History of the Scots language

Anglo-Saxon to 1100

Pre-literary Scots to 1375

Early Scots to 1450

Middle Scots to 1700

Modern Scots 1700 onwards

Phonetic developments

Change	Examples
Anglo-Saxon b was lost between m and l or did not develop	emmers (embers), skemmle (shamble), thimmle (thimble), and timmer (timber) from æmerge, scamel, þýmel and timber. Similarly with Romance lammer (amber), chaumer (chamber), nummer (number) and tummle (tumble) but Dizember (December), member and November
Final t in ct is often silent in Romance words but may be pronounced in derivatives.	act, affect, connect, contact, effect, expect, fact, reflect and strict
Similarly with final t in pt	attempt, corrupt, except and tempt. Note crap (crept) and empy (empty) from Anglo-Saxon créopan and æmetig.
Anglo-Saxon nd is often reduced to /n/	and, end, freend (friend(, grund (ground), haund (hand), hunder (hundred), lend and staund (stand), from and, ende, fréond, grund, hand, hundred, lænan, stanan. Similarly with Romance graund (grand) and soond (sound).
Final ld is often reduced to /l/	auld (old), cauld (cold), fauld (fold), field and muild (mould).
Anglo-Saxon k was once universally pronounced before n but is now highly recessive	knaw (know), knowe (knoll), knee, knife and knock. Similarly with g before n, for example gnaw, gnarl, gnap (snap at) and gnegum (tricky nature).
Anglo-Saxon c remained /k/, perhaps due to Norse influence	bick (bitch), birk (birch), breeks (britches), kirk (church), sic (such), steek (stitch), thack (thatch) and yeuk (itch) from bicce, birce, bréc, cirice, swilc, stician, þæc and giccan.
Anglo-Saxon g became /g/	brig (bridge), dreg (dredge), rigg (ridge) and segg (sedge) from bryg, dragan, hrycg and secg.
Anglo-Saxon g became vocalised after o resulting in the diphthong /Vu/	bowe (bow) from boga. Similarly, Norse lowe (flame) from logi.
Anglo-Saxon s became /S/ especially in contact with front vowels	hersh (hoarse), shinners (cinders) and shew (sow) from hás, sinder and sáwan. Similarly with Romance creash (grease), mince, notice, officer and vessel.
Romance sc was retained	sklate (slate), sklenner (slender) and sklice (slice) from esclate, esclendre and esclice. Similarly with Norse sklent (slant).
Anglo-Saxon sc became /sk/	skelf (shelf) and skimmels (shambles) from scylfe and sceamul similarly with Norse scare (share).
Anglo-Saxon f was absorbed into the preceding vowel	caur (calves), del (delve), deil (devil), dou (dove), e'en (even), gie (give), hairst (harvest), lou (love), ower (over), sel (self), siller (silver) and twal (twelve) from cealfian, delfan, déoful, dúfe, æfen, gefan, hærfest, lufu, ofer, self, silfer and twelf. Similarly with (from various sources) hae (have), lea' (leave), pree (taste), shirra (sherrif) and Turra (Turrif).
Word final Anglo-Saxon ð (þ) was lost in a few words	mou (mouth), quo (quoth), unco (uncouth) and wi with from múð, cwæð, uncúþ and wið.
Anglo-Saxon h /x/ remained so in Scots	bricht (bright), fecht (fight), fricht (fright), heich (high), lauch (laugh), licht (light), nicht (night), roch (rough), thocht (thought) and teuch (tough) from beorht, fehtan, fyrhto, héah, hlóh, léoht, niht, rúh, þóht and tóh. But not tho (though), throu (through) and delite (delight).
Anglo-Saxon hw became /xhw/ and subsequently the now widespread /hw/	wha (who) and whit (what) from hwá and hwæt. Note hale (whole), hure (whore) and wulk (whelk).
Various Anglo-Saxon word endings became /I, i, a, A, e/ or /@/ depending on dialect	borrae (borrow), follae (follow), marrae (marrow), meidae (meadow), pillae (pillow), sheddae (shadow), swallae (swallow), weedae (widow) and yallae (yellow) from borgian, folgian, mearh, maedwe, pyle, sceadu, swelgan/swealwe, widwe and geolo. Similarly with Norse windae (window).
Metathesis occurred in many words	girse (grass), truff (turf), wrat (wart) and warstle (wrestle) from Anglo-Saxon græs, turf, wearte and wræstan. Similarly with Romance crub (kerb), modren (modern), pertend (pretend), paitren (pattern), provrib (proverb) and rhubrub (rhubarb).
After a, Anglo-Saxon l became vocalised to /a:/ in Middle Scots subsequently developing to /a/, /A/ or /O/ depending on dialect	aw (all), caw (call), fauch (fallow), faw (fall), gaw (gall), haud (hold), haw (hall), maut (malt), sauch (sallow), saut (salt), smaw (small), staw (stall) and waw (wall) from eal, ceallian, fealh, fallan, gealla, healdan, hall, mealt, salh, sealt, smæl, steall and wall. Similarly with Norse hause (neck) and Romance aum (alum), baw (ball) and scaud (scald).
