UC-NRLF 
 
 *B bE3 725 
 
LIHKAKY 
 
 OF T1IK 
 
 University of California. 
 
 OI KT OK 
 
 'Received iA^cco/ , i8gS~~ 
 Accessions NoSff^-a 7 '- " Class No. frFS S ... 
 
 ^33 
 
A STUDY 
 
 Language of Scottish Prose 
 
 BEFORE 1600 
 
 A DISSERTATION 
 
 PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF 
 
 THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY FOR THE 
 
 DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY. 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM PETERS REEVES. 
 
 BALTIMORE: 
 
 JOHN MURPHY & CO 
 
 1893. 
 
A STUDY 
 
 IN THE 
 
 Language of Scottish Prose 
 
 BEFORE 1600 
 
 A DISSERTATION 
 
 PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF 
 
 THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY FOR THE 
 
 DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY. 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM PETERS REEVES. 
 
 BALTIMORE: 
 
 JOHN MURPHY & CO 
 
 1893. 
 
wtr 
 
TOT 'axotf 
 
 fQ - - - - 'AHavnoonaig 
 
 IS 'ayivKvaf) no sxavKa'jj 'ija 
 
 18 'STJMOA 5IHX aO AOCriONOHJ "JA 
 
 §9 'sx<iihosqk:vj\[ a 
 
 99 'asoHj ciaxNraj xsannvg 'A I 
 
 15 'ani ao asmg aHj, •Ju 
 
 88 'HON3Hj[ 3HX KOHa SJtfOIXV r ISKVHX 'II 
 
 6 - 'xHarcvnavj iioxoos hhx ao sxoy -j 
 
 8 'KOixonaoHXNx 
 
 •XOVd 
 
 "S1N31N03 
 
4 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 that the volume was not only soon superseded, but that it 
 was suppressed. 1 
 
 The first authoritative edition of the ' Acts' was edited by Thomas 
 Thomson, 2 Curator of the General Eegister House. This formed 
 Yol. II, comprising the years 1424-1567. Volume I, re-edited and 
 with a preface by Cosmo Innes, was printed by command of Queen 
 Victoria in 1844, and embraced the years 1124-1423. The Preface 
 to Vol. I contains valuable information regarding the Records, for 
 which he fixed the beginnings as follows : " There is probably no 
 Scotch writing extant, whether of Charter, Eecord or Chronicle, so 
 old as the reign of Malcolm Canmore, who died in the year 1093 
 (The Charter of Duncan at Durham is not free from suspicion. The 
 
 1 The ' Observations ' deserve to be quoted, in part. 
 
 "With modern print to intermix the abbreviations of ancient manuscripts, 
 appears unseemly and incongruous. To print in that manner, while it conveys 
 no distinct idea of the character or mode of writing employed in the original, 
 unavoidably creates additional and unnecessary difficulties to readers not con- 
 versant in the language of remote times, who will often be sufficiently puzzled 
 without such artificial obscurity. The words therefore in this and the following 
 volumes of the Records . . . will be found printed at full length ; the contracted 
 syllables in the Eecord being spelt like the same syllables when fully written 
 out in the passages nearest to those in which they are found contracted. ... It 
 may be remarked that the engrossers of the more early Parliamentary Eecords 
 of Scotland, like their contemporaries in the other nations of Europe, are, when 
 writing their vernacular language, far from being uniform in their orthography. 
 The same word is often spelt differently in the same page, sometimes even in the 
 same line . . . they are extremely sparing in the use of points and by no means 
 correct in placing the few they employ . . . the letters c and t are in most words 
 written so exactly alike that the acutest eye cannot distinguish the one from 
 the other. . . . And finally, like the transcribers of all ages and nations, they 
 frequently commit blunders. . . . THE Editor, thinking it his duty to give a 
 faithful copy of the Records of the Parliament of Scotland, will neither alter 
 nor supply, nor suppress a single letter. Where the blunder is obvious, every 
 reader can correct it for himself ; where there is any degree of obscurity it seems 
 better that the reader should in the correction exercise his own private judg- 
 ment, than submit to the conjectures of any Editor whatever." " W. R." 
 
 This volume was thus described by the editor of the standard edition of the 
 Acts. "See in 1804, an untrustworthy book published by his Majesty's Printer 
 in Scotland, 'The Parliamentary Records of Scotland in the General Register 
 House, Edinburgh,' and which professed to give those records from the year 
 1240 to 1571. Suppressed by Royal Commission." Innes, Introd. to Vol. I, Acts 
 Sc. Par. 
 
 2 C. Innes, Scotch Legal Antiquities, pp. 11-12. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 5 
 
 earliest undoubted writings of Scotland are the Charters of Edgar, 
 which are also preserved among the Coldingham Charters of Dur- 
 ham)." Although Wyntoun had mentioned the Parliament of 1286, 
 Innes thought that the " Parliament assembled by John Balliol at 
 Scone on the 9th day of February, 1292, was probably the first of 
 the national councils of Scotland which bore that name in the country 
 at the time, although later historians have bestowed it freely on all 
 assemblies of a legislative character." We know certainly that 
 "BallioPs treaty with France was confirmed at Dumferline, 23 Feb- 
 ruary, 1295." x 
 
 On the Records themselves, Innes says : " The loss or destruction 
 of the far greater part of the original public documents of Scotland 
 is a fact as to which unhappily there can be no doubt, and which 
 has been often the subject of just and deep lamentation. That the 
 whole of the Public Records and National Muniments preserved in 
 the Royal Archives of Scotland at the death of King Alexander III 
 were swept away by the hostile policy of Edward I we know from 
 authentic evidence. Of the intentional destruction of any of them 
 there is certainly no evidence ; and from the few which yet remain 
 in the Chapter House at Westminster [1844], it seems more probable 
 that the rest have perished by neglect and the gradual ravages of 
 time. That any of them were restored to Scotland, after the expul- 
 sion of Balliol, seems improbable ; and the only reason for doubt on 
 this head is to be found in the Treaty of Peace concluded between 
 the kingdoms in 1 328, commonly called the Treaty of Northampton. 
 It was one of the articles of that Treaty ' That all writings, obliga- 
 tions, instruments and other muniments touching the subjection of 
 the people and country of Scotland to the King of England, together 
 with all other instruments and privileges touching the freedom of 
 Scotland which might be discovered, should be given up and restored 
 to the King of Scots as soon as they could be found, according to a 
 special Indenture or Inventory thereof/ These formed, perhaps, 
 the most interesting class of the National Records, yet they certainly 
 were but a small part of what Edward I had taken possession of; 
 and, if the other classes of Records were still in the hands of the 
 English, it seems strange and unaccountable that their restoration 
 
 1 Innes, Introd. Acts, V; also 'Origines Parliamentarise.' Scotch Leg. Antiq., 
 pp. 98-106, 119. 
 
 *& 
 
 
6 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 should not likewise have been made a condition of the Treaty. Cer- 
 tain it is that none of the Eecords carried away by Edward I are 
 now to be found in Scotland." Acts, Vol. I, p. 18. 
 
 It may be convenient, in accounting for this loss, to refer to the 
 old story that several hogsheads of Records were lost at sea, while 
 being returned to Scotland. Other Records which were in the 
 Tower early in this century were afterwards' sent to the Public 
 Record Office, where some search failed to discover anything of 
 importance. The inference is that at this time they are in the 
 General Register House, Edinburgh. 1 
 
 Whatever were the origin of the early laws, it is learned that 
 they had some resemblance to a Code in the year 1425, for on the 
 11th of March at Perth, the following Act of Parliament was 
 passed. " Item it is sene spedfull and ordanit be ]?e king & the 
 parliament J?at sex wise & discrete men of ilk ane of the thre estatis 
 ]>e quhilkis knawis J?e lawis best salbe chosyn quha sen fraude & 
 gyll aw to keep no man false <fe examyn J>e bukis of law J>at is to 
 say regiam maiestatem & quoniam attachiamenta & mend ]>e lawis 
 at nedis mendment ande ordane als at all lauchfull exceptiounis of 
 law be admittit in jugement & all freuolus & fraudfull exceptiounis 
 be repellit & nocht admittit be no Juge swa J?at ]>e causis letigiouss 
 & pleyis be nocht wrangwisly prolongyt in scaith & preiudice of ]>e 
 party & in fraude of the law." Reg. Sc. Par., p. 61, col. 2. 2 
 
 The question of printing the Records arose in due time. In 
 the year 1469 (James III, Nov. 20th) an act had been passed, 
 aiming at the better preservation of the Records; "That J?e 
 kingis rollis and regesteris be put in bukkis 'Item it is thocht 
 expedient J?at j?e kingis rollis and regesteris be put in bukis 
 ande haif sik strenthe as J?e rollis had befor.'" Rec. Sc. Par., 
 p. 52, col. I. In the succeeding reign of James IV the impor- 
 tant plan was conceived for giving publicity not only to the Laws 
 
 1 A short description of those documents which were in the Gen'l Reg. House, 
 available in 1796, will be found in the appendix No. XXIII to Pinkerton's 
 Pistory of Scotland, Vol. I. 
 
 2 It will be seen that in spite of the suppression of this volume of the 'Eecords' 
 I have made extensive use of it. The copy, which contains Thomas Thomson's 
 markings for his new edition, is in my possession ; and judging by'the few correc- 
 tions and by the consistency with which he has evidently compared this copy 
 with the originals, I have no hesitancy in quoting from the contents. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 7 
 
 of the kingdom, but also to the Historical monuments and Eccle- 
 siastical Rituals. "In the year 1507 the art of Printing was 
 introduced into Scotland by Royal sanction, avowedly for the pur- 
 pose of ' emprenting within our Realme the Bukis of the Lawis, 
 actis of Parliament, croniclis, mess bukis/ &c, and exclusive 
 privileges were conferred upon the first printers for encouragement 
 and support in the execution of these national works. This was 
 not however sufficient for the publication of the Acts of Parliament, 
 and it was not until 1541 that any part of the Scotch Statue Book 
 appeared in print. A selection from the Acts of several Parlia- 
 ments of James V was then published by legislative authority ; and 
 at the distance of twenty-four years this was followed in 1565 by 
 the publication of the Acts of a Parliament of Queen Mary." Innes, 
 Introd. Acts, p. 22, and v. Annals Scottish Printing, pp. 109-118. 
 The confusing number of editions which appeared after this last 
 date, under the various titles of ' Regiam Majestatem/ ' Quoniam 
 Attachiamenta/ 'The Acts and the Old Laws/ &c, may be well 
 left unconsidered. 
 
 The Manuscripts from which Thomson and Innes made their 
 editions, were carefully described in their Introductions. Many of 
 course are in the Latin, and it may be well to give a list of those 
 containing vernacular versions. The MSS. referred to here have 
 the same roman numbering which was used by T. and I. 
 
 No. IV . The so-called ' Bute ? MS. Marquis of Bute, proprietor, 
 written probably in the latter half of the 14th Cen. Cap. 13, two 
 Scotch chapters : ' Chalynge of transgressioun and }?e fourme to mak 
 clepe and call upon brekyng of proteccyon/ fol. 141. Cap. 19, 
 Burgh Laws, fol. 153-163. Cap. 22, The 'Assise of Brede/ etc., 
 fol. 167-170. a) 'of Custum/ fol. 170-171. b) 'of Law and the 
 Custume of Schippis/ fol. 171-174. c) 'of wecht in flandrys and 
 reknyns be the price of the mone/ fol. 175. 
 
 No. VII. Edinburgh University MS., not long after 1389, or 
 early 15th Cen. ; Latin except a miscellaneous collection of styles 
 and forms of process in Scotch and Latin, fol. 102-111. 
 
 No. IX. Advocates' Library MS., W, 4, ult., " nearly all in 
 Scotch, and is written in an unique hand, to within a few leaves 
 of the end." Undated. 
 
8 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 No. X. The Harleian MS., 4700. Early 15th Cen. Cap. 4, 2 
 leaves in Scotch, 'the maneir of Batall within lists.' Cap. 14, 'The 
 poyntis belangand to the Warden Courts.' Cap. 16, Lawis and Cus- 
 tumis of the Schippis, 8 leaves. Cap. 15, Miscellany: Latin and 
 Scotch. Cap. 28, one leaf in Scotch, ' on laufulnes of tailzies ' : also 
 cap's 31, 32 (3 leaves), 34 (17 leaves). 
 
 No. XII. Cambridge MS., Public Library, Cambridge E, 4, 21, 
 Late 15th Cen., uniform hand. Cap. 18, 14 leaves Cap. 19, lawis 
 and Custumis of Schippis (33 chapters). 
 
 No. XIII. The Cockburn MS. Advocates' Library, W, 4, 28, or 
 "W, 4, penult. Cap. 4, 2 parts by different scribes ; late 15th Cen. 
 Cap. 10, statuta Regis Dav. primi, in Scotch; 20 titles. Cap. 11, 
 fol. 90-92. Cap. 12, fol. 93-99. Cap. 16, fol. 1-20 of second part ; 
 Borowe Laws, fol. 20-24, 28-38, 38-40. 
 
 No. XIV. Advocates' Library MS., A, I, 32; late 15th Cen., 
 all Scotch. 
 
 No. XV. The Monynet MS., Adv. Libr., A, 1, 28, written by 
 James Monynet, 1488. Cap. 19, pe poyntis belangande to j?e ward- 
 ane courte, fol. 203. Cap. 21, Law and Custumis of the Schippis, 
 fol. 205-216. Cap. 24, On Tailzie, fol. 319 ; also fols. 342-353, 
 365-371, 371-373, 375-378, 400. 
 
 No. XVI. Colvil MS., ' now [1844] owned by Mr. J. A. Macon- 
 ochie ; v. Bibliography, ' Regiam Majestatem.' Cap. 15, ' The gret 
 lawis maid thro King Davyd ; 20 chapters. Cap. 16, Lawis of 
 King "William; 11 titles. Cap. 17, Lawis of King Alexander. 
 
 No. XVII. Cambridge MS., K, I, 5. Public Library Camb., 
 4° thick ; tracts and MSS. Part 3rd, Scotch laws, ' written in a 
 careless hand; late 15th or beginning of the 16 th Cen.' 
 
 No. XVIII. John Bannatyne MS. Adv. Libr., A, 7, 25, written 
 by John Bannatyne, 1520. Cap. 3, ' Maner of battale within lists ; 
 11 titles. Cap. 17, 7 oaths. Cap. 20, 'laws and custumis of schippis.' 
 Cap. 22, On Taillie (Scotch and Latin). 
 
 No. XIX. Lambeth MS., Lambeth Palace Library, No. 167 ; 
 early 16th Cen. Cap. 17, The process of the again calling of a 
 dome; fols. 178-189, 190-2, 192-208. 
 
 No. XXI. Thomas Bannatyne MS., Adv. Libr., Jac. V, 6, 
 13 (old numbering); latter half 16th Cen. Cap. 15, 'How 
 the batall within listis salbe gouernit; 10 titles in Scotch. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 9 
 
 Cap. 18, 'Acts of the Parliament holdin at Edinburgh the thrid 
 day of December.' 
 
 No. XXII. Malcolm MS., Adv. Libr., A, 3, 22 fol. ; late 16th 
 Cen. ; a large part in Scotch. The rest of the twenty-five MSS. 
 noted by T. and I. are in Latin. 
 
 The following extracts from the two first volumes of the Acts 
 were selected to show the character of the language; regard has 
 therefore been had for variety in vocabulary and grammatical forms. 
 The nature of the material would of itself suggest much repetition 
 and a general neglect of literary quality. 
 
 I. 
 
 Acts of the Scotch Parliament (v. Scottish Record 
 Pub. in Bibliography). 
 
 Heir begynnis the lawys of the King David 
 
 I. of hym }>at eschapis of )>e gallowys 
 
 Gif ony mysdoar thruch dome be hingit and eftirwart he eschapis 
 of ]>e gallowis he sal be quyt as of J?at deid fra thin furth And J?ai 
 J;at hingit hym sal mak fine wyth ]>e kyng saufand ]>aim lyf and 
 memberis and disherisone for quhi that trespas is mekil and oure 
 mesur. 
 
 II. of ony appelyt of thy ft (de appelato de furto) 
 
 Gi f ony appelis ony man in ]>e kyngis court or in ony ojur court 
 of thyft it sal be in j?e likyng of hym at beis appelyt quhejnr he 
 wil bataile or to tak purgacioun of xii leil men with clengyng of 
 a hyrdman. 
 
 III. of herberyng of strange men (de advenis hospitandis) 
 
 It is lefful to na man to herbery na strangear langar pan a nycht 
 na hald hym in his house wythoutin borch and gif ony forsuth 
 bydis in a toun oure a nycht he sal be brocht befor ]>e justice or J?e 
 schireff and be at par wil. 
 
 IV. How jugment sal be geyffin. 
 
 pe kyng hes statut pat na justice schireff alderman na bailee of 
 ony baroun sal sit at jugement to be done apone pe folowyng or pe 
 ansuer befor paim to be maid bot quhen sic cumis to jugement he 
 sal pas furth of pe court parapone and pan pe iustice schireff or 
 
10 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600, 
 
 bailee agane callit J?e iugement be ]>e soytoris maid sal geyffin 
 furth. 
 
 V. How J>at a peir aw to be jugit allanerly be his peir (quod par 
 per parem iudicabitur) 
 
 pe kyng hes statut alsa J>at na man aw to thol iugement fra a 
 less persoun J;an fra his peir J>at is to say an erl be erlis baroun be 
 barounis vavassour be vavassour burges be burges bot a les persoun 
 may be jugit be a mar persoun and nocht a mar be a les persoun. 
 
 VIII. of challange thruch quhilk bataile may be raysit (de appel- 
 lacione unde duellum possit oriri) 
 
 Gif ony man appelis anoJ>ir of thyft or of reff or of ony trespas 
 thruch J?e quhilk bataile may ryse say and in his folowyng J;at J>e 
 deffendour hes done hym sic schame to ]>e valur of xx merkis 
 wyth J>e scath that he hes tane J>e party deffendour quhen he cumis 
 to bataile sal not put his weddis for ]?e price of ]>e schame of J?e 
 folowar bot allanerly he sal put his weddis eftir the assyse of J?e 
 kynrik to ]>e valur of ]>e scath ]?at ]?e folowar sais hym til haf tane 
 And it is to wyt )>at in ]?e folowyng of reff or of byrnyng |?e party 
 deffendour aw nocht to put his weddis bot allanerly for sua mekil 
 als ony man sais him scathit In J?e folowyng of thyft \q scath of 
 }>e folowar aw to be somyt thrynfalde sa J>at ]?e body of ]>e deffen- 
 dour aw to doubillit ]>e quhilk mone J?e party askand aw til haf 
 wyth him gif J>e party deffendour be slayn and his body sal remane 
 in J>e place for ];e thridpart of J?e mone 
 
 X. of ]>e schireffis and J?ar seriandis (de vice comitibus et eorum 
 servientibus) 
 
 Na schireff or ]>e seriand of ]>e schireff sal entermet )?aim of ony 
 thing pertenand to J>e kyngis proffyt utouth ];ar schirefdome of 
 somondis or of attachments aw to suer in the plane schirefdome 
 J?at ]?ai sal leilly serve J?e kyug in J>ar awin schirefdome and )>at \e 
 men duelland wythin J>e schirefdome wranguisly J>ai sal not vex. 
 
 XI. of |;aim );at ar appelyt be J;e kyng of felony (de appel. regis 
 de felonia) 
 
 Gif it hapnis J>e kyng til appel ony man of felony or of lyf or of 
 membris he sal clenge him anent ]>e kyng be ]>e athis of [xxiiii] 
 leil men of ]?at schirefdome quhar it is said J?at trespas to be maid 
 And gif forsuth be )>e athis of )>aim ]?ai acquyt him he sal be quyt 
 or ellis ]?ar sal pas of him rycht jugement gif he be nocht maid quyt 
 And gif ];e kyng folowys ony man of ony o)?ir iniure he sal clenge 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 11 
 
 hym anent pe kyng be pe athis of xxiiii leil men or ellis he sal 
 satisfie pe kyng eftir his folowyng 
 
 XVI. of selling of theyffis and of yaim yat eschapis 
 
 pe Kyng David hes ordanyt pat na man sell a theyff of thyft 
 pruffyt for na mone na for na frenschip na for na maner of meyd 
 And gif an erl dois it or ony opir pat hes pe fredome and custum 
 of an erl he sal pay to pe king for amercyment xxxiiii ky And 
 gif ony brekis pis lawe agayn he sal pay l c ky to pe kyng And pe 
 theyff sal be outlawyt thruch all pe kyngis land and gif he may be 
 eftirwartis gottyn pe lawe sal be done apon hym farthwyth eftir pe 
 maner of sic trespas And gif he be put in boys or in fetteris and 
 aventur fall pat he eschapis out of pat ilk ward pe lord of pat 
 prisoun pe theyff eschapis out sal acquit hym anent pe kyng with 
 xxvii leil men and thre thanys pat he nocht wyst of pe passing out 
 of pat theyff na consent parto gayff na consal And sa sal pe lord 
 gang quyt at pat tym. 
 
 XXXII. of paim con vy kit of mansuorn (periurio) 
 
 Quhasa evir is enchessonyt of fals wytnes beryng in pe contrare 
 of ony sakles man for lufrent or hatrent and hes suorn apon pe 
 haly evangel or apon pe haly cystre or opir notabill halydum he 
 sal be put out fra al confort and company of cristyn men quhil pat 
 he haf mad assith befor god eftir pe dome of schryffand for man- 
 suorn and haf geyffin into pe kyngis amendis viij ky and fra pin 
 furth he salbe put fra al pruff and wytnes and be nevir holdyn as 
 man bot as unman. 
 
 Leges quatuor Burgorum (Berewic, Eokisburg, Edinburgh, Striv- 
 elin) Mayd and ordanyt be the Kyng David. 
 
 (It will be seen from the collateral law-latin forms that the in- 
 fluences of the two languages upon each other have been at times 
 reciprocal.) 
 
 I. of pe Kyngis rent in borowagis (de redditibus domini regis in 
 burgagiis.) In pe fyrst quhat is pe rent of oure lorde pe kyng in 
 borowagis pat is to say pat ilke burges sail geyff to pe Kyng for his 
 borowage at he deffendis for ilke rud of land v$ be yhere. 
 
 V. of thingis lente be a burges man tyl ane uplandis man Gif a 
 burges hafe lent of his catallis tyll hym pat wonnys out of pe burgh 
 gyf pe dettur grauntis pe dett he sail jelde it and gif he nytis it he 
 sail parof do rycht befor pe lawhaldaris of pat ilk burgh 
 
12 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 XXV. of stryff muffyt betuix schipmen in burgh (de contencione) 
 Gif schippis or o)>ir strange kynrikis arryfis in ]>e kyngis lande of 
 Scotlande and contak ryse betuix J>e partyis of suilk meynje within 
 the havyn of J>e kynge J?e kyngis bailjeis sail holde rycht betuen 
 J?aim of alkyn manere of querelle ony of J?aim will pleynje of ojnr 
 J?e quhilk wrang was amuffit betuen }?aim in ]>e land of ]>e king of 
 Scotlande and gif it sua sail at J>e challangeour or ]?e defendoure hafe 
 giifyn his toll and done to the kyngis land J?at at he aw to do and 
 J?e schyp be in J>e rade wele and in pes he sail pas and ]>e tane of J>e 
 tojnr sail get his rycht quhare he best may 
 
 XLI. Of borowage geyffin in fre mariage 
 
 Gif ony man has takyn a borowage in fre mariage wyth ony 
 woman and gettis wyth hyr a knayff chylde or a maydyn and 
 thruch aventure ]?e wyfe deys and eftyr J?e dede of ]>at modyr hir 
 son or hir dochter leyffis or deys J>e man sail joys ]>e borowage all 
 his lyf tyme bot he may nocht wedsett na sell it And gif J?at ilke 
 nycht at J?at son or j>at dochtyr be borne bathe ]>e modyr and ]>e 
 barne deys )>an sail J>e man ioys all ]>e gudis of J?at land in his lyfe 
 sua at }>at man sail have wytnes of tua leil men or of women 
 nychtburis J?at herde J>e chylde cryand or gretand or brayand And 
 sua gif he haf tane ma landis wyth his wyfe in mariage And gif 
 he gettis with his wyfe na chylde ]>e land sail turn tyll his wyffis 
 next ayre. 
 
 XLII. of landis sauld be encheson of poverte 
 
 Ilk man in his lege pouste may sell or geyff J>e landis }>at he has 
 of conquest in burgh to quham sa evir he will Bot gif J?at thruch 
 nede hym behovys sell his lande J?at he has of heretage he sal at 
 the thre hevyd mutis proffyr J?at lande to J>e next of J?e ayris And 
 gif )>aim lykis to by j?at lande ]>ai sal fynd til hym at mysteris to 
 sell mete and clathis suilk as beis necessare to ]?aim self pe clath- 
 ing sail be of a hew grysande or quhyte And gif J>ai nocht wil do 
 sua or ]>an be unpowar may nocht it sail be leiiful til hym J?e for- 
 said lande as he best may speid to sell And gif the ayr be ututh }?e 
 kynrik in J;e next kynrik he aw to byde hym XL dayis And gif 
 ]?at he be in a ferrar kynrik next J?at kynrik he aw to byde hym 
 tuyis xl dayis and sua of ojur ferrar kynrikis And gif J>e ayr be 
 absent for will wyl or malyce langer ];an J?e forsaid termys til hym 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 13 
 
 assignyt it sal be leifful to J?e man mysterand to dyspone on his 
 lande quhar he may best speid. 1 
 
 XLIII. Gif ony burges be challangyt of his land or of his tene- 
 ment in burgh he is nocht haldyn to ansuer to his party adversar 
 foroutyn J>e kingis lettyris bot gif him lykis and he at is challangyt 
 may ryn til his delayis and til his skylful essoingeis anys tuyis and 
 thryis And J?e ferde tym he sail cum to warrande his essoinjeis ilke 
 ane at he made as ]>e ordyr of law will 2 
 
 XLVI. of ane castellane and a burges 
 
 Gif ony man of ]>e castell has ocht misdone til ony man of ]>e 
 burgh he sal aske lauch at )>e Castell ututh ]>e yhettis And gif ony 
 man of ]>e burgh has ocht misdone til ony man of ]>e castell he sal 
 aske lauch of hym in ]>e burgh 3 
 
 LX. of baxtaris and J?aim ];at sellis fysche 
 
 Baxtaris at bakis brede to sell sail bake quhyte brede and gray 
 eftir ]>e consideracion and prise of J?e gud men of ]>e toune eftir as 
 \q sesson askis And ]?e baxtar sail hafe to wynning of ilke chaldir 
 eftir as sail be sene thruch )>e gud men of J?e toune and nocht eftir 
 his awne discrecione And quha J?at bakis brede to sell aw nocht 
 for to hyde it bot sett it in a wyndow or in J?e mercat J?at it may be 
 opynly sauld And quha sa dois ojnrwayis and ]?airof J>ai be convict 
 
 1 Quilibet potest in legitima potestate sua dare vel vendere terrain quam habet 
 de conquesta suo cuicunque voluerit sed si necessitate compulsus hereditatem 
 vendere opporteat debet illam terrain ad tria placita capitalia proximis hereditus 
 offerre quod si proximi heredes terram illam emere voluerint inveniant ei neces- 
 saria scilicet victum et vestitum sicut sibimet ipsisVestimentum sit unius coloris 
 scilicet grifii vel albi quod si sic facere noluerint aut per impotenciam non poterint 
 licebit ei dictam terram prout melius poterit alibi vendere quod si heres fuerit 
 extra regnum in alio regno proximo expectare debet per xx, dies Si autem in 
 secundo regno per bis xl dies exspectare debet et sic de regnis ulterioribus Si 
 autem heres maliciose ultra dictum terminum se absentaverit licebit indigenti de 
 terra sua prout melius poterit disponere. 
 
 2 Si aliquis calumpniatus fuerit de terra vel tenemento suo in burgo non tenetur 
 respondere adversario suo sine Uteris domini regis nisi sponte voluerit Et ipse 
 qui calumpniatus est potest concurre ad dilaciones et ad racionales essonias semel 
 secundo et tercio Et quarto veniet ad warantizandum essonias suas et respondere 
 ballivis quales sint de die in diem 
 
 3 De castellano et burgense. 
 
 Si aliquis de castello foris fecerit burgensi burgensis petet ius suum ad castellum 
 extra portas Si verso burgensis foris fecerit castellano castellanus petet ius suum 
 in burgo de eo. 
 
14 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 ]>ai sail pay amercyment of viii s. and J?e brede sail be delt to ]>e 
 pur folk And rycht sa aw it to be of hym J?at bryngis fysche to 
 sell to \e burgh. 
 
 LXXXI. of ]>e maner of waking in burgh 
 
 It is for to wyt of ilke house wythin ]>e burgh in \>e quhilk J>ar 
 wonnys ony J?at in J>e tym of wakyng aw of resoun to cum furth |?ar 
 sal ane wachman be holdyn to cum furth quhen J?at ]?e wakstaff gais 
 fra dure to dure quha sal be of eylde and sal gang til his wache wyth 
 tua wapnys at J>e ryngyng of p>e courfeu and sua gate sal wache wysly 
 and besily til )>e dawyng of ]?e daye and gif ony herof failge be sal 
 pay iiii d. outtane wedous (viduis exceptis). 
 
 LXXXII. of playnte of hym J?at is mayd blaa and blody 
 
 Gif ony man strykis anojnr quhar thruch he is mayd blaa and 
 blody he J?at is mayd blaa and blody sal fyrst be herde quhe)?ir he 
 cumys fyrst to plenje or nocht and gif }>at bathe be blaa and blody 
 he J>at fyrst plenjeis him sal fyrst be herde. 1 
 
 XC. of burges }>at aw dette 
 
 Gif ane burges aw dette till ony man and at J?e terme hafe nocht 
 to pay it bot his landis ]>e man J>at ]>e dette is aucht to sal holde J?e 
 landis thruch a yhere and a daye and wythin j?at yhere and daye he 
 sal peroffyr (offerre) J>aim to J>e nerrest ayris And gif J?ai wil nocht 
 by ]?aim or ellis outquyte ]>e dette it is leyfull til hym to sell )>& 
 landis quhar he wil And gif ]?are be ocht attour it sal be geyffin 
 to J?e dettur. 
 
 XCI. of fraudful redemcion of landis salde. 
 
 Gif a burges sellis his land for encheson of nede wythin J>e burgh 
 and it hafe bene befor ]>e sellyng of it byddin to J>e nerrest of ]>e 
 frendis J?at tym ]>ai nocht hafande quhar wyth );at ]^ai mycht it by 
 and syne eftir quhen ]?at lande is wele byggit and anournit (terrain 
 promotam et hospitatem) J>an sum man of J>e next frendis cummys 
 wyth a soum of silver frandfully J?arto borowyt and byddis J>at lande 
 to hy he aucht nocht to be herde na eftir agane call ]?e byer of it on 
 ony wyse (nee potest earn aliquid modo revocare) 
 
 CVII. of J>e successione of J?e sone to J>e fadris herytage. 
 
 1 Si quis verebando fecerit aliquem blaa et blodi ipse qui fuerit blaa et blodi 
 prius debet exaudiri Sive priiis venerit aut non ad qu«emoniam faciendam Et si 
 uterque fuerit blaa et blodi qui prius accusaverit prius exaudietur. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 15 
 
 Gif it sa betyde pat ony man hafe landis oupir of heretage or of 
 conquest and he luf pat til hym is ayre sa mekyll pat he gevis to 
 pat sone all his landis in his lege pouste And efteruart a myster 
 unexcusabill (inexcusabilis necessitas) cumis to pe forsaid fadre and 
 he schawis til pe sone his myster pe quhilk sone will nocht do to pe 
 fadre na succour pan may pe fadre leyfully sell or wed sett pe landis 
 quhepir heretage or conquest to quha sum ever he will for his myster 
 And suilk nede aw to be provyt befor pat pe landis be salde or 
 analyt be pe athis of XII lele and worthie men of pe burgh pat is 
 to wyt four wonnande on pe ta halfe and four on pe topir halfe and 
 opir foure fare anent pe house or ellis pat alienacion sal be of nane 
 avale. 
 
 Assize Regis Willelmi. 
 
