ページの画像
PDF
ePub

the greatest of our early kings; others say it is the resting-place of Waldeve, one of the early abbots, who died in the odour of sanctity.

Note 11. Stanza xiii.

the wondrous Michael Scott.

Note 12. Stanza xiii. --Salamanca's cave.

Spain, from the reliques, doubtless, of Arabian learning and superstition, was accounted a favourite residence of magicians. Pope Sylvester, who actually imported from Spain the use of the Arabian numerals, was supposed to have learned there the magic, for which he was stigmatised by the ignorance of his age.-William of Malmsbury, lib. ii, cap. 10. There were public schools, where magic, or rather the sciences supposed to involve its mysteries, were regularly taught, at Toledo, Seville, and Salamanca. In the latter city, they were held in a deep cavern; the mouth of which was walled up by Queen Isabella, wife of King Ferdinand. -D'Autun on learned Incredulity, p. 45. These Spa

Sir Michael Scott of Balwearie flourished during the 13th century, and was one of the ambassadors sent to bring the Maid of Norway to Scotland upon the death of Alexander IH. By à poetical anachronism, he is here placed in a later æra. He was a man of much learning, chiefly acquired in foreign countries. He wrote a commentary upon Aristotle, printed at Venice in 1496; and several treatises upon natural philosophy, from which he appears to have been addicted to the abstruse studies of judicial astrology, alchemy, physiognomy, and chi-nish schools of magic are celebrated also by the Italian romancy. Hence he passed among his contemporaries poets of romance:

for a skilful magician. Dempster informs us, that he remembers to have heard in his youth, that the magic books of Michael Scott were still in existence, but could not be opened without danger, on account of the malignant fiends who were thereby invoked. Dempsteri Historia Ecclesiastica, 1627, lib. xii, p. 495. Lesly characterises Michael Scott, as singulari philosophiæ, astronomiæ, ac medicinæ laude prestans; dicebatur penitissimos magiæ recessus indagasse.» Dante also mentions him as a renowned wizard:

Quell' altro che ne' fianchi è così poco
Michele Scotto fu, che veramente
Delle magiche frode seppe il giuoco.

DANTE.-Divina Comedia, Canto XXmo.

A personage, thus spoken of by biographers and historians, loses little of his mystical fame in vulgar tradition. Accordingly, the memory of Sir Michael Scott survives in many a legend; and in the south of Scotland, any work of great labour and antiquity is ascribed either to the agency of Auld Michael, of Sir William Wallace, or of the devil. Tradition varies concerning the place of his burial; some contend for Holme Coltrame, in Cumberland; others for Melrose Abbey. But all agree, that his books of magic were interred in his grave, or preserved in the convent where he died. Satchells, wishing to give some authority for his account of the origin of the name of Scott, pretends, that, in 1629, he chanced to be at Burgh under Bowness, in Cumberland, where a person, named Lancelot Scott, showed him an extract from Michael Scott's works, containing that story:

He said the book which he gave me
Was of Sir Michael Scot's historie;
Which history was never yet read through,

Nor never will, for no man dare it do.

Young scholars have pick'd out something

From the contents, that dare not read within.

He carried me along the castle then,

And shew'd his written book hanging on an iron pin.
His writing pen did seem to me to be

Of hardened metal, like steel, or accumie;

The volume of it did seem so large to me,"

As the book of Martyrs and Turks historie.
Then in the church he let me see

A stone where Mr Michael Scott did lie;
I asked at him how that could appear,

Mr Michael had been dead above tive hundred year!
He shew'd me none durst bury under that stone,
More than he had been dead a few years agone;
For Mr Michael's name doth terrify each one.

History of the Right Honourable Name of Scoit.

Questa città di Tolleto solea
Tenere studio di negromanzla:
Quivi di magica arte si leggea
Pubblicamente e di piromanzia ;
E molti geomanti sempre avea,
E sperimenti assai d' idromanzia
E d'altre false opinion di sciocchi
Come è fatture,'o spesso batter gli occhi.

Il Morgante Maggiore, Canto xxv. 8t. 259.

