7. A minstrel gray. "That Highland chieftains, to a late period,retained in their service the bard, as a family officer, admits of veryeasy proof. The author of the Letters from the North of Scotland, anofficer of engineers, quartered at Inverness about 1720, who certainlycannot be deemed a favorable witness, gives the following account ofthe office, and of a bard, whom he heard exercise his talent ofrecitation:—'The bard is killed in the genealogy of all the Highlandfamilies, sometimes preceptor to the young laird, celebrates in Irishverse the original of the tribe, the famous warlike actions of thesuccessive heads, and sings his own lyricks as an opiate to the chief,when indisposed for sleep; but poets are not equally esteemed andhonored in all countries. I happened to be a witness of the dishonourdone to the muse, at the house of one of the chiefs, where two of thesebards were set at a good distance, at the lower end of a long table,with a parcel of Highlanders of no extraordinary appearance, over a cupof ale. Poor inspiration! They were not asked to drink a glass of wineat our table, though the whole company consisted only of the great man,one of his near relations, and myself. After some little time, the chiefordered one of them to sing me a Highland song. The bard readily obeyed,and with a hoarse voice, and in a tune of few various notes, began, asI was told, one of his own lyricks; and when he had proceeded to thefourth of fifth stanza, I perceived, by the names of several persons,glens, and mountains, which I had known or heard of before, that itwas an account of some clan battle. But in his going on, the chief (whopiques himself upon his school-learning) at some particular passage,bid him cease, and cryed out, "There's nothing like that in Virgil orHomer." I bowed, and told him I believed so. This you may believe wasvery edifying and delightful'" (Scott).
15. Than men, etc. "It is evident that the old bard, with hissecond-sight, has a glimmering notion who the stranger is. He speaksbelow {311} of 'courtly spy,' and James's speech had betrayed aknowledge of the Douglas" (Taylor).
20. Battled. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821; "battle" inmost others. Cf. i. 626 above.
22. Where beauty, etc. The MS. has "At tourneys where the brave resort."The reference is to the tournaments, "Where," as Milton says (L'Allegro,119),
"throngs of knights and barons bold. In weeds of peace, high triumphs hold, With store of ladies, whose bright eyes Rain influence, and judge the prize Of wit or arms, while both contend To win her grace whom all commend."
Cf. 87 below.
26. Love's. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821; most eds. have"love."
29. Plaided. The plaid was properly the dress of a Highlander, though itwas worn also in the Lowlands.
51. The Harper on the islet beach. "This picture is touched with thehand of the true poet" (Jeffrey).
56. As from. As if from. Cf. 64 and 83 below. This ellipsis was commonin Elizabethan English. Cf. Shakespeare, Macb. ii. 2. 28:
"One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other, As they had seen me with these hangman's hands."
- In the last sound. For the measure, see on i. 73 above.
- His fleet. That is, of ducks. Cf. i. 239 above.
- Would scorn. Who would scorn. See on i. 528 above.
- Turned him. See on i. 142 above, and cf. 106 below.
86. After. Afterwards; as in Shakespeare, Temp. ii. 2. 10: "And afterbite me," etc. The word is not now used adverbially of time, though wemay say "he followed after," etc. The 1st ed. reads "that knight."
94. Parts. Departs; as often in poetry and earlier English. Cf.Goldsmith, D. V. 171: "Beside the bed where parting life was laid;"Gray, Elegy, 1: "the knell of parting day," etc. On the other hand,depart was used in the sense of part. In the Marriage Service "tilldeath us do part" is a corruption of "till death us depart." Wiclif'sBible, in Matt. xix. 6, has "therfor a man departe not that thing thatGod hath ioyned."
103. Another step, etc. The MS. has "The loveliest Lowland fair to spy;"and the 1st ed. reads "The step of parting fair to spy."
109. The Graeme. Scott has the following note here: "The ancient andpowerful family of Graham (which, for metrical reasons, is here smelledafter the Scottish pronunciation) held extensive possessions in thecounties of Dumbarton and Stirling. Few families can boast of morehistorical renown, having claim to three of the most remarkablecharacters in the Scottish annals. Sir John the Graeme, the faithful andundaunted partaker of the labors and patriotic warfare of Wallace, fellin the unfortunate field of Falkirk, in 1298. The celebrated Marquis ofMontrose, in whom De Retz saw realized his abstract idea of the heroesof antiquity, was the second of these worthies. And, not withstandingthe severity of his temper, and the rigor with which he executed theoppressive mandates of the princes whom he served, I do not hesitateto name as the third, John Graeme, of Claverhouse, Viscount of Dundee,whose heroic death, in the arms of victory, may be allowed to cancelthe memory of his cruelty to the non-conformists, during the reigns ofCharles II. and James II."
112. Bower. The word meant a chamber (see on i. 217 above), and wasoften used of the ladies' apartments in a house. In hall and bower =among men and women. The words are often thus associated. Cf. Spenser,Astrophel, 28: "Merily masking both in bowre and hall," etc.
- Arose. The 1st ed. misprints "Across;" not noted in the Errata.
- And the proud march. See on i. 73 above.
