Hoc Jacobus aget quintus rex stirpe suorum
Inclytus offitium, quod sibi Jure vacat.
Clarior haud bello quisqs, nec pacis amator
Ancus pace fuit, Relligione numa.

Mascula thoracem vertus huic pectora fortem
Induet, et galeam spes geret ampla suam.
Ferripidem urgenti viso calcaribus hoste
Aggressoq. hastam porriget alma fides.
Periure nulla dextre formidine pulsus,

Subueniet miseris, colla superba premens.
Hectore nec tantum sua troia superstite gaudens:
Nec fuit eacide gretia beta suo:
Quantnm gaudebit promisso principe fatis
Scotia, solus erit ille daturus opem.
Omnia que tanto felicem principe terram
Effitiant, diuum sedula cura geret.
Eia age, phebe tuis circundes ignibus orbem
Et plaga feruores sentiat illa tuos.
Temperiem diffunde bonam, sit grata colonis
Ut veniat messis semine digna suo.
Nos quoq pro ñre prolis faciemus honore

Quod bene susceptum, secula cuncta canent. Delius ut cartam legit, gramioque reclusam Condidit, expediam jussa totantis, ait. Alipedes premittit equos, curruq. sequutus Auriuomo, placida dirigit ora manu. Vertice ceruleo summus se extollit olympus. Et fugiunt toto nubila densa polo. Hinc natura suas varie et subtiliter artes Perq. astra exercet, viscera aperq. soli. Id mirata, colunt Imasque numina terras, Que degunt tremulis flumina clara vadis. Frugiferum hoc celum (dixerunt) destinat annum. Florescet leto germine terra ferax.

Scotia (sentimus) tardo subjecta boete,
Rege sub excelso fenora larga dabit.
Mox capiunt fauni siluas, hortisq. priapus
Pomiferis prohibet sidere nudus aues.
Flora recens campos gemmato vestit honore,
Officio dryadum pascua leta virent.
Herbida gramineos exhalat terra sapores,
Inq. nouum pergunt, sponte fruteta decus,
Per valles blando lapidosas murmure serpunt
Flumina, nereides flumina clara tenent.
Seminibus paleata ceres fecundat opimis
Jugera, que nullo culta labore forent.
Ingentemq. auidi spem non lusura coloni
Sydere promittit grana legenda suo.
Pan curare greges, pan cogere montibus agnos
Armentisque studet claudere septa vagis.
Maiori redeunt spumantia mulctra colostro,
Et solito pecudes grandius vber habent.
Res Ita disposuit nostra clementia diuum,
Propitios meminit quis magis ante deos.
Interea Jouis ipse puer placidissima regni
Sceptra gerens, populo dat bona Jura suo.

Finis.

Impressum Ediburgi apud
Thomam Dauidson,

1512.

REMARKS.

James V. was born on the twelfth of April, He died on the fourteenth of December, 1542. He took upon himself the government

Aures perdetes super & sint Pillory stantes,
Scandala rumantes in Regis consiliantes,
Aut in magnates noua seditiosa loquentes,
Non producentes autores verba ferentes.

Their eares must on the Pillory be nayld
That have against her highnesse counsell rayld,
Or such as of the Peeres fowle brutes do scatter,
And cannot bring their autor for the matter.

Wherefore you shall find I will keepe me safe enough from scandaling, And if you do, it is the better for you.

. The Third Tract in the volume is

"ULYSSES UPON AJAX,

Written by Mesodiaboles to his Friend Philaretes.

Printed at London, for Thomas Gubbins.

1596."

This is a facetious piece of pleasantry upon the same subject as the former Tracts.

Taking the whole together, I do not know that we have any thing in the English language, which in style, manner and humour, bears greater resemblance to the performances of Rabelais.

STRENA

STRENA.

THE Two Volumes which I now place before the public do not contain a greater literary curiosity than this which follows. No other copy is known to exist, except the original, from which this transcript was made, and which I here faithfully subjoin. The original is in his Majesty's library.

This little Poem was purchased at Mr. West's sale, and will be found in the Catalogue of his Books, Art. 4586. It is noticed in Herbert's Edition of Ames's History of Printing, v. 3. p. 1469, who describes this copy. At the back of the last page is a wooden print, representing two savages at full length, betwixt them stands a tree with many owls in it, and upon it is suspended a shield, with T. D. in cypher. Under this tree is printed THOMAS DA..

The following note which is in manuscript. prefixed to the Poem, appears to have been written in the last Century.

This Poem is reckond a great curiosity never having seen or heard of any such Copy, besides in this it is curious, that some persons well versed in old matters printed in Scotland own'd they never saw any piece of print well docu

VOL. II.

сс

documented to be printed in Scotland older than this Poem, or any thing so old, and I am humbly of this opinion, never any thing printed in Scotland before this having occurred to me in any enquiries nor have I observed any printer in Scotland before Thomas Davidson.

"This is thought to be printed about yẽ year 1525. In 1536 He printed Bellendens translation of Hector Boece's Hist. of Scotland and is designed then, the King's printer."

"AD SERENISSIMUM SCOTORUM REGEM JACOBUM QUINTUM DE SUSCEPTO REGNI REGIMINE A DIIS

FELICITER

OMINATO

STRENA.

Tempora magnanimo que nunc felicia Regi
Sydera portendunt, dicere musa cupit.
Ausus ob hec nimium tenui cantare camena,
Incipiam auspitiis rex Jacobe tuis.

Puri dum tu dulce decus, concede fauorem
Edere judicio metra legenda bono.
Torpentes fracto reparcs cum pectine neruos,
Et moueas docilem per tua fila manum.
Principium bifrons anni Jam Janus apertum
Fecerit, et phebus celsius orbe micat.
Ipse potens rerum pater alta mente reponens
Omnia, fatales prospiciensq. vices,
Protinus aligerum coram subet esse ministrum,
Clausaque dat claris scripta ferenda deo.
Jussa peracturus tecto Jouis euolat alto
Nuncius, et rapidum flectitur ante deum,

Phebe