 XV. of a man slayn in pe kingis vengeance 
 
 Gif ony man for thy ft or for reff deis be law of irn or watir and 
 of him rycht be done or gif he wer slayn with thyft fundyn wy th 
 hym and efterwarte gif his kyn in vengeance of hym slew hym pat 
 brocht hym to pe law pe king sal haf als fully rycht of suilk men 
 slayeris of pe dede of hym as of his pece fullily brokyn withoutyn 
 concord or relaxacioun bot gif it be throu pe consail or pe assent of 
 his kyn And gif it hapin throu case pat pe king grantis pece til 
 hym pat wes slayn ner pe les pe kyn of him sal tak vengeance of 
 pam pat slew par kyn. 
 
 XXIV. of land geyffin be pe king to his demayne 
 
 pe king hes statut be pe counsal of pe communite pat gif he haiff 
 gevyn ony man of pe landis in his propir demayne opir extendit be 
 pe aithis of leil men of pe cuntre or of his awin wil withoutyn ony 
 athis be certane methis and merys quyt and fre for evir mar sua pat 
 fra pin furth wyth breyff of pureale na wyth nayn opir breyff he 
 may tyn opir al or part of pe sayd land bot gif it war throu a breyff 
 of rycht And pan pe king sal mak til hym a ressonable chang or 
 pan warand pat ilke land til him. 1 
 
 1 Statuit dominus Rex per consilium communitatis sui quod si Eex aliquam 
 terram infra dominicum suum alicui dederit per extensionem sacramenti fidelium 
 hominum provincie vel de voluntate sua sine Sacramento alicuius et certas metas 
 et divisas quietam et solutam imperpetuum ita quod de cetero neque per breve 
 perambulacionis neque per aliquod aliud breve aliquam partem terrse illius amittat 
 nisi per breve de recto et tunc Rex debet ei racionabile excambium facere pro dicta 
 terra vel ei ipsam terram warantizare. 
 
16 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Acta Regis Alex. Ill, appendix II (p. 431). 
 
 Statuta gilde. XIII. off J>e dogter of ]>e gyld bru)?er 
 
 Gif ]?at ony of ]>e brewer of J>e gyld efter his desces leyff a dogter 
 off his spousit wyff borne |>e quhilk be of loffabil conuersacione and 
 of gud fame geyff scho has noght of hir awin quhar of it may be 
 purwayt hir of a man [or of a religiouse house gif that scho lyk to 
 lef chast] efter J?e estimacioun of J>e alderman and \e faculte of ]>e 
 gilde it salbe purwayt til hir of a husband or J?an a hous of relygione. 
 
 XIV. Gif ony of |?e breder of J>e gilde hapyn to disses and has 
 not to bring him to ]>e erde as afferis or to ger sing for his saule J?e 
 breder sal tak of J?e faculteis of J?e gilde and ger his bodye be honestly 
 layd in erde. 
 
 French is frequently found in Records, especially in Acta Mar- 
 garet, 1289 ; Robert I (1308), Berwic, 1323, 1327; Edward Balliol, 
 Edinburgh, 1333, Feb. xii; David II, 1357, 1363-64, and Inden- 
 ture of 1367 made at Berwyk, v. Appendix II to David IPs Acts; 
 Robert II, July 1, 1385. See also in the Reg. Scot. Par., pp. 84, 
 85, 90 seq., 98, 102, 103, 107, 116 (of the year 1369), 119, 1371 ; 
 120, 122, 123, from the French King Charles, 123; Robert II, 
 1371; 126, 1372; 130, 1374; 131, 1383; 132, 1383; 135 Robert, 
 1385 (compact with the French) ; 136, Robt., 1390 ; Charles, 1406. 
 
 In the following the contractions are expanded in italics. The 
 remarks on MS. symbols of contraction, in Morris and Skeat's 
 Specimens, pt. I, p. xx, II, p. xv, and in Horstmann : Barbour's 
 Legendensammlung, II, pp. 305, 306, cover all the ordinary pecu- 
 liarities of Scottish paleography. 
 
 Acta Robert III, Stirling, 1397 
 
 Item in J?e consail general of stn/velyn seyn and consideryt J?e 
 grete and horrible destruccwn heryschippis brym/ng/s and slach- 
 tem \at ar sa commonly done throch al ]>e kynrike It is statutit 
 and ordanyt with assent of )?e thre communates J?ar beande J>at ilke 
 schiref of J?e kynrike sal publy ger crye \at na man rydand or 
 gangande in J?e contre lede mar persons with hym bot ]?aim ]?at he 
 wil mak ful payment for Ande J?at na man vse lik destrucc/ons 
 slachtir Reif na bryning m tyme tocum under payn of tynsale of 
 life and gudis pe quhilke crye made ilke schiref sal tak diligent 
 enquerres gif ony be comon destroyem of J?e contre | and o)>er der- 
 struys or has destruyt ]>e kyngis legis with herschippis slachtis 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 17 
 
 bry?iing or ettyng of pe cofitre. And gif ony be fundyn be enquerre 
 of sic trespassoum pe schiref sal do al his besines til arest paim and 
 he sal lat paim to borch til appef at pe next iustice air as day prc- 
 emptor | like ane vnder pe payn of xx pofide. And he pat apperis 
 nocht at pe next iustice air sal be at pe home and his borous sal 
 pay the payn and mak affecht to pe party pleygnand | and gif ony 
 be pat may nocht fynde sic borows pe schiref richt pen sal gif 
 knaulage of assise | and gif he be taynt with pe assise for sic a tres- 
 passouf I he sal be condampnit to pe deid And gif ony of pa mis- 
 doem fleys out of a schirefdom in ane oper | pe schiref pat he fleis 
 fra sal write in quhais schirefdome he is reset | byddand hym on pe 
 kyngis hehalfe pat he arrest sic a fugitive mysdoer and send hym 
 til hym agayn To pe quhilk bydding pe schiref sal be haldin til 
 obese | and to sende hym agayn | pe qwhilk send agayn | pe schiref 
 pat he is send to sal procede in pe manef beforsaid. And in pe 
 samyn maner sal al lordis and officem of regalites ansuef to pe 
 schirefis le^res and pe schiref to pair leltres as to pe arrestyng of 
 pe fugitives In pe execucion of pe quhilkis arrestis al barofis fre- 
 holdam and al oper pe kyngis legis sal helpe and suppouvel pe 
 schiref and al oper officem of pe kyngis at al pair pouer alswele 
 agayfl pair awyn men and retenwis as agayn oper And gif ony be 
 fundyn sautif in pat poynt pat he risis nocht with pe kyngis officem 
 as is beforsaid and pat may be prouit before pe Justice opir with 
 witness or with assise he sal pay x pound to pe kyng without remis- 
 sioii. Apon per articles pe Justice in ilke iustice air sal tak knaw- 
 lage I als apon schirefis gif pai do deuly pair det to pair offic in pe 
 execucion of pis statut as upon al oper pat suppouel nocht pe kyngis 
 minstem in pe maner beforsaid. And it is ordanyt pat pe chan- 
 celler sal write precepm of pis statut til al schirefis Justices in als 
 fer as in paim is and con ... or pertenis to paim. 
 
 James I, Acta, 1417. 
 
 at Perth, General Council, June XXVI. 
 
 Robert duyc of Albany erle of fy fe and of menteth and gouvern- 
 our of Scotland to pe schirefis of Aberden and of banf gretyng. Our 
 wil is pat yhe wit pat we tretande with ony of my lorde pe kingz's 
 liegis for pair relesis and accordande with paim for certane soume or 
 forgifande paim and relesand pair releif of gifand selland or acordand 
 with ony of pe kyngis legis for ony warde or mariage or ony profite 
 2 
 
18 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 falland to J>e kyng. J>at it is nocht our entent wil or purpose til trete, 
 sel or forgife ony thyng pertenand til ]>e biscop and ]>e kyrk of Aber- 
 deen J>e quhilk wes of aide tyme and is in possession of J>e tend peny 
 of al wardis relesis and mariag/s vscheis of court/s eschetzs and o\>eris 
 profit^ falland to \e kyng in ]>e forsaid schiref-domys. Quharfor 
 to yhu schirefis of Aberden and of banf and to yhur bailyhis and 
 ministris and al oJ?em }>at it pertenys to. we gif straitly in mand- 
 ment and charges yhu. J>at nocht agaynstandande ony relesyng, gift, 
 sellyng, forgifyng or acordyng we mak with of )>e kyngis legis of 
 warde relese. mariage or ony ojnr profite falland or pertenand to ]>e 
 kyng, or ony oj^ir profite of ye quhilke his predecessouris or he ar 
 wont til hafe J?e tend peny. distreignande for it be yhur selfe or be 
 yhur ministris or his. Sua ]>at in defaute of yhu we her na richtwis 
 complaynt. And J?is vnder al payn ]?at J?arefter may fal yhe leve 
 nocht vndone. Gevyn under our p?-ive seil at Perth in general con- 
 seil J?e xxvj day of Junij, ]?e yher of grace a thousande four hundred 
 and sevynten, and of our gouvernail \e tuelft. 
 
 James I (Vol. II). Perth d. Mar., XI, 1425. 
 
 4. Item it is statute and ordanit be J>e king and his parliament 
 J>at all and sindry both men and women of his realme to quham he 
 has grantit ony letfres of newe infestmen£ confirmacfon or proteccion 
 speciale vndir his hail grete sele fra J?e tym of his cuming hame in 
 his realme out of J?e realme of Inglande to )>is day present ]?ar le^res 
 to ]>e king or to his depute ]?erto ordanit w* in ]?e space of iiij 
 monethis nixt to cum at J?ai may be put in j?e kingis Register til 
 perpetuale memor. And quha sa present's nocht J?ar said lettres w t 
 in J>e iiij moneth?s forsaid fra J>in fur* J?ai lettres salbe to J>aim of 
 nane awayle fors nor effec. 
 
 James II, 1447. 
 
 No. 39. Item J?e lordis think/* speidfull J?at our soverane lorde 
 Cbmmande all his Sehirefis and commissam of borowis to cum to 
 ]>e clerk of his Regestre and ger copy all J?ir articulis act/s and statutes 
 abone writtyn and ger proclame J>ame opinly throu out J>ar schym 
 and burowis sa ]?at nane of his liegis allege ignorance of fame in tyme 
 to cum And alsua J>at all }>e act/s and ordinancis abone writtyn ]?e 
 quhilkis ar necessary till his baronis and frehaldar/s to be schawin 
 at \er witsundais making or in J?er barone court is rjt sa be takin and 
 copyit and schawin to his tenand/s sa ]?at no)>er \e frehaldar nor )?e 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 19 
 
 tenand/s be negligent nor pretermyt )>e observyng of J>e saidis decretis 
 and at ]>e paynis set J?erapone be sa deuly raisit J>at ]>e saidis act/s and 
 decret/s be observyt and kepit as efferis. 
 
 James III, 1469, p. 123. 
 
 In oure souverain lordis parliament haldin and begunnyn at Edin- 
 burgh J>e tuenty day of J>e moneth of November ]>e )>er of our lord a 
 thousand four hundreth sexty and nyne jer/s It is act and statut 
 be our souverain lord and J?e thre estates In ]>e said parliament that 
 for alsmekle as our hali faider the pape and ]>e sege of Rome has 
 grantit a privilege and ane Indult perpetuate to \e prelatis bischopis 
 of saintandros to Conferme )?e persouns J?at sal be chosin or postulat 
 be conventis to be abbotis or priouris within J?e diocy of Saintandros 
 quhilkis Indult and priuilege Is rycAt honorable in J?e selve and 
 tendis to ]>e comoun proffit of ]?e Real me And our souverane lordis 
 liegis \at J?erfor J?e said Indult and privilege salbe obseruit and kepit 
 be our souverain lord his successouris and liegis In tym tocum 
 without violacioun or breking of ]>e sammyn. And J>at na persouns 
 his liegis or subditis of quhat sumever stait degre or ordour J>ai be 
 of to our souverain lord be ony maner of menys or wayis In tyme 
 to cum tend In \e contrar of J>e said Indult or privileges And 
 purchess ony abbasys or prionryis ]?at sail vaik with J?e diocy of 
 Saintandros In tyme cummyng pertening to ]>e confirmacioun of }?e 
 said prelate bischop of Saintandros beand for ]>e tyme bot be J>e said 
 Indult and privilege | or raiss ony commissioun aganis J?e personns 
 now commovit or to be commouit confermit and to be confermit be 
 J>e said prelate bischop of Saintandros for ];e tyme vnder )>e pain of 
 Banysing perpetual e and proscripcioun of J?e Real me And vnder 
 all ]>e hiest pain of tresoun And cryme of oure souverain lordis 
 hurt maieste and his successouris And in likwiss it is ordanit \at 
 na persouns lieg/s to our said souverain lord purchess ony Benefice 
 without \e Realme quhilk Is of auld use and consuetude | and was 
 . . ed abservit and usit tobe present gevin or confermit within J?e 
 Realme be J>e patrons or ordinaris of J>e diocy | or Raiss on Com- 
 missioun j?erappoun vnder sic lik pain and incurring of )>e kingis 
 hie Indignacioun . . . 
 
 James IY, 1488. 
 
 Cap 10. Item it is statut and ordanit anent the article belanging 
 to Burro wis in ]>e tym of ]>e Justice aieris quhilkis hes bene replegeit 
 
20 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 fra Justices he sittand in f e principale burgh of f e schire to far 
 fredomes throw f e quhilkis replegeing Justice has noch bene done 
 apon the Inhabitants of the saidis burrowis in tym bygane Thar- 
 for in tym to cum It salbe lechfull to f e kingis Justices he sittand 
 in the principall burgh of f e Bialte apoun the mater of f e air to gif 
 ane assiss of all the Inhabitant^ within othem burrowis And nocht 
 to lat fame to borgh and it pleyss him And to gif f aim ane assiss 
 of \er awne nichbiam that best knowis f e verite gif f ai be present 
 And gif sa mony be nocht present fat f ai may be to sufficient nomer 
 that it salbe lefull to him to cheiss ane assiss of the said heid burgh 
 or to like the nomer as he thinkis maist expedient for f e gud of 
 Justice and without pmudice of the fredomes of the said Burrowis 
 and c 
 
 James IV. 1503, Cap 8. 
 
 Item anent f e article of notaris becaus fair hes bene diverss and 
 greit complentis maid be our soverane lordis liegis fat fair Is sa 
 mony fals notaris in f e realme that it is dred throu fair falset fat 
 trew men sail nocht be sicker of fair hereytage nor clerkis of fair 
 benefices and in vf er civile actionis quhilk may causs ane greit divi- 
 sioun amang our soverane lordis liegis Thairfor It Is statute and 
 ordanit in f is present perliamen£ that all bischopis and ordinam 
 mak all f e notam wtin fair dioceis to be callit at a convenient day 
 and place befoir fame and mak fame be examynate vpoun fair suf- 
 ficience and knowlege And als tak Inquisitioun how fai have 
 demanit fame and of fair fame and f e personis fat fai find culpable 
 fat fai deprive fame of fair offices and punnyss fame for fair faltis 
 according to pair demeritis and f e personis fat fai find acceptable 
 fat fai send fame wt fair writtingis to f e kingis hienes quhilk 
 sail depute certane persounis to examyn f anie And gif fai be 
 ganand to mak thame regale gif fai be nocAt maid regale of befoir 
 And als fat f e said ordinaris tak inquisitioun of all fame fat usis 
 fals instrumentis And insafer as belangis his office ordinar to 
 punyss fame and quhair it belongs nocht to his office ordinar to 
 send fame to fe king to be punyst as effeiris. 
 
 James Y, 1540. 
 
 Cap. 7. ITEM quhair ony beis suspectit of heresie and laucAt- 
 fully summond to answer of f e samin ar fugitiue fat f ai salbe and 
 comdempnit as heretikis And it sail nocht be lefull to na man to 
 
. A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 21 
 
 solist procure nor mak supplicatioune for pare purgacioun reduc- 
 tioun or grace vnder the pane to be punist as favoraris to pe heret- 
 ikis and pe saidis personis fugitives nocht tobe admittit to purga- 
 cioun nor operwayis to reconciliatioun nor J>it to remane or converss 
 in our realme Alsua we forbid to all our subiectis quhatsumever 
 estait pai be to present requeistis mak ony supplicatioun defend 
 supple dyit or writt counsal help procure or mak advocatioun solici- 
 tatioun labor or assist ony wayis to na heritikis fugitivis or banist 
 perfor or opir contamynit personis pat ar or haue bene of pe said 
 reprevit sect of heresijs to haue or Impetrate ony grace of ]>air 
 erroris quhilk we will na way be accordit to pame vnder pe pane 
 to be pvnist as assistaris to heresiis. 
 
 1540, Cap 47. For prenting of pe actis of perliament. 
 
 ITEM Oure souerane lord hes Ordanit pat the actis of perliament 
 maid be his hienes be publist outhrowcAt all his realme And that 
 all scAereffis stewartis bailies pro vestis and bailies of burrowis and 
 otheris his liegis may haue the copyis poirof and pretend na Igno- 
 rance throw misknawyng of the samin HAS ORDANIT his clerk 
 of regrj To mak ane auctenty extract and copy of all pe saidis actis 
 safar as concernis pe commoun wele vnder his subscriptioun manual 
 to be Imprentit be quhat prentar It sail pleiss the said clerk of 
 Regrj to cheiss And It sail noc/it be lesum to ony other prentar nor 
 writar To Imprent nor write pe samin witin pis realme or outout 
 the samin or bring hame to be sauld for the space of vj jeries nixt 
 tocum vnder the pane of confiscatioun of the samin Providing 
 al wayis that the said prentar to be chosin be the said clerk of Regrj 
 as said Is haue our soverane lordis speciale license pairto 
 
 Mary. Haddington, July 7th, 1548. 
 
 IN THE PARLIAMENT ofanemaist Excellent Princes Marie 
 Quene of Scottis haldin at the Abbay of Haddington the seuint day 
 of Julij The jeir of God ane thousand fyue hundreth fourtie aucht 
 jeiris be ane habill and mychtie Prince James Erie of Arrane Lord 
 Hamiltoun, &c, and Gouvernour of the Realme the thre estatis of 
 the Realme being present THE quhilk day Monsiour Dessy Lieu- 
 tennent generall of the navy and armie send be the maist Christin 
 King of France for support of this Realme at this present tyme 
 schew how that his maister the King of France havand regard to 
 the ancient lig confederatioun and amitie standand betuix the Realme 
 
22 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 of France and this cuntrie and of the mortall weiris crudeliteis depra- 
 datiounis and intollerabill iniuris done be our auld enimeis of Ing- 
 land aganis our Soverane Lady being of sa tender age hir Realme 
 and liegis thairof thir divers jeiris quhairthrow the said Maist 
 Christin King being movit throw fraternall amitie and confedera- 
 tioun foirsaid could do na less to aide support manteine and defend 
 at his powar this tender princes hir Realme and liegis as propiciant 
 and helplyke brother contrare all others that wald attempt iniurie 
 aganis the samin not be wordis but be way of deid and to that effect 
 has presentlie send him in this Realme with his nauie and armie of 
 Nobill men with sic directiounis as to put this Realme to the auld 
 liberte privilege and fredome and to recouer all strenthis Castellis 
 and Fortalices out of our auld enemeis hand is with the auise coun- 
 sall and assistence of my Lord Gouernor and Nobillis of this Realme 
 at thair utter powar and to wair their lines to that effect and not 
 auerlie hes send this armie presentlie bot also promittis in his said 
 maisteris name at all necessare tymes to cum to send and have in 
 Garnison men of weir munitioun and money in this Realme in sic 
 quantitie that sail repres our saidis auld enimeis during the tyme of 
 weir and keip and defend this Realme fra thame and all others in 
 libertie and fredome conforme to his commissioun obligatioun and 
 promeis gevin to him vnder the said maist Christin Kingis greit 
 seillis schawin and producit in face of Parliament &c, 1551. 
 
 Cap. 26. ITEM. For as mekill as their is divers Prentaris in 
 this Realme that daylie and continuallie prentis bukis concerning 
 the faith ballatis sangis blasphematiounis rymes alsweill of kirkmen 
 as temporall and others Tragedeis alsweill in latine as in Inglis 
 toung not sene vewit and considderit be the superiouris as appertenis 
 to the defamatioun and sclander of the liegis of this Realme and to 
 put ordour to sic inconuenientis It is devisit statute and ordanit 
 be my lord Governour with auise of the thre estatis of Parliament 
 That na Prentar presume attempt or tak vpone hand to prent 
 ony bukis ballatis sangis blasphematiounis rymes or Tragedeis 
 outher in latine or Inglis toung in ony tymes tocum vnto the 
 tym the samin be sene vewit and examit be sum wyse and 
 discreit persounis depute thairto be the ordinaris quhatsumeuer 
 and thairefter ane licence had and obtenit fra our souerane Lady 
 and my Lord Gouernor for Imprenting of sic bukis vnder the 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600, 23 
 
 pane of confiscatioun of all the Prentaris gudis and banissing 
 him of the Realme for euer. 
 
 Records of the Scotch Parliament, Vol. I (Suppressed). 
 
 Such copious extracts have been given from the two volumes of 
 the 'Acts ' that extracts from the so-called volume of the Records 
 seem hardly necessary. A few, however, are desirable. 
 
 Of speciale fredomys granty t to pe burgess be King Wilzame 
 
 King Wilzame king of Scotlande grantyt to pe burgess of his 
 said kynrik pat nane of thame sulde be distrenzeit be na man to 
 zelde ony det bot gif he e]>er was borghe or dettour and alsua he has 
 grantyt to pe saide burgess pat pai haif thar marchandice with all pe 
 fredomys pertenande pairto pat is to say pat nane of thame be mote 
 without pe zettis or thar burghe of na maner of mute out takin pe 
 mutis of all termys And alsua he has grantyt to thame do batale 
 be ye mutis pat fallys to ye kingis crovne and zit at pai be derenzeit 
 be ye lawe of Wynchister pat is throu pe acquitance of xii lele men 
 pat ar burgess Alsua he has grantit to thame and to pair aieris pat 
 pai salbe quyt of toll and lastage and pontage of passage alsweill 
 within as without of all pe hawynnis of pe see within pe kinrik of 
 Scotlande alsueill on pis side of pe Scottis see as bezonde Ande 
 alsua he has grantit to thame pat nane of thame salbe dampnyt in 
 amercyment of par gudis bot efter pe Gustum of pe Wynchister and 
 pat is nocht attour Ls and he has grantit thame pat thai sail haif thar 
 landis tenementis or weddis or dettis to thame acht resonably and 
 all maner of othir thingis till thar caus lent or laide in wede within 
 par burghe it salbe fullely determyt be and endyt &c, pp. 4-5. 
 
 How pe wichtaft and best of consale salbe chosin to manteine pe 
 lawis The Aulderman and pe Bailseis and pe best men of pe burghe 
 sail choiss xn gude men ar mai gif it be myster or neidfull of pe 
 maist sufficient and of pe maist discreit and of pe maist lauchfull of 
 pat burghe pe quhilkis salbe oblist be pe gret aithe pat thai sail 
 zeme manteine and defende efter thar power pe commone lawys 
 and wsit custumis of pe borovis maide and ordanyt throv sikkir 
 consalis of kingis and in our tyme lede, p. 5. 
 
 Of pe statute pat na officiar salbe pledar 
 
 It is statuyt and ordanyt be King Robert pe Bruce pat na chaw- 
 merlane Justice Bailseis clerkis na seriandis nor nane vthir officiaris 
 of law be manteinaris of mutis or querellys into courtis of our Lord 
 
24 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 )>e kingis na landis na zit nane othir thingis )?ai sail tak on hande 
 for to defer nor tary J?e rycht of ony part without J>e forme of lawe 
 And quha sa her agane dois and tharof is conuickit he salbe in ]>e 
 kingis will and tyn his office for euermare. 
 
 Of thame J?at ar in possessione 
 
 IT is ordanyt )>at na man salbe put out of his tenementis of ]?e 
 quhilk he is westyt and seisyt without J?e kingis breif pledable 
 And quha sa aganys this dois sail nocht be herde in lawe or ellis 
 J?at he haif sum othir breif J?arto accordande and J>at ]?e party be 
 resonably summonde warnyt till ansuer at certane daye and stede 
 of his free tenement till his party contrary, p. 5. 
 
 Heir begynnis ]>e lawys maid be King Alexr King Wilzamis 
 sone In ye first Alexandyr. Of J>e setting of Landis (dated by 
 Thomson 1214) 
 
 The zer of grace l m cc and x . . . ]>e day of ]>e Incarnacione J>at 
 is to say Sanct Mary in lentiryne at \q profet of J?e lande gaif decret 
 J>at ilke bondeman within J?e kinrik J?at fra now furthe J?ai begyne 
 to eir and sawe lande for thar awne profet with all thar besyness 
 and mycht J>e XV day forow candilmess and alsua J?at ilk man J>at 
 has mare na iiij ky }>at he tak land of his lorde and eir and sawe 
 for ]?e sustentacione of his body and the vpholde of his famell And 
 all thai J?at has less than iiii ky J?at wonnys in ]>e feild J?at may 
 nocht mak tilthe with oxin J?ai sail with thar handis and thar feit 
 delfe J>e Erde and thar sawe sua J?at J>ai may wyne sustentacione 
 for thame and tharis and gif ony man has oxin and na lande than 
 sail thai sell thar oxin to thame )>at land has to eir and thai sail 
 delfe with thar feit as befor said is And gif ony Erie or ony lorde 
 in quhais lande \q purell duellis will nocht lat it be done he sail 
 gif to J>e king amercyment of viii ky And gif ony man ];at haldis 
 lande of ]>e Erie he sail to ]>e Erie viii ky And gife he be seruande 
 or husbande man or bondsman J>at will nocht do it his lorde sail 
 tak fra him a kowe and a scheip and fra now furth he ]?at will 
 nocht do on his awne free will thai salbe wrangyt to do it sa }>at 
 men fle thir wordis J?at is to say J?ai J?at walde nocht eir and sawe in 
 wynter .... sail thige J?ar meit in somer and na thing to be given 
 to thame and tharfor best is J>at ilk man wirk and travell with his 
 awne will sua J>at he may get gudis sa J>at he may gif hart to thame 
 J>at mekill myster hais for that is better than thige tharself this foir- 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 25 
 
 said lawe was made at J>e citee of Sanctandrois ]>e first day of y 
 kalendis of Februare 
 
 Off weman askande thar thirde part of drowry 
 
 ITeni it is statuyt be couss of gret mute and stryf betuix twa 
 parties )>at is to say of a lady askande ]>e third part of J?e lande of 
 hir husbande Ande on ]?e to)>er part hir party contrary defendande 
 ande allegande lawe and statute of tyme befor And tharfor it is 
 statuyt and ordanyt )?at fra nowe furthe ilke woiman wedowe }>at 
 has rycht till ask J?e third part of ony land after hir husbandis 
 decess sail haif it J>at is to say of drowry alsueil as of ]?e remanande 
 of }>e laif. p. 6. Alex. II, Cap 10 (Thomson) 
 
 Of a theif takin with gilt 
 
 Gif ony man haif stowyne ony catale and men folowe him with 
 how and cry and suyt of court efter him and he be fundyne sasit 
 with J>e stowyne catall hastely dome salbe gevin on him as of a 
 prowy t theif and gif ]?e men of J>e contree J>at folowis ]?e gudis seis 
 J?e theif leif stowin catale neuerj^e latter ]>e lawe hastely be done 
 of him as of a tayntyt theif and prowyt. p. 7. King William 
 (Thomson) 
 
 Of J?e manner of hostyng. 
 
 Item it is ordanyt be ]?e said king of thame j?at cummis to J>e 
 oist J>at gif ony man of quhat condicione sa euer he be had maide 
 mannislauchter ref or stouthe in ane other mannys lande cumande 
 gangande or duellande in J?e said oist be indictyt befor }>e Justice 
 the parteis playnt to quhame J>e scathis ar done salbe resawyt in this 
 maner The bailze of J?e bailzery quhar J?e trespass was done ande 
 J?e trespassour duellis sail haif commandment of }>e Justice )>at he 
 be attachyt to cum ande ansuer in J>e saide place alssueill to J?e saide 
 scathis of him J?at is plantyifs as to J>e indictment of J>e kingis and 
 J?at he be punyst efter J>e quantitee of ]>e trespass in forme of lawe 
 for othir wayis it may nocht be declaryt 
 
 The statute of Erratikis and lollardis 
 
 Item anent lollardis and Erratiteis J?at ilk biscop sail ger inquyr 
 be ]?e inquisicione erratiteis quhar ony sik beis fundyne And that 
 J>ai be punyst as lawe of halykirk requiris And gif it mysteris 
 ]?at secular power be callyt in svpport and helping of halykirk p. 
 12 (1424) 
 
 Anent )>e keping of the statutis maide be J?e parliament 
 
26 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Item at it be requyryt be J>e kingis ministerys gif J>e statutis maid 
 in his parliament be kepit and gif J?at }?ai be fundyne brokyn in ony 
 poyntis at J?e brekaris of thame be punyst efter ]>e ordinance of ]>e 
 said parliament, p. 12 (1424). 
 
 Anent stalkaris J?at slayis deir 
 
 Item it is ordanyt J>at ]>e Justice clerk inquyr of stalkaris J>at 
 slays J?e deyr J?at is to say hert hynde Raa and daa and ]>e haldaris 
 and manteinaris of thame And als sone as ony stakar of thame 
 may be convickit of slauchter of deyr he sail pay to J>e king xls and 
 haldaris of thame xli 
 
 Anent hostilaris 
 
 Item it is ordanyt and bidding generaly to all burgess generaly 
 of )>e realme J?at thar be maide hostillaris and publist herbry placis 
 in |?e borouys honest and ganeand at ]>e maner of wthir realmys to 
 ressaif all and sindry strangearis alssueill fut men as horss men J?at 
 travallys throu )>e realme wnder j?e payne maide tharapone in ]?e 
 parliament. James I, 1426. 
 
 The statute of J>e tavernis in J»e nycht 
 
 The king and ]>e thre estatis has ordanyt at na man in burghe 
 befundyn in tavernys at aile wyne or beir efter J>e straik of ix 
 houris and p»e bell j?at salbe rongyn in J>e said burghe j?e quhilk 
 beande fundyn J?e aulderman ande bailseis sail put J?ame in J>e 
 kingis presone )>e quhilk gif thai do nocht thai sail pay for ilk 
 tyme at J>ai be fundyn culpabill before J>e chawmerlane Is & c, p. 
 27. James I, 1436. 
 
 Ffor eschewing of derth within |?e contree 
 
 Item it is statuyt and ordanyt for J>e eschewing of derthe within 
 J?e lande J>at scheriffis bailseis and wj>eris officiaris bath to burghe 
 and to lande tak and inquyr ay at ilke court at J>ai halde quhat 
 personis within ]?e bowndis byis witale and haldis it till a derthe 
 And gif sik beis fundyng that ]>e Scheref and wj>er officiaris mak 
 it knawin at ilk marcate cross to J?e king quhat personis J>ai ar 
 And at |?ai be bot okkiraris repute and at thai be punyst and 
 demanyt as okkiraris sulde and at }>e wittale at thai haif be eschet 
 to ]>e king, p. 32. 1449, James II. 
 
 Item )?at na man nor woman pass in Inglande without leif of 
 ]>e king ];e wardane or of thame J>at he giffis power to in J>at part 
 in tym tocum wnder ]>e payne of tresone 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 27 
 
 Item gif ony Inglischman cumis in Scotlande to kirk or marcat 
 or ony wper place withoutyn conduct or assouerance of pe king pe 
 wardane or pame pat power hes he salbe lauchfully presonar to 
 quhat persone likis to tak him. 
 
 Item gif ony Scottis man bringis in pe realme ony Inglismen 
 or metis thame at ony tristis haifande na powar pai salbe tane and 
 put in firmance par gudis takin and arestyt to pe tyme pat pai be 
 punyst as pe king will ande pe wardanys. 
 
 Item pat na Scottis man set apon ony Inglisman in speciale 
 assouerance but leif of pe king or of pe wardane wnder pe payne 
 of treson. 
 
 Item pat na Scottis man support Bervyk nor Roxburghe with 
 na wittaill fewell nor nane wper supportation wnder ]>e payne of 
 treson, p. 38, 1455. 
 