131. Saint Modan. A Scotch abbot of the 7th century. Scott says here: "Iam not prepared to show that Saint Modan was a performer on the harp. Itwas, however, no unsaintly accomplishment; for Saint Dunstan certainlydid play upon that instrument, which retaining, as was natural, aportion of the sanctity attached to its master's character, announcedfuture events by its spontaneous sound. 'But labouring once in thesemechanic arts for a devout matrone that had sett him on work, his violl,that hung by him on the wall, of its own accord, without anie man'shelpe, distinctly sounded this anthime: Gaudent in coelis animaesanctorum qui Christi vestigia sunt secuti; et quia pro eius amoresanguinem suum fuderunt, ideo cum Christo gaudent aeternum. Whereat allthe companie being much astonished, turned their eyes from beholding himworking, to looke on that strange accident.... Not long after, manie ofthe court that hitherunto had born a kind of fayned friendship towardshim, began now greatly to envie at his progresse and rising in goodness,using manie crooked, backbiting meanes to diffame his vertues with theblack markes of hypocrisie. And the better to authorise their calumnie,they brought in this that happened in the violl, affirming it to havebeen done by art magick. What more? this wicked rumour encreased, dayly,till the king and others of the nobilitie taking hould thereof, Dunstangrew odious in their sight. Therefore he resolued to leaue the court,and goe to Elphegus, surnamed the Bauld, then bishop of Winchester, whowas his cozen. Which his enemies understanding, they layd wayte for himin the way, and hauing throwne him off his horse, beate him, and draggedhim in the durt in the most miserable manner, meaning to have slainehim, had not a companie of mastiue dogges, that came unlookt uppon them,defended and redeemed him from their crueltie. When with sorrow hewas ashamed to see dogges more humane than they. And giuing thankes toAlmightie God, he sensibly againe perceaued that the tunes of his viollhad giuen him a warning of future accidents' (Flower of the Lives ofthe most renowned Sainets of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by the R.Father Hierome Porter. Doway, 1632 4to. tome i. p. 438).
"The same supernatural circumstance is alluded to by the anonymousauthor of Grim, the Collier of Croydon:
'-----[Dunstant's harp sounds on the wall.] 'Forrest. Hark, hark, my lord, the holy abbot's harp Sounds by itself so hanging on the wall! 'Dunstan. Unhallow'd man, that scorn'st the sacred rede, Hark, how the testimony of my truth Sounds heavenly music with an angel's hand, To testify Dunstan's integrity, And prove thy active boast of no effect.'"
141. Bothwell's bannered hall. The picturesque ruins of Bothwell Castlestand on the banks of the Clyde, about nine miles above Glasgow. Someparts of the walls are 14 feet thick, and 60 feet in height. They arecovered with ivy, wild roses, and wall-flowers.
"The tufted grass lines Bothwell's ancient hall, The fox peeps cautious from the creviced wall, Where once proud Murray, Clydesdale's ancient lord, A mimic sovereign, held the festal board."
142. Ere Douglases, to ruin driven. Scott says: "The downfall of theDouglases of the house of Angus, during the reign of James V., is theevent alluded to in the text. The Earl of Angus, it will be remembered,had married the queen dowager, and availed himself of the right which hethus acquired, as well as of his extensive power, to retain the kingin a sort of tutelage, which approached very near to captivity. Severalopen attempts were made to rescue James from this thraldom, withwhich he was well known to be deeply disgusted; but the valor of theDouglases, and their allies, gave them the victory in every conflict.At length, the king, while residing at Falkland, contrived to escape bynight out of his own court and palace, and rode full speed to StirlingCastle, where the governor, who was of the opposite faction, joyfullyreceived him. Being thus at liberty, James speedily summoned around himsuch peers as he knew to be most inimical to the domination of Angus,and laid his complaint before them, says Pitscottie, 'with greatlamentations: showing to them how he was holding in subjection, thiryears bygone, by the Earl of Angus, and his kin and friends, whooppressed the whole country, and spoiled it, under the pretence ofjustice and his authority; and had slain many of his lieges, kinsmen,and friends, because they would have had it mended at their hands, andput him at liberty, as he ought to have been, at the counsel ofhis whole lords, and not have been subjected and corrected with noparticular men, by the rest of his nobles: Therefore, said he, Idesire, my lords, that I may be satisfied of the said earl, his kin, andfriends; for I avow, that Scotland shall not hold us both, while [i.e.till] I be revenged on him and his.
'The lords hearing the king's complaint and lamentation, and also thegreat rage, fury, and malice, that he bure toward the Earl of Angus, hiskin and friends, they concluded all and thought it best, that he shouldbe summoned to underly the law; if he fand not caution, nor yet compearhimself, that he should be put to the horn, with all his kin andfriends, so many as were contained in the letters. And further, thelords ordained, by advice of his majesty, that his brother and friendsshould be summoned to find caution to underly the law within a certainday, or else be put to the horn. But the earl appeared not, nor nonefor him; and so he was put to the horn, with all his kin and friends:so many as were contained in the summons, that compeared not, werebanished, and holden traitors to the king.'"
159. From Tweed to Spey. From the Tweed, the southern boundary ofScotland, to the Spey, a river far to the north in Invernessshire; thatis, from one end of the land to the other.
170. Reave. Tear away. The participle reft is still used, at least inpoetry. Cf. Shakespeare, V. and A. 766: "Or butcher-sire that reaves hisson of life" (that is, bereaves); Spenser, F. Q. i. 3. 36: "He to himlept, in minde to reave his life;" Id. ii. 8. 15: "I will him reave ofarms," etc.
- It drinks, etc. The MS. has "No blither dewdrop cheers the rose."
195, 196. To see... dance. This couplet is not in the MS.
