Part 2

The Manuscript in question is a large folio of 132 leaves,[4] on lombard paper, written in a very distinct hand, about the end of the 15th century. It is in the original wooden boards, in perfect preservation, and contains, repeated in different parts of the volume, autograph signatures of "W. Sanclair of Roislin," "Oliver Sinclar of Rosling, knycht," and "W. Sanclair of Roislin, knecht."

It consists of three distinct works:--

I. THE BUKE OF BATAILLES. II. THE BUKE OF THE ORDER OF KNYGHTHEDE. III. THE BUKE OF THE GOVERNANCE OF PRINCES.

To have published the entire volume was considered to be altogether inexpedient, on account of its great extent. Yet not wishing it to remain in comparative obscurity, I readily acceded to Mr Laing's suggestion, in selecting the second of these Works, which forms a distinct treatise by itself, as my contribution to the objects of the ABBOTSFORD CLUB; at the same time subjoining in the Appendix such Specimens of the two other Works as should satisfy all reasonable curiosity. In this way, I hope that whatever is really valuable or interesting in the MS. has been put into an accessible shape, in order to exhibit and preserve from casual destruction ONE OF THE EARLIEST EXISTING SPECIMENS of Scotish prose composition.

A brief account of the Originals may here be given, before endeavouring to throw some light on the life and character of the Translator.

I. THE BUKE OF BATAILLES.

This well known and popular work forms the first and largest portion of the Abbotsford Manuscript. No English version of it is known. In the Appendix will be found the Prologue, the Table of the Chapters in the different Books, and some other Extracts, which may be compared with the corresponding passages, here copied from one of the later editions of the original Work, which bears the following title:--

"Larbre de Batailles.

"Sensuyt larbre des batailles qui traicte de plusieurs choses comme de leglise. Et aussi des faictz de la guerre. Et aussi comment on si doyt gouuerner. Imprime nouuellement a Lyon. (Design cut in wood.) ¶ On les vend a Lyon au pres de nostre dame de confort cheulz Oliuier Arnoullet." 4to. black letter, Sign. A. to M. six, in eights.

¶ CY COMMENCE LE PROLOGUE DU LIURE INTITULE LARBRE DES BATAILLES FAICT ET COMPOSE PAR VNG VENERABLE ET RELIGIEUSE PERSONNE MAISTRE HONNORE BONHOR, PRIEUR DE SALON, ET DOCTEUR EN DECRET.

A LA saincte couronne de France en laquelle auiourdhuy par lordonnance de Dieu regne Charles cinquesme de ce nom tres bien ayme et par tout le monde redoubte soit donne loz, gloire, et victoire sur toutes seigneuries terriennes. Tres hault Prince, ie suis nomme par mon droict nom HONNORE BONHOR Prieur de Salon, indigne docteur en decret, souuenteffoys ay eu en voulente de faire et compiller, selon mon debile entendement, ce petit liure a lhonneur de Dieu premierement de sa benoiste Mere, et de vostre haulte seigneurie Sire. Et les raisons qui mont esmeu et incite a ce faire sont assez bonnes, selon mon aduis.

Premierement, lestat de Saincte Eglise est en telle tribulation et perplexite que si Dieu ny mect remede et vostre Seigneurie, laquelle est acoustumee de acheuer et mettre affin les chieres aduantures de la foy Crestienne, ie ny voy voye ne chemin comme y puisse estre mise bonne ne briefue accordance.

La Deuziesme raison si est, que voyez toute Chrestiente si greuee de guerres, haynes, larrecins et discentions, que a grant peine peut on nommer vng petit pays soit une conte ou duche qui bien soyt en paix.

La Tierce raison si est, que la terre de Prouuence dont ie suis ne et nourry est de present tellement atournee par le changement de noble seigneurie et pour les diversitez doppinions qui sont entre les nobles et le communes que a grant paine pourroit homme tant fust saige racompter les maulx que les gens du pays pour ce debat seuffrent.

