DOUGLAS, OAWIN, was born in the year 1471 or 1475, and was the third sou of Archibald, sixth earl of Angus, surnamed Bell-the Cat. Being intended for the church, he received the best education which Sootland and Franco could give. Ha obtained successively tho provostahip of the collegiate church of St. Giles's, Edinburgh, and the rectorship of Ileriot church. Ile was then made abbot of Aber brothick, and lastly, bishop of Dunkeld ; but his elevation to the archbishopric of St. Andrews was prevented by the pope. In 1513 some political intrigues compelled him to retire to England, where he was favourably received by Henry VIII. He died of the plague in 1521 or 1522, at the Savoy, where he had resided during the whole of his stay.
In his early years ho translated Ovid's Art of Love,' and composed two allegorical poems, 'King Hart' and the Palace of Honour ;' but he is boat and most deservedly known by his translation of Virgil's '..Eneid,' which. with tho thirteenth book by lslapheus Vegius, was produced in 1513. To each book is prefixed an original prologue,
some of which give lively and simple descriptions of scenery, written in a manner which proves their author to have been possessed of con siderable poetical power. At the end of the work (p. 380, ed. of 1553) be informs us that " compilet was this work Virgilean . . . . in eighteen monethe space," for two months whereof he "wrote never one word." Those who take the trouble to examine Douglas fur themselves, will find his language not nearly so different from our own as might be imagined from a cursory glance at the pages. The chief difference consists iu the spelling and the accent, which we may suppose) to have borne, as in Chaucer, a considerable resemblance to the present pro nunciation of French ; at least without some such supposition it appears impracticable to scan either.
(Warton, Ha Engl. Poetry, who gives copious extracts; Biog. Brit., art. Douglas.)