>domini exercituum est. that is to say. the lippis of the preist sal keip the sciens of god, and the pepil sal desire the lau to be schauen to them, furtht of his moutht, be cause he is the messengeir of the lord. O thou my sycond soune, this autorite that god hes gyuyn to the is vondir grit, ther for sen god hes dotit thy faculte in maist honorabil dignite and autorite, abufe the stait of thy tua brethir nocht alanerly in the knaulege of diuyne sciens bot als veil in humanite as in til sciens liberalis & in moral & natural philosophie the quhilk gracis and propreteis ar nocht grantit be god for thy particularite bot rather god hes ordand the, to be ane dispensatour of his gyftis amang the ignorant pepil, ther for i vald thou var solist to distribute the talent that the lord gef til his saruand. And thou can nocht distribut it bettir nor to purches vnite and concord betuix the and thy tua brethir for the prudens and autorite that the lord hes gyffin to the suld suppreme ther ignorante error & obstination Ther for as lang as thou ar neclegent in thy office sa lang sal ther ay be discentione discord & hatrent in the realme, quhilk sal be occasione of thy auen ruuyne. <f 125v> Ther for i exort the til animaduert and to perpend maturly thir vordis in drede that thou repent thy neclegens quhen thou hes na laszar nor oportunite to remede thy abusion.

And fyrst to begyn thou suld set al thy felicite to correct thy self of thy lang abusione, that is to say thou suld gyf gud exempil in thy conuersatione, conformand to thy professione and to thy doctryn, to that effect that the pure pepil may follou thy futsteppis as is vritin in Mathou Luc and Ihone sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, vt videant opera vestra bona. Ther for thai that hes autorite and gyfis euyl exempil, suld be mair realye puneist nor the pepil suld be that contemnis and disobeys ther authorite. it is vritin in the brasyn tablis of the antiant lauis of rome, that there vas mair rigorus punitione exsecutit on ane man of autorite that gef euyl exempil nor vas exsecutit on murdresaris and tratours. Romulus the fyrst kyng of rome, institut ane lau amang the ytaliens that transgressours suld be puneist mercyfully efferand for the qualite of ther crymis, and alse he statut that quhen men of autorite and dignite committit thai samyn crymis, tha var led and conuoyit <f 126r> dishonestly to the plane marcat befor the capitol quhar thay resauit doubil punitione, be cause the euyl exempil of ther maluersatione prouokyt the pepil til adhere to vice & to detest vertu. Hermes the philosophour said, that the error & the euyl exempil of ane man of autorite maye be comparit til ane onexpert master of ane schip, quhilk throucht his misgouerance is occasione that the schip pereseis, and tynis nocht hym self alanerly, bot as veil he tynis al them that ar of his companye. ther for it var verray necessair that men of autorite or ministers of the kyrk, to gyf gude exempil in ther conuersation to that effect that the ingnorant pepil may follou ther futsteppis. The philosophour plutarque rehersis ane exempil of the partan quhilk repreuit ane of hyr zong partans be cause the zong partan vald nocht gang euyn furtht bot rather sche zeid crukit bakuart and on syd. than the zong partan ansuert, quod sche mother, i can nocht gang of my auen natur as thou biddis me bot nochtheles, vald thou gang furtht rycht befor me, than i sal leyrn to follou thy futsteppis. This exempil tendis that the discipil follouis the conuersatione of his preceptor rather nor he <f 126v>follouis his doctrine. allace o my sune sperualite the abusion of thy office is the cause of the discentione that is betuix the and the temporal stait for ze tua ar lyike cattis and doggis berkkand on vthirs ther for ther is nocht ane of zou bettir nor ane vthir, for that cause the gramariaris can fynd na greis of comparaison in zour gudnes, for that terme bettir is of the comparatyue gree and that terme gude, is of the positiue gree, the quhilk positiue gree, is nocht in mony of zou, conformand tyl ane reul of the lau. L. cum furti.ff.de condi.furti. the quhilk reul sais, comparatiuus presupponit posituum. Quhar for i exort the (o my veil belouit sone speritualite) to correct thy maluersatione for quhen the pepil disobeyis thy gude doctryne throucht the euyl exempil of thy maluersatione thou sal be mair doubil puneist nor tha sal be for the disobediens of thy gude doctryne, be rason that god hes gyffin