of the Mountain Spirit referred to in | glamerie—that is, glamour. See Note 4, Canto I. 14. Gramarye.—Magic. Jamieson derives it from Fr. grammaire, grammar; but it is more probably the same word as supra. 15. Dight. Decked, equipped and prepared for the combat. See Canto I., Note 4. CANTO SIXTH. 80 1. Who.-Meaning that he, after " dead;" so "whose" in line 4 means that his. 2. Seems as, &c.-Construe thus: It seems as if thy woods and streams were left sole friends to me, bereft of all else, 3. Declare. The infinitive nominative to the verb lists. See Note 12, Canto V. 4. Owches.-Jewelled ornaments. Owch or ouch is literally the notch or socket in which a jewel is set. Shakespeare uses the word: "Your brooches, pearls, and ouches." II. Henry IV., Act ii., Scene 4, line 53. 5. Chainlets.-Small chains; diminutive of chain. 6. Speak.-To describe. So Shakespeare: 'Pray, speak what has happened." 66 Henry VIII. 7. Heron-shew.-The young heron; generally spelt heron-shaw. [Fr. héronceau, diminutive of héron.] 8. Princely peacock's gilded train.— The peacock was considered, during the times of chivalry, not merely an exquisite delicacy, but a dish of peculiar solemnity. After being roasted it was again decorated with its plumage, and a sponge dipped in lighted spirits of wine was placed in its bill. When it was introduced on days of grand festival, it was the signal for the adventurous knights to take upon them vows to do some deed of chivalry 'before the peacock and the ladies." "S. 9. Brave. Here an adverb, meaning gaily. Handsome or ornate is the literal meaning of "brave," as of Sc. braw, Ger. brav, and Fr. brave. It was customary, in feudal times in Scotland, to surround the boar's head with little banners displaying the colours and achievements of the baron at whose board it was served. This is, in part at least, the garnishing referred to. 10. Cygnet from St. Mary's wave.-Wild swans used to frequent St. Mary's Lake, at the head of the vale of Yarrow. Comp. Wordsworth's well-known couplet: 11. Shalm.-A wind instrument. Psaltery.—A stringed instrument, used by the Jews. 12. Hooded hawks.-The head of the falcon, when not engaged in hunting, is covered with a leathern hood, which completely excludes the light. Its purpose is to make the hawk quiet and tractable, and to prevent its being attracted by chance bait while being carried to or from the field. Much persevering patience and tact is required before the bird is made to the hood;" but when this is done, its future training is greatly facilitated. 13. Their bells.-Hollow globes of metal attached to the falcon's feet. 14. Sewers.-Waiters; attendants who placed dishes on the table, and removed them. The word occurs in a stage direction in Macbeth (i., 7): Enter a sewer and divers servants with dishes and service, and pass over the stage." A sewer is literally a follower. [O. E. sew, to follow, from O. Fr. sewir; Fr. suivre; Lat. sequi; E. sue, pursue, suit, and suite a company of sewers.] 15. Buttery. The place where the butts or casks are kept. Its superintendent is the butler; generally derived from Fr. bouteille, a bottle; but bottle and butt are probably connected in root, the former being a diminutive. 16. Selle. Saddle. [Fr. selle, saddle.] 17. Him. This is the dative of advantage. He remembered the yew or bow as a matter in which he was deeply concerned. 18. By this. By this time; but also in consequence of these proceedings. 19. Albert Græme.-A supposed descendant of John Grahame, second son of Malice, Earl of Monteith, who, incurring the displeasure of the Scottish Court, took refuge in the English Borders in the time of Henry IV. 20. Instant.-An adverb, meaning for an instant. The meaning is, the one moment they were seen, the next they were gone. 21. Levin.—Lightning. [A.-S. hlifian, | meaning encountered, or conversed with. to gleam or redden.] -The spectre-hound in Man." The ancient castle of Peel-town, in the Isle of Man, is said to have been haunted by an apparition, called in the Mankish language the Manthe Doog, in the shape of a large black spaniel, with curled shaggy hair.”