This Salamancan

The celebrated magician Maugis, cousin to Rinaldo of Montalban, called, by Ariosto, Malagigi, studied the black art at Toledo, as we learn from L'Histoire de Maugis D'Aygremont. He even held a professor's chair in the necromantic university; for so I interpret the passage, «qu'en tous les sept arts' d'enchantement, des charmes et conjurations, il n'y avoit meilleur maistre que lui; et en tel renom qu'on le laissoit en chaise, et l'appelloit on maistre Maugis.» Domdaniel is said to have been founded by Hercules. If the classic reader enquires where Hercules himself learned magic, he may consult « Les faiects et proesses du noble et vaillant Hercules,» where he will learn, that the fable of his aiding Atlas to support the heavens, noble knight-errant, the seven liberal sciences, and, in arose from the said Atlas having taught Hercules, the particular, that of judicial astrology. Such, according to the idea of the middle ages, were the studies, « maximus quæ docuit Atlas.»-In a romantic history of Roderic, the last Gothic king of Spain, he is said to have entered one of those enchanted caverns. It was situated beneath an ancient tower near Toledo: and, when the iron gates, which secured the entrance, were unfolded, there rushed forth so dreadful a whirlwind, that hitherto no one had dared to penetrate into its recesses. But Roderic, threatened with an invasion of the Moors, resolved to enter the cavern, where he expected to find some prophetic intimation of the event of the war. Accordingly, his train being furnished with torches, so artificially composed, that the tempest could not extinguish them, the king, with great difficulty, penetrated into a square hall, inscribed all over with Arabian characters. In the midst stood a colossal statue of brass, representing a Saracen wielding a Moorish mace, with which it discharged furious blows on all sides, and seemed thus to excite the tempest which raged around. Being conjured by Roderic, it ceased from striking, until he read, inscribed on the right hand, « Wretched monarch, for thy evil hast thou come hither;» on the left hand, « Thou shalt be dispossessed

by a strange people ;» on one shoulder, « I invoke the sons of Hagar; on the other << I do mine office.» When the king had decyphered these ominous inscriptions, the statue returned to its exercise, the tempest commenced anew, and Roderic retired, to mourn over the predicted evils which approached his throne. He caused the gates of the cavern to be locked and barricaded; but, in the course of the night, the tower fell with a tremendous noise, and under its ruins concealed for ever the entrance to the mystic cavern. The conquest of Spain by the Saracens, and the death of the unfortunate Don Roderic, fulfilled the prophecy of the brazen statue. Historia verdadera del Rey Don Rodrigo por el sabio Alcayde Abulcacim, traduzeda de la lengua Arabiga por Miquel de Luna, 1654, cap. vi. Note 13. Stanza xiii.

The bells would ring in Notre Dame.

servant, who waited without, halloo'd upon the discomfited wizard his own greyhounds, and pursued him so close, that, in order to obtain a moment's breathing to reverse the charm, Michael, after a very fatiguing course, was fain to take refuge in his own jaw-hole (anglice, common sewer). In order to revenge himself of the witch of Falsehope, Michael, one morning in the ensuing harvest, went to the hill above the house with his dogs, and sent down his servant to ask a bit of bread from the goodwife for his greyhounds, with instructions what to do if he met with a denial. Accordingly, when the witch had refused the boon with contumely, the servant, as his master had directed, laidabove the door a paper, which he had given him, containing, amongst many cabalistical words, the wellknown rhyme,

Maister Michael Scott's man

Sought meat and gat nane.

Immediately the good old woman, instead of pursuing her domestic occupation, which was baking bread for the reapers, began to dance round the fire, repeating the rhyme, and continued this exercise till her husband sent the reapers to the house, one after another, to see what had delayed their provisions; but the charm caught each as they entered, and, losing all idea of returning, they joined in the dance and chorus.