 Anent wapinschawing. 
 
 Item it is ordanyt and decretyt pat wapinschawing be haldin be 
 pe lordis and baronys spirituale and temporale four tymis in pe zer 
 and at pe futbawe ande pe golf be vterly criyt done and nocht wsyt 
 ande at pe bo we markis be maide at all paroch kirkis a pair of 
 buttis and schuting be wsyt ilk Sunday ande pat ilk man schut six 
 schottes at pe lest wnder pe payne to be raisit apone thame pat cumis 
 nocht at pe lest iid to be giffin to pame pat cumis to pe bowe markis 
 to pe drink and for to be wsyt fra Pasche till alhallomess interande 
 be pe nixt mydsomer with all par geir without sonze and pat par be 
 a bo war ande a fleger in ilk hede towne of pe schyr and at pe towne 
 furnyss of stuf and graithe efter ]>e nedis J^arto J?at he may serve )>e 
 cuntre with and tuichande ]>e futbow and \q golf we ordane it to be 
 punyst be J?e baronys wnlawe and gif he takis it nocht to be tane 
 be ]>e kingis officiaris and gif J>e parochin be mekill pat par be iii or 
 iiii payr of buttis in sik placis as best accordis parfor and ilk man 
 within pat parochin passit xii zeris sail wse schuting. p. 41, 1457 
 
 That wolne clath be met be pe Rige 
 
 Item to eschew pe dissaite and skaithepat our souerane lordis liegis 
 daily and all tymis sustenys be pe metting of wolne clath be pe selwage 
 it is thocht expedient pat in tyme cuming all wolne clath be met be 
 pe Rig and nocht be pe selwage p. 50, 1469. 
 
 07-TH8 T 
 
 tflTIVBRSIT! 
 
28 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 It will be seen from these examples that the language is much 
 the same in the 'Acts ' and in the ' Register.' Even through the 
 legal disguise the formless character of the dialect is noticeable : the 
 earmarks of the Scottish are present in abundance and the early- 
 statutes show words of Romance origin which from their older and 
 adapted forms appear to have been already naturalized some time. 
 The absence of a linguistic centre in Scotland, like London for the 
 more Southern dialects, combined with physical and political con- 
 ditions to make the prose loose and fluctuating. The early Councils 
 were held at different places, and while it seems rather doubtful, 
 the Records of the Royal Burghs may show marked distinctions in 
 dialect when they have been critically examined. 
 
 The larger number of MSS. of the early laws have been assigned 
 to the fifteenth Century. " In reality, however, the Scotch versions 
 are translations of different and not accurately ascertained dates, 
 but generally of the fifteenth century. We have none of these laws 
 in any language in which the people of their day could have under- 
 stood them. It happens, however, that there are dispersed among 
 them old technical words which the scribes who put the text into 
 Latin did not translate, not perhaps knowing their meaning, but 
 incorporated, with Latin inflections." ! 
 
 The admission of a * text into Latin ' by so conservative a his- 
 torian as Dr. Burton, and the presence in these oldest statutes of 
 many words which have retained their full Saxon flavor, incline 
 one again to turn in the matter of belief in the early existence of 
 vernacular statutes. The vexed question of the antiquity of the 
 ' Regiam Majestatem ? can here be simply indicated, 2 and it is hoped 
 that the last word in this famous discussion is still to be heard. 
 
 It is probable that the Parliamentary Records were first generally 
 written in the vernacular late in the fourteenth century. Latin 
 and French (1385) had been used before. In the time of Robert 
 III there appear contractions and other evidences of freedom from 
 a Latin original. Dr. Murray gives extracts from the "oldest 
 known documents in the vernacular" of the years 1389 and 1398 
 (Dial. So. Coun., p. 91, note). This should be compared with the 
 
 1 Burton's History of Scotland, II, p. 64, note. 
 
 2 Burton, Hist. Scotland, II, p. 58 seq. ; Reeves, History of English Law, I, 
 p. 486 seq. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 29 
 
 conditions in the south, in doing which one finds that the begin- 
 nings of formal documentary and legal prose in the vernacular of 
 the north were contemporary with those of London. 1 
 
 We have a good specimen of dated prose in the letter written by 
 1 George Dunbar, Earl of March to Henry IV, 18th of Feb./ 1400. 
 MS. Vespasian, F. vn, f. 22 (in Pinkerton's History, I, Appen- 
 dix XII). 
 
 Excellent mychty and noble prince like yhoure realte to wit that 
 I am gretly wrangit be the Due of Rothesay ; the quhilk spousit 
 my douchter and now agayn his oblisying to me, made be hys lettre 
 and his seal, and agaynes the law of holykirc, spouses ane other 
 wife, as it ys said of the quhilk wrang and defowle to me and my 
 douchter in swilk maner done I as ane of yhour poer kyn gif it 
 like yhow requer yhow of help and suppowall fore swilk honest 
 service as I may do after my power to yhour noble lordship, and 
 to yhour lande Fore tretee of the quhilk meter will yho dedeyn to 
 charge the lorde the Fournivalle, or the Erie of Westmerland at 
 yhour liking to the March with swilk gudely haste as yhow like ; 
 qwar that I may spekyng with quhilk of thaim that yho will send, 
 and schew hym clerly mine entent ; the quhilk I darr nocht dis- 
 cover to nane other bot tyll ane of thaime because of kyn and the 
 grete lowtee that I traist in thaim ; and as I suppose yhe traist in 
 thaim on the tother part. Alsa noble will yhe dedeyn to graunt, 
 and to send me, yhour sauf conduyt, endurand quhile the fest of 
 the nativite" of Seint John the Baptist fore a hundreth knichts, and 
 squiers and servants, gudss, hors and harnais als wele within wallit 
 town as withowt, or in qwat other resonable maner that yhow like 
 fore travaillyng and dwellyng within yhour land gif I hafe myster. 
 And excellent prince syn that I clame to be of kyn tyll yhow and 
 it peraventour nocht knawen on yhour parte I schew it to your 
 lordship be this my lettre that gif Dame Alice the Bewmont was 
 yhour graunde dame, Dame Marjory Comyne hyrr full sister was 
 my graunde dame on the tother syde sa that I am bot of the feirde 
 degre of kyn tyll yhow ; the quhilk in aide tyme was callit neir 
 And syn I am in swilk degre tyll yhow, I requer yhow as be may 
 of tendirness thareof and fore my service in maner as I hafe before 
 
 1 Cf. Morsbach, Ueb. der entsteh. der neuengl. schriftsprache, p. 9 seq. 
 
30 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 writyn that yhe will vouchesauf tyll help me and suppowell me 
 tyll gete amende of the wrangs and the defowle that ys done me ; 
 sendand tyll me gif yhow like yhour ansuer of this with all gudely 
 haste And noble prince mervaile yhe nocht that I write my lettres 
 in English for that ys mare clere to myne understanding than 
 latyne, or fraunch. Excellent mychty and noble prince the haly 
 Trinite hafe yhow evirmar in kepyng writyn at my castell of 
 Dunbarr the xviii day of Feverer. Le count de la Marche 
 d'Escoce (Directed) An tres excellent et tres puissant et tres noble 
 prince le Roy d'Engelterre. 
 
 Another letter (Pink., appendix VIII) has the date 1405. It 
 was written by ' James of Douglas, Warden of the Marches/ pro- 
 bably to Henry IV. Vesp., F. VI, f. 17. 
 
 He Excellent and rycht mychty prynce likkit to your henes to 
 wyte me haif resavit your honorabill lettres to me send be a Rev- 
 erend Fadir the Abbot of Calkow contenand that it is well knawin 
 that trewis war tane and sworn a late betwix the rewmys of Ingland 
 and Scotland ; and forthi yhu mervalis gretly that my men be my 
 wille and assent has byrnde the toun of Berwike and in other cer- 
 tayne places wythin the rewme of Inglande ; in brekyng fully the 
 saide trewis in my defaute and nothing in yhours, and als agayn 
 my ath made in streynthing of the same trewis ; of the quhilke yhe 
 desire rather that amends war made than ony mar harme war done, 
 tharfor requirande me to do yhou to wyte qwethir I will gere 
 refourme the sayde attemptats, or qwat my full will be to do o that 
 mater. Anente the qwhilkis Hee and Excellent Prynce qwhor yhe 
 say yhu mervalys gretly that my men be my will and assent has 
 brennede the town of Berwik, the qwhilk is wythin Scotlande and 
 other places in Inglande in brekyng fully of the sayde trewis I 
 understand that giff yhour hee excellent war clerly enfourmyte of 
 the brennyng slachtyr and takyng of prisoners and Scottis schippis, 
 that is done be yhour men to Scottysmen within the saide trewis in 
 divers places of Scotlande befor the brynnyng of Berwike ; the 
 qwilk skathis our lege lorde the kyng and his lieges has paciently 
 tholyte in the kepyng of the saide trewis, and chargit me til ask, 
 and ger be askyte be me deputs redress tharof j the qwhilk my 
 deputs has askyte at dayis of marche, and nane has gotyne ; methink 
 o resoune yhe sulde erar put blame and punitioun to the doarys of 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 31 
 
 the saide trespas, done agayn the trewis in swilke maner, and callys 
 thaim rather brekars of the trew than me that has tholyte sa mikylle 
 injur so lang and nane amends gottyn. Bot it is like that the gret 
 attemptats that yhour men dois agayn the trewis, is well concelyte 
 fra yhour audience, for I suppos and yhe wist it, yhe wald of yhour 
 he worschipe ger it be refourmyte and redressit, as the cause requiryt. 
 For lang befor the brynning of Berwike, yhour men cam within 
 our lorde the kyngs awin propir lande of Arane, and He Malasch, 
 and til his castell of Brathwike and brynt his chapelle, and other 
 diverse places of that land; and tuke and rawnsounde thecapitaine 
 of the sayde castell and slow his sone and heryde al that thai mycht 
 ourtake. And alsua thai hade takyne befor that tym certayn Scotts 
 schippis chargit with marchandis, and the marchands tharof, in the 
 contrer of the said trewis : of the quhilk reparaciouu and redress 
 has bene askyte befor the brynnyng of Berwike that stands in Scot- 
 lande the qwhilk toun yhe call yhouris in yhour saide lettres and 
 certayne lands of yhouris wythin Inglande was brende be my men 
 my will and my assent brekkand the trewis in my defaute and 
 nocht in yhouris and in the contrar of my athe : thar to I ansuer 
 in this maner that qwhat tyme it like to our lege lorde the kyng 
 and to yhour hee excellent to ordane redress to made be his com- 
 missionaris, and yhouris, of all attemptats done of aythir syde, I 
 sail with the help of Gode make it well kenny t, that I half trewly 
 kepit my athe and the trewis, as afferys to me of resoun. And 
 quhaever enfourmyt yhour excellence that I hade brokyn my athe 
 it hade bene fayrar for him to haife sende me that querell into wyrt, 
 under his selle, and till haff tane answere greable, as afferit to him 
 under my scelle agayne than sua untrewly in my absence till 
 enfourme yhour excellence : for I tray ft he has saide mar in my 
 absence than he dar awow in my presens for nocht displece yhour 
 honour, learys sulde be lytill alowit wyth ony sic worshipful kyng 
 as yhe ar. And quhar yhe say in yhoure sayde lettres that yhe 
 desir rather amends of attemptats done agayn trewis, than ony mar 
 harme war done tharfor to that I answer in this maner, that qwhen 
 yhour saide lettres came to me our lorde the kyng was passit in the 
 north partis of Scotlande, and I with al gudly hast sende yhour 
 letteris til him, of the quhilk at the makyng of thir letteris I hade 
 nane answer. Never the latt qwhen I hade undirstandyne yhour 
 
32 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 lettres. I gert cry in diverse placis the trewis to be kepit, tray- 
 stand that it suld be sua done on the tother part, aftyr the qwhilk 
 crye yhour men of Inglande hes rydyne in Scotland wyth gret 
 company like in fere of were; and has heryde Lawadyr dalle Tewy 
 dalle and a part of Etryke forest the qwhilke at the making of thir 
 letteris was tholyt, and nocht don tharfor. And foringiffe the trewis 
 sail stande, it lyes to yhour heenes to se for chastying of tres- 
 passouris, and for amends of attemptats done and that be tym : and 
 qwhat the (yhe?) wochesaff of your heenes to do twychand the for- 
 sayde materis, yhe wolde certify me be your lettres wyth al gudly hast. 
 Hee almychty prynce the haly gast yow haff in his yhemsal evirmar 
 Wyrtyn at Eddynburgh under my selle the xxvi day of July. 
 
 Jamis of Douglas wardane of the marche (Directed To ane excel- 
 lent and a mychty prynce, kyng of Inglande) 
 
 These specimens indicate that the language of early Scottish 
 prose while admitting much liberty in the representation of sounds 
 was really uniform. Differences in spelling are too many and too 
 irregular to be classed as separate developments, and it is quite 
 evident that at the beginning of the fifteenth century Scottish 
 prose was in such a mobile condition that sound- and grammatical 
 changes, naturally a century apart, are found almost side by side. 
 
 The absence of a body of literary prose of this time gives addi- 
 tional value to these rather crude specimens. The earlier poets 
 cannot furnish many criteria for prose : English influence, the uni- 
 formity resulting from rhyme and metre, and artful diction induced 
 in the poetry serious departures from the simple expression of 
 prose. The use of ' bestial ' in poetry in the place of the more 
 homely ' catale ' of the 'Acts ' suggests a difference in vocabulary, 
 though in this connection one should not confuse many romance 
 words which appear full grown in the early prose, and which 
 correspond to the Middle English forms further south. Cf. 
 1 chevissance/ ' costage ' * excusateoun ? 'exerce/ 'exercitioun' 'joiss' 
 1 mistir ' ( plesance/ &c. Such words may be regarded as the 
 natural inheritance from the Old French, and should be clearly 
 distinguished from those French words adopted at a later time, 
 when printed French books appeared in the country and served a 
 double purpose in the original form and in the Scotch translations 
 which were made. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 33 
 
 II. 
 
 Translations from the French. 
 
 The first prose work in Scottish, so far discovered, which may 
 easily be called literature is a translation from the French. It is 
 unnecessary to dwell here upon the many causes which lead to the 
 ready acceptance of French books in Scotland soon after the first 
 practice of printing in France. Belief in an old alliance which 
 tradition traced back to Charlemagne, political and social con- 
 federation for mutual good, community of citizenship and count- 
 less other potent and subtle causes made early adaptation of French 
 works one of many natural results. 1 
 
 The first translation from the French which has been preserved 
 is the manuscript copy of Sir Gilbert Hay's version of Bonnet's 2 
 Uarbre de Batailles, or the Buke of Batailles. This MS. is now in 
 the Library at Abbotsford, and is marked Z, I. For convenience, 
 it may be called 'AH.' It was first noticed by Dr. Mackenzie, in 
 the third volume of ' The Lives and Characters of the most Eminent 
 Writers of the Scots Nation/ &c, which appeared in 1722. The 
 MS. was in his possession at this time, and he gave a detailed account 
 of its contents. The next notice of 'AH ? which has been found is 
 in Pinkerton's reference to Mackenzie in 1797, Hist, of Scotland, 
 II, p. 421. Next, in 1838, the following title appeared in the 
 1 Catalogue of the Library at Abbotsford/ p. 232 : 
 
 1 v. Burton, History of Scotland ; Michel, Les Ecossais en France, les Francais 
 en Ecosse. In 'A critical Enquiry into the Scottish Language ' Michel attributed 
 many French characteristics to the Scottish which the more southern dialects of 
 English had in common. 
 
 2 " The author, Honore" Bonnet, was a monk in the Abbey of He Barbe of Lyons 
 and Prior of Salon in Provence. His name, which is often given as Bonnor or 
 Bonhor or Bonnoz, has been ascertained from an examination of nearly twenty 
 ancient manuscripts in the Royal Library at Paris to have been Bonnet. A Pro- 
 vencal translation, made in the year 1429 by order of Mossen Ramon de Culdes, 
 is preserved in the same collection, No. 7450 ; and also a translation in the Catalan 
 dialect, MS. No. 7807. There is some indication of Caxton having translated in 
 part the work in the year 1490, but no copy is known to exist. (See Lewis's Life 
 of Caxton, p. 81.) The original work was first printed at Lyons, by Barthelemy 
 Buyer, 1447, folio ; and another edition at Lyons in 1481. It was again printed 
 at Paris by Anthoine Verard, 1493, folio, of which there is, in the Royal Library 
 at Paris, a magnificent copy printed upon Vellum, with illustrations, — the first 
 
 3 
 
34 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 ' Here begynnys the buke callit the Buke of the Law of Armys 
 the quhilk was compilit be a notable man, Doetour in Decrees, 
 callit Bennet prioure of Sallan, &c, MS. fol.' 
 
 This MS. Dr. Laing, Secretary of the Abbotsford Club, rightly 
 thought to be that mentioned by Mackensie, and in 1847 the Club 
 printed a volume, edited by Dr. Laing, giving full description and 
 extracts from it. The student is indebted to this volume for all 
 the information regarding 'AH ' that has thus far been printed. 
 
 "... we can only conjecture that it [AH] may have fallen into 
 Sir Walter Scott's hands, either by purchase at a sale, or as a 
 present from some of his friends. But we may conclude that had 
 Sir Walter been aware of the peculiar interest and curiosity of the 
 volume, he would have pointed it out, and some use of it have 
 been made during the latter period of his life." 
 
 " The Manuscript in question is a large folio of 1 32 leaves on 
 lombard paper, written in a very distinct hand about the end of 
 the 15th Century. It is in the original [?] wooden boards in 
 perfect preservation, and contains, repeated in different parts of 
 the volume, autograph signatures of ' W. Sinclair of Roislin/ 
 ' Oliver Sinclair of Rosling, Knycht/ and ' W. Sinclair of Roislin, 
 Knecht.' " 
 
 " It consists of three distinct works : — 
 
 I. The Buke of Batailles. 
 
 II. The Buke of the Order of Knychthede. 
 
 representing Charles VIII receiving the work from Verard the printer, who, as 
 already noticed, had substituted the name of the reigning Monarch instead of 
 Charles VI of France, at whose request the work was originally written. Van 
 Proep describes this copy (Catal. des Livres imprimes sur Velin. d. 1. Bibl. du Koi 
 I, iii, p. 81 ) and mentions two other copies on Vellum, but neither of them perfect. 
 The discrepancies existing between the early manuscript and printed copies will 
 readily explain the variations, which will be obvious upon comparing Sir Gilbert 
 Hay's translation with the preceding extracts [from the French]. It must also be 
 confessed that to a modern reader Bonnet's Book of Battles is sufficiently tedious 
 and uninteresting ; and it need excite no surprise that the author, as he admits in 
 his concluding chapter, having wearied himself with his task, broke off abruptly — 
 'Mais pour le present je ne pense plus riens a escripre en ce Livre, car fen suis 
 tout lasse,' or, as Sir Gilbert Hay, in his translation, expresses it, — ' But in gude 
 faith the Doetour sais, that he was sa irkit of writyng, that he mycht nocht as now, 
 na mare tak on hand as to put in this buke of Bataillis.' " The Buk of the Order 
 of Knychthede p. xiv. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 35 
 
 III. The Buke of the Governance of Princes." (Buk of the 
 Order of K., p. ix.) 
 
 No. II, or ' The Buke of the Order of Knychthede/ was the 
 only one of the three which was printed entire in the Abbotsford 
 Club volume, edited by Dr. Laing. 1 
 
 Sir Gilbert Hay, after taking a master's degree at the University 
 of St. Andrews in 1419, went to France, where he remained 
 twenty-four years, according to the Taymouth MS., in the ser- 
 vice of the King of France. In addition to the family history 
 given by Laing, the following reference should be added, which 
 is found in a portion of the old French poem, quoted by Michel 2 
 in another connection : 
 
 "Le comte de Mar prit part avec son monde a la bataille 
 d'Othee en Hasbain, ou bataille de Liege, qui eut lieu le 23 
 Septembre 1407. L'auteur d'un ancien poeme francais, compose 
 sur cet evenement, se plait a mentionner 
 
 Et le bon conte de Namur 
 
 Cil de Maire et maint Escossays 
 
 1 As only a few copies of this work were printed it may be well to indicate the 
 contents of the volume, which is now difficult to obtain. The Preface gives : I, 
 Mackensie's account of the MS. and an extract from the French version of the 
 Larbre de JBatailles (Lyons' edition). II, A description of the Buke of the Order 
 of Knychthede, with extracts from Caxton's edition of the same work (Le Livre de 
 I'Ordre de Chevalrie). Ill, A brief note on the last portion of the MS. 'AH/ 
 The Buke of the Governance of Princes, a translation of the Secretum Secretorum 
 falsely attributed to Aristotle. " Its popularity was so great that not less than 
 nine English translations and six French translations are known. It is probable 
 that Sir Gilbert Hay made his version from one of the French translations cur- 
 rent in the Fifteenth Century," p. xxn. Then follows an account of the Hays, 
 with what is known of Sir Gilbert Hay. Next (p. 1) (MS., fol. 85-103) comes 
 the Prologus to the Buke of the Order of Knichthede and (pp. 2-61) the Buke itself. 
 In the Appendix immediately following are : I, Extracts from the Buke of the 
 Lawe of Armys [Buke of Batailles], Introduction, 'Rubryis' MS., fol. 1 to part 
 I; Prologus (MS., fol. 2) and a few lines from the 'Primum Capitulum' (MS., 
 fol. 26) ; 'Rubryis' to Book Second (MS., fol. 11) ; the headings of the chapters 
 in Part III (MS., fol. 21, b) ; the Table of the fourth Part (MS., fol. 26) ; Cap. 
 cxxxvin, &c. (fol. 77, b seq.); fols. 81, b; 83, b; 84, b. Appendix II, MS., 
 fol. 103, b; Table of the 'Buke of Governance of Princis? Prologus (pp. 92-93); 
 'Alexander's letter to Aristotle and Answer,' and finally Capitulum XL, fol. 129, 
 the end of the Buk. 
 
 *Les Ecossais en France, etc., Vol. I, p. 110-111. 
 
36 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 II ajoute : 
 
 De ceux qui la furent venu 
 Des nobles Escossais y fu 
 En cestuy jour, que bien le scay 
 Lors Messire Guillaume Hay ; 
 Messire Jacques Scringour 
 Fut en la bataille ce jour, 
 
 Nouveaux chevaliers Escossays 
 Furent ce jour, j'en spay la vois, 
 Pour leur prouesse, en grant renom 
 Sire Alexandre en son droit nom 
 De Cominech, qui ot cuer entier, 
 Ce jour y fut fait chevalier. 
 Et Messire Andrieu Stievart 
 Fu chevalier de belle part 
 De Hay Sire Guillebert 
 Fut ce jour en armes appert 
 Com bon et hardi combattant. 
 
 (Memoires pour servir a Phistoire de France et de Bourgoyne, 
 etc., etc., rec. par D. des Salles et publ. par de la Barre, Paris, 1729 
 in 4°. Tome I, p. 373, col. I.) " 
 
 The date of Hay's death is not known. "The Taymouth MS. 
 is transcribed from another copy which had apparently been written 
 in the year 1493 ; and the mode in which the Translator is alluded 
 to indicates that he had been dead for several years." Buk Knycht., 
 p. XXIX. 
 
 An idea of the influence exerted by the French original upon the 
 Buhe of Bataillis, with regard to form and vocabulary, may be had 
 in some degree from a study of Hay's version and the French of 
 the Lyons' edition. Extracts are placed side by side, taken from 
 the Abbotsford vol., p. xi. 
 
 Fol. 1. Here begynnys the Buke callit The BuJce of the Lawe 
 of Armys, the quhilk was compilit be a notable man, Doctour in 
 Decreis callit Bonnet Prioure of Sallon, — the quhilk quhen it was 
 maid, callit it The Fleure of Bataillis, or the Tree; into the quhilk 
 Buke thare salbe foure partis efter as the Kybryis schawis. The 
 first part salbe, of the Tribulacioun of the Kirk before the JSTaui- 
 titee of Christe. The secund party salbe, of the Tribulaciouns and 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 37 
 
 Destructioun of the Four Principale Realmes grettest of the Warld, 
 &g. The thrid salbe, of Bataillis in specialitee. 
 
 Pol. 2. Prologus. To the haly Croune of Frannce, in the 
 quhilk this day regnys Charles the Sext of that name, the quhilk 
 is lufit and redoubit oure all the warld be the ordynaunce of God ; 
 till him be gevin honoure, lose, and glore, abune all erdely Lord- 
 schippis : maist hye Prince I am callit, be my richt name, Bonnet 
 Prioure of Sallon, Doctoure in Decreis. The quhilk I have had 
 mony smale thouchtis and gude will to mak sum Buke ; First, in 
 the honoure of God, and of his suete moder, and of jour hye Lord- 
 schip. And the resouns quhy I have ondertane to mak this Buke 
 are gude yneuch, as semys me. And first and formast for quhy ? 
 That the state of Haly Kirk is in sik tribulacioun that bot gif 
 God oure Lorde set sum gude remede, the quhilk was wont till 
 mak gude chevisaunce and gude end, in that mater be the Brether 
 of the Faith, auentureris of the Christin Faith, I can se be na way 
 that it may wele be, bot gif thare be sum gudely way of accord- 
 aunce fundyn and sone. The Secund cause is and resoun, For I 
 se all Cristyndome sa grevit, and stroublit of weris, discensiouns 
 thiftis, and reveryis, haterentis, and envyes, that men kennys almaist 
 na realme in Cristyndome bot it is in were. Thrid resone is, for 
 quhy ? That the land of Provence of quhilk I am borne and vp 
 brocht is sa turnyt now for the renewing of new Lordschip, and 
 for diverse opyniouns that ar amang Lordis and the Communiteis, 
 that with grete payne may ony wyse man here it be rehersit, the 
 mekle sorowe that the Commouns sustenis for sik debatis. The 
 Ferde resoun, for quhy ? That mony notable clerkis, the quhilkis 
 wenys thai vnderstand wele the glosy ng of ancien Prophecies, sais, 
 that it sulde be ane of the hie lignie of Fraunce the quhilk suld 
 sett remede in all this thingis and put this trauilland warld in pes 
 and rest, that now is put in grete pestilence. And for this cause 
 my curage has gevin me to mak sum newing of thing till enfourme 
 jour jouthhede of mony syndry knaulagis of Haly wrytt, sa that 
 jour curage suld be movit the mare to help to sett remede in the 
 Haly Cristyn faith, the quhilk is in poynt of perising, and geve it 
 socour ; and to geve jou corage for to do in sik manere, that the 
 Prophecyes, the quhilkis are presumyt to be vnderstandin in jour 
 persone maist worthy, be verifyit in jour maist noble and worthy 
 
38 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Princehede, throu jour notable and haly werkis : And forthy I 
 mak jour Hieres hertly request and supplicacioune, that nathing 
 that I sail put in this Buke je disprise, na lichtly, ffor all that 
 I here say takis foundement of Haly Writt, and of the Decreis 
 and Lawis Cannon and Civile, and Philosophy Naturale, that is 
 Natural Resoun. The quhilk Buke sal be callit The Floure of 
 Bataillis, or the Tree : And syne mon I pas to my werk ; and 
 tharefore is thare cummyn to me sik ane ymaginacioun, that I 
 will ger mak a Tree, the quhilk sail bere bot fruyte of sorowe ; as 
 men may se, that all the persecuciouns of the Kirk and contreis 
 beris bot fruyte of dule and diseise; departit in Four Partis, as is 
 before said, on the quhilkis Foure Partis the divisioun of oure 
 Buke sal be foundit .... (end) And suppose I mycht jit com- 
 pile and gader togedir mony Vertues and properteis that suld be 
 in a Prince, and als mony thingis of mysgouernance that he suld 
 eschew : Bot in gude faith the Doctour sais, that he was sa irkit 
 of wryting, that he mycht nocht as now na mare tak on hand as 
 to put in this Buke of Bataillis j bot and God geve him lyve dayes, 
 he sais, in his conclusioun of his Buke, he sail compile a Trety of 
 properteis of Gude condiciouns bathe of Temparale men and of men 
 of Kirk, that sail be gude and prouffitable for all men, that on lukis 
 bathe langand the governance of tjiair office and digniteis, as may 
 be compylit be the foundement of Haly Writt, and efter the Lawis 
 writtyn. Bot here he pray is to God mekely that he send grace 
 and gude gouernaunce to the Prince that he has compilit this 
 wrytt for, and maid this Buke till, that is to say King Philip of 
 Fraunce, 1 and geve him grace sa to reule his realme, and his ryall 
 magestee and estate, that God be payit of him, and bring him till 
 his euerlastand joye of Paradise at his ending, and all his frendis 
 and wele willaris. 
 
 Cy commence le prologue du livre intitule larbre des Batailles 
 faict et compose par vng venerable et religieuse personne Maiste 
 Honnore Bonhor, Prieur de Salon, et Docteur en Decret. . . . 
 
 1 The name of the Sovereign, to whom the work was dedicated at different times, 
 was changed to suit the occasion. "According to M. Paulin Paris, the original 
 author's dedication refers to the years 1 384-1390. (Les manuscrits Francois de la 
 Biblioteque du Roi : par A. Paulin Paris, Vol. V, p. 103." ) Abbotsford vol. p. xiii. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 39 
 
 A la sainct couronne de France en laquelle auiourdhuy par lordon- 
 nance de Dieu regne Charles cinquesme de ce norn tres bien ayme 
 et par tout le monde redoubte soit donne loz gloire et victoire sur 
 toutes seigneuries terriennes. Tres hault Prince, ie suis norame 
 par mon droict nom Honnore Bonhor de Salon, indigne docteur 
 en decret, souuenteffoys ay en lu voulente de faire et compiller, 
 selon mon debile entendement, ce petit liure a lhonneur de Dieu 
 primierement de sa benoiste Mere, et de vostre haulte seigneurie 
 Sire. Et les raisons qui mont esmeu et incite a ce faire sont assez 
 bonnes, selon mon advis. — Primierement, lestat de Saincte Eglise 
 est en telle tribulation et perplexite que si Dieu ny meet remede et 
 vostre seigneurie, laquelle est accoustumee de acheuer et mettre affin 
 les chieres advantures de la foy Crestienne, il ne voy voye ne chemin 
 comme y puisse estre mise bonne ne briefue accordance. — La Deu- 
 zieme raison si est, que voyez toute crestiente si greuee de guerres, 
 haynes, larrecins et discentions que a grant peine peut on nommer 
 vng petit pays soit une conte on duche qui bien soyt en paix. — La 
 Tierce raison si est, que la terre de Prouuence dont ie suis ne et 
 nourry est de present tellement atournee par le changement de noble 
 seigneurie et pour les diversitez doppinions qui sont entre les nobles 
 et le communes que a grant paine pourroit homme taut fust saige 
 racompter les maulx que les gens du pays pour ce debat seuffrent. — 
 La Quarte raison est, que ie considere choses dictes de grans elerez 
 modernees que bien pensent entendre les Prophecies anciennes par- 
 lans des maulx presens et dient que vng de la haulte lignee de 
 France doit estre celluy par qui les remedes seront donnez au siecle 
 travailant et mis en grande pestilance pour lesquelles raisons me 
 suis efforce de faire aulcune chose nouuelle affin que vostre ieunesse 
 soit informee de plusieurs entendemens de la saincte escripture et 
 aussi affin que saincte foy de Iesu Crist et faire que les Prophecies 
 qui entendent de vostre digne personne et escritures soyent verifiez 
 par voz bonne oeuures si vous supplie mon tres hault Seigneur que 
 rien que ie die en ce liure ne vueillez mesprier car ce que iay mis 
 en luy prent son fondement sus le droit canon et civil et sus natu- 
 relle philosophic, qui nest autre chose que raison de nature et aura 
 nom cestuy livre Larbre des Batailles pour fournir lequel livre me 
 fault trouer matiere condecente a ce faire, si mest venu en ymagina- 
 cioun faire vng Arbre de Dueill, au dessus duquel pourrez veoir les 
 
40 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 regnes de Sainct Eglise en grandes et merueilleuses tribulations. 
 Apres pourrez veoir la grande discention qui est auiourdhuy entre 
 les Roys et Princes Crestiens. Pareillement pourrez veoir le 
 grande discention et mumure qui est entre les Nobles et les Com- 
 munes. Et deviseray mon Liure en quatre parties principalis 
 ainsi com me a plain est cy apres declaire dont en la premiere partie 
 sera faicte mention des tribulations de leglise jadis passees devant 
 Padvenement de Jesu Christ, nostre Sauveur. En la seconde partie 
 sera traicte de la destruction des quatre grans royaulmes jadis. En 
 la tierce partie sera traicte des batailles en general. En la quarte 
 partie sera dit du battailles en speciale . . . (end) Moult daultres 
 belles et notables choses appartenant a tous bons Roys et Princes 
 pourroye encores dire et assez trouuer. Mais pour le present ie 
 ne pense plus riens a escripre en ce liure, car ien suis tout lasse. 
 Touteffoys le temps viendra si Dieu me donne espace de viure que 
 ie escripray aulcunes choses sur les contenances de toutes personnes 
 soyent ecclesiasticques on seculiers, hommes on femmes ce qui leur 
 est necessaire dauoir au plus pres que ie pourray de la saincte Es- 
 cripture et du droict escript selon les dignites de leur offices. Et 
 ie prie humblement et deuotement a nostre Seigneur, que par sa 
 saincte grace vous doint en telle maniere gouverner vostre Royaulme 
 et la Saincte Couronne quil vous a commise que apres la fin il vous 
 maine et conduyse a la saincte gloire de Paradis qui iamais ne 
 fauldra. Amen. 
 