200. The Lady of the Bleeding Heart. The bleeding heart was thecognizance of the Douglas family. Robert Bruce, on his death-bed,bequeathed his heart to his friend, the good Lord James, to be borne inwar against the Saracens. "He joined Alphonso, King of Leon and Castile,then at war with the Moorish chief Osurga, of Granada, and in a keencontest with the Moslems he flung before him the casket containing theprecious relic, crying out, 'Onward as thou wert wont, thou nobleheart, Douglas will follow thee.' Douglas was slain, but his body wasrecovered, and also the precious casket, and in the end Douglas was laidwith his ancestors, and the heart of Bruce deposited in the church ofMelrose Abbey" (Burton's Hist. of Scotland).
201. Fair. The 1st ed. (and probably the MS., though not noted byLockhart) has "Gay."
- Yet is this, etc. The MS. and 1st ed. read:
"This mossy rock, my friend, to me Is worth gay chair and canopy."
205. Footstep. The reading of the 1st and other early eds.; "footsteps"in recent ones.
206. Strathspey. A Highland dance, which takes its name from the strath,or broad valley, of the Spey (159 above).
213. Clan-Alpine's pride. "The Siol Alpine, or race of Alpine, includesseveral clans who claimed descent from Kenneth McAlpine, an ancientking. These are the Macgregors, the Grants, the Mackies, the Mackinnans,the MacNabs, the MacQuarries, and the Macaulays. Their common emblem wasthe pine, which is now confined to the Macgregors" (Taylor).
214. Loch Lomond. This beautiful lake, "the pride of Scottish lakes,"is about 23 miles in length and 5 miles in its greatest breadth. At thesouthern end are many islands, one of which, Inch-Cailliach (the Islandof Women, so called from a nunnery that was once upon it), was theburial-place of Clan-Alpine. See iii. 191 below.
216. A Lennox foray. That is, a raid in the lands of the Lennoxfamily, bordering on the southern end of Loch Lomond. On the island ofInch-Murrin, the ruins of Lennox Castle, formerly a residence of theEarls of Lennox, are still to be seen. There was another of theirstrongholds on the shore of the lake near Balloch, where the modernBalloch Castle now stands.
217. Her glee. The 1st ed. misprints "his glee;" not noted in theErrata.
- Black Sir Roderick. Roderick Dhu, or the Black, as he was called.
221. In Holy-Rood a knight he slew. That is, in Holyrood Palace. "Thiswas by no means an uncommon occurrence in the Court of Scotland; nay,the presence of the sovereign himself scarcely restrained the ferociousand inveterate feuds which were the perpetual source of bloodshed amongthe Scottish nobility" (Scott).
- Courtiers give place, etc. The MS. reads:
"Courtiers give place with heartless stride Of the retiring homicide."
- Who else, etc. The MS. has the following couplet before this line:
"Who else dared own the kindred claim That bound him to thy mother's name?"
229. The Douglas, etc. Scott says here: "The exiled state of thispowerful race is not exaggerated in this and subsequent passages. Thehatred of James against the race of Douglas was so inveterate, thatnumerous as their allies were, and disregarded as the regal authorityhad usually been in similar cases, their nearest friends, even in themost remote part of Scotland, durst not entertain them, unless under thestrictest and closest disguise. James Douglas, son of the banished Earlof Angus, afterwards well known by the title of Earl of Morton, lurked,during the exile of his family, in the north of Scotland, under theassumed name of James Innes, otherwise James the Grieve (i.e. reve orbailiff). 'And as he bore the name,' says Godscroft, 'so did he alsoexecute the office of a grieve or overseer of the lands and rents, thecorn and cattle of him with whom he lived.' From the habits of frugalityand observation which he acquired in his humble situation, the historiantraces that intimate acquaintance with popular character which enabledhim to rise so high in the state, and that honorable economy by whichhe repaired and established the shattered estates of Angus and Morton(History of the House of Douglas, Edinburgh, 1743, vol. ii. p. 160)."
235. Guerdon. Reward; now rarely used except in poetry. Cf. Spenser, F.Q. i. 10. 59: "That glory does to them for guerdon graunt," etc.
236. Dispensation. As Roderick and Ellen were cousins, they could notmarry without a dispensation from the Pope.
- Orphan. Referring to child, not to she, as its position indicates.
254. Shrouds. Shields, protects. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. i. 1. 6: "And thisfaire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain" (that is, from therain). So the noun = shelter, protection; as in Shakespeare, A. andC. iii. 13. 71: "put yourself under his shroud," etc. See also on 757below.
260. Maronnan's cell. "The parish of Kilmaronock, at the easternextremity of Loch Lomond, derives its name from a cell, or chapel,dedicated to Saint Maronock, or Marnock, or Maronnan, about whosesanctity very little is now remembered" (Scott). Kill = cell; asin Colmekill (Macb. ii. 4. 33), "the cell of Columba," now known asIcolmkill, or Iona.
270. Bracklinn's thundering wave. This beautiful cascade is on theKeltie, a mile from Callander. The height of the fall is about fiftyfeet. "A few years ago a marriage party of Lowland peasants met witha tragic end here, two of them having tumbled into the broken, angrywaters, where they had no more chance of life than if they had droppedinto the crater of Hecla" (Black).
- Save. Unless; here followed by the subjunctive.
274. Claymore. The word means "a large sword" (Gaelic claidheamh, sword,and more, great).
294. Shadowy plaid and sable plume. Appropriate to Roderick Dhu. See on220 above.
303. Woe the while. Woe be to the time, alas the time! Cf. Shakespeare,J. C. i. 3. 82: "But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead," etc.See also on i. 166 above.
