(natjonai/ j LIBKARY ipFscomi® -s iiSi.: - ^ : : .■ i ■■ .jn. .-• ■ ■ . .. I' ' ^ C *kiI*'# ? 4 c £be Scottish tTeyt Society. ANE TREATISE CALLIT THE COURT OF VENUS ANE TREATISE CALLIT THE COURT OF VENUS DEUIDIT INTO FOUR BUIKIS NEWLIE COMPYLIT BE IOHNE ROLLAND in Dalkeith, 1575 EDITED BY THE REV. WALTER GREGOR, M.A. UuieRARV^' Publtgiirti for tfjc Sottctg bg WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXXXIV All Rights reserved CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION, . vii THE COURT OF VENUS, i NOTES, 137 GLOSSARY, . 219 INTRODUCTION. I i. JOHN ROLLAND. LITTLE is known of John Holland. If he was not born in Dalkeith, he spent part of his life in it. From a writ1 lately discovered among the Laing Charters by the Rev. 1 The Writ is as follows :—“In Dei Nomine Amen. Presens publicum in- strumentum cunctis pateat et sit notum, quod anno dominice incarnationis milles- imo quingentesimo quinquagesimo quinto, die uero mensis Februarii vigesimo secundo, indictione decima quarta, Pontificatusque sanctissimi in Cristo Patris et Domini nostri Domini Pauli diuina prouidencia Pape quart! anno primo; In mei notarii public! et testium subscriptorum presentia personaliter constitutus Vilelmus Nymmyll filius et heres quondam Vilelmi Nymmyll in Dalkeyth cum consensu et assensu lohannis Nymmyll sui aui ac tutoris accessit ad illam suam acram terre vulgariter nuncupatam The Thornycrukis jacentem in territorio de Dalkeyth inter terram lohannis Nymmyll ex occidentali et terram Thome Portus ex orientali ab una et altera partibus ; Et ibidem prefatus Vilelmus Nymmyll statim saisinam hereditariam pariter et possessionem corporalem actualem et realem totius dicte acre terre cum pertinentiis, viz., ane est Thornycruik, ane vest Thornycruik, ane quhyte but, ane Ruderfurd syd, ane small but be3ond the Thornycruik burn ex parte occidentali dicti torrentis in lie Rinrig per deliuerationem terre et lapidis fundi ejusdem secundum tenorem carte confecte dedit tradidit et suis propriis manibus deliberauit honeste mulieri Margrete Portus et Vilelmo Calderuod ejus filio ac eorum alteri diutius viventi et eorum heredibus quibuscumque saluo tamen jure cujuslibet juris solemnitate in similibus vsitata omnino seruata Super quibus omnibus et singulis prefati Margreta Portus et Vilelmus Calderuod ejus filius a me petebant sibi fieri hoc presens publicum [instrumentum] vel instrumenta vnum aut plura acta erant hec super solum dicte acre terre novam circiter decimam ante meridiem sub anno mense die indictione et pontificatu quibus supra presentibus ibidem honestis viris Alexandre Liddale, Andrea Bynnyng, Kentigerno Weddell, lohanne Harwe, VU1 INTRODUCTION. John Anderson, and communicated by Mr Small, Librarian of the Edinburgh University, we learn that he was a pres- byter of the diocese of Glasgow, and that in 1555 he acted as a notary in Dalkeith. From his poem, ‘The Court of Venus,’ it is plain he was thoroughly versed in Scots law. Nor is this to be wondered at; for “at an early period, when the Canon Law prevailed in Scotland, few persons, it is believed, other than ecclesiastics, were qualified to exercise the office of notary in executing deeds and other legal instruments. This arose from the circumstance that they were almost the only persons who were competent by their education and a knowledge of Civil and Canon Law. Each notary held his appointment by Papal and Imperial authority, confirmed by the Bishop of the Diocese, as Ordinary. By an Act of King James the Third, dated 20th November 1469,1 the Imperial authority was set et Vilelmo Murray, cum diuersis aliis testibus ad premissa vocatis pariter et rogatis. Alleluya. Et Ego uero loannes Rolland Presbyter Glasguensis Diocesis publicus sacra auctoritate apostolica notarius quia premissis omnibus et singulis dum sicut premittitur dicerentur agerentur et fierent vnacum prenotatis testibus presens interfui eaque omnia et singula sic fieri vidi, sciui et audiui, ac in notam cepi ex qua hoc presens publicum instrumentum manu mea propria fideliter scriptum exinde confeci et in hanc publicam instrumenti formam redegi, signo- que subscriptione et nomine meis solitis et consuetis signaui In fidem robur et testimonium omnium singulorum et premissorum rogatus et requisitus. Alleluya. 