Part 13

Leif[1138], burgess men, or all be loist, On your wyfis to mak sic cost, Quhilk may gar all your bairnis bleir[1139]: Scho that may not want wyne and roist Is abill for to waist sum geir.

Betwene thame and nobillis of blude Na difference bot ane velvous huid! Thair camroche curcheis[1140] ar als deir; Thair uther claythis ar als guid; And thai als costlie in uther geir.

Bot, wald grit ladyis tak gud heid To thair honour, and find remeid, Thai suld thole[1141] na sic wyfis to weir, Lyk lordis wyfis, ladyis weid, As dames of honour in thair geir.

I speik for na despyt trewlie, (My-self am nocht of faultis frie), Bot that ye sould nocht perseveir Into sic folische vanitie For na newfangilnes of geir.

Of burgess wyfis thoch I speik plaine, Sum landwart[1142] ladyis ar als vain, As be thair cleithing may appeir; Werand[1143] gayer nor thame may gain-- On ouir[1144] vaine claythis waistand geir.

[1108] wondrous.

[1109] know.

[1110] spend.

[1111] novelty.

[1112] to add to.

[1113] marvel.

[1114] many.

[1115] “Of finest cambric their foc’sles,” an allusion to the actual turret which formed the forecastle of ancient ships of war, to which the high breast-trimming of ladies’ dresses probably presented some likeness.

[1116] hanging.

[1117] jelly bags.

[1118] Their under-petticoats must.

[1119] Broidered.

[1120] sewed with stripes of lace or silk.

[1121] enquire.

[1122] Barred above with drawn head-pieces. _O. Fr._ teste, tête.

[1123] necklaces and throat beads.

[1124] set high.

[1125] young person. Perhaps Dutch _jonker_.

[1126] sandals anciently worn by persons of rank.

[1127] lament.

[1128] doing what is becoming.

[1129] Be assured.

[1130] many a parcel, fortune.

[1131] learn.

[1132] clothe.

[1133] to glide across the street.

[1134] no mumming cards (playing cards with figures) early or late.

[1135] able.

[1136] Frequent.

[1137] to con by heart.

[1138] Leave off.

[1139] aspersion.

[1140] cambric kerchiefs.

[1141] suffer.

[1142] country.

[1143] Wearing.

[1144] over.

NA KYNDNES AT COURT WITHOUT SILLER.

Sumtyme to court I did repair, Thairin sum errandis for to dress[1145], Thinkand I had sum freindis thair To help fordwart my buseness: Bot, nocht the les, I fand nathing bot doubilness; Auld kyndnes helpis nocht ane hair.

To ane grit court-man I did speir[1146], That I trowit my friend had bene Becaus we war of kyn sa neir; To him my mater I did mene[1147]; Bot, with disdene, He fled as I had done him tene[1148], And wald nocht byd my taill to heir.

I wend[1149] that he in word and deid For me, his kynsman, sould have wrocht; Bot to my speiche he tuke na heid; Neirnes of blude he sett at nocht. Than weill I thocht Quhan I for sibnes[1150] to him socht[1151] It wes the wrang way that I geid[1152].

My hand I put into my sleif, And furthe of it ane purs I drew, And said I brocht it him to geif[1153]. Bayth gold and silver I him schew; Than he did rew That he unkindlie me misknew; And hint[1154] the purs fest in his neif.[1155]

Fra tyme he gat the purs in hand He kyndlie ‘Cousin’ callit me, And baid me gar him understand My buseness all haillalie, And swair that he My trew and faythfull friend sould be In courte as I pleis him command.

For quhilk, better it is, I trow; Into the courte to get supplé[1156], To have ane purs of fyne gold fow[1157], Nor to the hiest of degre Of kyn to be. Sa alteris our nobilitie: Grit kynrent[1158] helpis lytill now.