At

« Tantamne rem tam negligenter ?» says Tyrwhitt, of his predecessor Speight; who, in his commentary on Chaucer, had omitted, as trivial and fabulous, the story of Wade and his boat Guingelot, to the great prejudice of posterity, the memory of the hero and the boat being now entirely lost. That future antiquaries may lay no such omission to my charge, I have noted one or two of the most current traditions concerning Michael Scott. He was chosen, it is said, to go upon an em-length the old man himself went to the house; but as bassy, to obtain from the King of France satisfaction his wife's frolic with Mr Michael, whom he had seen on for certain piracies committed by his subjects upon the hill, made him a little cautious, he contented himthose of Scotland, Instead of preparing a new equipage self with looking in at the window, and saw the reapers and splendid retinue, the ambassador retreated to his at their involuntary exercise, dragging his wife, now study, opened his book, and evoked a fiend in the shape completely exhausted, sometimes round, and sometimes of a huge black horse, mounted upon his back, and through the fire,, which was, as usual, in the midst of forced him to fly through the air towards France. As the house. Instead of entering, he saddled a horse, rode they crossed the sea, the devil insidiously asked his up the hill, to humble himself before Michael, and beg rider, What it was that the old women of Scotland a cessation of the spell; which the good-natured warmuttered at bed-time? A less experienced wizard might lock immediately granted, directing him to enter the have answered, that it was the Pater Noster, which house backwards, and, with his left hand, take the spell would have licensed the devil to precipitate him from from above the door; which accordingly ended the his back. But Michael sternly replied, «< What is that supernatural dance.—This tale was told less particularly to thee? Mount, Diabolus, and fly!» When he arrived in former editions, and I have been censured for inacat Paris, he tied his horse to the gate of the palace, en-curacy in doing so.-A similar charm occurs in Huon tered, and boldly delivered his message. An ambassador, | du Bourdeaux, and in the ingenious Oriental tale called with so little of the pomp and circumstance of diplomacy, was not received with much respect, and the king was about to return a contemptuous refusal to his demand, when Michael besought him to suspend his resolution till he had seen his horse stamp three times: The first stamp shook every steeple in Paris, and caused all the bells to ring; the second threw down three of the towers of the palace; and the infernal steed had lifted his hoof to give the third stamp, when the king rather chose to dismiss Michael, with the most ample concessions, than to stand to the probable consequences. Another time it is said, that, when residing at the tower of Oakwood, upon the Ettrick, about three miles above Selkirk, he heard of the fame of a sorceress, called the witch of Falsehope, who lived on the opposite side of the river. Michael went one morning to put her skill to the test, but was disappointed, by her denying positively any knowledge of the necromantic art. In his discourse with her, he laid his wand inadvertently on the table, which the hag observing, suddenly snatched it up, and struck him with it. Feeling the force of the charm, he rushed out of the house; but, as it had conferred on him the external appearance of a hare, his

the Caliph Vathek."

Notwithstanding his victory over the witch of Falsehope, Michael Scott, like his predecessor Merlin, fell at last a victim to.female art. His wife, or concubine, elicited from him the secret, that his art could ward off any danger except the poisonous qualities of broth, made of the flesh of a breme sow. Such a mess she accordingly administered to the wizard, who died in consequence of eating it; surviving, however, long enough to put to death his treacherous confidant.

Note 14. Stanza xiii.

The words that cleft Eildon hills in three,
And bridled the Tweed with a curb of stone.

Michael Scott was, once upon a time, much embarrassed by a spirit, for whom he was under the necessity of finding constant employment. He commanded him to build a cauld, or dam-head, across the Tweed at Kelso; it was accomplished in one night, and still does honour to the infernal architect. Michael next ordered, that Eildon hills, which was then a uniform cone, should be divided into three. Another night was sufficient to part its summit into the three picturesque

peaks which it now bears. At length the enchanter conquered this indefatigable demon, by employing him in the hopeless and endless task of making ropes out of sea-sand.

Note 15. Stanza xvii.

