armed force; but his Tudor wife had turned against him, and in November, 1521, she warmly welcomed the Duke of Albany back to his Regency after a five years' absence. Her brother, King Henry of England, bade the Scots banish Albany. They met his threats by threatening the English border, in 1522, with an army of eighty thousand men. That army did nothing. Feuds and distractions filled the land with confusion, which we find painted in a little poem by Dunbar's friend and opponent in many a lively flyting-match, Walter Kennedy, a younger son of the first Lord Kennedy. Jack Upland was, in England as in Scotland, the name that stood for the poor countryman. The Uponlandis Mous, it will be remembered, was Robert Henryson's name for the Country Mouse, who visited in turn her cousin the Burges Mous. Thus Walter Kennedy represented JOCK UP-A-LAND'S COMPLAINT AGAINST THE COURT IN THE NONAGE OF KING JAMES V. Now is the king in tender age, O Christ, conserve him in his yld1 To do justice to man and page That gars our land lie lang untilied, Though we do doubly pay their wage, Puir commons presently are pill'd. They ride about in sic a rage, By firth and forest, muir and field, So where they ride intill the rye I pray it fra my heart truly. He that was wont to bear the barrows Betwixt the bakehus and the brewhus, On twenty shilling now he tarrows5 To ride the hiegait by the plews. But were I king, and had good fallows, In Norway they should hear of news: I should him take, and all his marrows,7 And hang them high upon yon yews, And thereto plights my hand. And all those lords and barons grits Upon a gallows should I knit, That thus down-treadit has our whit.9 This said Jock Up-a-land. But would ilk lord that our law leads 10 20 30 And stacks and ricks might stand. For sen they raid amang our doors, With splent 15 on spald 16 and jousty spurs, There grew na fruit until 17 our furs.18 This said Jock Up-a-land. Tak a puir man 19 a sheep or twae They will him hang in halters rude; But gif ane tak a flock or sae, A bow of ky,20 and let them blood, I shrew them first them fand. 40 50 One way of beating down "these many kings" seemed to the English party to be a prompt investiture of James V. in his royal office. In 1524, the age of thirteen, the boy was "erected" king and held in a captivity that hardly pretended to be freedom. Until the year 1524 David Lindsay had always been the child's friend and companion, but his new keepers parted the king from those of his old followers who too faithfully represented Scottish nationality, Lindsay among them. In May, 1528, the king, who was then seventeen years old, escaped to Stirling, asserted his authority, drove Angus to England, confiscated his estates, and began to reign as independent sovereign. Then Lindsay returned to him, and through poem after poem poured into the king's ear faithful and strict reminders of his duty. One of these poems-the only one in which the poet speaks to the king for himself as well as for his country-was "Lindsay's Complaint." This and all else that his friend wrote in the way of admonition the king took in good part; indeed, it seems to have been after the address to him of the "Complaint" that James, in 1530, made Lindsay Sir David, and gave him office as Lion King of Arms, with security for the payment of his salary. From that date, therefore, at the age of forty, he became Sir David Lindsay; Lindsay of the Mount, an estate bought by him a few miles from Cupar Fife. All Lindsay's poems are didactic, and in his "Complaint," even while the professed object of the poem is to remind the king of his own claims, he writes as one whose care is above all things for the claims of Scotland on her king. LINDSAY'S COMPLAINT. Sir, I beseech thine excellence Hear my complaint with patiénce. My dolent heart does me constrain Of my infortune to complain, 15 Splent, hanging sleeve. 11 Chack, seize. 16 Spald (French "espaule "), shoulder. 5 Tarrows, delays. 7 Marrows, companions. 10 Husbands, cultivators of the ground about their homes. 12 Might cultivate their homesteads. 13 Pleads, disputes, sorrows. 14 Nolt, black cattle. Icelandic "naut;" English "neat;" Scottish "nout." 18 Furs, furrow. First English "furh." 19 Tak a puir man, if a poor man should take. 20 A bow of ky, a herd of cattle. 