Notes

1] This poem was first printed by Chepman and Myllar in Edinburgh, 1508. The MS. copies are later. The date of composition is unknown, but may have been shortly before 1508. The poem shows the influence of the dance of death or danse macabre, current in European literature and art of the fifteenth century, in which representatives of every social rank are summoned by Death, in the figure of a skeleton; cf. Lydgate, Daunce of Macabre. There is also a poem by Lydgate with the refrain Timor mortis conturbat me, which Dunbar may have known.
makaris. Makers, poets.
heill. Health.

4] The fear of death troubles me.

7] brukli. Brittle, frail.
the Fend is sle. The Devil is sly.

13] No rank in earth here stands secure.

14] wickir. Twig.

18] potenttatis. Potentates.

22] Ynarmit. Armed.

23] mellie: mêlée, conflict.

26] sowkand. Sucking.

29] campion. Champion.
stour. Battle.

33] piscence. Puissance.

35] strak. Stroke.

37] art-magicianis. Practitioners of magic arts.

38] rethoris. Rhetoricians.

39] conclusionis sle. Skilful reasonings.

42] surrigianis. Surgeons.

43] supple. Help, defend.

46] syne. Then, afterwards.

47] faculte. Profession.

49] done devour. Devoured.

51] The Monk of Bery. Lydgate, who was a monk of Bury St. Edmund's.

53] Syr Hew of Eglintoun d. c. 1375. Possibly the poet "Huchown", said to be the author of Arthurian romances.

54] Heryot. Unknown. Wyntoun, author of a verse chronicle of Scotland c. 1424.

55] tane. Taken.

57] done infek. Infected and withheld.

58] Nothing certain is known of these poets.

61] Holland. Author of The Buke of the Howlat, ca. 1450.
Barbour. John Barbour, author of The Bruce (1375).

63] Works unknown.

65-66] There are various poems of the adventures of Gawain in Northern dialect, but the one meant here has not been traced.

67] Sir Gilbert Hay translated a romance of Alexander the Great, ca. 1456.

69] Blind Hary. A blind minstrel said to have composed a poem on Sir William Wallace about 1460.
Sandy Traill. Unknown.

71] Patrik Johnesioun. Author of one poem in Bannatyne MS.

73] He has deprived Merseir of his power of writing. (A few of his poems are extant).

75] of sentence hie. Lofty meaning. Cf. Prologue to Canterbury Tales, 306.

77-78] Roull. One poem extant by a man of this name.

81] hes done roun. Has whispered.

82] Henrisoun. See the extracts from his works, above.

83] Schir Johne the Rot. A friend of Dunbar, but nothing else is known about him.

86] Stobo and Quintyne Schaw were friends of Dunbar and a poem by the latter is extant.

87] wichtis. Men.

89] Walter Kennedy engaged with Dunbar in a vituperative combat in scurrilous verse called The Flytyng of Dunbar and Kennedy.

90] dede. Death.

91] Reuth. Pity.

93] Sen. Since.

95] man. Must. Modern Scots maun.

98] dispone. Dispose ourselves.

Other poems by William Dunbar