 These extracts show that Hay was little constrained by the lan- 
 guage of the original in giving the sense. Such words as l remede/ 
 i chevisance/ * travilland ? were common in Scottish long before 
 Hay's translation; but the real amount of borrowing and influence 
 will doubtless be evident soon after the publication of The Buhe 
 of Bataillis by the Scottish Text Society, for which it is now in 
 preparation. 
 
 The following representative extracts may be inserted. 
 
 Here speris the Doctour quhat armes ar maist noble be the 
 colouris, and quhat colouris ar maist noble in armis. 
 
 Bot be cause the Princis and Lordis beris armes of mare noblesse 
 na otheris ; and that the Doctouris has spokyn in othir tymes, and 
 othir placis of Princis armes, and of thair baneris, quharefore I 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 41 
 
 will nocht here mak questioun, na dout the quhilk armes are the 
 maist nobles and the maist ryches ; ffor quhy, that alwayis com- 
 parison is odious ("Car toutes comparisons sont haynneuses") 
 But it plesis me to speke sum thing of Colouris of Armes, and of 
 thair descripciouns. And as the Doctour sais, that sum of thame 
 is more noble na otheris, for the representatioun that thai mak be 
 thair propre nature, and be this cause, we say, that colour of Gold 
 is the maist noble colour that is in this warld here ; and the resoun 
 quhy is, ffor be the nature of gold it is clere and schynand, rich, 
 vertuovse, and confortand ; ffor oure Maisteris Doctouris, and Medi- 
 cinaris and Philosophouris, gevis the gold in syndry wise in medi- 
 cyne to folk that ar debilitez in thair nature, that thai can get nane 
 othir remede for souerane remede ; and is lyknyt be his condicioun 
 and nature to the Soune, the quhilk is the maist noble planet that 
 euer God maid, and beris lycht till all the warld, and encresce- 
 ment and confourt till all natural creaturis. And the lawis sais, 
 that of all thinge that God maid, the claritee and licht is the maist 
 noble ; and, therefore, the Haly Wrytt sais, that the Sanctis in 
 hevyn schynis as the soune; and alssua oure Soverane Lord, 
 quhen he transfigurit him before his Apostlis, his visage apperit 
 to thame as the soune in someris day brycht: And because the 
 Gold is comperit to the Soune as the propre effect of the Soune, 
 the quhilk is king and lord of all planetis, and alssua is figurit be 
 Haly Wrytt be the visage of our Lord, and be that cause the ancien 
 Princis, in aid lawis of Armes, ordanyt that na noble man suld 
 bere gold in his armes, bot Princis, Kingis, and Emperouris, for 
 the nobless of him : And thus conclude we, that the maist noble 
 coloure is Gold. And suppose sum ignorant men wald say, gold 
 is metall, and na coloure, that makis nocht; ffor largely to tak 
 colouris, be all our Maisteris and Philosophouris, all metallis, all 
 low and lychtnes, that lemys and gevis sycht to the eynes is of the 
 nature of colouris. 
 
 The Secound coloure that is in Armoury, is callit be thir mais- 
 teris Purpre; the quhilk he callis here Rede colour; the quhilk 
 representis the lowe of Fyre, the quhilk is the maist clere, and lycht 
 efter the soune, and the maist noble of all the elementis; the quhilk 
 colour suld haue in armes were, bot anerly Kingis or Princis, be 
 the aide custumes of Princis and Faderis of Armes, of aide tymes. 
 
42 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600, 
 
 The Thrid colour is Asure ; the quhilk, be his figure and coloure, 
 represents the Ayer, the quhilk is next the fyre, the maist noble 
 element ; ffor it is in itself lignie and sutile, and penetratyf, ressa- 
 vand the lycht throu it, and liable till ressane all influences of the 
 planetis and of the hevynly constellaciones of nature, throw the 
 quhilkis all this Erde is gouernyt, and all Nature ; and sum callis 
 the coloure Ajure, hafand the colour of the firmament, sayand, that 
 Asure is a hevynly colour, it makis not : ffor thare is bot lytill 
 betuene, nocht than the lift is nocht colourit. 
 
 Ane othir coloure is the Quhyte colour, the quhilk next the 
 Asure is the maist noble coloure that was countit in Armoury in 
 ancien cronikis, because that it is maist nere the nature of lycht 
 and claritee ; and for the clereness of it, it is signyfyit to the vertu 
 of puritee, of clenesse and innocence, and sympilness : And as to 
 that the Holy Scripture sais, that the clethingis of Jhesu Christ 
 apperit ay to thame of quhite colour of snaw ; and this coloure of 
 quhite representis the water, the quhilk efter the Aire is the maist 
 noble element. 
 
 Ane othir colour is in Armoury that callit is Blak ; the quhilk 
 representis the Erde, and be it is signyfyit dolour, ffor it is ferrest 
 fra lichtness and claritee that betakenis blythnes, and cummys nerest 
 to myrknesse; and tharefore quhen ony peple or folk will mak 
 dule for ony of thair frendis dede, or in ony bataill tynt, or othir 
 grete misaventure, men makis thair dule in that clething ; ffor it is 
 the lawest of degree of all the four elementis, and is signifyit be 
 it humilitee. And for that cause, in takenyng of humilitee, the 
 religiouse men ar cled in blak wede, commonly to schawe mekeness 
 in hert, and put away all lust of Yanitee, and vane glore warldly. 
 (Appendix, pp. 81-83.) 
 
 Here declaris the Doctour ane othir Reugle and doctryne apon 
 the governaunce of close Bataill. 
 
 That nocht gaynstandand that be malice or hete, woddnes, ram- 
 age or pride orguilluose, or be inclinatioun, auaricius appellacioun 
 of bataill be maid, and the party ressauis the gage of bataill, the 
 Prince suld be wisely in his audience geving, and of gude thole 
 mudenes, to suetely here the cause that the appelloure chalangis 
 the appelland of; and wele copy and vnderstand all the mater 
 before, or he geve his consent, and gif the cause movis of dett or 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 43 
 
 of fede, or of ony othir singular cause he suld call counsale, and 
 inquere how and quhare, and in quhat place and for quhat cause 
 and of quhat tyme, and all the circumstancis, and gif the Prince 
 may be ony way get knawlage of other pruf or witnes, or othir 
 pruf be instrument or obligacioun, or to draw out of the party 
 be inquisicioun or confessioun, and othir maner of prufis. And 
 gif the Prince may persaue be ony way that ony knaulage 
 may be gottyn be ony way of the warld, the Prince suld nocht 
 thole passe bataill. Or suppose na witnes war, bot anerly that 
 the party al legit witnes, jit suld he assigne day till produce 
 thai prufis before the justice ordinare; ffor quhen pruf is offerit, 
 or allegit, all wage of bataill is slokit, be all lawis of canon 
 and of civile. 
 
 To the Thrid reugle and doctrine of battaill in Listis is this : 
 That the Prince in na case suld juge bataill to be, bot quhare thare 
 is na prufis allegit na producit, and that is law comman and reson- 
 able custum ; bot he sail suere, be his faith, that his cause can 
 nocht be prufit in na way bot be his persoun. 
 
 The Ferd doctrine teching and reugle of bataill in barrieris is : 
 That a Prince suld haue gude counsale to ger propone before him 
 the maner of the appellacioun, and the cause and occasioun that the 
 appellour allegis in his appellacioun, and gif him thinkis resounable 
 the cause of the appellacioun, he suld admytt thame to the bataill ; 
 and gif thai war nocht resounable, sloke it out, and geue na con- 
 sent tharetill, na tholaunce ; ffor gif fulis, throu thair foly, be sa 
 daft that thai wage bataill for lytill, evyn as to say, Qnethir 
 growis better wynnis in Burgoyne or in Gascoyne? or Quethir is 
 thare fairar ladyes in Florence or in Barsalonge? or, In quhat 
 countree is thare best men of armes, in France or in Lombardy ? 
 And the ta-part cast gage of bataill on the tothir, apon thir grete 
 weris of lawe ; or to say, his hors runnys fastar na his ; or, That 
 his hors is better na his, or syk lyke thing ; or, That he lufis his 
 lady better na he dois ; or, That he dancis or syngis better na he 
 dois, or for syk maner tromperys ; a Prince suld nocht juge na 
 thole bataill to be, bot he suld, before the peple, in presence of his 
 counsall, punyse syk trompouris, that otheris take ensample thareby 
 in tyme to cum to gage bataill for sik fule causis. 
 
44 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 The Fyft doctrine is : That for na wordis of hete, and sudane ire 
 of chaude cole or of chaude mellencoly, na injuriouse langage, thare 
 suld na Prince thole na consent gage of bataill in listis to pas ; for 
 wordis may be said for hete, or for brethe, or for gude wyne, or 
 othir wayis in lichtness that sone efter he may repent : bot and the 
 wordis be injurious and dishonourable, crimynous or defamatouris, 
 and he persevere in his outrageous langage, and lykis nocht till 
 amend ; bot stand in his purpos efter that the ire salbe past, ellis 
 the Prince suld nocht juge bataill to be : ffor gif he dois, he jugis 
 again the Lawis written opynly. 
 
 The Sext Doctrine is : That because thare is sum men sa hichty 
 hautayn and orguillous and full of surquedry, that thai have na 
 traist, na fyaunce in God na his Sainctis, bot in thair awin propre 
 pyth and vertu of corps and strenth of membris; na has na will ; 
 na thocht on God to mend thair mysdedis ; na to tak counsale at 
 gude men of lyf and deuocion ; na to mak gude ordynaunce for 
 thameself Suppose the Prince suld the bataill to be tholit to be 
 done to the vtterest j And tharefore the King suld assigne certane 
 day of bataill and houre to the Appelloure, and he suld ger schaw 
 him the grete perile in the quhilk he puttis him in baith of body 
 and of saule, and monyse him, and exhort him on Goddis behalf, 
 that all before that ever he schape him for horse, harnais, na othir 
 provision for the bataill, that first he schape him to se for a gude 
 Confessour, that be a gude wise clerke, wele letterit and wele instruct 
 in the faith, and of gude counsale and conscience, that he may dis- 
 charge his conscience to, and schrive him wele, and put his saule 
 first in gude estate, and his gude in ordinance, as he wald mak his 
 testament to ga to dede, and as wyse man aw to do : Quhilk gif 
 he dois nocht, the King suld say him u That sen he traistit nocht 
 in Goddis help, he suld nocht traist that he war a gude Cristyn 
 man, and that he suld have the lesse favour of him ; " and than 
 suld he ordane him a term within quhilk he suld put him in 
 gude estate of the saule to Godwart, and syne spere, how thai 
 had done at thair Confessoure, and sa suld he do to the tothir : 
 And this is a takyn that a Prince is wyse, and lufis wele God, 
 that begynnis at him to dispone all his governance and dedis. 
 Appendix, pp. 84-86. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose befoi-e 1600. 45 
 
 The Buke of the Order of Knychthede. 
 
 This book, No. II, in the Hay MSS. was one of many of the 
 time professing to instruct in knightly virtues. It has a double 
 interest from the close analogy existing between it and Caxton's 
 Booh of the Ordre of Chyvalry or Knychthode, which forms a 
 southern and almost contemporaneous version of the same work 
 translated by Hay. " The original work, entitled Le Livre de 
 V Ordre de Chevalrie, is anonymous. A copy of it is contained in 
 a magnificent volume, written upon vellum, and illuminated for 
 Henry VII of England, which forms part of the Royal Collection 
 of Manuscripts in the British Museum (MSS. Bibl. Reg., 14 E, 
 II, Art. 5). The work also exists in a printed form, although 
 now of great rarity." ' Abbots. Club vol., p. xv. 
 
 Caxton's translation, undated, " must have been printed about 
 the year 1484, and his edition is acknowledged to be one of the 
 rarest specimens of his press." lb. His translation is the better 
 of the two, being written in a simpler narrative style and quite 
 free from the repetitions and involutions which characterize Hay's 
 prose. The two versions are sufficiently alike, however, to indi- 
 cate their common origin. There is no evidence to show that there 
 is any immediate connection between these works and the Boke of 
 St Albans by Dame Juliana Berners, 1483, Part III of which 
 contains a general account of Knighthood and of the tinctures and 
 chargings used in Heraldry. Unlike Dame Berners' work there 
 is no such special treatment of arms and blasonry in the Buke of 
 the Order of Knychthede. 
 
 The following chapter may be considered typical of the whole. 
 
 Here begynnys the first chapitre of the Buke. 
 
 The Autoure of this Buke rehersis, How it befell in a cuntree 
 quhare a worthy, wyse, anciene Knycht, that lang tyme had bene 
 in the exercisioun of honourable weris, the quhilk, be the noblesse 
 and the force of his noble and hie curage, throu gret wisedome 
 and hye gouernaunce, had auenturit his persone to pursue and 
 
 ^'L'Ordre de Chevallrie, auquel est contenue la maniere comment en doit, 
 faire les chevaliers, et de l'honneur qui a eux appartient, et de la dignite* d'iceulx ; 
 compose par ung chevalier, lequel en sa viellesse fut Hermite." Lyon, Vincent 
 de Portunaris de Trine, 1510, fol., bl. 1. 
 
46 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 mantene justis, tournaymentis, and weris, and throu his gude 
 fortune and prowess, hod optenyt grete honoure and glore, and 
 victorious loving : And efter all this, as course of nature gevis till 
 all mankynde, and othir creaturis that in this erde lyfe beris, he, 
 considerand that this lyf mycht nocht langsumly endure, bot it 
 behovit nedely tak ane end ; for to make gude end, and conclu- 
 sioun to god wart, and to lyve out of the sicht of tribulacioun and 
 vexacioun of the warld, and to be at his deuocioun in contempla- 
 cioun of his creatour; for he sawe that God had gevin him largely 
 of his grace, sufficiandly of warldly honoure and glore ; and that 
 nature in him was sa faillid throu febilness, that he had nouthir 
 force, na vertu, na powere to welde armes as he was wount ; and 
 had deuisit and departit his landis, gudis, and heritagis till his 
 barnis, and ordanyt for ale his thingis fynablye, and chesit to 
 mak his habitacioun in a thik wod of a wilderness, in a faire 
 haulch, inclosit within wateris, and grete treis bath of fruytis and 
 of diners naturis, and of herbes, sa that he was content to flee the 
 sycht and the repaire of the warld : sa that nane had sene him sa 
 worthily, honestly, and honourably, had euir hidertillis manetenyt 
 sa worthy and hye Ordere in all worsen ip, but lak or dishonestee 
 of his cors, suld se him in his failit elde, for fault of powere of 
 naturall strenth, in syk febilness that he mycht nocht oure him 
 self to gouerne his persone in syk worschip of honestee as he was 
 wount, that filth of elde schamyt him nocht, quhill he had jeldit 
 to God and nature his naturale dewiteis : And als, that the vexa- 
 cioun of the warld gert him nocht abstrak his inclinacioun of 
 contemplacioun and devocioun fra the contynuale remembraunce 
 that he was determynit in his hert to have of the glorious passioun 
 of Crist, the quhilk he traistit, suld be a targe betuix him and the 
 inymy of mankynde, in the day of the dredefull jugement, to sauf 
 him fra the terrible paynis of hell. And as he was walkand a 
 day in ane herbare allane, in his deuocioun, in a thik busk of the 
 wod, quhare there was a grete tree in the myddis, chargit full of 
 fair fruytis in the sesoun, the quhilkis he gaderit and held to 
 refresch him with be tymes : And in that herbare, vnder the sayde 
 fruyte tree, thare was a faire well of water of noble nature, quhilk 
 in divers stryndis past throu the herber till othir gardynnis and 
 preaux, till watere thame in somere for more gudely growth ; in 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 47 
 
 the quhilk herbare the noble Knycht was custumyt to mak his 
 dayly repaire ; and thare in his contemplacioun, he maid his secrete 
 orisoun, zeldand gracis and lovingis to almychty God, the makare 
 of the mekle honour and worschip that he had grantit him in this 
 warld, euermare day of his lyf, to contyuew in sik douocioun and 
 contemplacioun perpetualy. 
 
 And sa befell that in the samyn tyme, befell a grete stormy wyn- 
 tere, in the quhilk a worthy king had sett and ordanyt a grete 
 assemblee of Lordis and Knychtis and worthy men, for hie, grete, 
 and honourable actis to be done, in the quhilkis mony jong bachelere 
 squieris proposit thame to be maid knychtis of that worthy kingis 
 hand : And sa befell that ane of the lordis sonis of that contree, 
 quhilk had sett his entent and purpose to mak the ordre of knycht- 
 hede at the said assemblee, and as it hapnyt him to pas throu that 
 contree quhare the noble anciene knycht had maid his habitacioun; 
 and forthy that the said Squier quhilk was ferre trauailit, for irk- 
 ness of trauale and waking to cum to the semblee, he slepit apon 
 his palfray, and wauerit fra his folk out of the hye way, sa that he 
 become properly in the samyn forrest and wilderness quhare the 
 knycht was induelland ; and to the samyn fontayn, in the herbere 
 thare, quhare the knycht was at his contemplacioun, in the samyn 
 tyme come [the palfray] thare to drink at the well. And als sone 
 as that the knycht sawe in syk a kynde sik ane honourable man, 
 he left his contemplacioun, and tiike out a Buke of his bosum and 
 began to rede. And sone quhen the pallefray put doun his hede in 
 the well for to drynk the Squiere began to wakyn of his slepe, and 
 wist nocht quhare he was becummyn, and than rais vp the worthy 
 anciene knycht, and comit till him to spere of his effere ; the quhilk 
 quhen the gong Squiere saw sa hare and aide, with a lang berde, 
 and langar syde hangand hare, quhite as the snawe, with a syde 
 goun, aide and bare of wolle, and evill farand, with mony holis 
 ryvin and rent, for grete age of wering, and for the grete waking 
 and deuocioun, and penitence that he had tane till him in that 
 desert, and the greting that he maid for his trespass of jouthhede, 
 he was worth in rycht lene, pale and wan, with hevy chere, and holl 
 eyne, sa that be semblance his behalding was lyke to be as of a haly 
 man and of godly lyf. Sa that grete maruaill had thai ilkane of 
 othir, iFor sen the knycht hed left the warld, to duell thare in that 
 
48 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 desert, he had nocht sene na man in all that tyme. And the jong 
 Squyere had mare grete maruajll, how he was hapnyt thare, and of 
 the grete maruailous maner of the worthy man ; quhilk be his feris 
 and port semyt till have bene a man of grete valoure ; And with 
 that he lichtit doun of his pallefray, and salust the noble knycht, 
 quhilk geldit him agayne his reverence and ressauit him graciously, 
 and gert him sytt doun in the herbere, and reyne his horse, and 
 rest him ; and lang tyme beheld him in the visage, to se gif he 
 wold aucht say. Bot the Squyere, quhylk maruailit mekle of the 
 efferis of the knycht, for the grete worthynes that him thocht 
 apperit in his visage, and maneris, he deferrit till him to move 
 first speche, as to do him reverence for honour and age. And thus 
 the worthy Knycht spak first, sayand, Faire frende, quhat is the 
 cause of goure cummyng here in this wilderness? And fra quhyn 
 ar je cummyn, and quhare wald ge be? And than ansuerd the 
 gong Bachelere, sayand, Certes Sir, thar is a grete renoun gangand 
 in ferre contreis of a grete assemblee, and rycht honourable, that 
 suld be maid in this land be ane of the maist worthy kingis that is 
 in the warld ; quhare grete multitude of honourable and worthy 
 men suld assemble, for honourable actis to be done, and thare suld 
 the said king mak mony new knychtis, because that he him self has 
 entencioun to be maid knycht thare, in the samyn tyme ; and thus 
 for honour of the worthy Prince and of his new Knychthede, I and 
 otheris drawis togedir to se thai honourable actis, and, God willand, 
 to be maid knycht of his hand thare. And be caus that I tuke 
 grete journeis be the way cummand, my pallefray, throu his soft 
 passing, gave me curage to slepe, as man fordouerit, and sa bade 
 behynd my company, and wanderit sa in this wilderness, vnwittand 
 quhare, quhill my hors, in this haulch, heldit to drynk. Than ar 
 je, said the worthy Knycht rycht welcum here. 
 
 Bot quhen the noble worthy man herd him speke of the hye and 
 noble Ordere of Knychthede, and of the propereteis that till it 
 appertenis he gave a sare sob, and with a grete siche that vness 
 mycht he speke lang tyme eftir ; rememberand of the grete honoure 
 that he had bene in, manetenand the saide Ordre of sa lang tyme. 
 And quhen the Squyere saw him fall in syk a thocht, be manere of 
 ane extasy, he sperit at him, Quhat movit him to muse sa mekle 
 on his wordis? And than the worthy anciene Knycht ansuerd 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 49 
 
 him, sayand, That his thocht was on the hye and worthy Ordre of 
 Knychthede that he had spoken of, and on the grete charge that a 
 knycht vndergais quhen he vndertakis that noble and worschipfull 
 Ordre of Knychthede. And than said the said Squiere, that gif 
 he coud oucht teche him of the poyntis that mycht pertene to the 
 said Ordere, for the honour and reverence of God, that he wald 
 teche him. And with that the said Knycht blenkit vp ; sayand, 
 O faire sone, how art thou sa bald to sett thee to tak that forenamyt 
 Ordere bot first thou knew the poyntis belangand the governaunce 
 and manetenaunce of it, and the maner how it suld be kepit, gov- 
 ernyt, and manetenit in honoure and worschip, as efferis, eftir the 
 ordinaunce of God ; ffor thare suld nane be sa hardy to tak that 
 hye honourable Ordre bot he war first worthy to the sicht of a 
 prince thare till. And syne that coud the poyntis and the articlis 
 that to the said Ordre appertenis, and to knaw bath the meritis and 
 the prowess of the Ordre ; and rycht sa the defaultis that a knycht 
 may mak till his Ordre ; nathare suld na knycht mak ane othir 
 bot first he himself coud thai poyntis, techingis, and documentis, to 
 teche thame to the vossall or bachelere, that he thocht to mak a 
 knycht of ; ifor he is misordanyt and vnworthy knycht that makis 
 knychtis nocht knawand the propereteis of the said Ordre, to teche 
 to thame that he gevis the Ordre till the custumys and documentis 
 that till it appertenis. And than said the Squyare, Faire Fader, 
 sen it is sa that as I traist je knaw the propereteis and custumes 
 of the said Ordre, that je wald, of jour gudelynes, teche me and 
 informe of the documentis and propereteis belangand to the said 
 Ordre of Knichthede ; ffor I have gude hope in God, that for the 
 traist that I have thairto, I sulde lere besily and wele all the per- 
 fectioun of the said Ordre. 
 
 And than ansuerd the Knycht, sayand, faire sone, sen it is sa 
 that thou has sa gude will to lere the reuglis and the documentis 
 belangand the said Ordre, I sail len the a lytill Buke quharein all 
 the reuglis and the Ordynaunce of all the poyntis and documentis 
 that pertenis to the said Ordre ar writin ; in the quhilk Buke, I 
 rede wele oft, and takis consolatioun, of the mekle honoure, wor- 
 schippis, and worthynes, that to the said Ordre appertenis, and of 
 the grete grace that God hes gevin me in this erde to be sa happy 
 till haue gouernyt sa, but lak, the said Ordre, that all my grace 
 4 
 
50 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 and gude aventure throw it I hadand rycht sa I honourit it, and 
 did all my powere to mantene it and kepe it in worschip, but 
 repruf ; for rycht as knycht, be his Ordre, takis bath of God 
 and man honoure, worschip, and worldly proufnt, rycht sa he is 
 behaldyn till gouerne, kepe, and manetene his Ordre in all 
 honoure, worschip, and reverence, vndefoulit. And than delyuerit 
 the Knycht the Buke to the Bachelere, in the quhilk quhen he 
 had red a lytill space, he hevit up his handis to the hevyn, and 
 lovit Almichti God that had gevin him the grace to cum that way 
 in the tyme that he was sa wele fortunyt to have knawlage of the 
 poyntis techingis and propereteis of the said Ordre and reuglis 
 that till it appertenit, the quhilk I have lang tyme mekle desyrit 
 to knaw. And than said the Knycht, Faire sone, thou sail tak 
 this Buke with the" to the Court, for sen I am bath aide and wayke 
 and may nocht travaill to schow the reuglis and documentis and 
 propereteis of the said Ordre to thame that desyris thame, that ar 
 with the king thou sail geve the copy of this Buke till all men 
 that desyris it ; and thou sail hecht me, quhen thou art doubbit 
 Knycht, thou sail cum this waye agayne this, and tell me quhat 
 knychtis salbe maid thare, and all the manere of thair making, 
 and how the king and the new knychtis takis in thank this Buke 
 of the reuglis and documentis of the said Ordre ; and quha askis 
 the copy of it. 
 
 And thus tuke the Bachelere his leve at the Knycht, and the 
 Knycht his benedictioun, and sa lap on his horse, and passit on, 
 quhill he met with his meiige" ; and sa to the kingis palace ; and 
 did his devoyr in gouernement of his persone rycht worthily, 
 and gave the copy till all maner of noble men that wald desyre 
 till haue it; the quhilk Buke the king lovit mekle, and prisit 
 and all the lordis, and held it rycht dere (Abbots. Club, vol., 
 pp. 3-8). 
 
 Quotation from Part III of 'AH/ The Buke of the Gouernance 
 of Princes would show little more of the language than has been 
 evident from the two preceding extracts. The Phonology of 
 'AH* represents an old stage of the language and according to 
 Dr. Murray's vowel-division, it would fall within the limits of 
 the Early Scottish Period. That is to say, the older and simpler 
 vowels prevail : a = Mid. Scot, ai, au; e = Mid. Sc. ei; u = Mid. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 51 
 
 Sc. ui ; ex. ' sare '= M. S. sair ; < aid '= M. S. auld ; * kepe '= M. S. 
 keip ; ' buke '= M. S. buik. 
 
 Throughout the MS. there is greater regularity in the represen- 
 tation of sounds, both vowel and consonant, than one meets with 
 elsewhere in the early period of Scottish prose. 
 
 The French element does not seem to have been consciously used, 
 and the relative use of Saxon and Romance words is about the 
 same as in English prose of the same date. 
 
 III. 
 The Buke of Luf. 
 
 The next prose work of literary importance is the Buke of Luf 
 which was published in Vol. I of the Bannatyne Miscellany, 1827. 
 It is No. XIX in Asloanes MS., written about the year 1515, or 
 No. IX in the description of the MS. given by Dr. Schipper which 
 was made from the imperfect transcript in the University Library, 
 Edinburgh. 1 
 
 The original MS. is now in the possession of Lord Talbot of 
 Malahide Castle, Dublin. It is much to be regretted that this MS. 
 has never been printed in full. Lord Talbot de Malahide allowed 
 it to be copied in part at the British Museum for the Scottish Text 
 Society, but it was returned to the owner before a complete tran- 
 scription was made. At present the MS. is not accessible " even 
 for scientific purposes." 
 
 The Buke of Luv, or The Spedakle of luf or dileciatioun of wemen, 
 is a disputation between Youth and Age, similar to many of the 
 time, in which Age, as an old Knight, counsels and advises a young 
 Squire in the affairs of the heart : very much as the old Knight 
 gives lessons in knightly valor in Hay's book. The original has 
 not been definitely ascertained ; many books similar to the Speck- 
 takle of Luf existed at the time both in Latin and French, and, as 
 the author says in the Prologue that the original was Latin, a closer 
 study may discover it. This may have been, however, a trick of 
 the author to shift the responsibility for whatever might offend the 
 taste of his readers. 
 
 1 Poems of William Dunbar, ed. Dr. Schipper, part first, pp. 5-9. 
 
52 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 The ' Buke ' is divided into eight parts, each chapter describing 
 a class of women to whom the youth should not give his affection, 
 ending with a praise of virtue and matrimony. It was written by 
 G. Myll, at St. Andrews, in July, 1492, who left a short account 
 of himself in the brief note at the end of the l Buke/ 
 
 " The Spectakle of Luf, &c, translatit out of Latin into our 
 wulgar and maternall toung, at the Cyte of Sandandrois, the x day 
 of Julij the jer of God Ane thowsand, four hundreth, nyntye and 
 twa jeiris, be ane clerk, quhilk had bene in to Venus Court mair 
 than the space of xx jeris, quhill I mycht nocht mak the service 
 that I was put out of hir byll of houshald ; howbeit to gif example 
 till otheris to perseveir in the service of luf, at my deperting scho 
 gaif me thre gyftis, lyk as scho dois to all thaim that contynewis 
 into her cowrt ; that is, an aid, hair, and dotand heid ; ane emptyff 
 and twme purss ; and ane pair of beidis of Sabill ; to causs me for 
 to haif remembrans that I had bene sa lang in to hyr service." 
 
 The following extracts have been selected. 
 
 The Prologue. 
 
 As I was musing apone the restles besynes of this translatory 
 warld, quhilkis thochtis and fantessys trublit my spreit, and for 
 to devoyd me of sic imagynatiounis, I tuk a lytill buk in Latyfi 
 to pas myne tyme ; the quhilk as I had red and considerit, me 
 thocht the mater gud and proffitable to be had into our wulgar 
 and matarnall toung, for to causs folkis to mair eschew the dilec- 
 tatioun of the flesche, quhilk is the modir of all vicis : Tharfor, be 
 sufferans of God, I purpois to endur me bothe translatioun of the 
 samyfl, becaus of the gud and proffitable mater it treitis of, that 
 was, How a gud anceant Knycht, that in his youthheid had 
 frequentit his body in the deidis of chevalrye to the encressing 
 of his name to honour, notwithstanding his gret besynes in the 
 factis merciall, inlyk wyss he had occupiit him self in the study 
 of naturale philosophy, to the end that he suld eschew vice ; the 
 quhilk gud aid Knycht opnyt and declarit vnto a goung Squyar, 
 his sone, that was to gretly amoruss, the evillis and myshappis 
 that men cummys to throw the gret plesans thai haif in wemen, be 
 the delectatiouii of the flesche, except the luf quhilk is detfully vsit 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 53 
 
 in the haly band of matirmony ; tuiching the quhilk I will nocht 
 speik in my sempill translations : Beseking all ladyes and gentill 
 wemen quhar it is said in ony poynt to thar displesour thai put 
 nocht the blaim thereof to me, bot to myn auctour that was the 
 fyrst com pylar of this buk, the quhilk is intilillit and callit The 
 Spectakle of Luf: for in it apperis and schawis sum evillis and 
 myshappis that cummys to men therethrow, as the filth or spottis 
 of the face schawis in the myrour of glas. 
 
