Undoubtedly the most illustrious of the Dunkeld Bishops was Gavin Douglas, son of that stern Douglas nicknamed Bell the Cat, who thanked "St.Bothan, son of mine, save Gavin, ne’er could pen a line."

More than two hundred years ago Allan Ramsay, the poet, boasted proudly of Douglas when he wrote—

"In the lear’d days o’ Gawn Dunkell

Our country then a tale could tell,

Europe had nane mair snack or snell

At verse or prose,"

And a century later, Sir Walter Scott thus describes the Poet-Bishop in "Marmion" -

"A Bishop by the altar stood,

A noble lord of Douglas’ blood,

With mitre sheen and racquet white

Yet showed his meek and thoughtful eye,

But little pride of prelacy,

More pleased that in a barbarous age

He gave rude Scotland Virgil’s page,

Than that beneath his rule he held

The bishopric of fair Dunkeld."

Douglas was the pioneer of classic culture in Scotland, and was the author of the first translation in the vernacular of a Latin classic published in Britain. Before succeeding to the Bishopric he was the Provost of St. Giles, Edinburgh, and Rector of Hawick.

Scottish patriots should be proud of Gavin Douglas. He made it a boast that he "speke in the auld braid Scots" and that he "kepand na Soudron bot ouir awin langage." At that period it was reckoned the mark of a traitor to "knapp Soudron" (Anglice, know Southern or English speech.)

The language, therefore, in which he wrote accounts largely for the neglect of his poetry. It is more obscure than that of Dunbar, but the ringing, manly vigour of the Bishop’s lines, the glowing ardour of his description, and the thrilling sweetness with which he lingers over soft summer beauties, more than repays the student who reads, though with glossary in hand.

His translation of Virgil is highly praised, and rightly, so it is unfortunate that his patriotism should have prevented this scholarly work from achieving more popularity. There is a copy in the Mackintosh Library in Dunkeld.

The Prologues to the twelve books of the Aeneid consist of original and charming descriptions of the seasons. So vivid is the portrayal of

the firmament ourecast with cludes black,

the mountane toppes fleked with snaw,

the law vales floderit all with spate

that we easily envisage the black clouds, the white mountain tops, and hear the rattle of the "scharp hailstanes hoppand on the thak" and the roar of "ryvers running red on spate."

Who, having experienced the rigours of a Scottish winter, can fail to sympathise with the poet when he tells how he,

"bounit (came nearer) to the fire, chevarand of cald, the sessound was sae snell "?

Then in the "wynter cald" he goes to bed all "warped up," but nevertheless lies awake listening to

"the eerie noises of the darksome night"

Not the least being the "claking of the wyld geis" as they glide high in the air over the city, or the "hooting owl, that hornyt bird, laithly of form."

Dwellers near the Cathedral of which he became Bishop can heartily endorse his objection to the hideous clamour of night when these "hornyt birds" wail their secrets to each other within the roofless walls and behind the gaping windows. This is his song of winter. But with a shout of glee he welcomes May :-

"Welcum, the lord of licht and lampe of day,

Welcum, fosterare of tender herbes green,

Welcum, the birdis beild apoun the brere,

Welcum, depaynter of the blomyt medis."

With keen delight he listened to the "bemying of the bees and the birds sang in warblis dulce of hevinle armonys." Nor did the tiniest flower escape the notice of this keen observer of Nature :-

"The daisy did oubrede (unbraid) her crownel smale,

the heavinle lyllis with looker and toppes quhyte, (curling white tops),

distilled halesome hony droppis."

Other works testify still more to his erudition "King Hart" is an allegorical poem, in which the life of man is traced from "Youth so fair, so fresh, so likely to endure, blyth as byrd in summer scheme" to "Age when Strength yields to Decrepitude, whose loathly limbs all crooked were with eld."

The Palace of Honour is another allegory abounding in many charming passages, but overloaded with classical allusions, a fault common to the age.

Here the author relates a dream. In it he sees travellers of all sorts—Mars, Minerva, the Muses, Wood Nymphs— wending their way to the Palace of Honour. He joins them and reaches the throne of Venus. Behind this throne is a magic mirror. Over its polished surface flit the shadows of famous personages of the misty past; amongst them the mighty Ossianic heroes, Fingal and Fin Mac Cowl.

Venus hands Douglas a copy of Virgil, with a command to translate it into his native tongue, which command he afterwards obeyed. He then set out to visit a delightful garden where the Muses gathered flowers of poesy and the trees bore precious stones. Surrounding this Paradise was a deep ditch, spanned by a narrow bridge representing the ceremony of marriage. The passage across was too precarious for the dreamer. He slipped, fell—and awoke!

The Queen Regent was at Perth when Bishop Brown died. She wished Douglas to be appointed to the vacant See, and Pope Leo the Tenth acquiesced.

Learned, gentle and pious, however, as Gavin Douglas was acclaimed, his nomination gave dire offence. Already the Chapter in Dunkeld had elected Andrew Stewart, brother to the Earl of Atholl. In his quaint style, Canon Myln tells of this election, "John, Earl of Athol, the son of Earl John, brother to King James II., called the Canons and requested of them to make choice of his brother Andrew, Prebendary of Craigyne, and in the meantime to put the episcopal palace in his possession. As some of the canons were his relations and others were afraid for themselves and effects, therefore they without delay agreed to grant all that was desired......The affair went the more easily that the Earl was very powerful and could defend everybody belonging to the church from plunderers of every kind."

