The thrie tailes of the thrie priests of Peblis Contayning manie notabill examples and sentences, and (that the paper should not be voide) supply it with sundrie merie tailes, verie pleasant to the reider, and mair exactlie corrected than the former impression.

The second taill tald be M. Archebald.

A King thair was sumtyme and eik a Queene, As monie in the Land befoir had bene: The king was fair in persoun fresh and fors, Ane feirie man on fute or ʒit on hors. And neuertheles feil falts him befell,

Hee luifit ouer weil ʒong counsel: Zong men he luifit to be him neist, Zong men to him thay war baith Clark & Preist. Hee luifit nane was old or ful of age, Sa did he na••e of sad counsel nor sage. To sport and play quhyle vp & quhylum doun, To al lichtnes ay was he redie boun. Sa ouir the Sey, cummin thair was a Clark, Of greit science, of voyce, word and wark, And bressit him with al his besynes, Thus with this king to mak his recidens. Weil saw he with this kiag micht na man byde, Bot thay that wald al sadnes set on syde. With club and bel and partie cote with eiris, He feinʒeit him ane fule fond in his feiris. French, Dutche and Italie ʒit als, Weil could he speik and Latine feinʒe fals. Vnto the kirk he came befoir the king, With club and cote and monie bel to ring. Dieu gard sir king, I did nocht hald in hiddil, I am to ʒow als sibas seif is to ane riddil, Betwi••t vs twa mot be als mekil grace, As frost and snaw fra Zule is vnto Pace. Watt ʒee how the Frenche man sayis syne, Nul bon he sayis monsieur sans pyne. With that he gaue ane loud lauchter on loft, Honour and eis, sir quha may haue for nocht. Cum on thy way sir king, now for Sanct Iame, Thow with me, or I with the gang hame. Now be sant Katherine quod the king and smyld, This fule hes monie wauer and word and wyld, Cum hame with mee thow sal haue drink ynouch. Grand mercy quod the fuill agane and leuch. Now quod the king fra al dulnes and dule, Wee may vs keip, quhil that wee haue this fuil, He feinʒeit him a fuil in deid and word, The wyser man the better can he bourd. Quhil at the last this fuil was callit alway, Fuil of fuiles, and that ilk man wald say.

Thus was this fuil ay stil with the King, Quhil he had weil considderit in al thing. The conditions, vse, maner and the gyse, And coppyie weil the king on his best wyse: Sa fel it on a day this nobil king, Vnto ane Cietie raid for his sporting, This fuil persauit weil the King wald pas, Vnto ane vther Cietie as it was: He tuke his club aud ane bable in his hand, For to preuene the tyme he was gangand. Sa be the way ane woundit man faude he, And with this fuil war runners twa or thrie, Sum of the Court and sum of the kitchene, And saw ane man but Leiche or Medycene. Sa sair woundit micht nouther ga nor steir, At him this fuil can al the caus speir: He answered and said reuer and theif, Thou hes me hurt and brocht me in mischeif. With that his wounds war fillit ful of fleis, As euer in byke thair biggit onie beis: Than ane of them that had pitie can pray••▪ That he mot skar thay felloun fleis away. Than spak the fuil and said lat them be now man▪ For thay ar ful the hunger wil cum than: For thir dois nocht bot sits as thou may se, For thay ar als ful as thay may be. Be thir away it is euil and na gude, The hungrie fleis wil cum and souk his blude: The ofter that thir fleis away be chaist, The new fleis wil mair of his blude waist. And draw his blude and souk him syne sa sair, Thairfoir lat them allane, skar them na wair: The sair man him beheld and ••im he demes, And said he was not sik a fuil as he semes. Sone after that ane lytil came the King, With monie man can gladelie sport and sing. Ane cow of birks into his hand had he, To keip than weil his face fra midge and fle. For than war monie fleand vp and doun,

