Perhaps these tales were the fictions of antient mythology. Whether the COMOEDIA were facred interludes, or MYSTERIES, for the ftage, or only facred narratives, I cannot determine. Another of his original poems is the PALICE OF HONOUR, a moral vifion, written in the year 1501, planned on the defign of the TABLET of Cebes, and imitated in the elegant Latin dialogue De Tranquillitate Animi of his countryman Florence Wilfon, or Florentius Volufenus'. It was first printed at London, in 1553". The object of this allegory, is to shew the inftability and infufficiency of worldly pomp; and to prove, that a conftant and undeviating habit of virtue is the only way to true Honour and Happiness, who refide in a magnificent palace, fituated on the fummit of a high and inacceffible mountain. The allegory is illustrated by a variety of examples of illuftrious perfonages; not only of those, who by a regular perfeverance in honourable deeds gained admittance into this fplendid habitation, but of those, who were excluded from it, by debafing the dignity of their eminent stations with a vicious and unmanly behaviour. It is addressed, as an apologue for the conduct of a king, to James the fourth; is adorned with many pleasing incidents and adventures, and abounds with genius and learning. Lugd. apud Seb. Gryph. 1543. 4to. m In quarto. Again, Edinb. 1579. 4to. When pale Aurora with face lamentable." Douglafs also wrote a fmall Latin Hiftory of Scotland. See alfo a DIALOGUE CONcerning a theological subject to be debated between, duos famatos viros, G. Douglas provoft of faint Giles, and mafter David Cranstoun bachelour of divinity, prefixed to John Major's COMMENTARII in prim. Sentent. Parif. 1519. fol. SECT. WTM SECT. XIV. ITH Dunbar and Douglafs I join Sir David Lyndefay, although perhaps in strictness he should not be placed fo early as the clofe of the fifteenth century. He appears to have been employed in feveral offices about the person of James the fifth, from the infancy of that monarch, by whom he was much beloved; and at length, on account of his fingular skill in heraldry, a science then in high estimation and among the most polite accomplishments, he was knighted and appointed Lion king of arms of the kingdom of Scotland. Notwithstanding these fituations, he was an excellent scholar ". Lyndefay's principal performances are The DREME, and The MONARCHIE. In the addrefs to James the fifth, prefixed: to the DREME, he thus, with much tenderness and elegance, speaks of the attention he paid to his majesty when a child. When thou wes young, I bare thee in myne arme He adds, that he often entertained the young prince with various dances and gefticulations, and by dreffing himself in feigned characters, as in an interlude. A new proof that theatrical diverfions were now conimon in Scotland. Sumtyme in danfing feirelie I flang, And fumtyme playand fairfis on the flure: ' * * * * And fumtyme lyke ane feind 'transfigurate, In the PROLOGUE to the DREME, our author difcovers ftrong talents for high defcription and rich imagery. In a As ane chapman bures his pak, I bure thy grace upon my bak; And fometimes ftridlingis on my nek, Danfand with many bend and bek.And ay quhen thow come from the scule, Than I behufit to play the fule.I wol thou luffit me better than Nor now fome wyfe dois hir gude man. Playing farces, frolics. In the shape of a fiend. The griefly ghoft of Guy earl of Warwick. "Disguised, mafked, to make sport. SIGNAT. D. i. He adds, what illustrates the text, above. So fen thy birth I have continuallie That is, fewer, and cupper or butler. He That is, the prophecies of Thomas Rymour, venerable Bede, and Merlin. [See fupr. vol. i. p. 74. 75. feq. And MSS. Afhm. 337.6.] Thomas the RIMOUR, or Thomas Leirmouth of Erceldoun, seems to have wrote a poem on Sir Triftram. Rob. BRUNNE fays this ftory would exceed all others, If men yt fayd as made THOMAS. That is, "If men recited it according to "the original compofition of Thomas Er"celdoun, or the RIMOUR." See Langtoft's CHRON. Append. Pref. p. 100. vol. i. edit. Hearne. Oxon. 1725. 8vo. He flourished about 1280. I do not understand, The reid Etin, and the gyir catling: but gyir is a make or masquerade. Many of Lyndefay's Interludes are among Lord Hyndford's manufcripts of Scotch poetry, and are exceedingly obfcene. One of Lyndefay's MORALITIES, called, ANE SATYRE OF THE THREE ESTAITS in commendation of vertew and vytuperation of vyce, was printed at Edinburgh, 1602. This piece, which is intirely in rhyme, and confifts of a variety of measures, must have taken up four hours in the representation. morning morning of the month of January, the poet quits the copfe and the bank, now deftitute of verdure and flowers, and walks towards the fea-beach. The dawn of day is expreffed by a beautiful and brilliant metaphor. By this, fair Titan with his lemis licht Oer all the land had spred his banner bricht. In his walk, mufing on the defolations of the winter, and the distance of spring, he meets Flora disguised in a sable robe ". I met dame Flora in dule weid diffgyfit*, The birds are then represented, flocking round Nature, complaining of the severity of the season, and calling for the genial warmth of summer. The expoftulation of the lark with Aurora, the fun, and the months, is conceived and conducted in the true spirit of poetry. "Allace, AURORE, the fyllie lark gan cry, « Quhare has thou left thy balmy liquour sweit, "O fair Phebus, where is thy holfum heit? Quhair art thou, MAY, with JUNE thy fifter fchene, "Weill bordourit with dafyis of delyte? "And gentill JULIE, with thy mantill grene The poet afcends the cliffs on the fea-fhore, and entering a cavern, high in the crags, fits down to register in rhyme fome mery mater of antiquitie. He compares the fluctuation of the fea with the inftability of human affairs; and at length, be ing comfortably Throuded from the falling fleet by the closeness of his cavern, is lulled asleep by the whistling of the winds among the rocks, and the beating of the tide. He then has the following vifion. He fees a lady of great beauty, and benignity of afpect;" who fays, fhe comes to footh his melancholy by fhewing him fome new fpectacles. Her name is REMEMBRANCE. Inftantaneously she carries him into the center of the earth. Hell is here laid open; which is filled with popes, cardinals, abbots, archbishops in their pontifical attire, and ecclesiastics of every degree. In explaining the caufes of their punishments, a long fatire on the clergy enfues. With thefe are joined bishop Caiphas, bifhop Annas, the traitor Judas, Mahomet, Chorah, Dathan, and Abiram. Among the tyrants, or unjust kings, are Nero, Pharaoh, and Herod. Pontius Pilate is hung up by the heels. He fees alfo many ducheffes and counteffes, who fuffer for pride and adultery. She then gives the poet a view of purgatory*. b It was a part of the old mundane system, that hell was placed in the centre of the earth. So a fragment, cited by Hearne, GLOSSARY Rob. Glouc. ii. 583. Ryght fo is hell-pitt, as clerkes telles, "pourrait eftre en fi noble lieu comme eft "l'air, &c." ch. viii. See above, p. 197. feq. I have there. mentioned a Vision of Hell, under the title of OWAYNE MILES. One Gilbertus Ludenfis, a monk fent by king Stephen into Ireland, where he founded a monastery, with an Irish knight called OEN, wrote De OENI Vifione in Purgatorio. See Wendover, apud Mat. Paris, fub ann. 1153 Reg. |