The Archbishop’s Cursing
"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."
1478 words.
From The Steel Bonnets by George Macdonald Fraser.