—S. MARMION: A TALE OF FLODDEN FIELD. INTRODUCTION. SCOTT was induced to write this poem by the success of the Lay of the Last Minstrel. It was begun in 1806, and published in 1808. It was abundantly successful. The first edition, of two thousand copies, was disposed of in a month. Before the end of 1809 four editions, consisting of eleven thousand copies, had been sold. No fewer than fifty thousand copies were disposed of before the beginning of 1836. Lord Jeffrey, comparing Marmion with the Lay, says that the former "has more flat and tedious passages, and more ostentation of historical and antiquarian lore; but it has also greater variety both of character and incident; and if it has less sweetness and pathos in the softer passages, it has certainly more vehemence and force of colouring in the loftier and busier representation of action and emotion." There are several anachronisms and historical inaccuracies in the poem: for example, he represents Whitby as a nunnery, and he makes Sir David Lindesay lion-king some years before he received that title; but a poetical artist is entitled to make such details subordinate to his main design; and Scott expressly announced in the preface to the first edition of the poem that he intended it to be rather a "Romantic Tale" than a "Historical Narrative." A grave fault of the poem, acknowledged to a certain extent by Scott himself, is the combination of meanness with chivalry in the character of the hero, Lord Marmion. In spite of minor defects the poem is a masterpiece, as a graphic picture of feudal times, customs, and characters. CHARACTERS OF THE POEM. LORD MARMION, English Envoy to the CONSTANCE DE BEVERLEY. A Monk. SIR HUGH (THE) HERON of Ford, Lord of The Host of the Gifford Inn. His Nephew, young SELBY. FITZ-EUSTACE, Marmion's first squire. The Palmer (RALPH DE WILTON in dis- SIR DAVID LINDESAY, Lord Lion-King-atguise). The Abbess of Saint Hilda. The Novice CLARE. The Prioress of Tynemouth. Arms. KING JAMES IV. of Scotland. ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS, Earl of Angus (Bell-the-Cat). The Abbot of St. Cuthbert's, Lindis- LADY HERON. farne. GAWAIN DOUGLAS, Bishop of Dunkeld. SCENES: 1. Norham Castle. 2. Lindisfarne. 3. Gifford Inn. 4. The Country on the South of Edinburgh. 5. Edinburgh; Holy-Rood; Tantallon Castle. 6. Flodden Field. TIME: August and September 1513. CANTO FIRST.-THE CASTLE. THE ARGUMENT. THE King of England, hearing that his brother-in-law, James IV. of Scotland, has been mustering troops in all parts of his kingdom, sends Lord Marmion as a special Envoy to the Scottish Court to ask what his intentions are. On his way, Lord Marmion visits Norham Castle, on the English border, the home of his friend Sir Hugh the Heron. The heralds welcome him as a brave warrior, but especially as the conqueror of Sir Ralph de Wilton in the lists at Cottiswold, when they fought in single combat for the hand of Clara de Clare. Marmion asks his host to provide him with a trusty guide to the Capital. Heron offers to give him some of his retainers; but this Marmion declines, as his errand is one of peace. Young Selby proposes that a holy Palmer, who arrived at the Castle the previous evening, should guide the English lord to the Capital; and the latter gladly accepts the offer, not knowing that the Palmer is his sworn enemy, Ralph de Wilton, in disguise. The Palmer also accepts the office; and they start next day at dawn. I. DAY set on Norham's castled steep,1 And Tweed's fair river, broad and deep, The scouts had parted on their search, Beneath a pennon gay; A horseman darting from the crowd, Before the dark array. His bugle-horn he blew ; The warder hasted from the wall, And warned the Captain in the hall, And joyfully that knight did call, 40 50 60 And quickly make the entrance free, LORD MARMION waits below!"— With musket, pike, and morion, Minstrels and trumpeters were there, Entered the train, and such a clang,14 12 They marshalled him to the Castle-hall,15 And loudly flourished the trumpet-call, "Room, lordings, room for Lord Marmion,16 There, vainly, Ralph de Wilton strove And to the King his land. |