policy, and the general corruption of public manners, prevailing in Scotland, under the perfonage of the STRONG MAN, that is, tyranny or oppreffion. Yet there are some circumstances which feem to point out a particular feudal lord, famous for his exactions and infolence, and who at length was outlawed. Our teftator introduces himself to the reader's acquaintance, by defcribing his own character and way of life, in the following expreffive allegories. My maister houshold was heich Oppreffioun, Confpiracie, Invy, and Falfe Report, Were my prime counfalouris, leve" and deare; And common Thift tuke on tham fa the steir ", Oppreffioun clikit Gude Reule' be the hair, Qhuill Innocence was murthurit in that thrang ". At length, in confequence of repeated enormities and violations of justice, Duncane fuppofes himself to be imprifoned, and about to suffer the extreme fentence of the law. He therefore very providently makes his laft will, which contains the following witty bequests. To my CURAT Negligence I refigne, d с In purgatorie, quhill thaie be waschin clene, To the VICAR I leif Diligence and Care If the poor have fix pigs and one sow. h His belly full. BELLY was not yet profcribed as a coarse indelicate word. 'It often occurs in our Tranflation of the Bible: and is used, fomewhat fingularly, in a chapter act of Westminster-abbey, fo late as the year 1628. The prebendaries vindicate themselves from the imputation of having reported, that their dean, bishop Williams, repaired the abbey, "out of "the diet, and BELLIES of the preben"daries, and revenues of our faid church, "and not out of his own revenues, &c." Widmore's WESTMINST. ABBEY, p. 213. Append. Nuм. xii. Lond. 1751. Here, as His thocht is mair upon the pasche fynis, Oppreffioun the PERSONE I leif untill I leif unto the DEAN Dignite, bot faill', W Get he not geir, thai fall not come to bliss": as we now think, a periphrafis, at least another term, was obvious. How fhocking, or rather ridiculous, would this expreffion appear in a modern inftrument, figned by a body of clergy! He thinks more of his Eafter-offerings, than of the fouls in purgatory. Pafche is pafchal. PAIS, Eafter. I leave Oppreffion to the PARSON, the proprietor of the great, or rectorial, tythes. To keep the corn of the poor in the rig, or rick. Until he get the tythe all at his will. Suppofe the children fhould beg their bread. Barins, or Bearns. • To build no churches. P So fair a harvest. Without doubt. • A fine for adultery. MAILIS is duties, rents. MAILE-MEN, MAILLERIS, perfons who pay rent. Male is Saxon for tribute or tax. Whence Maalman, Saxon, for one paying tribute. See Spelman and Dufresne, in VV. If a man give a maid one kifs. Chau- He would fuffer for a quart of wine "If he does not get his fine, they will chattels. 1 I leif unto the PRIOURE, for his part, I leif the ABBOT Pride and Arrogance, Of ten thousand markis' may not him fuffice. To the BISCHOP his Free will I allege, y An English gallon. * To read one chapter. ◄ Unto death. • Feign themselves poor. * To ride on a mule with rich trappings. Cavendish fays, that when cardinal Wolfey went embaffador to France, he rode through London with more than twenty fumptermules. He adds, that Wolfey" rode very "fumptuouflie like a cardinal, on a mule; "with his fpare-mule, and his fpare-horse, "covered with crimfon velvett, and gilt "ftirrops, &c." MEM, OF CARD. WOLSEY. edit. Lond. 1708. 8vo. p. 57. When he meets the king of France near Amiens, he mounts another mule, more fuperbly caparifoned. Ibid. p. 69. See alfo p. 192. [See a manufcript of this Life, MSS. LAUD. i. 66. MSS. ARCH. B. 44. Bibl. Bodl.] The fame writer, one of the cardinal's domeftics, fays that he conftantly rode to Westminster-hall," on " on a mule "trapped in crimson velvett with a faddle "of the fame." Ibid. p. 29. 30. In the Computus of Maxtoke priory, in Warwickshire, for the year 1446, this article of expenditure occurs, "Pro pabulo duarum "mularum cum harnefiis domini PRIORIS "hoc anno." Again in the fame year, "Pro freno deaurato, cum fella et panno "blodii coloris, mulæ PRIORIS." MS. penes me fupr. citat. Wiccliffe describes a WORDLY PRIEST, "with fair hors and "jolly, and gay faddles and bridles ring"ing by the way, and himself in costly "clothes and pelure." Lewis's WICCL P. 121. d Continue. • Look out for a bishoprick. * Give, Affign. He will order tryal in his orun court, It is therefore unfafe to attack him. And And weill ye wat the pape is fur fra hame': I leif my Flatterie, and Fals Diffembling, Nor the trew worde of god for to appeiss". Thira gifts that dame Nature has me lent That trew kirkmen get acht belongis to me': Adew all friends, quhill" after that we meit, You well know the pope is at a great distance. * He had rather fit in parliament. 1 Fawn. m Or, Lentron. Lent. "Who get more by making one match, than by preaching a whole Lent. The mendicants gained an eftablishment in families, and were confulted and gave their advice in all cafes. Chaucer's FREERS Had mad full manie a marriage religious romances. Wiccliffe, the grand antagonist of thefe orders, fays that, "Capped (graduated] friers that been "cleped [called] mafters of divinitie, have "their chamber and fervice as lords and kings, and fenden out idiots full of "covetife to preche, not the gofpel, but "chronicles, fables, and lefinges, to plefe "the peple, and to robbe them." Lewis's LIFE OF WICCL. p. 21. xiii. 9 Thefe. Difpofed. Bequeathed. A true churchman, a chriftian on the reformed plan, fhall never get any thing belonging to me. : Whole. U u 2 Till, Quher |