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The Poetical Remains of King James the First of Scotland, with a Memoir, and an Introduction to His Poetry
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
Extract
James the First of Scotland has, as a poet, been associated with Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate; and, on competent authority, has been ranked with the more distinguished musicians. In the present memoir, we shall advert to his claims as a sovereign, as well as to his personal accomplishments.
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- Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1873
References
page 298 note * Chamberlain Accounts, vol. ii. pp. 312, 320, 476.
page 299 note * Wyntoun's Cronykil, vol. ii. p. 413.
page 299 note † Bower's Scotichronicon, vol. ii. p. 439.
page 300 note * Wyntoun's Cronykil, vol. ii. p. 416.
page 300 note † Accounts of the Great Chamberlains of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 544; vol. iii. pp. 131, 238.
page 300 note ‡ Rymer's Foedera, vol. viii. p. 484; vol. ix. pp. 2–44.
page 301 note * Rymer's Foedera, vol. x. p. 127.
page 301 note † Rymer, vol. x. pp. 19, 125.
page 305 note * Acts of the Scottish Parliament, vol. ii. pp. 7, 8.
page 306 note * Acts of the Scottish Parliament, vol. ii. p. 9, 10.
page 307 note * Extracta a Chronicis Scotise, p. 277.
page 307 note † Acts of the Scottish Parliament, vol. ii. p. 20.
page 310 note * A full account of James the First's murder was written in Latin shortly after the event, and which, rendered into English by John Shirley, was appended by Pinkerton to the first volume of his “History of Scotland.” As James is described as calling the King of England “his maister,” it is clear that the narrative was written by an Englishman. The tortures inflicted on the King's murderers are minutely described. Mr Hill Burton, in his “History of Scotland” (vol. iii. p. 121), relates that Shirley's, narrative appears in the “Miscellanea Scotica,” Glasgow, 1818Google Scholar, and in the appendix to John Gait's novel of the “Spaewife.” The learned historiographer omits to refer to a copy contained in a volume of the Maitland Club, entitled “The Life and Death of James the First of Scotland.”
page 311 note * The doublet worn by the King at the time of his death was preserved in the Carthusian monastery till its demolition.—Adamson's, “Muses Threnodie,” p. 11Google Scholar. Edinburgh, 1638, 4to.
page 312 note * Hector Boece, Book xvii.
page 312 note † Tassoni, , Pension Diversi, p. 347, ed. Venetia, , 1676Google Scholar, 4to.
page 312 note ‡ Fordoun, vol. ii. Book xvi. cap. 28.
page 312 note § Mair's History, Book xi. p. 308.
page 312 note ‖ Buchanan's History, Book x. p. 196.
page 312 note ¶ Drummond of Hawthornden.
page 312 note ** Pii Secundi Asiae Europaeque Descriptio, p. 424.
page 312 note †† Iconographia Scotica, Lond. 1797, 4to.
page 313 note * Irving's, “History of Scottish Poetry,” p. 133Google Scholar.
page 313 note † In a German work entitled “Portraits of the Dukes of Saxony,” etc., by Mark Henning, published at Augsburg in 1600, is presented a well-executed engraving of the Kielberg painting, which is described as a likeness of James II. This description is obviously an error; for while a portrait of James I. may have been executed during his captivity in England, and carried into Germany by his daughter Eleanora, wife of the Archduke Sigismund, it is certain that Scottish art was not equal to furnishing a likeness of James II., who died at the age of thirty. The Kielberg portrait, as represented by Henning, accompanies the present memoir.
page 314 note * Of this work of the Archduchess, a manuscript written so early as the year 1464 is preserved in the library at Gotha; and a transcript, together with a facsimile, has been procured for the Advocates Library (DrIrving's, “History of Scottish Poetry,” p. 160)Google Scholar.
page 315 note * Mair's History, Book vi. p. 308.
page 315 note † The collection of Early Scottish Poetry prepared by Sir Richard Maitland was presented by the Duke of Lauderdale to the celebrated Samuel Pepys, whose collections form the Pepysian Library in Magdalene College, Cambridge.
page 315 note ‡ Pinkerton's “Ancient Scottish Poems,” vol. ii. p. 214.
page 315 note § Sibbald's “Chronicle of Scottish Poetry.”
page 315 note ‖ Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica. Lond. 1748, folio.
page 316 note * Poetical Remains of James the First, King of Scotland. Edin. 1783, 8vo.