After o, Anglo-Saxon l became vocalised to /ou/ in Middle Scots and subsequently diphthongised to /Vu/	bowster (bolster), bowt (bolt), cowt (colt), gowd (gold), howe (hollow), knowe (knoll), powe (poll) and towe (toll from bolster, bolt, colt, gold, holh, cnol, polle and toll. Similarly with Romance rowe (roll) and sowder (solder), also Dutch gowf (golf).
After u, Anglo-Saxon l became vocalised to /u/ in Middle Scots	fou (full), pou (pull) and oo (wool) from full, pullian and wull. Similarly Romance coum (culm) and poupit (pulpit).
A w before e resulted in /a, A, O/ depending on dialect	wab (web), wast (west), wadge (wedge), twal (twelve) and dwall (dwell) from web, west, wecg, twelf and dwellan.
Anglo-Saxon a or æ in close position became /a/ occasionally /A/ or /O/.	back, bath, blad (leaf/blade), cat, clap, hack, mak (make), ram, rax (stretch), tak (take), wall (well for water), wash, watter (water) and waps (wasp) from bæc, bæþ, blæd, catt, clappian, haccian, macian, ram, raxan, tacan, wælla, wæscan, wæter, and wæps. Similarly with Norse bag, flag (flagstone) and snag and Dutch pad (path).
Before /n/ and /N/ /a/ developed	can, lang (long), man, pan, sang (song), sank, strang (strong), than (then) and wran (wren) from cann, lang, mæn, panne, sang, sanc strang, þanne and wrænna. Similarly with Norse bann (curse), stang (sting), thrang (busy) and wrang (wrong).
Before /x/ and /n/+consonant Middle Scots /a/ became /A/ or /O/	caunle (candle), draucht (draught), haund (hand), lauch (laugh), saund (sand) and slauchter (slaughter) from candel, draht, hand, hæhhan, sand and slæ. Similarly with Norse baund (band), Dutch fraucht (freight), and Romance chancy, glanders, graund, and stank (a drain).
Before /S, s, sn, st/ and /sp/ /E/ occurred	bress (brass), clesp (clasp), ess (ash), fest (fast), gled (glad), gless (glass), gress (grass) and hesp (hasp) from bræs, claspe, æsce, fæst, glæd, glæs, gæs and hææpse.
Before /r/ + consonant, depending on dialect /e/ or /E/ occurred	airm (arm), airae (arrow), bairn (child), dairn (darn), hairm (harm), hairst (harvest), wairm (warm) and shairp (sharp) from earm, arwe, derne, hearm, hærfest, wearm and scearp. Similarly with aiple (apple), aix (axe), efter (after), peth (path), and wraith (wrath) from æpel, æx, æfter, pæþ and wræþþu. Similarly with Romance caird (card), cairy (carry), gairden (garden), regaird (regard), mairy (marry), mairtyr (martyr) and pairt (part).
Anglo-Saxon a or æ in open position became /a/ in Middle Scots and subsequently /e/	faither (father), gaither (gather), haimer (hammer), day, brain, fair, nail and tail from fæðer, gaderian, hamer, dæg, brægen, fæger, nægel and tægel. Similarly with Norse cake, gate (street), sale and scaith (damage).
Anglo-Saxon ag- and aw- became /a/, /A/ or /O/ depending on dialect	draw, gnaw, and law from dragan, gnagan, haga and lagu, and Norse maw (seagull) and claw from maga and clawa.
Anglo-Saxon á became /e/	aik (oak), ait (oat), braid (broad), gae (go), hale (whole), hame (home), lade (load), mair (more), raip (rope), saip (soap), sair (sore) and nae (no) from ác, áte, brád, gá, hál, hám, lád, mára, ráp, sáp and ná.
Before /n/ Anglo-Saxon á became /e/ in central, southern and Ulster varieties and /i/ in northern varieties	ane (one), ance (once), bane (bone), gane (gone), nane (none) and stane (stone) from án, ánes, bán, gán, nán and stán. Similarly with Norse, for example frae (from), kail (cole) and spae (foretell) from frá, kál and spá. The vowel /e/ occurs in other words of Norse origin, for example fley (frighten), graith (harness), hain (spare) and lair (mud) from fleyja, greiða, hagna and leir.
Anglo-Saxon áw became /a:/ in Middle Scots and subsequently /a:/, /A:/ or /O:/	blaw (blow), craw (crow), maw (mowe), sawe (sow), saul (soul) and snaw (snow) from bláwan, cráwe, máwan, sáwan, sáwol and snáwan. Similarly with Anglo-Saxon ág and Norse lágr which became awn (to own) and law (low).
Anglo-Saxon é became /i/	bee, breest breast, cheese, creep, deed, freend (friend), hear, heich (high), knee, seek (sick), sheep, sleep, teeth and wheen a few from béo, bréost, cése, créap, déd, fréond, héran, héah, cnéo, séoc, scép, slép, téþ and hwéne;. Also grieve (overseer) from grœfa.