That lamp shall burn unquenchably, Baptista Porta, and other authors who treat of natural magic, talk much of eternal lamps, pretended to have been found burning in ancient sepulchres. Fortunius Licetus investigates the subject in a treatise, De Lucernis antiquorum reconditis, published at Venice, 1621. One of these perpetual lamps is said to have been discovered in the tomb of Tulliola, the daughter of Cicero. The wick was supposed to be composed of asbestos. Kircher enumerates three different receipts for constructing such lamps, and wisely concludes, that the thing is nevertheless impossible. — Mundus Subterraneus, p. 72., Delrio imputes the fabrication of such lights to magical skill.—Disquisitiones Magicæ, p. 58. In a very rare romance, which « treateth of the lyfe of Virgilius, and of his death, and many marvayles that he dyd in his lyfe-time, by wychecrafte and nygramancye, throughe the help of the devyls of hell,» mention is made of a very extraordinary process, in which one of these mystical lamps was employed. It seems, that Virgil, as he advanced in years, became desirous of renovating his youth by his magical art. For this purpose he constructed a solitary tower, having only one narrow portal, in which he placed twenty-four copper figures, armed with iron flails, twelve on each side of the porch. These enchanted statues struck with their flails incessantly, and rendered all entrance impossible, unless when Virgil touched the spring which stopped their motion. To this tower he repaired privately, attended by one trusty servant, to whom he communicated the secret of the entrance, and hither they conveyed all the magician's treasure. Then sayde Virgilius, my dere beloved friende, and he that I above alle men trust and knowe mooste of my secrete;» and then he led the man into a cellar, where he made a fayer lamp at all seasons burnynge. And then sayd Virgilius to the man, «See you the barrel that standeth here?» and he sayd, «Yea: Therein must you put me: fyrste ye must slee me, and hewe me smalle to pieces, and cut my hed in jui pieces, and salte the heed under in the bottom, and then the pieces there after, and my herte in the myddel, and then set the barrel under the lampe, that nyghte and day the fat therein may droppe and leak; and ye shall ix dayes long, ones in the day, fyll the lampe, and fayle nat. And when this is all done, then shall I be renued, and made younge agen.»> At this extraordinary proposal, the confidant was sore abashed, and made some scruple of obeying his master's commands. At length, however, he complied, and Virgil was slain, pickled, and barrelled up, in all respects according to his own direction. The servant then left the tower, taking care to put the copper thrashers in motion at his departure. He continued daily to visit the tower with the same precaution. Meanwhile, the emperor, with whom Virgil was a great favourite, missed him from the court, and demanded of his servant where he was. The domestic pretended ignorance, till the emperor threatened him with death, when at length he conveyed him to the enchanted tower. The same threat extorted a discovery of the mode of stopping the statues from wielding their

flails. « And then the emperour entered into the castle with all his folke, and sought all aboute in every corner after Virgilius; and at the last they soughte so long, that they came into the seller, where they sawe the lampe hang over the barrell where Virgilius lay in deed. Then asked the emperor the man, who had made hym so herdy to put his mayster Virgilius so to dethe; and the man answered no word to the emperour. And then the emperour, with great anger, drewe out his sworde, and slewe he there Virgilius' man. And when all this was done, then sawe the emperour, and all his folke, a naked childe iii tymes rennynge about the barrell, sayinge these wordes, 'Cursed be the tyme that ye ever came here! And with those wordes vanyshed the chylde awaye, and was never sene ageyne; and thus abyd Virgilius in the barrell deed.» Virgilius, bl. let. printed at Antwerpe by John Doesborcke. This curious volume is in the valuable library of Mr Douce; and is supposed to be a translation from the French, printed in Flanders for the English market. See Goujet Biblioth. Franc. ix, 225. Catalogue de la Bibliothèque Nationale, tom. II, p. 5. De Bure, No. 3857.

Note 16. Stanza xxi.

He thought, as he took it, the dead man frown'd. William of Deloraine might be strengthened in this belief by the well-known story of the Cjd Ruy Diaz. When the body of that famous christian champion was sitting in state by the high altar of the cathedral church of Toledo, where it remained for ten years, a certain malicious Jew attempted to pull him by the beard; but he had no sooner touched the formidable whiskers, than the corpse started up, and half unsheathed his sword. The Israelite fled; and so permanent was the effect of his, terror, that he became Christian.-HEYWOOD's Hierarchie, p. 48o, quoted from Sebastian Cobarruvias Crozee.

Note 17. Stanza xxxi.

The baron's Dwarf his courser held.