Thairfoir, my freindis, gif ye will mak All courte men youris as ye wald, Gude gold and silver with you tak; Than to get help ye may be bald; For it is tauld Kyndness of courte is coft and sald[1159]; Neirnes of kyn na-thing thai rak[1160].

[1145] attend to.

[1146] inquire.

[1147] complain.

[1148] made him angry.

[1149] deemed.

[1150] kinship.

[1151] made my way.

[1152] went.

[1153] give.

[1154] seized.

[1155] fist.

[1156] help.

[1157] full.

[1158] kindred.

[1159] bought and sold.

[1160] reck.

ON THE FOLYE OF ANE AULD MANIS MARYAND ANE YOUNG WOMAN.

Amang all folleis ane great folye I find, Quhen that ane man past fyftie yeir of aige That in his vaine consait he growes sa blind As for to join him-selffe in maryage With ane young lass quhais bluid is yet in raige, Thinkand that he may serve hir appetyte; Quhilk and he faill than[1161] will scho him dispyte.

Still ageit men sould jois[1162] in morall taillis, And nocht in taillis: for folye is to mary Fra tyme that baith thair strenthe and nature faillis, And tak ane wyf to bring him-selffe in tarye[1163]; For fresche Maii and cauld Januarij Agreeis nocht upon ane sang in tune, The tribbill wantis that sould be sang abune[1164].

Men sould tak voyage at the larkis sang, And nocht at evin quhen passit is the day. Efter mid-age the luifar[1165] lyes full lang, Quhen that his hair is turnit lyart[1166] gray. Ane auld beird till ane quhyte mouth to lay In-to ane bed, it is ane piteous sycht: The ane cryes help! the uther hes no mycht.

Till haive bene merchand bygaine monie ane yeir In Antwerp, Burges, and in town of Berrie, Syne in-to Deip for to tyne[1167] all his geir With vane conseat to puir[1168] himselffe, and herrie[1169]. Grit perell is for to pas our the ferrie In-to ane laikand boit[1170] nocht naillit fast, To beir the saill nocht havand ane steife mast.

To tak ane mellein[1171] that grit lawbour requyris, Syne wantis grayth[1172] for to manure the land; Quhair seid wantis then men of teilling tyris; Than cumis ane, findis it waist lyand, Yokis his pleuch, teilleis[1173] at his awin hand. Better had bene the first had never kend it[1174] Nor thoill[1175] that schame. And sa my tale is endit.

[1161] Of which if he fail then.

[1162] joy.

[1163] vexation.

[1164] above.

[1165] lover.

[1166] partly, _lit._ greyish.

[1167] lose.

[1168] impoverish.

[1169] harry, ruin.

[1170] leaking boat.

[1171] farm.

[1172] substance.

[1173] tills.

[1174] known it.

[1175] suffer.

AGANIS THE THEIVIS OF LIDDISDAILL.

Of Liddisdaill the commoun theifis Sa pertlie[1176] steillis now and reiffis[1177], That nane may keip Hors, nolt, nor scheip, Nor yit dar sleip For thair mischeifis.

Thay plainlie throw the countrie rydis; I trow the meikill[1178] devill thame gydis: Quhair thay onsett Ay in thair gait[1179] Thair is na yett[1180] Nor dure thame bydis[1181].

Thay leif richt nocht[1182]; quhairever thay ga Thair can na-thing be hid thame fra; For, gif men wald Thair housis hald, Than waxe they bald To burn and slay.

Thay theifis have neirhand herreit haill[1183] Ettrick forest and Lauderdaill; Now ar they gane In Lothiane, And spairis nane That thay will waill[1184].

Thai landis ar with stouth sa socht[1185] To extreme povertie ar brocht; Thai wicked schrowis[1186] Has laid[1187] the plowis, That nane or few is That are left ocht[1188].

Bot commoun taking of blak-maill,[1189] Thay that had flesche and breid and aill Now ar sa wraikit[1190], Maid puir and naikit, Fane to be staikit[1191] With watter-caill[1192].

