Thame nemming and kennyng,
As he list for to call;
For pleising and eising
Of man, subdewit thame all.
In hevinly joy man so possest,
To be allone God thoct not best,
Maid Eve to be his maik;
Bad thame incress and multiplie;
And eit of every fruit and trie,
Thair plesour thay sovvld taik,
Except the trie of gud and ill,
That in the middis dois stand;
Forbad that thay sowld cum it till,
Or twiche it with thair hand,
Leist plucking or lucking,
Baith thay and als thair seid,
Seveirly, awsteirly,
Sowld dye without remeid.
The poem thus concludes:—
Behald the stait that man was in,
And als how it he tynt throw sin,
And loist the same for ay,
Yit God his promeiss dois performe,
Send his Sone of the Virgeny borne,
Oure ransome for to pay
To that grit God let us gif gloir,
To us has bene so gude,
Quha be his death did us restoir,
Quhairof we war denude;
Nocht karing nor sparing
His body to be rent,
Redemyng, relieving,
Ws quhen we war all schent.
The historical writings of Sir Richard Maitland were the productions of an earlier period than his poems. The principal historical work of Sir Richard that has come down to us, is "The Historie and Cronicle of the Hous and Surename of Seytoun, to the moneth of November, in the yeir of God, Jm. Vc. lix. yeiris; collectit, gaderit, and set furth be Schir Richart Maitland of Lethingtoun, Knycht, Dochteris Sonn of the said Hous." This work was printed in 1829 for the Maitland Club. Another of his works bears the following title: "Heir followis ane Brief and Compendious Tabill or Catholog of the Names of the Kingis of Scotland, France, and Ingland, with the dait of thair Reignis; togidder with the Successioun of King Malcolme Cainmoir, and of all Kingis of Scotland sensyn, to the dait heirof; quham thay Mareit; quhat Successioun they had; with quham they war Allyat. Collectit, gatherit, and set furth be Sr. Richart Maitland of Lethingtoun, Knyt. The yeir of God, Jm. Vc. and three scoir yeiris, the xiiij day of the moinethe of October."
By his wife, Mary, daughter of Thomas Cranston of Corsby, Sir Richard Maitland had a numerous family. It is said that he had seven sons, three of whom, William, John, and Thomas, rose to eminence—and four daughters—Helen, married to John Cockburn of Clerkington; Margaret, to William Douglas of Whittingham; Mary, to Alexander Lauder of Hatton; and Isabel, to James Heriot of Trabroun.
