Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

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,
With bow, buckler, and brand.3

So where they ride intill the rye
The deil mot sane+ the company,

I pray it fra my heart truly.
This said Jock Up-a-land.

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
To husbands 10 reason do with skill,
To chack" those chieftains by the heads
And hang them high upon a hill,
Then husbands labour might their steads 12
And priests might patter and pray their fill;
For husbands should not have sic pleads, 13
And sheep and nolt 14 might lie full still

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
For hunger, or for fault of food
To five or sax wee bairns or mae,

They will him hang in halters rude; But gif ane tak a flock or sae,

A bow of ky,20 and let them blood,
Full safely may he ride or gae;
I wit not gif these laws be good,

I shrew them first them fand.
O Jesu, for thy holy passióun
Grant to him grace that wears the crown
To ding these mony kings all down!
This said Jock Up-a-land.

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,

[blocks in formation]

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 :

[blocks in formation]

"Why gettis thou not some piece of land

As well as other men has gotten?"
Then wish I to be dead and rotten,
With sic extreme discomforting
That I can make no answering.

I would some wise man did me teach
Whether that I should flatter or fleich.2
I will not flyte, that I conclude,
For crabbing of thy celsitude; 3
And to flatter I am defamit:
Want I reward, then am I shamit.
But I hope thou shall do as weill
As did the father of fameill
Of whom Christ makis mentioun,
Whilk, for a certain pensioun,
Fet men to work in his vineyard,

30

[blocks in formation]

So I am sure thy Majesty

Shall once reward me ere I die,

And rub the rust off my ingine 5
Which ben, for languor, like to tine,"
Although I beir7 not like a bard,
Long service carnis aye reward.
I cannot blame thine excellence
That I so long want recompence.
Had I solistit 8 like the lave9

My reward had not been to crave;
But now I may well understand
A dumb man yet wan never land,
And in the court man gets no thing
Without inopportune asking.
Alas! my sloth and shamefulness
Debarrit fra me all greediness.

[blocks in formation]

But I took ne'er none other cure
In special but for thy plesour.
But now I am na mair despaird
But I shall get princely reward,
The whilk to me shall be mair glore
Nor them thou did reward afore.
When men does ask ought at a king,
Should ask his grace a noble thing,
To his excellence honórabill
And to the askér profitabill.
Though I be in my asking lidder,13
I pray thy grace for to consider:
Thou has made both lords and lairds,
And has gi'en mony rich rewairds
To them that was full far to seek
When I lay nightly by thy cheek.

I take the Queenis grace, thy mother,
My Lord Chanc'lare and mony other,
Thy nowreis 14 and thy old mistréss

I take them all to bear witness.
And Willie Dile, were he alive,
My life full weill he could descrive:
How as a chapman bears his pack,
I bore thy grace upon my back,
And sometimes straddlings on my neck
Dansand with mony bend and beck.
The first syllabis that thou did mute 15
Was "Pa Da Lin;"
"16 upon the lute
Then playt I twenty springis 17 perqueir,18
Which was great pieté 19 for to hear.
From play thou never let me rest

But gynkartoun 20 thou lovit aye best:
And aye when thou come from the school
Then I behovit to play the fool:

As I at length into my Dreme
My sundry service did expreme.
Though it ben better, as sayis the wise,

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

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

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.

[blocks in formation]

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.
But my asking I gat o'er soon
Because a clips1 fell in the moon
The whilk all Scotland made asteir.
Then did my purpose run arrear,
The which were longsome to declare,
And als my heart is wonder sare2
When I have in remembrance

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
The governance of all Scotland.
As who would, in a stormy blast,
When mariners ben all aghast
Through danger of the seis rage,
Would take a child of tender age
Whilk never had been on the sey
And to his bidding all obey,
Giving him whole the governal
Of ship, marchand and marinal,5

[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

120

130

140

Without God's grace is no refúge;
Gif there be danger, ye may juge.
I give them to the devil of hell
Which first devisit that counsell.
I will not say that it was treason,
But I dare swear it was no reason.

I pray God, let me never see ryng7
In to this relm so young a king.

