2 See under Hucheon.

passage doubtful.

7 Dunbar's contem

porary and friend : no poems preserved.

4 See under Henry the 8 No one of his poems Minstrel.

are preserved.

6

Come in with mony sundry guise,

But yet leuch? never Mahoun,

1 Pity.

2 Prepare, dispose.

4 Prepare a mask.

5 Gambols.

3 Mahomet, used in 6 Holy (?)

the middle ages as 7 Ina haughty manner.

a name for the devil. 8 Laughed.

As the rival of Dunbar in the famous "Flyting," an interest has attached to the name of Walter Kennedy which none of the few other poems that are ascribed to him serve to increase. His share of the "Flyting "-about twothirds of the whole piece-may be said to be quite equal to that of Dunbar, and is the best test that we possess of his skill in the use of his poetic weapons. By their contemporary, Gavin Douglas, and their successor Lindsay, Kennedy is ranked at least equal to, if not higher

5 The sixth son of Lord Kennedy, of Cassillis and Dunure.-Paterson's Life and Poems of Dunbar, 1860.

sity, where he took his degree of M.A. in 1478, and in 1481 was elected one of the four Examiners of that University. He appears to have resided principally in Ayrshire, and is supposed, on probable grounds, to have filled the offices of Bailie-depute of Carrick, and Provost of the Collegiate Church of Maybole, founded by his ancestor Sir John Kennedy, whose heirs held the patronage. He also appears to have resided in Edinburgh, and to have had some knowledge of court life.

This is all that is known regarding him, beyond what may be inferred from certain personal allusions in the "Flyting." There are also some references to his history in Dunbar's share of that composition, which, like all caricature, may be supposed to be exaggerations of the truth; yet it is manifest that many circumstances are pure inventions, any modification of which would be dishonourable, if true, of the person to whom they refer. In reference to the sources of his own and Dunbar's poetic inspiration, he not inelegantly says:—

I perambulated of Parnassus the mountain, Inspired with Mercury frae his golden sphere;

And dulcely drank of eloquence the fountain, When it was purified with frost and flowèd clear !

And thou come fool! in March or Februeir,

There till ane pool, and drank the paddock rude,

That gars thee rhyme into thy termis glude,3 And blabberis that, noyis men's ears to hear,

1 Paterson says he abandoned the church, married, and had two sons, one of whom, his namesake, became Provost of Maybole. 2 Frog-spawn. 3 Slimy (?)

He also calls Dunbar his "imperfyte" (inferior) in poetry or prose, and styles himself the Rose of Rhetoric. In reference to his loyalty and relations with the king, he says

I am the king's blood, his true special clerk, That never yet imagined his offence, Constant in mind, in thought, word, and werk, Only dependant upon his excellence;

Trustand to have of his magnificence. Guerdon, reward, and benefice bedeen ;1 When that the ravens shall rive out both thy een,

And on the ratts shall be thy sesidence.

The last stanza gives a good idea of the Billingsgate of the piece, while it confirms the opinion elsewhere stated, as to the sportive, tournamentile character of the composition. The ascription of Lollardism to Dunbar also shows that the tendency of his writings toward Protestantism was not unmarked by his brother churchmen; yet the fact of his being one of the orthodox and more rigid party does not appear to have acted as a restraint upon Kennedy's freedom of vituperative expression.

Duelbeir, thy speir of weir, but feir thou yeild, Hangit, mangit, eddir stangit stryndie stultorum,

To me, maist hee Kennydie, and flie the field, Pickit, wickit, stickit, convickit lamp Lollardorum.

Diffamit, schamit, blamit Primus Paganorum. Out! out! I schowt, upon that snout that snevillis.

Tailltellar, rebellar, indwellar with the divillis, Spink, sink with stink ad Tartara Terma