  The Buke Of the Order of Knighthood, Translated from the French, By Sir Gilbert Hay, Knight. From the Manuscript in the Library at Abbotsford. Edinburgh: M.DCCC.XLVII. TO THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF The Abbotsford Club, THIS SPECIMEN OF THE EARLY LITERATURE OF SCOTLAND, NOW FIRST PRINTED, IS DEDICATED AND PRESENTED BY THEIR OBEDIENT SERVANT, BERIAH BOTFIELD. Norton Hall, January 1, 1847. The Abbotsford Club. JANUARY, M.DCCC.XLVII. President, 0000RIGHT HON. JOHN HOPE, LORD JUSTICE-CLERK. 0000RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF ABERDEEN. 0000ADAM ANDERSON, ESQ. 0000DAVID BALFOUR, ESQ. 0500CHARLES BAXTER, ESQ. 0000ROBERT BELL, ESQ. 0000ROBERT BLACKWOOD, ESQ. 0000BINDON BLOOD, ESQ. 0000BERIAH BOTFIELD, ESQ. 1000JAMES BURN, ESQ. 0000HON. HENRY COCKBURN, LORD COCKBURN. 0000JOHN PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ. 0000THOMAS CONSTABLE, ESQ. 0000JAMES CROSSLEY, ESQ. 1500JAMES DENNISTOUN, ESQ. 0000JOHN DUNN, ESQ. 0000JOSEPH WALTER KING EYTON, ESQ. 0000HON. JOHN HAY FORBES, LORD MEDWYN. 0000JOHN BLACK GRACIE, ESQ. 2000HON. JAMES IVORY, LORD IVORY. 0000HON. FRANCIS JEFFREY, LORD JEFFREY. 0000JAMES KINNEAR, ESQ. 0000GEORGE RITCHIE KINLOCH, ESQ. 0000DAVID LAING, ESQ. 2500HENRY LIDDELL, ESQ. 0000JAMES LUCAS, ESQ. 0000JOHN WHITEFOORD MACKENZIE, ESQ. 0000ALEXANDER MACONOCHIE, ESQ. 0000JAMES MACKNIGHT, ESQ., Treasurer. 3000JAMES MAIDMENT, ESQ. 0000WILLIAM HENRY MILLER, ESQ. 0000THEODORE MARTIN, ESQ., Secretary. 0000REV. JAMES MORTON, B.D. 0000ROBERT NASMYTH, ESQ. 3500ROBERT PITCAIRN, ESQ. 0000RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF POWIS. 0000JOHN ROBERTSON, ESQ. 0000RIGHT HON. ANDREW RUTHERFURD, LORD ADVOCATE. 0000ERSKINE DOUGLAS SANDFORD, ESQ. 4000JOHN SMITH, ESQ. L.L.D. 0000WILLIAM B. D. D. TURNBULL, ESQ. 0000EDWARD VERNON UTTERSON, ESQ. 0000PATRICK WARNER, ESQ. 0000RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE WARRENDER, BART. PREFACE. The Literature of Scotland, during the Fifteenth Century, is entitled to a much greater share of attention than it has hitherto received; more especially, as it is a period in which the contemporary Literature of England is comparatively so devoid of interest. Among the persons who then flourished, and to whom but a scanty share of justice has been awarded, we may reckon Sir Gilbert Hay, Knight. Dunbar the Scotish Poet,[1] who adorned the reign of James the Fourth, in his "Lament for the Death of the Makars" or Poets, includes the name of Hay; so likewise does Sir David Lyndesay, in the reign of James the Fifth; but no other writer seems to have been aware that such an author had ever existed, until we reach the year 1722, when there appeared the Third Volume of "The Lives and Characters of the most Eminent Writers of the Scots Nation, &c. By George Mackenzie, M. D."[2] This volume, the last which the author lived to publish,[3] commences with "The Life of Sir Gilbert Hay, Chamberlain to Charles VI. King of France." It extends to eight folio pages, and furnishes a suitable specimen of Mackenzie's mode of constructing biography. It commences with the following paragraphs:—
These paragraphs contain the whole biographical portion of the "Life," contained in his eight folio pages,—the Author's practice being that of introducing some extraneous matter suggested by, but not connected with the subject of the biography. But in the passages quoted the Author's usual carelessness or ignorance is very apparent. His statements of matters of fact, indeed, are never to be relied upon, being seldom confirmed, and often contradicted by better authorities, and instead of a work of National importance, deserving the liberal patronage it received, it is altogether worthless. Thus Mackenzie might have known, that if Hay was "brought up," and "commenced Master of Arts," at a University in Scotland, it could not have been at Aberdeen, which was not founded until the year 1494; and that if Hay was Chamberlain to a King of France, it could not have been Charles the Sixth, whose reign extended from the year 1380 to 1422. The concluding notice of the supposed time of Hay's death, "towards the latter end of the 14th century," is obviously a clerical error for the 15th century. Instead, however, of favouring the reader with an abridged history of the Kings of France, or some other discursive topic, Dr Mackenzie has in this instance deviated from his ordinary practice, and given a careful and detailed analysis of a Manuscript volume in his own possession, containing three works translated from the French by Sir Gilbert Hay; and this may be instanced as one of the few actual contributions to the Literary History of Scotland, contained in his three folio volumes. It may here be quoted, omitting a somewhat confused and inaccurate account of the original author HonorÈ Bonnor or Bonnet, Prior of Sallon.
