The Thrissil and the Rois is a Scots poem composed by William Dunbar to mark the wedding, in August 1503, of King James IV of Scotland to Princess Margaret Tudor of England.
The poem takes the form of a dream vision in which Margaret is represented by a rose and James is represented variously by a lion, an eagle and a thistle. The episodes of the poem present in allegory King James' view of himself and of his kingdom. Princess Margaret receives lavish praise for her beauty, virtue and high birth.
The text of the poem is found only in the Bannatyne Manuscript. It is also known as The Thistle and the Rose.
Historical Context
The marriage of James IV, King of Scots, and Margaret Tudor, the eldest daughter of Henry VII of England had been agreed in the Treaty of Perpetual Peace of 1502. This treaty was intended to effect a reconciliation between the kingdoms of Scotland and England which had been at war intermittently since 1296. The treaty would not be successful in establishing peace. Ten years after the marriage of James and Margaret Scotland and England aligned themselves with opposing alliances in the War of the League of Cambrai. The subsequent campaign ended with James' death in the Scots' defeat at Flodden.
The author, William Dunbar, was a prolific poet who had been employed at the Scots royal court since at least 1500. His work often recorded state events.
The thistle had first appeared in Scottish iconography on the coins of King James III. His son and successor James IV continued its use as a symbol of the Scottish monarchy.
A rose, coloured red and white, had been adopted as a dynastic symbol by Henry VII who had seized the throne of England in 1485. It represented a union of the Lancastrian and Yorkist factions of the Plantagenet dynasty which had fought a series of civil wars for the control of the English throne before being succeeded by Henry. A red rose was a badge of the Lancastrians; A white rose was a badge of the Yorkists.
The Poem
The Thrissil and the Rois is composed in rhyme royal stanzas and makes free use of aureate vocabulary inspired by Latin and French. The narrative is presented in the common medieval device of a dream vision.
The Introduction
Dunbar begins with a description of Spring.
Quhen Merche wes with variand windis past, And Appryll had with hir silver schouris Tane leif at Nature with ane orient blast, And lusty May, that muddir is of flouris, Had maid the birdis to begyn thair houris, Amang the tendir odouris reid and quhyt, Quhois armony to heir it wes delyt,
The sleeping poet has a dream in which he is visited by the personification of May.
Me thocht fresche May befoir my bed upstude
In weid depaynt of mony divers hew, Sobir, benyng, and full of mansuetude, In brycht atteir of flouris forgit new, Hevinly of color, quhyt, reid, broun, and blew, Balmit in dew and gilt with Phebus bemys Quhill all the hous illumynit of hir lemys.
She demands that he rises and compose a poem in her honour.
"Slugird," scho said, "Awalk annone, for schame, And in my honour sumthing thow go wryt,
The poet complains that he can't meet her request. He claims to have had no inspiration recently.
Quhairto quod I, Sall I uprys at morrow, For in this May few birdis herd I sing? Thai haif moir caus to weip and plane thair sorrow, Thy air it is nocht holsum nor benyng,
Patiently, May reminds him that he had previously promised her to write a poem about 'the most pleasant rose'.
With that this lady sobirly did smyll
And said, Uprys and do thy observance, Thow did promyt in Mayis lusty quhyle For to discryve the ros of most plesance.
May then departs into a beautiful garden and, dressed hurriedly, the poet follows her.
Quhen this wes said depairtit scho, this quene, And enterit in a lusty gairding gent. And than, me thocht, sa listely besene, In serk and mantill, full haistely I went, Into this garth, most dulce and redolent, Of herb and flour and tendir plantis sueit, And grene levis doing of dew doun fleit.
Dame Nature
In the garden Dame Nature is holding court attended by other mythological characters.
The birdis did with oppin vocis cry, O luvaris fo, away thow dully nycht, And welcum day that confortis every wicht. Haill May, haill Flora, haill Aurora schene, Haill princes Natur, haill Venus luvis quene.
Dame Nature sends messengers to assemble all the animals, birds and plants of the world.
Scho ordand eik that every bird and beist, Befoir hir hienes suld annone compeir, And every flour of vertew, most and leist, And every herb be feild, fer and neir,
The assembly gathers quickly.