[The lamentation of King James the fourth, King of Scots, slayne at Brampton, in the fiuthe yeare of King Henry the eight, Anno Christi, 1513.
Reading edition
1. As I lay musing, my selfe alone, In minde not stable, but wauering here and there, Morpheus my frend espyed mee anone, And as hee was wont, whistered in mine eare: Shortly conuyede I was, I wist not where: Mine eyes were closed fast, I could not see: I hearde a man crying[1884] sore, trembling for feare: “Miserere mei Deus et salua mee. 2. Miserere mei Deus:” oft hee did reporte, With sorowfull sighes as euer man herde: For sorowe and pity, I gan[1885] nere to resorte: His sore exclamations made mee afferde:[1886] Mine eyes opened, I sawe his grim bearde:[1887] I knewe not verely, who it should bee: Hee cryde, as hee had beene stickt with a swerde: “Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 3. Of Scotland (hee sayde) late I was king, With crowne on my[1888] head, and scepter in hand: In wealth and honour, I wanted[1889] nothing: In peaceable maner I ruled my land: Full frendly and faythfull my subiects I fand:[1890] Now am I exiled from life,[1891] land, and liberty: King without realme, loe, now where I stand: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 4. Thus for my folly, I feele I doe smart, Both law and nature doth me accuse Of great vnkindnes: that I should take part Against my brother, and his liege refuse: I purposed war, yet I fayned truce: Thus did I, Frenche king, for the loue of thee, Inordinate affection so did mee abuse: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 5. All this, king Lewis, I suffred for thy sake, Wo be to the time that euer I thee knewe: For thee am I put in a[1892] sorowfull brake, Thy wilfull appetite, doth me sore rewe: This worlde is not stable, it chaungeth a newe:[1893] Now am I bond, some time I was free: Exiled from liberty, I am kept in a mewe: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 6. Moreouer for thee, and thy realme of Fraunce, (Contrary to mine[1894] othe solemnly made) Unto king Henry I made defiaunce, To follow thine appetite was all the grace I hade:[1895] In most cruell wise, I did his realme inuade: I troubled his subiects, by land and by sea: My rewarde is no more, but the showle and spade:[1896] Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 7. For my wilfull periury, thus am I brought From high degree, to the lowest of all: Whom should I blame? I found that I sought, By mine owne foly,[1897] I had a great fall: Wherefore I feare mee, that now I shall Haue payne long lasting, for mine iniquity:[1898] Lord full of mercy yet to thee I call, Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 8. Vanquished in fielde I was to the rebuke Of mee and all my realme: to our immortall shame:[1899] There faught agaynst mee neyther king, nor duke, Prince, ne marquise, ne many lords of name: One valiaunt earle, our power ouercame: Yet were wee in nomber, to his one, three: Lord whom thou fauourest, winneth[1900] the game: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 9. I was th’only[1901] author, of myne owne woe; But yet I began it by[1902] wicked counsell, Of my lords spirituall and temporall also: Which for their merits in fielde with mee fell: I was curst (in deede) the truth for to tell, And could not (by falshoode) eyther thriue or thie: To assist my brother’s foe I did not well,[1903] Miserere mei Deus et salua mee. 10. Christe’s commaundements,[1904] I did all refuse: The breatch of myne oathe,[1905] I did not regarde: Therfore I am domed[1906] as faythlesse as the Jewes: Sore is the sentence, and cruell is the swerde:[1907] Excepte thy mercy helpe, O Lord, I am marde: Saue mee; for whom thou suffredst on a tree, To thy mercye I appeale for my sauegarde: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 11. Herafter (by mee) my successours may beware, An ensample[1908] take by my wretched ruyne: Lest in lykewyse they bee taken with[1909] the snare, As I am nowe: and pay the[1910] lyke fyne: Vanquished wee were, by[1911] power devyne: For by manne’s power it seemed not to bee: Here now I ly, in an homely shrine, Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 12. I am a spectacle also in lyke case, To the Frenche king, yf hee list to take heede, I feare that hee cannot for lacke of grace, The king[1912] and hee, bee not yet agreede: Therefore let him looke, for a lyke speede, As wee had that were of his leage and vnity, I trow hee doth neither God[1913] loue, nor dreede, Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 13. Who euer knew christian king in such a case,[1914] As[1915] I wretched creature that cannot haue In churche or in[1916] churchyard any maner place, Emong christen people to lye in a graue: The earth mee abhorreth,[1917] all men mee depraue, My frends forsake mee, and haue[1918] no pity, The worlde taketh from mee all that hee mee gaue: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 14. There is no more now, I must take my leaue, In this wretched worlde I may no longer dwell: But one thing there is doth mee sore greaue, I not where to rest, in heauen or in hell, None else thereof but only God can tell: Adieu, this worlde is full of vanity, I may no longer be with thee, farewell: Miserere mei Deus & salua mee. 15. Farewell my queene, sweete lady Margaret: Farewell my prince, with whom I vsde to play: I wot not where wee shall together meete: Farewell my lords and commons eke for aye: Adieu, ye shall no ransom for mee pay: Yet I beseeche you of your charity, To the high Lorde mercifull that yee pray:[1919] Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.”]
[“King Iames,” quoth one, “wil bee misliked for his Miserere.” “No,” quod another, “hee cryes Peccaui.” “It is to late,” quoth he, “there is no man that will like or beleeue him.” “Than,” quod M. H. “he is still one and the same man: for in life he was neither well liked, beleeued, nor trusted.” “Why than,” quoth one, “if hee speake as hee was, let him passe as hee is, and if not, let him bee mended.” “Mended,” quoth hee, “nay, hee is paste mending, hee is to olde: for it seemes by the copy, that it was pende aboue fifty yeares agone, or euen shortly after the death of the sayd king: for I found therewith, in an olde hand, the copyes of the sayd king Iames’ letters sent unto king Henry at Turwin, and the king’s aunsweres and letters sent to him againe, with this lamentation ensuing them: and lastly the sayd batayle of Floddon fielde, in such verse described, with the order of the same, and the names of the noble men, knights, and gentlemen, which serued at the same fielde.” “That would I faine heare,” quoth one, “it were pity that such particulers should bee lost.” “They would,” quoth another, “pleasure not only such as write our historyes, but also encourage our countreymen well, to the like loyall seruice of their prince, and especially those who should finde therein of their parents or auncestours to haue bene praysed for valure.” “I pray you,” quoth hee, “let us haue them.” “There they are,” quoth I, “but I haue altered the verse, which wee call Intercalaris, because the rest else would not haue beene well liked; but of the history I haue not chaunged one word.”]