To such worthies as have been eminent for similar virtues, the Mantuan poet, in those noble strains, has allotted the chief seats in Elysium. As a poet, patriot, and lawgiver, and the civilizer of the manners of his people, no Prince in history deserves more to be revered by his country than James I. King of Scotland. Hic manus ob patriam pugnando vulnera passi It remains now to take notice of the works of King James I. Joannes Major mentions some of his compositions, particularly a poem upon Jane, afterwards his Queen; and he gives the names of some of his musical pieces of Scottish songs (Cantilena Scotica) composed by him, which Major says were much esteemed in his time. Dempster mentions some other pieces of James I. Scripsit, says this author, Rythmos Latinos, et de musica. Of all his works, those which now only remain, or at least can with certainty be distinguished as his, are the two following pieces, Christ's Kirk of the Green, and the poem on Queen Jane, called the King's Quair. Of his musical compositions, I have treated by themselves, in a dissertation on the Ancient Scottish Songs. Of Christ's Kirk of the Green. THIS ancient poem has, by men of taste, always been esteemed a valuable relique of the old Scottish poetry. For the poetical language of the time, the ludicrous descriptions, and the free vein of genuine wit and humour which runs through it, it is, even at this day, read with pleasure. It must be valuable, were its only merit that of being descriptive of the humour and manners of the country 350 years ago.. I am aware, that the generality of late writers have attributed this poem to that gallant Prince James V. who was also a poet. I shall examine this point; and I hope I shall be able, notwithstanding many great authorities to the contrary, to make it evident, that James I. was the author of Christ's Kirk of the Green... I shall begin, by stating the authorities which give this poem to King James V. The oldest of these, so far as I have been able to discover, is that of Bishop Edmund Gibson, who, anno 1691, published an edition at Oxford of the poem of Christ's Kirk of the Green, with learned notes. The title which the Bishop gives his book, is CHRIST'S KIRK ON THE GREEN, composed, as is supposed, by King JAMES V.'And in an elegant Latin preface to this poem, he thus writes, Gratulor tibi lector, et Musis, regem ' in Parnasso, non infeliciter somniantem; de Jacobi, ejus nominis apud Scotos Quinti, familia, eruditione, scientia militari, consulendi sunt historico 6 rum annales; principem autem hunc poesin de'periisse, nil mirum, commune id illi, cum augustis'simis aliis viris, qui haud pauci carmen in deliciis ' habuere.' The next authority is the editor of the last edition of Gavin Douglas's translation of Virgil's Æneis, published at Edinburgh, anno 1710, who, in his preface, thus mentions this poem; with notes, published at Oxford some years ago, by a 'celebrated writer on the famous poem of King James V. entitled, Christ's Kirk on the Green,' On the same side is Tanner, Bishop of St. Asaph, who, in his Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, sub voce Jacobi Quinti, Regis Scotia, mentions the poem of Christ's Kirk of the Green as written by that Prince, and adds, ▾ Editit, notisque illustravit cl. Edmond Gibson, Oxon. 1691.' Tanner's Bibliotheca was publised so late as the year 1748. These are the only ancient and positive authorities that I have seen, which attribute this poem to King James V. I shall sum up the whole arguments on that side of the question from an author of still greater weight than any of the above, that is, the learned Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, whose opinion, although he candidly does not decide, is on the same side with the above authors.* Lord Hailes argues thus First, Major, in his life of King James I. mentions several pieces written by that Prince, but says nothing of Christ's Kirk of the Green. Secondly, The poem mentions Peebles at the *Notes on the Statutes of King James I. Act 12. 'Play,' which Lord Hailes is of opinion relates to a more modern era than the age of King James I.; And, Lastly, Bishop Gibson and Bishop Tanner, and the editor of Gavin Douglas's Virgil, all agree in attributing the poem of Christ's Kirk of the Green to King James V. I shall attempt to answer these arguments in their order; and to the first, That Major, who mentions two or three pieces, said to be composed by King James I. does not mention the poem of Christ's Kirk, is an argument entirely negative, and can infer no direct conclusion that King James I. might not have been the author of that poem, as well as of several other pieces not mentioned by Major, of which, for certain, he was the author, viz. Rythmi Latini, et de Musica, mentioned by Dempster,* and some other poems mentioned by other authors.† * Dempster Hist. Ecc. cap. 713. See Dissertation on Scottish Songs. + Godly and Spiritual Songs, published by Andro Hart; some of which, though not distinguished in the book, are mentioned as written by King James I. |