Poetry

The Historie and The Testament of Squyre Meldrum

One of Scotland’s great Renaissance poets, Sir David Lyndsay (Lindsay) of the Mont (Mount), wrote two of his most celebrated works about the youthful military and romantic exploits of William Meldrum of Cleish and the Bynnis, who in the 1540s was living at Struthers Castle in Fife as a trusted assistant and companion of Lindsay’s father, Patrick, Lord Lindsay of the Byres.

Lyndsay’s two Squyre Meldrum poems were written in the late 1540s to early 1550s, and were completed shortly after William Meldrum died. Written in the chivalric, romantic and sometimes ironic style of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, they were titled ‘The Historie of ane Nobil and Wailzeand [valiant] Squyre William Meldrum vmquhyle Laird of Cleische and Bynnis’ and ‘The Testament of the Nobill and Vailyeand Squyer Williame Meldrum of the Bynnis’.

The Historie poem relates Meldrum’s experiences as a young soldier fighting English king Henry VIII’s forces in France between 1513 and 1517; including several daring rescues of young ladies in peril, who beg him to marry them, and capturing a warship captained by an English pirate. On return to Scotland he began a passionate love affair with a widow living at Strathearn Castle in Fife (thought to have really been Lady Marjorie Haldane of Gleneagles). When knowledge of the affair spread to neighbouring landowners who craved the lady’s estate, Meldrum was brutally attacked on the road and left for dead. The severe injuries ended both Meldrum’s love affair and his military career, and he spent the rest of his life as Lord Lindsay/s assistant and companion, living at Struthers Castle.

The shorter Testament poem is told in Meldrum’s voice as an old man, giving instructions on the conduct of his funeral and design for his tomb.

Both poems can be downloaded here.

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