May 31, 1825

Sir David Lyndsay was a Scottish writer, who lived, between about 1490 and 1555. Lyndsay served the King -- James V, in various ways, in court and on diplomatic missions. He is remembered today for his poetry which has a startling clarity and was used to express a critical analysis of the social world in 16th century Scotland. Here is a snippet -- from a work called THE COMPLAYNT.

Thay lordis tuke no more regaird,

Bot quho mycht purches best rewaird:

Sum to thair friendis gat benefyceis,

And uther sum gat Byschopreis.

For every lord, as he thocht best,

Brocht in ane bird to fyll the nest;

To be ane wacheman to his marrow,

Thay gan to draw at the cat harrow.

The proudest Prelatis of the Kirk

Was faine to hyde thame in the myrk,

Already by the 19th century this Scottish writing was in danger of being forgotten. One Scottish scholar, the antiquarian George Chalmers (1742 – May 31, 1825) was responsible for helping rescue the work of our David Lyndsay. The following graceless translation of these lines would please Chalmers I hope:

The lords don't care who notices --

their only concern is for positions they can sell.

Some of their friends get beneficesand others get bishoprics.

Men did as they pleased to fill these posts

concerned only with their own gain,and squabbled among themselves like cats and dogs.

The highest church leaders were only concerned with how things looked,

not with the realities behind this dirty business.

Yes, cat-harrow, we read, means "to thwart one another." Scholars have marveled at the boldness of the poet writing this indictment, in view of the medieval court of James V, and apparently Lyndsay's writing was full of such impertinence. But these historians and critics are do not understand the difference between the medieval world and our own. The kings were more physically oriented in their genetics, and they had a confidence which modern intellectual man in the "age of anxiety," has quite lost sight of. They did not take criticism personally.

The full title of the poem we quote from is

THE COMPLAYNT AND PUBLICT CONFESSIOUN OF THE KINGIS AULD HOUND, CALLIT BAGSCHE, DIRECTIT TO BAWTIE, THE KINGIS BEST BELOVIT DOG, AND HIS COMPANZEONIS.