Throw kynd of ʒeir and hait of that Regioun▪ Sa lukit he ane lytill by the way, He saw the woundit man quhair that he lay: And to him came he rydand and can fraine, Qu••at ailit him to ly and fairly graine The man answered I haue sik sturt, For baith with theif and reuer I am hurt And ʒit suppois I haue all the pyne, The falt is ʒowris sir King and nathing myne. For and with ʒow gude counsal war ay cheif Than wald ʒe stanche weill baith reuer and theif, Haue thow with the that can weil dance and ••••ng Thow taks nocht thocht yi realme weip & wrīg With that the King the bob of birks can waue, The fleis away out of his woundis to haue: And than began the woundit man to grane, Do nocht sa sir allace I am slane. How sayis thow, thow tel me quod the King, Quhy thow sayis sa I ferly of this thing: And sa said al his men that stude about, Thow wald be haill and thay war chasit out The sair can say be him that can vs saue Your fule sir King hes mair wit than ʒe haue. And weil I ken be his phis••omie, He hes mair wit nor al ʒour cumpanie. My tung is sweir my bodie hes na strenth, Frane at ʒour fule he can tel ʒow at lenth: I am but deid and I may speik na mair, Adew sir, for I haue said weil mot ʒe fair. Fra this sair man now cummin is the King, Hauand in mynd greit murmure and mouing: And in his hart greit hauines and thocht, Sa wantonly in vane al thing he wrocht. And how the Cuntrie throw him was misfarne, Throw ʒong counsel and wrocht ay as abarne. And ʒit as he was droupand thus in dule, Of all and al he fer lett of his fule. Quhat kynde of man this fuil with him sould be, And quhat this sair man be this fuil micht se.

And quhat it is the caus quhairfoir and quhy, He was wyser than all his cumpany. Quhan cummin was the king to that Citie, Full fast than for his fule frainit he. And quhan the king was set doun to his meit Vnto his fuill gart mak ane semely seit: Ane Rowndell with ane cleine claith had he, Neir quhair the king micht him baith heir and se•• Than quod the king a lytill wie and leuch, Sir fuill ʒe ar lordly set aneuch: Quhan ʒe ar ful quhat call thay ʒow and how, Sa hamely as ʒe ar with me now. Sir to my Name thay call me fule Fictus, Befoir ʒow as ʒe may se me sit thus: And of this Cuntrie certes am I borne, With luck and grace and Fortoun me beforne: Schir fuill tell me gif that ʒe saw this day, Ane woundit manly granand by the way. Ze sir forsuith sik ane man couth I sie, And in his wound was monie felloun flie: Now quod the king sir fuill to me ʒe say. Quhy skarrit ʒe not thay flies all away: Thocht ʒe it was ane deid of charitie, In seik mans wound for to leif ane flie, Sir trow me weill full suith it is I say, Better was stil thay fleis than skarrit away. For gif sa be the fleis away ʒe skar, Than efter them cums hungriar be far. Thairfoir war better let them be but dout, For the full fleis hal••s the hungrie out. The hungry flie that neuer had bene tahir, Scho souks the mans wound sa wonder sair: And quhen the fleis ar ful than byde thay stil, And stops the hungrie beis to cum thairtil. Bot sir allace me think sa do not ʒe, Ze ar sa licht and ful of vanitie, And sa weil ••ufis al new things to persew, That ilk sessioun ʒe get ane seruant new. Quhat wil the ane now say vnto the vther,

Now steir thy hand myne awin deir brother: Win fast be tyme and be nocht lidder, For wit thou weil Hal binks ar ay slidder. Thairfoir now quhither wrang it be or richt, Now gadder fast quhil we haue tyme and micht. Se na man now to the King e••rand speik, Bot gif wee get ane bud or ellis we sal it breik. And quhan thay ar full of sic wrang win, Thay get thair leif and hungryar cums in: Sa sharp ar thay and narrowlie can gadder, Thay pluck the puir as thay war powand Hadder. And taks buds fra men baith neir and far, And ay the last ar than the first far war: Iustice, Crounar sariand and justice clark, Remoues the auld and new men ay thay mark. Thus fla thay all the puir men belly flaucht, And fra the puir taks many felloun fraucht: And steirs them and wait the tyde wil gang, Syne efter that far hungrier cums than. And thusgait ay the puir folk ar at vnder, This World to sink for sin quhat is it wonder? Thairfoir now be this exampil wee may se, That ane new seruant is lyke ane hungrie fle. Than quod the King quhat say ʒe to ou•• fule, Suppois that he had bene ane Clath at scule. To God now quod the King I mak ane ••ow, Ze ar not sik ane fule as ʒe let ʒow: Thus wonderit al the King that sat about, And of this fule had f••rly dreid and dout. Thoche he was fule in Habite in al feiris, Ane wyser sperk thay hard neuer with thair 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Thus ferlyit al thair was baith he and he, Quhat maner of ane thing micht this be. And lyke to ane was nocht into Rome, Zit than his word was ful of al wisdome. For he as fule began guckit and gond, And ay the wyser man ne••rar the end: And thus the ••ing and al his cumpany,