Thai theifis that steillis and tursis[1193] hame, Ilk ane of thame hes ane to-name-- Will of the Lawis, Hab of the Schawis. To mak bair wawis[1194] Thay think na schame.

Thay spuilye[1195] puir men of thair pakis[1196]; Thay leif thame nocht, on bed nor bakis; Bayth hen and cok, With reill and rok[1197], The Landis Jok All with him takis.

Thay leif not spendill, spoone, nor speit, Bed, bowster, blanket, sark, nor scheit; Johne of the Parke Rypis kist[1198] and ark; For all sic wark He is richt meit.

He is weill kend, Johne of the Syde; A gretar theif did never ryde: He nevir tyris For to brek byris; Our muir and myris Our gude ane gyide[1199].

Thair is ane, callit Clements Hob, Fra ilk puir wyfe reiffis hir wob[1200], And all the laif[1201], Quhatever thay haif: The deuil resave Thairfoir his gob[1202]!

To sic grit stouth quha-eir wald trow it But gif sum greit man it allowit? Rycht sair I rew, Thocht it be trew, Thair is sa few That dar avow it.

Of sum grit men they have sic gait[1203] That redy ar thame to debait[1204], And will up weir[1205] Thair stolin geir, That nane dar steir[1206] Thame, air nor lait.

Quhat causis theifis us our-gang[1207] Bot want of justice us amang? Nane takis cair Thocht all forfair[1208]: Na man will spair Now to do wrang.

Of stouth thocht now thay cum gud speid That nather of men nor God hes dreid, Yit, or I die, Sum sall thame sie Hing on a trie Quhill[1209] thay be deid.

[1176] boldly.

[1177] rob.

[1178] great.

[1179] path.

[1180] gate.

[1181] abides, withstands.

[1182] They leave quite nothing.

[1183] almost wholly harried.

[1184] choose.

[1185] with theft so wasted.

[1186] Those wicked villains.

[1187] rendered inactive.

[1188] aught.

[1189] Blackmail was the yearly sum paid by farmers on the Highland and English borders to some powerful chieftain like Rob Roy or Johnnie Armstrong, who in return undertook to make good any losses by depredation.

[1190] wrecked.

[1191] accommodated.

[1192] broth made without meat.

[1193] carry off.

[1194] walls.

[1195] despoil.

[1196] stores.

[1197] reel and distaff.

[1198] Searches chest.

[1199] Too good a guide.

[1200] robs her web.

[1201] rest.

[1202] stomach.

[1203] such access.

[1204] to make contention for.

[1205] herd, protect.

[1206] stir.

[1207] oppress.

[1208] Though all perish.

[1209] Till.

ADVYCE TO LESOM MIRRINESS.

Quhen I haive done considder This warldis vanitie, So brukill and sa slidder[1210], Sa full of miserie; Then I remember me That heir thair is no rest; Thairfoir appeirantlie To be mirrie is best.

Let us be blyth and glaid, My freindis all, I pray. To be pensive and sad Na-thing it help us may. Thairfoir put quyt away All heviness of thocht: Thocht we murne nicht and day It will availl us nocht.

It will not be our sorrow That will stoip Godis hand, To strik baith evin and morrow Baith on the sie and land. Sen nane may it gainestand[1211] Let us be all content To underly the wand Of Godis punischment.

Quhat God pleasis to do Accept it thankfullie; Quhat paine he puttis us to Receive it pacientlie. And give[1212] that we wald be Releveit of our paine, For sin ask God mercie, Offend Him nocht againe.

Give we will mak murning, Sould be for our offence, And not that God dois bring On us for violence, For ane dyveris pretence; For some He will puneis To proive thair patience, And som for thair great miss[1213].

Sen first the warld began Thair hes bein trubill ay For punischment of men, And sall quhill domisday. And sen we may not stay Quhat God pleis do us till, Quhat He will on us lay Receive it with guid will.