306. Tine-man. "Archibald, the third Earl of Douglas, was so unfortunatein all his enterprises, that he acquired the epithet of 'tine-man,'because he tined, or lost, his followers in every battle which hefought. He was vanquished, as every reader must remember, in the bloodybattle of Homildon-hill, near Wooler, where he himself lost an eye, andwas made prisoner by Hotspur. He was no less unfortunate when alliedwith Percy, being wounded and taken at the battle of Shrewsbury. He wasso unsuccessful in an attempt to beseige Roxburgh Castle, that it wascalled the 'Foul Raid,' or disgraceful expedition. His ill fortune lefthim indeed at the battle of Beauge, in France; but it was only to returnwith double emphasis at the subsequent action of Vernoil, the last andmost unlucky of his encounters, in which he fell, with the flower of theScottish chivalry, then serving as auxiliaries in France, and about twothousand common soldiers, A.D. 1424" (Scott).
307. What time, etc. That is, at the time when Douglas alliedhimself with Percy in the rebellion against Henry IV. of England. SeeShakespeare, 1 Hen. IV.
309. Did, self unscabbarded, etc. Scott says here: "The ancientwarriors, whose hope and confidence rested chiefly in their blades,were accustomed to deduce omens from them, especially from such as weresupposed to have been fabricated by enchanted skill, of which we havevarious instances in the romances and legends of the time. The wonderfulsword Skofnung, wielded by the celebrated Hrolf Kraka, was of thisdescription. It was deposited in the tomb of the monarch at his death,and taken from thence by Skeggo, a celebrated pirate, who bestowed itupon his son-in-law, Kormak, with the following curious directions:'"The manner of using it will appear strange to you. A small bag isattached to it, which take heed not to violate. Let not the rays of thesun touch the upper part of the handle, nor unsheathe it, unless thouart ready for battle. But when thou comest to the place of fight, goaside from the rest, grasp and extend the sword, and breathe upon it.Then a small worm will creep out of the handle; lower the handle, thathe may more easily return into it." Kormak, after having received thesword, returned home to his mother. He showed the sword, and attemptedto draw it, as unnecessarily as ineffectually, for he could not pluckit out of the sheath. His mother, Dalla, exclaimed, "Do not despise thecounsel given to thee, my son." Kormak, however, repeating his efforts,pressed down the handle with his feet, and tore off the bag, whenSkofung emitted a hollow groan; but still he could not unsheathe thesword. Kormak then went out with Bessus, whom he had challenged to fightwith him, and drew apart at the place of combat. He sat down upon theground, and ungirding the sword, which he bore above his vestments, didnot remember to shield the hilt from the rays of the sun. In vain heendeavored to draw it, till he placed his foot against the hilt; thenthe worm issued from it. But Kormak did not rightly handle the weapon,in consequence whereof good fortune deserted it. As he unsheathedSkofnung, it emitted a hollow murmur' (Bartholini de Causis Contemptae aDanis adhuc Gentilibus Mortis, Libri Tres. Hafniae, 1689, 4to, p. 574).
"To the history of this sentient and prescient weapon, I beg leave toadd, from memory, the following legend, for which I cannot produce anybetter authority. A young nobleman, of high hopes and fortune, chancedto lose his way in the town which he inhabited, the capital, if Imistake not, of a German province. He had accidentally involved himselfamong the narrow and winding streets of a suburb, inhabited by thelowest order of the people, and an approaching thunder-shower determinedhim to ask a short refuge in the most decent habitation that was nearhim. He knocked at the door, which was opened by a tall man, of a grislyand ferocious aspect, and sordid dress. The stranger was readily usheredto a chamber, where swords, scourges, and machines, which seemed to beimplements of torture, were suspended on the wall. One of these swordsdropped from its scabbard, as the nobleman, after a moment's hesitation,crossed the threshold. His host immediately stared at him with such amarked expression, that the young man could not help demanding his nameand business, and the meaning of his looking at him so fixedly. 'I am,'answered the man, 'the public executioner of this city; and the incidentyou have observed is a sure augury that I shall, in discharge of myduty, one day cut off your head with the weapon which has just nowspontaneously unsheathed itself.' The nobleman lost no time in leavinghis place of refuge; but, engaging in some of the plots of the period,was shortly after decapitated by that very man and instrument.
"Lord Lovat is said, by the author of the Letters from Scotland (vol.ii. p. 214), to have affirmed that a number of swords that hung up inthe hall of the mansion-house, leaped of themselves out of the scabbardat the instant he was born. The story passed current among his clan,but, like that of the story I have just quoted, proved an unfortunateomen."
311. If courtly spy hath, etc. The 1st ed. has "If courtly spy, andharbored," etc. The ed. of 1821 reads "had harbored."
319. Beltane. The first of May, when there was a Celtic festival inhonor of the sun. Beltane = Beal-tein, or the fire of Beal, a Gaelicname for the sun. It was celebrated by kindling fires on the hill-topsat night, and other ceremonies, followed by dances, and merry-making.Cf. 410 below. See also The Lord of the Isles, i. 8: "The shepherdlights his belane-fire;" and Glenfinlas:
"But o'er his hills, in festal day, How blazed Lord Ronald's beltane-tree!"
323. But hark! etc. "The moving picture—the effect of the sounds—andthe wild character and strong peculiar nationality of the wholeprocession, are given with inimitable spirit and power of expression"(Jeffrey).
- The canna's hoary beard. The down of the canna, or cotton-grass.
