purpose. It was, however, the success with which Coleridge had used it in his Cristabel," that finally decided Scott to employ this measure in his poem. 66 66 The work was unprecedentedly successful. Scott became at once the most popular poet of the day. However unequal the work might be in parts, he had entirely succeeded in his main purpose, which was "to illustrate the customs and manners which anciently prevailed on the borders of England and Scotland." Scott adds, that "the description of scenery and manners was more the object of the author than a combined and regular narrative." Lord Jeffrey describes the poem as an attempt to transfer the refinements of modern poetry to the matter and the manner of the ancient metrical romance." This antique character is favoured greatly by the device of putting the poem into the mouth of an aged minstrel, whose character is also interesting as a type of his class. He is represented as narrating the story in Newark Castle, to the Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth, about the close of the seventeenth century. 66 INTRODUCTION. 1. Had called his harmless art a crime. -The minstrels, as the usual assistants at scenes, not merely of conviviality, but of license," laid themselves open to clerical censure, and gradually fell into discredit and neglect. "The statute of the 39th of Queen Elizabeth, passed at the close of the sixteenth century, ranks those dishonoured sons of song among rogues and vagabonds, and appoints them to be punished as such; and the occupation, though a vestige of it was long retained in the habits of travelling ballad-singers and musicians, sunk into total neglect and contempt."-Essay on Romance, by Sir W. SCOTT. 2. Newark's stately tower.-This castle, now a stately ruin, stands on the right bank of Yarrow Water in Selkirkshire. It was built as a hunting-seat by James II. of Scotland. It was called the New Wark (work, fortress) to distinguish it from an older pile in the vicinity, built by Alexander III., called the Auld Wark. It was the residence of Anne, Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth, widow of the Duke of Monmouth who was beheaded in 1685. 'That region left, the vale unfolds Rich groves of lofty stature, 5. Earl Francis.-Francis Scott, Earl of Buccleuch, father of the Duchess. 6. Earl Walter.-Walter Scott, Earl of Buccleuch, grandfather of the Duchess. 7. And, would the noble Duchess deign.— The construction of this sentence is peculiar, inasmuch as it contains two clauses of condition. Construe thus: 1. Would the noble Duchess deign to listen to an old man's strain. (First clause of condition, dependent on 3.) 2. Though stiff his hand, his voice though weak. (Clauses of concession to 4.) 3. He thought even yet, the sooth to speak. (Principal clause.) 4. That he could make music to her ear. (Noun clause, object of 3.) 5. If she loved the harp to hear. (Second clause of condition, dependent on 4.) 8. Wildering.-Perplexing, bewildering. Scott frequently uses this word. See Lady of the Lake, Canto I., stanzas 14 and 22. 9. King Charles the Good.-King Charles I. visited Scotland with Laud in 1633, and set up the Episcopal form of worship in the Abbey of Holyrood. 10. Holyrood.-The Abbey was founded by David I. in 1128. It originally com With Yarrow winding through the pomp prised a suite of apartments for royal Of cultivated nature. And, rising from those lofty groves, The shattered front of Newark's towers, WORDSWORTH, Yarrow Visited. 3. The Duchess.-Anne, Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth. See the preceding note. 4. Anon. Presently. [A.-S. on an, in oue-i.e., in one instant.] guests. The Palace, or House, as it was generally called, dates from 1528; but the greater part of the present building belongs to the reign of Charles II. 11. Lightened up his faded eye.—' -"Eye" is the subject of "lightened." Such inversions occur frequently in Scott's poetry. 12. In faithless memory void.-"Void " is an adjective qualifying "blank;" but the expression is redundant, as a blank must be void. CANTO FIRST. 11. Lord David. -The father of her husband, Sir Walter Scott. 