poetic vein, the breadth of his humour, the purity of his and his strong reforming zeal combined to make his poetry exceedingly popular in Scotland for a number of ages, particularly among the lower orders. Scott introduces Andrew Fairservice, in 'Rob Roy,' saying, in reference to Francis Osbaldistone's poetical efforts, 'Gude help him! twa lines o' Davie Lyndsay wad ding a' he ever clerkit,' and even still there are districts of the country where his name is a household word.
MELDRUM'S DUEL WITH THE ENGLISH CHAMPION TALBART.
Then clarions and trumpets blew,
And warriors many hither drew;
On
every side came many man
To behold who the battle wan.
The field was in the meadow green,
Where every man might well be seen:
The heralds put them so in order,
That no man pass'd within the border,
Nor press'd to come within the green,
But heralds and the champions keen;
The order and the circumstance
Were long to put in remembrance.
When these two noble men of weir
Were well accoutred in their geir,
And in their handis strong burdouns,1
Then trumpets blew and clariouns,
And heralds cried high on height,
'Now let them go-God show the right.'
Then trumpets blew triumphantly,
And these two champions eagerly,
They spurr'd their horse with spear on breast,
Pertly to prove their pith they press'd.
1 'Burdouns:' spears.-2 'Pertly:' boldly.
That round rink-room 1 was at utterance,
But Talbart's horse with a mischance
He outterit,2 and to run was loth;
Whereof Talbart was wonder wroth.
The Squier forth his rink 3 he ran,
Commended well with every man,
And him discharged of his spear
Honestly, like a man of weir.
The trenchour of the Squier's spear
Stuck still into Sir Talbart's geir;
Then every man into that stead 5
Did all believe that he was dead.
The Squier leap'd right hastily
From his courser deliverly,
And to Sir Talbart made support,
And humillie 7 did him comfort.
When Talbart saw into his shield
An otter in a silver field,
'This race,' said he, 'I sore may rue,
For I see well my dream was true;
Methought yon otter garts me bleed,
And bore me backward from my steed;
But here I vow to God soverain,
That I shall never joust again.'
And sweetly to the Squier said,
Thou know'st the cunning that we made,
Which of us two should tyne1o the field,
He should both horse and armour yield
To him that won, wherefore I will
My horse and harness give thee till.'
1 'Rink-room:' course-room.- 2 Outterit:' swerved. 3 6 'Rink:'
4 Trenchour:' head.-5 'Stead:' place.-6 'Deliverly:' actively.- 'Humillie:' humbly.—8 Gart:' made.—9 'Cunning:' agreement.-10 Tyne:' lose.
Then said the Squier, courteously,
Brother, I thank you heartfully;
Of you, forsooth, nothing I crave,
For I have gotten that I would have.'
SUPPLICATION IN CONTEMPTION OF SIDE TAILS,1 (1538.)
Sovereign, I mene2 of these side tails,
Whilk through the dust and dubbës trails,
Three quarters lang behind their heels,
Express against all commonweals.
Though bishops, in their pontificals,
Have men for to bear up their tails,
For dignity of their office;
Right so a queen or an emprice;
Howbeit they use such gravity,
Conforming to their majesty,
Though their robe-royals be upborne,
I think it is a very scorn,
That every lady of the land
Should have her tail so side trailand;
Howbeit they be of high estate,
The queen they should not counterfeit.
Wherever they go it may be seen
How kirk and causey they sweep clean.
The images into the kirk
May think of their side tailës irk;3
For when the weather be most fair,
The dust flies highest into the air,
And all their faces does begary,
If they could speak, they would them wary.
But I have most into despite
1 'Side tails:' long skirts.-2 Mene:' complain.-3 'Irk:' May feel annoyed.
Poor claggocks1 clad in raploch2 white,
Whilk has scant two merks for their fees,
Will have two ells beneath their knees.
Kittock that cleckits was yestreen,
The morn will counterfeit the queen.
In barn nor byre she will not bide,
Without her kirtle tail be side.
In burghs, wanton burgess wives
Who may have sidest tailës strives,
Well bordered with velvet fine,
But following them it is a pine:
In summer, when the streetës dries,
They raise the dust above the skies;
None may go near them at their ease,
Without they cover mouth and neese.
I think most pain after a rain,
To see them tucked up again;
Then when they step forth through the street,
Their faldings flaps about their feet;
They waste more cloth, within few years,
Nor would cleid fifty score of freirs.
Of tails I will no more indite,
For dread some duddron5 me despite:
Notwithstanding, I will conclude,
That of side tails can come no good,
Sider nor may their ankles hide,
The remanent proceeds of pride,
And pride proceedis of the devil;
Thus alway they proceed of evil.
Another fault, Sir, may be seen,
They hide their face all but the een;
1 'Claggocks:' draggle-tails.—2 Raploch:' homespun.-3 Cleckit:' born.
4 'Cleid:' clothe.-5 'Duddron:' slut.--6 Nor:' than.
When gentlemen bid them good-day,
Without reverence they slide away.
Without their faults be soon amended,
My flyting,' Sir, shall never be ended;
But would your grace my counsel take,
A proclamation ye should make,
Both through the land and burrowstowns,
To show their face and cut their gowns.
Women will say, This is no bourds,2
To write such vile and filthy words;
But would they cleanse their filthy tails,
Whilk over the mires and middings 3 trails,
Then should my writing cleansed be,
None other 'mends they get of me.
Quoth Lyndsay, in contempt of the side tails, That duddrons and duntibours5 through the dubbës trails.
OF Tusser we know only that he was born in the year 1523, was well educated, commenced life as a courtier under the patronage of Lord Paget, but became a farmer, pursuing agriculture at Ratwood in Sussex, Ipswich, Fairsted in Essex, Norwich, and other places; that he was not successful, and had to betake himself to other occupations, such as those of a chorister, fiddler, &c.; and that, finally, he died a poor man in London in the year 1580. Tusser has left only one work, published in 1557, entitled 'A Hundred Good Points of Husbandrie,' written in simple but sometimes strong verse. It is our first, and not our worst didactic
1 Flyting:' scolding.-2 'Bourds:' jest.-3 Middings:' dunghills.- 'Duddrons:' sluts.-5 'Duntibours:' harlots.
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