page 316 note † Pinkerton's, “Scottish Poems,” 1792Google Scholar, Preliminaries, xxxvi.
page 316 note ‡ “The Poetic Remains of some of the Scotish Kings, now first collected by George Chalmers, Esq.” Lond. 1824, 12mo.
page 317 note * “History of Peeblesshire,” by William Chambers, Edinburgh, 1864, p. 75.
page 318 note * Dempster's, “Hist. Eccles. Gentis Scotorum,” p. 382Google Scholar.
page 320 note * New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. ix. p. 111.
page 322 note * Estranged.
page 322 note § Firmness.
page 322 note † Paused. Won.
page 322 note ∥ Worthily.
page 323 note * Rhetorically chosen.
page 323 note § Tottering wheel.
page 323 note ** Destinies.
page 323 note §§ The incidents of my life.
page 323 note † My learning.
page 323 note ∥ Clings to.
page 323 note †† Trouble.
page 323 ∥∥ Wrested.
page 323 note ‡ Theme.
page 323 note ¶ Least motion.
page 323 note ‡‡ Relief.
page 324 note * Kept awake.
page 324 note § How think ye?
page 324 note ** Advise.
page 324 note §§ Made the sign of the holy cross.
page 324 note † Tired.
page 324 note ∥ Proceed to rehearse.
page 324 note † † Since.
page 324 note ¶ ¶ Knewest thou thy pain to come.
page 324 note ‡ Weary of lying in bed.
page 324 note ¶ Living person.
page 324 note ‡‡ Little.
page 324 note∥ ∥ Liable to misfortune.
page 325 note * Referring to the character of the “King's Quair,” Dr David Irving writes thus:—“Like other productions of the same era, it is disfigured by an incongruous mixture of Christian and Pagan theology. The aid of Calliope is invoked in the name of the Virgin Mary; the agency of Venus is not superseded by that of St John; Minerva makes a formal quotation from the Book of Ecclesiastes; and the poet, when addressing the Goddess of Wisdom, swears by Him that died on the Cross. If this were a solitary or rare instance of such incongruity, it might appear extravagant or monstrous; but it is the universal practice of the early poets to confound the manners, customs, and mythology of all ages and nations, a practice which may be partly imputed to their want of knowledge, and partly to their want of taste. Of King James, therefore, it can only be affirmed that he did not introduce a better model; but this common defect is compensated by uncommon merit, and the work exhibits a very interesting and amiable picture of its illustrious author.”— Irving's “ History of Scottish Poetry,” Edin. 1861, 8vo, p. 135.
page 326 note * Polymnia, the Muse of Harmony.
page 326 note ‡ Guide.
page 326 note † One of the Nine Muses.
page 326 note § Spring.
page 327 note * “Mr Tytler remarks, that ‘this is a vague manner of expressing his age;’ and he somewhat arbitrarily fixes upon nine as the age of innocence. According to the civilians, the period of infancy—with which I suppose ‘the state of innocence’ to be synonymous—extends to the completion of the seventh year. King James mentions that when taken prisoner he had exceeded this state about three years. We learn from history that he was in the eleventh year of his age; and thus he had exceeded the state of innocence, or infancy, by three complete years, so that the two accounts are entirely consistent with each other.”— Dr Irving's “History of Scottish Poetry” p. 136.
page 327 note † Provided.
page 327 note ‡ Saint John be your protector.
page 328 note * Adverse.
page 328 note ‡ Lachesis, one of the Destinies, whose office it was to twine the thread of human life.
page 328 note † Shaped.
page 329 note * Sentenced.
page 329 note † Of all the nine numbers, mine is the most unlucky.
page 330 note * Hymns consecrated to love.
page 330 note ‡ Ye that have attained highest bliss by winning your mates.
page 330 note § A short space.
page 330 note ¶ Raised.
page 330 note † Of your bliss month.
page 330 note ∥ Cast mine eyes below.
page 330 note ** Mates.
page 331 note * Feigned mirth.
page 331 note † Enable.
page 332 note * Coming forth to make her morning orisons.
page 332 note † Suddenly I was cast down.
page 332 note § Forbidding pride.
page 332 note ‡ Started.
page 332 note ∥ Administer.
page 333 note * Hid with fretwork of pearls.
page 333 note † Precious stones, sparkling as fire.