- Glengyle. A valley at the northern end of Lock Katrine.
- Brianchoil. A promontory on the northern shore of the lake.
342. Spears, pikes, and axes. The 1st ed. and that of 1821 have Spears,but all the recent ones misprint "Spear." The "Globe" ed. has "Spear,spikes," etc.
343. Tartans. The checkered woollen cloth so much worn in Scotland.Curiously enough, the name is not Gaelic but French. See Jamieson or Wb.
Brave. Fine, beautiful; the same word as the Scottish braw. Cf.Shakespeare, Sonn. 12. 2: "And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;"Ham. ii. 2. 312: "This brave o'erhanging firmament," etc. It is oftenused of dress, as also is bravery (= finery); as in T. of S. iv. 3. 57:"With scarfs and fans and double change of bravery." See also Spenser,Mother Hubberds Tale, 858: "Which oft maintain'd his masters braverie"(that is, dressed as well as his master).
351. Chanters. The pipes of the bagpipes, to which long ribbons wereattached.
357. The sounds. Misprinted "the sound" in the ed. of 1821, and all themore recent eds. that we have seen. Cf. 363 below.
363. Those thrilling sounds, etc. Scott says here: "The connoisseurs inpipe-music affect to discover in a well-composed pibroch, the imitativesounds of march, conflict, flight, pursuit, and all the 'current of aheady fight.' To this opinion Dr. Beattie has given his suffrage,in that following elegant passage:—'A pibroch is a species of tune,peculiar, I think, to the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. Itis performed on a bagpipe, and differs totally from all other music. Itsrhythm is so irregular, and its notes, especially in the quick movement,so mixed and huddled together, that a stranger finds it impossible toreconcile his ear to it, so as to perceive its modulation. Some ofthese pibrochs, being intended to represent a battle, begin with a gravemotion, resembling a march; then gradually quicken into the onset;run off with noisy confusion, and turbulent rapidity, to imitate theconflict and pursuit; then swell into a few flourishes of triumphantjoy; and perhaps close with the wild and slow wailings of a funeralprocession' (Essay on Laughter and Ludicrious Composition, chap. iii.note)."
367. Hurrying. Referring to their, or rather to the them implied in thatword.
392. The burden bore. That is, sustained the burden, or chorus, of thesong. Cf. Shakespeare, Temp. i. 2. 381: "And, sweet sprites, the burdenbear."
399. Hail to the Chief, etc. The metre of the song is dactylic; theaccents being on the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th syllables. It is littleused in English. Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade and Longfellow'sSkeleton in Armor are familiar examples of it.
405. Bourgeon. Bud. Cf. Fairfax, Tasso, vii. 76: When first on treesbourgeon the blossoms soft;" and Tennyson, In Memoriam, 115:
"Now burgeons every maze of quick About the flowering squares," etc.
408. Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu. "Besides his ordinary name and surname,which were chiefly used in the intercourse with the Lowlands, everyHighland chief had an epithet expressive of his patriarchal dignityas head of the clan, and which was common to all his predecessors andsuccessors, as Pharaoh to the kings of Egypt, or Arsaces to those ofParthia. This name was usually a patronymic, expressive of his descentfrom the founder of the family. Thus the Duke of Argyll is calledMacCallum More, or the son of Colin the Great. Sometimes, however, itis derived from armorial distinctions, or the memory of some great feat;thus Lord Seaforth, as chief of the Mackenzies, or Clan-Kennet, bearsthe epithet of Caber-fae, or Buck's Head, as representative of ColinFitzgerald, founder of the family, who saved the Scottish king, whenendangered by a stag. But besides this title, which belonged to hisoffice and dignity, the chieftain had usually another peculiar tohimself, which distinguished him from the chieftains of the same race.This was sometimes derived from complexion, as dhu or roy; sometimesfrom size, as beg or more; at other times, from some peculiar exploit,or from some peculiarity of habit or appearance. The line of the texttherefore signifies,
Black Roderick, the descendant of Alpine.
"The song itself is intended as an imitation of the jorrams, or boatsongs, of the Highlanders, which were usually composed in honor of afavorite chief. They are so adapted as to keep time with the sweep ofthe oars, and it is easy to distinguish between those intended tobe sung to the oars of a galley, where the stroke is lengthened anddoubled, as it were, and those which were timed to the rowers of anordinary boat" (Scott).
- Beltane. See on 319 above.
- Roots him. See on i. 142 above.
416. Breadalbane. The district north of Loch Lomond and around LochTay. The seat of the Earl of Breadalbane is Taymouth Castle, near thenorthern end of Loch Tay.
For Menteith, see on i. 89 above.
419. Glen Fruin. A valley to the southwest of Loch Lomond. The ruinsof the castle of Benuchara, or Bannochar (see on 422 just below), stilloverhang the entrance to the glen.
Glen Luss is another valley draining into the lake, a few miles fromGlen Fruin, and Ross-dhu is on the shore of the lake, midway between thetwo. Here stands a tower, the only remnant of the ancient castle of thefamily of Luss, which became merged in that of Colquhoun.
