Lyndsay

Lyndsay, or Lindsay, Sir David (circa 1490-1555), Scotch poet, is supposed to have studied at St. Salvator's College, St. Andrew's. He was "usher" to James V. from 1512 to 1524, when the influence of the queen-mother and the Douglas faction occasioned his withdrawal from Court. He was afterwards sent on embassies to the Netherlands (1531), France (1536), and other countries, but probably spent most of his time at his country seats, the Mount, near Cupar, and Garmylton or Garleton, in East Lothian. His chief poems were The Breme (1528), describing in the form of a vision the anarchy and misery which prevailed in Scotland, and The Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis (1535), in which the vices of all classes of society are unsparingly attacked. These works are characterised by humour, shrewdness, and much knowledge of the world. They contributed greatly to bring about the Reformation in Scotland, and maintained their popularity in that country for over 200 years.