page 333 note ‡ Made in the form of a love-knot.
page 333 note § Perhaps the Jonquil, a May flower.
page 334 note * A chain of gold work.
page 334 note † Without flaw.
page 334 note ‡ A spark of fire.
page 335 note * Glad.
page 335 note † Alluding to the story of Tereus, Progne, and Philomela. Ovid Metam. B. vi.
page 336 note * With double penance.
page 336 note ‡ Hast thou no desire to sing?
page 336 note ∥ Chirp.
page 336 note ** In faith.
page 336 note † Grieve.
page 336 note § Feeling.
page 336 note ¶ Thy mate or marrow.
page 336 note †† What wottest thou?
page 336 note ‡‡ To win the victory.
page 337 note * Prayers.
page 337 note † Have pity upon.
page 338 note * Deck out ourselves.
page 339 note † Desire.
page 339 note ‡ My fever.
page 339 note * Locked up
page 339 note ‡ Calm my spirit.
page 339 note † Remedy.
page 339 note § My friends are turned my foes.
page 340 note * Overwhelmed both in body and spirit.
page 340 note † Dazzled.
page 341 note * In haste.
page 341 note † Embraced.
page 341 note ‡ Burning bright.
page 345 note * Yellow locks.
page 346 note * Scarce knowing what to say.
page 346 note † Countenance.
page 347 note * Better.
page 347 note † Or kill me instantly.
page 349 note * Gained.
page 349 note † Crimson cloth.
page 349 note ‡ The Tavart, tabard, or taberd, was a short coat, open before, and without sleeves, and worn in the time of war.
page 350 note * Behests, commands.
page 350 note ‡ To hinder from mourning.
page 350 note † Your ally or confederate.
page 350 note § Belongeth.
page 351 note * Wet with my tears.
page 351 note † In the spring, when flowers put forth and birds sing on the trees, and begin to pair.
page 354 note * Find.
page 354 note † Altogether, entirely.
page 355 note * Regulated.
page 355 note † “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to get and a time to lose,” etc.—Eccles. iii.
page 355 note ‡ Shade.
page 356 note * The lustful person.
page 357 note * That died on the cross.
page 358 note * Over or above all things.
page 358 note ‡ Your destiny control.
page 358 note † In process of time.
page 358 note § Your life and fortune are preordained in heaven.
page 360 note * Pleasant.
page 360 note † A pleasant sound mixed with harmony.
page 360 note † Along the side of a river.
page 360 note § Like some precious stone.
page 361 note * Fierce.
page 361 note § Cunning.
page 361 note ** The elephant, that always stands.
page 361 note §§ The fawn.
page 361 note † Emerald, or stone of a green colour.
page 361 note ∥ Warlike porcupine.
page 361 note ∥ ∥ Plump.
page 361 note ‡ Motion.
page 361 note ¶ More loving.
page 361 note †† The stag.
page 361 note ‡‡ The sable martin.
page 361 note ¶ ¶ Ravenous bear.
page 362 note * Dwelling.
page 362 note ‡ Flowers.
page 362 note † A wheel on which I saw a multitude clambering.
page 362 note § Pleasant.
page 363 note * Slippery.
page 363 note † Thrown up.
page 363 note ‡ Saluting.
page 364 note * Deign.
page 364 note § Kept.
page 364 note † To be overcome.
page 364 note ∥ Take the opposite part, so shall thy misfortunes take a turn.
page 364 note ‡ Been long in ward.
page 365 note * From six in the morning till nine was anciently called spatium orationum primarum, or the hour of prime.
page 365 note † Busy, restless spirit.
page 366 note * Within myself.
page 366 note § Prescience.
page 366 note † In dreaming.
page 366 note ∥ A further token.
page 364 ‡ Prepared.
page 367 note * A dawn of hope.
page 367 note † Near.
page 367 note ‡ Kept.
page 368 note * My lore to my larges; I will exert my wit.
page 368 note ‡ Were from hell raised to the top of bliss in heaven.
page 368 note † Upon so small an event.
page 368 note § Blame.
page 375 note * The first day of May was called Beltane or Beltan, owing to the ceremonies observed on that day by the ancient inhabitants of Britain, who then kindled fires on the hill-tops in honour of Baal, the god of fire, their chief deity. With the progress of Christianity, the superstitious usage disappeared, but certain festive customs observed on the occasion were long continued in different localities. Peebles was formerly a chief centre or headquarters of the Beltane sports.
