Maitland, Knt. who lived in the reign of Queen Mary, and her son, King James VI.

This poem is alluded to by King James I. in the 4th line of first stanza, of his poem of Christ's Kirk of the Green, and it is quoted as his composition by John Major in his Scottish History. Major seems to hint that a parody had been made of this poem of the King's, for on the subject of some low intrigue in which he had been discovered, his words are" Jucundum artificiosum il"lum Cantum (composuit) at Beltayn, &c. quam "alii de Dalkeith et Gargeil mutare studuerunt, ઠંડ quia in arce aut camera clausus servabatur, in << qua mulier cum matre habitabat."

Peebles, the scene of the poem is the head town of the county of Tweeddale, situated on the banks of the river Tweed, in a pastoral country abounding with game, which made it often to be resorted to by our ancient Scottish Kings, who frequently spent the summer months in administering justice, and the diversions of the chase,, and where a great annual fair was held on the first of May, or Beltein, which was attended by multitudes from

the surrounding country. James was undoubtedly present at one of these fairs; and as he frequently strolled about the country under an assumed character, was probably an actor in the scuffle which he so admirably delineates. The annual games of archery, and other pastimes at Peebles, appear to have been of very ancient institution.

R 3

PEBLIS TO THE PLAY.

α

I.

Ar beltane, quhen ilk bodie bownis

To Peblis to the Play,

To heir the singin and the soundis;

The solace, suth to say,

Be firth and forrest furth they found;

Thay graythit tham full gay;

b

God wait that wald they do that stound,

For it was thair feist day,

Of Peblis to the Play.

Thay said,

a" The time of the Peebles festival was at Beltein, which, in the Gaelic language, signifies the fire of Bell or Baal, because on the first day of May, our heathen ancestors, by kindling fires and offering sacrifices on eminences or tops of mountains, held their great anniversary festival in honour of the sun, whose benign influences on all nature began to be strongly felt at this time, and men wished more and more to feel as the summer advanced. The name Beltein day, continued and gave designation to the Beltein fair of Peebles, long after the religion of the country, and the festivals of the season, were changed."-" Horse races continued to be held at Beltein, till the middle of the present century." Statistical Account, vol. xii. p. p. 14, 15.

Our ancestors were so much addicted to profane swearing, both in their writings and conversation, that "to swear like a Scot," was once a proverbial expression.

II.

All the wenchis of the west

War up or the cok crew;

For reiling thair micht na man rest, ⚫ and for glew: d

For garray,

Ane said my curches ar nocht prest;
Than answerit Meg full blew,

To get an hude, I hald it best;
Be Goddis saull that is true,

Of Peblis to the Play.

III.

Quod scho,

She tuik the tippet be the end,

e

To lat it hing scho leit not;

Quod he, thy bak sall beir ane bend;
In faith, quod she, we meit not.
Scho was so guckit, and so gend,

That day ane byt scho eit nocht;

Than spak hir fallowis that hir kend,
Be still, my joy, and greit & not