Gavin Douglas
Gavin Douglas was a notable Scottish poet and churchman born in 1475 or 1476, likely at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian. He received his education at the University of St. Andrews and possibly the University of Paris, ultimately finding a clerical position at Linton near Dunbar. By 1503, he served as provost of St. Giles in Edinburgh, during which he produced much of his poetry, including "The Palice of Honour," an allegorical work celebrating virtue. His most significant literary achievement is the translation of Virgil's "Aeneid," published in 1513 as the "Eneados," notable for being the first direct translation into a British language, which Douglas referred to as "Scottish."
Despite initial praise, his translation faced criticism for its archaic language and perceived Anglicisms. Douglas's life was marked by political upheaval, especially following the Battle of Flodden in 1513, which resulted in the death of King James IV. He was later embroiled in political conflicts, endured imprisonment, and sought refuge in France. However, his subsequent flight to England during a time of turmoil led to his being declared a traitor due to the political tensions between Scotland and England. Gavin Douglas died in London of the plague in 1522, leaving a lasting legacy in Scottish literature.
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Gavin Douglas
Poet
- Born: 1476
- Birthplace: Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, Scotland
- Died: September 1, 1522
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Gavin Douglas was born in 1475 or 1476, probably at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, the third son of Archibald Douglas, Fifth Earl of Angus, nicknamed Bell-the-Cat. Douglas was educated for the church at the University of St. Andrews from 1490 to 1494, and may also have attended the University of Paris. He had some difficulty finding a parish but eventually obtained a living at Linton, near Dunbar. By 1503, he was provost of St. Giles in Edinburgh, probably having been appointed in 1501.
Most of Douglas’s poetry seems to have been written while he held this appointment, in relatively untroubled times, although the surviving examples of his early work reached print very belatedly. The Palice of Honour is an apologue depicting triumph of virtue over adversity, addressed to King James IV; it features an exotic company of pilgrims heading for the eponymous destination, including various historical individuals borrowed from scriptural and classical sources, Greek goddesses, personalized virtues and vices, poets and patriots.
Douglas’s most important work was a complete translation of Virgil’s Aeneid, published in 1513 as the Eneados. It was the first direct translation into a British language—which Douglas called “Scottish,” contrasting it with “Southron” (the version of English spoken south of border). William Caxton’s “translation” had been taken from a French source. Douglas’s version is modified in order to accommodate the text to a decasyllabic form, but is reasonably faithful to the original. Douglas added his own prologues to each book. Much praised at the time, the Eneados was subsequently criticised by some commentators for its overuse of archaisms, and by Scottish purists for being tainted by too many Anglicisms.
In the Battle of Flodden in 1513, James IV was killed, leaving an infant as his heir. Douglas’s nephew, the Sixth Earl of Angus, married James IV’s widowed queen. This embroiled the Douglas family in fierce political disputes. Gavin Douglas was nominated as abbot of Arbroath and promised the archbishopric of St. Andrews, but the appointment was successfully opposed and he was given the bishopric of Dunkeld instead. When the Duke of Albany became regent in 1515, Douglas was imprisoned for a year. He went to France thereafter to assist in the arrangement of a marriage between James V—who was then five years old—to Princess Medeleine, daughter of François I. (The marriage eventually took place in 1537).
Scotland fell into turmoil in 1520, however, when the Anguses took on the supporters of the Earl of Arran—the provost of Edinburgh—in the great street-fight of “Cleanse the Causeway,” and expelled them from the city. When Albany returned to restore order, Gavin Douglas fled to England to take refuge at Henry VIII’s court—an unwise move, considering that Henry had been harassing and terrorizing the border Scots, sending warships marauding along the Forth. He was declared a traitor and his property was seized. He died in London of the plague in 1522.