For God will lay som scurge Quhill that the warld tak end; Fra sin the warld to purge Will ay som plaigis send. Bot quha will lyfe amend, And preis[1214] to sin no moir, Then God will him defend Fra everlasting cair.

Yet plainelie I concluide, Into all wardlieness Nathing for man sa guide As lesome[1215] mirrines; For thair is na riches Sa lang his lyfe can lenthe, Conserve him fra seiknes, And keip him in his strenthe.

Thairfoir with trew intent Let us at God ask grace Our sines to repent Quhill we haive tyme and space; Syne bring us to that place Quhair joy is evermoir, And sie God face to face In His eternall gloir.

[1210] So brittle and slippery.

[1211] withstand.

[1212] if.

[1213] fault.

[1214] strive.

[1215] lawful.

ALEXANDER SCOT.

Of several poets who owe the preservation of their works and memory entirely to the writer of the Bannatyne Manuscript, the chief is Alexander Scot. Pinkerton termed him the Anacreon of old Scottish poetry, and placed him at the head of the ancient minor poets of his country--a judgment in which succeeding critics have uniformly agreed.

As with many other of these ancient singers, almost nothing is certainly known of the facts of Scot’s life, the little information we possess consisting almost wholly of deduction from the poet’s works themselves. Dr. Laing was inclined to set his birth about the year 1520, and quoted a precept of legitimation from the Privy Seal Register of 1549 as possibly concerning him. This precept, if proved to refer to the poet, would declare him a natural son of Alexander Scot, prebendary of the Chapel Royal of Stirling. The presumption, however, is somewhat slight. From the refrain of “The Justing at the Drum” it has been inferred that he resided in the neighbourhood of Dalkeith, near Edinburgh. One of his pieces, in the opinion of Lord Hailes, expresses the “Lament of the Maister of Erskyn,” who was killed at Pinkie-cleugh in 1547, and from this and other allusions it is gathered that Scot began writing at least so early as 1545, while, of course, none of his extant verse can be of later date than 1568, the year in which Bannatyne compiled his MS. The general strain of the poems declares Scot to have been a layman; from the occurrence of several legal terms in his work it has been suggested that he was a jurist; and from expressions such as that in “Ane New Yeir Gift to the Quene Mary,” in which he prays God to give the young ruler grace “to punisch papistis and reproche oppressouris,” it seems clear that he favoured the principles of the Reforming party. On only one point of his personal history, however, entire certainty exists. The colophon of his poem “To luve vnluvit” expressly states that the piece was written “quhen his wyfe left him.” From two of his compositions, “Luve preysis,” and “Vp, helsum hairt,” it might be gathered that his lady was of higher rank than himself, a fact which, if true, might account for his wedded unhappiness. Perhaps he was one of those whose love, too complete and obvious, fails to exact adequate return. This possibility, indeed, he seems to have discovered, as in more than one of his later poems he sorrowfully counsels something of reserve and self-restraint as the best policy of the lover. His experience had also the effect of opening his eyes to the shortcomings of the other sex, and induced him to allude to these in lines of biting satire. A passage in a poem of his contemporary Montgomerie informs us that Scot lived to advanced years. In a sonnet to Robert Hudson, written about the year 1584, the author of “The Cherrie and the Slae” refers to “old Scot” as still alive.

With a few exceptions, the poems of Scot[1216] are all of the amatory kind, and, taken together, form a fairly complete comment on the pains, the pleasures, and the arts of love. His longest composition, the “New Yeir Gift to Quene Mary” sheds much curious light upon the social conditions of 1562; and in “The Justing at the Drum,” an imitation of “Chrystis Kirk on the Grene,” he has followed the initiative of Dunbar and Lyndsay, and in a quaint strain of humour has burlesqued the practice of the tourney. Of the general tenor of his work the lines of Allan Ramsay may be taken as a fair description.

