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TO THE
EXCELLENT, ANDE ILLVSTIR
Marie quene of Scotlande, the margareit ande perle of princessis. THE immortal gloir, that procedis be the rycht lyne of vertu, fra zour
magnanime auansing of the public veil, of the affligit realme of scotlande,
is abundantly dilatit athort al cuntreis, throucht the quhilk, the precius
germe of zour nobilite bringis nocht furtht alanerly, branchis ande tendir
leyuis of vertu; bot as veil it bringis furtht, salutiffere & hoilsum
frute of honour quhilk is ane immortal ande supernatural medicyne, to cure
& to gar conuallesse, al the langorius desolat & affligit pepil, quhilkis
ar al mast disparit of mennis supple, ande reddy to be venquest & to be
cum randrit, in the subiection ande captiuite, of our mortal ald enemeis,
be rason that ther cruel inuasions aperis to be onremedabil. The special
cause of our afflictione, <f2v> hes procedit, of thre vehement plagis,
quhilk hes almaist succumbit oure cuntre in final euertione that is to
saye, the cruele inuasions of oure ald enemeis, the vniuersal pestilens
ande mortalite, that hes occurit mercyles amang the pepil: ande the
contentione of diuerse of the thre estaitis of scotland, throucht the
quhilk thre plagis, the vniuersal pepil ar be cum distitute of iustice
policie ande of al verteus bysynes of body ande saul. Ande nou illustir
princes engendrit of magnanime genoligie, & discendit of Royal
progenituris, zour regement ande gouernyng, ande alse zour honorabil
amplitude of verteouse dignite incressis daly, in the contenual auansing
of the deffens of oure cuntre quhar for zour heroyque vertu, is of mair
admiratione, nor vas of valeria the dochtir of the prudent consul
publicola or of cloelia, lucresia, penolope, cornelia, semiramis, thomaris,
penthasillie, or of ony vthir verteouse lady that plutarque or bocchas hes
discriuit, to be in perpetual memore. for al thair nobil actis ar nocht to
be comparit to the actis that zour prudens garris daly be exsecut, contrar
the cruel volfis of ingland. The quhilkz volffis ar nocht the rauand
<f3r> sauuage volffis of strait montanis ande vyild fforestis that deuoris
nolt ande scheip for ther pray: bot rather tha ar dissaitful volfis
quhilkis hes euir been oure ald enemeis. Ande nou sen the deceis of oure
nobil illustir prince kying iames the fyift, zour vmquhile faythtful lord
and hisband, tha said rauisant volfis of ingland, hes intendit ane oniust
veyr be ane sinister inuentit false titil contrar our realme in hope to
deuoir, the vniuersal floc of oure scottis natione ,ande to extinct oure
generatione furtht of rememorance. Bot nochtheles gode of his diuyne
bounte, heffand compassione of his pure affligit pepil, ande alse beand
mouit contrar the rauisant volfis of ingland he of his grace hes inspirit
zou, to be ane instrament to delyuir vs, fra the captiuite of the cruel
philaris the protector of ingland: as he inspirit queen esther to delyuir
the captiue ieuis, quhen thai & mordocheus var sinisterly accusit, and
alse persecutit, be amman, befor assuerus kyng of inde. and as the holy
vedou iudich vas inspirit, to delyuir the ieuis fra the crualte of that
infideil pagan oliphernes. Ther is na prudent man that vil iuge <f3v> that
this pistil procedis of assentatione or adulatione, considerant that ve
maye see perfytlye, quhou that zour grace, takkis pane to duelle in ane
straynge cuntre distitute of iustice. Ande als zour grace beand absent,
fra zour only zong dochter, our nobil princes and rychteous heretour of
scotland: quha is presentlye veil tretit in the gouernance of hyr fadir of
lau, the maist illustir potent prince of the maist fertil & pacebil realme,
vndir the machine of the supreme olimp, quhar that zour grace mycht remane
& duel amang the nobil princis & princessis of France, quhilkis ar zour
natiue frendis of consanguinite ande affinite, ande ther ze mycht posses
abundance of al pleiseirs most conuenient for zour nobilite bot zit the
feruent loue that zour grace baris, touart that tendir pupil zour only
dochtir ande for the delyuering of hyr heretage furtht of captiuite ze
daly of zour gudnes induris as grit pane, as the queen ysicrata indurit
vitht hyr lorde metredates zour grace deseruis nocht to be callit ane
nobil alanerly, trocht zour verteous verkis bot as veil ze suld be callit
ane nobil of genolligie, be rason that ze ar discendit of the maist
vailzeant princis that ar vndir the cape <f4r> of hauyn. ther can nocht be
ane mair ample probatione, nor is the famous atentic croniklis of diuers
realmes, ande alse the verteouse verkis dune be zour antecessours in oure
dais ar euident til vs in this present seicle. In the fyrst zour grace is
discendit of them, quhilkis be ther vertu ande be ther victoreus actis hes
kepit ande deffendit the liberte of ther subiectis in sure pace ande