1. Branksome Tower.-This famous Bor- | miles from Venice; long supposed by the der keep stood on the left bank of the Scottish peasants to be the principal school Teviot, a few miles above Hawick. It was of necromancy. the chief stronghold of upper Teviotdale, and the centre round which Border warfare frequently raged. It has belonged to the Scotts of Buccleuch since the fifteenth century. Its site is now occupied by a modern mansion, called Branxholm House. The suffix -holm signifies a little valley, or the low lying ground on the banks of a river. 2. Wight Strong, active. [O. E. and Sc. wicht.] Comp. "Wallace wight" in Marmion. See infra 21. 3. Jedwood axe.-A sort of partisan or battle-axe, used by horsemen; called also a Jeddart-staff. 4. Dight.-Prepared. [A.-S. dihtan, to dress, dispose; Sc. dicht and dycht; and Ger. dichten, to prepare.] Comp.- "Sche was arisen, and al redy dight." Chaucer. 5. Scroop, Howard, Percy.-Names of famous English Wardens of the Marches, or Border-land. 6. The custom of Branksome Hall.-The preceding stanzas contain a vivid description of the arrangements and discipline of a feudal household. One third of the garrison is in constant readiness to spring into the saddle at a moment's notice. 7. He......his sword hangs.-He is an example of a nominative without a verb. The writer is supposed to change the structure of the sentence in the course of writing it. Grammarians call the figure, which is common in excited narrative, anakolouthon, meaning a separation, or break in logical sequence. as the 66 66 8. And if.-This is doubtless the same an if" so frequent in Shakespeare. But he uses an" by itself, to signify "if " -e.g., An they have conspired together, I will not say you shall see a masque."Merchant of Venice. Comp. Canto II., Note 15. 9. With Car in arms had stood.-Margaret's father, Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch, was murdered (in 1552) by the Cars, a powerful Border family, between whom and the Scotts a deadly feud had arisen. Henry, lord of Cranstoun, had on that occasion fought on the side of Car. 10. Padua. In Venetia, twenty-five 12. Fell. High land only fit for pasture. Those parts of the Cheviot Hills which are not ploughed are called The Fells. 13. Arthur's wain....the Northern Bear ....Orion.-Constellations in the northern hemisphere. Arthur's Wain (ie., waggon) is the Ursa Minor, or Little Bear, in the end of the tail of which is the pole star. "The Northern Bear," is the constellation Ursa Major, called also "Charles's Wain." Orion," the most striking of the northern constellations, is named after the gigantic hunter of Greek mythology. The hunter's "belt" is one of the most prominent features in this constellation. 66 14. Shimmers.-Shines indistinctly, or fitfully. The word is probably a combination of shine and glimmer. The sign 15. Shower.-The infinitive. to is not usually omitted after deign. 16. And her heart.-These three syllables make one foot in the line, the accent falling on "heart." The principle on which this romantic verse, as it may be called, is constructed, is that each line shall contain four accents, or strong syllables, and that the intervals separating these may consist either of one or of two weak syllables. Let an accent, or strong syllable, be represented by a, and an interval by x; then we may either read x as one syllable, eks, or as two, ek-es. The scanning of a regular line will thus be represented by χά κά | κά | χά the scanning of the present line, which contains only three feet, by ks ά | κ ά | χά 17. Retainer.Clansman, or dependant. 18. As she paused, &c.-Scan thus: 19. William of Deloraine. —The lands of assigned to their retainers, as to this William Scott, for service on the Borders. 20. Stark.-Powerful. This is the Scotish signification of the word. In English it means stiff, and is often used redundantly along with that word, as"Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff." Shakespeare. But in Early English it had the meaning of "strong." Both meanings are combined in the Latin equivalent rigidus. A body, to be inflexible, must be strong. [A.-S. stearc, Ger. stark, strong.]