The Manuscript, of which the preceding was an analysis, is not mentioned in any more recent work, and as it could not be traced in any public repository, it was considered to be irrecoverably lost. But in the "Catalogue of the Library at Abbotsford," printed in 1838, at page 232, there occurs the following title:— "Here begynnys the buke call't the Buke of the Law of Armys, the quhilk was compilit be a notable man, Doctour in Decrees, callit Bennet, prioure of Sallan, &c. MS. fol." This title attracted the notice of Mr Laing, Secretary of the Bannatyne Club, who conjectured it might prove to be a copy of the work described by Mackenzie. To ascertain this point, he made an application for the use of the volume, through Isaac Bayley, Esq.; which being courteously granted, it was no difficult matter to perceive that this was the identical Manuscript which Dr George Mackenzie had possessed. As the volume itself furnishes no indication on this head, we can only conjecture that it may have fallen into Sir Walter Scott's hands, either by purchase at a sale, or as a present from some of his friends. But we may conclude, that had Sir Walter been aware of the peculiar interest and curiosity of the volume, he would have pointed it out, and some use of it have been made during the latter period of his life. The Manuscript in question is a large folio of 132 leaves,[4] on lombard paper, written in a very distinct hand, about the end of the 15th century. It is in the original wooden boards, in perfect preservation, and contains, repeated in different parts of the volume, autograph signatures of "W. Sanclair of Roislin," "Oliver Sinclar of Rosling, knycht," and "W. Sanclair of Roislin, knecht." It consists of three distinct works:— III. The Buke of Batailles. III. The Buke of the Order of Knyghthede. III. The Buke of the Governance of Princes. To have published the entire volume was considered to be altogether inexpedient, on account of its great extent. Yet not wishing it to remain in comparative obscurity, I readily acceded to Mr Laing's suggestion, in selecting the second of these Works, which forms a distinct treatise by itself, as my contribution to the objects of the Abbotsford Club; at the same time subjoining in the Appendix such Specimens of the two other Works as should satisfy all reasonable curiosity. In this way, I hope that whatever is really valuable or interesting in the MS. has been put into an accessible shape, in order to exhibit and preserve from casual destruction ONE OF THE EARLIEST EXISTING SPECIMENS of Scotish prose composition. A brief account of the Originals may here be given, before endeavouring to throw some light on the life and character of the Translator. I. THE BUKE OF BATAILLES. This well known and popular work forms the first and largest portion of the Abbotsford Manuscript. No English version of it is known. In the Appendix will be found the Prologue, the Table of the Chapters in the different Books, and some other Extracts, which may be compared with the corresponding passages, here copied from one of the later editions of the original Work, which bears the following title:— "Larbre de Batailles.
