I Wherefore, sen thou has sic capacity To learn to play so pleasantly, and sing, Ride horse, run2 spears, with great audacity, Shoot with hand-bow, cross-bow, and culveting, AMONG THE REST, SIR, LEARN TO BE A KING! The poem usually called the Monarchy, which comprehends more than half the volume, is a sort of abstract of universal history, in question and answer, the interlocutors being Experience and a Courtier. This fanciful mode of narration was convenient for the author's purpose, which was not so much to give an exact chronicle of facts, as to justify, by examples from sacred and profane history, the moral, political and religious tenets, which he meant to inculcate. The work is professedly of the most popular kind "to colliers, carters, and to cooks, "To Jack and Tom, my rhyme shall be directed." For this reason he often varies his metre and his style, being sometimes grave and sententious, sometimes satirical and humorous, but never losing sight of his principal object, which is the overthrow of popery. The most impressive passage in the whole work is that chapter in the fourth book which describes the day of judgment, from whence I have extracted the following lines; T "The complaynte &c. of a Popinjay," Lond. 1530, 4to. reads “seeing." 2 Ed. 1530,"ryve." Then, with one roar, the earth shall rive, Whose torment shall be infinite. The earth shall close, and from their sight 4 There shall be gowling, and greitìng,$ But hope of any comforting. In that inestimable pain Eternally they shall remain, Burnand in furious flamys red; Ever deand,7 but never be dead. That the small minute of one hour They shall think they have done remain & [Fourth Book of the Mon. ad fin.] The defence of the vulgar tongue in the first book, -the description of the confusion of tongues, the ridicule of idolatry, and the remarks on the effects of pilgrimages, in the second,-and the satire on the 1 Curse. Shriek-Vox a sono conficta. Rudd. Gl. Scream; like the former. $ Weeping. 6 Without. 'Dying. 4 Howling. 8 Remained. nuns and friars, in the third,―have a different kind of merit. The following comparison, in the fourth, is such a singular attempt to explain, by human reason, one of the darkest mysteries of our religion, that I cannot forbear submitting it to the reader. Take ane crowat, ane pint-stoup, and ane quart, 2 Shall be sa full that it may hold no more: Into the tun, or in the puncheon :) So all those vessels, in ane quality, [Ibid.] Sir David Lindsay's Play (reprinted in the second volume of Mr. Pinkerton's Scotish Poems, 'Cruet, a small vessel. The edit. 1566, reads flacket, i, e. flasket, a small flask. *i. e. the cruet, though little in comparison. 1792) is a curious specimen of the ancient moralities, and forms a most entertaining commentary on the manners of the times in which it was written. The scenes of "the poor man and the "pardoner" (beginning at page 61), and of "the "parliament of correction" (p. 141), are, perhaps, the most striking. But the most pleasing of all this author's works is certainly the History of Squire Meldrum. The romantic and singular, but authentic, character of the hero, is painted with great strength and simplicity; and the versification possesses a degree of facility and elegance at least equal to the most polished compositions of Drayton. Of this the reader will judge from the following specimen, which is taken from the beginning of the second book (Scot. P. Vol. I. p. 179, &c.). And as it did approach the night, Beside ane mountain, in ane vale: * Printed at Edinburgh, 1592, by H. Charteris in an edition of Lindsay's works, afterwards by ditto separately, 1594, from which it was republished by Mr. Pinkerton in his "Scotish Poems" (Vol. I. p 143). The title runs thus: "The Historie of ane nobil and wailyeand Squyer, Wil"liame Meldrum, umquhyle Laird of Cleische and Bynnis.” Also "The Testament of the said Williame Meldrum, "Squyer." 1 And then, after his great travail,' Where ilk man did of him rejoice. Of this triumphant pleasant place, Whose lord was dead some time before, This squyer and the lady gent... 6 They drank, and syne went to repois. Work, Fr. or perhaps travel, i, e. journey. The original spelling is, here, necessary for the rhyme. Lady Gleneagles (Vide Lindsay's Hist. of Scot. p. 200). 4 Adventures. Fr. Tedious. Sax. 6 Since, afterwards. |