page 375 note † Went.
page 375 note ‡ Occasion.
page 376 note * Talk and glee.
page 376 note ∥ Places on the Tweed below Peebles.
page 376 note ¶ The burden of an early Scottish ballad.
page 376 note † Head-covering.
page 376 note ‡ Allowed.
page 376 note § Foolish and wild.
page 377 note * “There went a man to the wood”—apparently the first line of a song.
page 378 note * Fold up leaves of the table.
page 378 note § Reckoning.
page 378 note † He hastens to do it.
page 378 note ∥ Owe.
page 378 note ‡ Wall.
page 378 note ¶ Scorn.
page 379 note * Stamping as he were mad.
page 379 note ‡‡ A cross of great sanctity was preserved in the church of the Trinity Friars Monastery at Peebles.
page 379 note † Uproar.
page 380 note * Threw.
page 380 note † Notches.
page 380 note ‡ Lower Ward of Lanarkshire.
page 381 note * Go slowly.
page 381 note † Come home your ways—come the road you have to go.
page 382 note * Wenches.
page 382 note † Go.
page 382 note ‡ Neck.
page 383 note * Revelry.
page 383 note † Falkland is situated on the north side of the Lomond Hills, in Fifeshire. By the forfeiture of the Duke of Albany, Falkland Castle fell to the Crown, and was formally annexed by a statute of James II. in 1455. From this time, it became a royal residence. The palace of Falkland continued habitable till the beginning of the last century.
page 383 note ‡ Upper garments.
page 383 note ¶ Nimble-jointed, light-heeled.
page 383 note ‡‡ A mixture of linen and wool, called linsey-woolsey.
page 383 note ∥∥ Approached.
page 383 note § Damsels.
page 383 note ** Roe-skin.
page 383 note ∥ Made ready.
page 383 note †† Kersey, coarse woollen cloth.
page 383 note §§ Shy, skittish.
page 383 note ¶¶ They screamed like goats.
page 384 note * Mead; a fermented liquor composed of honey and water.
page 384 note † Neat, handsome.
page 384 note ∥ Neck, bosom.
page 384 note †† Made a contemptuous gesture by drawing her right foot repeatedly against the ground.
page 384 note ‡‡ Made mouths at him.
page 384 note ∥∥ She valued him not two clocks or beetles.
page 384 note ¶¶ A short cloak was worn by the men of that age; it continued in use till the Restoration, in 1660.
page 384 note *** Two distaffs; spindle shanks.
page 384 note ‡‡‡ Shrill.
page 384 note ¶¶¶ Tousy scorned to dance like old Lightfoot, in the Scottish fashion.
page 384 note **** Attempted to dance in the French fashion.
page 384 note ‡ A name applied to any woman.
page 384 note ¶ Happy.
page 384 note §§§ A rough fellow.
page 384 note § Complexion.
page 384 note ** Had doomed her to death.
page 384 note §§ To the gallows.
page 384 note ††† To skip or leap.
page 384 note ∥∥∥ A dance or hop.
page 385 note * The moresque or Moorish dance was, before the age of Henry VII., common both in England and in Scotland.
page 385 note † Strides.
page 385 note ¶ Oppressed.
page 385 note §§ An expression of contempt.
page 385 note ¶¶ Snatched up a cudgel.
page 385 note ††† Trouble.
page 385 note ∥∥¶ He chose an arrow, as was fitting for his purpose.
page 385 note ¶¶¶ The other, alarmed, shouted blood and murder.
page 385 note ‡ Fence.
page 385 note ** Coughed.
page 385 note ‡‡‡ Provoke.
page 385 note § Lap, leapt.
page 385 note †† To be very merry.
page 385 note ∥∥ The crusty.
page 385 note *** They pulled one another by the ears.
page 385 note §§§ It had been dangerous to hinder him.
page 385 note ∥ Loins.
page 385 note ‡‡ Dragged.
page 386 note * To pierce him.
page 386 note § He drew his bow so violently.
page 386 note ¶ Wood.
page 386 note ‡‡ Snatched up an arrow without delay.
page 386 note ∥∥ Through the power of the Virgin Mary.
page 386 note ¶¶ Laurie, the familiar name of Laurence.
page 386 note *** Soon feathered an arrow.