- The best of Loch Lomond, etc. Scott has the following note here:
"The Lennox, as the district is called which encircles the lowerextremity of Loch Lomond, was peculiarly exposed to the incursions ofthe mountaineers, who inhabited the inaccessible fastnesses at the upperend of the lake, and the neighboring district of Loch Katrine. Thesewere often marked by circumstances of great ferocity, of which the notedconflict of Glen Fruin is a celebrated instance. This was a clan-battle,in which the Macgregors, headed by Allaster Macgregor, chief of theclan, encountered the sept of Colquhouns, commanded by Sir HumphryColquhoun of Luss. It is on all hands allowed that the action wasdesperately fought, and that the Colquhouns were defeated withslaughter, leaving two hundred of their name dead upon the field. Butpopular tradition has added other horrors to the tale. It is said thatSir Humphry Colquhoun, who was on horseback, escaped to the Castle ofBenechra, or Bannochar, and was next day dragged out and murdered bythe victorious Macgregors in cold blood. Buchanan of Auchmar, however,speaks of his slaughter as a subsequent event, and as perpetrated by theMacfarlanes. Again, it is reported that the Macgregors murdered anumber of youths, whom report of the intended battle had brought to bespectators, and whom the Colquhouns, anxious for their safety, had shutup in a barn to be out of danger. One account of the Macgregors deniesthis circumstance entirely; another ascribes it to the savage andbloodthirsty disposition of a single individual, the bastard brother ofthe Laird of Macgregor, who amused himself with this second massacre ofthe innocents, in express disobedience to the chief, by whom he was lefttheir guardian during the pursuit of the Colquhouns. It is added thatMacgregor bitterly lamented this atrocious action, and prophesied theruin which it must bring upon their ancient clan. ...
"The consequences of the battle of Glen Fruin were very calamitous tothe family of Macgregor, who had already been considered as an unrulyclan. The widows of the slain Colquhouns, sixty, it is said, in number,appeared in doleful procession before the king at Stirling, each ridingupon a white palfrey, and bearing in her hand the bloody shirt ofher husband displayed upon a pike. James VI. was so much moved by thecomplaints of this 'choir of mourning dames,' that he let loose hisvengeance against the Macgregors without either bounds or moderation.The very name of the clan was proscribed, and those by whom it had beenborne were given up to sword and fire, and absolutely hunted down bybloodhounds like wild beasts. Argyll and the Campbells, on the one hand,Montrose, with the Grahames and Buchanans, on the other, are said tohave been the chief instruments in suppressing this devoted clan. TheLaird of Macgregor surrendered to the former, on condition that he wouldtake him out of Scottish ground. But, to use Birrel's expression, hekept 'a Highlandman's promise;' and, although he fulfilled his word tothe letter, by carrying him as far as Berwick, he afterwards broughthim back to Edinburgh, where he was executed with eighteen of his clan(Birrel's Diary, 2d Oct. 1903). The clan Gregor being thus driven toutter despair, seem to have renounced the laws from the benefit of whichthey were excluded, and their depredations produced new acts of council,confirming the severity of their proscription, which had only theeffect of rendering them still more united and desperate. It is a mostextraordinary proof of the ardent and invincible spirit of clanship,that notwithstanding the repeated proscriptions providently ordainedby the legislature, 'for the timeous preventing the disorders andoppression that may fall out by the said name and clan of Macgregors,and their followers,' they were, in 1715 and 1745, a potent clan, andcontinue to subsist as a distinct and numerous race."
426. Leven-glen. The valley of the Leven, which connects Loch Lomondwith the Clyde.
431. The rosebud. That is, Ellen. "Note how this song connects Allan'sforebodings with Roderick's subsequent offer" (Taylor).
444. And chorus wild, etc. The MS. has "The chorus to the chieftain'sfame."
- Weeped. The form is used for the rhyme. Cf. note on i. 500 above.
- Nor while, etc. The MS. reads:
"Nor while on Ellen's faltering tongue Her filial greetings eager hung, Marked not that awe (affection's proof) Still held yon gentle youth aloof; No! not till Douglas named his name, Although the youth was Malcolm Graeme. Then with flushed cheek and downcast eye, Their greeting was confused and shy."
- Bothwell. See on 141 above.
497. Percy's Norman pennon. Taken in the raid which led to the battleof Otterburn, in Northumberland, in the year 1388, and which forms thetheme of the ballads of Chevy Chase.
- My pomp. My triumphal procession; the original meaning of pomp.
- Crescent. The badge of the Buccleuch family (Miss Yonge).
506. Blantyre. A priory, the ruins of which are still to be seen on aheight above the Clyde, opposite Bothwell Castle.
- The dogs, etc. The MS. has "The dogs with whimpering notes repaid."
525. Unhooded. The falcon was carried on the wrist, with its headcovered, or hooded, until the prey was seen, when it was unhooded forflight. Cf. vi. 665 below.
- Trust. Believe me.
527. Like fabled Goddess. The MS. has "Like fabled huntress;" referringof course to Diana.
534. Stature fair. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821; "staturetall" in most of the other eds.
- The ptarmigan. A white bird.
- Menteith. See on i. 89 above.
548. Ben Lomond. This is much the highest (3192 feet) of the mountainson the shores of Loch Lomond. The following lines on the ascent werescratched upon the window-pane of the old inn at Tarbet a hundred yearsor more ago:
"Trust not at first a quick adventurous pace; Six miles its top points gradual from its base; Up the high rise with panting haste I past, And gained the long laborious steep at last; More prudent thou—when once you pass the deep, With cautious steps and slow ascend the steep."
549. Not a sob. That is, without panting, or getting out of breath, likethe degenerate modern tourist.
574. Glenfinlas. A wooded valley between Ben-an and Benledi, theentrance to which is between Lochs Achray and Vennachar. It is the sceneof Scott's ballad, Glenfinlas, or Lord Ronald's Coronach. A mile fromthe entrance are the falls of the Hero's Targe. See iv. 84 below.