1 Item It Is thocht expedient that sen Oure Soutrane lord has ful Jurisdic- tioune & fre Impire within his Realme fat his hienes may mak notaris & tabel- lionis quhais Instrumeto sal haue ful faith in all contracts Ciuile within j>e Realme. And in tyme cumyn }wt na notaris maid nor to be maid be the Imper- ouris Autorite haue faith in contracts Ciuile within J)e Realme les than he be examinyt be J)e ordinare & approuit be )>e Kingt'j hienes And J)at ful faith be gevin to the papale notaris in tymes bygane cc to cum In all thare Instrumetrr And als Jwt ful faith be gevin to all Instrumeta gevin of before be )>e Impmale notaris like as Jm ar °f vail And atoure J)at ]>e notaris to be maid be Oure Soutrane lorde be examinit before Jiair ordinaris bishopis and haue cartifica- cioune of j>ame )>at Jm ar of faith gude fame science & lawte according for [>e said office. — TAe Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 95. Printed by command of His Majesty George III. 1814. INTRODUCTION. ix aside in favour of the King ; yet only those who held a commission from the Pope could act in matters spiritual or beneficial, while laymen were employed by virtue of regal authority in matters civil.”1 Rolland is the author of another poem entitled ‘ The Seuin Seages.’ From the description of the decline of Rome’s greatness given by him in the beginning of this poem, it may be concluded with some degree of prob- ability that he became a convert to Protestantism. He says:— “ Thay tuke na cure of na manis fauour nor feid, Sa thay become of all the warld the held: And had thairof the haill Authoritie, Bot this was not in time of Papistrie, For fra that time yt Papis was maid in Rome, Of all vertew that Cietie was maid tome. And day be day fra all vertew decrest Continuallie the self it ay opprest. For thre strangers rais vp in that Cietie. Ouhilkis of befoir na way wald sufferit be, The commoun weill caus thay war ay agane Thairin thairfoir thay wald not thole remane Bot fra Papis come that Nobill towne within It did abound sa sair in deidly sin, And that na stait to Clergie was compairs, Sa weill thay treit thir thre vncouth strangairs, Quhilk thre thir was, the first lurkand haitrent The secund was, Joung counsall and consent, Singular profite it was the thrid I wis, Quhilk thre was caus to gar Rome go amis. And causit it tine the greit triumphand Name, And to be callit the hous of warldlie schame. Tint the greit rowmes and warldlie possessious That thay conquest fra diuers vther Crowns. 1 Memoir of Robert Henryson, prefixed to the edition of 1 The Poems of Robert Henryson ’ by David Laing, p. xiv. X INTRODUCTION. All sic become throw wickitnes and vice, Of the Papists, and thair foule Merchandice. For thay wald gar ane pound of meltit leid Bring thame againe the wecht of golde sa reid. And gar the hippis of ane deid Zow or skin Assolje Jow of all Jour deidly sin, Incontinent in heuin vp to be brocht, Contrair Gods will, quhidderhe wald or nocht.”1 One can hardly think Holland would have written in this strain had he remained a faithful son of the Roman Church. On the other hand, from expressions in ‘ The Court of Venus’ he seems to have been of the Roman faith at the time he wrote that poem :— “ And maist part was my prayers to con Knowit on breist, and Cor mundum I [cryde].”2 And— “ With beidis in hand crossand & sayand creid.”3 It may therefore be inferred that he embraced the Protestant faith during the interval between the writing of ‘The Court of Venus’ and ‘The Seuin Seages’ if he did embrace it. II. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE WRITING OF THE POEM. In the Prologue to ‘ The Seuin Seages ’ are told the circumstances of the composition of‘The Court of Venus.’ They were as follows : Four poets, David Lindsay, John Bellenden, William Stewart, and Durie, Bishop of Gallo- way, flourished at the Scots Court:— 1 ‘The Seven Sages in Scottish Meter,’by John Rolland of Dalkeith, pp. 1, 2. (Bannaytine Club, 1837.) 2 ‘The Court of Venus,’ i. 11. 44, 45. 3 Ibid. ii. 1. 565. INTRODUCTION. xi “ In Court that time was gude Dauid Lyndsay, In vulgar toung he bure the bell that day To mak meter, richt cunning and expart, And Maister lohne Ballentyne suith to say Mak him marrow to Dauid weill we may. And for the third, Maister Williame Stewart, To mak in Scottis, richt weill he knew that Art. Bischop Durie, sum tyme of Galloway, For his plesure sum tyme wald tak thair part.” 1 He appeared before them asking leave “ to schaw my diligence To manifest my waik wit and Ingyne, At thir foursum asking leif and licence, With hat and hand keiling with reuerence Me for to leir ane lessoun or a lyne Of thair prettick to me ane point propyne.” 2 They proposed to him something in the form of a dialogue— “ For to begin (quod thay) we wald ze drew Sum Dialog, or argument that is best, And that will mak zour mater manifest.”3 The proposal was rejected :— “ And sa fra thame Incontinent me drest, And tuke gude nicht, and said gude schirs adew.”4 He supped, went to bed, and had a dream. Queen Venus appeared to him, and suggested a subject:— “ Sa in my sleip me thocht I saw swythlie Lady Venus cumming and spak to me, And said I am cum with the for to ressoun, Thairfoir my wordis, se that thow not chessoun, Tuitching my stait, honour and dignitie Forzet me nocht quhen thou makis thy Sermoun.”8 1 ‘The Seven Sages,’ Prologue, A ij.