pofition; more efpecially in the glaring affectation of anglicifing Latin words. The feveral books are introduced with metrical prologues, which are often highly poetical; and fhew that Douglas's proper walk was original poetry. In the prologue to the fixth book, he wishes for the Sybill's golden bough, to enable him to follow his master Virgil through the dark and dangerous labyrinth of the infernal regions. But the moft confpicuous of these prologues is a defcription of May. The greater part of which I will infert'. น As fresche Aurore, to mychty Tithone spous, With fanguyne cape, the felvage * purpurate; у Unfchet the wyndois of hir large hall, Spred all with rofis, and full of balme royall. Upwarpis brade, the warlde till illumyne. The twynkling ftremouris of the orient Sched purpour sprayngis with gold and afure ment 2. Abouf the feyis liftis furth his hede Of culloure fore, and fomedele broun as bery, The flambe out braftin at the neis thirlis. Quhil fchortlie, with the blefand' torche of day, Furth of his palice ryall ischit Phebus, Crifp haris, bricht as chriffolite or thopas; g To purge the air, and gilt the tender grene.- k The stabillyt wyndis, and the calmyt se; The loune illuminate are ", and firth" amene: Ouer thowrt clere ftremes fprinkilland for the hete, The new cullour, alichting" all the landis, Forgane the stanryis fchene", and beriall strandis : The bene bonkis keft ful of variant glemes: And luftie Flora did her blomes fprede Under the fete of Phebus fulzeart' stede, The fwardit foyll enbrode with selkouth hewis *, Quhais. blysful branchis, porturate' on the ground, Stude payntit, every fane, phioll, and stage*, Had in thare pasture ete and gnyp away: And blyfsful bloffomys in the blomyt zard 9 Submittis thare hedys in the zoung fonnys fafgard: &c, is plainly arable,, and the fulzeis and fyguris full dyuers, are the various leaves. and flowers of the weeds growing among the corn, and making a piece of embroidery. And here the defcription of corn-fields ends and that of pafture-lands begins at,. The pray by prent, &c. Pray, not as the printed gloffary fays, corruptedly for Spray, but formed, through the French, from the Lat. Pratum, and Spryngand Sproutis, rising fprings, from the Ital. Spruzzare, Spruzzslare, afpergere. Leaves. P Mead. I Rampart. Furth Furth of fresche burgeouns' the wyne grapis zing Sum piers, fum pale, fum burnet, and fum blew, a Sum heuinly colourit in celestial gre, с d Frefche prymrois, and the pourpour violet,. ⚫ Sprigs. t Young. "Trelliffes. Efpaliers for vines. w Locked. Enclosed. Gemmed. * Red. y Watchet. z Blue and wavy. a Unbraid. Grafs embattelled. Heuinlie lyllyis, with lokkerand toppis quhyte, So that ilk burgeon, fyon, herbe, or floure, k Sersand by kynd ane place quhare they fuld lay; till he comes to the rofe, and never at all the fcent of any particular flower, except the rofe, not even of the lily; for I take it, the words, from thare fylkyn croppis, are meant to defcribe the flowers in general; and the balmy vapour to be the fame with the frefche liquour, and the dulce bumouris qubareof the beis wrocht thare bony fwete, an exhalation diftin&t from that which causes the fcent. Afterwards redolent odour, is general; for he certainly means to close his defcription of the vegetable world, by one univerfal cloud of fragrance from all nature. g Seeds. h Redeemed. Released, opened. The gloffary fays, Decked, Beautiful, from Redimitus, Lat. i Shakers. That Milton had his eye upon this paffage is plain, from his describing the |