A LA saincte couronne de France en laquelle auiourdhuy par lordonnance de Dieu regne Charles cinquesme de ce nom tres bien ayme et par tout le monde redoubte soit donne loz, gloire, et victoire sur toutes seigneuries terriennes. Tres hault Prince, ie suis nomme par mon droict nom Honnore Bonhor Prieur de Salon, indigne docteur en decret, souuenteffoys ay eu en voulente de faire et compiller, selon mon debile entendement, ce petit liure a lhonneur de Dieu premierement de sa benoiste Mere, et de vostre haulte seigneurie Sire. Et les raisons qui mont esmeu et incite a ce faire sont assez bonnes, selon mon aduis. Premierement, lestat de Saincte Eglise est en telle tribulation et perplexite que si Dieu ny mect remede et vostre Seigneurie, laquelle est acoustumee de acheuer et mettre affin les chieres aduantures de la foy Crestienne, ie ny voy voye ne chemin comme y puisse estre mise bonne ne briefue accordance. La Deuziesme raison si est, que voyez toute Chrestiente si greuee de guerres, haynes, larrecins et discentions, que a grant peine peut on nommer vng petit pays soit une conte ou duche qui bien soyt en paix. La Tierce raison si est, que la terre de Prouuence dont ie suis ne et nourry est de present tellement atournee par le changement de noble seigneurie et pour les diversitez doppinions qui sont entre les nobles et le communes que a grant paine pourroit homme tant fust saige racompter les maulx que les gens du pays pour ce debat seuffrent. La Quarte raison est, que ie considere plusieurs choses dictes de grans clerez modernees que bien pensent entendre les Prophecies anciennes parlans des maulx presens et dient que vng de la haulte lignee de France doit estre celluy par qui les remdes seront donnez au siecle trauailant, et mis en grande pestitance pour lesquelles raisons me suis efforce de faire aulcune chose nouuelle affin que vostre ieunesse soit informee de plusieurs entendemens de la saincte escripture et aussi affin que vostre personne soit plus adonnee de faire secours a la saincte foy de Iesu Crist et faire que les Prophecies qui sentendent de vostre digne personne et escriptures soyent verifiez par voz bonne oeuures si vous supplie mon tres hault Seigneur que rien que ie die en ce liure ne vueillez mespriser car ce que iay mis en luy prent son fondement sus le droit canon et civil et sus naturelle philosophie, qui nest aultre chose que raison de nature et aura nom cestuy liure Larbre des Batailles pour fournir lequel liure me fault trouuer matiere condecente a ce faire, si mest venu en ymaginacion faire vng Arbre de Dueill, au dessus duquel pourrez veoir les regnes de Saincte Eglise en grandes et merueilleuses tribulations. Apres pourrez veoir la grande discention qui est auiourdhuy entre les Roys et Princes Crestiens. Pareillement pourrez veoir le grande discencion et murmure qui est entre les Nobles et les Communes. Et deuiseray mon Liure en quatre parties principalles ainsi comme a plain est cy apres declaire dont en la premiere partie sera faicte mention des tribulations de l'eglise jadis passees devant l'advenement de Jesu Christ nostre Sauveur. En la seconde partie sera traicte de la destruction des quatre grans royaulmes jadis. En la tierce partie sera traicte des batailles en general. En la quarte partie sera dit du battailles en special. ¶ QUELLES CHOSES APPARTIENNENT ESTRE FAICTES A TOUS BONS ROYS ET PRINCES. CHAPITRE CLXXVI. On disons aulcune chose des Roys pource que apres Lempereux ilz sont les plus honnorez sur tous les aultres Princes. Et encores ce nom cy de Roy selon la Saincte Escripture sembleroit estre de plus grande excellence que le nom de Lempereur, car nostre Seigneur se nomme et appelle en plusieurs lieux et endroitz de la saincte Escripture Roy des Roys et Seigneur de Seigneurs. Item, le benoist filz de Dieu en aulcuns lieux de la Saincte Escripture est appele filz du Roy Dauid par humanite. Et ainsi par excellence de ce nom de Roy appellons nous de lignage royal. Et en oultre selon la doctrine et enseignement de Monseigneur, Sainct Paul Apostre qui preschoit au peuple en leur admonestant que pour lhonneur et reuerence de Dieu ilz fussent soubmys a toute creature humaine et en especial au Roy comme au plus noble et excellent de tous les aultres mesmement en approuuant la dignite de ce nom de Roy. Et pour dire aulcun bon notable auquel ieunes Roys puissent prendre plaisir. Roy qui veult estre bon guerroyer sur saige fier et couraigeux, et de se gens il soit seigneur, comme de quaille espreuier, et soit misericors et rigoureux quant est besoing, et que au besoing soit le premier se darmes veult estre eureux. Pour retourner a nostre propos, &c. Moult daultres belles et notables choses