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ART. IX. The XIII Bukes of Eneados of the famose Poete Virgile Translatet out of Latyne verses into Scottish Metir bi the Reverend Father in God Gawin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkel, and Unkil to the Erle of Angus. Every buke having his perticular Prologe. Imprinted at London, 1553.*

ENGRAVED title-page, and black letter, except the three first lines, and printer's date.

The

There is a preface in verse, of eight pages. book is a small thick quarto, containing 382 pages.+

The beginning of the First Book.

"The battalis, and the man I will descrive,
Fra Troyis boundis, first that fugitive
By fate to Italie came, and wist lavyne
Over land and se, cachit with meikill pyne
Be force of goddis above, fra every stede
Of cruel Juno," &c.

The description of Fame in the fourth book, and of Dido and Æneas retiring into the cave in the storm, are wholly omitted; probably from the good Bishop's delicacy; for in a very long prologue in this book he gives many exhortations to young women, in this

manner:

* Herbert I. 357, says "By William Copland ;" and adds that the title is "in a neat compartment of a garland, or chaplet of flowers. At the bottom is a tablet supporting a boy at each end, holding Roman ensigns in their hands." Editor.

+ Qu? Herbert says, 66 CCC LXXX leaves." See next article.

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"Eschawe, young virgins, and fair dampcellis,
Furth of wedlock for to disteyne your kellis,
Traist not all talis, that wantoun womaris tellis,
You to defloure," &c.

Probably there is an older edition; for he says it was written in eighteen months, and finished in 1513. The work ends with the Translator's Rebus.

"To know the name of the Translater.

"The gaw unbrokin mydlit with the wine
The dow ioned with the glas, richt in ane lyne,
Quha knawis not the translatouris name;

Seik no farther, for, lo, with lytil pyne

Spye leile this vers, men clepis him sa at hame."

M. P.

Warton says "This translation is executed with equal spirit and fidelity: and is a proof that the lowland Scotch and English languages were now nearly the same. I mean the style of composition; more especially in the glaring affectation of anglicising Latin words. The several books are introduced with metrical prologues, which are often highly poetical; and shew that Douglas's proper walk was original poetry. The most conspicuous of these prologues is a Description of May."*

This translation was reprinted in folio at Edinburgh, 1710, with a glossary by Ruddiman, and a life of the author by the Rev. John Sage.t

*Wart. Hist. E. Poetry, II. 281.

Irving's Lives of Scottish Poets, II. 24.

Douglas's "Palis of Honour" was printed at London, by William Copland, in 1553, 4to. and at Edinburgh 1579 by John Ross for Henry Charters, 4to. and has been lately reprinted in Pinkerton's Scotish Poems, and among the "Select Works of Gawin Douglass," at Perth, 1787.*

Pinkerton has also in the above publication printed for the first time Douglas's "King Hart.”+

The Xiii bukes of Eneados of the famose Poete Virgill. Translatet out of Latyne verses into Scottish metir, bi the Reuerend father in God, Mayster Gawin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkel, & onkil to the Erle of Angus. Euery buke hauing hys perticular prologe. Imprinted at Londo~ 1553. b. 1. Ccc lxxxi leaves. Fo.

THIS is the first edition of a work generally known by the more valuable republication of Ruddiman in

*Irving's Lives of Scottish Poets, II. 24.

An excellent edition of another old Scotch poet has lately been given to the public by Mr. Chalmers, under the following title. "The Poetical Works of Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount, Lion King of Arms, under Jumes V. A new Edition corrected and enlarged: with a life of the author, prefatory Dissertations; and an appropriate Glossary. By George Chalmers, F.R.S. S.A. In three volumes. London. Printed for Longman and Co. 1806," 8vo. The eighth Dissertation, containing "A philosophical View of the Teutonic language of Scotland, from the Demise of Malcolm Ceanmore, to the Age of Lyndsay," is peculiarly curious, interesting, and full of deep research, and accurate and original deductions. The writer of this note never read an antiquarian discussion so completely satisfactory. Editor

1710. The name of Gawin Douglas, with specimens of his poetry, must be in the possession of every reader; I shall therefore only add, to assist in perfecting early copies (according to the suggestion of Herbert) a collated transcript of the last leaf.

"Ane exclamacion aganis detractouris and uncurtase redaris, that bene ouer studious, but occasioun, to note and spye out faltis, or offensis, in this volume or any othir thrifty werkis.

"Now throw the depe fast to the porte I merk, For here is endit the lang disparit werk,

And Virgil has his volume to me lent :

In souir raid now ankerit is our werke;
We dout na storme, our cabillis ar sa sterk ;
We haue eschapit, full mony perrellis went;
Now God belouit has, sic grace till vs sent,
Sen Virgil beis wyde quhare, in Latine soung,
Thus be my laboure red in vulgare toung.

But quhat dangere is ocht, to compile allace,
Her and thir detractouris in till euery place,
Or euer thay rede the werk, biddis birn the buke,
Sum bene sa frawart in malice and wangrace
Quhat is wele sayd thay loif not worth ane ace.
Bot castis thame euir to spy out falt and cruke,
Al that thay fynd in hiddillis, hirne, and nuke,
Thay blaw out, sayand, in euery mannis face,
Lo here he failzeis, lo here he leis, luke.

Bot gif I le lat Virgill be our iudge,
His werk is patent, I may haue na refuge:
Thareby go not, my faltis one be one
No wounder is the volume is sa huge,

Quhay mycht perfectly, al his hie termes luge
In barbare language, or thame deulie expone
Bot wele I wate of his sentence wantis none
Quha can do bettir lat se, quhare I foruayit
Begyn of new, al thing is gude vnassayit.*
Fer ethar is quha list, syt doun and mote
Ane vthir sayaris faltis to spye and note
Than but offence or falt thame 'self to w[r]yte
Bot for to chyde sum bene so birnand hote

Bald thay thare pece the word wald skald thare throte,
And has sic custom, to jangil and bakbite,

That bot thay schent sum thay suld birst for site:

I say no more, quhen al thare rerd is roung

That wicht mon speik, that can not hald his toung,

Go vulgare Virgil, to euery churliche wycht
Say, I auow, thou art translatit richt.
Beseik al nobillis the correct and amend ;

Beis not effrait to cum in prisaris sicht,

The nedis not to eschame for thy licht,
For I haif brocht thy purpois to gude end.
Now sal thou with euery gentil Scot be kend,
And to vnletteryt folk be red on hicht,
That erst was bot with clerkis comprehend.
Finis."

"To know the name of the Translator.

"The Gaw vnbrokin mydlit with the wine,
The Dow ioned with the glas, richt in ane lyne.
Quha knawis not the translatouris name
Seik no forther, for lo wyth lytil pyne

Spye leile this vers, men clepis him sa at hame.

Conduit street.

Finis."

* Conclusion of the page.

J. H.

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