ane premonitioun to the barnis of Leith
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ANe Cunning Clerk Experience
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And Maister of Intelligence,
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New landit in Inchekeith:
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This lytill Sedull schortly sends
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To all that the gude caus defends
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That is the barnis of Leith.
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Becaus I hard of ane Convention
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Now to be maid for this dissentioun
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That is into this land,
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That anis thair may be finall pace:
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How sone I understude the cace,
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I maid me to frahand.
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To send this Sedull in a gayth
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That nane of zow kep ony skayth
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For laik of Premonitioun:
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For ofttymes into treating trewis
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Cumis tydingis yat richt mony rewis
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Be Tratorie and Seditioun.
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As for exempillis gif I list
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I have anew wald I insist
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Baith Forane and at hame
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Bot to my purpois to proceid
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Of peace and concord thair is neid
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In pure Scotland be name.
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Quhilk never in sic perrell stude
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Sen that our Lord deit on the Rude
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Foull fall thame hes the wyte:
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For it is onirgane with a flude,
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Of murther and of saikles blude:
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Allace for leif to flyte.
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Scotland this blude hes first begun,
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And lang in bludschedding hes run,
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Ane Patrone of mischeif:
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The rest at it beginnis to leir
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Allace that pietie is to heir
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I pray God send releif.
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For innocents ar murtherit downe
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Without remors in land and towne,
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Quhat leid may leif on lyfe:
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And thay hald gait I trow frahand
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Sic murther sal be in all land
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Of Children man and wyfe.
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That seis als greit as Noyis flude
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Sall drowne ye warld of manis blude
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Quhat mischeif do thay mene:
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Zone cursit battell as I trow
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Quhilk thay at Trent did all avow
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Thay think now to sustene.
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For murtherars dois all confidder
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Thay and ye Papists rynis togidder
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Thay ar ane blyssit pak.
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And thair wer not a God above
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I wald be fleit I tell zow, sone
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That all suld gang to wrak.
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Bot sa lang as our God dois King
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Quhilk sal be ay without ending
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We neid not for to feir.
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Thocht yai suld all rin by yair mynd
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Our God to us sal be sa kynd
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Thay sall us never d[?]ir[?]
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Bot zit sen baith in France and heir
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Thay have one butt as dois appeir
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That is to cut all doun,
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That Justice lufis and haitis vice
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Thairfoir my ladds of Leith be wice
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Ze ken zour warisoun.
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I pray zow all be circumspect
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Zour enemeis dois not neglect
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Occasiounis to ovirsyle zow,
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And gif thay may, thay will not spair
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Outher be foull play or be fair,
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Agane zit to begyle zow.
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Ze have mair neid thame now to feir
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Nor quhen thay come in feir of weir
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Downe to the Gallow Ley:
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For than ze knew thay wer zour fais
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Bot now thay cum in freinds clais
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Quhilk is ane sairer sey.
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I speik not this that ze suld stay
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From zour Conventioun and zour day
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Or ony wayis dissave thame:
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Bot that ze may provyde befoir
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To have ane pyn for every boir,
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And to be richt war with thame.
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Ze knaw thair faith in tymes past
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Thairfoire luke that ze festin fast,
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And tak gude tent about zow:
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For trewly and ze be not wyse
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Ze sall not mys to se ane gyse
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That sall not weill content zow.
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And zit I rid yame leave yair tressoun
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And evin be weill content of ressoun,
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Sen Fortoun with a Reill
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Hes wrocht thame ane unabill charr
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And blawin thame blind or thay wer warr
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With turning of hir Quheill.
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For quhy befoir thay did pretend,
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The Quenis authoritie to defend,
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To gar men trow thay ludehir:
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Howbeit yai wald haif wist hir swon mand
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Intil a bait upon Lochlowmond
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But boddum air or Ruther.
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Thairfoir hir caus thay did procure
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Becaus yai thocht yat scho was sure
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And keipit to thair hand:
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Bot zit sic farleis hes bene sene
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That France wil haif hir brocht hame Quene
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And fred out of Ingland.
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And gif that be I wald thay wist,
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That sum of thame mon flit thair Kist,
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For all this brawling beir:
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Bot sillie saulis thay ar sa daft
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Thay ken nathing I trow, bot craft:
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Thay ar bot zit to leir.