tranquilite, ande hes repulsit vailzeantly al externe violens. zour foir
grandscheir godefroid of billon kyng of iherusalem, hes nocht alanerly
kepit ande deffendit, his pepil ande subiectis of loran, fra his prochane
enemeis that lyis contigue about his cuntre: bot as veil be his magnanyme
proues ande martial exsecutione, he delyurit the holy land of iudia furtht
of the handis & possessione of the infideil pagans: quhar for the
vniuersal historiagrephours hes baptist hym to be ane of the principal of
al the nyne noblis. for quha vald considir, the longinquite of his martial
voyaige, ande the grite forse of the oriental pepil, ande the multitude of
infidelis ande pagan princis, quhilkis impeschit hym in that barbir
straynge cuntre be diuerse cruel battellis: this veil considrit, thai sal
fynd that his magnanyme heroique <f4v> ande martial entreprise, vas
conuoyit & succurrit be ane diuyne miracle, rather nor be the ingyne of
men. it vil be ouer prolixt to rehers all the vailzeant actis of baudouyne
his broder ande successour to the realme of ierusalem ande na les prolixt
to rehers of his successours, quhilkis var zour predecessours, kyngis of
secilie dukis of aniou calabre ande of loran. i suld nocht forzet the
tryumphant victore, exsecut ande conqueist be the vailzeant ande nobil
rene inuictissime kyng of secilie duc of calabre ande loran zour gudscheir,
contrar, that potent prince Charles duc of Burgungze, quhilk vas repute to
be ane of the maist nobil men of veyr in cristianite: zit nochtheles, he
vas venqueist ande slane, be syde the toune of nancy, be the foir said
rene zour gudscheir: quhar for it aperis veil (illustir princes) that ze
ar discendit doune lynyalye of them that hes been propungnatours for the
libertee of ther cuntre ande subiectis. Siklyke the nobilnes of zour
vmquhile fadir broder antonius, duc of calabre loran ande of bar, quha
maye be comparit, to the deuot kyng, Numa pompilius, the sycond kyng of
rome, for his prudens ande dixtirite, be rason that he hes kepit <f5r> his
subiectis in liberte but oppressione, quhou beit his cuntre lay betuix tua
of the maist potent princis that ringis in this varld: that is to say, the
catholic kyng of spanze elect empriour on ane syde, ande the maist potent
cristyn kyng of France on the tothir syde, the quhilkis tua riche kyngis
hes hed diuerse tymes birnand mortal veyr contrar vthirs, zit nochtheles
zour nobil fadir broder duc of calabre ande loran hes kepit his landis in
liberte, fra ther oppressione, the quhilk he did be vailzeantnes ande
prudens. Siklyke that maist sapient prince ande prelat fadir in gode,
ihone of loran, be the permissione diuyne, Cardinal of the apostolic seige,
archebischop of narbon, abbot of cluny, fekkem, ande of sanct ouyne quha
is zour fadir broder, quhilk be his prudens for the public veil off
cristianite, hes been mediatour, betuix diuers forane princis, to treit
pace ande concorde in diuerse cuntreis, as in ytalie germanie flandris
ande spanze, quha hes nocht alanerly vsit hym lyik ane sperutual pastor,
bot as veil he hes vsit hym lyik ane vailzeant captan, for ane verteous
captain can nocht exsecut ane mair vailzeant act as quhen he purchessis
pace ande concord, vytht out diminutione of his rycht, ande <f5v> vitht
out domage slauchtir or hayrschip to be amang the pepil, as this nobil
prelat hes dune diuerse tymes. vytht out dirrogatione of his speritual
dignite. Nou (illustir princes) i vil reherse of zour nobil ande vailzeant
fadir, the duc of guise, lieutenant general to the kyng of France, of all
the cuntre of champayngze ande brie, his actis vald be prolixt to reherse,
quhilkis hes been laitly exsecutit in oure dais. The memor of ane of his
actis is recent quhen he pat ane garnison of tua thousand men, vitht in
the toune of sanct quintyne, rycht vailzeantly contrar the vil of thretty
thousand of his enemeis, quhar he gart mony of his enemeis resaue ther
sepulture be for the said toune, vytht out domage or hurt til his men of
veyr quhar for euerye man maye meruel, of his dexterite, vertu, ande
martial sciens. his magnanyme proues did ane vthir vailzeant act, he beand
bot sex thousand men, he held in subiectione fourty thousand at the seige
of perone, ther durst none of that grit companye, pas bakuart nor forduart,
be rason of the mony assaltis ande escarmuschis that he maid contrar them,
quhar that he sleu mony of them, vytht out domage tyl his men of veyr, be
that <f6r> industreus martial act, he renforsit the toune vitht victualis,
hagbutaris, ande munitions, for the hagbutaris, past neir to the camp of
ther enemeis, ande entrit in the toune but resistance, be cause that zour
nobil fadir held the grit armye of enemeis valkand on ther tothir syde,
throucht the grit assaltis ande escarmuschis that he maid contrar them.