Licht-skirtit lasses, and the girnand wyfe, Fleming and Scot haif painted to the lyfe. Scot, sweit-tungd Scot, quha sings the Welcum hame To Mary, our maist bony Soverane Dame. How lyflie he and amorous Stuart sing Quhen lufe and bewtie bid them spred the wing![1217]

[1216] As already stated, the preservation of all the extant compositions attributed to Scot is owed to Bannatyne’s MS. From this several pieces were printed by Ramsay, Hailes, Pinkerton, and Sibbald, in their several collections. The poems were first gathered into one volume by Laing, who printed an octavo edition of one hundred copies for private circulation at Edinburgh in 1821. Another edition, of seventy copies, by Alexander Smith, was printed at Glasgow in 1882. And in 1887 a modernised version of considerable merit by William M’Kean, “based mainly on Laing’s collection,” and not containing all the author’s work, was printed at Paisley.

[1217] _Memorials of George Bannatyne_, Edin. 1829, p. 47.

Exhibiting mastery of a surprising variety of stanza forms, his verse possesses an ease and finish unsurpassed in his time. Here and there he flashes out in a terse aphoristic style, as when he gives his views on womankind--

Thay wald be rewit, and hes no rewth; Thay wald be menit, and no man menis; Thay wald be trowit, and hes no trewth; Thay wiss thair will that skant weill wenys.

Not less is he at home in paradox:

For nobillis hes nocht ay renown, Nor gentillis ay the gayest goun; Thay cary victuallis to the toun That werst dois dyne. Sa bissely to busk I boun, Ane-vthir eitis the berry doun That suld be myne.

And for expression of downright democratic sentiment, the author of “A man’s a man for a’ that” might have written the lines--

For quhy? as bricht bene birneist brass As siluer wrocht at all dewiss, And als gud drinking out of glass As gold, thocht gold of grittar pryss.

But, apart from its poetic fascination, a peculiar interest attaches to the work of the man who struck the first distinctly modern note in Scottish poetry. Breaking away from the conventional forms of the old makars, Alexander Scot wrote in a direct, natural fashion, and but for their rich quaintness of expression and their antique language, many of his pieces might almost be the work of a poet of the nineteenth century. The form of his work, its aptness to turn upon some single thought or situation, and its general tendency to direct expression of personal feeling and experience, entitle him to be considered the earliest of the more distinctly lyrical poets of Scotland.

THE JUSTING AND DEBAIT VP AT THE DRUM BETUIX WILLIAM ADAMSONE AND JOHINE SYM.

The grit debait and turnament Off trewth no toung can tell, Wes for a lusty lady gent[1218], Betuix twa freikis[1219] fell. For Mars the god armipotent Wes nocht sa ferss him-sell, Nor Hercules, that aikkis vprent, And dang[1220] the devill of hell, With hornis; Vp at the Drum[1221] that day.

Doutles wes nocht so duchty deidis Amangis the dowsy peiris[1222], Nor yit no clerk in story reidis Off sa tryvmphand weiris[1223]; To se so stowtly on thair steidis Tha stalwart knychtis steiris[1224], Quhill bellyis bair for brodding[1225] bleidis With spurris als scherp as breiris[1226], And kene, Vp at the Drum that day.

Vp at the Drum the day wes sett, And fixit wes the feild Quhair baith thir noble chiftanis mett Enarmit vndir scheild. Thay wer sa haisty and sa hett[1227] That nane of thame wald yeild, Bot to debait or be doun bett And in the quarrell keild Or slane, Vp at the Drum that day.

Thair wes ane bettir and ane worss, I wald that it wer wittin[1228]; For William wichttar wes of corss[1229] Nor Sym, and bettir knittin. Sym said he sett nocht by his forss, Bot hecht[1230] he sowld be hittin, And[1231] he micht counter Will on horss; For Sym wes bettir sittin Nor Will, Vp at the Drum that day.