Vpon this fuil had wonder and ferly.

Of the slaying of the man.

SYNE efter this ane Gentelman percace, Had slane ane man al throw his raklesnes: And to the Court he come and tald this thing, Vnto ane man was inward with the King. And said sir lo, I am in the Kings grace, That hes ane man slane in my fault a ••lace. And wil ʒe gar the King to that consent, For it I sal ʒow pay and concent. This Coueteour held on this to the king, And tald him al this tail to the ending. And than the king for his lufe and instance, Bad bring the man that happened that mischance Vnto the king his tail quhen he had tald, Ful sharplie to this man he could behald, Ane semely man of mak sa semit he, To s••ay that man he thocht ane greit pitie: And bad him passe quhair he lykit to ga, And be gude man and efter slay na ma. Sone efter that within half a ʒeir, Ane vther man he slew withouttin weir.

Of the second slayne man.

THAN to the Court he cummin is agane, Vnto this man befoir his gold had tane: And said sir I haue s••aue allace, Ane vther man throw misfortune and cace: And wald ʒe help me befoir as ʒe haue done, Ane sowme of siluer ʒe sould haue ful sone. Another sowme I sall giue to the king, Me hartlie to forgiue into this thing. Help me now for Gods awin deid, Nane vther buit at ʒow bot I get remeid. This Courteour him answered thus agane, This deid to do I am vncertane. Quhen that thow slew bot ane throw racklesnes, Of that thow micht haue gotten forgiuenes, Sa may it nocht quhen thow hes slane thus twa, Notwithstanding I wil for the ga.

The for to help I sal get sik assay, And for the do alsmekil as I may. Vnto the king than come this Courteour, And lukit weil baith to his tyme and hour. He lukit quhan the King was blyth and glad, And nocht quhen he was heauie nor sad▪ Ful lawlie sat h•• doun vpon his kne, Lo sir he said, ane thing of greit pitie: The man that ʒe forgaue syne halfe ane ʒeir, Another man now hes he slane but weir. Ane certane sowme of gold thus sal ʒe get, And ʒe wald all ʒour crabitnes forʒet. He wepes and he sichs now sa sair, That he sik misse will efter do na mair. In all ʒour Realme thair is na wichter man, Greit pitie is it for t•• tyne him than. Ze may him haue and of his gold and geir. He will stand ʒow in steid in tyme of weir, Suppois he hes slane twa better it is that ʒe, Haue twa men slane than thus for to sla thrie. Thairfoir heir I beseik ʒow in this cace, That ʒe wald tak him in ʒour gudelie grace. The King bad than bring him to his presence, And him forgaue all fault and offence. And bad him ga and do sik misse na mair, Thus tuke this man his leif and hame can fair. Syne efterward this man that wee off reid, The thrid man hes he slane ʒic in deid.

Of the thride slayne man.

THAN to the Court agane maid his repair, Sik grace to get agane as he did air: Sa come hee to the Courteour to tell, His fortoun and his cace how it befell. This courteour to speik wald not spair, For ʒow forsuith sir dar I speik na mair. Sa oft and oft ʒe haue done sik mischeif, I dar not speikit to king for greif, Now be my saul and sa not I do weill, Is na remeid als far as I can feill.

