Some cuts throats, and some pykes purses; GAVIN DOUGLAS. GAVIN DOUGLAS, bishop of Dunkeld, was one of the most distin. guished and accomplished men of that era. He was born about the year 1474, younger son of Archibald, fifth earl of Angus, and was educated for the church. He lived, however, in stormy times, and was mixed up with the turbulent scenes of the Douglas faction. When that faction was driven from power, he fled to England, to the court of Henry VIII. He was proscribed as a traitor, and the revenues of his bishopric of Dunkeld sequestrated, but he did not live long to feel his loss: he was stricken with the plague, and died in London in 1522. Douglas wrote two original poetical works, one entitled 'The Palace of Honour,' an apologue for the conduct of a king, addressed to James IV. The poet represents himself as seeing in a vision a large company travelling towards the Palace of Honour. He joins them, and relates the particulars of the pilgrimage. His second work, 'King Hart,' presents a metaphorical view of human life. The human heart is personified as a king in his castle, with the five senses around him; he is attacked by Dame Pleasaunce, who has conquered many a king, from Solomon downwards, but at length Age and Experience come to the rescue, and King Hart is set fee. Douglas gave an entire translation of the Æneid' in the Scottish language, being the first version of a Latin classic into any British tongue. Douglas's translation is in what is called the heroic couplet, ten syllables to the line, the measure which Byron considered to be the best adapted to our language, though his own greatest triumphs were not achieved in it. Thus, in the famous passage of the descent of Æneas to the infernal regions, we read in Douglas: It is right facile and eith [easy] gait, I thee tell, Though later in point of time than Henryson and Dunbar, Douglas is much less easily read. He was, like Spenser, fond of archaisms, and he resolved, he said, to write wholly in the Scottish language: And yet, forsooth, I set my busy pain, As that I couth to mak it braid and plain; His language, however, is far from being pure Scotch, being, according to Mr. Skeat, 'much affected by Anglicisms.' The original poems styled 'Prologues,' which the translator affixes to each book, are es teemed among his happiest efforts. The following is in the original spelling: Apostrophe to Honour. O hie honour, sweit heuinlie flour digest! For his honour thou art guerdon conding, (1) I the require sen thow but peir (2) art best, From a Description of Morning in May, from the Prologue to the As fresh Aurore, to mighty Tithon spouse, With sanguine cape, and selvage purpurate, Shed purpour spraings, with gold and azure ment.... Within fermance and parkis close of pales, Herdis of hertis through the thick wood-shaw. Full tait and trig socht bkond to their dams. By rinnand strandis, Nymphis and Naiadis, Sic as we clepe wenche: and daysels, In gersy groves (5) wanderand by sprig wells; Some sang ring-san, dances, leids, (6) and rounds, 1 Worthy reward. 3 Issued from. 4 Opened, 9 Relieve. Dame Nature's menstrals, on that other part, And all small fowlis singis on the spray, Welcome weelfare of husbands at the plows, Welcome be thy bricht beamis, gladdnan all! SIR DAVID LYNDSAY. The celebrated Lyon King of Arms, SIR DAVID LYNDSAY of the Mount, was born, about the year 1490, at the paternal seat in the parish of Monimail, Fifeshire. He was educated at the university of St. Andrews, was early employed at the court of James IV.; and in 1511-12 had a salary of forty pounds. He was in attendance on the king at the church of St. Michael, Linlithgow, when a supposed apparition warned the monarch against passing to England on his fatal project of invasion-an incident graphically delineated in Scott's Marmion.' Lyndsay became the usher and companion of the young prince, afterwards James V. As ane chapman bears his pack, About the year 1529, the king knighted Lyndsay, and appointed him Chief Heraid, or Lyon King of Arms. Some years previously, the poet had married a lady, Janet Douglas, who held the office of sempstress to the king, with an annual fee or pension of ten pounds. He seems to have possessed talents for public business, as he was employed on commercial missions to Flanders and Denmark, and on various roval messages and embassies, be-ides representing the burgh of Cupar in parliament in 1544-46. In his latter days, he retired to his seat, the Mount, where he died some time previous to the 18th of April 1555, when his brother succeeded to the entailed estate.. The antiquated dialect, prolix narrative, and frequent indelicacy of Lyndsay's writings, have thrown them into the shade; but they abound in racy pictures of the times, in humorous and burlesque descriptions, and in keen and cutting satire. There are also passages evincing po 1 Shelter. etical fancy and elevation of feeling. He lashed the vices of the clergy even with greater boldness than Skelton, and from his