appartenans a tous bons Roys et Princes pourroye encores dire et assez trouuer. Mais pour le present ie ne pense plus riens a escripre en ce liure, car ien suis tout lasse. Toutesfoys le temps viendra se Dieu me donne espace de viure que ie escripray aulcunes choses sur les contenances de toutes personnes soyent ecclesiasticques ou seculiers, hommes ou femmes ce qui leur est necessaire dauoir au plus pres que ie pourray de la Saincte Escripture et du droict escript selon les dignites de leur offices. Et ie prie humblement et deuotement a nostre Seigneur, que par sa saincte grace vous doint en telle maniere gouuerner vostre Royaulme et la Saincte Couronne quil vous a commise que apres la fin il vous maine et conduyse a la saincte gloire de Paradis qui iamais ne fauldra. Amen. ¶ Cy fine le liure intitule Larbre des Batailles. In the Preface to the edition printed by Anthony Verard, at Paris, on the 8th of June 1493, there are several variations; and the sentence in which the name of the Author occurs runs thus—"Mon tres hault et redoubte Seigneur souvent j'ay eu voulente de faire ce present livre," omitting the name altogether. The last Chapter of the work is numbered cxxxxii in Verard's edition, and ends in the same manner as the other. Of the original Work there are numerous Manuscript copies, and also several early printed editions; but these, as an eminent French Antiquary remarks, are "toutes rares, toutes fautives et defecteuses." In Verard's edition, for instance, the name of Charles VI., to whom the Author dedicated the work, is changed to Charles VIII., in order to pay a compliment to the reigning Sovereign; and in these editions the Author's name is given as HonorÉ Bonner, instead of Bonnet. The terms of the Author's dedication, (says M. Paulin Paris,) carry us naturally to the first years of the arrival of Louis II. of Anjou to the Sovereignty of Provence, that is to say, from 1384 to 1390. Charles VI., the conqueror of Rosbec, was still young, and the schism of the Church had reached its point of the greatest violence. M. Paris's analysis of the work is very concise, and may be quoted in his own words:—"L'Arbre d'HonorÉ Bonnet prÉsente quatre branches principales, 1o. L'Eglise en schisme. 2o. Les Rois en guerre. 3o. Les Grandes en dissension. 4o. Les Peuples en rÉvolte. Mais l'auteur paroÎt fort peu soucieux de suivre un ordre quelconque dans son travail. AprÈs avoir dans les premiers chapitres appliquÉ la prophÉtie des cinq Anges de l'Apocalypse À l'Histoire EcclÉsiastique du XIVe siÈcle, il rÉsume les fastes de l'antiquitÉ, puis enfin expose la thÉorie du comportement des Armes, des droits et des devoirs de tous les vassaux, chevaliers et gens de guerre."[5] The author HonorÉ Bonnet, was a Monk in the Abbey of Ile-Barbe of Lyons, and Prior of Salon in Provence. His name, which is often given as Bonnor, or Bonhor, or Bonnoz, has been ascertained, from an examination of nearly twenty ancient Manuscripts in the Royal Library at Paris, to have been Bonnet. A ProvenÇal translation, made in the year 1429 by order of Mossen Ramon de Culdes, is preserved in the same collection, No. 7450; and also a translation in the Catalan dialect, MS. No. 7807. There is some indication of Caxton having translated in part the work in the year 1490, but no copy is known to exist.[6] The original work was first printed at Lyons, by Barthelemy Buyer, 1477, folio; and another edition at Lyons in 1481. It was again printed at Paris, by Anthoine Verard, 1493, folio, of which there is, in the Royal Library at Paris, a magnificent copy printed upon Vellum, with illustrations,—the first representing Charles VIII. receiving the work from Verard the printer, who, as already noticed, had substituted the name of the reigning Monarch instead of Charles VI. of France, at whose request the work was originally written. Van Praet[7] describes this copy, and mentions two other copies on Vellum, but neither of them perfect. The discrepancies existing between the early manuscript and printed copies will readily explain the variations, which will be obvious upon comparing Sir Gilbert Hay's translation with the preceding extracts. It must also be confessed, that to a modern reader Bonnet's Book of Battles is