The toune of sauerne baris vytnes of his delegent vailzeantnes, that he
maid contrar the iminent dangeir that vas cummand on the realme of France,
at that tyme quhen ane multitude and infinit nummir of men of veyr, ande
vthirs that lyuit vitht out lau, discendit fra the hicht of germanye, thai
var of diuerse sectis, haldant straynge opinions contrar the scriptour
thai purposit to compel al cristianite tyl adhere to ther peruerst
opinione: zit nochtheles ther disordinat intentione vas haistyly repulsit
ande extinct be the martial sciens of zour nobil & vailzeant fadir. Thir
vailzeant actis of zour predecessours (illustir princes) ande zour grit
prudens, makkis manifest, that zour grace is ane rycht nobil, baytht of
vertu ande of genoligie. al thir thingis befor rehersit, i beand summond
be institutione of ane gude zeil, hes tane ane temerare <f6v> consait, to
present to zour nobil grace, ane tracteit of the fyrst laubir of my pen
bot zit i vas lang stupefact ande timide, for falt of ane peremptoir
conclusione, i nocht heffand ane perfyte determinatione, of quhat purpos
or mater that var maist necessair ande honest to be dilatit: than dredour
ande schame beand repulsit fra my melancolius cogitations, i began to
reuolue the librarye of my vndirstanding, ande i socht all the secreit
corneris of my gazophile, ymaginant vitht in the cabinet of my interior
thochtis, that ther var na mater mair conuenient ande necessair, for this
present dolorus tyme, nor to reherse the cause ande occasione of the
onmersiful afflictione of the desolat realme of scotland. the quhilk
desolatione hes occurrit be the mischance, of fureous mars, that hes
violently ocupeit the domicillis of tranquil pace that sueit goddes of
humaine felicite. the quhilk racteit i hef dediet ande
direckyt to zour nobil grace, in hope that zour grace vil resaue it as
humainly, as it var ane riche present of grit consequens. it vas the
custum of perse, that none of the subiectis durst cum in the presens of
ther kyng, bot gyf tha brocht sum gyft or present, to be delyurit til hym,
efferand <f7r> for ther qualite. the historigraphours, rehersis of ane
pure man of perse, quha be chance reconntrit kyng darius. this pure man
throucht grit pouerte, hed no thyng to present tyll his kyng, efftir the
custum of perse, quhar for he ran til ane reueire that ran neir by, &
brocht the palmis of his handis ful of that fresche vattir to the kyng for
ane present. that nobil kyng, persauand the gude vil ande hartly obediens
of this pure man, he resauit that litil quantite of cleen vattir as
humainly, as it hed been ane riche present of gold, ande he gart
delyuir to the said pure man sex thousand peces of gold. and ane goldin
vattir lauar. fra this exempil cummis ane vlgare adagia, quhilk sais that
quhen ane pure man makkis ane sacrefeis, & throucht his pouerte he vantis
ensens to mak the seremons of his sacrefeis that sacrefeis sal be
acceptabil befor the goddis, be cause that he dois sa mekil, as his
pissance maye distribute. it is vrytin in Sanct marc, quhou oure saluiour
estemeit ande commendit, the oblatione of tua half penneis, that vas
offrit in the tempil be ane pure vedou that hed na mair moneye, nor he
estemeit the grite offrandis that vas offrit be riche opulent men. Nou for
conclusione <f 7v> (illustir princes) my esperance is sa grite, that i
beleif that zour grace vil resaue this tracteit as humainly, as kyng
darius resauit the clene vattir fra the pure man of perse. this tracteit
is na bettir nor as mekil vattir, bot zit my gude vil & hartly intentione
ande my detful obediens, excedis the hartly intentione of the pure man
that offrit the fayr vattir to kyng darius, prayand to god to preserue
zour grace in perpetual felicite. |