La Quarte raison est, que ie considere plusieurs choses dictes de grans clerez modernees que bien pensent entendre les Prophecies anciennes parlans des maulx presens et dient que vng de la haulte lignee de France doit estre celluy par qui les remdes seront donnez au siecle trauailant, et mis en grande pestitance pour lesquelles raisons me suis efforce de faire aulcune chose nouuelle affin que vostre ieunesse soit informee de plusieurs entendemens de la saincte escripture et aussi affin que vostre personne soit plus adonnee de faire secours a la saincte foy de Iesu Crist et faire que les Prophecies qui sentendent de vostre digne personne et escriptures soyent verifiez par voz bonne oeuures si vous supplie mon tres hault Seigneur que rien que ie die en ce liure ne vueillez mespriser car ce que iay mis en luy prent son fondement sus le droit canon et civil et sus naturelle philosophie, qui nest aultre chose que raison de nature et aura nom cestuy liure LARBRE DES BATAILLES pour fournir lequel liure me fault trouuer matiere condecente a ce faire, si mest venu en ymaginacion faire vng Arbre de Dueill, au dessus duquel pourrez veoir les regnes de Saincte Eglise en grandes et merueilleuses tribulations. Apres pourrez veoir la grande discention qui est auiourdhuy entre les Roys et Princes Crestiens. Pareillement pourrez veoir le grande discencion et murmure qui est entre les Nobles et les Communes. Et deuiseray mon Liure en quatre parties principalles ainsi comme a plain est cy apres declaire dont en la premiere partie sera faicte mention des tribulations de l'eglise jadis passees devant l'advenement de Jesu Christ nostre Sauveur. En la seconde partie sera traicte de la destruction des quatre grans royaulmes jadis. En la tierce partie sera traicte des batailles en general. En la quarte partie sera dit du battailles en special.

¶ QUELLES CHOSES APPARTIENNENT ESTRE FAICTES A TOUS BONS ROYS ET PRINCES.

CHAPITRE CLXXVI.

On disons aulcune chose des Roys pource que apres Lempereux ilz sont les plus honnorez sur tous les aultres Princes. Et encores ce nom cy de Roy selon la Saincte Escripture sembleroit estre de plus grande excellence que le nom de Lempereur, car nostre Seigneur se nomme et appelle en plusieurs lieux et endroitz de la saincte Escripture Roy des Roys et Seigneur de Seigneurs.

Item, le benoist filz de Dieu en aulcuns lieux de la Saincte Escripture est appele filz du Roy Dauid par humanite. Et ainsi par excellence de ce nom de Roy appellons nous de lignage royal. Et en oultre selon la doctrine et enseignement de Monseigneur, Sainct Paul Apostre qui preschoit au peuple en leur admonestant que pour lhonneur et reuerence de Dieu ilz fussent soubmys a toute creature humaine et en especial au Roy comme au plus noble et excellent de tous les aultres mesmement en approuuant la dignite de ce nom de Roy.

Et pour dire aulcun bon notable auquel ieunes Roys puissent prendre plaisir. Roy qui veult estre bon guerroyer sur saige fier et couraigeux, et de se gens il soit seigneur, comme de quaille espreuier, et soit misericors et rigoureux quant est besoing, et que au besoing soit le premier se darmes veult estre eureux. Pour retourner a nostre propos, &c.

MOULT daultres belles et notables choses appartenans a tous bons Roys et Princes pourroye encores dire et assez trouuer. Mais pour le present ie ne pense plus riens a escripre en ce liure, car ien suis tout lasse. Toutesfoys le temps viendra se Dieu me donne espace de viure que ie escripray aulcunes choses sur les contenances de toutes personnes soyent ecclesiasticques ou seculiers, hommes ou femmes ce qui leur est necessaire dauoir au plus pres que ie pourray de la Saincte Escripture et du droict escript selon les dignites de leur offices. Et ie prie humblement et deuotement a nostre Seigneur, que par sa saincte grace vous doint en telle maniere gouuerner vostre Royaulme et la Saincte Couronne quil vous a commise que apres la fin il vous maine et conduyse a la saincte gloire de Paradis qui iamais ne fauldra. Amen.

¶ CY FINE LE LIURE INTITULE LARBRE DES BATAILLES.