17 Until, unto. And failyeis 10 not to conqueis 11 lands, And namely 12 at young princes' hands. Howbeit I stand in great doubtance Whom I shall wyte of my mischance : "Why gettis thou not some piece of land As well as other men has gotten?" I would some wise man did me teach 30 So I am sure thy Majesty Shall once reward me ere I die, And rub the rust off my ingine 5 My reward had not been to crave; But I took ne'er none other cure I take the Queenis grace, thy mother, I take them all to bear witness. But gynkartoun 20 thou lovit aye best: As I at length into my Dreme Hap to the court than good servise, I wait 23 thou lovit me better than Nor 24 now some wife does her gude man. Then men to other did record, Said Lindsay would be made a lord: Thou has made lords, sir, by Saint Geill, 25 Of some that has not servit so weill. 70 80 90 100 Greedy men that are diligent Right oft obtainis their intent, 1 Wyte of, blame for. Fleich, wheedle. 60 12 Namely, especially. 13 Lidder, sluggish, behind others. 14 Nowreis (French "nourrice"), nurse. 15 Mute, articulate. Latin "mutire," to mutter. 16 Pa Da Lin,-play, David Lindsay. 17 Springis, quick cheerful tunes. French "espringier," to dance. 18 Perqueir (French "par cœur "), by heart, from memory. 19 Pieté (French "piété "), affection, love, piety. 20 Gynkartoun, a dance tune. Gif ye list tarry, I shall tell How my infortune first befell. I prayit daily on my knee, My young maister that I might see Of eild in his estate royal Having power imperial; Then trustit I, without demand, To be promovit to some land. The sudden change to my mischance. The King was but twelve years of age3 When new rulers come in their rage, For Commonweill makand no cair But for their profit singulair. Imprudently, like witless fools, They took that young Prince from the schools Where he, under obedience, Was lernand virtue and science, And hastily plat in his hand 120 130 140 Without God's grace is no refúge; I pray God, let me never see ryng7 I may not tarry to decide it How then the Court a while was guidit Sir, some would say, "Your Majesty For we shall put sic men about you 150 160 That all the world and more shall dout "l you." 170 Then to his grace they put a gaird 12 Which hastily gat their rewaird. Ilk man, after their qualitie They did solist 13 his majestie: Some gart him raffle 14 at the racquet, 180 THE SHIP OF FOOLS. (Brandt.) For dread of rockis and foreland. To put the rudder in his hand 1 A clips, an eclipse. 2 Sare, sore. 3 The reference is to the " erection" of the king by the English party in August, 1524, when the boy was brought from Stirling to Edinburgh, and received the sceptre, crown, and sword of honour in the Tolbooth. 4 Seis, sea's. Marchand and marinal, merchant and mariner. The wealth of the ship (or state), and those to whose care it was trusted. DICE PLAY. (Holbein.) 6 Juge, judge. 7 Ryng in to, reign in. 8 Peirtly, openly. 9 Leir, lern. 10 Weir, war. 11 Dout, fear. 12 Gaird, guard. 13 Solist, solicit. 14 Raffle, play for stakes. 15 Dragged him to hurling the hatchet. 16 Wightly wallop, briskly gallop. 17 Galmoundis, gambades, prancings of trained horses. There was few of that garisoun "Hold thy tongue, brother,” quoth another, 240 "I know a fairer by fifteen futher: 17 Sir, when ye please to Lithgow pass, There shall ye see a lusty lass!"'"Now trittle trattle trollylow," Quoth the third man, “thou does but mow! When his grace comes to fair Stirling, There shall he see a dayis derlyng." 18— [Four lines omitted.] Thus every man said for himself Was trampit down into the dust How they, like any busy bees, 260 270 280 290 18 Derlyng, darling. And who most to my scathe consentit That all the realm might make no redding 16 While on each side there was bloodshedding And feildit 17 either in land or burgh At Lithgow, Melrose, and Edinburgh. 350 360 Taking in realms the governal, Baith guiding court and sessioun Contrar to their professioun, Whereof I think they should have shame Of spiritual priests to take the name. For Isaias in to his wark Calls them like dogs that cannot bark, That callit are priests and cannot preach Nor Christis law to the people teach. Gif for to preach ben their profession Why should they mell with court or session, Except it were in spiritual things; Referring unto lords and kings Temporal causes to be decidit? Gif they their spiritual office guidit That they were fain to trot o'er Tweed. Now, potent prince, I say to thee That I have livit to see this day 380 And in this realm has made such order And mollet moylie 10 on a mule Both through the Hieland and the Border, That Oppression and all his fallows Are hangit high upon the gallows. Dame PRUDENCE has thee by the head, And TEMPERANCE does thy bridle lead, I see Dame FORCE 22 make assistance And lusty Lady Chastity Has banished Sensuality. Dame Riches takes on thee such cure 23 That Poverty dare not be seen |