In the year 1535, Lyndsay wrote his remarkable drama, 'The Satire of the Three Estates'-Monarch, namely, Barons, and Clergy. It is made up in nearly three equal parts of ingenuity, wit, and grossness. It is a drama, and was acted several times -first, in 1535, at Cupar-Fife, on a large green mound called Moot-hill; then, in 1539, in an open park near Linlithgow, by the express desire of the king, who with all the ladies of the Court attended the representation; then in the amphitheatre of St Johnston in Perth; and in 1554, at Edinburgh, in the village of Greenside, which skirted the northern base of the Calton Hill, in the presence of the Queen Regent and an enormous concourse of spectators. Its exhibition appears to have occupied nearly the whole day. In the Pictorial History of Scotland,' chapter xxiv., our readers will find a full and able analysis with extracts of this extraordinary performance. It is said to have done much good in opening the eyes of the people to the evils of the Papacy, and in paving the way for the Reformation.

In 1536 Sir David, in company with Sir John Campbell of Lundie, was sent to the Court of France to demand in marriage for James V. a daughter of the House of Vendome; but the King chose rather to take the matter in his own hands, and, going over in person, wedded Magdalene, daughter of Francis. She died two months after her arrival in Scotland, universally regretted; and Lyndsay made the sad event the subject of a poem, entitled 'Deploration of the Death of Queen Magdalene,' whom he designates

'The flower of France, and comfort of Scotland.'

When James subsequently married Mary of Guise, Sir David's ingenuity was strained to the utmost in providing pageants, masques, and shows to welcome her Majesty. For forty days in St Andrews, festivities continued; and it was during this prolonged festival that the Lion King, as if sick and satiated with vanities, wrote two poems, one entitled 'The Justing between James Watson and John Barbour,' a dull satire on tournaments, &c., and the other a somewhat cleverer piece, entitled 'Supplication directed to the King's Grace in Contemptioun of Side Tails,' the long trains then worn by the ladies. It met, we presume, with the fate of Punch's sarcasms

against crinoline,-the 'phylacteries' would for a season, instead of being lessened, be enlarged, till Fashion lifted up her omnipotent rod, and told it to be otherwise.

6

King James died prematurely on the 14th of December 1542, and Lyndsay closed his eyes at Falkland, and mourned for him as a brother. From that day forth he probably felt that there was less sunshine in the sky for him.' In the troublous times which succeeded this, he had to retire for a season from the Court, having become obnoxious to the rigid Papists on account of his writings. After the death of Cardinal Beatoun he wrote the tragedy of 'The Cardinal,' a poem in which the spectre of the Cardinal is the spokesman, and which teems with good advice to all and sundry. The execution, however, is not so felicitous as the plan. In 1548 Lyndsay went to Denmark to negotiate a free trade with Scotland. On his return in 1550 he wrote his very pleasing and chivalric History of Squire Meldrum,' founded on the actual adventures of William Meldrum, the Laird of Cleish and Binns, a distinguished friend of the poet, who had gained laurels as a warrior both in Scotland and in France. This poem is, in a measure, an anticipation of the rhymed romances of Scott, and is full of picturesque description and spirit-stirring adventure. In 1553 he completed his last and most elaborate work, which had occupied him for years, entitled 'The Monarchie,' containing an account of the most famous monarchies which have existed on earth, and carrying on the history to the general judgment. From this date we almost entirely lose sight of our poet. He seems to have retired into private life, and is supposed to have died about the close of 1557. He was probably buried in the family vault at Ceres, but no stone marks the spot. Dying without issue, his estates passed to his brother Alexander, and were continued in the possession of his descendants till the middle of last century. They now belong to the Hopes of Rankeillour. The office of Lord Lion was held by two of the poet's relatives successively— Sir David, his nephew, who became Lion King in 1591, and his son-in-law, Sir Jerome Lyndsay, who succeeded to it in 1621. Sir David Lyndsay, unlike most satirists, was a good, a blameless, and a religious man. The occasional loftiness of his

poetic vein, the breadth of his humour, the purity of his purpose, 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,
Pertly2 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 humillie7 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 gart 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 tyne1 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 'Rink:' course.

4 Trenchour:' head.-5 'Stead:' place.- 'Deliverly:' actively.—7 ‘Humillie:' 8 Gart:' made.-9 Cunning:' agreement.-10 Tyne:' lose. humbly.-8

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.- 'Mene:' complain.-3 Irk:' May feel annoyed.