AY set on Norham's castled steep,' And Tweed's fair river, broad and deep, In yellow lustre shone. 1 See Appendix, Note C. It is perhaps unnecessary to remind my readers, that the donjon, in its proper signification, means the strongest part of a feudal castle; a high square tower, with walls of tremendous thickness, situated in the centre of the other buildings, from which, however, it was usually detached. Here, in case of The warriors on the turrets high, Seem'd forms of giant height: II. Saint George's banner, broad and gay, Less bright, and less, was flung; So heavily it hung. The scouts had parted on their search, Above the gloomy portal arch, The Warder kept his guard; the outward defences being gained, the garrison retreated to make their last stand. The donjon contained the great hall, and principal rooms of state for solemn occasions, and also the prison of the fortress; from which last circumstance we derive the modern and restricted use of the word dungeon. Ducange (voce DUNJO) conjectures plausibly, that the name is derived from these keeps being usually built upon a hill, which in Celtic is called DUN. Borlase supposes the word came from the darkness of the apartments in these towers, which were thence figuratively called Dungeons; thus deriving the ancient word from the modern application of it. III. A distant trampling sound he hears; A horseman, darting from the crowd, His buglehorn he blew; The warder hasted from the wall, IV. "Now broach ye a pipe of Malvoisie, Bring pasties of the doe, And quickly make the entrance free, And bid my heralds ready be, And every minstrel sound his glee, This word properly applies to a flight of water-fowl; but is applied, by analogy, to a body of horse. "There is a knight of the North Country, Which leads a lusty phap of spears." Flodden Field. And all our trumpets blow; And, from the platform, spare ye not Lord MARMION waits below!" Then to the Castle's lower ward Sped forty yeomen tall, The lofty palisade unsparr'd, And let the drawbridge fall. V. Along the bridge Lord Marmion rode, His square-turn'd joints, and strength of limb, |