- Still a royal ward. Still under age, with the king for guardian.
583. Strath-Endrick. A valley to the southeast of Loch Lomond, drainedby Endrick Water.
584. Peril aught. Incur any peril. Milton uses the verb intransitivelyin Reason of Church Government, ii. 3: "it may peril to stain itself."
- Not in action. The 1st ed. has "nor in action."
594. News. Now generally used as a singular; but in old writers both assingular and as plural. Cf. Shakespeare, K. John, iii. 4. 164: "at thatnews he dies;" and Id. v. 7. 65: "these dead news," etc.
- As. As if. See on 56 above.
606. Glozing. That glosses over the truth, not plain and outspoken.Sometimes it means to flatter, or deceive with smooth words; as inSpenser, F. Q. iii. 8. 14:
"For he could well his glozing speeches frame To such vaine uses that him best became;"
Smith, Sermons (A. D. 1609): "Every smooth tale is not to be believed;and every glosing tongue is not to be trusted;" Milton, P. L. iii. 93:"his glozing lies;" Id. ix. 549: "So glozed the Tempter;" Comus, 161:"well-placed words of glozing courtesy," etc.
615. The King's vindictive pride, etc. Scott says here: "In 1529, Jamesmade a convention at Edinburgh, for the purpose of considering the bestmode of quelling the Border robbers, who, during the license ofhis minority, and the troubles which followed, had committed manyexorbitances. Accordingly he assembled a flying army of ten thousandmen, consisting of his principal nobility and their followers, who weredirected to bring their hawks and dogs with them, that the monarch mightrefresh himself with sport during the intervals of military execution.With this array he swept through Ettrick Forest, where he hangedover the gate of his own castle Piers Cockburn of Henderland, who hadprepared, according to tradition, a feast for his reception. He causedAdam Scott of Tushiclaw also to be executed, who was distinguished bythe title of King of the Border. But the most noted victim of justiceduring that expedition was John Armstrong of Gilnockie, famous inScottish song, who, confiding in his own supposed innocence, met theKing, with a retinue of thirty-six persons, all of whom were hanged atCarlenrig, near the source of the Teviot. The effect of this severitywas such, that, as the vulgar expressed it, 'the rush-bush kept thecow,' and 'thereafter was great peace and rest a long time, wherethroughthe King had great profit; for he had ten thousand sheep going in theEttrick Forest in keeping by Andrew Bell, who made the king as goodcount of them as they had gone in the bounds of Fife' (Pitscottie'sHistory, p. 153)."
623. Meggat's mead. The Meggat, or Megget, is a mountain stream flowinginto the Yarrow, a branch of the Etrrick, which is itself a branch ofthe Tweed. The Teviot is also a branch of the Tweed.
627. The dales, etc. The MS. has "The dales where clans were wont tobide."
634. By fate of Border chivalry. Scott says: "James was, in fact,equally attentive to restrain rapine and feudal oppression in every partof his dominions. 'The King past to the isles, and there held justicecourts, and punished both thief and traitor according to their demerit.And also he caused great men to show their holdings, wherethrough hefound many of the said lands in non-entry; the which he confiscate andbrought home to his own use, and afterwards annexed them to the crown,as ye shall hear. Syne brought many of the great men of the islescaptive with him, such as Mudyart, M'Connel, M'Loyd of the Lewes,M'Neil, M'Lane, M'Intosh, John Mudyart, M'Kay, M'Kenzie, with many otherthat I cannot rehearse at this time. Some of them he put in ward andsome in court, and some he took pledges for good rule in time coming.So he brought the isles, both north and south, in good rule and peace;wherefore he had great profit, service, and obedience of people along time hereafter; and as long as he had the heads of the countryin subjection, they lived in great peace and rest, and there was greatriches and policy by the King's justice' (Pitscottie, p. 152)."
- Your counsel. That is, give me your counsel. Streight = strait.
- The Bleeding Heart. See on 200 above.
- Quarry. See on i. 127 above.
672. To wife. For wife. Cf. Shakespeare, Temp. ii. 1. 75: "such aparagon to their queen;" Rich. II. iv. 1. 306: "I have a king here to myflatterer," etc. See also Matt. iii. 9, Luke, iii. 8, etc.
674. Enow. The old plural of enough; as in Shakespeare, Hen. V. iv. 1.240: "we have French quarrels enow," etc.
678. The Links of Forth. The windings of the Forth between Stirling andAlloa.
- Stirling's porch. The gate of Stirling Castle.
- Blench. Start, shrink.
- Heat. Misprinted "heart" in many eds.
- From pathless glen. The MS. has "from hill and glen."
692. There are who have. For the ellipsis, cf. Shakespeare, Temp. ii. 1.262: "There be that can rule Naples," etc. See also iii. 10 below.
- That beetled o'er. Cf. Hamlet, i. 4. 71:
"the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er hisbase into the sea."
- Their dangerous dream. The MS. has "their desperate dream."
- Battled. Battlemented; as in vi. 7 below.
703. It waved. That it waved; an ellipsis very common in Elizabethan andearlier English. Cf. 789 below.
708. Astound. Astounded. This contraction of the participle (here usedfor the sake of the rhyme) was formerly not uncommon in verbs ending ind and t. Thus in Shakespeare we find the participles bloat (Ham. iii. 4.182), enshield (M. for M. ii. 4. 80), taint (1 Hen. VI. v. 3. 183), etc.
- Crossing. Conflicting.