Anglo-Saxon ea and éa became /i/ in some dialects and /e/ in others	"beard", breid (bread), deid (dead), deif (deaf), heid (head), "meat" (food), steid (stead) and tread from beard, bréad, déad, déaf, héafod, mete, stede and tredan. Similarly with Romance words like beast, cheat, conceit, creitur (creature), deceit, ease, please, ream (cream), reison and seison.
Anglo-Saxon í and ý /i/ in Early Scots became /ei/ in Middle Scots and subsequently /@i/ and /aI/ or /AI/ when long	wyce (wise), wyte (blame), bide (remain), kye (cows), hive and fire from wís, wíte, bídan, cý, hýf and fýr. Similarly with Norse grice (pig), sile (strain), tyke (curr), lythe (shelter) and tyne (lose), and Romance advice, fine, cry, sybae (onion) but where Romance words entered Scots after this sound shift the original /i/ remained, for example bapteese (baptise), ceety (city), ceevil (civil), eetem (item), leeberal (liberal), leecence (license), meenister (minister), obleege (oblige), peety (pity), poleetical (political), poseetion, releegion (religion) and speerit (spirit).
Anglo-Saxon i and y became /I/ but approach /V/ in some dialects especially after /w/ and /hw/	hill, filthy, will, win, wind, whip, whisper and whisky.
Anglo-Saxon o in close position became /O/ but in some dialects became /o/	box, lock and rock.
In open position o became /o/	coal, foal, hole and thole endure.
Before /m, p, b/ and /f/ Anglo-Saxon o became /a/ or /A/ depending on dialect	craft (croft), crap (crop), drap (drop), laft (loft), pat (pot), saft (soft) and tap (top) from croft, cropp, dropa, loft, pott, softe and top.
Anglo-Saxon ó became /2/ early on and has remained so in peripheral dialects. In Fife and parts of Perthshire the /2/ became /e/. In central varieties /2/ became /I/ when short	bluid (blood), duin (done), muin (moon) and spuin (spoon) from dón, blód, móna, and spón. Similarly with Romance words like bruit (brute), fruit, schuil (school), tuin (tune), uiss (use n.).
In central varieties /2/ became /e:/ when long	buird (board), fuird (ford), fluir (floor) and muir (moor) from bórd, fórd, flór and mór along with dae (do), shae (shoe) and tae (to) from dó, scó and tó. Similarly with Norse words like Fuirsday (Thursday), luif (palm) and ruise (praise), and Romance words like puir (poor), shuir (sure), uise (use v.).
In northern varieties /i/ where after /g/ and /k/ it became /wi/	guid (good), cuil (cool), from gód, cól and Dutch cuit (ankle), and Romance schuil (school).
Note:	But not fit (foot), wid (wood), wad (would), wud (mad), oo (wool), coud (could) and shoud/su(l)d (should).
Where /k/ or /x/ followed Anglo-Saxon /ó/, depending on dialect, it became /ju, u, jV/ and/or /V/	beuch (bough), beuk (book), cuik (cook), eneuch (enough), heuch (cliff), heuk (hook), leuch (laughed), leuk (look), pleuch (plough), sheuch (ditch), teuch (tough) and teuk (took) from bóh, bók, cók, genóh, hóh, hók, hlóh, tók, plóh, sóh, tóh and tók.
Anglo-Saxon ów became /Vu/	flowe (flow), glowe (glow), growe (grow) and stowe (stow) from flówan, glówan, grówan and stówigan.
Anglo-Saxon u became /V/, for example but and cut, but in some words it became /I/	din (dun), hinnie (honey), simmer (summer), son and nit (nut) from dunn, hunig, sumor, sunne and hnut. Similarly in some Romance words, for example kizzen (cousin), kimmer (commère), kiver (cover), ingan (onion), stibble (stubble) and tribble (trouble).
Anglo-Saxon ú remained /u/ in Scots. At the end of a word Anglo-Saxon ú became /Vu/ in southern Scots.	brou (brow), broun (brown), cou (cow), dou (dove), doun (down), hoose (house), hou (how), mou (mouth), moose (mouse), nou (now), soor (sour) and thoum (thumb) from brú, brún, cú, dúfe, dún, hús, hú, múð, mús, nú, súr and ðúma.Similarly with Norse boun (ready), couer (cower), droop and stroup (spout), and Romance allou (allow), bouat (lantern), coont (count), dout (doubt), pouder (powder) and roond (round).
Anglo-Saxon í and ý became /ui/ in older Scots and subsequently developed into /AI, aI/ and /@i/ depending on dialect	byle (boil) from býl, Similarly with Romance chyce (choice), eynment (ointment), eyster (oyster), evyte (avoid), jyne (join), ile (oil), pynt (point), syle (soil), spyle (spoil) and vyce (voice)

