"Some seeke so farre for outlandish Englishe, that they forget altogether their mother's language. Ande I dare swear this, if some of their mothers were aliue, thei were not able to tel what thei saie; and yet these fine Englishe clerkes wil saie thei speak in their mother tongue, if a man should charge them for counterfeityng the Kinges Englishe. I know them that thinke rhetorike to stand wholie upon darke wordes; and he that can catche an ynkehorne term by the taile, hym thei compt to be a fine Englishman, and a good rhetori cian." So far, however, is the author from adverting to this obvious defect of his style, that he is anxious to vindicate himself from an error of an opposite kind, as evidently appears from the passages already quoted. In the same manner, Lindsay vindicates the simplicity of his "rurall vers."

I lois my time, allace for to reheirs,

Sic unfrutefull and vaine descriptioun ;
Or write into my raggit rurall vers,
Mater without edificatioun:
Considering how that mine intentioun,
Bene till deploir the mortall miseries,
With continuall cairfull calamiteis,

Consisting in this wretchit vaile of sorrow;
Bot sad sentence suld haue ane sad indyte;
So termis bricht, I list not for to borrow,
Of murning mater men hes na delyte,
With roustie termis thairfoir will I write.
With sorrowfull sichis ascending from the splene,
And bitter teiris distelling from mine ene.

P. 3. 4. Prologue.

Smith's Arte of Rhetorike, fol. 82. 1553. Ap. Warton.

Ga

Ga hence, pure Buik, quhilk I haue done indyte
In rural ryme in mater of despyte,
Contrair the warldis variatioun ;-
Of retharik here I proclame the quyte;
Idolatouris, I feir, sall with the flyte,
Becaus of them thou makis narratioun ;
Bot cure thow not the indignatioun
Of hypocritis, and fals Pharisience,
Howbeit on thee, they crie ane loud vengence.

Requeist the gentill reidar that thee reidis,
Thocht ornate termis into thy parke not spreidis,
As they in thee may haue experience;

Thocht barrane feildis beiris nocht bot weidis,
Zit brutall beistis sweitlie on them feidis,
Desire of thame nane uther recompence,
Bot that they wald reid thee with patience;
And gif they be in onie way offendit,
Declair to them it sall be weill amendit.

Epistill Nuncupatory. which I am inclined to still more adventitious

Another coincidence, to give some weight, is of a nature, and consequently the argument derived from it, is of the greater importance. In the fifth chapter, p. 54, in which the author treats of the opinions of certain ancient philosophers, concerning the duration of the world, he cites the following computation from the Chronicle of Carion:

"Now, to confound the opinione of Socrates, and "to confound al them that vil nocht beleue that the "varld is near ane finall end, i vil arme me vitht the "croniklis of master Ihone Carion, quhar he allegis "the prophesye of helie, sayand, that fra the begyn

"nyng

nyng of the varld, on to the consummatione of it, "sal be the space of sex thousand zeir. the quhilk sex "thousand zeir salbe deuydit in thre partis. the first "tua thousand zeir, the varld sal be vitht out ony spe"cefeit lau i vrit, quhilk vas the tyme betuix adam " and Abraham. the nyxt tua thousand zeir, vas the "lau of circoncisione, vitht ane institutione of diuyne "policie, and vitht adoratione of God, quhilk vas the "tyme betuix adam ande the incarnatione, quhen crist "ihus resauit our humanite for our redemptione. the "thrid tua thousand zeir sal be betuix the incarnatione " and the last aduent, quhilk salbe the consummatione " of the varld." Now, it is a curious fact, that Lindsay has introduced the same calculation in the fourth book of his Monarchie, (p. 152.) edit. 1592.

Sum wryteris hes the warld deuydit,

In sex ages, as bene decydit,
Into Fasciculus Temporum,

And Cronica Cronicorum :
Bot be the sentence of Elie,
The warld deuydit is in thre;
As cunning Maister Carioun
Hes maid plaine expositioun,
How Elie sayis withoutin weir,

The warld sall stand sex thousand zeir,

Of quhome I follow the sentence,

And lattis the uther buikis go hence:

From the creation of Adam,

Twa thousand zeir till Abraham.

From Abraham, be this narratioun,

To Christis incarnatioun,

Richt sa hes bin twa thousand zeiris.

And be thir prophecyis appeiris,

From Christ, as thay mak till us kend,
Twa thousand till the warldis end;
Of quhilkis ar by gone sickerlie

Fyue thousand fiue hundreth thre and fifte:
And sa remanis to come but weir

Four hundreth with seuin and fourtie zeir.

As the Chronicle of Cario, an eminent mathematician, is the authority cited both by Lindsay and the author of the Complaynt, this coincidence does not afford a conclusive proof of their identity; but, as it is not of a mere general nature, but extends to various minute particulars, it ought not to be lightly rejected. As the concluding lines of the preceding citation, determine the year in which Lindsay's MONARCHY was originally published; so, the parallel passage of the COMPLAYNT accurately determines its æra. "Efftir the supputatione of Helie, as master "Ihone Carion hes rehersit, the varld hes bot four "hundretht fyfty tua zeir tyl indure, be cause that "ther is fiue hundrethe fourty aucht zeir by past of "the foir said sex thousand zeir." (p. 55.) Both authors express their opinion that the latter period of 2000 years shall be shortened.

"Christ sayis the time salbe maid schort,
As Mathew planelie dois report;
That for the warldis iniquitie,

The latter time sall schortnit be;

For plesour of the chosin number,

That thay may pass from cair and cumber :

Sa be this compt it may be kend,

The warld is drawand neir ane end. "

Lindesay's Monarchy, p. 153.

"Bot thir last tua thousand zeir, as master ihone

carion allegis in the prophesye of Helie, sal nocht be

completit,

completit, be rason that the day of iugement sal be antecipet, be cause of them that ar his electis, as is vrityn in the xxiiii cheptour of Sanct Mathow, (p. 55.)-This veil considrit, maye be ane probabil rason that the varld is neir ane end." (p. 56.)

Again, both authors represent the precise period of the world's termination as uncertain, though they both declare, unequivocally, that many of the figns preceding it had been accomplished. Lindsay thus expresses himself concerning the uncertainty of its termination: Quhairfoir perturbe not thine intent,

To knaw day, hour, or moment :-
To God alone the day bene knawin,

Quhilk neuer was to nane angell schawin.-p.152.
Sen na man knawis the hour nor day,
The scripture biddis us watch and pray,

And for our sin be penitent,

As Christ wald cum incontinent. "—p. 160. "Eftir the vordis of Sanct Mathou, the consummatione of the varld sal be haistiar nor foure hundretht fyftye & tua zeir; zit God hes nocht affixt ane certan day to fal vitht in the said terme of iiii. c. lii zeir, as is rehersit in Sanct Mathou, de die autem, &c.-therfor ve haue mister to be vigilant & reddy, sen the terme of cristis cumming is schort, and the day uncertane. "-(p. 55, 56.)

A similar coincidence appears in the ideas of these writers concerning the accomplishment of the signs which precede the termination of the world. The author of the Complaynt says, " Quha listis to reide al the xxiiii cheptour of Sanct Mathou, tha sal persaue euidently that the varld is verray neir ane ende, be rason that mony of the singis and taikkyns that precedes the