It was not to be supposed, therefore, that the Earl of Atholl and his brother would submit without a struggle to the nomination of another, and that other a member of the rival, influential House of Douglas. The Earl and his brother took the high patriotic stand and quoted an ancient Scottish law, seldom enforced, which forbade the using of outside influence. They averred that Douglas had done this through the Queen Regent, who had used the interest of the English King to procure the Papal nomination, and declared him a traitor. Douglas was therefore tried on the charge of treason, found guilty and condemned to imprisonment. For more than a year he languished a prisoner in the Castles of Edinburgh, St. Andrews and Dunbar.

The Queen Regent (widow of James IV.) was very angry at this flouting of her authority. She had married the Earl of Angus, nephew of Gavin Douglas, shortly after the death of the King, a marriage by which our Royal family are descended through Darnley. She refused to yield, and succeeded finally in obtaining the freedom and recognition of her nominee.

Douglas was then consecrated at Glasgow, but before him was still a stormy passage. Myln’s account of his ordination confirms this—

"After his consecration he first visited St. Andrews on Michaelmas Week, then the Church of Dunkeld. The first night he was very affectionately received by clergy and laity, who all praised God for so noble, so learned, so worthy a Bishop. He published the bulls at the great Altar, gave his blessing, and lodged at the dean’s house, as he had no access to the palace, which, with the steeple, Andrew Stewart’s servants held out for him, refusing to deliver them, alleging they did all by authority of the regent (Duke of Albany). On this account he was forced to have the service of God performed in the Dean’s House. To this place he called the Canons, and it was with their whole heart they yielded him homage."

This Dean’s house, last of old Dunkeld, is still standing and inhabited. It is one of a block near the Cathedral gate, which survived the disastrous fire at the Battle of Dunkeld in 1689, and is easily recognised by the massive door. In recent alterations, efforts were made to preserve the ancient character of the house. A subterranean passage was said to have been discovered near, probably one leading to the Cathedral.

After dinner, Bishop Douglas consulted the gentlemen and clergy who were present as to the course he ought to follow. In the midst of those consultations, information was received that Andrew Stewart was in arms, and a shower of cannon shot from Steeple and Palace also alarmed them. People of rank hurried to the Bishop’s defence; notice was sent to friends and "next day there came such crowds from Montross, from the low parts of Fife and the country roundabout that the City could scarce hold them. But for all their number the Prebendary of Alith had laid up such abundance of everything that there was room and provisions for all the men and also for their horses."

Andrew Stewart, thus rendered unable to relieve his retainers in palace and steeple, retired to the woods. Excommunication was threatened by the Bishop, with the result that the steeple was placed in his possession. Afterwards there were mutual accusations at Court, but a compromise being effected, Stewart retained the rents he had collected and Douglas was settled in the diocese.

The Bishop then gave himself over to good works in the bishopric. The bridge across the Tay which his predecessor began he continued, but this bridge vanished long ago. He maintained peace in his province, and also endeavoured to play the part of peacemaker elsewhere.

In 1520 several nobles, nominally headed by the Earl of Arran, but instigated by the Primate, Cardinal Beaton, met in Edinburgh, their real object being the humbling of the Earl of Angus. Douglas was present, and in vain endeavoured to bring matters to a peaceable conclusion. Turning to Beaton, he reminded him that he was a servant of the Prince of Peace and implored him to use his influence for peace.

"It may not be," was the proud prelate’s answer "Angus is too insolent. As for Arran’s designs, upon my conscience, I know nothing!"

While speaking, Beaton struck his breast as if in emphasis, forgetting that beneath his princely garb he wore a steel hauberk. The steel rattled loudly.

The answer of Douglas shows he had a ready wit.

"Ah, my lord," said he, "I perceive your conscience is not sound, for I hear it clatter!"

The affair ended in a sharp skirmish, during which Douglas retired to pray. Angus was victorious, and only the intervention of the Bishop saved Beaton as he sheltered behind the Altar of Blackfriars Church.

The times were troublous, and such broils embittered the life and banished the muse of the Poet-Bishop. His enemies became more and more powerfuL Even the revenues of Dunkeld Cathedral were sequestrated, and at last Douglas formed the project of visiting Rome in the hope that there he might plead his cause and receive help. He reached London, and, lingering there, he died of the plague in 1522.

There is no memorial in Dunkeld to mark its connection with this talented bishop, save a stone bearing the Arms of the Douglases, found amongst rubbish, and defaced. For a time it occupied a place over a former Royal School building, but is now in the Cathedral, where are also to be seen armorial bearings of the various bishops and heritors in the district.

In Perth, a line to the Bishop's memory is recorded on the panel commemorating the site of the Palace of the Dunkeld Bishops. Such a panel might fitly be placed on the Dean's house where the ordination of Douglas took place.

Dunkeld an Ancient City
Elizabeth Stewart
Dunkeld, 1926

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