Written Scots

Anglo-Saxon

Runes on the Ruthwell Cross c. 750 AD
Part of theDream of the Rood

From a 10th century version

Hwæt! Ic swefna cyst secgan wylle,
hwæt me gemætte to midre nihte,
syðþan reordberend reste wunedon!
þuhte me þæt ic gesawe syllicre treow
on lyft lædan, leohte bewunden,
beama beorhtost. Eall þæt beacen wæs
begoten mid golde. Gimmas stodon
fægere æt foldan sceatum, swylce þær fife wæron
uppe on þam eaxlegespanne.
Beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle,
fægere þurh forðgesceaft.
Ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga,
ac hine þær beheoldon halige gastas,
men ofer moldan, ond eall þeos mære gesceaft.

Older Scots

Early and Middle Scots scribes never managed to establish a single standardised spelling but operated a system of free variation based on a number of spelling variants. Some scribes used their own variants but this was relatively seldom. Early and Middle Scots used a number of now obsolete letters and letter combinations:

þ (thorn) was equivalent to the modern th as in thae.
₃ (yogh) in n₃ was /J/ as in the French Bretagne. It later changed to /N/ or y /J/ leading to the modern spellings with z and y as in Menzies ['mINVs] and Cunyie [1].
quh was equivalent to the modern wh.
sch was equivalent to the modern sh.
ß represents the modern s. The initial ff was a stylised single f.
-ys, -is. The inflection -ys once [Is, Iz] now -s. Hence the place name Glamis [2].
d after an n was often (and still is) silent i.e. barrand is ['bar@n] = barren.
i and j were often interchanged. h was often silent.
l after a and o had become vocalised and remained in use as an orthographic device to indicate vowel length. Hence the place names Falkirk [3], Kirkcaldy [4], Culross [5] and Culter ['kut@r].
i after a vowel was also used to denote vowel length e.g.ai /a:/, ei /e:/ oi /o:/ and ui /2/.
u, v and w were often interchanged.
-ch and -th (-cht, -tht) Some scribes affixed a t after -ch and -th (-cht, -tht) this was an unpronounced orthographic feature.
Ane represented the numeral ane as well as the indefinite article an and a, and was pronounced similar to modern usage i.e. Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis was pronounced a satyre o the thrie estaits.
yng, -ing The verbal noun (gerund) yng, (-ing) differentiated itself from the present participle -and in Middle Scots. The the final d in -and and the final g in -yng, (-ing) being silent, as in cryand and techynge.

from
The Legend of the Saints 14th Century.

XXXIII.--GEORGE.

₃ete of sancte george is my wil,
gyf I connandes had þere-til
to translat þe haly story,
as wrytine in þe buk fand I.
for he wes richt haly mañ
& fele tynt saulis to god wane,
nocht anerly thru his techynge
bot erare thru sample geffine,
hou men to god suld stedfast be
& thole for hyme perplexite,
of lyfe na ded dout hafand nane,
bot to resyst ay to sathane
& lordis of mykil mycht.
& men callis hym oure lady knycht
& men of armys ofte se I
in til his helpe mykil affy,
& namely quhen þai are in ficht.

From
The Brus
by Barbour (1375 Transcribed by Ramsay in 1489)

(a) THE POET’S PROEM.

Storyß to rede ar delitabill,
suppoß þat þai be nocht bot fabill,
þan suld storyß þat suthfast wer,
And þai war said on gud maner,
Hawe doubill plesance in heryng.
þe fyrst plesance is þe carpyng,
And þe toþir þe suthfastnes,
þat schawys þe thing rycht as it wes;
And suth thyngis þat ar likand
Tyll mannys heryng ar plesand.
þarfor I wald fayne set my will,
Giff my wyt mycht suffice þartill,
To put in wryt a suthfast story,
þat it lest ay furth in memory,
Swa þat na lenth of tyme it let,
na ger it haly be for₃et.
For auld storys þat men redys,
Representis to þaim þe dedys
Of stalwart folk þat lywyt ar,
Rycht as þai þan in presence war.
And, certis, þai suld weill hawe pryß
þat in þar tyme war wycht and wyß,
And led thar lyff in gret trawaill,
And oft in hard stour off bataill
Wan [richt] gret price off chewalry,
And war woydit off cowardy.
As wes king Robert off Scotland,
þat hardy wes off hart and hand;
And gud Schyr Iames off Douglas,
þat in his tyme sa worthy was,
þat off hys price & hys bounte
In fer landis renoenyt wes he.
Off þaim I thynk þis buk to ma;
Now god gyff grace þat I may swa
Tret it, and bryng it till endyng,
þat I say nocht bot suthfast thing!

