"Gude folks, heir at my Archibischop of
Glasgwis letters under his round sele, direct to me or any uther chapellane, makand
mensioun, with greit regrait, how hevy he beris the pietous, lamentabill, and dolorous
complaint that pass our all realme and commis to his eris, be oppin voce and fame, how our
souverane lordis trew liegis, men, wiffis and barnys, bocht and redeimit be the precious
blude of our Salviour Jhesu Crist, and levand in his lawis, are saikleslie part murdrist,
part slayne, brynt, heryit, spulziet and reft, oppinly on day licht and under silens of
the nicht, and thair takis and landis laid waist, and thair self banyst therfra, als wele
kirklandis as utheris, be commoun tratouris, ravaris, theiffis, dulleand in the south part
of this realme, sic as Tevidale, Esdale, Liddisdale, Ewisdale, Nedisdale, and
Annandereaill; quhilis hes bene diverse ways persewit and punist be the temperale swerd
and our Soverane Lordis auctorite, and dredis nocht the samyn. And thairfoir my said Lord Archbischop of Glasgw hes thocht expedient
to strike thame with the terribill swerd of halykirk, quhilk thai may nocht lang endur and
resist; and has chargeit me, or any uther chapellane, to denounce, declair and proclame
thaim oppinly and generalie cursit, at this market-croce, and all utheris public places.
Hairfor throw the auctorite of Almichty God, the Fader of hevin, his Son, our Saviour,
Jhesu Crist, and of the Halygaist; throw the auctorite of the Blissit Virgin Sanct Mary,
Sanct Michael, Sanct Gabriell, and all the angellis; Sanct John the Baptist, and all the
haly patriarkis and prophets; Sanct Peter, Sanct Paull, Sanct Andro, and all haly
appostillis; Sanct Stephin, Sanct Laurence, and all haly mertheris ; Sanct Gile, Sanct
Martyn, and all haly confessouris; Sanct Anne, Sanct Katherin, and all haly virginis and
matronis; and of all the sanctis and haly company of hevin; be the auctorite of our Haly
Fader the Paip and his cardinalis, aned of my said Lord Archibischop of Glasgw, be the
avise and assistance of my lordis, archibischop, bischopis, abbotis, priouris, and utheris
prelatis and minesteris of halykirk.
I denounce, proclamis, and declaris all and sindry the committaris of the said saikles
murthris, slauchteris, brinying, heirchippes, reiffis, thiftis and spulezeis, oppinly apon
day licht and under silence ofnicht, alswele within temporale landis as kirklandis;
togither with thair partakeris, assitaris, supplearis, wittandlie resettaris of thair
personis, the gudes reft and stollen be thaim, art or part thereof, and their counsalouris
and defendouris, of thair evil dedis generalie CURSIT, waryit, aggregeite, and
reaggregeite, with the GREIT CURSING.
I curse their heid and all the haris
of thair heid; I curse thair face, thair ene, thair mouth, thair neise, thair tongue,
thair teeth, thair crag, thair shoulderis, thair breist, thair hert, thair stomok, thair
bak, thair wame, thair armes, thais leggis, thair handis, thair feit, and everilk part of
thair body, frae the top of their heid to the soill of thair feet, befoir and behind,
within and without.
I curse thaim gangand, and I curse them rydland; I
curse thaim standand, and I curse thaim sittand; I curse thaim etand, I curse thaim
drinkand; I curse thaim walkand, I curse thaim sleepand; I curse thaim risand, I curse
thaim lyand; I curse thaim at hame, I curse thaim fra hame; I curse thaim within the
house, I curse thaim without the house; I curse thair wiffis, thair barnis, and thair
servandis participand with thaim in their deides. I way thair cornys, thair catales, thair
woll, thair scheip, thjair horse, thair swyne, thair geise, thair hennes, and all thair
quyk gude. I wary their hallis, thair chalmeris, thair kechingis, thair stanillis, thair
barnys, thair biris, thair bernyardis, thair cailyardis thair plewis, thair harrowis, and
the gudis and housis that is necessair for their sustentatioun and weilfair.
