صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[blocks in formation]

It was

THIS learned ecclesiastic is more dis- | inconstancy of court favour. tinguished as a prose writer and scholar, than as a poet; and there is no reason for supposing that he cultivated poetry to any great extent. Neither the date nor the place of his birth are knownHaddington and Berwick shires are the only places even suggested. The date of his matriculation at St Andrews, 1508, gives the nearest approximation as data for estimating the time of his birth. He completed his education at the University of Paris, where he took his degree of doctor of divinity. He himself states that he was in the service of James V. from his infancy, as clerk of his accounts, but that he experienced the

probably during his temporary aliena-
tion from court that Lindsay, in the
"Complaint of the Papyngo," describes
him as-

"Ane plant of poetis, called Ballendyne,
Whose ornate workis my wit cannot define :
Get he into court auctoritie,
He will precell Quintyn and Kennedy."

he was recalled, for, in 1530, and the
It would not be long after this that
three following years, it is shown by
the Treasurer's accounts that he was
engaged upon the Translation of Livy,
and Boece's History of Scotland, by

Mad.

2 Robin Rome-raker, the Pardoner.

request of the King. For the former, which only extended to the first five books, he was paid £36, and for the latter £78.

But besides these payments, he was promoted to the Archdeaconry of Moray, and, about the same time, was made a Canon of Ross.

The translation of Boece was printed soon after it was written, but the year is not given in the title-page or elsewhere. Livy remained in MS. till 1822, when it was published in the complete edition of his works edited by Maitland, from the MS. in the Advocate's Library. These two works, says Dr Irving, "exhibit the most ample specimen of ancient Scottish prose that has descended to our times, and are distinguished beyond most others by their fluency and neatness of style; nor can we peruse these translations without being convinced that the writer's learning and talents had qualified him for original compositions." The "Epistle to James V.," which prefaces Boece's History, is written with a manly boldness and dignity, which is creditable to both the King and the author. It also conveys a high idea of his skill and taste in the art of poetical composition.

Bellenden was strenuously opposed to the Reformation; but having gone to Rome, he is said to have died there in 1550, before that mighty current of religious and political thought had swept away that ecclesiastical system which, if all its priesthood were Bellendens, would at least have presented a more venerable aspect to posterity.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Has brought this realm with honour to our days,

Aye fightand for their liberties and rightis With Romans, Danes, Englishmen, and Picktis,

As courteous readers may through thy

process ken.

VIII.

The awful churl is of ane other strynd,1 Through he be born to vilest servitude; There may nae gentrice sink into his mind, To help his friend or neighbour with his good.

The bloody wolf is of the samen stud; Therefore, thou ganis1 for nae caitive He fears great beasts and rages on the

[blocks in formation]

XII.

The glore of armis and of forcy deeds, When they are worthy to be memorial, Naeless by wit than manhood aye proceeds, As Pliny wrote in story natural.

Ane herd of hartis is mair strong at all, Havand ane lion agains the hounds to four, Than herd of lions arrayèd in batall, Havand ane hart to be their governour.

XIII.

When fierce Achilles was by Paris slain, Among the Greeks began ane subtle plead Wha was maist noble and prudent captain, Into his place and armour to succeed. Whacouth them best in every danger lead, And save their honour as he did afore. The valiant Ajax wan not for his manhead, When wise Ulyssus bore away the glore.

XIV.

Manhead but prudence is ane fury blind,
And brings a man to shame and indigence;
Prudence but manhood comis oft behind,
Howbeit it have nae less intelligence
Of things to come than gone by sapience.
Therefore, when wit and manhood doth
concur,

The honour rises with magnificence,
For glore to nobles is ane grounden spur.3

XV.

Sen thou contains mo valiant men and wise

XVI.

Thus to all nobles sen thou art dedicate, Show briefly how by my great dilligence, Ilk story by the self1 is separate,

To make them bowsome to thine audience.

Shrink not, therefore, but bide at thy sentence;

Sen thou art armed with invincible truth;
Of gentle readers, take benevolence,
And care of others nae envy nor ruth.3

XVII.

Pass now to light with all thy sentence high
Grounded, but feid 4 or assentation,
In natural and moral philosophy,
With many grave and pregnant orrison;
Made to the reader's erudition
By the renounèd Hector Boetius:
Supported oft with Scotichronicon,
To make thy matter more sententious.

XVIII.

Bring noble deeds of many yearis gone,
As fresh and recent to our memory,
As they were but into our dayis done;
That noble men may have both laud and
glory

For their excellent bruit of victory.

And yet, because my time has been so short,
I think when I have opportunity
To ring their bell 5 into ane other sort.

XIX.

Than ever was read in any book, but Leir 6 kings to hate all people vicious,

[blocks in formation]

And nae sic persons in their house receive;
And suffer nae servantis avaricious,
Oure sharp exactions on their subditis 7

[blocks in formation]

Show many reasons how nae king might For, when their subdittis are oppressed sair, have

His baron's heartis and their gear at anis.1

XX.

Show how the kingis life and governance The mirror of living to his people been. For as he livis, by his ordinance

And finds nae justice in their actions, Then rises noise and rumour populare, And drawis the noblis in sundry factions.

XXIV.

Show what punition, by reason of justice,
Effeirs to they unhappy creaturis

The same manners are with his people That nouris1 kingis in corrupted vice.

[blocks in formation]

And show what trouble, what vengeance and injury

Continually into this realm enduris,
When men obscure and avaricious
Has of the king the guiding in their curis,2
And makes the nobles to him odious.

[blocks in formation]
« السابقةمتابعة »