Stewart wrote a number of advice poems for the young
James V of Scotland, and a verse translation of
Hector Boece's Latin History of Scotland. He was the poet mentioned twice in
David Lindsay of the Mount's
Complaynt of the Papingo. Stewart was also mentioned by
John Rolland in his prologue to the
Seven Sages. There were two students with this name at St Andrews University at the same time, giving rise to possible confusions of identity; in the
Buik of Chronicles, Stewart said he was a student there for 14 years. Although it has usually been assumed the poet and minor courtier Stewart wrote both the translation and the court poems, the critic
Matthew McDiarmid attributed the translation to the other William Stewart, the bishop.
Court poetry Some of Stewart's surviving poems describe life in the Stewart court, and play on the frustration felt by courtiers hoping for royal favour and reward. This stanza is from
First Lerges, (largesse) referring to New Year's Day gifts expected from James V and from his late mother
Margaret Tudor;The thesaur and compttrollar,Thay bade me cum I wait nocht quhair,And thay suld gar I wait nocht quhay,Gif me I wat nocht quhat full fair,For lerges of this new yeirday,* * * * * *The Treasurer and ComptrollerThey call me come: I know not where,And they would do: I know not why/who,Give me I know not what, full fair,For largesse of this New Year's Day.
Translation of Boece A metrical version of the Latin history of Scotland
Hector Boece was commissioned by James V or his mother
Margaret Tudor. The work had been published in Latin at Paris in 1527 as the
Historia Gentis Scotorum (
History of the Scottish People). James V requested
John Bellenden to translate it into
Scots prose and Stewart into Scots verse. Bellenden's version appeared in 1536, but Stewart's, which was begun in 1531, remained in manuscript until 1858, when it was published in the
Rolls Series; ==References==