The idea of Lord Cranstoun's goblin-page is taken from a being called Gilpin Horner, who appeared, and made some stay, at a farm-house near the Border mountains. A gentleman of that country has noted down the following particulars concerning his appearance:

[ocr errors]

<< The only certain, at least, most probable account, that ever. I heard of Gilpin Horner, was from an old man of the name of Anderson, who was born, and lived all his life, at Todshaw-hill, in Eskdale-muir, the place where Gilpin appeared and staid for some time. said there were two men, late in the evening, when it was growing dark, employed in fastening the horses upon the uttermost part of the ground (that is, tying their fore-feet together, to hinder them from travelling far in the night), when they heard a voice, at some distance, crying, Tint! tint! tiut! one of the men, named Moffat, called out, What de il has tint you? Come here. Immediately a creature, of something like a human form, appeared. It was surprisingly little, distorted in features, and mis-shapen in limbs. As soon as the two men could see it plainly, they ran home in a great fright, imagining they had met with some goblin. By the way Moffat fell, and it ran over

1 Tint signifies lost.

[ocr errors]

more.

repledged by the archbishop of Glasgow. The bail given by bert Scott of Allenhaugh, Adam Scott of Burnefute, Roberl Scott in Howfurde, Walter Scott in Todshawhough, Walter Scott younger of Synton, Thomas Scott of Hayning, Robert Scott, William Scott, and James Scott, brothers of the said Walter Scott, Walter Scott in the Woll, and Walter Scott, son of William Scott of Harden, and James Wemyss in Eckford, all accused of the same crime, is declared to he forfeited. On the same day, Walter Scott of Synton, and Walter Chisholme of Chisholme, and William Scott of Harden, became bound, jointly and severally, that Sir Peter Cranstoun, and his kindred and servants, should receive no injury from them in future. At the

Stuart, uncle to the laird of Trakwhare, John Murray of Newhall, John Fairlye, residing in Selkirk, George Tait younger of Pirn, John Pennycuke of Pennycuke, James Ramsay of Cokpen, the Laird of Fassyde, and the Laird of Henderstoune, were all severally fined for not attending as jurors; being probably either in alliance with the accused parties, or dreading their vengeance. Upon the 20th of July following, Scott of Synton, Chisholme of Chisholme, Scott of Harden, Scott of Howpaslie, Scott of Burnfute, with many others, are

him, and was home at the house as soon as either of them, and staid there a long time; but I cannot say how long. It was real flesh and blood, and ate and drank, was fond of cream, and, when it could get at it, would destroy a great deal. It seemed a mischievous creature; and any of the children whom it could master, it would beat and scratch, without mercy. It was once abusing a child belonging to the same Moffat, who had been so frightened by its first appearance; and he, in a passion, struck it so violent a blow upon the side of the head, that it tumbled upon the ground: but it was not stunned; for it set up its head directly, and exclaimed, 'Ah hah, Will o' Moffat, you strike sair,!' (viz. sore.) After it had staid there long, one evening, when the women were milking the cows in the loan, it was play-same time, Patrick Murray of Fallohill, Alexander ing among the children near by them, when suddenly they heard a loud shrill voice cry, three times, 'Gilpin Horner! It started, and said, 'That is me, I must away, and instantly disappeared, and was never heard of Old Anderson did not remember it, but said, he had often heard his father, and other old men in the place, who were there at the time, speak about it; and in my younger years I have often heard it mentioned, and never met with any who had the remotest doubt as to the truth of the story; although, I must own, I cannot help thinking there must be some mis-ordered to appear at next calling, under the pains of representation in it.»-To this account I have to add the following particulars from the most respectable authority. Besides constantly repeating the word tint! tint! Gilpin Horner was often heard to call upon Peter Bertram or Be-teram, as he pronounced the word: and when the shrill voice called Gilpin Horner, he immediately acknowledged it was the summons of the said Peter Bertram; who seems therefore to have been the devil who had tint, or lost, the little imp. As much has been objected to Gilpin Horner, on account of his being supposed rather a device of the author than a popular superstition, I can only say, that no legend which I ever heard seemed to be more universally. credited, and that many persons of a very good rank and considerable information are well known to repose

absolute faith in the tradition

[ocr errors][merged small]

treason. But no farther procedure seems to have taken place. It is said, that, upon this rising, the kirk of Saint Mary's was burned by the Scotts.