In the Preface to the edition printed by Anthony Verard, at Paris, on the 8th of June 1493, there are several variations; and the sentence in which the name of the Author occurs runs thus--"Mon tres hault et redoubte Seigneur souvent j'ay eu voulente de faire ce present livre," omitting the name altogether. The last Chapter of the work is numbered cxxxxii in Verard's edition, and ends in the same manner as the other.

Of the original Work there are numerous Manuscript copies, and also several early printed editions; but these, as an eminent French Antiquary remarks, are "toutes rares, toutes fautives et defecteuses." In Verard's edition, for instance, the name of Charles VI., to whom the Author dedicated the work, is changed to Charles VIII., in order to pay a compliment to the reigning Sovereign; and in these editions the Author's name is given as Honoré Bonner, instead of Bonnet. The terms of the Author's dedication, (says M. Paulin Paris,) carry us naturally to the first years of the arrival of Louis II. of Anjou to the Sovereignty of Provence, that is to say, from 1384 to 1390. Charles VI., the conqueror of Rosbec, was still young, and the schism of the Church had reached its point of the greatest violence.

M. Paris's analysis of the work is very concise, and may be quoted in his own words:--"L'Arbre d'Honoré Bonnet présente quatre branches principales, 1^o. L'Eglise en schisme. 2^o. Les Rois en guerre. 3^o. Les Grandes en dissension. 4^o. Les Peuples en révolte. Mais l'auteur paroît fort peu soucieux de suivre un ordre quelconque dans son travail. Après avoir dans les premiers chapitres appliqué la prophétie des cinq Anges de l'Apocalypse à l'Histoire Ecclésiastique du XIV^e siècle, il résume les fastes de l'antiquité, puis enfin expose la théorie du comportement des Armes, des droits et des devoirs de tous les vassaux, chevaliers et gens de guerre."[5]

The author HONORÉ BONNET, was a Monk in the Abbey of Ile-Barbe of Lyons, and Prior of Salon in Provence. His name, which is often given as Bonnor, or Bonhor, or Bonnoz, has been ascertained, from an examination of nearly twenty ancient Manuscripts in the Royal Library at Paris, to have been BONNET. A Provençal translation, made in the year 1429 by order of Mossen Ramon de Culdes, is preserved in the same collection, No. 7450; and also a translation in the Catalan dialect, MS. No. 7807. There is some indication of Caxton having translated in part the work in the year 1490, but no copy is known to exist.[6] The original work was first printed at Lyons, by Barthelemy Buyer, 1477, folio; and another edition at Lyons in 1481. It was again printed at Paris, by Anthoine Verard, 1493, folio, of which there is, in the Royal Library at Paris, a magnificent copy printed upon Vellum, with illustrations,--the first representing Charles VIII. receiving the work from Verard the printer, who, as already noticed, had substituted the name of the reigning Monarch instead of Charles VI. of France, at whose request the work was originally written. Van Praet[7] describes this copy, and mentions two other copies on Vellum, but neither of them perfect. The discrepancies existing between the early manuscript and printed copies will readily explain the variations, which will be obvious upon comparing Sir Gilbert Hay's translation with the preceding extracts. It must also be confessed, that to a modern reader Bonnet's Book of Battles is sufficiently tedious and uninteresting; and it need excite no surprize that the Author, as he admits in his concluding chapter, having wearied himself with his task, broke off abruptly--"Mais pour le present je ne pense plus riens a escripre en ce Livre, _car j'en suis tout lasse_;" or, as Sir Gilbert Hay in his translation expresses it--"But in gude faith the Doctour sais, that he was _sa irkit of wryting_, that he mycht nocht as now, na mare tak on hand as to put in this buke of Bataillis," &c.