to the baytht knaulage and autorite to gouuerne ther ignorance, doutles thy abusione and the sinister ministratione of thy office is the special cause of the scisma and of diuers sectis that trublis al cristianite, & quhou beit that the rute of thir scismes and sectis be <f 127r> in germane denmark and ingland zit nochtheles the branchis of them ar spred athort al cristin realmis in sic ane sort that tha hef maye fauoraris nor aduersaris for diuerse men desiris ane part of the temporal patrimonye of the kyrk be cause of the abusione and euyl exempil of the kyrk men And this plag and scisma sal neuyr be reformit for na statutis, lauis, punitions, bannessing, byrnyng, hayrschip nor torment that can be deuisit quhil on to the tyme that the speritualite reforme ther auen abusion. ther for gyf the speritualite var as solist to reforme and to correct ther auen maluersatione as tha ar solist to puneise them that detrakkis & murmeris ther obstinat abusione than for certan the gude exempil of there gude conuersatione vald extinct and supedeit mair haistyar al peruerst opinions & scismas nor al the punitione that al cristianite can exsecut. The punitione that the sperutualite remanent in ther abusione, exsecutis on scismatikis, maye be comparit til ane man that castis vlye on ane heyt birnand fyir in hope til extinct it and to droune it furtht, the quhilk vlye makkis the fyir mair bold nor it vas of befor. the experiens of this is manifest for as sune <f 127v> as ther is ane person slane brynt or bannest for the halding of peruerst opinions incontinent ther rysis up thre in his place, ther for sic punitione maye be comparit tyl ane serpent callit hydra quhilk hed seuyn heydis. The poietis rehersis that quhen this said serpent vas assailzet be men to sla hyr and quhen thir men straik ane or tua of hyr heydis fra hyr than sche fleid tyl her cauerne and on the morne vthir tua heydis vald be grouuen on hyr as of befor and of this sort sche did grit domage baytht to man and beyst, quhil on to the tyme that nobil Hercules venqueist hyr than he straik al hyr seuyn heydis fra hyr. fra that tyme furtht sche lyuit neuyr agane, this exempil tendis that the scisma that ringis in this varld sal neuyr be extinct for na punitione that can be exsecutit bot gyf al the heydis of the vniuersal cristianite be strikkyn fra them or ellis bot gyf the ministers reforme & correct ther auen abusione.

Quhar for (o my sone speritualite) i exort the that thou cause al thy membris concur to gyddir to mak reformatione of the sklanderous abusione that ringis amang them ande ther eftir, thou sal treit vnite and concord betuix <f 128r> the uniuersal leigis of scotland be the maist familiar ande cheritabil vaye that thy ingyne can inuent or ymagyn, to that effect that ze my thre sonnis nobilis clergie & lauberaris may pas in ane faythful accord to resist the cruel inuasions of zour dissaitful and incredule ald enemeis. Thou hes mair occasione and mystir to be vigiland in the deffens of the liberte of thy faculte nor hes thy tua brethir, for gyf the kyng of ingland prospir in his oniust veyris and conquessis our realme doutles thy tua brethir vil tyne ther gudis and there heretage bot there lyuis sal be saif sa that tha vil be suorne to be inglis slauis, and renegat scottis. bot he vil nocht grant na grace to thy faculte bot the samyn grace that kyng henry the eycht gaue to the sperutualite of ingland that is to saye in the fyrst, he tuke the patrimone & the temporal landis of the kyrkis of ingland & anext ane part of them to the proprite of his croune & ane vthir part he distribut amang ane certan of grit personagis of his realme, quhilkis adherit til his tirran opinion, & syne he chesit furthr ane certan of the hiest genologie of ingland that hed bene promouit to cathridral digniteis and til vthir sperutal beneficis <f 128v> quhome he gart his flaschar lay ther craggis on ane stok and gart heyde them and syne he gart hyng ther quartars on potentis at diuerse comont passagis on the feildis quhar the maist confluens of pepil passit and repassit, and thridly he compellit pure speritual men baytht regular and religiouse preistis monkis and freris to pas to leyrn mecanyc hand laubyrs sum to be cordinaris, sum to be tailzours, sum to be marynalis and sa to proceid to diuerse vthir craftis and thai that var obstinat and disobedient tyl his cruel statutis he gart bannes ane part of them and presone the bodies of ane vthir part in perpetual capitiuite.

