the royal bridegroom under the character of a lion (part of the arms of Scotland), or under that of the thistle; and to describe the bride as the rose, proceeding from the joint stems of York and Lancaster: but it required considerable ingenuity The to call into action these heraldic personages. poet has recourse to a dream, in which he supposes himself accosted by May, who desires him to celebrate in a poem the return of spring. She then introduces him into a delicious garden, to which all organized beings are summoned to appear before the goddess Nature, who crowns the lion, the eagle, and the thistle, as kings of beasts, birds, and plants, recommending at the same time to each many important moral and political maxims. To the protection of the thistle she particularly consigns "above the lily" the rose, whom she represents as (the house of Valois), and whom she also invests with a crown, so brilliant as to illumine all the land with its light: at which joyful event, an universal song of gratulation from the birds interrupts the progress of the poet's vision.

In this singular but ingenious allegory Dunbar has interwoven a number of rich and glowing descriptions, much excellent advice, and many delicate compliments, without any fulsome adulation. "The Goldin Terge" is, perhaps, still superior to

the Thistle and Rose; at least such seems to have been the opinion of Sir David Lindsay, who, in estimating the poetical genius of Dunbar, says, that he

-"language had at large,

"As may be seen intill his Golden Targe."

[Compl. of the Papingo, Prol.]

This poem is a moral allegory, the object of which is to shew the gradual and imperceptible influence of love, which even the golden target of reason cannot always repel. The poet walks out in a vernal morning, which he describes much at large, and in the most glowing language: the second stanza may be taken as a good specimen of his style.

Full angel-like thir birdis sang their hours1

Within their curtains green, within their bowers,
Apparell'd with white and red, with bloomys sweet.
Enamell'd was the field with all colours:

The pearlit drops shook as in silver showers,
While all in balm did branch and leavis fleit."
Depart fra Pha bus did Aurora greit : 3

Her chrystal tears I saw hing on the flowers,
Which he, for love, all drank up with his heat.

'Matins, heures. Fr.

[Ld. Hailes's Ane. Sc. P. p. 8.] 3: Weep.

• Float.

After some time

What through the merry fowlis harmony,
And through the river's sound that ran me by,
On Flora's mantle I sleepit where I lay;
Where soon, unto my dreamis fantasy,
I saw approach, again the orient sky,

Ane sail as blossom [white] upon the spray, With mast of gold, bright as the sterne1 of day, Which tended to the land full lustily

[With swiftest motion through a chrystal bay].

And, hard on board, into the blemit2 meads,:
Amangis the green rispis 3 and the reeds,

Arrivit she; where-fro anon there lands

An hundred ladies, lusty intill weeds, 4
Als fresh as flowers that in the May up-spreids,
In kirtles green, withoutin kell 5 or bands,
Their bright hair hang glitterand on the strand,
In tresses clear wypit with golden threids,

6

With pawpis white, and middles small as wands.

[P. 9.]!

These are allegorical ladies, viz. Nature, Venus, Aurora, &c.

1 Star.

2 Bloomed.

3 Bulrushes.

Pleasing in their attire.

7 Breasts.

Cawls, or caps, to confine their hair.

• Whipped or tied, or inwoven.

Full lustily thir ladies, all in feir,'
Enterit within this park of maist pleseir,

2

Where that I lay heilit with leavis rank:
The merry fowlis, blissfullest of cheer,

Salust3 Nature, methought, in their maneir;
And every
bloom on branch and eke on bank
Opnit and spread their balmy leavis dank,
Full low inclinand to their queen full clear,
Whom for their noble nourishing they thank.

The ladies are followed by a male group, consisting of Cupid and various other gods, who invite them to dance. The poet, quitting his ambush to view this spectacle, is discovered by Venus, who bids her keen archers arrest the intruder. Her attendants, dropping their green mantles, discover their bows, and advance against him. These assailants are Youth, Beauty, &c. whose darts are long ineffectual against the golden targe of Reason, till at length Presence (i. e. the habit of seeing the beloved object) throws a magical powder into the eyes of Reason, and the poet is overpowered by his allegorical adversaries, tempted by Dissimulance, terrified by Danger, and delivered over to Heaviness; after which Eolus blows a bugle; a storm arises, and the ladies take to their ship, which 'Together. 3 Saluted.' 4 Opened.

2
* Covered.

disappears, after a discharge of artillery so loud that the rainbow seemed to break, while the smoke rose to the firmament. This strangely terrible incident seems to have been introduced for the purpose of contrasting with the beautiful appearance of real nature, to which the poet is awakened.

Sweet was the vapours, and soft the morrowing, Wholesome the vale depaynit with flowers ying, &c.

The poem concludes with some laboured compliments to Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate.

Of Dunbar's comic pieces, all of which possess considerable merit, the most excellent are his two tales of the two married Women and the Widow, and the Friars of Berwick. The latter, in particular, is admirable; but its merit would evidently be lost in an abridgment.

I believe that no edition of this elegant and original writer has yet been published.

GAWIN DOUGLAS, bishop of Dunkeld, was born in the end of 1474, or in the beginning of 1475. He was third son of Archibald, the great earl of Angus; was educated at St. Andrews, is supposed to have spent some time in travelling, and on his return to Scotland became provost of St. Giles's church in Edinburgh. In 1514, the queen-mother (who afterwards married his nephew the earl of