I am Sir Robert Rome-raker,
Ane perfite public pardoner

Admitted by the Pape:
Sirs, I shall show you for my wage,
My pardons and my pilgrimage,

Whilk ye shall see and grape:1
I give to the devil, with good intent,
This unsella wicked New Testament,
With them that it translated:
Sen layic men knew the verity,
Pardoners gets no charity

Without that they debate it. Among the wives with wrinks and wiles, As all my marrowis3 men beguiles

With our fair false flattery:
Yea all the crafts I ken, perqueir,
As I was teachèd by ane friar
Called Hypocrisy.

But now, alas! our great abusion
Is clearly knowen till our confusion;
That we may sore repent:

Of all credence now I am quite,
For ilk man holds me at despite

That reads the New Testament. Dool fall the brain that has it wrought, Sae fall them that the book hame brought: Als, I pray to the rood,

That Martin Luther, that false loun,4
Black Bullinger, and Melancthoun,

Had been smoorde 5 in their cud.
By Him that bore the crown of thorn,
I would Saint Paul had never been born,
And, als, I would his books

Were never read in kirk,

But, amongst friars into the mirk,
Or riven among rooks.

[Here shall he lay down his gear upon ane board, and say:]

My patent pardons, ye may see,
Come frae the Kan of Tartary,
Well sealed with oyster shells.

Though ye have nae contrition,
Ye shall have full remission,

With help of books and bells.
Here is ane relict lang and braid,'
Of Fin Macoull the right chaft blade
With teeth and all together :
Of Collin's cow here is ane horn
For eating of MacConnal's corn

Was slain into Balquhidder. Here is ane cord, both great and long, Whilk hanged John the Armstrong,

Of good hemp soft and sound: Good holy people, I stand for'd, Whoever beis hanged with this cord, Needs never to be drowned.

The culum3 of Saint Bride's cow,
The gruntil of Saint Antony's sow,

Whilk bare his holy bell:
Whoever he be hears this bell clink,
Give me ane ducat for till drink,

He shall never gang to hell, Without he be of Belial born; Maisters, trow ye that this be scorn?

Come win this pardon, come.

separated, much to their mutual satisfaction, by the performance of a ceremony of the coarsest possible description. Then the Pardoner's boy, Wilkin, makes his appearance, and gives us a peep into the secret of relic manufacture.]

Wilkin.

Hoaw! maister, hoaw! Where are ye
now?
Pardoner.

I am here, Wilkin, widdie fow.'
Wilkin.

Sir, I have done your bidding, For I have found here ane great horse bone,

Ane fairer saw ye never none,

Upon dame Flesher's midding.
Sir, ye may gar the wives trow,
It is ane bone of Saint Bride's cow;
Good for the fever quartane:

Sir, will ye rule this relic weel,
All the wives will both kiss and kneel
Betwixt this and Dumbartane.

I have power them for till part:

Me think you deaf and dumb.

Has none of you crust wicked wives, That holds you untill sturt and strives,

Come take my dispensation :

Of that cumber 5 I shall make you quite, Howbeit yourselves be in the wyte,

And make ane false narration. Come, win the pardon; now let see, For meal, for malt or for money,

For cock, hen, goose, or gryce Of relicts, here I have ane hunder. Why come ye not? this is ane wonder I trow ye be not wise.

Pauper.

What thing was yon, that I heard crack 3

and cry?

I have been dreamand and drivland of my kye.

With my right hand my whole body I sain,4

Saint Bride, Saint Bride, send me my kye again!

I see standand yonder ane holy man,
To make me help, let me see gif he can :
Hail maister, God speed you! and good

morn.

Pauper.

I crave my groat, or else my merchandise. Pardoner.

I gave thee pardon for ane thousand year.
Pauper.

How shall I get that pardon, let me hear?
Stand still and I shall tell the haile story:
Pardoner.
When thou art dead and goes to purgatory,
Being condemned to pain a thousand year,
Then shall thy pardon thee relieve but
weir ;6

leave.

Pardoner.

man.

Pauper.

Pauper.

Ane thousand year! I will not live sae

lang:

Deliver me it, maister, and let me gang.

THIS learned ecclesiastic is more distinguished as a prose writer and scholar, than as a poet; and there is no reason for supposing that he cultivated poetry to any great extent. Neither the date nor the place of his birth are knownHaddington and Berwick shires are the only places even suggested. The date of his matriculation at St Andrews, 1508, gives the nearest approximation as data for estimating the time of his birth. He completed his education at the University of Paris, where he took his degree of doctor of divinity. He himself states that he was in the service of James V. from his infancy, as clerk of his accounts, but that he experienced the

It was

inconstancy of court favour. probably during his temporary alienation from court that Lindsay, in the "Complaint of the Papyngo," describes him as

"Ane plant of poetis, called Ballendyne, Whose ornate workis my wit cannot define : Get he into court auctoritie,

He will precell Quintyn and Kennedy."

he was recalled, for, in 1530, and the It would not be long after this that three following years, it is shown by the Treasurer's accounts that he was and Boece's History of Scotland, by engaged upon the Translation of Livy,