"Good
folks, (herewith) my Archbishop of Glasgow's letters, under his round
seal, directed to me, or any other chaplain, making mention with great
regret, how heavy he bears the piteous, lamentable, and dolorous
complaint that passes over all realms and comes to his ears by open
voice and fame, how our Sovereign Lord's true lieges, men, wives, and
children, bought and redeemed by the precious blood of our Savior Jesus
Christ, and living in his laws, are innocently, some murdered, some
slain, burned, hurt, despoiled and cut openly by daylight and under
silence of night, and their farms and lands laid waste, and themselves
banished there from, also church lands as well as others, to be common
traitors, rapists and thieves, dwelling in the south part of this realm,
namely, Tevidale, Esdale, Liddesdale, Ewisdale, Nedisdale, and
Annandereaill; they have been, in diverse ways, pursued for punishment
by the temporal sword of our Sovereign Lord's authority, and they fear
not the same. The church has condemned them in fear for their souls,
and it has no prohibitory effect on their actions"
"And therefore, my said Archbishop of Glasgow has thought it
necessary to strike them with the terrible sword of Holy Church, that
they may not long endure and resist; and has charged me, or any other
chaplain, to denounce, declare and proclaim them openly and generally
cursed, at this market crossroads, and all other public places."
"Here fore, through the authority of Almighty God, the Father of
Heaven, His Son our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost; through
the authority of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Mary, Saint Michael, Saint
Gabriel, and all the angels; Saint John the Baptist, and all the Holy
patriarchs and prophets; Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Andrew, and all
holy apostles; Saint Stephen, Saint Lawrence, and all holy martyrs;
Saint Giles, Saint Martin, and all holy confessors; Saint Anne, Saint
Katherine, and all holy virgins and matrons; and of all the saints and
holy company of Heaven; by the authority of our Holy Father the Pope and
his cardinals, and of my said Lord, Archbishop of Glasgow, by the advice
and assistance of my lords, archbishop, bishops, abbots, priors, and
other prelates and ministers of Holy Church:"
"I denounce, proclaim and declare all the committers of the said
senseless murders, slaughters, burning, torturing, plundering, raping
and pillaging, openly by daylight and under silence of night, even on
such peaceful ground as church lands; together with their families,
henchmen, suppliers, and willing conspirators who give them refuge,
their receivers of goods stolen by them, and any benefit or part
thereof, and their counselors and defenders of their evil deeds,
generally CURSED, denounced, execrated, in sum total, with the GREAT
CURSING."
"I curse their head and all the hairs of their head; I curse their
face, their brain (innermost thoughts), their mouth, their nose, their
tongue, their teeth, their forehead, their shoulders, their breast,
their heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, their arms, their legs,
their hands, their feet, and every part of their body, from the top of
their head to the soles of their feet, before and behind, within and
without."
"I curse them going and I curse them riding; I curse them standing
and I curse them sitting; I curse them eating and I curse them drinking;
I curse them rising, and I curse them lying; I curse them at home, I
curse them away from home; I curse them within the house, I curse them
outside of the house; I curse their wives, their children, and their
servants who participate in their deeds. I (bring ill wishes upon) their
crops, their cattle, their wool, their sheep, their horses, their swine,
their geese, their hens, and all their livestock. I (bring ill wishes
upon) their halls, their chambers, their kitchens, their stanchions,
their barns, their cowsheds, their barnyards, their cabbage patches,
their plows, their harrows, and the goods and houses that are necessary
for their sustenance and welfare."
"May all the malevolent wishes and curses ever known, since the
beginning of the world, to this hour, light on them. May the malediction
of God, that fell upon Lucifer and all his fellows, that cast them from
the high Heaven to the deep hell, light upon them."
"May
the fire and the sword that stopped Adam from the gates of Paradise,
stop them from the glory of Heaven, until they forebear, and make
amends."
"May
the evil that fell upon cursed Cain, when he slew his brother Abel,
needlessly, fall on them for the needless slaughter that they commit
daily."