II. THE BUKE OF THE ORDER OF KNYGHTHOOD.

Although subjoined to "The Buke of Batailles," there is no evidence to show that it was written by the same Author. The original Work, entitled "LE LIVRE DE L'ORDRE DE CHEVALERIE," is anonymous. A copy of it is contained in a magnificent volume, written upon vellum, and illuminated for Henry VII. of England, which forms part of the Royal collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum (MSS. Bibl. Reg. 14 E. II. Art. 5). The Work also exists in a printed form, although now of great rarity. "L'Ordre de Chevalerie, auquel est contenue la maniere comment en doit, faire les Chevaliers, et de l'honneur qui à eux appartient, et de la dignité d'iceulx; compose par ung Chevalier, lequel en sa veillesse fut Hermite." Lyon, Vincent de Portunaris de Trine, 1510, in folio, black letter. It is, however, a proof of the great popularity of the Work, that a copy of it having fallen into the hands of our venerable Typographer, WILLIAM CAXTON, (who probably never heard of Sir Gilbert Hay's previous version,) he added this to his other translations from the French, and having printed his own translation, he addressed the volume to King Richard the Third. It has no date, but must have been printed about the year 1484; and his edition is acknowledged to be one of the rarest specimens of his press. Lewis in his Life of Caxton, 1737; Oldys in his British Librarian, 1738; Ames and Herbert in their Typographical Antiquities, 1749 and 1785; and Dibdin, in his enlarged edition of that work, 1810, and also in his Bibliotheca Spenceriana, 1815, have each given a more or less detailed account of Caxton's translation.

In the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, among the collection of MSS. which belonged to Sir James Balfour of Denmyln, Lord Lyon in the reign of Charles the First, there is a volume, to which he has prefixed this title, "Collectanea Domini Davidis Lyndesay de Monthe Militis Leonis Armorum Regis." This volume is described by Dr Leyden[8] in the Preface to his republication of "The Complaynt of Scotland," but he has confounded two persons of the same name, and who held the same office, at an interval of half a century. The volume, which contains nothing to identify it with Sir David Lyndesay the Poet, is here noticed, from containing a copy of "The Order of Knighthood," without the name of the translator. This is evidently a transcript from Caxton's printed volume, omitting the concluding Address to Richard the Third, in which Caxton introduces his own name as the translator; while the transcriber has used his own discretion in adapting the language to the Scotish orthography and dialect.

Dr Leyden passes over this portion of the MS. in a very summary manner, and strangely says, that it, along with "The Buke of Cote-Armouris," which immediately follows, in Lyndesay's MS., was transcribed from Dame Juliana Berners's Treatise on Hunting, Hawking, &c., which is usually known as the "Booke of St Albans."

The following extracts from the copy of Caxton's volume, in the British Museum, will be sufficient to convey to the reader some idea of the work itself; and to form a comparison of the English and Scotish versions. The first leaf is here given in black letter, line for line, in imitation of the original:--

¶ HERE BEGYNNETH THE TABLE OF THIS PRESENT BOOKE INTYTLED THE BOOK OF THE ORDRE OF CHYUALRY OR KNYGHTHODE.

UNTO THE PRAYSYNGE AND DYUYNE GLORYE OF GOD/ WHICHE IS LORD AND SOUERAYNE KYNGE ABOUE AND OUER ALLE THYNGES CELESTYAL/ AND WORDLY/ WE BEGYNNE THIS BOOK OF THE ORDRE OF CHYUALRY FOR TO SHEWE THAT TO THE SYGNEFYAUNCE OF GOD/ THE PRYNCE ALMYGHTY WHICHE SEYGNO= RYETH ABOUE THE SEUEN PLANETTES/ THAT MA= KE THE COURS CELESTYAL/ AND HAUE POWER & SEYGNORYE IN GOUERNYNGE & ORDEYNYNGE THE BODYES TERRESTRE AND ERTHELY/ THAT IN LYKE WYSE OWEN THE KYNGES PRYNCES AND GRETE LORDES TO HAUE PUYSSAUNCE AND SEYG= NORY UPON THE KNYGHTES/ AND THE KNY= TES BY SYMYLYTUDE OUGHTEN TO HAUE PO= WER AND DOMINACION OUER THE MOYEN PEPLE AND THIS BOOKE CONTEYNETH VIIJ CHAPITRES