I may not tarry to decide it

How then the Court a while was guidit
By them that peirtly took on hand
To guide the King and all Scotland;
And als longsome for to declare
Their facund flattring wordis fair.

Sir, some would say, "Your Majesty
Shall now go to your liberty;
Ye shall to no man be coactit
Nor to the school no more subjectit,
We think them very natural fools
That learns o'er mickle at the schools.
Sir, ye maun leir9 to run a speir
And guide you like a man of weir, 10

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,
Some harled him to the hurly hacket,15
And some to show their courtly courses
Would ride to Leith and run their horses,
And wightly wallop 16 over the sands;
Ye neither sparit spurs nor wands;
Castand galmoundis 17 with bends and becks,
For wantonness some brake their necks.
There was no play but cards and dice,

180

[graphic]
[graphic]

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.

[blocks in formation]

There was few of that garisoun
That lernit 16 him any good lessoun,
But some to crake and some to clatter,
Some made the fool and some did flatter.
Quoth one," The devil stick me with a knife,
But, sir, I know a maid in Fife."

"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
And did amongst them part the pelf.
But I, alas! ere ever I wust 19

Was trampit down into the dust
With heavy charge, withouten more,
But I wist ne'er yet wherefore,
And hastily, before my face,
Another slippit in my place
Which richély gat his rewaird
And stylit was the Ancient Laird.
That time I might make no defence,
But took, perforce, in patience,
Prayand to send them a mischance
That had the Court in governance
The which against me did malyng 20
Contrar the pleasure of the King.
For well I knew his grace's mind
Was ever to me true and kind,
And contrar their intention
Gart pay me well my pension.21
Though I awhile wantit presénce
He let me have no indigence.
When I durst neither peep nor look
Yet would I hide me in a nook
To see those uncouth vanities,

How they, like any busy bees,
Did occupy their golden hours
With help of their new governours.
But, my Complaint for to complete,
I gat the sour and they the sweet.
Als John Macreary the Kingis fule
Gat double garments again the yule,
Yet, in his maist triumphant glore,
For his reward gat the grand gore.
Now in the court seindell he goes
In dread men stramp upon his toes;
As I that time durst not be seen
In open court for baith my eyne.
Alas, I have no time to tarry
To show you all the fery fary; 24
How those that had the governance
Among themselves raised variance,

[blocks in formation]

260

270

280

290

18 Derlyng, darling.

[blocks in formation]

And who most to my scathe consentit
Within few yearis sore repentit,
When they could make me no remeid:
For they were hurlit out by the heid,
And others took the governing
Well worse than they in alkin' thing.
They lordis took no more regard
But who might purchase best reward.
Some to their friends gat beneficeis
And other some gat bishopreis.
For every lord as he thought best
Brought in a bird to fill the nest,
To be a watchman to his marrow,2
They gan to draw at the cat harrow.3

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

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.
But to deplore I think great pain
Of noble men that there was slain,
And also longsome to be reportit
Of them which to the court resortit ;
As tyrants, traitors, and transgressors,
And common public plain oppressors,
Men murdresaris 18 and common thieffis
In to 19 that court gat, all, reliefis.
There was few lords in all their lands
But to new Regents made their bands.
Then rais a reik 20 ere ever I wist
The which gart all their bandis brist,21
Then they alone which had the guiding

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

[blocks in formation]

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
I thank the Holy Trinity

That I have livit to see this day
That all that world is went away,
And thou to no man art subjectit
Nor to such counsellors coactit.
The four great virtues cardinals
I see them with the principals:
For JUSTICE holds her sword on hie
With her balance of equitie,

380

[blocks in formation]

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

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

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
Berand thy targe of assurance,

And lusty Lady Chastity

Has banished Sensuality.

Dame Riches takes on thee such cure 23
I pray God that she long endure,

That Poverty dare not be seen
In to thy house for both her eyne,
But from thy grace fled many miles
Among the hunters in the isles.
Dissimulance dare not show her face
Which wont was to beguile thy grace;

[blocks in formation]
« ElőzőTovább »