All the malesouns and waresouns that ever gat warldlie creatur sen the begynnyng
of the world to this hour mot licht on thaim. The maledictioun of God, that lichtit apon
Lucifer and all his fallowis, that strak thaim frae the hie hevin to the deip hell, mot
licht apon thaimr. The fire and the swerd that stoppit Adam far the yettis of Paradise,
mot stop thaim frae the gloire of Hevin. quhill thai forbere and mak amendis. The
malesound that lichtit on cursit Cayein, quhen his slew his bruther just Abell saiklessly,
mot licth on thaim for the saikles slauchter that thai commit dailie. The maledictioun
that lichtit apon all the warlde, man and beist, and all that ever tuk life, quhen all was
drownit be the flude of Noye, except Noye and his ark, mot licht apon thame and drouned
thame, man and beist, and mak this realm cummirless of thame for thair wicked synnyes. The
thunnour and fireflauchtis that set doun as rane apon the cities of Zodoma and Gomora,
with all the landis about, and brynt thame for thair vile sunnys, mot rane apon thame, and
birne thaim for oppin synnis. Tha malesoun and confusion that lichtit on the Gigantis for
thair oppressioun and pride, biggand the tour of Bablloun, mot confound thaim and
all thair werkis, for thair opppin reiffs and oppressioun. All the plagis that fell apon
Pharao and his pepill of Egipt, thair landis, cornse, and cataill, mot fall apon thaim,
thair takkis, rowmys and stedingis, cornys and beistis. The watter of Tweid and utheris
watteris quhair thair ride mot droun thaim, as the Reid Say drownit King Pharoao and his
pepil of Egipt, sersewing Godis pepill of Israell. The erd mot oppin, riffe and cleiff ,
and swelly thaim quyk to hell, as it swellyt cursit Dathan and Abiron, that genestude
Moeses and the command of God. The wyld fyre that byrnt Thore and his fallowis to the
nowmer of twa hundredth and fyty, and utheris 14000 and 7000 at anys, usurpand aganis
Moyses and Aaron, servandis of God, not suddanely birne and consume thaim dailie
genestandand the commandis of God and halykirk. The malediction that lichtit suddanely
upon fair Absalon, rydant contrair his fader, King David, servand of God, throw the wod,
quhen the branchis of ane tre fred him of his horse and hangit him be the hair, mot lie
apon thaain trew Scottis men, and hang thaim siclike tha all the warld may se. The
Maledictioun that lichtit apon Olifernus, lieutenant to Nabogodonooser, makand weair and
heirchippis apon trew cristin men, the maledictioun that lichtit apon Judas, Pylot, Herod
and the Jowis that chucifyit Our Lord, and all the plagis and trublis that lichtit on the
citte of Jherusalme thairfor, and upon Simon Magus for his symony, bludy Nero, cusit
Ditius Makcensisu, Olibruis, Julianus Apostita and the laiff of the cruell tirrannis that
slew and murthirit Crits haly servandis, mot licth apon thame for thair cruel tiranny and
murthirdome of cristin pepill.
And all the vengeance that evir was takin sen the warlde began for oppin synnys, and all
the plagis and pestilence that ever fell on man or beist, mot fall on thaim for thair
oppin reiff, saiklesse slauchter and schedding of innocent blude. I disserver and pairtis
thaim fra the kirk of God, and deliveris thaim quyk to the devill of hell, as the Apostill
Sanct Paull deliverit Corinthion. I interdite the places thay cum in fra divine service,
minitracioun of the sacramentis of halykirk, except the sacrament of baptissing
allenerlie; and forbiddis all kirkmen to schriffe or absolbe thim of theire synnys, quhill
they be firs abolyeit of this cursing.
I forbid all cristin man or woman till have ony company with thaime, etand, drynkand,
spekand, prayand, lyand, gangand, standand, or in any uther deid doand, under the paine of
deidly syn. I discharge all bandis, actis, contractis, athis and obligatiounis made to
them by ony persounis, outher of lawte, kyndenes or manrent, salang as thai susteined this
cursing, sub that na man be bundin to thaim, and that this be bundin till all men. I tak
fra thame and cryis douned all the gude dedis that ever thai did or sall do, quhill thai
rise froae this cursing. I declare thaim partles of of all matynys, messis, evinsangis,
dirigeis or utheris prayeris, on buke or beid; of all pilgrimagis and almouse deids done
or to be done in halykirk or be cristin pepill, enduring this cursing.
And, finally, I condemn thaim perpetualie to the deip pit of hell, the remain with Lucifer
and all his fallowis, and thair bodeis to the gallows of the Burrow Mure, first to be
hangit, syne revin and ruggit with doggis, swyne, and utheris wyld beists, abhominable to
all the warld. And their candillis gangis frae your sicht, ast mot their saulis gang fra
the visage of God, and thair gude faim fra the warld, quhill thai forbeir thair oppin
synnys foirsaidis and ryse frae this terribill cursing, and mak satisfaction and
pennance."
A splendid denunciation by any
standard.
"If ye canna
bite dinna show your teeth."
-Scottish Proverb
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