 Cap.YI (part). — Sum tyme thar dvelt a knycht in the cite that 
 had a fair wyf, quhilk he luffit sa mekle, that the causs in paryng 
 hir naill hir fyngar bled a lytill, for verray sorow he deit. Incon- 
 tynent his frendis, as than was the custome, beryet him in the kyrk 
 jard. Alsone as this knycht was gravit, this fair jong wedow, his 
 wyf, gart byg hir a luge abone his tombe, awowand, that thar scho 
 wald remane duryng hyr lyf in contemplatioun and praying for 
 his soull. In this tyme the law was in Rome, that quhen ony 
 man war justify et, the Seref behuffit allan to walk in the fyrst 
 nycht that he war nocht stollyn of the gallowss. That nycht it 
 hapnyt that thar was a man justify t, that the Seref, quhilk was a 
 lusty joung man, a noble knycht, he walkit at the gallouss. The 
 nycht was cald and myrk, how beit he saw towart the toune a fyr 
 in the kyrk gard, quhar this knycht was berijt, to the quhilk he 
 raid and renjeit his harss, and come to the luge, quhar he fond 
 this fair jung Lady allane. To quhome he said, my faire Ladye, 
 quhat do je heir in this plyte ? This Lady schew vnto him how 
 hyr lord deit for hyr luf, and that scho wald remane thar in deuo- 
 tioufi far his saull ; and than the Seref said to hyr, My fair Lady, 
 je sail nocht do sa, je knaw I am a gretar lord than he was, and 
 als noble a man as he was ; ge sail cum to the warld agane, and 
 cheiss me to jour lord and luf. Schortlie he inducit hyr swa, that 
 scho agreit to him. Quhill thai war thus at thar perliament, the 
 Seref remembrit him of his office, and speid him thair, quhair he 
 fand the theif stollyn of the gallowis ; howbeit he come agane to 
 hir, and said, Ladye, full deir I haif bocht jour luf; and schew 
 hyr the caiss, and how that he behuffit outher to be put in his 
 place, or leif the cuntre* and his herytage for euermair, effermand, 
 that he was mair hevy to depart with hyr na for all the laif. Scho 
 said, That sail je nocht, for heir is my husband new deid ; we sail 
 
54 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 put him wpe on the gallowis in the place of the theif. He said, 
 I thank jow ; bot, be my honour, I my twiche na deid men. Scho 
 said, Than sail I. Scho tuk hir husband and hangit him vpe 
 vpone the gallowis. The Seref said, Yit thair is a defalt. This 
 theif, in the taking, had his teith strikin out befor ; and als he 
 was bollit, and wantit baith his eris ; and be nocht jour husband 
 swa, it wil be persauit that it is nocht the theif. To quhom scho 
 said, I sail do all that je haif devysit; and tuk the Sereffis sword, 
 quhar with scho strak out his for teith, and cuttit of baith his eris, 
 and with hir handis pullit the hair of his heid, and he semyt all 
 beld, and than said to the Seref, now I haif done all that ge wald, 
 tak me to jour wyf. To quhom he answerit and said, A ! God 
 defend me tharfra ! for quhen I think on my eris, and on my for 
 teith, and felis the hair on my for heid, I dar neuer ventur to tak 
 gow to my wyf. Be this, my Sone, it may be persauit the gud- 
 nes of wedowis and agit wemen. 
 
 The tales are told in a simple style, and not without a facetious- 
 ness which might readily be expected from the subjects treated. Until 
 the Asloane MS. has been edited, it will be difficult to assign it a 
 date with any degree of certainty. The editor of the Buk of Luf 
 for the Bannatyne Miscellany gave the date as 'about the year 1515/ 
 Laing and Dr. Mackay gave the same, and as Dr. Schipper does not 
 accept Chalmers's reasons for assigning it to the year 1508 (Dunbar 
 poems, 1, p. 9), the year 1515 may still be considered as the prob- 
 able date. 1 
 
 The language of the Buk of Luf is a good sample of what might 
 be called ''transitional •' many forms, such as 'aid/ 'gud/ 'luv/ 
 ' kepe/ ' tuk/ &c, show the older vowels (rather than results of 
 
 1 Those portions of the Asloane MS. which are in prose are the following : 
 "Part III: 'The divisioun of all the warld callit the cart schortly drawyn in 
 Ingliss,' fols. 77-88 a ; Part IV : ' The wertiues of nobilness,' . . . the same as 
 ' The Porteus of Nobilnes,' printed in 1508 by Chepman and My liar, fols. 86 a- 
 92b; Part V: 'The Scottis Originale,' the origin of the Scottish nation . . . 
 written in the early part of James V reign, fols. 93-98 ; Part VI : 'Ane tractat 
 of a part of the Ynglish chronikle,' imperfect at the end, fols. 99-107 ; Part VII : 
 'Ane schort memoriale of the Scottis corniklis for addicioun,' a chronicle of events 
 during the reign of James II, 1437-1460 ; probably in prose, not expressly stated 
 by Chalmers, fols. 109-123 ; Part VIII : 'Ane tractat drawin out of the Scottis 
 cornikle, begynnand in the thrid age of the warld,' . . . continued till the 29th 
 August, 1513; should stand before the preceding piece in the MS., fols. 124-136; 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 55 
 
 English influence), while 16th Century forms are also found : 
 f maist,' ' leit/ ' breist/ ' dreidfall/ ' reid/ &c. As is not unusual 
 after this time, there is a liberal dash of anglicisms, participles in 
 -ing being most prominent. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Earliest Printed Prose. 1 
 
 The first Scottish printers, beginning with Andro Myllar, whose 
 earliest dated Scotch book was published in 1508 at Edinburgh, 
 left few works in the vernacular prose. The Patent issued by 
 James IV in 1507 to Walter Chepman and Myllar hastened the 
 introduction of printing into Scotland by royal sanction; and in 
 this Patent one may see the stimulus given to the Art which a few 
 years later made permanent the names of Bellenden and Lyndesay. 
 One naturally looks to France for the men and the materials with 
 which they began to print the 'bukis of . . . Lawis, actis of parlia- 
 ment, croniclis, mess bukis, and portuns/ which were specified in 
 the Patent • and we find that Andro Myllar had practised his art 
 in Rouen, there being books of French origin bearing his device 
 and the dates 1505 and 1506. 
 
 The first and indeed the only Scottish prose tract extant from his 
 press is the fragment of the Porteus of Nobilnes preserved in the 
 unique volume containing other pieces in verse printed by Chepman 
 and Myllar, now in the Advocates' Library, H. 30, A. I. The 
 original leaves were much worn and have been inlaid in stout paper. 
 The Porteus and the rest were printed by Laing in a volume 
 entitled ' The Knightly Tale of Golagras and Gawayne, and other 
 ancient Poems/ where the Porteus, which is a fragment, comes 
 last. " Dr. Laing in his reprint supplies the missing leaves [of the 
 
 Part IX: 'The Spectakle of luf,' &c, fols. 137-150; Part X: 'The bibill of the 
 sex werk days according to the sex agis,' . . . fols. 151-166." v. Dr. Schipper's 
 account in his edition of Dunbar's poems, part first, p. 5. It will be seen that 
 next to the Hay MS. this is the most important collection of old Scottish prose ; 
 and, when its treasures in verse are considered, it rivals in value the famous 
 Bannatyne MS., which has been so worthily edited. When one considers that 
 the printing of a manuscript adds to its importance and value, one is at a loss to 
 understand why the Asloane MS. was not edited in full long ago. 
 1 v. note, end of vol. 
 
56 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Porteus~\ from a copy in the Asloan manuscript, and from which it 
 appears that the original must have had seven leaves of text, besides, 
 in all probability, a preliminary leaf, which may have contained on 
 the recto the title over Chepman's device, the reverse being blank." 1 
 The fragment of five leaves was printed by Dr. Leyden in his 
 Dissertation to the < Complaynt of Scotland/ pp. 203-208. The 
 scarcity of these two reprints may warrant the insertion of the frag- 
 ment, transcribed from the original leaves. 
 
 Porteus of Nobilnes. 
 
 . . . nor compt of is lif that servis noght diligence quhill . . . 
 awaykynis all othir vertues Quhat avalis or quhat is ane man 
 worth that mulijs and lyis in slogardy that will have ane soft bed 
 Ane full wame remanyng at eas and pas the tyme day be day | and 
 wolk be wolk and rekis not nor takis na compt how all thing 
 pas | Quhat be wonnyn or quhat be tynt And will have men 
 befor hym bair heid kneland and saynge that he is ane nobill 
 quhilk is gret merual quhair his awne dedis schewis y contrair | 
 bot quha that is a nobill he leris quhair of seruis diligence that 
 awaiknis all othir vertuis O nobill man the Wyne graip rottis 
 and deis gif it ly at the erd undir the leif the mischeif and fall a 
 wise and consulis a man | and diligence that a waiknis all vertues 
 in travail makis of ane rud and unnurist man Ane man cunning 
 and pert and The IX vertu in nobill man | is clenelynes The hert 
 set in nobilnes and desirand hie honour suld dispise all filth and 
 vnhonesti for he despisis his nobilnes that takis keip and tent to 
 othir mennis guyding | and kepis noght hym selue clene | he than 
 suld nothir say nor do thing that war to discomende nor that myght 
 empair or skaith ane othir man nor y my* mysuse hi[s] awne lose 
 and honour gif he awisit thoght and lukit weill to hym selve y 
 takis tent and keip to all othir men | foul speking and mekill 
 myssaing or flityng or ane unhonest deuise to the man that is sene 
 and behaldyn be mo[p. 2]-ny men | for honeste is requirit to keip 
 in saif gard tham that takis compt and keip of othir mennis guyd- 
 ing. O nobill man be clenelines of person plesand and fair hauyng 
 thay keip tham fra filth y takis keip to all othir men. 
 
 Annals of Scottish Printing, p. 52. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 57 
 
 The tent vertu in ane nobill man is larges. Larges in all caice 
 is sa curtase and avenand that it is the reut of honour quhair of 
 the ane Wynnis profit the othir mereite It proflfitis y takar and 
 delittis the giffer and amendis and settis thame baith in right thair 
 Is na thing tynt y larges dispendis for he dispendis all his gudis 
 be wisedom And to larges all Way gudis cumis and aboundis bot 
 ]>e prodigal man spendand without mesure and prouision Waistis 
 and destroyis larges than y profitis and ekis hym self and plesis 
 and contends all otheris as y techer of all vertuis in this warelde 
 The reward takin oblisis the taker and acquitis y giffer of his gret 
 bounte Thing thairfor giffin is bettir than all the laif for gudis 
 hid reports bot litill thanke ioy or plesir and auarice is waryit 
 and haldyn abhominable be sa mekill y scho closis hir hand and 
 giffis to na man And it cumis of tymes to y auaricius that ane 
 othir spendis and puttis to the wynd y gudis he gaderit With gret 
 trouble and pane And gif thair cumis to hym wexation werre or 
 trouble thar is na man y comptis or settis therby suppois it con- 
 fund hym bot larges gettis all tyme frendis and help y is the 
 techar of all vertu in this warlde Heirfor ane fre liberal hert 
 quhairin nobilnes inhabitis sulde noght be scars and haldand bot 
 blithar and mair iocund to gif than to tak | for larges releuis and 
 succuris a man [p. 3] and scarsness interditis nobilitie | gud deid is 
 sic that g[. . .] will y it be reuardit Heirfor be larges the gud 
 departis cumis again Gud deid tinis neuer it self in na tyme bot 
 sa mekill as it dois redoundis agan to his maistir for larges heris 
 y standard vpon all reutis that is the techar of all vertues in this 
 warld O nobill man y riche man y lattis honour for expensis | 
 gudis faillis him and all schift in hym confoundis Be larges the 
 hertis of men ar sene and vndirstande y is y techer of all vertuis 
 in this warld. 
 
 The levynt vertu in nobill man is sobirnes Quhen gud desire 
 that intendis to ascend and cum to hyght puttis the thoght to cum 
 to honour than sulde ane man haulde and reul hym sobirly and 
 escheu distemperance of wyne and heit that turnys gud avise in 
 foly greuis strenth | dois wrang and hurtis y natur troublis the 
 peace movis discord | and levis all thing vnperfite Bot quhay J;' 
 will draw sobirnes to hym scho is helplie of litill applesit help of 
 the wittis wache to hele keper of y body and contynewal lynthare 
 
58 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 of the lif | for to excesse thair may neuir cum gud nor profit nor 
 body nor lif is neuir the bettir And sa it tynis all maner con- 
 tinence | voce | Aynd | lynthenes and coloure a glutoun all way has 
 sum seiknes or sorow he is heuy fat and foule his lif schortis and 
 his ded approchis. Thair is na man y beualis or menys a man gif 
 he dravis him nocht to sobirnes as scho y all men plesis | help of 
 the wittis wache of y hele keper of the body and lynthar of the 
 lif And he that can reull his mouth that is vschare to y hert | 
 now sulde he cum to knawlege to haue guyding of gret thingis | 
 glutony all way leuys hie honour and graith is allanerly dede to 
 [p. 4] hym self | ane ful wame is neuer at eas bot slepand | for othir 
 thingis he neuer thinkis | dois nor dremis | bot sobirnes gyffis all 
 thingis in sufficience. And to al thinge that virtu is for scho is 
 help of y wittis wach to y hele kepar of y body and lynther of 
 the life. 
 
 The XII vertu in ane nobill man is perseverance. 
 
 O Excellent hie and godly vertu my*ty quene | and | lady perse- 
 verance y makis perfit fulfillis and endis all thingis for quhay J>* 
 kepis thy faith full and trew techinge | fyndis without stop y way 
 of louynge | peas and sufficienz | thow ourecumis all thing be thy 
 secure Constance that tiris never to suffre. Thou ourcumis Wanhap 
 y passis fortune and in all placis scho gyffis to y victory. Thou 
 be resone thou gettis the crowne quhen all vertuis gyffis to y ouir- 
 hand and be thy gidyng cumis to hie louing. Thay sulde weil 
 adoure y as lady maistres and patrone sen y end makis al thinge 
 to be louit. Thou art scho y examinis al vertus as y goulde 
 chesis out y fynit herto's in treuth and leaute be thy humyl suffer- 
 ance And quhay y to y assuris and deliveris him selfe. Thou 
 rasis him quhen he is to fall And giffis him sustenance and com- 
 fort bot J?e febil hert castyn in variance spillis and tynis in schort 
 space all y it dois inuy brekis sik folkis that want vertu in defalt 
 of fathe tyris thame, and honour habandonis thame thay ar punist 
 Lady god y for gude men has gude y to gude attendis. And al 
 noblys ]?* seikis to hie worschip gife thay be wise and will awowe 
 to serve y | sen y ende makis al warkis to be louit he dois nathing 
 y begynnis and endis noght And y in his warkis inclynis him to 
 variance. Quhen J? e wark is hie worithy and louable gif y vndir 
 taking turn [p. 5] not to perfait end his labour passis as at noght 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 59 
 
 at . . . manys out of remembrance and Y is atour mesure repreif 
 and schame | for thair a man tynis his name and his science, and 
 his endis incontinent ar tynt and gais to noght. Bot quhar that 
 with right ordanys and auisis his doingis and to a perffit end in 
 treuth and laute perfurnysis than his gudis than makis tham to be 
 amendid and ekit And thay Y incontynent and haisty yield is 
 tham to fortune Y is to aduersite may fur with dasauow nobilnes 
 sen Y en( ^ e m & H thingis makis the warkis to be louit. O nobil 
 man thay ar noblis that dispendis thair body and gudis in treuth 
 and laute | and defendis thair lorde noght lousande j>° right knot 
 of thair faith een the ende makis all warkis to be louit. 
 
 Nobles report your raatynis in this buke 
 
 And wysely luk ye be not contrefeit 
 Nor to retrete sen leaute seikis na nuke 
 
 And God forsuke breuily for to treit 
 
 Al that fals ar and noblis contrefeit. 
 
 Heir endis the porteus of noblenes translatit out of (Fr)anche in 
 Scottis be maistir Androw Ladion 
 
 Impren(t)it at Y South gait of Edinburgh be Walter Chepman 
 Androw Millor the xx dai of aperile the yhere of God (m)ccccc 
 and viii yheris. 
 
 The principal prose works which were written after 1508 have 
 been edited and published so that they are now comparatively easy 
 of access. The first and most considerable was the translation of 
 the first five books of Livy, made for JamesV by John Bellenden, 
 Archdeacon of Moray and Ross. It is probable that this was never 
 printed by any early Scottish press, and the MS. in which the work 
 has been preserved is thought to be a transcript of the original : it 
 is marked Adv. Libr. 18-3-12 (a-7-8). This was edited and pub- 
 lished in Edinburgh in 1822, the only edition which has been 
 printed. From the Introduction to this edition it is learned that 
 the translation was made in 1533. 
 
 Bellenden's other work, the Croniclis, was a translation into 
 Scottish of Boece's Scotor-um Historiae a prima gentis origine, &c, 
 and like the Livy, was made for JamesV. The latest authority 
 says that this was printed in 1542, although the copies extant 
 printed by Davidson are not dated. 1 The three volume edition, 
 
 1 Ann. Scot. Print., pp. 123-133, with facsimiles. 
 
 V OP THS^^ 
 
 pJTIVHRSITY! 
 
60 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 edited by Thomas Maitland in 1821, is the only one now easily 
 accessible. 
 
 The language of Bellenden's prose differs in the Livy from that 
 of the Croniclis ; while both translations are free, the Croniclis 
 seem to have been more influenced by latin constructions, and the 
 Livy is a much better sample of the vernacular. It is possible 
 that English printers may have changed the forms of many words 
 in the Croniclis as was the case with the first printed tracts, 1 and 
 that the Livy, remaining in manuscript, gives a truer idea of 
 Bellenden's style. 
 
 The next literary prose work was the Complaynt of Scotland. 
 Dr. Murray's treatment of the language, authorship and printing 
 of this rare book, in his introduction to the edition for the Early 
 English Text Society, 1872, left little or nothing to be added by 
 the authors of the Annals of Scottish Printing, who regard the 
 authorship as an open question and repeat Dr. Murray's theory 
 that the book was printed in France. When one considers care- 
 fully the arguments made by Dr. Leyden, the first editor of 
 the Complaynt for the authorship of Sir David Lyndesay, one 
 rather wonders why no critic since his time has thought those 
 arguments worthy of further comment in detail. Dr. Leyden 
 indeed disarmed much later criticism in his frank avowal of 
 purpose in the Scot's Magazine for July, 1802, where he 
 endeavors to answer certain criticisms of his Dissertation to the 
 1 Complaynt/ which were made in the same journal for January 
 of that year. His object in writing the i Dissertation ' or Intro- 
 duction was rather to stimulate enquiry than to hold obstinately 
 to any one theory, such as that of Lyndesay's authorship. Dr. 
 Leyden's early collation of parallel passages from Lyndesay and 
 the ' Complaynt' has not received the consideration it deserves, 
 and without committing oneself to an opinion regarding the author- 
 ship, one must admit a degree of analogy between passages in the 
 € Complaynt ' and in Lyndesay that could hardly have been for- 
 tuitous. Until other sources for the 'Monarch^' for example have 
 been adduced, it is not improbable to regard the ' Complaynt' as 
 the inspiring motive, if not the original source, of the related 
 passages and paraphrases in Lyndesay's work. 
 
 1 v. Introduction to Livy and Dr. Schipper, Dunbar, I, 19. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 61 
 
 In its language the Complaynt of Scotland has been regarded 
 as an ' extreme specimen of the Frenchified style' (Murray, Dial. 
 South. Countries, p. 64). There are some words in the book which 
 correspond to the sixteenth century French forms that have not been 
 discovered in any other Middle Scottish writer ; they form, however, 
 a small proportion of those Romance words which have been selected 
 as ultra-gallicisms in the Introduction to the Complaynt (E. E. T.S., 
 1872, p. civ). The rest of these are not peculiar to the * Complaynt/ 
 but from their common use and the differences in their spelling may 
 be regarded as naturalized words, whose first appearance it would be 
 hazardous to date, even approximately. Thus we find in Hay's MS. 
 and the Bukeofthe Ordre of Knychthede such words as the following : 
 with cautelis and subtiliteis, p. 47 (B. of O. K.), glore celestiall 
 54, contrair 10, convenable 32, esperaunce 19, exercisioun 3, 
 ordanyt fynable 3, to quhat fyne 15, hautane, haultane 52, joly 
 polist corps 48, he is nouthir lache na jit cowart 50, lachesse 49, 
 leautee 9, lawtee 55, vnlautee 9, maleesy persones 46, menge 8, 
 menze 46, moble gudes 26, moyen 41, misfaris misdoers 46, myster- 
 full, myster, mister 43, noblese 3, orquillouse 27, orqueill 52, preaux 
 meadows 4, remede 24, semblaunce 4, supple assistance 21. 
 
 It is true that the exact extent of Hay's borrowing will not be 
 apparent until his most considerable work, the Buhe of Bataillis, 
 and the French original have been carefully compared. From the 
 few extracts at present available (see above, p. 71), his vocabulary 
 does not seem to have introduced many new words. 
 
 In comparing the French element in the 'Acts' with that in the 
 'Complaynt,' the novelty of many words in the latter wears off. In 
 linguistic study of the 'Acts,' however, the age and exact content 
 of the several manuscripts must be more clearly at hand before 
 results can be much more than approximate. Thus there are two 
 MSS. of late fourteenth century, one early fifteenth, four late fif- 
 teenth, two early sixteenth, and so on. 1 In the face of this apparent 
 lack of evidence contemporary with the date of a statute, there occur 
 many French words in the 'Acts' preserving the Old French form 
 and at once suggesting the Middle English equivalent. In the 
 following examples, when not otherwise referred, the first figure 
 
 1 The New English Dictionary dates a Scottish word from the statute in which 
 it occurs. 
 
62 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 notes the page, the second the column and the third the date of 
 statute. The references are to the first edition of the 'Acts' by 
 Robertson (Records of the Scot. Parliament). 
 
 assouerance 38, 1, 1456 ; censment (of parliament) 496, 1, 1503 ; 
 chalance (claim and — ) 233, 1, 1478; 'gif J>e trespas be done of 
 sudane chautmellay 14, 1, 1425 ; chevisance (agreement) 10, 2, 1424 ; 
 costage, coistage 9, 1, 1424 ; consuetude 55, 1, 1474 ; emplesance 
 (pleasure) 49, 2, 1469; escusateoun (excuse) 11,1, 1423; exercitioun 
 625, 1, 1540; expreyme 36, 1, 1454; forfautouris (forfeiters) 11, 1, 
 1423; friuole, Acts, Jac. IV, 1503, cap. 35, 499, 1, 1503; galais 
 (common word for ships) 70, 1, 1429; gener (vb. 'to cause/ 'effect') 
 13, 1, 1424; gratiose (gracious) 62, 1, 1425; 'priuilege and ane 
 indult perpetuale' 235, 1, 1469; ische (sb. issue) 204, 1, 1476; 
 joiss (enjoy) 13, 2, 1425; lawte, lawty 491, 2, 1503; 'schawingis 
 and monstouris' 625, 1, 1540; myster 4, 2 (= ' need/ undated, 
 preceding an Act of King William), nevoy (nephew) 697, 2, 1546 ; 
 nevo, 160, 2, 1471; notour (notorious) 11, 1, 1423; parochine 
 (parish) 600, 2, 1535 ; peax (peace) 200, 2, 1475 ; ' under a certane 
 payne peccuniar' 14, 2, 1425; peremptour ('summondis — ') 40, 
 2, 1457 ; plane (open) court 23, 1, 1429 ; plesance (pleasure) 52, 
 2, 1471 ; punysion (common word for punishment) 64, 2, 1426 ; 
 ' courtis of purprusioun ' 268, 1, 1481 ; querallis 63, 1, 1425 ; 
 querchy (oak), 'a white wand of — ' 66, 2, 1426 ; seige (see) ; soy- 
 tour (suitor) 200, 2, 1476 ; taxatouris, tax men 10, 1, 1424 ; travell, 
 labour 18, 1, 1426 ; ' walour/ value of the mone 9, 2, 1474 (cf. 
 'strenth, valew or effec/ 158, 2, 1471). 
 
 Without multiplying examples it is quite evident from the use 
 and form of these words that they were part of the usual legal lan- 
 guage, which w r as common to the people in their gatherings around 
 the ' Mercat Croce/ where the new laws were made known and dis- 
 cussed. The influences exerted by continental law upon the Scottish 
 codes, if one may so call them, were active before the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, and at a time when Scotch law differentiated from the English 
 Common law. One is thus brought to a period when any French 
 forms incorporated into the language would differ very little from 
 those in more southern English, and these words, continuing in 
 Scottish long after they had ceased to be used farther soutlj, would 
 thus appear at first to be importations from later contemporary 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 63 
 
 French. Such words are found in the Complaynt of Scotland to a 
 considerable degree, and, while by no means making up the whole 
 number of French forms, they go far to detract from the author of 
 the ' Complaynt ? the suspicion of conscious borrowing. 
 
 The following words are of this nature, and they may be com- 
 pared in form and use, with their Middle English cognates. The 
 references are to the edition for the E. E. T. S. by page. 
 
 agrest 16, arrage 125, alman 66, antecestres 108, auanse 1, bar- 
 bir 4, bayrdit 69, brodrut 69, beaulte" 70, bestiall adj. 64, boreaus, 
 borreaus 27, 86, borage 67, borrel, brangland 68, bruit 116, 
 butin 146, caduc 170, cakil, carions 119, cauteil, adj. and sb. 
 celeste 64, chenjeis 114, chestee 19, citinaris 11, clair 70, cleir 73, 
 clips 56, conqueise 80, corbie 181, consuetude 87, compeir 114, 
 conjuris 133, conspiration 113, contrair prep, and adj. 77, convoyit 
 4, cordinar 10, cronic 3, coulpe,/aw# 155, curtician 133, dantit 21, 
 devoir, devour (distroy, overcome) 2, domage 5, devot 4, dificil 130, 
 discrive 32, disiune, breakfast 43, dechayis 9, discumfeist 77, drog 
 drug 81, pulce 64, efferand 56, empeschis 99, ensenje 149, eschet 
 133, eschaip 37, esperance 70, estime 165, evertion 1, euoir 20, 
 facil 15, fardit 16 (? while this word is not uncommon in Scotch in 
 the sense of l painted ' the meaning here l to embellish ' is suspi- 
 ciously like that in Amyot, Dion. 27, quoted by Littre, s. v. 'elo- 
 quent a in venter des raisons fardees des paroles honeste '), falset 
 181, fasson 69, felloun 39, feltrit tangled, dishevelled 68, fenjeit 
 35, ferme 59, fleuris 171, fleurise 38, forrai 114, fosses 113, freuole 
 183, fumeterre 67, fyne, end 2, galmound 66, galjard 66, garni- 
 son 5, genner 153, gentrice 128, glar 68, gloire 170, glore 143, 
 gre 134, habitis, clothes 163, heritour, heir 3, ingyne 4, impor- 
 tabil; langage 16, lasche 146, maculat 150, manneis vb. 102, mel 
 vb. 15, merle 39, misericorde 72, mistir 36, moyens 41, muis 113, 
 neureis 123, nevo 76, nouvellis 119, oultraige 186, pailjeons 60 
 (< gael. pailliun?), pape, pope 165, pastance 64, paveis, shields 41, 
 pissance, puissance 7, popil, poplar tree 57, plat, flat 70, port, 
 gate 131, potent, staff, gibbet 182, prettik 14, propir, personal 
 adj. 163, punition 27, puldir 21, rammel 37, rasche vb., tear up 
 125, remeid 34, reprocha sb. 127, reu, street 182, reuis 76, roy 63, 
 rotche, rock 38, roche 99, scarmouche 114 (but not escarmuschis 
 6, escarmouchis 79), scisma 160, seige 5, sege 77, see, seat; solist 
 
64 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 adj. 9, sollempne 121, sopit 37, spulge 89, stablit 19, succur, 
 sugar 145, tassis, cups 76, turkes sing, (not turques), pinchers 10, 
 vaig vb., wander 111, vilite 170, vol ye, oil 161, vollage, fickle 22. 
 
 These words should be distinguished from those which seem to 
 be peculiar to the sixteenth century Scottish, and which are only 
 found in the Complaynt and in some cases in Sir David Lyndesay. 
 It is misleading to include them in a category with the latter class, 
 and tends to magnify the influences of the " French of the day." * 
 
 The following words seem indeed to have been adapted by the 
 author of the Complaynt from contemporary French. Where a word 
 has been found elsewhere only in Lyndesay it is followed by L. 
 
 austral 49, bersis, cannon 41, bestialite, cattle 43, charpentier 
 10, coagulis, contempil 34, contenu 23, contigue 4 (Jamieson gives 
 another example for 1532), conferris, compares 28, curtician, cour- 
 tier 133 L., deesse, goddess 11, dediet, dedicated 7, dispensatour 
 158, dominatour 79, dotit, endowed 10, empire, empyrean 48, 
 escarmouschis 6, fardit 16, in sense of i embellish ' or 'disguised/ 
 v. Littr6; flume, phlegm 67, gazophile, treasury, maltalent, ill 
 will 22, niarbyr, marble 129, marynel, sailor 10, matutine 38 L., 
 misprisis, dispises 28, obfusquis, darkens 56, olymp 3, perdur- 
 able 20, plasmatour, creator 27 L., prochane 4 L., pulce, push 
 139, rammasche, collected, flocked together 38, regement 2 L., 
 repreme, repress 154, rencontrit, rondellis, shields 42, salut, welfare 
 72, sapiens 43 L., seremons 7, seicle, century 4, suppreme, suppress 
 158, suspires, sighs vb. 70, traduction 10, vermeil 37, zelatur 76. 
 
 The occurrence of French words which are common to the Com- 
 playnt and to Lyndesay may be considered in connection with those 
 resemblances in matter which have been noticed before (p. 117). 
 If we are to assume that either author introduced these words into 
 the language, it will be very difficult to determine upon which 
 author their introduction depended, or which influenced the other 
 
 1 " The literary Scotch of the 16th Century teems with French words, not 
 derived through the Norman channel, like the French words in English ; — but 
 taken direct from the French of the day. As might be expected from the French 
 sympathies of its author, the Complaynt exhibits this French element to an enor- 
 mous extent, not merely to supply the want of native terms, but in preference to 
 words of native origin, as when contrar is preferred to against, esperance to hope, 
 reus to streets, bestial to cattle, verite to truth." Murray, Introduction to Complaynt, 
 p. civ. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600, 65 
 
 in the way of borrowing. If passages in the Complaynt (1 549) be 
 considered the source of similar passages in the Monarch^ (1554), 
 then one is warranted in looking upon the Complaynt as having 
 influenced Lyndesay in his choice of words. On the other hand, 
 the Complaynt echoes much that was previously written by 
 Lyndesay. 
 
 The Complaynt shows many homely words of Saxon origin, 
 and the relative use of English and Romance words is not very 
 different from that in more southern English. In elevated and 
 metaphysical themes the proportion of French and Latin words is 
 large; cf. p. 1, total words 169, Romance 63 ; p. 2, total 307, Rom. 
 87. Popular subjects require less ; cf. p. 59, total 361, Rom. 51 ; 
 p. 52, total 350, Rom. 50; p. 43, total 330, Rom. 59. The 
 percentage of all French words in the Complaynt (counting as 
 French, Latin and Greek words in French form, proper names in 
 French form and all other words of Romance origin) is .193, or 
 about one-fifth. 
 
 Manuscripts. 
 
 In connection with Lyndesay's name may be considered those 
 prose remains, which have been attributed to him and to others. 
 There can be no doubt about his authorship of the Heraldic MS., 
 preserved in the Advocates' Library, and which has been repro- 
 duced in facsimile. 1 Unfortunately the prose text of this MS. is in 
 short and detached quantity, and unsatisfactory for linguistic study. 
 Some idea of the language may be had from the extracts here given. 
 
 Fol. 3 (arms of), pe rycht potent prince Preist Jhone, Empriour 
 of the greit Ynde. 
 
 Fol. 4. pe armys oif the thre kyngis of the orient, quhilkis 
 maid the first offerent till our Saluatour Crist iesu, callit the thre 
 kingis off Collene. 
 
 Fol. 7. Heir followis the Armys off J>e nyne maist nobill off ]>e 
 quhilkis ];air wes thre Jowis, as Dauid, Josue, and Judas Macha- 
 beus, thre gentiles, &c. 
 