sufficiently tedious and uninteresting; and it need excite no surprize that the Author, as he admits in his concluding chapter, having wearied himself with his task, broke off abruptly—"Mais pour le present je ne pense plus riens a escripre en ce Livre, car j'en suis tout lasse;" or, as Sir Gilbert Hay in his translation expresses it—"But in gude faith the Doctour sais, that he was sa irkit of wryting, that he mycht nocht as now, na mare tak on hand as to put in this buke of Bataillis," &c. II. THE BUKE OF THE ORDER OF KNYGHTHOOD. Although subjoined to "The Buke of Batailles," there is no evidence to show that it was written by the same Author. The original Work, entitled "Le Livre de l'Ordre de Chevalerie," is anonymous. A copy of it is contained in a magnificent volume, written upon vellum, and illuminated for Henry VII. of England, which forms part of the Royal collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum (MSS. Bibl. Reg. 14 E. II. Art. 5). The Work also exists in a printed form, although now of great rarity. "L'Ordre de Chevalerie, auquel est contenue la maniere comment en doit, faire les Chevaliers, et de l'honneur qui À eux appartient, et de la dignitÉ d'iceulx; compose par ung Chevalier, lequel en sa veillesse fut Hermite." Lyon, Vincent de Portunaris de Trine, 1510, in folio, black letter. It is, however, a proof of the great popularity of the Work, that a copy of it having fallen into the hands of our venerable Typographer, William Caxton, (who probably never heard of Sir Gilbert Hay's previous version,) he added this to his other translations from the French, and having printed his own translation, he addressed the volume to King Richard the Third. It has no date, but must have been printed about the year 1484; and his edition is acknowledged to be one of the rarest specimens of his press. Lewis in his Life of Caxton, 1737; Oldys in his British Librarian, 1738; Ames and Herbert in their Typographical Antiquities, 1749 and 1785; and Dibdin, in his enlarged edition of that work, 1810, and also in his Bibliotheca Spenceriana, 1815, have each given a more or less detailed account of Caxton's translation. In the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, among the collection of MSS. which belonged to Sir James Balfour of Denmyln, Lord Lyon in the reign of Charles the First, there is a volume, to which he has prefixed this title, "Collectanea Domini Davidis Lyndesay de Monthe Militis Leonis Armorum Regis." This volume is described by Dr Leyden[8] in the Preface to his republication of "The Complaynt of Scotland," but he has confounded two persons of the same name, and who held the same office, at an interval of half a century. The volume, which contains nothing to identify it with Sir David Lyndesay the Poet, is here noticed, from containing a copy of "The Order of Knighthood," without the name of the translator. This is evidently a transcript from Caxton's printed volume, omitting the concluding Address to Richard the Third, in which Caxton introduces his own name as the translator; while the transcriber has used his own discretion in adapting the language to the Scotish orthography and dialect. Dr Leyden passes over this portion of the MS. in a very summary manner, and strangely says, that it, along with "The Buke of Cote-Armouris," which immediately follows, in Lyndesay's MS., was transcribed from Dame Juliana Berners's Treatise on Hunting, Hawking, &c., which is usually known as the "Booke of St Albans." The following extracts from the copy of Caxton's volume, in the British Museum, will be sufficient to convey to the reader some idea of the work itself; and to form a comparison of the English and Scotish versions. The first leaf is here given in black letter, line for line, in imitation of the original:— ¶ Here begynneth the Table of this present booke Intytled the Book of the ordre of chyualry or Knyghthode. Unto the praysynge and dyuyne glorye of god/ whiche is lord and souerayne kynge aboue and ouer alle thynges celestyal/ and wordly/ we begynne this book of the ordre of chyualry For to shewe that to the sygnefyaunce of god/ the prynce almyghty whiche seygno= ryeth aboue the seuen planettes/ that ma= ke the cours celestyal/ and haue power & seygnorye in gouernynge & ordeynynge the bodyes terrestre and erthely/ that in lyke wyse owen the kynges prynces and grete lordes to haue puyssaunce and seyg= nory upon the knyghtes/ And the kny= tes by symylytude oughten to haue po= wer and dominacion ouer the moyen peple And this booke conteyneth viij chapitres ¶ The fyrst chapytre sayth/ how a knyght beyng an Heremyte deuysed to the squyer the rule and ordre of chyualrye ¶ The second is of the begynnynge of Chyualry ¶ The thyrd is of thoffyce of chyualry ¶ The fourthe of thexamynacion/ that ought to be made to the esquyer whan he wylle entre in to the ordre of chyualry ¶ The fyfthe is in what maner the squyer ought to receyue chyualry ¶ The syxthe is of the sygnefyaunce of the armes longynge to a knyght al by ordre ¶ The seuenth of the custommes that apperteyne to a knyght ¶ The eyght is of the honour that oughte to be done to a knyght ¶ Thus endeth the table of the book of Chyualry
III. THE BUKE OF THE GOUERNANCE OF PRINCES. This very popular work is a translation of the "Secretum Secretorum," falsely attributed to Aristotle. Its popularity was so great that not less than nine English translations and six French translations are known. It is probable that Sir Gilbert Hay made his version from one of the French translations current in the Fifteenth Century. In now adverting to Sir Gilbert Hay, the Translator of the "Ordere of Knighthood," and of other Works, from the French, it is matter of regret that we possess no very certain information respecting him. Some of the uncertainty which prevails in regard to his lineage arises from the circumstance that the name of Gilbert, in the family of Errol, with whom we may presume he was nearly related, was of very common occurrence. The Hays of Errol, the chief of the name in Scotland, appear in the public Records as Hereditary Constables of Scotland before the end of the Twelfth Century. Without further entering upon their Genealogy, as exhibited in Douglas and Wood's Peerage of Scotland, vol. i. page 544, &c., and in similar works, it may briefly be noticed that, in the course of the Fifteenth Century— I. Sir Thomas Hay of Errol, Constable of Scotland, died in the year 1406. He married in 1372, Elizabeth third daughter of King Robert II., by his first wife Elizabeth Mure; and had two sons, Sir William, who succeeded, and Gilbert Hay, who is designed of Dronlaw; also three daughters, the youngest of whom, Alicia, married Sir William Hay of Locharret.[9] II. Sir William Hay of Errol, who succeeded in 1406, died in 1436. By his wife Margaret, daughter of Sir Patrick Gray of Broxmouth, he had two sons, Gilbert, and William Hay of Urry, in the county of Kincardine. III. Gilbert Hay, eldest son of Sir William, was one of the hostages sent to England in 1412, and again in 1424, for the ransom of King James the First, who had been held in captivity for eighteen years. On the last occasion he is styled "Gilbertus Primogenitus et HÆres Willielmi Constabularii ScotiÆ," his annual revenue being estimated equal to 800 marks; and at that time "Gilbert of the Haye, askyth conduct for 3 servants." (Rymer's Foedera, vol. x. p. 327). In 1426 he had a safe conduct. He died in England soon after 1426, leaving, by his wife Alicia, daughter of Sir William Hay of Yester, two sons, William and Gilbert. IV. Sir William Hay succeeded his grandfather in 1436, and was created Earl of Errol in the year 1452-3. He married Beatrix Douglas, daughter of James third Lord Dalkeith. His brother Gilbert, who succeeded his uncle William Hay of Urry, had a charter of the lands of Urry, in the county of Kincardine, 12th August 1467; and died before September 1487. The Earl of Errol, who died about 1460, was succeeded by his eldest son, V. Nicholas, second Earl of Errol. He died without issue in 1470, and was succeeded by his brother, VI. William, third Earl of Errol, who survived till 1506. This brief view of the Hays of Errol, during the Fifteenth Century, may serve to guide our conjectures in regard to Sir Gilbert Hay. That he was born about the commencement of that century, we are warranted to assume. There is no evidence of any of the younger sons in the Errol family, at this period, having had the honour of