public position and the openness of his satire and invective, he must materially have advanced the Reformed doctrines. He appears to have been sincerely and strongly attached to this cause, and was one of the influential Reformers who urged Knox to become a preacher. That he escaped the vengeance of the church in the early part of his career, must be attributed to the partiality entertained for him by the king, and to the broad humour and indelicacy mixed up with his satire, which could not fail to be relished by that voluptuous monarch. James also shewed some magnanimity in overlooking the satirical shafts of Lyndsay directed against his own 'pleasant vices' and defects. With the bulk of his countrymen, Sir David was singularly popular. His sarcastic lines and shrewd sayings passed into proverbs, and are not yet wholly banished from the firesides of the peasantry. The works of Sir David Lyndsay were edited by Mr. George Chalmers, and published in three volumes (London, 1806). A new edition, revised by Mr. David Laing, and somewhat curtailed, appeared in two volumes (Edinburgh, 1871). The poet's first production, 'The Dreme,' was written about the year 1528. This was followed by 'The Complaynt to the King,' evidently written in 1529; and The Testament and Complaynt of our Soverane Lordis Papyngo, Kyng James the Fyft,' 1530. (The papyngo or popinjay is the old English name of the parrot.) These three works consist chiefly of observations on the state and government of the kingdom during two of its dismal minorities. The other principal works of Lyndsay are: Answer to the King's Flyting,' 1536; The Deploration of the Death of Queen Magdalene,' 1537; Ane Supplication directit to the Kingis Grace, in contemptioun of Syde Taillis,' 1538; Kitties Confessioun (a satire on auricular confession), 1541; The Tragedie of the Cardinall' (Beaton), 1546; 'The Historie and Testament of Squyer William Meldrum,' about 1550; Ane Dialog betuix Experience and ane Courteour, of the miserabyll estait of the World,' 1553; and ‘Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis.' The last work is a rude dramatic composition, a satire upon the whole of the three political orders-monarch, barons, and clergy-full of humour and grossness, and curiously illustrative of the taste of the times. Notwithstanding its pungency, and, what is apt to be now more surprising, notwithstanding the introduction of indecencies not fit to be described, the satire of the Three Estates' was acted in the presence of the court at Cupar, Linlithgow, and Edinburgh, the stage being in the open air. The performance at Linlithgow took place at the feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 1539-40, in the presence of the king, queen, the ladies of the court, the bishops, and a great concourse of people of all ranks. It is probable that some of the coarser passages were written, as Chalmers supposes, for the amusement of the lower classes during the intervals, when the chief auditory had retired for refreshments. The History of Squyer Meldrum' is perhaps the most pleasing of all Lyndsay's works. It is founded on the adventures of a well-known person in Fifeshire, William Meldrum, the laird of Cleish and Binns, who served in France during the war of 1513, and on his return to Scotland was noted for his spirit and gallantry. It is considered the last poem that in any degree partakes of the character of the old metrical romance. The Dialogue betwixt Experience and a Courtier is otherwise described as The Monarchie,' and is an elaborate compendium of events in sacred and profane history, in the course of which the poet inveighs against the corruptions of the church of Rome. 4 Of the dexterity with which Lyndsay could point a satirical remark on an error of state-policy, we may judge from the following very brief passage of his early work, the Complaynt,' which refers to the revolution in the Scottish government during the year 1524, when the king was twelve years of age, and the Douglases gained the ascendency. We give the lines in the original orthography, from the text of Chalmers: Imprudentlie, lyk wytles fuilis, Gevyng hym haill (1) the governall Thay tuke that young prince frome the Of schip, marchand and marinall, (2) scuilis, Quhare he, under obedience, For dreid of rockis and foreland, Satire on the Syde Tails, or Long Dresses, of the Ladies.-Directed to the King's Sir, though your Grace has put great order Baith in the Hieland and the Border, Yet mak I supplication Till have some reformation Grace, 1538. Three quarters lang behind their heels, Of ane small fault, whilk is nocht trea- Richt so ane queen or ane empress; son, Though it be contrary to reason, It may nocht have ane ornate style; Howbeit they use sic gravity, Though their robe-royals be upborne. That every lady of the land Should have her tail so syde trailand; The queen they should nocht counterfeit, Wherever they go it may be seen 1 Whole, entire. 2 Merchandise or freight, and mariners. 3 Reign. |