CANTO III.

Note 1. Stanza iv.

When, dancing in the sunny beam,

He mark'd the crane on the baron's crest.

The crest of the Cranstouns, in allusion to their with an emphatic Border motto, Thou shalt 'want ere name, is a crane dormant, hølding a stone in his foot,

I want.

Note 2. Stanza viii.

Much he marvell'd, a knight of pride,
Like a book-bosom'd priest should ride.

<< Upon the 25th June, 1557, Dame Janet Beautoune «< At Unthank, two miles N. E. from the church (of Lady Buccleuch, and a great number of the name of Ewes), there are the ruins of a chapel for divine service, Scott, delatit (accused) for coming to the kirk of St in time of popery. There is a tradition, that friars Mary of the Lowes, to the number of two hundred perwere wont to come from Melrose, or Jedburgh, to hapsons bodin in feire of weire (arrayed in armour), and tize and marry in this parish; and, from being in use breaking open the doors of the said kirk, in order to to carry the mass-book in their bosoms, they were apprehend the laird of Cranstoune for his destruction.» called, by the inhabitants, Book-a-bosomes. There is a On the 20th July, a warrant from the queen is pre-man yet alive, who knew old men who had been bapsented, discharging the justice to proceed against the, tized by these Book-a-bosomes, and who says one of Lady Buccleuch while new calling. Abridgment of them, called Hair, used this parish for a very long Books of Adjournal in Advocates' Library.-The fol- time.»-Account of Parish of Ewes, apud MACFARLANE'S lowing proceedings upon this case appear on the record MSS. of the Court of Justiciary: On the 25th of June, 1557, Robert Scott, of Bowhill parish, priest of the kirk of St Mary's, accused of the convocation of the Queen's lieges, to the number of 200 persons, in warlike array, with jacks, helmets, and other weapons, and marching to the chapel of St Mary of the Lowes, for the slaughter of Sir Peter Cranstoun, out of ancient feud and malice prepense, and of breaking the doors of the said kirk, is

Note 3. Stanza ix.

1

It had much of glamour might.

Glamour, in the legends of Scottish superstition, means the magic power of imposing on the eye-sight of the spectators, so that the appearance of an object shall be totally different from the reality. The transformation of Michael Scott by the witch of Falschope, already mentioned, was a genuine operation of glamour

To a similar charm the ballad of Johnny Fa' imputes the fascination of the lovely countess, whooped with that gipsey leader:

Sac soon as they saw her weel-far'd face, They cast the glamour o'er her. It was formerly used even in war. In 1381, when the Duke of Anjou lay before a strong castle, upon the coast of Naples, a necromancer offered to make the ayre so thycke, that they within shall thynke that there is a great bridge on the see (by which the castle was surrounded), for ten men to go a front; and whan they within the castle se this bridge, they wil be so afrayde, that they shall yelde them to your mercy. The Duke demanded-Fayre master, on this bridge that ye speke of, may our people go thereon assuredly to the castell to assayle it?-Syr, quod the enchantour, I dare not assure you that; for if any that passeth on the bridge make the signe of the crosse on hym, all shall go to noughte, and they that be on the bridge shall fall into the see. Then the Duke began to laugh; and a certain of young knightes, that were there present, said, Syr, for godsake, let the mayster essay his cunning; we shal leve making of any signe of the crosse on us for that tyme.» The Earl of Savoy, shortly after, entered the tent, and recognized in the enchanter the same person who had put the castle into the power of Sir Charles de la Payx, who then held it, by persuading the garrison of the Queen of Naples, through magical deception, that the sea was coming over the walls. avowed the feat, and added, that he was the man in the world most dreaded by Sir Charles de la Payx. «By my fayth, quod the Erl of Savoy, ye say well; and I will that Syr Charles de la Payx shall know that he hath gret wronge to fear you. But I shall assure him of you; for ye shall never do enchantment to deceyve him, nor yet none other. I wolde nat that in tyme to come we shoulde be reproached that in so high an enterprise as we be in, wherein there be so many noble knyghtes and squyres assembled, that we shulde do any thyng be enchantment, nor that we shalde wyn our enemys by suche crafte. Then he called to him a servaunt, and sayd, go and get a hangman, and let him stryke of this mayster's heed without delay; and as sone as the Erle had commaunded it, incontynent it was done, for his heed was stryken off before the Erle's tent.»-FROISSART, vol. I, ch. 391, 392.