Knighthood; and therefore it may be conjectured that he was the son of Sir William Hay of Locharret, one of whose daughters, Jane, was married to Sir Alexander Home of Dunglas, who accompanied the Scotish forces under the Earl of Douglas to France, and who lost his life with the Earl at the Battle of Verneuil, 17th August 1424. It is certain, at least, that Gilbert Hay received a liberal education, and he appears to have prosecuted his studies at the University of St Andrews, which was founded in the year 1411. This we ascertain from the "Acta Facult. Art. Univers. S. AndreÆ," where the name "Gylbertus Hay," occurs among the Determinants, or Bachelors of Arts, in the year 1418. In the following year, "Gilbertus de Haya, Magister," is included in the higher degree among the Licentiates, or Masters of Arts. One of his fellow students was William Turnbull, who afterwards became successively Doctor of Laws, Archdean of St Andrews, Keeper of the Privy Seal, and Bishop of Glasgow; and who, about three years before his death, so honourably distinguished himself by founding the College of Glasgow, in the year 1452-3. After taking his Master's degree at St Andrews, Gilbert Hay proceeded to France, but whether it may have been to complete his education, or that he was sent on any special mission, must be left to conjecture.[10] It might have been, that like so many of the younger sons in Scotish families of rank, at an early as well as in more recent times, he had gone abroad to push his fortunes; and thus, like Quentin Durward, when first addressing Louis XI., he might have said,—"I am ignorant whom I may have the honour to address, but I am indifferent who knows that I am a cadet of Scotland; and that I come to seek my fortune in France, or elsewhere, after the custom of my countrymen." It will be seen that he styles himself "Gilbert of the Haye, Knycht, Master in Arts, and Bachelor in Decreis,"—titles expressive of academical distinctions; and also "Chamberlain umquhile to the maist worthy King Charles of France." Dr Mackenzie, overlooking the obvious meaning of these words in the position of umquhile, instead of "late Chamberlain to the King," made him "Chamberlain to Charles VI., King of France." But that Monarch began his reign in 1380, and died in 1422, probably before Hay had set his foot in France. His son, Charles VII., ascended the throne in 1422, and survived till 1461. Sir Walter Scott, in "Quentin Durward," chapter v., has given a very graphic account of the Scotish Archer Guard, which was instituted by Charles VI., and consisted of a select number of the Scotish Nation, supplied from the superabundant population of their native country. It is no improbable conjecture, therefore, that Gilbert Hay may have been one of their number, and like the imaginary character in the work of fiction referred to, have thus been brought under the special notice of the French King, and in this manner obtained the patronage of Charles VII. Another event that may have contributed to his holding an official appointment in the Royal Household, was the alliance between Margaret, eldest daughter of James I. of Scotland, and the Dauphin of France. This took place in July 1436, when she was only twelve years of age; and she was attended by a number of persons of rank, some of whom remained in her service. Be this as it may, and without attempting to conjecture on what occasion Hay received the honour of Knighthood, we know, from a passage to be afterwards mentioned, that he resided in France during a period of twenty-four years; and he may have returned to his native country soon after the death of the youthful Princess. She died of a broken heart in August 1445, or sixteen years before her husband, whose character is so ably depicted by Scott, had succeeded to the throne under the title of Louis XI. After Sir Gilbert Hay's return to Scotland, we find him residing at Roslin Castle with Sir William Saintclair, third Earl of Orkney, (a title which he resigned, in 1456, for the Earldom of Caithness)—a nobleman of great influence and wealth, who had accompanied the Princess Margaret to France in 1436. He was twice married, his first wife being Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of Archibald fourth Earl of Douglas; and he lived in such a kingly state, that we are told, his Lady "had serving her 75 gentlewomen, whereof 53 were daughters to noblemen, all cloathed in velvets and silks, with their chains of gold, and other pertinents; together with 200 rideing gentlemen, who accompanied her in all her journeys. She had carried before her when she went to Edinburgh, if it was darke, 80 lighted torches. Her lodging was att the foot of the Blackfryer Wynde: so that, in a word, none matched her in all the country, save the Queen's Majesty."