Or quhither that ʒe sal liue the Land allace, Or put ʒow ʒit into the Kings grace. This Courteour agane vnto the King, Now cummin is and tald hail this thing: And how the man befoir the twa had slane, The thrid man thus hes he slane agane. With that the King quhen that he hard the taill, In grit greif than wox he wan and pail. And sweith he said bring him now heir to me, Sal neyther gold nor gude let him to die. Get he my pitie than God put me out of mynde, And he wald gif me all the Golden Inde: Syne gait he bring to him the samyn man, Set dotin to Iudge to Heid or to Hang. This man that was sa cumbred of this cace, On kneis fel and askit the Kings grace•• The King plainly all grace can him deny, And tald to him the caus and ressoun quhy. With that vpon ane lytil bony stule, Sat Fictus that was the Kings fule. And said now and ʒe gar not Heid or Hang, This man for them that he slew it war wrang. The first man weil I grant he slew, The vther twa in faith them slew ʒow. Had tho•• him puneist quhan he slew the first, The vther twa had bene leuand I wist. Thairfoir allace this tail sir is ouer trew, For in gude faith the last twa men ʒe slew.

Blessit ar thay that keips Iudgement and Iustice, &c.

THE Psalmes sayis Dauid wa•• and wyse, Blist mot thay be that keips Law and Iustice. Thairfoir I wald that ʒe sould not presume, Na to haue count vpon the day of Dome. For mans body thair to giue ane ʒeild, Quhome to ʒe sould be sickar Speir and sheild▪ Of all the Realme quhom off ʒe beir the Cronn, Of lawit and leirit, riche pure, vp and doun. The quhilk and thay be slane with mans hand, Ane count thairof ʒe sall gif I warrand.

Lesse than it be throw sum grit negligence, Quhairin his mercy or in his defence: And on the day of Dome be Sance Paull, The Bishops mon ay answer for the Saull. Gif it be lost for fault of Preist or preiching, Of the richt treuth it haif na chesing. In sa far as the Saull is for thy, Far worthier is than the blait body: Many Bishops in ilk Realme wee se, And bot ane King into ane Realme to be. Thus hes the Saull mair wark and cure, Than the body that is of na valure. Be this was said the King sayis wa is mee, For I am fule of fules weill I see, I se weill I haue lytil part of scule, That thus sould be informit with ane fule. I se weil be this taill this fule can tel, That I had greitly neid of wyse counsell. To send for all my Lords I consent, I desyre this to be in Parliament. And it be trew my fule hes said me heir, I sal weil rewaird him withouttin weir: And be it fals and ful of fantasy, Ane fule he is and fule him hald sal I. And throw this fule this man-slayer did get, Vnto the Parliament perfyte respet: And efter quhan thir Lords al can cum, Vnto this Parliament baith al and sum: Be al the thrie Estaits it was found, Considderand al the mater crop and ground, This Fictus that was callit the fule, Was wyse in word th••cht he was Clark inscule, The King bad al the thrie Estaits that thay, Sould sit doun al and sie a ganand way: Quhat man in hous war meit with him to dwell, Of wisdome for to gif him counsel: And for to mak be his Estaits thrie, Into this Realme concordant vnitie. And quhen that al this deid was dewlie done,

The King sweit be his Sceptour and his Croun▪ That he sould neuer gif mercie to nane, That slauchter in his Realme committit than. Aganis his will bot throw his negligence, Or ellis that it be fund in his defence. And lik ane rew••l maid he into his Land, That luck and grace in it was ay growand. And than this nobill King all lichtnes left, All bot ane thing that was not fra him reft: The quhilk for ill toungs lang had bene, Ane stit strangnes betwixt him and his Queene. He beddit nocht richt oft nor lay hir by, Bot throw lichtnes did lig in Lamenry. SA happenit throw cace into the Toun, Vnto ane Burges Iuins he maid him boun, Ane lytill wie befoir the feist of Zule, In cumpanie bot fyue sum and his fule, This Burges had ane dochter to him deir, Ane bonie wenche sho was withouttin weir. The King on hir he casts his lustie Eine, And with hit faine wald in ane bed haif bene: Hee wist full weill that nane had hee, That was sa subtill as Fictus was and flee. Hee callit him and priuilie can say, Sik fantesie hes put me in effray: I am sa ful of lust and fantesy, With this Modyn on benk that sits me by▪ For gold, for gude, for wage or ʒit for wed, This nicht I wald haue hir to my bed. Than quod the fuill I vnderstand ʒow weill, I tak on hand to do it euerie deill. Sit still now sir wil ʒe let me allane, Be mee this eirand sall be vndertaue. Sone efter quhan thay war at sport and play, The fule came to this bonie pre••tie may, And said Madyn wist ʒe of the degrie, How plesant it is to God virginitie: Tak exampill S. Margaret and Katrine, And mo••e vther Sa••ts that ar sine:

