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 SCOTLAND

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SCOTLAND

"Buke of the Order of Knighthede" from the French, and the "Buke of the Governaunce of Princes" from the Latin. In the sixteenth century Scottish prose made rapid strides. It was preluded by two Scottish writers in Latin, who are important enough to deserv-e a word of mention. John Major, or Mair (c. 1470- L550), philosopher, divine, and historian, Provost of St. Salvator's College, St. Andrew's, wrote, besides commentaries on Peter Lombard and manj^ theolog- ical and philosophical works, a famous History' of Scotland, entitled "De Historia Gentis Scotorum Libri Sex", printed at Paris in 152L Hector Boece (c. 1465-1536), principal of King's College, Aberdeen, canon of the cathedral in that city, and rector of Tyrie in the same county, published in 1522 his "Episcoporum Murthlacensium et Aberdonensium Vitse" and in 1527, in seventeen books, his "Scotorum Historiae a prima gentis origine". Boece's Latin is much more elegant than Major's, but his credulity is far greater, and he admitted as solemn historical facts many marvels which Major had rejected. A free translation of Boece's work, made by John Bellenden (d. 1550?), archdeacon of Moray and canon of Ross, was printed at Edinburgh in 1536, under the title of "Hystory and Croniklis of Scotland". Bel- lenden's style is a fine example of terse Scottish prose. Bellenden also translated in 1533 the first five books of Livy, which were, however, not printed until 1822. An anonymous work, "The Complaynt of Scotlande ", printed at Paris in 1549, was long regarded as a notable specimen of original Scottish prose, but recent investi- gations have proved that it is mainly a translation or plagiarism from the French. Its purpose is to lament the calamities to which Scotland was then subject. It is written in what has been called the "aureate" or "Ciceronian" style, employing numerous Latin and French words, and in this respect aflords a strik- ing contrast to Bellenden's more homely vernacular. The "Complaynt" is interesting, among other rea- sons, because of the list it gives of stories, romances, and songs popular in Scotland, some of which are no longer to be found.

As the ecclesiastical controversy of the sixteenth century grew in intensity, a great development was given to religious and polemic works. In 1552, by authority of John Hamilton, Archbishop of St. An- drew's, the last Catholic Primate of Scotland before the Reformation, there was published at St. An- drew's a "Catechism, that is to say ane Commone and Catholike Instruct ioun of the Christian People in Materis of our Catholike Faith and Religioun". This work contains a popular exposition of Catholic doctrine, and is justly regarded as a noble example of the Scottish vernacular of that period. It was edited by Dr. Thomas Graves Law for the Clarendon Press in 1884. There were many Scottish Catholic writers of this centur>' to whose works sufficient atten- tion has not hitherto been given. Foremost among them is Ninian Winj^et, or Winzet (1518-92), who in the religious upheaval was deprived of his position as provost of the collegiate church of Linlithgow, subsequently held offices at the University of Paris and at the English College at Douay, and died as Abbot of St. James's Monastery at Ratisbon. His works include "Certaine Tractat is for Reformat ioun of Doctryne and Maneris" and the "Buke of Four Scoir and Thrie Questions". Quintin Kennedy (1520-1564), Abbot of Crossraguel and son of the Earl of Cassilhs, had a celebrated "Disputation" with Knox, and was also author of a "Compendious Treatise to establish the Conscience of a Christian man".

John Hay, a Jesuit, who was expelled from Scotland in 1579, printed at Paris, in 1580, his "Certaine Demandes". In the same year Nicol Bume, a secular priest, published his "Disputation concerning the Controversit Headdis of Religion", XIII.— 40

and another priest, John Hamilton, published, in 1581, "Ane Catholike and P'acile Traictise". There were also able writers on the other side, such as John Craig (c. 1512-1600) and Robert Rollock (c. 1555-99), to say nothing of John Gau, who as early as 1533 had published the first prose treatise on the reformed doctrines in the Scottish vernacular, namely, "The Richt Vay to the Kingdom of Heuine". But the greatest of these was John Knox (1505-72), whose published works, mainly controversial, fill six large volumes. He takes his place in literature in virtue of his "Historic of the Reformatioun of Religioun in Scotland", first printed in 1586. An active part in promulgating the new religion was also taken by George Buchanan (1506-82), who wrote but little in the vernacular ("The Chamaeleon" and the "Ad- monition to the trew Lordis"), but whose Latin WTit- ings, especially his paraphrase of the Psalms and his "Rerum Scoticarum Historia", gave him an enormous reputation. He was undoubtedly one of the best Latin scholars of modern times. Two of his four Latin tragedies, the "Baptistes" and the " Jephthes", had a great effect on the German drama.

Scottish history in the vernacular was continued by Robert Lindesay (c. 1500-c. 1565) of Pitscottie in his "Chronicle of Scotland" from 1436 to 1475. John Leslie, or Lesley (1527-96), Bishop of Ross, and sub- sequently vicar-general of the Diocese of Rouen, wrote in Scottish a "History of Scotland" from the death of James I to his own time, which he subsequently translated in enlarged form into Latin, under the title of "De origine, moribus, et rebus gestis Sco- torum"; it was pubhshed at Rome in 1578. In 1596 this work was translated into Scottish by Father James Dalr>'mple, of the monastery of St. James at Ratisbon. Always consistent in his championship of Mary Stuart, Leshe wrote in 1569 a "Defence of the Honour of Marie Queene of Scot- land and Dowager of France". Useful for historical details are the "Memoirs" of Sir James Melville (1535-1617) and the "Diary" of James Melville (1556-1614). Sir Richard Maitland (1496-1586) wrote a "Historic of the House of Seytoun" and a goodly number of poems ; but he is best remembered for the magnificent collection of Early Scottish Poems by various authors which, with the aid of his daughter, he got together, and which is now preserved in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge. A similar collection, and a very valuable one, made by George BannatjTie, enriches the Advocates' Li- brary at Edinburgh.

The Reformation in Scotland was materially ad- vanced by "The Gude and Godlie Ballatis", the popular name of a collection of poems, partly devo- tional, partly satirical, which, first published about 1546, had subsequently a wonderful vogue, the formal title being " Ane Compendious Buik of Godlie Psalmes and Spirituall Sangis for avoiding of Sinne and Harlotrie". Learned by heart and sung everj'where, these psalms and songs provided a ready means for prejudicing the minds of the people against the ancient Church. The major portion of the book would appear to be the work of three brothers, James, John, and Robert Wedderburne. The campaign was carried on after the Reformation by Robert Sempill (1530?-95) in "The Sempill Ballates", which are coarse but clever satires against all who differed from the wTiter in politics or religion. Poets of a different vein were Alexander Scott (1525?-84?) and Alexan- der Montgomerie (c. 1545-c. 1610). Scott has been called the Scottish Anacreon. He wrote thirty-six short poems, nearly all amatory. His most remark- able pieces are "Ane New Yeir Gift to Queue Mary" and "Justing at the Drum". Montgomerie's fame rests mainly on "The Cherrie and the Slae" (1597), an allegory on virtue and vice. He also wrote "The Bankis of Hehcon" and some seventy sonnets, many