 1 Sir David Lyndesay : Ancient Heraldic MSS. emblazoned 1542. Edited by 
 David Laing. Published by Wm. Paterson, Edinburgh, 1878. 
 
66 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Fol. 19. pe armis quhilkis Schir Johne Balioll bair or he was 
 crovvnit king of Scotland ; quha for his homage making to Eduard 
 Longschankis king of Ingland contrair the aviss of J?e connsale off 
 Scotland, and resigning of ]>e croune in his handis, was deprivit 
 of j>e croune, and thairefter past in France, quhair he miserabilly 
 decessit blynd. 
 
 Fol. 20. Heir folio wys J>e armys of J?e noble princes Sanct 
 Margaret qweyn of Scotland, dochter to Edward prince and here- 
 tour to Ingland, and of Agatha dochter to Salomone King of 
 Wngarie and spouss to J?e rycht noble prince king malcum Can- 
 mor to quhome scho bair vj soneis, Eduard Edmound Etheldreid 
 Edgar Alex'r, and David Call it Sanctus y succedit to ]>e croune, 
 and tua tochteris Mauld, spousit with hery beauclerk king of ing- 
 land and mary spousit w fc Eustachius erle of bollonye. 
 
 Fol. 22. Heir followys )?e armys off certaine noble ladys queynes 
 of Scotland sen J?e nobyll suirname of ]>e Stewartis succedit to ]>e 
 croun of Scotland In J?e first Robert )>e secound of J>at name ]>e 
 first King of the noble Stewartis, spousit twa lady is J>e first wes 
 Effem dochter to ]>e Erie of Ross, quhilk bair to him twa soneis, 
 Walter erle off Athole, and Dauid Erie of Stratherne, and ane 
 dochter callit Effem, spousit with James Douglas, sone and air to 
 William Erie of Douglas. Efter )>e decess of this foirnamyt lady 
 he spousit Elizabeth dochter to ane noble Knight Schir Adam 
 Mwir, quhilk bair to him or he wes first maryit thre soneis quhilkis 
 he reablit, J?e first wes Jhone quhilk succedit to J?e croune, quhais 
 name wes changit and callit Robert, ]>e secund callit Robert dwk 
 of Albany and gouernour of Scotland, J?e thrid Alexander erle 
 of Buquhane and lord off Badjenoch and twa dochteris, ane 
 maryit with Jhone Dunbar quhilk efter wes erle of Murray, ane 
 other maryit with Jhone Lyone, of quhom succedit J>e houss of 
 Glamys, etc. 
 
 Fol. 66. Gyf ony mane wald demand J?e causs quhy J?e armis of 
 J?ame quhilkis bene foirfaltit and banisit for crymes of lesemaieste, 
 and vtheris enormeteis, ar incert and registrat in this present buik, 
 and put in memory, alsweill as J?e armis of fara quhilkis hes bene 
 euir haill and trew till J>e crowne and commoneweill : It is to be 
 vnderstand that J?e samyn is done for thre causis ; The first causs is 
 to j>e grit honour and lowing of yhour nobill predecessouris quhilkis 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 67 
 
 be )>air valjeant and honerabill dedis and guide service done to 
 princis wer begynnaris and conquerom of }?aire nobill Houssis The 
 secund causs is to J?e gryt scham ande Dishonour of J>am quhilkis 
 be J?air tresonabill Dedis wer forefaltit and condamnit be j?e Law 
 and tynt all ]?at J;air nobill pralecessoum hed wyne of befoir The 
 thryd causs is )>at nobill mene behaldand ]>e armis of }>am quhilkis 
 ar forfaltit may inquire and considder ]>e caussis and tak exempill 
 to eschew in tyme corayng sic exorbitant transgression is againis 
 J?air princes in auentuir J>ai incur siclyk punisch merit to ]>air per- 
 petuell scham and distructioun of J?air nobill Houssis. 
 
 Of the other MS. on Heraldry, formerly assigned to Sir David 
 Lyndesay, some notice must here be taken. " He left behind 
 him," says Dr. Murray, " some tracts on heraldry." l What these 
 were is not specified and one can only conjecture that the reference 
 is to the manuscript in the Advocates' Library, which has the title: 
 
 Collectanea : Domini | Davidis Lindssay Mounthe Leonis Armo- 
 rum Regis, 31, 3, 20 (W. 4, 13). 
 
 This MS., a folio volume of 86 leaves, paper, in Scotch, was 
 described by Dr. Leyden in his Dissertation, pp. 54-71 ; 106, 107; 
 and copious extracts were given. Otherwise the MS. has never 
 been printed. Dr. Leyden believed the author to be Sir David 
 Lyndesay, the poet, and this theory was repeated in the MS. cata- 
 logue in the Advocates' Library. Dr. Laing thought that the MS. 
 was later than the time of Lyndesay, the poet, and ascribed it to 
 Sir David Lyndesay, the third ; but as he was inaugurated Lyon 
 King on the 2d of May, 1592, and we find on the first leaf of the 
 MS. the date ' 11. octr. 1586/ it seems more probable to connect 
 the MS. with Sir David Lyndesay of Rathellet, who succeeded 
 Robert Stewart as Lyon King on Aug. 22, 1568. An autograph 
 of "David Lyndesay" is found on p. 61, near the bottom, written 
 in the same hand and ink as the MS. In a paler yellow than the 
 MS. on verso of fol. 1, we find : 
 
 "tak head blind courteours, Nichil rerum mortalium tam insta- 
 ble ac fluxum est quam fama potentic non sua vi iuxse." 
 
 The following table of contents is taken from the MS. catalogue 
 in the Advocates' Library. 
 
 1 Minor Poems of Lyndesay, E. E. T. S., 1871, no. 47, p. xxxix. 
 
68 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 I. An award of the Constable of France regarding the pre- 
 cedency of Heralds and Serjants at arms 1447 (The date of the 
 original). 
 
 II. Rules for combats, fol. 1, verso. 
 
 III. The Lawe of arms within Lists, fol. 4. 
 
 IV. The ordinance and manner howe tournayis wes wont to be 
 maid, and the harnes for knychts and squyaris, fol. 9. 
 
 V. of Harralds and Pursuevants and what perteinis them to 
 do quhen princes and lordis are assemblit on the feild, fol. 10. 
 
 VI. The manner how harralds should knaw of obsequies,, 
 fol. 11. 
 
 VII. How a chief shuld govern him in battall, fol. 13. 
 
 VIII. The Offices of Constable, marischal and other officers of 
 Arms, fol. 14. 
 
 The Duties of Heralds; and a treatise for their instruction^ 
 wherein of the colours, ordinaries and bearings of coat armour 
 and their significatioun — the invention of armes, the blasoning of 
 arms, &c, fol. 16. 
 
 IX. Liber Armorum. How gentlemen sal be knawin frome 
 churles — of knighthood and gentlemen — of coats of arms and 
 their blasoning, fol. 55. 
 
 X. "The buke of the Ordour of Chivalrie" in a dialogue 
 between a wise Kuight turned Hermit, and a squire, fol. 61. 
 
 XL An extract of Vegetius' 'de re militari/ translated into 
 Inglis, fol. 82. 
 
 XII. of the Coronation of the Emperor, fol. 86. 
 
 XIII. at the end is — 'The aithe of a Knycht — of ane Erie — 
 of ane Duik— of ane Herauld.' 
 
 In the plan of this work we are again reminded of the common 
 type of didactic treatises, such as were translated by Hay, Caxton 
 and it may be, by the author of the Buk of Luf That the resem- 
 blance may be most marked, No. X, ' The buke of the Ordour of 
 Chivalrie • has been transcribed from the MS. (fol. facing fol. 62), 
 and it may be compared with the versions of Caxton and Hay. 
 Dr. Laing, in editing Hay's * Buke/ thought that this MS. version 
 was a Scotch adaptation of Caxton's Book of the Ordre of Chyvalry 
 or Knyghthode (p. xvi), and the differences are so slight that this 
 view seems correct. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 69 
 
 Heir followis pe first chep | tour how pe gude heremite | devysit 
 to pe squyer the rewle and ordo r of cheualrie. 
 
 Thair wes ane cuntrey in pe qlk It happinit pat ane wyse Knyt 
 qlk hed mentenit pe ordom of chevalrije and pat wi* fors and 
 noblesse of his hie curaige and wisdome And in auenturing his 
 body had mantenit warm Justis and tournais And becaus he saw 
 and that in his curaige pat he myt not lang leif as he qlk be lang 
 tyme had bene be courss of nato r nih unto his end cheisit to him 
 ane heremitage for nato r faillit in him be aige and had na power 
 nor vertew to vse armes as he wes wont to do Sua pat pan his 
 riches and all his heritaige he left to his childrene and maid his 
 habitatioun or dwelling place in a gret wood aboundand of watteris 
 and of gret treis and hie bering fruttis of diverss maneris, and fled 
 pe warld becaus pat pe febilnes of his body in pe qlk he wes be 
 auld aige fallin and pat he dishonorit not pat qlk in honorable 
 thingis and eventuris had bene lang tyme honorit The same knyt 
 thinkand on pe deth remembring pe depairting frome pis warld 
 into pat vpir And also tho fc of pe ryt redoutable sentence of o r lord 
 In pe qlk him behuuit to cum to pe day of Jugement In ane pairt 
 of pe same wod was ane fair medow in pe qlk wes ane trie weill 
 ladin and chairgit of frute in his tyme off pe qlk pe knyt leiffit in 
 pe forest And under pe samm tre wes ane fontaine verry fair and 
 cleir pat arowsit and mowsit all pe medow And in pat samm 
 place wes pe knyt accustumit to cum every day for to pray and 
 adoire god almig th y to quhome he randerit thanking of pe hono r 
 pat he had done to him in pis warld all pe dayis of his Lyfe In 
 pat tyme it happinit at pe entering of ane Strang winter pat ane 
 verry noble king wys and full of noble customes send for mony 
 noblis becaus pat he wold hald ane grit court and be pe grit renomy 
 pat wes of pis court It happinit pat ane squyar muffit him to go 
 thidder in Intentioun pat pair he suld be maid ane knyt And as 
 he went all alone ryding vpone his palfray Ischit out of pe ryt way 
 and enterit vnto pe forrest he being sleping vpone his horss throw 
 pe grit travell he sustenit in his Journay In pe (bis fol. 62) mein- 
 tyme pat he raid sua sleiping his palfray Uschit out of pe way and 
 endit in pe forrest quhair as wes pe Knyt heremite And so lang 
 he went pat he came vnto pe fontaine at pe samm tyme pat pe knyt 
 qlk dwellit in pe wod, to do his pennaunce wes pair enterin for to 
 
70 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 pray unto god and for to dispyss f e vaniteis of fis. warld lyk as he 
 wes accustumit every day quhen he saw f e sqyer cum he left his 
 Orisone and sat in f e medow in f e schadow of ane tre and he began 
 to reid vpone ane litill buke fat he had in his lappe And quhen 
 the palfray wes cum to fe fontane he begane to drink And fe 
 squyar fat slepit anone feld fat his horss movit no* and lyche 
 awalkit and fan to him came f e knyt fat wes verry aulde and haid 
 ane grit lang berd and ane feble gowne worne and brokin for ower 
 lang wering and be f e penance fat he daylie maid wes grittumlie 
 discolowrit and lene And be f e teiris fat he had wepit hes ene 
 wer verray waistit and had ane regard or countenance of muche 
 holie lyfe Ilkane of fame mervalit of vf ir for f e knyt qnhilk had 
 bene verry lang in f e hermitage had sene na man sen he had left 
 f e warld And f e sqyar mervalit him grytumlie how he wes cumin 
 into fat place Than discendit f e squyer fra his palfray and salust 
 fe Knyt and f e Knyt ressauit him much wysly and eftir set fame 
 vpone f e gerss f e ane besyde f e 6]>ir and or ony of fame spake 
 Ilkane of fame beheld vf eris cheir The Knyt fat knew fat f e 
 squyer wald not speik first becaus fat he wald do to him reverence 
 spak first and said fair frend Quhat is gor curaige or intent or 
 quhar go je to quhairfoir be je cumin hidder S r said he the renoufl 
 is spred be far cuntreis fat ane King maist wyss and noble hes 
 comandit ane generall court and wilbe maid him self new Knyt 
 and eftir will doub and mak vf ir new knyti's of strange barroneyis 
 and priue and f erfor I go to fis court for to be doubit Knyt bot 
 quhen I wes in sleip for f e travell fat I haue haid of f e grit Jor- 
 nayis fat I haif maid my palfray went out of f e ryt way and hes 
 bro* me vnto fis place. Quhen f e Knyt hard spek of fe knythed 
 and chevalrie and remembrit him of f e ordor of fe sarm'n and of 
 fat qlk pertenit to ane knyt he kest out ane grit sych and enterit 
 in ane grit thocht remembring of f e hono r in qlk chevalrie haid 
 bene lang mentenit In f e meinquhyle fat fe knyt f us thocht the 
 squyer deraandit of him quhairof he wes so pansiffe And f e knyt 
 ansfwrit] to him fair sone my thocht is of f e ordo r of knytheid or 
 chevalrie of f e gritnes in f e qlk ane knyt is haldin in manteim'ng 
 f e gritness of f e hono r of chevalrie. Than f e squyer prayit f e knyt 
 fat he wald schaw to him f e ordo r and fe maner quhairfoir he 
 aucht f e bettir hono r and kepit in hie worschip as it aucht to be 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 71 
 
 eftir pe ordinance of God How (sone) said pe knyt knawis pou not 
 quhat is pe rewle and ordor of knytheid And I mervale how pow 
 durst demand chevalrie or knytheid vnto pe tyme pat pou knaw 
 pe ordo r for no knyt may knaw [?Caxton : love] pe ordor bot gif 
 he can knaw pe difficulteis [defaultes : C] pat he doth aganis pe 
 ordo r of cheualrie nor no knyt aucAt to mak any knytis bot gif 
 he him self knaw pe ordo r ffor ane disordanit knyt is He pat 
 mayketh ane knyt and not schaw pe ordo r to him nor pe custume 
 of chevalrije In pe meinquhile pat pe knyt said pir word/s to pe 
 squyer pat demandit cheualry w'out pat he knew quhat thing wes 
 chiualry pe squyer smswrit and said to pe knyt schir gif it be jo r 
 pleswr I beseik jow pat 50 will say and tell to me pe ordo r of 
 cheualrie ffor weill me seniit and thinkit pat I suld leir it for pe 
 grit deswr pat I haue ]>erto and eftir my power I sail ....[? ensiewe 
 C] it gif it pleis jow to enseigne and teche it to me ffrend said pe 
 knyt pe rewle and ordo r of cheualrie is writtin in pis litill buke 
 pat I hald heir in my handis qlk I reid somtyme sa bessie evin to 
 pe end pat it mak me remember and think on pe grace and bounte 
 pat god hes done and geuin to me in pis warld becaus pat I honorit 
 and mentenit w e all my pouer pe ordo r of cheualry for all in lyk 
 wyss as cheualry gevis to ane knyt all pat to him pertenit In 
 lykwyss ane knyt aucht to gif all his force to honor chevalrie. 
 Thou he deliverit to pe squyar the litill buke. And quhen he had 
 red pmn he understude pat pe knyt only amang ane thowsand 
 personis is worthy chosin to haue mair noble office pan all pe 
 thowsand And he had alsua understandin be pat litill buke pe 
 rewle and ordo r of cheualrie And pan he remembrit w* in ane 
 litill and eftir said S r blyssit be je that hes bro fc me in place and 
 tyme pat I haue knawlege of cheualry pe qlk I have lang tyme 
 deswrit w* out pat I knaw pe noblesse of pe ordo r nor pe hon or in 
 qlk our lord god hes set pame all pat (bis fol. 63) bene in pe ordo r 
 of chevalry The knyt said fare Sone I am ane auld man and 
 feble and may not leif lang And perfor pis litill buke pat is maid 
 for pe devotioune loyal te and ordinance pat ane knyt aucht to haue 
 in halding his ordo r je beir w fc jow to pe court quhair as je go unto 
 and schaw to all pame pat wilbe maid knytis And quhen ge salbe 
 new doubit knyt and ge sail returne in jo r awin cuntrey cum agane 
 to pis place and lat me have knawlege how pai be pat hes bene 
 
72 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 maid new knytis and sail be obeysand to ]>e doctriene of chevalrie 
 Than ]>e knyt gaif to J?e squyar his blissing and he tuk leif of him 
 and tuke ]>e buke verry devotly and eftir montit to his palfray and 
 went fur* hestely to J?e court and quhen he wes cumm he presentit 
 J?e buke wyssely to ]?e king And for)?ermair he offered }>at euerie 
 noble man ]>at wald be in ]>e ordo r of chevalry my* haue ane copie 
 of J>e said buke to ]>e effect J>at he myt se and leir J>e ordo r of knyt- 
 hed and cheualry. 
 
 Off \e begynnyng off chevalry and Knytheid. 
 
 QUHEN cheritee ryaltie throw ]>e Justice and veritee fallin in 
 |?e warld Than begynuit crueltie iniurie disloyaultie and falsnes 
 And ]?erfor wes error and truble in )>e warld in qlk god hes creatit 
 man for intentioun ]?at of j>e man he be knawin and luffit doutit 
 seruit and honorit At J?e begynmng quhen j?e warld wes cum in 
 mesprisone Justice returnit be dreid into honor in qlk scho wes 
 wont to be And heir foir all ]>e peple wes devoydit be thowsandis 
 And of ilk thowsand wes chosin ane man maist loyall maist Strang 
 and maist noble curage and better enseignit and manerit J>an all 
 v)?eris And eftir wes Inquyrit and serchit quhat best wes maist 
 conveinable maist fair maist curagious and maist straing to sustene 
 to avell and maist able to serve ]>e man And J?an wes fund ]?at ]>e 
 horss wes maist noble and ]>e maist conveniable for to serve man 
 And becaus )?at amang all ]>e beistis J>e man chesit ]>e horss and 
 gavis him to J>e sarm'n man }>at wes so chosin amang ane thousand 
 men for eftir J»e horss qlk is callit ane chevall in frenche is }>at man 
 namit chevalier qlk is ane knyt in inglis thus to ]>e maist noble man 
 wes gevin ]>e maist noble best It behwfit eftir J?is J>at )?air suld be 
 chosin all J>e armes sic as bene maist noble and maist conveniable 
 to battell and defend ]>e man fra deth and J?an armes wer gevin 
 and appropriat to J>e knyt And J?an quha J?at will entir in "pe ordo r 
 of chevalry he most think on ]?e noble begynmng of chevalry and 
 him behuffis J?at J?e nobilness of his curage in gude customes attour 
 to the begynning of chevalrie for gif it wer not so he suld be con- 
 trarie to his ordor And to his begynningis and ]>erfor it is not 
 convenable J?at ]>e ordo r of chevalrie reteyne his enemeyis in hono r 
 na tham J?at be in contrary to his begyning lowe and dreid begyn- 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 160.0. 73 
 
 nand aganis hait and mesprisoun And perfoir it behuffit pat pe 
 knyt by noblesse of curaige and of noble custome and bonntie and 
 be pe hono r so grit and so heich pat he is maid be electionn be his 
 horss and be his armes be Dantit and . . . . w fc pe peple and be 
 lowe he recoveris cheritie and enseignement and be foir recovir 
 vertue and Justice of alss mwche as ane man have mair of wit and 
 vnderstanding and is of mair Strang nato r pan ane woman of so 
 mwche may he bettir pan ane woman for gif he war not moir 
 puissant and different to be better pan ane woman It suld follow 
 pat bountie and strenth of nato r war contrarie of bountie of courage 
 and to gude workis pan all pus as ane man be nature is moir 
 apparellit to have noble curage and to be better pan pe woman 
 In lykwyss he is mekill mair inclynit to be vicious pan ane woman 
 for gif it war not pus he suld not be worthy pat he had grittar 
 merite to be gude moir pan pe woman Be war 50 w squyar pat will 
 enter into pe ordo r of chevalrie quhat yow sail do ffor gif yow be 
 ane knyt po w ressavit hono r and pe servitude pat most be had unto 
 pe freindis of chevalrie for if so moche as yow hes more noble 
 begynning and hes more hono r if so moche ar yow mair bund in to 
 be gude and aggreable to god and alsua to pe peple And gif yow 
 be wikkit yow ar ennemes of chevalrie and ar contrarie to his com- 
 andmentis and hono r ffor sa hie and sa noble is pe ordo r of chevalrie 
 pat it sufficiet not pat pair be mair knytis of pe maist noble personis 
 nor pat pair suld be gevin to pame pe maist noble beste and pe 
 best pe maist noble armes and pe best onlie Bot him behuffit and 
 it most be pat he be maid lord of mony men so in seingeorie is grit 
 noblesse and in servitude is in mekill subiectionis Than gif yow 
 tak pe ordo r of knytheid and ar ane vile man and wikkit pow dois 
 grit Iniurie to all pair subiectis and to pair fallowis pat bene gude 
 ffor be pe vilitie in quhilk yow ar gif yow be wikkit [bis fol. 64] 
 yow aucht to be put under ane serf or bondman And be pe noblesse 
 of knytis pat be god it is indigne and not worthy pat thow be callit 
 ane knyt Electioun na horss na armes suffisis not pat to pe heich 
 hono r qlk langeis to ane knyt bot it be honest pat pair be gevin to 
 him ane squyar and seruand pat may tak hed to his horss And it 
 behovit als pat pe awmony peple and pe bestis haif pair leifing 
 And pat pe knyt rest him and be at ... . eftir his nobilness and 
 desport him upon his horss for to hunt or in vper maner eftir pat 
 
74 A Sticdy in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 it sail pleiss him And pat he aiss him and delyte in thingis of pe 
 qlk his men hath pane and travell The clerkis studiand in doctrine 
 and scyence haw pai mai cum to knaw god and lufe him and his 
 werHs to pe ende pat pai may gif doctrine to pe peple lay and 
 bestiall be gude exampillis to knaw luf servie and hono r god oure 
 gratious Lord for to pe end pat pai may ordinarlie do pir thingis 
 J>ai follow and perse wis pe scollis Than pus as pe dark is be honest 
 lyfe be gud example and science have gottin ordo r and office to 
 inclyne pe peple to devotioun and gude lyfe In lykwyss pe knytis 
 be noblenes of curage and be force of amies mantene pe ordor of 
 chevalrie and have pe samm ordo r to pe end pat pai inclyne pe small 
 peple be pe dreid be pe qlk pai sail dout to do wrang schame to ane 
 vpir The science and pe scole of pe ordo r of chevalrie is pat pe 
 knyt mak his sone to leir in his jowth to ryd for gif he leir not in 
 his jowth he sail neuir leir in his auld aige And it behuffis pat 
 pe sone of ane knyt in pe tyme pat he is squyar can tak kepyng of 
 horss and him behuffit pat he serve and pat he be first subiect or 
 he be lord for vpir wiss suld he not knaw pe noblenesse of pe seig- 
 neorie quhen he suld be ane knyt And perfoir every maw pat will 
 cum to knytheid him behuffis to leir in his jowth to kerf at pe 
 table to serue to wine and to doube ane knyt ffor In lykwys as 
 ane man will leir to schaw for to be ane tailjeor or ane carpentar 
 him behuiffit ]?at he have ane maister ]>an can schaw him to schew 
 or hewe all In lykwyss it behuffis |>at ane noble man J?at luffis J>e 
 ordo r of chevalry and wilbe ane knyt ffor Jus as ane disconveniable 
 thing it suld be ]>at ane man J?at wald leir to sew of ane carpentar 
 all Inlykwyss suld it be ane disconveniable thing ]>at ane squier 
 suld leir J?e ordo r and ]>e noblenes of chevalry of ony o}?ir man J>an 
 of ane knyt samekill is heich and honorit ]>e ordo r of chevalrie that 
 to ane squyaris not sufficient not only to keip horss and leir to serve 
 ane knyt and J?at he go w* him to tournayis and battellis bot it is 
 neidfull J?at )>air behaldin to him ane scole of J?e ordo r of knythed 
 and J?at J>e science war written in j>e buik and ]?at ]>e art war schawin 
 and red And f>at ]>e sounes of knytis leir first ]>e science pat apper- 
 tenis to ]>e ordo r of chevalrie And eftir J?at J>ai war squyaris J>ai 
 suld ryd throch divers countreyis w* ]?e knytis and gif pair war 
 nane error in pe clerkis pai suld haif deuotioun and lufe to god 
 And be pe knytis J?ai suld dout to do wrang tresson and bariet 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 75 
 
 ]>e ane to ane vj?ir Than sen J?e clarkis haif sic maistem and doc- 
 trine and go to ]>e scollis For to leir and J?air be sa mony sciences 
 j>at J?ai bene writtin and ordanit. In doctrine grit wrang is done 
 to }?e order of knytheid of J>is J>at it is not ane science writtin 
 and red in scollis lyk as ]>e vjnr sciences And j7e/*foir he ]?at maid 
 ]?is buke beseikis J>e noble king and all )>e noble cumpany of knytis 
 |?at bene in J?is cu?itrey assemblitt in ]?e hono r of chevalrie ]>at of ]>e 
 wrang }>at is done to it maybe amendit and satisfactioun done. 
 
 Two other MS. works should be noted here, not because they 
 possess remarkable linguistic material, but because they show, with 
 Knox's History of the Reformation and Bannatyne's Journal, the 
 change to English forms and constructions. 
 
 The first is the MS. without title, which was afterwards called 
 the " Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents, that have passed within 
 the country of Scotland since the death of King James IV till the 
 year mdlxxv." This was printed for the Bannatyne Club, 1 and 
 the Introduction by Thomas Thomson gives all the information at 
 present available. " Of the author or compiler of the following 
 1 Diurnal ' nothing is known, or seems likely to be discovered. 
 The MS. from which it has been printed came into the possession 
 of the family of its present owner in the reign of Charles II, and 
 appears to be of the latter end of the 16th Century, or beginning of 
 the 17th. It is obviously the work of an ignorant, and often care- 
 less transcriber ; whose frequent mistakes, in the names of persons 
 and places, are not the most important or perplexing of his apparent 
 deviations from the original. Some errors, however, are of a kind 
 which cannot be fairly ascribed to the mere negligence of tran- 
 scription and with which the original author may be more justly 
 presumed to have been chargeable." ... " From the era of the 
 battle of Flodden and the death of King James in the year 1513, 
 at which it commences, down to the termination of the government 
 of the Earl of Arran in 1553, its details, comparatively meagre and 
 occasionally inaccurate, are obviously not recorded by a contem- 
 porary chronicler, but must have been derived from tradition and 
 other imperfect sources." ..." The next and most considerable 
 
 1 From a MS. of the 16th Century, in the possession of Sir John Maxwell of 
 Pollock, Bart. Printed at Edinburgh, mdcccxxxiii, under the superintendence 
 of Thomas Thomson, Esq. 
 
76 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 portion of the work, beginning at the year 1557, and ending in 
 June, 1572, bears evident marks of having been written by a con- 
 temporary observer, residing in Edinburgh, and probably enlarged 
 in some subordinate official position, not very remote from the 
 Court, yet not of such a kind as to afford him accurate or confi- 
 dential intelligence in matters not obvious to all the world. . . ." 
 
 The language shows influences of legal vocabulary and construc- 
 tions, and there are few French words which catch the eye by 
 oddness of form or use. 
 
 The other work upon which, with the " Diurnal," historians have 
 drawn is the History of Lindsay, of Pittscottie, commonly known 
 as l Pittscottie/ Several MSS. of this work exist, the following 
 having been examined. They are numbered for convenience of 
 reference. 
 
 No. I. Laing MSS. in the Edinburgh University Library, No. 
 216, page 17 of the catalogue — small folio with modern title pages 
 and an introduction in verse of 3 J pages, 154 leaves. Title: a The 
 Continuation | of] The Chronicles & | History of Scotland ] written 
 by M r Hector Boes & translated | by Mr. John Ballantyne, begin- 
 ning where they left | off at the Death of King James the first and | 
 ending anno 1565 | by Robert Lindsay of Pittscottie | continued by 
 another hand to King James the 6th | coronation in England anno 
 1603." The MS. itself begins : " Heir begynnes J?e table of this 
 buik ordorlie as it was writtin frome ]?e begynning to ]>e end and 
 as J?e samen may be found as je may persaue be \q figures." The 
 mixture of English spelling is evident from the first line of the body 
 of the work. " Heir begyneth the angtient Buik of ]>e cronicles of 
 Scotland." 
 
 This MS. begins with James II and ends 1606, with the King 
 of Denmark being given the Garter at Elsinore, and a description 
 of the latter place ; it has also the introduction, pp. 1-7, with the 
 description and early history of Britain. 
 
 No. II. Laing MSS., E. U. L., No. 218, p. 17, catalogue, sm. 
 4o. This is a much later MS. than I, and is written in a small 
 neat hand, in uncial-like characters, on 384 pages. It also con- 
 tains the poetical introduction which does not vary from I save 
 in a few spellings. The chronicle ends with Feb. 25, 1598. The 
 MS. begins immediately after the poem, without the historical intro- 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 77 
 
 duction, with the words : ' Heere beginneth the xvni booke of the 
 Chro|nicles of Scotland, where M r Hector Boes left and M r John 
 Ballantyne translated of the five Kings of the Stuarts beginning at 
 James the second.' The "Addition " (p. 380) brings the narrative 
 account from 1565 to Feb. 25, 1598. 
 
 The language of this MS. is quite English, few Scotch forms 
 appearing. 
 
 No. III. Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, 35, 4, 10, sm. fol., 
 152 leaves in good condition, and written in a clear hand; hand- 
 somely bound. The introductory poem of I and II is wanting ; 
 the first five leaves of the Introduction contain the description of 
 Britain, beginning : " Heare begines ane breife discriptione of Ing- 
 land, Scotland, Waillis and Cornewaill." 
 
 The MS. has marginal notes and ends with the description of 
 the castle at Elsinore ; presents given to the King of Denmark ; 
 his Ambassador's return, and a meeting at Hampton Court : finally 
 there follows the Table of Contents. This version is more Scotch 
 than the others. 
 
 No. IY. Adv. Library, 35, 4, 11. Bound like No. III. 
 
 This MS. does not contain the poem or the description of Britain, 
 and after the short introduction as in I. There are 108 leaves of 
 the history ending with 25 Feb., 1598. There is no table of 
 contents. Unlike the others the MS. is written in two hands ; the 
 second begins at fol. (verso) 17, soon after the opening of chap. 
 xix, this hand resembles that of I, but separate location of the 
 two MSS. made comparison impossible. 
 
 No. V. British Museum, Harleian MSS. 4687-62 d. 
 
 Fol. of 149 leaves bound up with No's 145 and 148. Time 
 did not permit a careful study of this MS. 
 
 These MSS. may be the ones consulted by Dalyell in his edition, 1 
 but a vague reference to several manuscripts leaves one in doubt as 
 to his sources. In using these manuscripts Dalyell did not aim to 
 preserve consistency in the language ; constructions and forms are 
 therefore common which can hardly be said to represent in their 
 
 Lindsay of Pittscottie, Chronicle of Scotland, 2 vols, in one; Edinb., 1814. 
 Other editions of Pittscottie have been issued : Laing, in his edition of Knox's 
 ' History' (Wordrow Society), note, p. 18, cites that of 1728 and of 1776. Modern- 
 ized versions have also been printed. 
 
 rr 1? 
 
78 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 collocation either the Scotch of late 16th Century or of the English 
 of that time. It would seem that late 1 6th Century Scotch is hardly 
 practicable matter for the grammarian ; what appear to be English 
 departures from the Scottish of the early part of the century may 
 have been characteristic of individual writers, such as Knox, or 
 common to the literary language, while not yet assimilated in the 
 vernacular. Until, therefore, one MS. of Pittscottie is edited, No. 
 Ill for example, with variants and additions from the others, 
 Pittscottie should not be considered as accurately representing the 
 language of late 16th Cen. In spite of the anglicisms, Dalyell has 
 preserved many Scottish forms : contrair to his conscience p. 389, 
 conjured enemies 123, king melled with her 268, yeid vagand 329, 
 gett his disjone readie the morne 332, casting all the moyane he 
 might 338, spolzied of thair bestiall 138, though we have beine 
 in use of the same consuetude 354. By the side of past participles 
 in -ed we find the verb with Scottish endings : I for my part 
 appeallis from your summondis and judgment, and takis me to the 
 mercie of God 267, i wott and knawis treulie p. 1, i hear . . . 
 appeallis and takis me . . . and summondis you 317. 
 