There for (o thou my sycond sone speritualite) thou may beleue surly that the kyng of ingland, vil be na mair gracius, curtas nor merciful to the quhome he reputis for his mortal eneme nor he hes bene to the sperutualite of ingland quha vas his faythfful natyue natural leigis and inhabitaris of his realme, of the quhilk ther vas sum of them that var of his kyn and blude bot he regardit nocht tyl ony greis of consanguinite bot rather he vsit his mercyles crualte contrar them, to that effect that his auaricius affectione that he hed touart <f 129r>the kyrk landis of ingland mycht be saciat. O ze sperutualite of scotland ze hef grit cause to tak exempil be zour nychtbours and nocht be zour selfis conformand to thir tua versis. felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum casus dementis correctio fit sapientis. Al this veil considrit, suld be an animaduertens to gar zou be vigilant and delegent to keip and to deffend the liberte of zour faculte, the quhilk sal neuyr be veil kepit nor deffendit bot gyf ze put zour handis to verk that is to saye that sa mony of zou, that ar defensabil men sal pas in propir person in battel vitht my lord gouuernour and vitht the nobil lordis and barrons of scotland contrar the cruel inuasions of zour ald enemeis of ingland. There for sen it is neid forse to cheis ane of tua euyllis. that is to say othir to fecht in battel for the deffens of zour faculte and liberte. or ellis to be tormentit in captiuite be zour ald enemeis, ze suld cheis the smallest of thir tua euillis, conformand to the vordis of cicero, that he vrit ad quintum fratrem, sayand, in duobis malis fugiendum maius, leuius est elegendum for it is les domage and dishonour to fecht in fayr battel for the deffens of zour liberte <f 129v> nor to be tormentit in ane miserabil captiuite. Quhar for i exort zou that ze change zour sperutual habitis, bayth coulis and syde gounis in steil iakkis and in cotis of mailze to deffend zour bodeis fra the crualte of zour enemeis, and thai that ar agit and nocht abil for the veyr thai heffa nd patrimone and beneficis thai suld furneis pure preistis monkis and freris, vitht al necessair thingis conuenient for the veyris. And than quhen the veyris ar endit thai maye cleitht them agane vitht there spirutual habit conformand to ther professione. And nane of the sperutualite suld be scripulus in this byssynes, considerand that goddis lau the lau of natur positiue lau, ciuil and cannon lau hes condiscendit in ane purpos that al staitis and faculteis vitht out ony acceptione of persons, ar oblist to pas in battel for the deffens of ther public veil, and of ther natiue contre. Than quhy suld preistis or freris allege exemptions sayand, that there professione oblicis them to sing and say to preche and praye, and nocht to fecht in battel allace sic exemptions suld be repellit and adnullit, considerand that the contrarie of ther allegiance is of verite. The bibil is ane real <f 130r>probatione, that kyng dauid that royal prophete vas ane preist, moises vas ane preist, aaron vas ane preist ande al the prophetis of Israel var preistis zit nochtheles thay var ay fyrst in the battel for the deffens of the landis of promissione and nou be cause that there is sum ignorant preistis that ar mair obedient to the canon lau nor thai ar to goddis lau, there for i vil sateisfe there scrupulus consciens vitht sum cheptours of the canon lau. in the fyrst it is vrityn in the xxiij distinctione in the feyrd questione in the cheptour. Si non, as eftir follouis, sicut antiquitus ducibus concessum fuit bellare: sic & modernis, dummodo non bellent desiderio fundenti sanguinem: sed rem publicam ampliando. it is vrityn in the xxiii distincione in the viii questione, as eftir follouis, Saraceni bellantes contra cristianos, iuste a cristianis impugnantur. i reffer the expositione of this text to the vniuersal cristianite to iuge quhiddir that inglismen be sarrasyns or cristin men. Ther is ane cheptour of the canon lau that sais this vordis in the xxiii distinctione in the fyifte question, bella sumpta contra excommunicatos & infideles meritoria sunt i reffer the expositione <f 130v> of this text to be iugit be al cristin princis, quhiddir that inglis men be excommunicat and denuncit goddis rebellis be al lauis for ther infidilite, incrudilite, crualte, tirranrye, sacreleige, & for the vsurpatione of vthir princis dominions vitht out ony occasione or iust titil. There is sum scripulus preistis hefand there consciens subiect to traditions, quha sais that it is nocht leiful to preistis to pas in battel, vitht out the lecens of the pape. i vald thir ignorant preistis vald reid ane cheptour of the canon lau in the xxiii distinctione in the viii questione callit an episcopo liceat ad bellum proficisci sine licentia pape i exort zou my sone speritualite to put al cerimonial scrupulnes furtht of zour hartis & that ze pas in propir person contrar zour ald enemeis & than doutles zour faculte sal nocht be spulzeit fra the liberte that it possessis.


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