To se the stryfe come yunkeirs[1232] stowt, And mony galyart[1233] man; All denteis deir wes thair but dowt, The wyne on broich[1234] it ran. Trumpettis and schalmis[1235] with a schowt Playid or the rink[1236] began, And eikwall juges satt abowt To se quha tynt or wan[1237] The feild, Vp at the Drum that day.

With twa blunt trincher speiris squair It wes thair interpryiss, To fecht with baith thair facis bair For lufe, as is the gyiss[1238]. Ane freynd of thairis throw hap come thair, And hard the rumor ryiss, Quha stall away thair styngis[1239] baith clair, And hid in secreit wayiss, For skaith[1240], Vp at the Drum that day.

Strang men of armes and of micht Wer sett thame for to sidder. The harraldis cryd “God schaw the rycht!” Syne bad thame go togidder. “Quhair is my speir?” sayis Sym the knycht; “Sum man go bring it hidder.” Bot wald thay tary thair all nycht, Thair lanciss come to lidder[1241] And slaw, Vp at the Drum that day.

Syme flew als fery as a fowne[1242]; Doun fra the horss he slaid, Sayis, “He sall rew my staff hes stowin[1243], For I sal be his deid[1244].” William his vow plicht to the powin[1245], For favour or for feid[1246]; “Als gude the tre had nevir growin, Quhairof my speir wes maid, To just!” Vp at the Drum that day.

Thir vowis maid to syn and mone[1247], Thay raikit[1248] baith to rest, Thame to refress with thair disione[1249] And of thair armour kest. Nocht knawing of the deid wes done, Quhen thay suld haif fairin best, The fyre wes pischt out lang or none[1250] Thair dennaris suld haif drest And dicht[1251], Vp at the Drum that day.

Than wer thay movit owt of mynd Far mair than of beforne. Thay wist nocht how to get him pynd[1252] That thame had drevin to skorne. Thair wes no deth mycht be devynd, Bot ethis[1253] haif thay sworne, He suld deir by be[1254] thay had dynd, And ban that he wes borne Or bred; Vp at the Drum that day.

Than to Dalkeith thai maid thame boun, Reidwod[1255] of this reproche. Thair wes baith wyne and vennisoun, And barrellis ran on broche. Thay band vp kyndness in that toun, Nane fra his feir to foche[1256]; For thair wes nowdir lad nor loun[1257] Micht eit are baikin loche[1258], For fowness[1259], Vp at Dalkeith that day.

Syne eftir denner raiss the din, And all the toun on steir[1260]. William wes wyiss, and held him in, For he wes in a feir[1261]. Sym to haif bargan cowld nocht blin[1262], But bukkit Will on weir[1263]; Sayis, “Gife thow wald this lady win, Cum furth and brek a speir With me!” Vp at Dalkeyth that day.

This still for bargan Sym abyddis, And schowttit Will to schame. Will saw his fais on bath the syddis; Full sair he dred[1264] for blame. Will schortly to his horss he slydis, And sayis to Sym be name, “Bettir we bath wer byand hyddis[1265] And weddir[1266] skynnis at hame, Nor heir;” Vp at Dalkeyth that day.

Now is the growme[1267] that wes so grym Rycht glaid to leif in lie[1268]. “Fy, theif, for schame!” sayis littill Sym, “Will thow nocht fecht with me? Thow art moir lerge of lyth[1269] and lym Nor I am, be sic thre[1270].” And all the feild cryd fy on him, Sa cowartly tuk the fle[1271] For feir, Vp at Dalkeyth that day.

Than every man gaif Will a mok[1272], And said he wes our meik[1273]. Sayis Sym, “Send for thy broder Jok; I sall nocht be to seik. For wer ye foursum[1274] in a flok, I compt yow nocht a leik, Thocht I had rycht nocht bot a rok[1275], To gar your rumpill reik[1276] Behynd!” Vp at Dalkeith that day.