In Heuins blesse that hes sik joy and grie▪ With Croun on heid for thair Virginitie. I wait for all the gold into this toun, Of Madynheid ʒe wald not tyne the Croun. Bot ay the king wont he had besie bene, Of the mater that was thir twa betwene, And to the Virgine ʒong thus spak the king, Quhat my fule sayis I trow be na lesing: Sir quod sho his saw was suffisand, And as he sayis I sall do God willand. Be that the kings Stewart cummin is, To haue the king to his supper I wis. The king said to his fule in priuetie, Of the eirand Fictus how sal it be. Now hard ʒe not hirself consent thairto, That as I said to ʒow sho hecht to do. Bot ane thing haue I hecht sickerly, That nane sal cum about hir sir bot I: The Virgine is bot ʒong and thinks shame, And is full laith to cum in ane ill name: And quhan the kings supper was at end, Fictus the fule vnto the Queene can wend. And to hir said do my counsel Madame, To ʒow it sall be nouther sin nor shame: A Burges dochter to hir Father deir, This nicht the king thinks to haue but weir: And tald hir all the cace and maner how, Hir for to haue he gart the King weil trow. Bot that be God that with his blude vs bo••ht, With hir to gar him sin was neuer my thocht: The King commands to his cheif Chalmerlane, Quhan euer I cum with hir I be in tane. And in his bed sal priuely in creip. Quhil that the king sal cum thair and sleip. And priuely thus be the day agane, Away with me the Madyn sal be tane. Thairfoir Madame for God be not agast, About ʒour heid ʒour cloke clenlie cast: Quhairfoir sould ʒe dout or be a dred,

Is nane bot ʒe sould bruik the Kings bed: The warst may fall suppose it wittin war, Me thocht he hang ʒow wil he neuer skar. And thus is my counsel Madame ʒe do, In faith quod sho and I consent thairto: All thus and thus befoir as ʒe haue hard, The Queene is brocht vnto the kings bed. The quhilk all nicht in vthers armes lay, Quhat man to tel of al thair sport and play: The king thocht neuer nicht to him sa short, Sa lykit he that nichts play and sport. And on the morne a lytil befoir day, The Fule come in and tuke the Quene away. And thus and thus efter nichts thrie, With his awin Queene grit gaming had & glie And weil he wend that it had bene but weir, That with him lay the Burges dochter deir. Quhome throw he had sik joy and sik plesance, Quhilk maid him ay the Fule for to auance: Sa was the King sa amorat of his Fule, Besyde himself ay sat vpon a stule. Was neuer ʒit mair joy and plesance sene, Than the king hes in bed with his awin Queene: And that was na grit ferly to befal, For sho was fair and gude and ʒong with al. And thus the Fule quhen he persauing had. How that the king sa joyful was and glade: Vnto the king he came in priuitie, And said now sir ane thing that ʒe tel me▪ Quhair foir it is the cace fane wit wald I, Qu••y that ʒe haue in ʒow sik fantasy: To ly with wemen and of law degrie▪ Aganis ʒour Quens wil and Majestie. Considder and weil that sho is fair and gude, With ilkane vther bewtie to conclude. Or quhy at hir ʒe haue al this dispyte, And quhy ʒe find in vthers sik delyte. Or quhat plesance ʒe had thir nichts thrie, With ʒour awin Queene in bed than mair to be.