[11] We are further told of this "Prince," William Earl of Orkney, that—"In his house he was royally served in gold and silver vessels, in most princely manner; for the Lord Dirletone was his Master Household, the Lord Borthwick was his Cup-bearer, and the Lord Fleming his Carver, under whom, in time of their absence, was the Laird of Drumlanrig, surnamed Stewart, the Laird of Drumelzier, surnamed Tweedie, and the Laird of Calder, surnamed Sandilands. He had his halls and chambers richly hung with embroidered hangings," &c. In 1446, he founded the Collegiate Church of Roslin, that beautiful specimen of architecture, the ruins of which still excite so much admiration under the popular designation of Roslin Chapel. It was at the request of this nobleman that he undertook the translations which are contained in the present volume, and which bear the date of 1456. Sir Gilbert Hay, like some of the persons here named, was probably connected with this nobleman, as in the genealogy of that family, the fifth of the nine daughters of Henry second Earl of Orkney, is said to have married a Hay Earl of Errol. There is still preserved a curious document entitled "The Inventar of the Goods of Alexander de Sutherland of Dumbethe," whose daughter Marjory was the Countess of Caithness and Orkney.[12] It includes his Testament, and bears to have been made at Roslin, the castle of his son-in-law, on the 15th November 1456, "in the presence of ane hie and mighti Lord William Earl of Caithnes and Orkney, Lord Saintclair, &c., Sir Gilbert the Haye, Sir Henry Atkinson, Mr Thomas Thurberndson (or Thornebrande), Public Notar, &c., with dyvers uthirs." At the end of his numerous legacies and bequests, there is added, "Item, I gif and leive my sylar [silver] colar to Sir Gilbert the Haye, and he to say for my soul ten Psalters."[13] The long residence of Sir Gilbert Hay in France rendered him familiar not only with the language, but with the current literature of the country. This may have suggested to him, upon his return to Scotland, the propriety of employing himself in translating some of the more remarkable productions of French literature, for the benefit or amusement of his friends. A fortunate discovery of an old Manuscript volume at Taymouth Castle, and the liberality of the Noble Proprietor in communicating it, brought to light another and a more important undertaking which Sir Gilbert Hay had accomplished, by rendering the Metrical Romance of Alexander the Great into Scotish Verse, at the request of Thomas first Lord Erskine, (properly second Earl of Mar, of the name of Erskine,) who succeeded his father in 1453, and died in 1494. The Work extends to upwards of 20,000 lines; but the imperfect state of the Manuscript, which exhibits an evidently inaccurate copy of the translation, added to its great extent, may possibly keep it from ever being printed entire. But some obscure lines, introduced by one of the transcribers, at the close of the volume, contains the information already alluded to, of its having been translated at the request "of the Lord Erskine, by Sir Gilbert the Hay," and of his having spent twenty-four years in the service of the King of France.[14] How long Sir Gilbert Hay may have survived can only be conjectured. The Taymouth MS. is transcribed from another copy which had apparently been written in the year 1493; and the mode in which the Translator is alluded to, indicates that he had been dead for several years. This serves to corroborate the mention of his name among the deceased Scotish Poets who are celebrated by Dunbar in his "Lament for the Death of the Makaris."[15] |
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