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Read on Project GutenbergGeorge Eyre-Todd's 1892 anthology presents sixteenth-century Scottish poetry with a deliberate editorial strategy: he removes 'unnecessary stumbling-blocks' such as the old straight 's' and Anglo-Saxon symbols, and provides a running marginal glossary to translate obsolete words without breaking the reading flow. This approach aims to make the texts more accessible while preserving their original form. The volume includes works by Sir David Lyndsay, John Bellenden, King James the Fifth, Sir Richard Maitland, Alexander Scot, and Alexander Montgomerie, with poems printed entire unless otherwise noted.
Eyre-Todd's note criticizes earlier editions for using archaic typography and 'irritating punctuation' that hinder enjoyment. His solution—a marginal glossary rather than footnotes or end glossaries—reflects a concern for uninterrupted reading. He claims that few readers 'can afford the time necessary for the elucidation by means of a dictionary even of so short a poem as “Chrystis Kirk on the Grene.”' This practical orientation shapes the entire volume, making it a user-friendly entry point into a difficult poetic tradition. The editor also highlights that four poems attributed to King James the Fifth are 'reproduced complete and together for the first time since 1786,' signaling a scholarly contribution.
The excerpts include a detailed discussion of whether 'Peblis to the Play' and 'Christis Kirk on the Grene' were written by James I or James V. The editor weighs external evidence—such as the absence of these poems in manuscripts before James V's time—against internal evidence like language and metre. He notes that 'the more antique words' in the poems are paralleled by James V's contemporaries, while 'more modern words' might be due to transcription changes. A key argument from Professor Skeat is cited: in stanza 19 of 'Peblis to the Play,' 'stokks' rhymes with 'ox,' whereas in James I's time the plural would have been 'stokkis.' The editor also points to the 'rollicking metre' as characteristic of James V's era, citing similar burlesque poems by Dunbar and Lyndsay.
The poems attributed to James V, such as 'Christis Kirk on the Grene,' employ a fast-paced, rollicking metre that contrasts with the more stately verse of other contributors. The editor describes this as a 'burlesque description' popular in James V's time, citing examples like 'The Tournament of Tottenham' and Lyndsay's 'Justing betuix James Watsoun and Jhone Barbour.' The excerpts show how the poems use peasant manners and archery mishaps for comic effect, with phrases like 'Ye sall pay at ye aucht' and 'He hydis tyt' contributing to a lively, colloquial voice. This change in pace—from the moral allegories of Bellenden to the earthy humour of the king's poems—creates a varied reading experience within the anthology.
Readers approaching this collection should attend to the editor's marginal glosses, which clarify archaic terms without interrupting the verse. The attribution debate offers a window into how scholars use linguistic and metrical clues to date poems. The burlesque pieces reward attention to their rhythmic energy and comic detail, while the more formal works by Lyndsay and Bellenden provide contrast. This anthology is best enjoyed as a curated tour of a vibrant poetic period, with Eyre-Todd's editorial hand making the journey smoother.
Some books stay with you like an old song heard through a window. The way that 1892 anthology handles the burlesque metre of “Christis Kirk” made me feel the noise of a village dance, centuries away yet close. It reminded me of another quiet companion, The Forerunner, His Parables and Poems — Text and Context, which lingered with me much the same—slow, thoughtful, unhurried in its truths.
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