¶ THE FYRST CHAPYTRE SAYTH/ HOW A KNYGHT BEYNG AN HEREMYTE DEUYSED TO THE SQUYER THE RULE AND ORDRE OF CHYUALRYE

¶ THE SECOND IS OF THE BEGYNNYNGE OF CHYUALRY

¶ THE THYRD IS OF THOFFYCE OF CHYUALRY

¶ THE FOURTHE OF THEXAMYNACION/ THAT OUGHT TO BE MADE TO THE ESQUYER WHAN HE WYLLE ENTRE IN TO THE ORDRE OF CHYUALRY

¶ THE FYFTHE IS IN WHAT MANER THE SQUYER OUGHT TO RECEYUE CHYUALRY

¶ THE SYXTHE IS OF THE SYGNEFYAUNCE OF THE ARMES LONGYNGE TO A KNYGHT AL BY ORDRE

¶ THE SEUENTH OF THE CUSTOMMES THAT APPERTEYNE TO A KNYGHT

¶ THE EYGHT IS OF THE HONOUR THAT OUGHTE TO BE DONE TO A KNYGHT

¶ THUS ENDETH THE TABLE OF THE BOOK OF CHYUALRY

¶ Here after foloweth the mater and tenour of this said Booke.

And the Fyrst chapyter saith hou the good Heremyte deuysed to the Esquyer the Rule and ordre of Chyualrye.

A Contrey ther was in which it happed that a wyse knyght whiche longe had mayntened the Ordre of Chyualrye/ And that by the force & noblesse of his hyghe courage and wysedom and in auenturyng his body had mayntened warres justes & tornayes & in many batailles had had many noble victoryes & gloryous & by cause he sawe & thought in his corage y^t he my[gh]t not long lyue as he which by long tyme had ben by cours of nature nyghe unto his ende/ chaas to hym an heremytage/ For nature faylled in hym by age/ And hadde no power ne vertu to vse armes as he was woned to do/ Soo that thenne his herytages/ & all his rychesses he lefte to his children/ and made his habytacion or dwellynge place in a greete wode habondaunt of watres and of grete trees/ and hygh berying fruytes of dyuerse manyers/ And fledde the world/ by cause that the feblenesse of his body in the whiche he was by old age fallen/

And that he dishonoured not that/ whiche that in honourable thynges and aventurous hadde ben longe tyme honoured/

The same knyght thynkynge on the dethe/ remembryth the departynge fro this world in to that other/ and also thought of the ryght redoubtable sentence of oure lord in the whiche hym behoued to come to the day of Jugement/ In one of the partyes of the same wode was a fayr medowe/ in whiche was a tree wel laden and charged of fruyte in his tyme/ of which the knyght lyued in the forest/ And vnder the same tree was a fontayne moche fayre and clere/ that arowsed and moysted all the medowe/ And in the same place was the knyght acustomed to come euery daye for to preye and adoure God Almyghty/ To whome he rendryd thankynge of the honoure that he had done to him in this world alle the dayes of his lyf/ In that time it happed at the entryng of a strong wynter/ that a kynge moche noble/ wyse and ful of good custommes/ sente for many nobles/ by cause that he wold hold a grete courte/ And by the grete renommee that was of thys courte/ It happed that a squyer moeued hym for to goo thyder/ in entencion that there he shold be made knyght/

¶ Thus as he wente all allone rydynge vppon his palfroy/ It happed/ that for the trauaylle that he had susteyned of rydynge/ he slepte vpon his horse/