From
THE TAILL OF THE PADDOCK AND THE MOUS.
by Robert Henrysoun (c.1420-c.1490)
The Bannatyne Manuscript (1568)

Vpone a tyme, as ysop can report,
A littill mouß come till a rever syd;
Scho mycht nocht waid, hir schankis wer so schort;
Scho cowth nocht sowme, scho had no horß till ryd:
off verry forß behuvit hir to byd,
and to and fro vpone þat rever deip
Scho ran, cryand with mony peteuß peip.
‘Help our, help our,’ the silly mowß can cry,
‘For godis lufe, sum body our this bryme.’
With þat ane paddock, on þe wattir by,
Put vp her heid, and on þe bank cowth clyme,
quhilk be natur gowth dowk and gaylie swyme;
with voce full rawk, scho said on this maneir:
‘gud morne, deme mowß, quhat is ₃our erand heir?’

From
UNIVERSAL PEACE NOT POSSIBLE
by Sir Gilbert Hay (1456)

HERE spekis the autour of the tothir questioun,
quhethir it be possible thing þat this warld
be in pes but weris and bataill. And first I say
nay; and the cauß is For be all clerkis of naturale
philosophy þat it is impossible þat the hevin be
still, bot moving, as we se þat dayly it movis fra
the orient to the occident, and fra the occidet to
the orient agayne, and sa furth. Bot the thingis þat
ar corporale in this erde steris nocht na movis nocht
with the moving of it, þat men may persaue; bot
₃it haue thai othir naturale movementis, as clerkis
kennis. And neuirtheles all thir erdly thingis þat
nature here has maid ar gouernyt and sterit be the
hevin and the corps celestialis. For men seis evi-
dently þat the influence of the hevin gerris all
thingis in erde tak grouth and encrescement, and
gevis thame thair condiciounis and thair properteis
of nature; as wele vnderstandand men may se be
the mone. quhen it is full all thingis þat ar in
erde, þat ar gouernyt be wak or moystnes, ar mare
forssy and vigorouß na quhen it is wane, as is the
fillyng and flowing of the see, the flesch of man
& beste, and thair blude, the grouth of treis and
herbis. And specialy the mannis harnis is full in
the full mone and at the full see, and wanis as the
see; and mony othir meruaillouß thingis quha coud
tak tent, as sais the wyß philosophour Arestotil...

From
The Spectacle of Luf.
A translation from the latin by G. Myll, 1492.

THE PROLOGUE.

As I was musing apone the restles besynes of this
translatory warld, quhilkis thochtis and fantesyes
trublit my spreit, and for to devoyd me of sic
ymaginationis, I tuk a lytill buk in Latyñ to paß
mye tyme; the quhilk as I had red and consederit,
me thocht the mater gud and proffitable to be had
in to our wulgar and maternall toung, for to cauß
folkis to mair eschew the delectatiouñ of the flesche,
quhilk is the modir of all vicis. Tharfor, be sufferans
of God, I purpoiß to endur me to the translatiouñ
of the samyñ, becauß of the gud and proffitable
mater it treitis of, that was, How a gud anceant
knycht, that in his youthheid had frequentit his
body in the deidis of chevalrye to the encressing of
his name to honour, nochtwithstanding his gret
besynes in the factis merciall, inlykwyß he had
occupiit him self in the study of naturall philosophy,
to the end that he suld eschew vice; the quhilk gud
ald knicht opnyt and declarit vnto a ₃oung Squyar,
his sone, that was to gretly amoruß, the evillis and
myshappis that men cummys to throw the gret
plesans they haif in wemen, be the delectatiouñ of
the flesche, except the luf quhilk is detfully vsit in
tha haly band of matirmoney; tuiching the quhilk I
will nocht speik in my sempill translatioun: Besek-
ing all ladyes and gentillwemen quhar it is said in
ony poynt to thar displesour they put nocht the
blaim therof to me, bot to myn Auctour that was
the first compylar of this buk, the quhilk is intitillit
& callit The Spectakle of Luf; for in it apperis &
schawis sum evillis & myshappis that cummys to
men therthrow, as the filth or spottis of the face
schawis in the myrour of glas.

