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In
1525 the reivers had become such a nuisance that the then Archbishop
of Glasgow, Gavin Dunbar, put a curse up all the reivers of the
borderlands.
"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 leggs, 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 opression
and pride in building the Tower of Babylon, confound them and all
their works, for their open callous disregard and opression."
"May
all the plagues that fell upon Pharoah 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 Pharoah 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 pigrimages
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 forebear their open sins, aforesaid,
and rise from this terrible cursing and make satisfaction and penance."
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