page 386 note ‡‡‡ A wedder was the legal forfeiture for no practising archery, Ja. I. Parl. 18.
page 386 note † Cut him.
page 386 note ** A giddy young fellow.
page 386 note ‡ Breadth of an acre.
page 386 note ∥ Splinters.
page 386 note †† Expert.
page 386 note §§ Irritated.
page 386 note ††† Meant.
page 387 note * A blow on the abdomen.
page 387 note § The blow so violently stunned him.
page 387 note ¶ Found life in the rogue.
page 387 note ‡‡ Eager.
page 387 note ∥∥ The shaft.
page 387 note *** Spark of flint.
page 387 note ‡‡‡ Rafters of barns beat off blue-caps.
page 387 note §§§ Made bridges of the lads that fell down.
page 387 note † Leather.
page 387 note ** Bellows.
page 387 note §§ He tried to shoot the lad in the breast.
page 387 note ¶¶ His bow and quiver he threw away.
page 387 note ††† Stone.
page 387 note ‡ Saved.
page 387 note ∥ Raised him.
page 387 note †† Swoon, stupor.
page 388 note * Noise.
page 388 note ‡ Lo! where my love lies.
page 388 note ∥ Each companion hurt his neighbour.
page 388 note †† Won within the breadth of two waggons.
page 388 note §§ Unbruised bones.
page 388 note ∥∥ Where fechters were meschevit. Fechter, or fechtar, is from the A.-S. fechtere, pugnator.
page 388 note ¶¶ Tall Hutcheson with a hazel rung or sapling.
page 388 note *** To separate, wrestled or warstled through them.
page 388 note ††† He overturned them.
page 388 note ‡‡‡ No drone or simple fellow. Batie is the name of a good natured cur.
page 388 note §§§ Strong.
page 388 note **** A word of parley in the ancient tilts.
page 388 note † When sticks were laid on their backs.
page 388 note § Let drive with strokes.
page 388 note ¶ Long poles.
page 388 note ∥∥∥ With such wranglers to mix.
page 388 note ** Avoided.
page 388 note ‡‡ Proved.
page 388 note ¶¶¶ Slice.
page 389 note * Stop, hinder.
page 389 note ‡ He caused.
page 389 note ∥ Challenge.
page 389 note ‡‡ He groaned like any ghost.
page 389 note ¶¶ Tired.
page 389 note ‡‡‡ A collection of persons in ambush.
page 389 note ∥∥∥ “They hacked him on the howes,” that is, they houghed him.
page 389 note † He imagined it done in retaliation of some former feud.
page 389 note § It behoved him better to take to his heels than to fight.
page 389 note ¶ Shoemaker.
page 389 note *** No sport.
page 389 note ** Swelled.
page 389 note §§ Gold-coloured, yellow.
page 389 note †† Besmeared, embroidered.
page 389 note ∥∥ Laced.
page 389 note ††† So did he hurt their heads.
page 389 note §§§ Pelted.
page 390 note * Foemen.
page 390 note § But when their mouths were unshut.
page 390 note ¶ While gore-besmeared was their beard.
page 390 note †† Raised, cast up.
page 390 note §§ Lightning.
page 390 note *** Shook.
page 390 note §§§ And brain-mad, burned in sorrow.
page 390 note ¶¶¶ That wearied are with mails.
page 390 note †††† Thin sods are pared from the surface by an instrument called a flauchter spade.
page 390 note † Undaunted.
page 390 note ∥∥ Light-headed.
page 390 note ††† For the noise.
page 390 note ‡ The shafts of a hand-barrow.
page 390 note ∥ Gums.
page 390 note ** Worried lambs.
page 390 note ‡‡ The youngsters engaged in strife.
page 390 note ¶¶ Belshed or vomited.
page 390 note ‡‡‡ Brayed, roared.
page 390 note ∥∥∥ They grew as meek as any mules.
page 390 note **** Over-fought, over-laboured.
page 391 note * In the game of football, when the ball reaches the goal, the winners cry out, Hail the dule!
page 391 note † Knocked them down in numbers, or heaps.
page 391 note § A load or heap.
page 391 note ¶ Just now would have slain my brother.
page 391 note †† He gave them both a drubbing.
page 391 note §§ In apprehension.
page 391 note ‡ Quickly, presently.
page 391 note ∥ Knaves
page 391 note ** Frivolous or foolish.
page 391 note ‡‡ Ding, encounter.