 In marked contrast with the anglicised Scotch is the description 
 of a pageant, in manuscript, preserved on fol. 130 of the Abbots ford 
 'AH.' It is one of the leaves at the back, which, with a short his- 
 torical treatise in Scotch, was bound up soon after it was written. 
 The 'Pageant' bears the date 1562, and professes to be a descrip- 
 tion of ']>e processioun and bering of ]>e Sacrament in Antuarp the 
 first day of Junij ]>e jeir of God /\vlxij.' It forms a valuable 
 addition to the scant materials for the history of Pageantry in Scot- 
 land and the use of common names for some of the characters : 
 ' Dauid Dispit ' and ' Willie Wanreft,' with the sentence at the end 
 '. . .to the takin I wissit (wished) ]?ame cumand in at ]?e toun end 
 of D uncle' shows that some features of the Pageant were not un- 
 familiar to the Scottish scribe. The transcription of the MS. is 
 given in full. 
 
 Heir followis J?e ordor of J?e processioun and bering of pe Sacra- 
 ment in Antuarp the first day of Junij J?e jeir of God /\vlxii 
 
 Item in ]>e first proceeding on carttis drawin be hors as followis 
 )>e elephantis of ]>e mesour often faddomis of heicht w* ane goddes 
 standand aboue haldand in hir hand ane apill of gold Item ane 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 79 
 
 dramadare berand ane castell on his bak w* certan men and artail- 
 jerie in ]?e samyn ay schutand and castand fyre ballis in ]>e aire 
 Item ane vondrons greit pictoure of ane man callit golyas of J>e 
 quawtite of viij faddoum heicht and v faddoum of thiknes w* ane 
 beird of tua ell is of lentht and his heid behaldand all ]>e partis of 
 ]>e toun as he had bene lyfelie and certane of his awin barnis gan- 
 gand about him to J?e nomer of xxiiij all monstoris to behald and 
 luke on Item ane schip braulie w* saillis and all workmen and 
 ane trumpeter w* in hir sailland on ]>e calsay as it had bene in 
 waiter w* out ]>e persawing of men ha wand skipper w 4 marinallis and 
 gunam all reddy at ]>e sound of his quhissill Item ]>e vesitatioun 
 of o r Lady Item ]>e berth of christ in bathlem w* ane greit nomer 
 of schippard/s ganand about him to ]>e nomer of xxiiij all cled 
 in schippardis array w fc stalf bage pype all playand Item J?e rout 
 of Jesse growand as it had bene ane tre w* mony branchis and on 
 evry branche ane joung damysell all cled in fyne claithe of silver 
 and fowr fair Ladyis on ]>e heicht of )>e tre all cled in fayre cleith 
 of gold Item Abrahame w* thre parsonis w* him cled in caippis of 
 gold w* schawin swyngeom about him syngand te deum laudamus 
 Item ane greit gloib borne on ane cairt )>e men being w* in ]>e samyn 
 turnand ay about \>e said gloib wout ]>e perseving of ony body w* 
 iiij trumpettis blawand ]>e quhilk gloib representit \e vanite of J?e 
 warld as it had bene \e quhill of fortoun sum tymes up and sum 
 tymes doun Item ane braue gentill uoman w* hir yplesis all cled 
 in claitht of siluer hawand greit cofferis w fc J>ame significand ]>e 
 greit riches of J?e world Item ane v]nr braue gentill voman sitt- 
 and on ane trone maid of heicht guantitee to my jugement to }>e 
 heicht of ane castell representand ]>e heichtness of J?e warld coplesis 
 David Dispit and Willie Wanreft Item ane cart w* wemen and 
 bairnis braulie cled sum dansand sum singand sum drinkand sum 
 at harlotre sum at pastyme sum at )>air awin plesoure quhilk repre- 
 sentit ]>e wrak of J>e warld Item followand hir in ane v]>ir cairt 
 ane braue gentill man weill serwit w* his compleciss w fc ane tow 
 full of theingis and cruellie J?air executing Justice as it apperit to 
 me in deid sum be hangit and sum be hedit v}nr sum be pat vpone 
 rattis and sum be pat in presone conforme to }>air defaltis Item 
 followit pallidess mekle cled in blew purpor welwat accumpaneit 
 w* Dame hunger going efter hir w* certane pure folkis all nakit 
 
80 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 and ane vj?air vomaw callit Dame flattre followand J>ame Item 
 Sanct Anthone rydand on ane horss ladin w* iij dewillis and cer- 
 taine pardownaris w* J?ame Item ]?e powertie of ]>e warld w* pitie 
 and laubo r all war allane in ane cairt petaienslie to be hald all in 
 ane sekcleitht Item ane brave gentill woman set heicht in ane 
 w* hir ladyis to J>e nomer of xxiiij representand mansuetude and 
 followand her dreiddo r and petie Item an angill on ane cairt 
 w* babeis and barnis brawlie cled in fyne sylkkis all in ane 
 hew representand pace rycheis and meiknes to J?e nomer of ane 
 /\ c (500) Item followand |?air efter all craifltis men on hors w* 
 J?air taiknis and syngnis of J?air awin craift berand in J?air handis 
 to J?e nomer of ane thowsand all prenteissis Item betuix eilk ane 
 of J?ir cairtis and pages forsaidis ]?air wes joung barnis baitht men 
 and wemen rydand apone horss princlie cled Betuix eilk cairt 
 xxiiij representand J?e barnis of israel w* singnis of auld testaments 
 in J>air handis Item J?air wes J>e pictor of crist sittand on. ane bow 
 w* angellis blawand J?air trumpatis representand )>e day of Juge- 
 ment w* )>e deid bodyis risand in sundry partis of J?e erth as it had 
 bene ane thing By ]?e capacite of men and J?e dewillis on J?e said 
 cairt resawand )>e condampnit creatara w* greit lamentatiounis jowl- 
 ling and jowting quhilk vas ane intolerable thyng to be hald Item 
 efter followit J?e blak freir is berand ane kirk apone J?air schuldem 
 couerit with claith of silver j?air efter followit J>e gray freiris to ]>e 
 nomer of iiij than followit J?e nowassis singand to J?e nomer of ij° 
 Item efter followit certane preistis to J?e nomer of iij w fc quhit lawi(n) 
 surplechis vpone )?ame singand afor J?e sacrament Item J?air efter 
 followit certan quhat monkis to ]?e nomer of lxxx berand tua greit 
 siluer croceis to my estimatioun vi Stane vecht syngand awe crux 
 Jesu Item come certane quhait schawillingis cled all in quhait 
 damess to the nomer of ij c castand ]>e mir and sence about J?e pepill 
 berand J>e fego r of christ in gold singand awe rex gloria Item J>air 
 eftir followit certane men of weir all cled in grene velvet iij and iij 
 in ordo r w* J>air concubinis berand J>air bulgettis at J?air bakkis 
 beand all cled with heid pecis morionis o r gilt w* gold to J>e nomer 
 of ane thowsand everilk man w* his culueryng on his schoulder 
 schutand throw all ]>e toun and j;air concubinis bringand thame 
 drink on ewery stryt of ]>e toun Item followit ane certane of tua 
 handit suirdtt men to ]>e nomer of viij c cled all in blew purp veluot 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose befwe 1600. 81 
 
 w* cheingeis of gold about pair nekis and eilk v c hawand aue capi- 
 tane w* all his vamphelom and offisaris awaitand his comand Item 
 followit certane pic men and halbartis all cled in pe duche fasone 
 callit sue(i?)scheis in reid weluet all pair hoes drawin furtht w* 
 reit sating to pe nomer of xij° Item pair efter followit certane joung 
 men burges mennis sounis to pe nomer of vj c all cled in claith of 
 gold and syluer and euerilk ane of pair horss was extemit to iij 
 crounis of pe sone by pe rest of pair clething and be my Jugement 
 I culd not exteme pame bot gif pai had bene princes Item pair 
 followit betuix euerilk ane of pir companyis ane snache ane hand 
 steinje ane trumpet and ane quhissill and ane kyng eftir pame w 4 
 ane croune of gold on heid and ane schepto r In his hand and iiij 
 auld Sege men about hyme quhilk men of weir drew to pe nomer 
 of x ai or perby Item followit all pe honest men of pe toun w fc pe 
 prowest and bailgeis and consall Ilkane ane small paintit stalf in 
 pair hand of red collor w* ane hundretht offisaris uvatand on pame 
 Ilk offisar hawande ane halbart on his schulder all brawlie cled 
 in sating and weluet Item pair efter come certane preistiss to pe 
 nomer of lxxx berande pe sacrament on pair schulderis all cled in 
 fyne caippis of gold to pe takin I wissit pame cumand in at pe toun 
 end of Dunde Item pair mess beand doune all pe artailjorie of pe 
 toun schot greit and small to pe nomer of xx ai scAote as honest men 
 of pe toun did report and as honest scottis men can verifie pat ves 
 per* present. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Phonology of the Vowels. 
 
 The Phonology of the Scottish prose examined is too irregular 
 to be made a subject of definite classification. In Dr. Murray's 
 division of the language into periods, pp. 142-143, Dial. South. 
 Counties, the vowels in the Early and Middle Periods practically 
 coincide in 45 out of the 57 cases given. In the 12 cases where a 
 marked difference has been made of sound or representation, it will 
 be found that, in the prose, sufficient data for a basis of division in 
 these 12 are not always apparent. We find early vowels in the 
 Middle Scotch, and diphthongs, mixed or broken vowels in the 
 6 
 
82 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600, 
 
 language of the Early Period. These 12 cases in Dr. Murray's 
 division which theoretically separate the two periods are : 
 
 o. E. 
 
 a faran 
 se rsede 
 e bere 
 e he> 
 ea eald 
 ea(r) beam 
 ea eae 
 eo de6p 
 6 boc 
 u tun 
 
 ti (final) cu 
 tih ruh 
 
 EARLY SCOTCH. 
 
 a fare 
 e rede 
 e bere 
 e her 
 a aide 
 a barn 
 e eke 
 e depe 
 u buke 
 ow town 
 ow cow 
 owch rowch 
 
 4 
 15 
 20 
 21 
 24 
 25 
 26 
 32 
 49 
 53 
 54 
 55 
 
 MIDDLE SCOTCH. 
 
 ay fayr 
 ei reid 
 ei beir 
 ei heir 
 au auld 
 ay, ai, bairn 
 ei eik 
 ei deip 
 ui buik 
 ou toun 
 ou cou 
 ou rouche 
 
 Taking up these sounds as they have been found in the prose 
 they may be collected as follows : 
 
 Early Scottish a (Middle Scot, ay, ai, au, aw. Murray). 
 (0. E. a, d, az, ce, 6a, &c.) 
 
 Register Scotch Parliament. 
 
 Before 1424, mak 3, 1 ; havyne, ' haven ' 3, 1 ; thame 3, 1 ; 
 stanys, stones 3, 2 ; zardis, enclosure 4, 1 ; scathis 4, 1 ; amangis, 
 bath, schawe, hall 1424; bath 1466; hale, ' whole/ have 1469; 
 faris, < fairs' 1469; aid 1471 ; barnis 1540. 
 
 Hay, B. of t. O. of K., barnis p. 3, bath 4, hane 4, eak 4, allane 
 4, evermare 4, tak 4, thare 5, sa hare and aide 5, hare, ? hair ? 5, 
 snawe 5, bare 5, haly 5, bade, ' remained ? 6, sare 6, wald vb. 6, 
 knawe inf. 8, schaw vb. 8, thame 8, lap, leapt 8, warld 9, amang 
 9, stark 9, lave, remainder 10, strakis, strokes 10, grathit 13, wate 
 3, pi. know 14, awin 15, sakis 15, ath 22 (aythis ib.), takenis 30, 
 aide 31, anys 32, calde 33, grathe, girt 42, nede bestad 42, wapinis 
 56, gate 56, hamely 58. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 83 
 
 Buk of Luv, aid Introd., haly ib., agane ib., warld Prol. band 
 ib., hart Ca I, farest, fairest Ca II, stark ib., tak ib., lat Ca III, 
 stall, stole pt. Ca IV, banis, bones Ca VI, cald ib., wame ib. 
 
 Porteus of Nobilnes, haue inf. 1, warkis 4. 
 
 Bellenden, Livy and Chron., have, thare, behald, pame, gate, &c. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland, al mast 1, aid 1, tha, they 2, baris 3, 
 daly 3, stane 20, bane 20, cart 48, cald 52, hartis gen. 71, slane 
 79, hang 93, (anglicism? sc. hing) haue 176 (common). 
 
 Heraldic Collection MS., spak pret. haly, takin, gane, facht, 
 fought, pret. 
 
 Pageant MS., pat, ' put/ barnis. 
 
 Early Scottish e (Middle Scot. ei). 
 (0. E. at, ce, e, 3, ed, eo, eo, i, &c.) 
 
 Reg. Scot. Par. : before 1424, ferding 3, 1 ; bestis 3, 1 ; sek, 
 1 sack ' 3, 1 ; hering 3, 1 ; lede pp. 3, 1 ; wecht 3, 2 j kellis n. pi. 
 3, 2, derrest 3, 2, zerde (of ship), 4, 1 ; kepit pp. 4, 1 ; suer 4, 1 ; 
 lefull 4, 3 ; geve 4, 1 ; nechbowris 4, 1 ; gef 4, 1 ; wersyt pp. 4, 1 ; 
 heddis and nebbys of )>e hennys 4, 2 ; erde 4, 2 ; herde pret 4, 2 ; 
 selde inf. 4, 2 ; wede 5, 1 ; zeme ib. ; stede ib. ; delfe ib. ; lele 5, 
 2.— eldast 9, 1, 1424 ; erde 10, 2 ; zer ib. ; lege 10, 1, 1424 ; sped- 
 full 1424 ; greth, wele ib. ; spere 1425, mekle 1466 ; werk 1469 ; 
 wer vb. 1471 ; schep 1504. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., grete, * great ' 3, erd 3, chesit 3, eld 4, jeldit 4, 
 hert 4, mekle 4, ferre, ' far f 5, rede 5, hede 5, slepe 5, spere vb. 5, 
 berde 5, greting 5, leue 5, feris 5, heldit 6, speke 6, bene 6, leve 7, 
 wele 7, kepe 7, red pp. 8, geve inf. 8, leve 8, dere 8, gere 9, drede 9, 
 chess 9, beste, ' beast ' 9, bere 10, kepe 10, hele 10, dede, i death ' 
 10, kepe sb. 12, dedis 12, nede 12, ferd 14, weris 14, eldar 14, 
 beris 16, schelde gen. 17, lere 22, dee 22, gretis 22, eris 23, lee 24, 
 revare 24, thef 24, stelis 25, were, worse 25, lele 25, brek 26, meke 
 27, stedefastnes 27, peple 27, rekkis 29, wenis 29, hete 33, mete 33, 
 eke vb. 37, scherand, cutting 38, seker 39, stretis 39, sterap, stirrup 
 40, werst 48, werrays 49, werk 51, fer 52, kemmand, ' combing' 55, 
 nedefull, spedefull, grettar 55, mekle, dere 60. 
 
84 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Buk of Luf, mekle, Introd., gret ib. ; red pp. Prol. erdly Ca I ; 
 kepe Ca II, teris ib. ; felis ib. ; besekis ib. ; serk Ca III, ferd ib. ; 
 dredand ib. ; wepand ib. ; jeris Ca IV erd ib. j eris Ca VI beld, 
 'bold'ib. 
 
 Porteus of Nobilnes, rekis (3, sing) 1, dedis 1, schewis 1, 
 deis 1, erd 1, kepis 1, ekis 2, gret 2, werre 2, hert 2, levis 3, 
 ded 3, hele 3. 
 
 Bellenden, Livy and Chron., mene tyme, bedis, wery, bene, be- 
 held, ene, grete, setis, hedis, fecht, rede, bere. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland, ther, l their y 1, kepit 3, i hef 16, dede, 
 death 20, gef 21, teche 33, cleene 34, we hef 46, mekil 55, rede 58, 
 depe 60, clethyng 68, grene 69, tethe, ' teeth' 73, trest 79, est, east 
 79, hed 87, brede 122, frend ib. 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS., gret 1, bering 1, gerss 5, sterap 56, swerd ib., 
 fecht 63, mek 64, wersland, wrestling 64, gretand 64. 
 
 Pageant MS., bering, mekle. 
 
 Early Scottish u (Middle Scot. ui). 
 0. E. 6, o, 4, u, &c. 
 
 Reg. Scot. Par. before 1424 : furthe 3, 1 ; mate sb. 4, 2 ; gude 
 5, 1 ; gudis n. pi. 5, 2.— muif 9, 1, 1424 • tuke 1466, 141/2 ; gude 
 156, 1, 1469 ; bruke 158, 2, 1471 ; buk 158, 2, 1471 ; blude 732, 
 1, 1558. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., buke 3, gude 3, tuke 6, fut 10, lufe 10, tume 20, 
 rute 27, abufe 34, lufit 44. 
 
 Buk of Luf, buk 1, luf 1, tuk Prol., cule Ca II, blud Ca IV. 
 
 Port. Nobil., gudis 2, gud adj. (cf. reut 2, reul 3, nw 5). 
 
 Bellenden, Livy and Chron., gud, guds sb. pi., tuke. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland, dune, l done' 3, gude 10, fule 14, abufe 
 20, behufe 29, tuke 37, fut 37, mune 47, clud 58, blud 58, bure 
 pret. 68, sune 78, culd, ' could' 81, brukit 86 (cf. beuk 16, 35, 82, 
 teuk 30, smeuk 42, sleu 76). 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS., gude 1, buke 4, 8, 55 bis, tuke 10, luv 11, 
 luk 61 of vi, fute61. 
 
 Pageant, culd. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 85 
 
 Early Scot, -ow; Mid. Scot. ou. 
 0. E. 4, d, &c. 
 
 Reg. Sc. Par. before 1424 : kowe 3, 1 ; wowe, ' woll ' 3, 1 ; 
 sownce 3, 1 j towne 3, 1 ; twne 4, 1 ; out 4, 2 ; zowe, < yew ' 1424 
 (toune 60, 1, 1424 ; thousande 3, 1 ; brouke 1424). 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., thowsand 9 (thousand 10), mistrowaris, now 46 
 (doun 5, goun 5, jouthede 5). 
 
 Buk of Luv, throw Introd., thow Ca II (joung Introd., toung 
 Prol., doun, toune Ca III). 
 
 Port. Nobil., nw 5. 
 
 Bellenden, doun. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland (cou 64, foul 178, gone, 'yew' 42, 
 oure 1). 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS. (doun 56), bowsum 70. 
 
 Pageant (toun). 
 
 Early Scottish o (a); Mid. Scottish oi (o). 
 
 Reg. Sc. Par. before 1424 : hors 3, 1 ; ocht 4, 2 ; mote pp. 4, 2 ; 
 scho 142, 1, 1466. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., behovit 1, gong 5. 
 
 Buk of Luf, fore wepand Ca III (roiss Ca II, boith Ca III, 
 loist id., roif pret. IV, boit VI, cloikis VI). 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland (holy 3), foir 3, voymbe 33, voyme 60, 
 hoilsum 61, gong 67, thole 78, soir 76. 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS., worthis 3,s. < becomes' 62 (moir 13). 
 
 Early and Mid. Scot, ai (a). 
 
 Reg. Sc. Par. before 1424: gait 3, 1; laif 3, 2; haif 4, 2; saip 
 
 4, 1 ; aile 4, 1 ; hais 32, 4, 1 ; aithe 4,1; 'gif ony burgess haif 4, 
 1 ; traist 4, 2; thai, 'those' 4, 2; aieris, heirs 4, 2; maist 5, 1 ; haill 
 
 5, 1 ; haile 9, 1 ; baith 1469 (ai common after 1424). 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., faire 4, rais vp 5, agayne 5, maist 6, maid 6, 
 vndergais 6, wayk 8, thair 9, mair 11, maidenis 22, gaynstand 22, 
 betraisis 25, aithe 27, gais 37, fais, ' foes' 38, airly 51. 
 
86 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Buk of Luf, mair Prol., thai, haif ib., claithis ib., daill ib., traist 
 ib., glaid ib., baith Ca III, phair, 'fair' ib., wrait pret. Ca IV, bair 
 pret. Ca V, raif pret. ib., laif Ca VI, waik, 'weak' Ca VI, hair, 
 'hoar' end. 
 
 Port. Nobil., bair, 'bare' 1, quhair 1, graip, ' grape' 1, gais 2. 
 
 Bellenden, gaif, straik, maist, baith, mair m., aith, paill. 
 
 Complaynt of Scot., mair 2, thair 2, skail 27, cheaip 38, hayr, 
 'hoar' 59, glaid, 'glad' 63, laif ib., sair, hail sb. 72, haif 176. 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS., thair 1, haid, 'had' 5, gaif 9, straing 11, fair 
 63, daile 69. 
 
 Pageant, claithe, taiknis, craift, fair. 
 
 Early and Middle Scottish ei (e). 
 
 Reg. Sc. Par. before 1424: scheip 3, 1 ; threide gen 3, 2; quheit 
 3, 2 ; deir 3, 2 ; geif 4, 1 ; steill 4, 1 ; weit 4, 1 ; geyss 4, 2 ; eit 4, 
 2; deill 4, 2; neidfull 5, Ij feild 5, 1; feit pi. 5, 1; weir 9, 1, 
 1424; keip ib., seyne ib., wild meir, 'mare' ib. 2, cheiss ib., eilde 
 ib., beir 10, 1, 1424; zeilde ib., leide (plumbum) ib., treis ib. 2, 
 speidfull ib., cheik, 'cheek' 11, 1 ; weill 154, 1, 1469 ; zeir be zeir 
 ib. 2; meil ib.; seik 156, 1, 1469; cheiss 158, 1, 1471; neid 158, 
 2; weir, 'wear' 159, 1, 1471; greit 535, 2, 1513; geif 624, 1, 
 1540; deid, 'death' 625, 1, 1540; keiping 732, 1, 1558. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., eyne 5, feicht 25, cleine 26, greid 30. 
 
 Buk Luf, their Introd., forbeir ib., deidis Prol., speik ib., deir 
 Ca I, manheid ib., weill ib., neir ib., leidis 3, sing Ca II, eild sb. 
 ib., deid ib., beistis ib., fleid pret. ib., keipe jow imper. ib., leif at 
 eise ib., beir ib., fals heid ib., seik sick ib., heid Ca III, weir war, 
 reid, red, 'read' vb., leit, 'let' breist dreidfull Ca IV, deit pret. 
 feir Ca V, cheiss, feistis Ca VI, greit, speid, teith. 
 
 Port. Nob., heid 1, leif 1, keip 1, weill 1, heirfor 2, deid, deed 2, 
 heit 3, seiknes 3, seikes, ' seeks ' 4. 
 
 Bellenden, speik, weill, sweitnes, deith m., weill sb., feirs m., 
 feild. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland, veil 1, scheip 2, veyr 5, deit 12, heir 13, 
 eild 20, eird 20, deipnes 21, jeiris 22, seik, 'seek' 23, heyt 24, eyt 
 24, treis 26, seid, reid 27, neir 31, reik 42, breyd 43, eiris 44, keip 
 45, speik 60, veird 64, beiris, bears sb. pi. 73, leiful 77, veyre 80, 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 87 
 
 deir 127, meyd- (mid) vyf 129, lit pret. 156, jeid 'went ' 159, <neid 
 forse to cheis' 163, reip 169. 
 
 Herald Coll. MS., Heir 1, leif 1, treis 1, weill 2, reid, < read ' inf. 
 4, teiris 5, speik 5, sleip 5, mein, ( mien ' sb. 7, leir, ( teach ' 7, beir 
 9, leif 10, dreid 10, sweir 55, deid adj. 56, feit 57, beist 58, keipis, 
 kepis 59, eird 59, bleid to deid 62, tbeingis 23 v. deid id., babeis 
 24, eilk 24, reit, 'red* 25. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Remarks on Grammar. 
 
 The most characteristic Scotticisms which appear in the prose 
 are in the use of: a, ane; to, til) the present participle in -and and 
 the relatives. 
 
 In the Early Scottish a was used before consonants, ane before 
 vowels and initial h } as in the more Southern English. As might 
 be expected from the exact language of the Acts the indefinite 
 article is rather infrequently met with. The data furnished by 
 the Acts, while by no means l complete/ l are sufficient to show 
 that the two forms had their respective phonetic usages, until the 
 stronger ane crowded the other out towards the end of the 15th 
 Century. Thus it is hardly necessary to look to a French source 
 for an explanation of the wider function of ane in Middle Scotch, 
 nor would it be proper to consider ane as ' obsolete ' for the pre- 
 ceding ' 300 years.' 2 
 
 Examples: Reg. Scot. Par. before 1424: 'of ane hundrethe 
 woweskynnis 3, 1 ; of a last 3, 1 ; of a wawe 3, 2 ; in ane othir 
 4, 1 ; a burgess 4, 2 ; a man 3, 1 ; till ane othir 4, 2 ; a kirkman 
 1424 ; half ane ox 1424 ; be ane inquest 1424 ; of ane annuel 
 1466; ane indenture 1488; ane horse 1488; in ane archibischoprik 
 1488; a mare soume 1488; then — ane reverend fadir 1491; ane 
 decrett 1491 ; be ane bill 1491 ; ane testimoniale 1491 ; (of a 
 chapellary 1495;) ane breue of pley 1503; ane wane, ane hors, 
 ane pleucht 1503. 
 
 1 Dialect. South. Counties, p. 57. * lb. 
 
88 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., in ane hermitage, in a contree 3, ane end 3, a 
 worthy knycht 3, sa noble ane office 10, a thik wod 3, a wilder- 
 ness 4, a grete seruitude 11, a lord 11, ane onderlout or a servant 
 13, till ane othir 16. 
 
 Buk of Luv, ane insasiable beist Ca II ; ane othir province Ca 
 IV; ane epistle ib. ; ane abbey VII ; ane anceant ib. ; a woman 
 Ca II; a philosophour ib. ; a cokkatryss ib. ; a stynkand roiss ib. ; 
 a box ib. ; a lyon ib. ; a tiger, a poyet ib. — but ' ane serpent ' Ca 
 II ; ane preist Ca VII ; ane bischopp ib. ; ane gud toune ib. 
 
 Port. Nobil., a man 1, a nobill 1, a glotoun 3, a perfit 5; ane 
 othir 1, 2, ane unhonest J, — ane rud- man 1, ane nobill man 2, ane 
 fre- 2, ane man 2, ane ful wame 4. 
 
 Bellenden : ane is the regular article ; so in the * Complaynt of 
 Scotland/ the Herald. Coll. MSS. and the < Pageant.' 
 
 1 to > and ' til: 
 
 In the Early Scottish to usually came before a consonant, til 
 before a vowel or initial h. This usage unlike that of a, ane 
 continued far into the Middle Period when cases of to before a 
 vowel, and til before a consonant, are also common. 
 
 Reg. Scot. Par., till his nechbour 4, 1 ; till answer 5, 1 ; till 
 inforss 9, 1 to be 11, 1 ; till keip thame 9, 2 till cum 11, 1. — 
 Later in the 15th Cen. til gives way to to before vowels (h) : 
 to interrupt 413, 1, 1491 ; to ansuer 414, 2, 1491 ; to him 1491, 
 413, 2; to our 317, 1, 1485 ; to have id. 287, 2 ; to ilkane 245, 2, 
 1478; to his 1479; 184, 1 ; to acquite 184, 2, 1479 ;— but, till 
 his instance 165, 2, 1471 ; till hir 535, 2, 1513. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., to schaw, to gouerne, till a grete semblee 1, till 
 all 3, till his barnis 3 (till watere 4), to mak 4, till him 5, 6, till it 
 6, till have 7, 8, till hald 12, till elde, till a gong man 13;— but 
 to almychty God 4, til gouerne 7, till to be 19, till derub, till 
 desaue 23, til mekenes 52. 
 
 Buk of Luf, till eild Ca II, till vnderstand Ca III, till him Ca 
 IV, till hir ib., till his vncle Ca VII, till all otheris end,— but : 
 to endure me Prol. to haif ib. to hir brother Ca IV. 
 
 Port. Nobil., to throughout the fragment. 
 
 Bellenden : to before vowels and consonants. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600, 89 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland: As the use of to and til has been 
 referred to in connection with the authorship of the Complaynt 
 it has seemed best to tabulate the cases. 
 
 
 BEFORE CONS. 
 
 BEFORE H. 
 
 5- 
 
 VOWEL. 
 
 TOTAL. 
 
 'to' 
 
 1024 
 
 19 
 
 14 
 
 46 
 
 1103 
 
 'til' 
 
 47 
 
 59 
 
 1 
 
 97 
 
 204 
 
 1307 
 
 til was, therefore, the regular form before a vowel, or h, and 
 to before a consonant. Where one has encroached upon the func- 
 tion of the other the cases are nearly the same : 47 of til -\- cons, 
 and 46 of to -j- vowel. On comparing this use with that of Sir 
 David Lyndesay, we find that in his works (E. E. T. S.) there 
 are 2,001 cases of to -f cons, and 502 of til -f- vowel. In other 
 words .2 of all cases in Lyndesay show til, while .156 of all cases 
 have til in the Complaynt. The use of til in Lyndesay ' is, there- 
 fore, rather greater than in the Complaynt. 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS., to regularly; so in i Pageant.' Pittscottie 
 (Dalyell) rarely has til except in the compound prepositions ' heir 
 intilP p. 383, 'thair intilT 387. 
 
 Participles. 
 
 The northern form of the present participle in -and is common 
 to all Scottish prose of the earlier periods. Examples of the 
 southern form in -ing are sufficiently frequent to require notice. 
 
 Reg. Scot. Par., as tuiching the electioune 155, 1, 1469; quhilk 
 being 160, 2, 1471; extending 215, 2; charging 166, 2, 1471; 
 frequently met with in the Acts. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., is consistent in the use of -and. 
 
 Buk of Luf, beseiking Pro], wenyng Ca IV, seing id., being id. 
 
 Port. Nobil., remanyng 1 (kneland and), saynge 1. 
 
 Bellenden, musing, gangand knawing, pertenyng, being, saying ; 
 to 59 cases of -and (Chronicle, extract) there were 44 in -ing. 
 
 1 Cf. Murray, Complaynt, Introd., p. ciii. " The sparing use of til for to— so 
 common in Fife and Lothian at the present day, and equally so in Lyndesay, &e." 
 
90 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland, forms in -ing are not common : cf. con- 
 sidering 90. 
 
 Herald. Coll. MS. and Pageant forms in -and predominate. 
 The southern form is the most striking anglicism of Knox and 
 Bannatyne. 
 
 Gerundives and gerunds in -ing, -in, -en are common ; cf. Hay, 
 B. O. K., ' quhat of thair landis gouernyng, and of thair peple 
 mayntening and of thair peceable persones defending/ p. 44. — Eec. 
 Scot. Par., 'of ]>e brekin of mennis orchardis/ 12, 1, 1424; ( ]>e 
 stanchyn of slachtir* 158, 1, 1471; .'to ]>e enschevyn of maneswer- 
 ing' 159, 1, 1471 ; and withhaldin of twa acris 161, 1, 1471 ; anent 
 
 )>e wrangwiss stoppin and impediment makin 213, 1, ; ']>e 
 
 .... withhaldin .... of a kow 215, 2. Present part., in -in, -yn, 
 are found, 'landis pertenyn to ]>e said James/ 215, 1. 
 
 The Relatives. 
 