The King answered and said now sikarly, I can not tel the ressoun caus nor quhy: Ficcus my fule with the na mair to flyte, Bot wantonly ay followes my appetyte. And quhan that my delyte is vpon vther, Thau mony folk wil cum and with me fludder. And sum wil tel il ••ailes of the Queene, The quhilk be hir war neuer hard nor sene. And that I do thay say al weil is done, Thus fals clutterars puts me out of tone. And thus becaus I am licht of feirs, And heirs euil tailes and lichtly lendis my eiris, And thus of hir I haue na appetyte, And of al others ay haue I grit delyte. Sir quod the fule wil ʒe not consent, Thir thrie nichts that ʒe war weil content: Ze that I grant be God that is of micht, Had neuer nane mair plesance on the nicht. God quod the King sen my fortoun had bene, Sen sho I had thir nichts thrie war Queene. Quhat wil ʒe gif me, than speiks the fule, Suppose I be na cunning Clark in scule: Within thrie dayes to mak it well sene, With Gods Law for to mak hir ʒour Queene. And thairto do sal na man say agane, And do I not my heid sal be the pane. Than quod the king thairto I hald my hand, Thow sal haue gude gold, Lordships and Land. Or cast fra the thy cote and be tho•••• wyse, Ane Bishoprik sal be thy benefyse. Than quod the fule without feinʒeing or fabil, Hald vp ʒour hand to hald this firme and stabil: The King thairto swore oft and oft, And thair he hes his hand haldin on loft: And now quod the fule it fallis to na King, To brek his vow or ʒit his oblissing: And it that I haue hecht thus sone sal be, Scho is ʒour Queene ʒe had thir nichts thrie: That quod the king be him that deid on Rude,

Sir fule I trow ʒe may not mak that gude. Sir I pray ʒow be not euill payit nor wraith. Efter sa strait ane oblessing and aith▪ And gir that she plesit ʒow thir nichts thrie, Fra hyneforth now quhairfoir may not sa be. Richt now ʒe wald haue had hir to ʒour wyfe, And thair in now with me ʒe mak ane stryfe. Quhat quod the king be him that was borne in Zule Thou art ane auld scoller at the scule. I farly quhair sik Soph••e thou hes fund, That with my awin band thou hes me bund. Notwithstanding I am hartly content, To my awin Queene I wil hartly consent: And mair attour I sweir the be the Heuin, I sal hir neuer displeis for od nor euin. With thy that she may preif that it was sho, Thir nichts thrie with quhom I had ado: And with that word forouttin mair carping, Vnto the Queenes Chalmer come the King. And simply to hir presence can persew, And tempit hir with takens gude and trewe And sickarly he fand that it was sho, With quhome thay nichts thrie he had ado. Than joyful was he in his harts splene, Of the plesance he had with his awin Queene: Than on his kneis he askit forgiuenes, For his licht laytes and his wantones. And sho forgaue him meiklie this ful ••yte, That he had done throw lichtnes of dely••e: For weil sho saw that al was fantesy. That he vsit and richt grit foly. And thus the King and Queene into this cace, Thankit thair God for thair weilfair and grace, And syne this fule thay thankit of al, That caused sik concord amang them ••al. And off his coate thay ••irli•• be the croun, And on him kest ane syde clarkly goun: And quhen this syde goun on him micht be, Ane cunning Clark and wyse than semit he.

Syne efter sone ane Bishop thair was deid, Ful sone was he maid Bishop in his steid: And to the King and Quene he was full leif, And of thair inwart counsell ay maist cheif. And God sen si•• e••amples ay wer sene, To ilk ane King that luifit nocht his Quene. God gif vs grace and space an eird to spend, Thus of my tailnow cummin is the end. And than spak all the fallowship thus syne, God quyte ʒow sir ʒour tail and saut Martyne. Sir Williame than sayis now fallis me▪ To tel ane tail thocht I be of ʒow thrie: The febillest and leist of literature, Zit than with all my deligence and cure: To tell ane tail now sik ane as I haue, Of me, me think ʒe sould na vther craue.