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It wer ane pitie to begyle thame
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I wald blind Jamie wald gang wile thame
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The moyane for till find:
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How that yai micht eschew ye quene
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And that thay micht (the parrel sene)
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Go saill aneuther wynd.
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Zea thocht sum leuch & sum did dance,
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Quhen thir blak tydingis come fra France
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Blind Jamie tauld me ells.
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That quyetly yai news did fyk yame
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And sum of thame dois evin mislyke thame
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Als mekle as zour sells.
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Thairfoir I trow and thay be wyse,
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Thay sall leave of thair Interpryse
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And rather gre with zow:
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Nor with the hous of Guyis to mell
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Quha is als godles as thair sell
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And kens thair gymps I trow.
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forget yat hous yair hand abone yame
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I wed my heid yat yai sal tone yame
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And trym yame for thair triks:
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Ze thay can think on auld done deids
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For brint barne the fyre ay dreids,
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Thay will not thole sic prikis.
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I wald fane warne zow of al dangers
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I counsal zow be war with strangers
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That halds zow baith in hand,
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I dreid ze ly lang be the eiris,
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Or thay think time to end the weiris
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And troubill in this land.
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It wer gude gif ze culd aggre
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Amang zourselfis and let thame be
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Ze may wit quhat I mene:
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for quhen yat strangers reuls zour roist
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It wil be sure on Scotlands coist
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As hes bene hard and sene.
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And wer ze weill aggreit I tell
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Than Scotland micht do for the sell,
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And set als lytill by thame
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As thay do it for all thair power
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thay wald be fane to seik zour favour
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And to zow als apply thame.
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Bot till aggre and ze delay
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Than Scotland will be bot ane pray
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As will be schortly sene:
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Till gredie Gormondis waitand on
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Quhen thay may se occasion
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To rute zow all out clene.
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For sword and derth hes zow opprest
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And also ze have felt the Pest
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Bot zit few dois amend:
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Than desolatioun is the last,
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Of Gods plagues quhen thir ar past,
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Quhilk doutles he will send.
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Zea I foirspeik ceis not thir weiris,
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The tyme sall cum within few zeiris
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That nane of Scottis blude:
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In Scotland dar himself avow,
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Mair nor in Jurie dois the Jow
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For feir of Natiounis rude.
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Than sall zour pure posteritie
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In wandering wyde fra this countrie
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Amang all uther Natiounis,
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Cry out and murne with woful cheir
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That pitie sal be for till heir,
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Thir kynd of exclamatiounis.
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Allace that ever thay wer borne,
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That dwelt in Scotland us beforne
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And loist us sic ane land,
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quhilk our forbears ans thocht ours
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With plesand castells townis & towrs
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And all things at command.
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Sum Lords sum Lairds sum les degre
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Thair commoun welth and policie
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As ony Natioun had,
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And now na Scottisman dar be thair
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Allace quhat hart will not be sair
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To se Scottismen sa sad.
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Than sall thay warie curse & ban
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The murtherars yat yir weiris began
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Quhen Chronickles thay reid,
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Than Edinburgh that Castell strang
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Sall wareit be that stude sa lang
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Sic murther for to feid.
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Thairfor yir plaigs wald yai eschew
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I counsall thame in tyme to rew
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And thair mischeif repent:
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Quhilk gif thay do ze may aggre
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Bot utherwise na pace sal be
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Thocht ye thairto consent.
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For thocht that Saul wil Agag spair
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Zit God will have his will but mair
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Fulfillit or he sace:
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Gif this ze do not understand
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Speir at John Durie or John Brand
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Thay will expone the place.
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thocht murtherars says yat yai thrist blude
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Zit let na nobill men of gude
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Be craft that was brocht on it
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And rewis yat yai haif tane sic part,
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Repenting trewly from thair hart
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Feir, thocht Johne Knox expone it
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Bot gif yat thay grow proud & heich,
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And skar at zow as thay wer skeich,
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And on na wayis will bow thame
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Let yame pas on to thair defensis
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It sal be on thair awin expensis
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Or all be done I vow thame
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Than quhidder ze convene or nocht,
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Keip thir premissis in zour thocht
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Ze that of Leith ar barnis:
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The abstinence drawis neir ane end,
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Thairfoir I pray zow now attend,
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Think on Experience warnis.
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