—-Moss-trooping. -The troopers who frequented the Border mosses or morasses of England and Scotland were called moss-troopers. 21. Wightest. - Strongest. [Sc. wight and wicht, strong, active; O. Eng. wight; Sw. vig. Both stark (see note 20) and wight are applied in Scotch to the potency of wine.]- -In this line the accent of each foot precedes the interval. Mount thee on the Scan thus,wightest steed. á á x á Ꮖ á The foot a--x corresponds with the classical trochee, and the line is called trochaic. | The foot xa corresponds with the iambus, and the measure is called iambic. The latter is the usual measure of Scott's poems; but he frequently introduces trochees and trochaic lines, to give variety to the rhythm. For example, in the following line the first foot is a trochee :Spare not to spur nor stint to ride. ά XC 20 ά х ά á 22. Melrose's holy pile.-Melrose Abbey, on the north-east of the town of Melrose, on the Tweed, in Roxburghshire, the finest specimen of Gothic architecture in Scotland, was originally founded by David I., in 1156; was destroyed by the English in the reign of Edward II.; and was restored by Robert Bruce in 1326. King David's 23. St. Michael's night.--The St. Michael of the calendar is the Archangel Michael. The reference here, however, is obviously to the wizard Michael Scott. 24. See thou keep.-"See" is imperative; thou keep" is a noun clause, governed by "see." Construe thus: "See that thou keep what he gives thee." "Keep" is the subjunctive mood in a dependent clause. 25. Lorn.-Lost, abbreviated from forlorn. [O. Eng. loren, used by Robert of Gloucester. A.-S. leoran, to depart, die; and for-leosan, past participle for-loren.] 26. Neck-verse. The verse anciently read by criminals claiming the benefit of clergy, --the beginning of the Fifty-first Psalm. -Hairibee. The place of execution of the Border marauders at Carlisle. 27. Barbican.-The defence of the outer gate of a feudal castle. 28. Lauds. The midnight service of the Roman Catholic Church. [Lat. laudo, I praise.] 29. Wise Manner; same as guise. Comp. otherwise and other-guess. The forms in w are A.-S.; those in gu are N. Fr. Comp. ward and guard; wile and guile; wage and guage, gage, &c. 30. That wild harp, &c.-The Aeolian harp; named after Aeolus, the god of winds. It is thus described by Thomson: "Behoves no more But sidelong, to the gently-waving wind, CANTO SECOND. 1. Flout. To insult. [A.-S. Alitan, to quarrel; Sc. flyte, to scold.] 2. The scrolls that teach thee to live and die. The reference is to the scrolls inscribed with texts of Scripture, placed under niches in the walls of Melrose Abbey. 3. Soothly. -In sooth, or truly. The adverbial form of this word is uncommon. S. sóth, truth.] 4. Deloraine. That is, William of Deloraine. In Scotland, proprietors are familiarly called by the names of their estates. 5. Aventayle.-The visor or front part of the helmet. [Fr. avant, before, and ail, the eye; as visor, Fr. visière, is from Lat. video, I see.] 6. All the feet in this line except the second have two weak syllables. Such 8. A Scottish monarch slept below.-A large marble stone, in the chancel of Melrose Abbey, is pointed out as the monument of Alexander II. Others, however, say it is the resting-place of one of the early abbots. 9. Paynim.-Infidel. 10. Michael Scott.-A scholar of the thirteenth century, whose skill in experimental science procured him the reputation of a wizard. Sir Walter Scott, following Hector Boece, identifies him with Sir Michael Scott of Balwearie in Fifeshire, who was one of the Scottish embassy sent to bring home the Maid of Norway in 1290. But other evidence makes this conjecture doubtful. One authority maintains that "" Scotus was not his surname, but indicated his nationality,-Michael, the Scot. All that can be stated with certainty is, that his fame as a necromancer was European in its extent at the beginning of the fourteenth century; for Dante mentions him in his Inferno as a renowned wizard. 66 11. Hardihood. Boldness. Chaucer uses "hardynesse," and Shakespeare "hardiment," in this sense. [E. hardy, strong; Fr. hardi, akin to A.-S. heard; E. hard.] 12. The Carter's side.