From the
CHEPMAN & MYLLAR’S PRINTS (1508)

XVI: THE PORTUUS OF NOBILNES

I NOBILNES, Lady of weile willing, qwene of
wisdome and princes of hie doyng: To all þam
þat has will and corage of worthines pece and greting,
to ₃ow be þir presentis to make knawin þat, to remove
and draw out þe wikit rutis of wrang and ewill deidis
That welany or carlichnes has wndirtakin to ground
& stable in noble hert, euery man þat will be maid
parfyte Say and reid contynually his matynnis &
houris on þis porteus. I may complene sorowe &
bevale mony men that in all thingis has countirfeit
myne estait, and, setting werteu at nocht, has takin
my name, levyng all gud deidis according þairto, mis-
fassonit & degradit þaimself, Inclinand þair hertis to
vicious and ewill sayng and ewill doyng. Bot neuir-
þeles quha þat will haf forgifnes and remit of all his
trepassis saye dayly his matynnis and ₃ouris onn þis
portuos. Quha þat is of ane noble & gud man þe aire
and successour suld nocht haue þe proffet of his
landis and gudis without þe perseute and folloving
of werteu & gud deidis. For gif he be nocht aire
and successour to his wertuis and worschipe, þe gudis
of ane nother man ar vnperfytly in him, and sa he has
forfalt and tynt all loving & honour quhen him self is
þe myrrour & example of velany. Neuirþeles, quha
þat is accusable of þar misdeidis and dampnable vycis
say daly þar houris and matinnis on þis portuos. O
noble man, for to wnderstand how nobillis ar maid
perfyte, thar is xij wertuis behuffull And þat schawis
werray nobilite: herfor he þat will be ane werray noble
stable & rute in his hert thir xij wertuis and exerce
þaim daly, sayng his matinis and howris on þis porteus
as followis.

From
Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis. (1554)
by Sir Robert Lindsay

Heir sall the Carle loup aff the scaffald.

[DILIGENCE.]

Swyith begger bogill, haist the away,
Thow art over pert to spill our play.

[PAUPER]

I wil not gif for al ₃our play worth an sowis fart,
For thair is richt lytill play at my hungrie hart.

DILIGENCE.

Quhat Devill ails this cruckit carle?

PAUPER.

Marie Meikill sorrow :
I can not get, thocht I gasp, to beg, nor to borrow

DILLIGENCE.

Quhair deuill is this thou dwels or quhats thy intent?

PAUPER.

I dwell into Lawthiane ane myle fra Tranent.

DILLI[GENCE].

Quhair wald thou be, carle, the suth to me shaw?

PAUPER.

Sir, evin to Sanct-Androes for to seik law.

DILI[GENCE].

For to seik law in Edinburgh was the neirest way.

PAUPER.

Sir I socht law thair this monie deir day;
Bot I culd get nane at sessioun nor Sein₃e :
Thairfoir the mekill dum Deuill droun all the mein₃e.

DILI[GENCE].

Shaw me thy mater, man, with al the circumstances,
How that thou hes happinit on thir vnhappie chances.

PAUPER.

Gude-man will ₃e gif me ₃our Charitie,
And I sall declair how the black veritie.
My father was ane auld man and ane hoir,
And was of age fourscoir of ₃eirs and moir;
And Mald, my mother was fourscoir and fyfteine :
And with my labour I did thame baith sustein.
Wee had ane Meir, that caryit salt and coill,
And everie ilk ₃eir scho brocht vs hame ane foill.
Wee had thrie ky that was baith fat and fair,
Nane tydier into the toun of Air.
My father was sa waik of blude and bane,
That he deit, quhairfoir my mother maid great maine.
Then scho deit within ane day or two ;
And thair began my povertie and wo.
Our gude gray Meir was baittand on the feild,
And our Lands Laird tuike hir for his hyreild.
The Vickar tuik the best Cow be the head,
Incontinent, quhen my father was deid.
And quhen the Vickar hard tel how that my mother
Was dead, fra-hand he tuke to him ane vther.
Then meg my wife did murne both evin & morrow
Till at the last scho deit for verrie sorow :
And quhen the Vickar hard tell my wyfe was dead,
The thrid cow he cleikit be the head.
Thair vmest clayis, that was of rapploch gray,
The Vickar gart his Clark bear them away.
Quhen all was gaine, I micht mak na debeat,
Bot with my bairns past for till beg my meat.
Now haue I tald ₃ow the black veritie,
How I am brocht into this miserie.

DIL[IGENCE].

How did the person, was he not thy gude freind?

PAU[PER].

The devil stick him, he curst me for my teind,
And halds me ₃it vnder that same proces,
That gart me want the Sacrament at Pasche.
In gude faith, sir, Thocht he wald cut my throt,
I haue na geir except ane Inglis grot,
Quhilk I purpois to gif ane man of law.

DILIGENCE.