The

sage

The art glamour, or other fascination, was anciently a principal part of the skill of the jongleur, or juggler, whose tricks formed much of the amusement of a Gothic castle. Some instances of this art may be found in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, vol. III, p. 119. In a strange allegorical poem, called the Houlat, written by a dependent of the house of Douglas, about 1452-3, the jay, in an assembly of birds, plays the part of the juggler. His feats of glamour are thus described:

He gart them see, as it semyt, in samyn hour,
Hunting at herdis in holtis so hair;
Some sailand on the see schippis of toure,
Bernis battalland on burd brim as a bare;
He coulde carye the coup of the kingis des,
Syne leve in the stede,

Bot a black bunwede;
He could of a henis hedo,

Make a man mes.

Hle gart the emproute trow, and trewlye behald,
That the corncraik, the pundare at hand,
Had poyndit all his pris hors in a poynd fald,
Because thai ete of the corn in the kirkland.

He could wirk windaris, quhat way that he wald;
Mak a gray gus a gold garland,

A lang spere of a bittile for a herne ba'd,
Nobilis of nutschelles, and silver of sand.

Thus jouk it with justors the janglane ja,

Fair ladyes in ringis, .
Knychtis fa caralyngis,
Baythe dansis and singis,

It semyt as sa.

Note 4. Stanza x.

Now, if you ask who gave the stroke,

I cannot tell, so mot I thrive;

It was not given by man alive;

Dr Henry More, in a letter prefixed to Glanville's Saducismus Triumphatus, mentions a similar phenomenon. « I remember an old gentleman in the country of my acquaintance, an excellent justice of peace, and a piece of a mathematician; but what kind of a philosopher he was, you may understand from a rhyme of his own making, which he commended to me at my taking horse in his yard, which rhyme is this:

Ens is nothing till sense finds out;

Sense ends in nothing, so naught goes about. Which rhyme of his was so rapturous to himself, that, on the reciting of the second verse, the old man turned himself about upon his toe as nimbly as one may observe a dry leaf whisked round in the corner of an orchard-walk by some little whirlwind. With this philosopher I have had many discourses concerning the immortality of the soul and its distinction; when I have run him quite down by reason, he would but laugh at me, and say, this is logic,H. (calling me by my christian name); to which I replied, this is reason, father L. (for I used, and some others, to call him so); but it seems you are for the new lights, and immediate inspiration, which I confess he was as little for as for the other; but I said so only in way of drollery to him in those times, but truth is, nothing but palpable experience would move him; and being a bold man, and fearing nothing, he told me he had used all the magical cere monies of conjuration he could, to raise the devil or a spirit, and had a most earnest desire to meet with one, But this he told me, when he but never could do it. did not so much as think of it, while his servant was pulling off his boots in the hall, some invisible hand gave him such a clap upon the back, that it made all ring again: so, thought he now, I am invited to the converse of my spirit, and therefore, so soon as his boots were off, and his shoes on, out he goes into the yard and next field, to find out the spirit that had given him this familiar clap on the back, but found none neither in the yard nor field next to it.

<«< But though he did not feel this stroke, albeit he thought it afterwards (finding nothing come of it) a mere delusion; yet not long before his death, it had more force with him than all the philosophical arguments I could use to him, though I could wind him and non-plus him as I pleased; but yet all my arguments, how solid soever, made no impression upon him; wherefore, after several reasonings of this nature, whereby I would prove to him the soul's distinction from the body, and its immortality, when nothing of such subtle considerations did any more execution on his mind than some lightning is said to do, though it melts the sword, on the fuzzy consistency of the scabbardWell,' said I, father L., though none of these things move you, I have something still behind, and what yourself

« 前へ次へ »