 In the Early Period \at, at ; quhilk(-is) and quha are the rela- 
 tive pronouns. The demonstrative \e quhilk(-is) also does service, 
 as in Wiclif and the older language. 1 
 
 at (==]>at) often found in the Early Period seems to have 
 been merely a worn form of \at. This is indeed proved by the 
 careless use of initial \ in the conjunction \at, the forms at 
 and \at appearing nearly side by side. The vulgar 'at = that in 
 use to-day may be compared, the preceding letters often determin- 
 ing whether the full form shall be clipped or not : a dental stop, 
 for example, may thus absorb the following spirant. Traces of 
 this action may be seen in the Early Scottish. Reg. Scot. Par. : 
 before 1424, ]>e byar |>at by is thame 3, 1, 'J>at thar be maid a buk 
 . . . and at ]nr bukis be present 9, 2, 1424 ; al gudis J;at ar taxt ib., 
 ' and at ]>ai j>at has crufis to call the sheriffis at tuk 398, 1, without 
 at }?ai haf 398, 2, that (]>at, at) is the favorite relative in the Acts, 
 quhilk{-is) is much less common, and quha while rare, is found ; 
 ' men and vomen ... to quhame ' 61, 1, 1425 ; (the phrase 'quhame 
 God assolze' 1488 may be noticed with 'that god assoillie.' Liber 
 de Melros 1389); on quham 6, 1 ; for quham he will mak redy 
 
 1 Fischer, Die Sprache Wiclif 's ; Koch, Engl. Gram., II, 287 : Morsbach, p. 129. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 91 
 
 payment 11, 1; throu J>e bischoppis . . . quhame it efferis 11, 2; 
 officiaris ... to quhome 13, 1 ; J;e Juge before quhame 13, 1 ; J>e 
 partie to quham 155, 1, ministeris to quham 322, 1. 
 
 Hay, B. O. K., that is the regular relative, quhilk is rarer; 
 quha occurs: 'of quham/ p. 17. 
 
 Buk of Luf, quha is common : the spelling quhom, quhois is 
 clearly southern, quhois Ca II to quhom Ca III ; of quhais bewt6 
 ib., quhom of je haif spokyn ib., quhom scho beheld Ca IV, quhom 
 scho presentit ib. 
 
 Bellenden, that and quhilk are the relatives. In the 14th Buke 
 of the Chronicle, for example, there are 25 cases of that and 40 of 
 quhilk.' Quha is rare: amang quham 183 (L), of quhom 2, 246, 
 quhom i beleve 2, 304. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland, that is the favorite relative ; there being 
 308 cases of that, and 1 52 of quhilk(-is), or with the demonstrative 
 form the quhilk(-is), 179. Quha is of frequent occurrence. 
 
 Bellenden is the only writer examined who prefers quhilk to 
 that. If, therefore, the old at = ('at, that) be simply the worn 
 form of that, and by reason of increased literary culture and 
 anology with English ' that/ resumed the full form, it may be said 
 that that as a relative was dominant in both Periods. 
 
 If quhilk(-is), the quhilk(-is) was used after a French fashion 1 
 we should always expect the form in -is after a plural subject ; 
 but the singular in -is is found. " Item anentis ]>e stanching of 
 slanchtir quhilkis is sa," &c, 52, 2. Rec. Scot. Par., i for \>e quhil- 
 kis restorance' 214, 2. — ' quhilkis honoure/ Hay, B. O. K., 25. 
 
 The ' Complaynt 9 has 4 cases of quhilkis in the singular, with- 
 out the definite article : quhilk without the ending occurs 22 times 
 in the plural. 2 In Pittscottie (Daly ell) that occurs 142 times to 
 99 of quhilk and 21 of who (sic). 
 
 A few other forms may be noticed. When verbs are separated 
 from their personal pronoun, or when they follow a relative, they 
 take the ending -is, sing, and plural, in all persons. With this 
 well-known peculiarity of the Scottish is to be ranked the form 
 of the verb ' to have/ ' til haif/ &c, which in the 3 p. pi. most 
 
 *Dial. South. Count., p. 195. 
 
 2 In Sir D. Lyndesay's l Satyre' 'that' as rel. occurs 66 times, 'quhilk' 39 times, 
 ' the quhilk ' 5 times. --=^5^^ 
 
 U2U7ERSIT7) 
 
 I 
 
92 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 commonly appears as hes (the 3 p. sing.) without the personal 
 pronoun. From these it has been inferred, reasoning also from 
 sporadic cases, that the verb ' to be ' when unaccompanied by the 
 personal pronoun, takes the form is in the plural in all persons. 
 That this is not the case a single reference to the ' Complaynt ' will 
 show. 
 
 a, without the relative: 'al thir nyne speris . . . ar enclosit' 
 48, 7 ; ' the day and the nycht ar ' 49, 32 ; " tua summers ar " 52, 
 20 j ' man and beast and al vther thing . . . ar subject ' 56, 21 ; 
 " men and wemmen of ane tendir complexione ar " 57, 4 ; ' dogis 
 ar' 57, 33; ' grace and virtue ar ? 77, 34; 'realmis ar nocht' 82, 
 12; 'branchis of them ar' 160, 20. 
 
 b, with the relative : 'the necessair thingis that ar requirit ' 131, 
 29 ; ' ve that ar scheiphirdis ' 61, 7 ; 'the tua vinters that thai hef 
 ar ' 52, 19 ; * evil accidentis that ar ' 58, 3 ; * sternis quhilk ar callit ' 
 38, 31 ; ' Cancer and Capricorn, quhilk ar twa solstice singis ' 50, 
 13; 'Englisch men quhilkis ar' 27, 8; 'Aries and Libra quhilkis 
 ar* 50, 11; 'princis and princessis quhilkis ar' 3, 14; 'tennis, 
 quhilkis ar ? 16, 14; 'the detractione of innyful gramariaris, 
 quhilkis ar' 17, 28. 
 
 The introductory ' there is ' (es gibt) is always singular. Com- 
 playnt : ' ther is tua uthir circlis ' 50, 9 ; ' there is diverse vthir 
 sternis' 58, 9; 'of the quhilk nummir ther is iiij callit' 61, 8; 
 'ther is . . . mony rasons' 51, 14 ; this is the regular use elsewhere. 
 
 For Scottish prose of the 14th, 15th and early 16th Centuries, 
 it is hard to find any one characteristic or line of development 
 which may with certainty be assigned to a particular period. The 
 remains are scanty at best, and with the possible exception of Par- 
 liamentary Records and Burgh Laws, all that has been preserved 
 may be made to lie under the suspicion of undue influence upon 
 the individual writer of French, English or Latin; this would 
 vitiate a generalization as to the development of the language as 
 a body. 
 
 It has been considered impracticable to connect the prose speci- 
 mens with any particular locality, physical or dialectic, in which 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 93 
 
 they may have had their origin. This omission would not appear 
 to be productive of much error, when the various Scottish Records 
 of different places have not as yet been shown to present serious 
 dialectical differences. 
 
 It may not be improper in closing to emphasize the conviction 
 that the language of the Lowlands in the Early and Middle 
 Periods was much more uniform than has ordinarily been con- 
 sidered. Middle English activity in the North, extending certainly 
 to the 'Scottis See/ developed the language which later, under 
 the name of Scotch, disguised the origin of many old terms and 
 expressions. 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 The usual reference books are not included in this list, such, for example, as the 
 New English Dictionary, ed. Dr. Murray ; Bradley -Stratmann's Middle English 
 Dictionary, Skeat's Etymological Dictionary, Jamieson's Etymological Dictionary 
 of the Scottish Language ; Littre, Dictionnaire ; Godefroy, Dictionnaire de l'an- 
 cienne langue francaise ; Palsgrave, Lesclairissment de la langue francoyse; Grober, 
 Grundriss der romanischen Philologie, Paul, Grundriss der germanischen Philol- 
 ogie, etc. Some MSS. and works are referred to which have no immediate con- 
 nection with the dissertation, and it is hoped that their mention here may be 
 useful for further enquiry. Whatever has been used which seemed pertinent to 
 the wider history of English, and which merited further notice, has for con- 
 venience been incorporated in this list. 
 
 Aberdeen, v. Burgh Kecord Society. 
 
 MS. Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, 31, 7, 6 ( Jac. V, 7, 14), 4o. ; vol. con- 
 taining int. al. some acts extracted out of the town of Aberdeen Court books, 
 
 beginning 1398. 1688. 
 Extracts from the Council Register of the Burgh of Aberdeen, 1398-1570. 
 
 Spalding Club, 1844. 
 Account of the office of a herauld. MS. Adv. Lib., 31, 7, 20 (A. 6, 37). A sm. 
 
 4o. vol. in a hand of 16th Cen. . . . consists of treatises on the laws and usages 
 
 of armes in tournaments, etc. Scotch. 
 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, v. Scottish Record Publications. 
 The New Actis and Constitutionis of Parliament. Printed by Thomas 
 
 Davidson, 1541. 2 copies known to exist, one in Adv. Libr. 
 Actis of Parliament of James the Sext, Edinburgh, 1568. British Mus., 
 
 709, 9, 22, 1. 
 Actis and Constitutionis of the Realme of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1566. Brit. 
 
 Mus., 23, C. 17, ed. Eduard Henrison. 
 Acts of the Scotch Parliament, Catalogue of editions of. MS. Laing, No. 
 
 42, p. 85 (pt. 2) of catalogue to Laing MSS. Edin. University Library. 
 Anderson, Dr. History of Scotland, transl. by Mr. Bannatyne, Archd. of Moray, 
 
 by command of King James V. Laing MS., Edin. Univ. Libr., No. 203, p. 
 
 16, Cat. ; 16th Cen., 2 vols. 
 Annals of Scottish Printing, from the introduction of the art in 1507 to 17th Cen., 
 
 by Robt. Dickson and J. P. Edmond. Cambridge, 1890. 
 
 94 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 95 
 
 Asloane's MSS. v. the only available account in Dr. Schipper's ed. of Dunbar, 
 
 part I. The MS. is in the possession of Lord Talbot of Malahide Castle, 
 
 Dublin. 
 Auchinleck MS., Adv. Libr., 19, 2, 1 (W. 4, 1) ; sm. sq. fol., 339 leaves, vellum ; 
 
 different hands, latter half 14th Cen. Metrical legends, Romances, etc. 
 
 (published). 
 Bannatyne, George. MS. collection of Scottish poetry, 1568. Adv. Libr., 19, L 
 
 1 (published). Contents given in 'Memorials of Geo. Bannatyne,' mdxlv- 
 
 mdcviii. Edinb., 1829, pp. 49-104. 
 Bannatyne's Journal, 1570-73. Edinburgh, 1806. 
 Bannatyne Miscellany, 3 vols, in pub. of the Bannatyne Club. Vol. I, ed. Sir 
 
 Walter Scott Bart, 1827; vol. 2, ed. D. Laing (contains the 'Buk of Luf) 
 
 1836; vol. 3, ed. Laing, 1855 (contains p. 161 f. Henry Charteris introd. to 
 
 his edition of the life and acts of William Wallace, Kt. of Ellerslie). Edin., 
 
 mdxciiii, 13 pages. 
 Barbour. The Bruce, ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S. The glossary is invaluable. 
 MS. Adv. Libr., 19, 2, 2 (a. 1, 23). I, Barbour's Bruce ; II, Life and Acts 
 
 of Sir William Wallace, 1488; both in same hand. 
 Behrens. The French element in English; Paul's Grundriss der germ. Phil. ; 
 
 also ' zur geschichte der franzosischer Sprache in England.' Franzosische 
 
 Studien, 5. 
 Bellenden, John, Archd. of Moray. Adv. Libr., 33, 4, 15 (a. 7-11). The History 
 
 of the Chronicles of Scotland, compilyt by Hector Boece, Canon of Aberdeen, 
 
 and translated into Scotch by John Bellenden, fol. 341. The first five books 
 
 of Livy's History, translated into Scotch, 4o. on paper (printed at Edin., 
 
 1822). MS. Adv. Libr., 18, 3, 12 (a. 7, 8). 
 Boetius' Chronicles of Scotland, transl. by Mr. John Bellentyne, Canon of 
 
 Ross. Laing MSS., Edin. Univ. Libr., 16th Cen., Cat. No. 205, p. 16. 
 
 Chronicles, printed by Th. Davidson, 1542, reprinted by Th. Maitland. 
 
 1821, 3 vols. Edinb. 
 Birrel. The Diary of Robert B. Burges of Edinburgh ; passages from 1532-1605. 
 
 MS. Adv. Libr., 33, 7, 28 (W. 5, 10). 
 Blind Harry's Wallace bl. 1. MS. notes by D. Macpherson. Laing Collection, 
 
 No. 776, p. 52. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Bonaparte, Prince L. N. On English Dialects. Philol. Soc. Trans., 1875, p. 678. 
 Brandl. Middle English Literature in Paul's Grundriss. 
 Buke of the Seven Sages (transcript from Asloane's MS.). Laing MSS., 481, p. 
 
 33. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Burgh Record Society Publications. 
 Ancient Laws and Customs of the Burghs of Scotland, vol. I, A. D. 1124- 
 
 1424, 1868. Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, vol. I, 
 
 A. D. 1403-1528, 1869; vol. 2, 1528-1557, 1871 ; v. 3, 1557-1571, 1875; vol. 
 
 4, 1573-1589, 1882. 
 Charters and other Documents relating to the city of Edinburgh, A. D. 
 
 1143-1540, 1871. 
 Extracts from the Council register of the Burgh of Aberdeen, 1625-1642, 
 
 1871 ; vol. 2, 1643-1747, 1872. 
 
96 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Miscellany of the Scottish Burgh Kecords Society, 1881. 
 
 Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Glasgow, A. D. 1573-1662, 
 
 1876-1881. 
 Charters and Documents relating to the Burgh of Peebles, A. D. 1165-1710, 
 
 1872. 
 Burton, J. H. History of Scotland, 8 vols., 1875. 
 Catechisme, The ... set furth be J>e maist reverend father in God John, Archb. 
 
 of St. Andrews (prentit at Sanct Androus, 1552, be John Scot). Adv. Signet 
 
 and Univ. Libraries, Edin. 
 Chalmeriana Collection of ancient Scottish poetry, 1286-1706 ; 6 vols. Laing 
 
 MSS., 521, p. 35. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Collections on Sir David Lyndesay, of the Mount. Laing MSS., 520, p. 35. 
 
 Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Cherry and the Slae and other old Scottish poems, 16th Cen. Laing MSS., 447, 
 
 31. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 'Craft of Deing,' 'Ratis Raving,' &c. E. E. T. S., 1870 (MS. Camb. Univ., 
 
 KK. I, 5). 
 1 Chrystis Kirk on the Green,' etc. Laing MSS., 519, 34. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Complaynt of Scotland, 1549. 2 copies in British Mus., Grenville, 5440 and 
 
 C. 21, a. 56. Advocates' Library, H. 34, a. 19. This copy is completed from 
 
 Leyden's edition ; all the leaves having been inlaid, it is impossible to see 
 
 the inserted portion, as shown by the Brit. Mus., C. 21, a. 56, which is the 
 
 best preserved. Leyden, Complaynt with diss., Edin., 1801. Murray, E. E. 
 
 T. S., 1872. 
 Confession of Faith. British Mus., Glenville, 11837. 
 Diurnal of Occurrents, 1513-1575. Bannatyne Club, 1838. 
 Defence of Age and Recovery of Youth, translated by the famous dark and ryght 
 
 experte Medyciner, Arnolde de Nova Villa. Bl. 1. ; notes by Laing, in his 
 
 collection, 636, 43. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Dunbar. Schipper, Sein Leben und seine Gedichte. Berlin, 1884. 
 
 Poems of, ed. Schipper, pts. 1, 2, 3, 4. Vienna, 1891-2-3. 
 
 Edinburgh. MS. vol. of extracts from minute books of the Town Council of 
 
 Edinburgh, 1442-1579. Adv. Libr., 31, 4, 9 (W. 2, 25). 
 Ellis. Early English Pronunciation. E. E. T. S. 
 
 On Lowland Scotch. Philol. Soc. Trans., 1882-3. 
 
 Expedition into Scotland of the most woorthely fortunate prince Edward, Duke 
 
 of Somerset, into Scotland, 1547. London, mdxlviii, Brit. Mus., Grenville, 
 
 5440 (English). 
 Geddes, Rev. Dr. Alex. Three Scottish poems with previous dissertation on 
 
 Scoto-Saxon dialect. Scot. Antiq. Soc, I, 1792, p. 402. Interesting histori- 
 cally, in connection with the views of Chalmers and Pinkerton on the origin 
 
 of the Scottish language. 
 Grant, James. History of the Burgh Schools of Scotland. London, 1876. 
 Grant MSS. Adv. Libr., 31, 2, 2, vol. 2— Scotch. 
 Hahn, Odwart. Zur Verbal und Nominal flexion bei den Schot. Dichtern 
 
 Barbour-Burns. Prog, der Victoria schule, Berlin, 3 pts., 1887-1889. 
 Hay. The Buk of the Ordre of Knychthede. Abbotsford Club, 1847. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 97 
 
 Henschel. Darstellung der flexionslehre in John Barbour's Bruce. Leipzig, 
 
 diss., 1886. 
 Historie and Life of K. James the Sext ; 16th Cen. MS. Laing, 223, 18. Edin. 
 
 Univ, Libr. Cf. p. Ill, Prelim, notice to Bannatyne Club's ed., 1825. 
 Horstmann, C. Barbour's des schott. Nationaldichters Legend. Samml. Heil- 
 
 bronn, 1881, 1882. 
 Innes. Scotch Legal Antiquities, Edin., 1872, and in Acts, Sc. Par., vol. II. 
 Institution of Court of Session, 1532, with Collection of Practiques. Laing MSS., 
 
 388 a, 28. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 Irlandia, John de. MS. System of Theology, 4o paper ; Latin quotations in red. 
 
 Adv. Libr., W. 4, 4, 1490 (Scotch, with the poem in Book 2 : ' Moder of 
 
 God,' formerly attributed to Chaucer, which was printed by Leyden, in Diss. 
 
 to 'Complaynt'). 
 Irving, David, LL. D. The History of Scottish Poetry. Ed. J. A. Carlyle, M. D. 
 
 Edinb., 1861. 
 Kaufmann. Traite" de la langue du poete ecossais William Dunbar. Bonn, 1873. 
 Knox. Works. Woodrow Society ed. Laing, 1846. 
 
 Historie of the Church of Scotland. Vautrollier's edition; suppressed. 
 
 Preface, part of Bk. Ill and Bk. IV in MS., Laing Coll., 634, 42. Edin 
 Univ. Lib. 
 
 History of the Reformation, 1566, reckoned earliest MS. Laing, 210, 17. 
 
 Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 Same MS. Copies, Laing, Nos. 211, 212, 213 (17th Cen.). Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 Lauder. Ane compendius and breve Tractate concernyng the office and dewties 
 of Kings, etc., by William Lander, 1556, printed by John Scott, Bl. 1. 
 Notes by Laing, in his coll., 614, 41. Edin. Univ. Libr., ed. for E. E. T. S. 
 by Prof. Fitzedward Hall, 1864. 
 
 Lange. Chaucer's einfluss auf die original dichtungen des Schotten Gauin 
 Douglas. Leipzig, diss. Halle, 1882. 
 
 Lesley, Bishop. 'Discourse,' Adv. Libr., 35, 4, 1, by John Lesley, Bish. 
 of Rosse. 
 
 Leyden, Dr. John. The Complaynt of Scotland, written in 1548, with a prelimi- 
 nary dissertation and Glossary. Edinb., 1801. 
 
 Lyndesay, Sir David, of the Mount. — The 3 vol. ed. of Lyndesay by Chalmers, 
 182 ?, should not be overlooked in the study of the editions by Laing and the 
 E. E. T. S. Chalmers collected much material in his notes which it is diffi- 
 cult to obtain elsewhere. 
 
 Heraldic MS. of Arms, in the Advocates' Library ; emblazoned, 1542. (Pub- 
 lished by Wm. Paterson, Edin., 1878 ; ed. by David Laing.) 
 
 Poems, ed. 1566. MS. notes Laing Coll., 648, 44. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 " ed. 1588 ; defects supplied in MS. Laing, 649, 44. E. U. L. 
 
 Ane Dialog betu[ix"| Experience and an[e] Courteour, 2 pt. B. L., Cop- 
 
 mahovin (?), 1552. Brit. Mus., C. 39, d. 59, 60. 
 Ane Dialog betuix Experience and ane Courteour, &c. B. L., Jascuy, 
 
 Paris (?), 1558. Brit. Mus., C. 12, 9, 2. 
 The Complaynt and Testament of a Popinjay. London, 1538, B. L. Brit. 
 
 Mus., C. 12, 9, 2 (2). 
 7 
 
98 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 of Kathellet ? Collectanea : Domini Davidis Lindsay de Mounthe Militis 
 
 Leonis Armorum Regis. Adv. Libr. (W. 4, 13), 31, 3, 20. 
 Mackay, C. Dictionary of Lowland Scotch. Edin., 1888. 
 Mandeville, Sir John, and Occleve (de regim. prin.) ; imperfect. MS. Adv. Libr., 
 
 19,1,11 (JacV, 6, 21). 
 Metrical Romances and Moralizations. MS., 216 leaves, 'very old;' page of 
 
 contents includes only to fol. 96. Adv. Libr., 19, 3, 1 ; sm. 4o. 
 Michel, Francisque. Les Ecossais en France, les Francais en Ecosse. Paris, 
 
 1862. 
 
 A critical inquiry into the Scottish Language. Edin., 1882. 
 
 Morsbach, Dr. Lorenz. Ueber den Ursprung der neuenglischen Schriftsprache. 
 
 Heilbronn, 1888. 
 Murray, Dr. J. A. H. Essay on the Dialect of the Southern Counties of Scotland. 
 
 Trans. Philol. Society, 1872. 
 
 Complaynt of Scotland. E. E. T. S., 1872. 
 
 Neaves, Lord. Remarks on the Scottish Language. Society of Antiquaries of 
 
 Scotland, vol. 5, pp. 65-78 ; March, 1863. One of the first attempts at critical 
 
 study. 
 Original Scottish Letters, royal and other, 1539-1597. Laing MS., 349, 26. 
 
 Edin. Univ. L. 
 Payne, Joseph. Norman element in English in 12th, 13th, 14th Cen. Trans. 
 
 Philol. Soc, 1868-9. 
 Perth. Superstitious customs of Perth ; 1, Corpus Christi Play ; 2, Saint Albert's 
 
 (Sanctobertis) play (peculiar to the Bakers) ; 3, The Dragon hole of Kinnoul, 
 
 &c. MS. Adv. Libr., 13, 1, 5, fol., written by James Scott, Dec. 30th, 1788, 
 
 and collected from the church records. 
 Merser's Chronicle of Perth, 1210-1688 (Maitland Club, 1831). MS. Adv. 
 
 Libr., 31, 1, 3. 
 Pinkerton, John. History of Scotland. From accession of the House of Stuart 
 
 to that of Mary, with appendices of original papers, 2 vols. London, 1797. 
 Pittscottie, Lindsay of. The History of Scotland ; from 21 Feb.. 1436, to March, 
 
 1565 (with additions). Edin., 1728. This is the only edition found which 
 
 contains the poetical introduction. 
 
 Chronicle, ed. Dalyell. Edin., 1814. 
 
 MS. Harleian, 4687-62 d., fol. 149, leaves bound up, Nos. 145 and 848. 
 
 Brit. Mus. 
 
 MS. Laing, 216, 17. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 MS. Laing, 217, 17. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 Pittscottie's Chronicle, Laing Coll., 583, 39. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 Adv. Libr. MS., 35, 4, 10, and 35, 4, 11. 
 
 Regiam Majestatem, 1609. Brit. Mus., 23, c. 16. 
 
 Colville MS. (transcript?). Laing, 380, 27. Edin. Univ. Libr., and 
 
 381, 27. 
 Retour and Royal Warrant of Taxatioun Sig. Jac. Ill, 26 Mar., 1479. Laing 
 
 MSS. Cat. (pt. 2), No. 53, p. 1. 
 Registrum Epistolarum, including letters from Kings of England, Scotland, and 
 
 foreign ; 14th, 15th Cen. MS. vellum Laing. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 99 
 
 Rolment of Courtis, by Abacuk Bisset. Laing MS. ; 16th Cen., 395, 28. Edin. 
 Univ. Libr. 
 
 Koss, John M. Scottish History and Literature to the Period of the Reforma- 
 tion, ed. James Brown. Glasgow, 1884. 
 
 Scheibner, Oscar. Ueber die Herrschaft der franzos. Sprache in England, vom 
 XI bis zum XIV Jahrh. Annaberg program, 1880. 
 
 Scottish Poems, etc. MS., Brit. Mus. Arundel, 285, contains I, ' the tabill of 
 Confessian' by Dunbar (quoted by Dr. Schipper, ed. Poems), and II, 'J>e 
 proloug of }>e passioun of crist.' This MS. is ornamented with wood-cuts, 
 colored by hand and pasted on the leaves ; same hand throughout. 
 
 Scottish Eecord Publications. 
 
 I. The Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, edited by Thomas Thomson, Deputy 
 
 Clerk Register, and Cosmo Innes, Prof, of History in the Univ. of Edin., 
 1814-1875. In 12 vols. ; Nos. II, III, IV, VII, IX being out of print (Oct., 
 1892). 
 
 II. The Acts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes (Acta Dominorum Concilii), 
 A. D. 1478-1495, ed. Th. Thomson, 1839. 
 
 III. The Acts of the Lords Auditors of Causes and Complaints (Acta Dom. 
 Audit), A. D. 1466-1494, ed. Th. Thomson, 1839. 
 
 IV. Retours of Services of Heirs (Inquis. ad capell. Dom. Reg. retornat. abbrev.), 
 A. D. 1600-1700; ed. Th. Thomson, 1811-1816. 3 vols.; II, III out of 
 print ; I, index. 
 
 V. Registrum Magni Sigilli Scotorum. Vol. I, 1306-1424, ed. Th. Thomson, 
 
 1814; vols. II, III, ed. J. Balfour Paul and Jno. Maitland Thomson; vols. 
 IV, V, VI, VII, ed. J. M. Thomson, 1882-92 (vols. II-VII, 1424-1620). 
 
 VI. Ledger of Andrew Halyburton, Conservator of the Privileges of the Scottish 
 Nation in the Netherlands, 1492-1503 ; ed. Cosmo Innes, 1867. 
 
 VII. Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, vol. I, 1473-1498 ; ed. 
 (Dr.) Th. Dickson, Curator of the Historical Dep't H. M. Gen'l Register 
 House, 1877. 
 
 VIII. Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, ed. John Hill Burton, D. C. L., 
 LL. D., Historiog. Royal for Scotland (vols. I, II), and David Masson, LL. D., 
 Prof, of Rhetoric and English Literature, Edinb. Univ. (Vols. III-IX), 
 1877-91 ; vols. I-IX, 1545-1616. 
 
 IX. The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland (Rot. Scacc. Regum. Scot.). Vol. 1, 1264- 
 1359, ed. John Stuart, LL. D., and Geo. Burnett, LL. D., Lyon King ; vols. 
 II-XII, 1359-1507, ed. Geo. Burnett; vol. XIII, 1508-1513, ed. G. Burnett 
 and R. J. G. Mackay, LL. D., 1878-91. 
 
 X. Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, preserved in H. M. Public 
 Record Office, London, ed. Jos. Bain, F. S. A., Scot., 1881-8, 1108-1509. 
 4 vols. 
 
 XII. The Hamilton Papers : Letters and Papers illustrating the political rela- 
 tions of England and Scotland in the 16th Century, ed. Jos. Bain, F. S. A., 
 Scot. 2 vols., 1532-1590, 1890-92. 
 
 XL Fac-simile of National MSS. of Scotland, 3 vols., fol., 1867-72: 'Chronicles 
 of the Picts and Scots (1867), and Documents illustrative of the History of 
 Scotland (1870) are out of print.' 
 
100 A Study in the Language of Scottish Prose before 1600. 
 
 Scrimzeour. MS. treatise on Heraldry. Adv. Lib., 31, 5, 2, sm. fol. This MS. 
 is the same as the. Lyndesay ' Collectanea,' except the last three articles. 
 In a note probably by Sir James Balfour, it is said to have been written by 
 1 Mr. Thomas Scrymgeour of Myris, Maister of Wark to the Kingis Majestic' 
 This copy belonged to Sir J. Balfour, who notes at the end, ' probably inaccu- 
 rately,' that it is a translation by an Englishman of a French MS., out of 
 which Gerard Leigh has taken his book of Heraldrie, called the 'Accidents 
 of Armorie.' See MS. Catalogue. 
 
 Sibbald's Historical Collections; MS. fol. Adv. Libr., 33, 3, 23. See Nos. 2 and 
 3. ' Scotch MSS. in England, France, Germany,' &c. 
 
 Sinclair, John. Observations on the Scottish Dialect, 1782. 
 
 Skene, Sir John. ' De verborum significatione,' 1597, with MS. notes and addi- 
 tions. Laing Coll., 619, 41. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 same. Brit. Mus., 1641, 501, b. 1 ; and v. Regiam Majestatem. 
 
 Sturmfels, Anglia, VIII, 3 ; IX, 4. ' Der altfranzosische vokalismus in Mittel 
 englischen. 
 
 Thommerel. Recherches sur la fusion du franco-norman et du l'anglo-saxon. 
 Paris, 1844. 
 
 Winyet, Ninian. Certain Tractates, printed by John Scott, 1562. Edin. Univ 
 Libr. ; ed. Scot. Text Soc, 1888. 
 
 Wood, Dr. Henry. Chaucer's influence upon King James I of Scotland as poet 
 Leipzig, Diss. ; Halle, 1879. (Amer. Journal Philol., vol. 3.) 
 
 Wyntoun's Cronykil ; Seton's Copy, 1724. Laing MS., 431, 30. Edin. Univ. Libr. 
 
 The Oryginall Chronykill be Andro of Wyntoun, Prior of St. Serfis Inche 
 
 in Lochlevin; sm. fol., 1480. Adv. Libr., 19, 2, 3 (a. 7, 1). Another copy, 
 more complete, begin. 16th Cen., 19, 2, 4. 
 
NOTE. 
 
 I am in receipt of a notice of two papers read before the (British) Bibliographical 
 Society, by E. Gordon Duff, Esq., in which two Scottish books and a fragment 
 are described. The books were " translated from the French into Scotch and 
 printed at Paris in 1503 by Verard." They are the The Kalendar of Shepherdes 
 and The Art of Good Living and Dying. Mr. Duff refers me to a fac-simile of the 
 first named book, edited by Dr. Sommar, and lately published. 
 
 These books antedate by four years Andro My liar's earliest published work in 
 Scotland, at least such as has been preserved. 
 
 The fragment, a leaf of a Scotch Donatus, was found by Mr. Duff some years 
 ago at Aberdeen. It is older by its language alone than any early Scottish print 
 that I have seen. Mr. Duff thinks that the leaf represents one of the very earliest 
 productions of the Edinburgh press, if it was not printed by Myllar, abroad. 
 
 The transcription of the leaf which Mr. Duff has kindly sent me, supports this 
 theory in the use, for example of : a, ane; to, til before consonants and vowels 
 respectively ; at for \>at ; presents participles in -and, &c. There is a regularity 
 in the use of these forms which may be accounted for by the grammatical charac- 
 ter of the book. The value of the fragment will be made known by Mr. Duff's 
 papers, when they appear. 
 
 101 
 
LIFE. 
 
 I was born at Richmond, Indiana, June 7, 1865. After receiving preparatory 
 instruction at the Richmond schools and at Earlham College, I entered the Johns 
 Hopkins University in 1884 as a special student, but afterwards matriculated, and 
 took the degree of A. B. in 1889. I then attended graduate lectures in the same 
 University, in German under Professor Wood ; in Romance Languages under Pro- 
 fessor Elliott and Professor Todd ; in English under Professor Bright, to whose 
 suggestions and advice I am gratefully indebted. 
 
 To Dr. Clark, Keeper of the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh ; to Dr. Webster, 
 
 Librarian of Edinburgh University ; and to Thomas Dickson, Esq., LL. D., Curator 
 
 of H. M. General Register House, Edinburgh, I desire to express my appreciation 
 
 of their ready attention and assistance. 
 
 William Peters Reeves. 
 
 April 28, 1893. 
 
 103 
 
14 DAY USE 
 
 RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED 
 
 LOAN DEPT. 
 
 This book is due on the last date stamped below, or 
 
 on the date to which renewed. 
 
 Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 
 
 2lApr'61AE 
 
 RCCTD LD 
 
 JUN 7 196; 
 
 10 
 
 &* 
 
 £^~-*?-7L*<^<L--> /W-\4»jcxC 
 
 LD 21A-50m-12,'G0 
 (B6221sl0)476B 
 
 General Libr 
 
 University of Ca 
 
 Berkeley