"May
the malediction that fell upon all the world, man and beast, and all
that ever took life, when all were drowned by the flood of Noah, except
Noah and his ark, fall upon them and drown them, man and beast, and make
this realm free of them, for their wicked sins."
"May
the thunder and lightning which rained down upon Sodom and Gomorra and
all the lands surrounding them, and burned them for their vile sins,
rain down upon them and burn them for their open sins. May the evil and
confusion that fell on the Gigantis for their oppression and pride in
building the Tower of Babylon, confound them and all their works, for
their open callous disregard and oppression."
"May
all the plagues that fell upon Pharaoh and his people of Egypt, their
lands, crops and cattle, fall upon them, their equipment, their places,
their lands, their crops and livestock."
"May
the waters of the Tweed and other waters which they use, drown them, as
the Red Sea drowned King Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, preserving
God's people of Israel."
"May
the earth open, split and cleave, and swallow them straight to hell, as
it swallowed cursed Dathan and Abiron, who disobeyed Moses and the
command of God."
"May
the wild fire that reduced Thore and his followers to two-hundred-fifty
in number, and others from 14,000 to 7,000 at anys, usurping against
Moses and Aaron, servants of God, suddenly burn and consume them daily,
for opposing the commands of God and Holy Church."
"May
the malediction that suddenly fell upon fair Absolom, riding through the
wood against his father, King David, when the branches of a tree knocked
him from his horse and hanged him by the hair, fall upon these untrue
Scotsmen and hang them the same way, that all the world may see."
"May
the malediction that fell upon Nebuchadnezzar's lieutenant, Olifernus,
making war and savagery upon true Christian men; the malediction that
fell upon Judas, Pilate, Herod, and the Jews that crucified Our Lord;
and all the plagues and troubles that fell on the city of Jerusalem
therefore, and upon Simon Magus for his treachery, bloody Nero, Ditius
Magcensius, Olibrius, Julianus Apostita and the rest of the cruel
tyrants who slew and murdered Christ's holy servants, fall upon them for
their cruel tyranny and murder of Christian people."
"And
may all the vengeance that ever was taken since the world began, for
open sins, and all the plagues and pestilence that ever fell on man or
beast, fall on them for their openly evil ways, senseless slaughter and
shedding of innocent blood."
"I sever and part them from the church of God, and deliver them
immediately to the devil of hell, as the Apostle Paul delivered Corinth.
I bar the entrance of all places they come to, for divine service and
ministration of the sacraments of holy church, except the sacrament of
infant baptism, only; and I forbid all churchmen to hear their
confession or to absolve them of their sins, until they are first
humbled / subjugated by this curse."
"I
forbid all Christian men or women to have any company with them, eating,
drinking, speaking, praying, lying, going, standing, or in any other
deed-doing, under the pain of deadly sin."
"I
discharge all bonds, acts, contracts, oaths, made to them by any
persons, out of loyalty, kindness, or personal duty, so long as they
sustain this cursing, by which no man will be bound to them, and this
will be binding on all men."
"I
take from them, and cast down all the good deeds that ever they did, or
shall do, until they rise from this cursing."
"I
declare them excluded from all matins, masses, evening prayers, funerals
or other prayers, on book or bead (rosary); of all pilgrimages and alms
deeds done, or to be done in holy church or be Christian people, while
this curse is in effect."
"And, finally, I condemn them perpetually to the deep pit of hell,
there to remain with Lucifer and all his fellows, and their bodies to
the gallows of Burrow moor, first to be hanged, then ripped and torn by
dogs, swine, and other wild beasts, abominable to all the world. And
their candle (light of their life) goes from your sight, as may their
souls go from the face of God, and their good reputation from the world,
until they fore bear their open sins, aforesaid, and rise from this
terrible cursing and make satisfaction and penance."
WHEW: Does this mean we are excommunicated for ever? I wonder what it
would cost to make it right. The Bishop was really pissed it seems.
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