Thou art the daftest fuill that ever I saw.
Trows thou, man, be the law to get remeid
Of men of kirk? Na, nocht till thou be deid.

PAUP[ER].

Sir, be quhat law tell me, quhairfoir, or quhy
That ane Vickar sould tak fra me thrie ky?

DILIGENCE.

Thay haue na law, exceptand consuetude,
Quhilk law to them is sufficient and gude.

PAUP[ER].

Ane consuetude against the common weill
Sould be na law I think be sweit Sanct Geill.
Quhair will ₃e find that law tell gif ₃e can
To tak thrie ky fra ane pure husband man?
Ane for my father, and for my wyfe ane vther,
And the thrid Cow he tuke for Mald my mother.

DILIGENCE.

It is thair law all that thay haue in vse,
Thocht it be Cow, Sow, Ganar, Gryce, or Guse.

PAUPER.

Sir, I wald speir at ₃ow ane questioun.
Behauld sum Prelats of this Regioun:
Manifestlie during thair lustie lyvfis,
Thay swyfe Ladies, Madinis and vther mens wyfis.
And sa thair cunts thay haue in consuetude.
Quhidder say ₃e that law is evill or gude?

From the
REGISTER OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL (1567)
Volume of the Acta of June 1567-Dec.1569)

(a) PROCLAMATION AGAINST THE EARL OF BOTHWELL.

THE quhilk day þe lordis of secreit counsale
and nobilitie, vnderstanding þat James erll
bothuile put violent handis in oure sourane ladiis
maist nobill persoun, vpoun þe xxiiij day of apprile
lastbipast, and þaireftir wardit hir hienes in þe
castell of Dunbar, quhilk he had in keping, and be
a lang space þaireftir convoyit hir maiestie, invironned
with men of weir and sic freindis and kynnismen of
his as wald do for him euir, in sic places quhair he
had maist dominioun and power, hir grace beand
destitute of all counsale and servandis; Into þe
quhilk tyme þe said erll seducit be vnlesum wayis
oure said soverane to ane vnhonest mariage with
him self, quhilk fra þe begynning is null and of nane
effect, for sindrie caußs knawin alsweill to vþeris
nationis and realmis as to þe inhabitantis of þis
commoun weill, and als expres contrair þe law of
god and trew religioun professit within þis realme,
quhilk þai ar in mynd to manteine to þe vttirmest
point of þair lyff. Attour, þe saidis lordis and
nobilitie ar assuredlie informit þat þe same James
erll bothuile, for to bring þe mariage betuix oure
said soverane ladie and him till effect, wes þe
principall authour, devysar, and instrument of þe
cruell and maist abhominabill murthour committit
vpoun vmquhile oure souerane lord king Henry
stewart, of gude memorie; quhilk apperis to be of
veritie, Becaus þat þe said James erll bortuile,
being mariit and coniunit with ane wyff þe tyme
of þe murthour foirsaid, hes sensyne, and specialie
quhen he had þe quenis maiesties persoun into his
handis, causit ane pretendit diuorcement to be maid
and wranguslie led, - all þe proces and sentences
þairof begun, endit, and sentence gevin þairintill
within twa dayis; quhilk confirmis þe informatioun
gevin to þe saidis lordis and nobilitie of þe said
erll bothuile. Als he, nocht being content and satis-
fiit with þe cruell murthour done vpone oure said
soverane king henrie stewart, Revesing, warding,
and seduceing of þe quenis maiestie to ane vnlauch-
full mariage, and halding hir ₃it in captiuitie, is now,
as þe saidis lordis and nobilitie ar informit, makand
sum assembleis of men, tyiscing and perswading þame
to assist to him, quhilk we luke can be for na vþer
effect bot to commit the lyke murthour vpoun þe
sone as wes vpoun þe fader. To þe quhilkis þe
saidis lordis and nobilitie myndis with all þair
forceis to resist, and als to deliuer þe quenis grace
furth of maist miserabill bondage foirsaid. Thairfoir
ordanis ane maser or officiar of armes to pas to þe
marcat croces of Edinburgh, perth, dunde, sanct-
androis, striuling, glasgow and vþeris places neid-
full, and þair be oppin proclamatioun command and
charge all and sindrie liegis of þis majesty realme, alsweill
to burgh as to land, that þai be in reddines, vpoun
thre houris warning, to pas furthwartis with þe saidis
lordis of secreit counsall and nobilitie, to deliuer
þe quenis maiestie maist nobill persoun furth of
captiuitie and presoun; And vpoun þe said erll
bothuile and all his complices þat sall assist vnto
him, to bring þame to vnderly þe lawis of þis
realme for þe cruell murthour of our said vmquhile
soverane king Henrie, Revesing and detening of þe
quenis maiestie persoun, and to obuiate and resist
to þis maist wickit interpryiß, quhilk we ar informit
he intendis to do againis þe Prince. Attour, we
command all and sindry sic as will nocht assist to
the revenge of þe premisß and to deliuer þe
quenis grace persoun furth of thraldome, to gidder
with all sic as ar assistaris, complices, or partakeris
with þe said erll bothuile, that þai within four
houris eftir þe publicatioun of þis present act, void
and red þame selffis furth of þis burgh of Edin-
burgh; with certificatioun in caiß þai fail₃e, that
þai salbe repute and haldin as ennemeis, and pvneist
in body and gudis as efferis.