-Carter Fell, one of the Cheviot Hills, near Jedburgh. It was the scene, in 1575, of a sharp encounter, on the occasion of a meeting of the Wardens of the Marches, celebrated in the Border ballad of "The Raid of the Reidswine." 13. Litherlie.-The Scotch word "litherlie" properly means lazily, from lither and lidder, sluggish, sleepy. But as this meaning is wholly inapplicable to the elfin page, we suspect that Scott connected it with the E. lithe, nimble of limb, and used it in the sense of lithesome, active, supple. 14. He had been.-Conditional mood, for "he would have been." 15. An-If. See Canto I., Note 8. Ministry-Service, assistance. 16. Between Home and Hermitage.Home Castle is three miles south of Greenlaw on the Blackadder in Berwickshire. Hermitage Castle is in the west of Roxburghshire, in Liddesdale. All between Home and Hermitage," therefore, means every one on the Border. " 17. Cushat-dove. The ring-dove, or wood-pigeon. [Sc. cushie-dow, and cushette or kowshot; A.-S. cusceote.] the ravine in which the founder of the family slew a famous buck. —Swair.The descent of a hill. 10. Bellenden.-Situated near the head of Borthwick Water. Being in the centre of the possessions of the Scotts, it was frequently used as their place of rendezvous, and its name as their gathering-word. 11. Want-Was accustomed. See Marmion, Canto II., Note 29. 12. That. So that, or since. 13. Mickle.-Great. [Sc. mekyl, muckle; A.-S. micel; Lat, mag-nus.] 14. Amid the running stream.-Running water destroyed the power of sorcery, and made transformed figures reäppear in their proper shape. 15. A cloth-yard shaft.-An arrow the length of a yard or wand for measuring cloth. 16. Yew.-His bow, made of the wood of the yew-tree. 17. The Almayn's sullen kettle-drum. The drum of the German mercenaries. [Fr. Allemand, German.] 19. Culver. An ancient piece of artillery. [E. culverin; Fr. coulvrine; Lat. colubrinus, from coluber, a serpent.] 20. 'Gainst the truce of Border tide.-In violation of Border law; in time of peace : an expression taken from the Border ballads. And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Against the truce of Border tide? 22. Glaive. A broadsword or falchion. [Fr. glaive, a sword.] 23. Warrison.-Note of assault. 24. Emprize. — Daring, renown for bravery. 25. Pensils.-Tapered flags. [Lat. penicilium.] 26. Slogan. War-cry; the gathering word of a clan. [Sc. slughorn, sloggorne; 18. Bartizan,-A turret projecting from Ir. sluagh, an army, and corn, a horn.] a fortification. CANTO FIFTH, to the wind and the sun, 1. Construe thus: Howard, than whom | than the other, with reference especially a knight more bold in fight was never dubbed, accepted (the invitation). 2. Nor, &c. -Supply was there ever dubbed a knight. 3. Ousenam.-Oxnam, the chief seat of the Cranstouns, three miles from Jedburgh, and five from Cessford in Teviotdale. Ouse, pl. ousen, is Sc. for ox, oxen. 4. Glamour art.-The power of enchantment. "Glamour" is properly the charming of the eye of a spectator by magic, so that it sees things differently from what they really are, 9. Despiteous.-Merciless, cruel. Shakespeare uses dispiteous in this sense: "dispiteous torture" (King John). Chaucer's word is despitous: with ful despitous herte" (Knightes Tale).- -Scathe. - Injury. [A.-S. scethan, to hurt.] 5. For all the vassalage.-In spite of the verb, used only in the third person singular. numerous dependants of the house. 7. For. For the sake of, When they sought the plain in order to attend the lists. The pronoun marking the person pleased 66 me 6. Port.-A martial air; a lively tune is prefixed to it in the dative case. Its played on the bagpipes. nominative is the infinitive following it'to tell" in the text. Chaucer uses list," it pleases me; "hym list," it pleases him; us leste," it pleased us. "Methinks" is a similar construction; but in this case the pronoun has become compounded with the verb. 8. Like vantage of the sun and wind. One of the duties of marshals was to place the combatants so that neither of them had a more favourable position for fighting 13. The Spirit's prophecy.—The prophecy |