- Ere. The 1st ed. misprints "e'er."
731. Level. Aim; formerly a technical term. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 286:"The foeman may with as great aim level at the edge of a penknife," etc.
747. Nighted. Benighted. It is to be regarded as a contraction of thatword; like lated for belated in Macbeth, iii. 3. 6, etc. Nighted (=dark, black) in Hamlet, i. 2. 68 ("thy nighted colour") is an adjectiveformed from the noun night.
757. Checkered shroud. Tartain plaid. The original meaning of shroud(see Wb.) was garment.
- Parting. Departing. See on 94 above.
- So deep, etc. According to Lockhart, the MS. reads:
"The deep-toned anguish of despair Flushed, in fierce jealousy, to air;"
but we suspect that "Flushed" should be "Flashed."
- So lately. At the "Beltane game" (319 above).
- Thus as they strove, etc. The MS. reads:
"Thus, as they strove, each better hand Grasped for the dagger or the brand."
786. I hold, etc. Scott has the following note on the last page of the1st ed.: "The author has to apologize for the inadvertent appropriationof a whole line from the tragedy of Douglas: 'I hold the first whostrikes my foe.'"
789. His daughter's hand, etc. For the ellipsis of that, see on 703above. Deemed is often misprinted "doomed."
- Sullen and slowly, etc. The MS. reads:
"Sullen and slow the rivals bold Loosed at his hest their desperate hold, But either still on other glared," etc.
795. Brands. A pet word with Scott. Note how often it has been usedalready in the poem.
- As faltered. See on 601 above.
801. Pity 't were, etc. Scott says here: "Hardihood was in every respectso essential to the character of a Highlander, that the reproach ofeffeminacy was the most bitter which could be thrown upon him. Yet itwas sometimes hazarded on what we might presume to think slight grounds.It is reported of old Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, when upwards ofseventy, that he was surprised by night on a hunting or militaryexpedition. He wrapped him in his plaid, and lay contentedly downupon the snow, with which the ground happened to be covered. Among hisattendants, who were preparing to take their rest in the same manner,he observed that one of his grandsons, for his better accommodation, hadrolled a large snow-ball, and placed it below his head. The wrath ofthe ancient chief was awakened by a symptom of what he conceived to bedegenerate luxury. 'Out upon thee,' said he, kicking the frozen bolsterfrom the head which it supported, 'art thou so effeminate as to needa pillow?' The officer of engineers, whose curious Letters from theHighlands have been more than once quoted, tells a similar story ofMacdonald of Keppoch, and subjoins the following remarks: 'This andmany other stories are romantick; but there is one thing, that atfirst thought might seem very romantick, of which I have been crediblyassured, that when the Highlanders are constrained to lie among thehills, in cold dry weather, they sometimes soak the plaid in some riveror burn (i.e. brook), and then holding up a corner of it a littleabove their heads, they turn themselves round and round, till they areenveloped by the whole mantle. They then lay themselves down on theheath, upon the leeward side of some hill, where the wet and the warmthof their bodies make a steam, like that of a boiling kettle. The wet,they say, keeps them warm by thickening the stuff, and keeping the windfrom penetrating. I must confess I should have been apt to question thisfact, had I not frequently seen them wet from morning to night, and,even at the beginning of the rain, not so much as stir a few yards toshelter, but continue in it without necessity, till they were, as wesay, wet through and through. And that is soon effected by the loosenessand spunginess of the plaiding; but the bonnet is frequently takenoff, and wrung like a dishclout, and then put on again. They have beenaccustomed from their infancy to be often wet, and to take the waterlike spaniels, and this is become a second nature, and can scarcely becalled a hardship to them, insomuch that I used to say, they seemed tobe of the duck kind, and to love water as well. Though I never saw thispreparation for sleep in windy weather, yet, setting out early in amorning from one of the huts, I have seen the marks of their lodging,where the ground has been free from rime or snow, which remained allround the spot where they had lain' (Letters from Scotland, Lond. 1754,8vo, ii. p. 108)."
809. His henchman. Scott quotes again the Letters from Scotland (ii.159): "This officer is a sort of secretary, and is to be ready, uponall occasions, to venture his life in defence of his master; and atdrinking-bouts he stands behind his seat, at his haunch, from whencehis title is derived, and watches the conversation, to see if any oneoffends his patron. An English officer being in company with a certainchieftain, and several other Highland gentlemen, near Killichumen, hadan argument with the great man; and both being well warmed with usky[whisky], at last the dispute grew very hot. A youth who was henchman,not understanding one word of English, imagined his chief was insulted,and thereupon drew his pistol from his side, and snapped it at theofficer's head; but the pistol missed fire, otherwise it is more thanprobable he might have suffered death from the hand of that littlevermin. But it is very disagreeable to an Englishman over a bottle withthe Highlanders, to see every one of them have his gilly, that is, hisservant, standing behind him all the while, let what will be the subjectof conversation."
829. On the morn. Modifying should circle, not the nearer verb hadsworn.
- The Fiery Cross. See on iii. 18 below.
- Point. Point out, appoint. Cf. Shakespeare, Sonn. 14. 6:
"Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell, Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind."
The word in this and similar passages is generally printed "'point" bymodern editors, but it is not a contraction of appoint.
860. Then plunged, etc. The MS. has "He spoke, and plunged into thetide."
- Steered him. See on i. 142 above.
865, 866. Darkening... gave. In the 1st ed. these lines are joined towhat precedes, as they evidently should be; in all the more recent eds.they are joined to what follows.