From On Praying in Latin. by Nicol Burne (1581)
An anti-reformation pamphlet printed abroad and circulated in Scotland.

B. Thair be tua kynd of prayeris in the kirk, the
ane is priuat, quhilk euerie man sayis be him self, the
vthir is publik, quhilk the preistis sayis in the name of
the hail kirk. As to the priuate prayeris, na Catholik
denyis bot it is verie expedient that euerie man
pray in his auin toung, to the end he vndirstand that
quhilk he sayis, and that thairbie the interior prayer
of the hairt may be the mair valkinnit, and conseruit
the bettir; and gif, onie man pray in ane vther toung,
it is also expedient that he vnderstand the mening of
the vordis at the lest. For the quhilk caus in the
catholik kirk the parentis or godfatheris ar obleist
to learne thame quhom thay hald in baptisme the
formes of prayeris and beleif, and instruct thame
sufficiently thairin, sua that thay vndirstand the
same: Albeit the principal thing quhilk God requiris
is the hairt, that suppois he quha prayis vndirstand
nocht perfytlie the vordis quhilk he spekis, yit God
quha lukis in the hairt, vill nocht lat his prayer be in
vane. As to the publik prayeris of the kirk, it is not
necessar that the pepill vndirstand thame, becaus it
is nocht the pepill quha prayis, bot the preistis in the
name of the hail kirk, and it is aneuche that thay
assist be deuotione liftand vp thair myndis to God or
saying thair auin priuate oraisonis, and that be thair
deuotione thay may be maid participant of the kirk.
As in the synagogue of the Ieuis, the peopill kneu not
quhat all thay cerimonies signifeit, quhilk vas keipit
be the preistis and vtheris in offering of thair sacri-
fices and vther vorshipping of god, and yit thay
did assist vnto thame; ye, sum of the preistis thame
selfis miskneu the significatione of thir cerimoneis
Than gif it vas aneuche to the pepill to vndirstand
that in sik ane sacrifice consisted the vorshipping of
God, suppois thay had not sua cleir ane vndirstand-
ing of euerie thing that vas done thairin, sua in the
catholik kirk, quhen the people assistis to the sacrifice
of the Mess, thay acknaulege that thairbie God is
vorshippit, and that it is institute for the remem-
brance of Christis death and passione. Albeit thay
vndirstand nocht the Latine toung, yit thay ar not
destitut of the vtilitie and fruit thairof. And it is
nocht vithout greit caus that as in the inscrptione
and titil quhilk pilat fixed vpone the croce of Christ
Iesus thir thre toungis var vritt in, Latine, Greik,
and Hebreu, sua in the sacrifice and the publik prayeris
of the kirk thay ar cheiflie retenit for the con-
seruatione of vnitie in the kirk and nationis amang
thame selfis; for, gif al thingis var turnit in the
propir langage of euerie cuntrey, na man vald studie
to the Latine toung, and thairbie al communicatione
amangis Christiane pepil vald schortlie be tane auay,
and thairbie eftir greit barbaritie inseu. Mairatour
sik publique prayeris and seruice ar keipit mair
perfytlie in thair auin integritie vithout al corrup-
tione; for gif ane natione vald eik or pair onie
thing, that vald be incontinent remarkt and reprouit
be vther nationis, quhilk culd not be, gif euerie
natione had al thai thingis turnit in the auin propir
langage; as ye may se be experience, gif ye vald
confer the prayeris of your deformit kirkis, togidder
vith the innumerabil translationis of the psalmes,
quihlk ar chaingit according to euerie langage in
the quhilk thay ar turnit. It is not than vithout
greit caus, and ane special instinctione of the halie
Ghaist, that thir toungis foirspokin hes bene,
as thay vil be retenit to the end of the varld. And
quhen the Ieuis sall imbrace the Euangel than sall
the sacrifice and other publik prayeris be in the
Hebreu toung, according to that quhilk I said befoir,
that on the Croce of Christ thai thrie toungis onlie
var vrittin, to signifie that the kirk of Christ suld
vse thay thre toungis cheiflie in his vorshipping, as
the neu and auld testament ar in thir thre toungis
in greitast authoritie amangis al pepill.

In this text the anglicised pronouns like quhom and quha were starting to appear.

Referenced By