Discretion in Taking [In taking sowld discretioun be]

Eftir geving I speik of taking,

Bot littill of ony gud forsaiking.

Sum takkis our littill awtoritie,

And sum our mekle, and that is glaiking.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

The clerkis takis beneficis with brawlis,

Sum of Sanct Petir and sum of Sanct Pawlis.

Tak he the rentis, no cair hes he,

Suppois the divill tak all thair sawlis.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

Barronis takis fra the tennentis peure

All fruct that growis on the feure,

In mailis and gersomes rasit ouirhie,

And garris thame beg fra dur to dure.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

Sum takis uthir mens takkis

And on the peure oppressioun makkis,

And nevir remembris that he mon die

Quhill that the gallowis gar him rax.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

Sum takis be sie and sum be land,

And nevir fra taking can hald thair hand

Quhill he be tit up to ane tre;

And syne thay gar him undirstand

In taking sowld discretioun be.

Sum wald tak all his nychbouris geir.

Had he of man als littill feir

As he hes dreid that God him see,

To tak than sowld he nevir forbeir.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

Sum wald tak all this warldis breid,

And yit not satisfeit of thair neid,

Throw hairt unsatiable and gredie.

Sum wald tak littill and can not speid.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

Grit men for taking and oppressioun

Ar sett full famous at the Sessioun,

And peur takaris ar hangit hie,

Schamit forevir and thair successioun.

In taking sowld discretioun be.

William Dunbar

WiUiam Dunbar was born, probably in East Lothian, between 1450 and 1460. He entered the University of St. Andrews in 1475, and took his full degree in 1479. In eariy life, according to his own account, he went about from Berwick to Dover, and passed over to Calais and Picardy, preaching and alms-gathering as a Franciscan noviciate ; but he became dissatisficd with this life and does not seem to have taken the vows of the order. It has been inferred from allusions in his verse that he was for some years empioyed in connection with foreign embassies. Toward tiie close of the century we find him in attendance on the Scotch Court, a poet with an established reputation, and a continual suitor for piace. In 1500 he received from the king (James IV) a pension of ^io , raised by degrees, during the next ten years to ;^8o ? then a respectable annuity; but he never obtained the Church promotion, to which on somewhat irrelevant grounds he constantly laid claim.

More poems from same author

A Dream Discretion in Taking [In taking sowld discretioun be] In a Secret Place [Ye brek my hart, my bony ane] Of James Dog [Madame, ye heff a dangerous dog] Rule of Oneself [He rewllis weill that weill himself can gyd]

Discretion in Taking [In taking sowld discretioun be]

More poems from same author

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