Why some were ferried o'er, and some refused? "Son of Anchises! offspring of the gods! (The Sibyl said) you see the Stygian floods! The sacred streams which heaven's imperial state Attests in oaths, and fears to violate. He ferries over to the farther coast; Nor dares his transport vessel cross the waves And Hesperus in the west with beamis bright Upspringis, as forridar' of the night. Amid the haughs and every lusty vale, The recent dew beginnis down to skail,2 To meys 3 the burning where the sun had shine, Whilk though was to the nether world decline. At every pilis4 point and cornis crops Like crystal knoppis or small silver beads. With such whose bones are not composed The light begouth to quynkill out and fail, in graves. The day to darken, decline and devail ; A hundred years they wander on the The gummys rises, down fallis the donk shore ; ryme At length, their penance done, are wafted Both here and there scuggis 10 and shadows o'er." With herbis, cornis, cattle and fruit trees, The sun enfirèd haile, 3 as to my sight, dim. Be quhais mychtys the Goddis ar ful An airy crowd came rushing where he laith, stood, And dredis sare to swere, syne fals thare Which filled the margin of the fatal flood: Husbands and wives, boys and unmarried aith: Al thir thou seis stoppit at the schore, maids, And mighty heroes' more majestic shades; And youths, intombed before their father's eyes, With hollow groans, and shrieks, and feeble cries. Thick as the leaves in autumn strew the woods, Or fowls, by winter forced, forsake the floods, Wavrand and wandrand by this bankis And wing their hasty flight to happier lands Such, and so thick, the shivering army stands, And press for passage with extended hands. Now these, now those, the surly boatman bore: The rest he drove to distance from the shore. The hero, who beheld with wondering eyes, The tumult mixed with shrieks, laments and cries, Asked of his guide, what the rude concourse meant? Why to the shore the thronging people bent? What forms of law among the ghosts were used? Why some were ferried o'er, and some refused? "Son of Anchises! offspring of the gods! (The Sibyl said) you see the Stygian floods! The sacred streams which heaven's imperial state Attests in oaths, and fears to violate. He ferries over to the farther coast; Nor dares his transport vessel cross the waves | And Hesperus in the west with beamis bright Upspringis, as forridar' of the night. Amid the haughs and every lusty vale, The recent dew beginnis down to skail,2 To meys 3 the burning where the sun had shine, Whilk though was to the nether world decline. At every pilis point and cornis crops Like crystal knoppis or small silver beads. With such whose bones are not composed The light begouth to quynkill out and fail, in graves. The day to darken, decline and devail; A hundred years they wander on the The gummys rises, down fallis the donk shore ; At length, their penance done, are wafted o'er." A JUNE EVENING. Toward the even amid the summer's heat, With herbis, cornis, cattle and fruit trees, The sun enfirèd haile, 3 as to my sight, The little midges, and the unrusum 5 flies, Whose mirthful notis longing for to hear estate: That shortly, there as I was leaned down For nightis silence, and this birdis soun On sleep I slaid; where soon I saw appear Ane aged man, and said: what does thou here? appearance is evidently suggested by Henryson's Esop, "Lyke to some poet of the auld fassoune," informs Douglas that he is Maphæus Vegius, who added the thirteenth book to the Eneid, and demands that it be translated with the others. The poet excuses himself on the plea of having already spent too much time on such work, to the neglect of more serious studies; yet Maphæus, not heeding this excuse, adopts the undignified method of obtaining the poet's consent by the application of "Twenty rowtis upon my rigging laid," with which he awakes, and promises to fulfil the additional task. It being now morning, he describes it as follows: And now is left but Lucifer alone. This aged man, the manner of whose Who might discrive the birdis blissful bay?? Belive 3 on wing the busy lark upsprang To salus the blithe morrow with her sang: Soon oure the fieldis shinis the light clear, Welcome to pilgrim both and labourer :3 Presently. 3 Stunted shrubbery. 9 Laurel. 1 Named. 10 A seat. 4 Enstabled lies. 5 Restless. 2 Notes. Tyte on his hynis' gave the grieve a cry, The dewy green, puldered with daisies gay, Show on the sward a colour dapple gray; The misty vapours springand up full sweet, Maist comfortable to glad all mannis spreit; 2 Awake on foot, go till our husbandry; dawis.3 DAVID LINDSAY. 1490 (?)-1555. Considering that David Lindsay may be said to have been bred at court, it is very much to his credit that he is the most popular of Scotland's ancient poets; and this for pandering to the prejudices of no section of society, but for his strong common sense, manly courage, and transparent honesty. These are qualities that are never vulgar, nor common, and prevent Lindsay from being characterized as such, although it may be admitted that his poetry is of a lower order than that of Dunbar, or even of Douglas. He was the eldest son of David Lindsay of The Mount, a small estate about three miles north of Cupar, in Fife; and, by the general opinion of his biographers, he was born there about the year 1490. Dr David Laing states that there is no positive information bearing on the date, or the place of his birth, and considers that he may, for anything known to the contrary, have been born at Garmylton, two miles from Haddington; which estate came into the Quick on the hinds. 2 The hind's wife calls. possession of his grandfather, of the same name, in 1478. It was to his mansionhouse here, that the poet, on his dismissal from court favour in 1524, retired; and here he commenced his literary career. This estate, now called Garelton, formed part of the barony of Byres, and with it passed into the possession of the Earl of Wemyss, in 1724, having previously (in 1586) passed out of the possession of the Lindsays. Little or nothing is known of his boyhood and early training; and the first notice that in all probability refers to him, is the name "Da. Lindesay," in the register of incorporated students, at St Andrews University, for 1508-9. Three years' attendance being necessary to incorporation, his entrance upon his course would take place in 1505, when he would be about fifteen years old. The name "Da. Betone," the future Cardinal of tragic memory, follows next on the register. There is nothing to |