¶ In the meane whyle that he rode soo slepynge/ his palfroye yssued oute of the ryght waye/ and entryd in to the forest/ where as was the knygte Heremyte/ And soo longe he wente/ that he came to the fontayne at the same tyme that the knyght whiche dwellyd in the wode to doo his penaunce was there comen for to praye vnto God/ and for to despyse the vanytees of this worlde/ lyke as he was acustomed euery day/ whan he sawe the squyer come/ he lefte his oroyson/ and satte in the medowe in the shadow of a tree/ And beganne to rede in a lytyl book that he had in his lappe/ And whan the palfroy was come to the fontayne/ he beganne to drynke/ And the squyer that slept anone felte that his hors meued not/ and lyghtly awoke/ And thenne to hym came the knyght whiche was moche old/ and had a grete berde/ longe heer/ and a feble gowne worne and broken for ouer longe werynge/ And by the penaunce that he dayly made was moche discolourd and lene/ And by the teres that he had wepte/ were his eyen moche wasted/ and hadde a regard or countenaunce of moche hooly lyf/ Eche of them merueylled of other/ For the knyghte whiche hadde ben moche longe in his heremytege/ had sene no man sythe that he had lefte the worlde/ And the sqyuer merueylled hym strongly/ how he was comen in to that place/ Thenne descended the squyer fro his palfroy/ and salewed the knyght/ And the knyght receyued hym most wysely/ And after sette them vpon the grasse that one by that other/ And er ony of them spak/ eche of them byheld eche others chere/ The knyght that knewe that the squyer wold not speke fyrst/ by cause that he wold doo to hym reuerence spak fyrst and said/ Fayr frend what is your corage or entent/ and whyther goo ye/ wherfor be ye comen hyther/ Syre sayde he/ the renommee is sprad by ferre contreyes/ that a kynge moche wyse and noble/ hath commaunded a courte general/ And wylle be maade hym selfe newe knyght/ And after adoube and make other newe knyghtes/ estraunge barons and pryue/ And therfore I goo to this courte for to be adoubed knyght/ But whanne I was a slepe for the trauaylle that I haue had of the grete journeyes that I haue made/ my palfroy wente oute of the ryghte way/ and hath brought me vnto this place/ Whanne the knyght herd speke of the knyghthode & chyualrye/ And remembryd hym of thordre of the same/ And of that whiche apperteyneth to a knyght/ he caste out a grete syghe/ and entryd in a grete thou[gh]t remembrynge of the honoure/ in which chyualrye hadde ben so longe mayntened/

¶ In the meane whyle that the knyghte thus thought/ the Esquyer demaunded of hym/ wherof he was so pensyf/

¶ And the knyght answerd to hym/

¶ Fayre sone my thoughte is of the ordre of Knyghthode or Chyualrye/ And of the gretenesse in which a knyght is holden/ in mayntenynge the gretenesse of the honour of chyualry/ Thenne the esquyer prayed to the knyght/ that he wold saye to hym thordre and the manere/ wherfore me ought the better to honoure and kepe in highe worshippe hit/ as it ought to be after the ordenaunce of god/

¶ How sone sayd the knyght knowest thou not what is the rule and ordre of knyghthode/ and I meruaylle how thow darest demaunde chyualrye or knyghthode/ vnto the tyme that thou knowe the ordre/

¶ For noo knyght can loue the ordre/ ne that whiche apperteyneth to his ordre/ but yf he can knowe the defaultes that he dothe ageynst the ordre of chyualry/

Ne no knyght ought to make ony knyghtes/ but yf he hym self knowe thordre.

For a disordynate knyghte is he/ that maketh a knyghte/ and can not shewe the ordre to hym/ ne the customme of chyualry.

¶ In the meane whyle that the knyght sayd these wordes to the esquyer/ that demaunded chyualrye/ withoute that he knewe/ what thynge was chyualrye/ The esquyer answered and sayde to the knyght/ Syre yf hit be your playsyre/ I byseche yow/ that ye wylle saye and telle to me the ordre of chyualrye/

For wel me semeth and thynketh that I should lerne hit for the grete desyre/ that I haue therto/ And after my power I shalle ensiewe hit/ yf hit please yow to enseynge shewe and teche hit me/

¶ Frend sayde the knyght/ the Rule and ordre of chyualrye is wreton in this lytyl booke that I hold here in myn handes in which I rede and am besy somtyme/ to the ende/ that hit make me remembre or thynke on the grace and bounte/ that god hath gyven and done to me in this world/ by cause that I honoured and mayntened with al my power thordre of chiualrye/ For alle in lyke wyse as chyualrye gyueth to a knyghte all that to hym apperteyneth/ In lyke wyse a kny[gh]t ought to gyve alle his forces to honoure chyualrye/