Dread thou to speak presumptuous doom
On noble Marmion's lowly tomb;

But say, 'He died a gallant knight,
With sword in hand, for England's right.'

XXXVIII.

I do not rhyme to that dull elf
Who cannot image to himself

That all through Flodden's dismal night
Wilton was foremost in the fight,

That when brave Surrey's steed was slain
'Twas Wilton mounted him again;

'T was Wilton's brand that deepest hewed
Amid the spearmen's stubborn wood:
Unnamed by Holinshed or Hall,
He was the living soul of all;

That, after fight, his faith made plain,
He won his rank and lands again,
And charged his old paternal shield
With bearings won on Flodden Field.
Nor sing I to that simple maid
To whom it must in terms be said
That king and kinsmen did agree
To bless fair Clara's constancy;
Who cannot, unless I relate,

Paint to her mind the bridal's state,

That Wolsey's voice the blessing spoke,
More, Sands, and Denny, passed the joke;
That bluff King Hal the curtain drew,
And Katherine's hand the stocking threw ;
And afterwards, for many a day,
That it was held enough to say,

In blessing to a wedded pair,

'Love they like Wilton and like Clare!'

1150

2160

1170

WHY then a final note prolong,
Or lengthen out a closing song,
Unless to bid the gentles speed,
Who long have listed to my rede?
To statesman grave, if such may deign
To read the minstrel's idle strain,

Sound head, clean hand, and piercing wit,
And patriotic heart

as PITT!

A garland for the hero's crest,

And twined by her he loves the best!

To every lovely lady bright,

What can I wish but faithful knight?

To every faithful lover too,

What can I wish but lady true?

And knowledge to the studious sage,
And pillow soft to head of age!

To thee, dear school-boy, whom my lay
Has cheated of thy hour of play,
Light task and merry holiday!
To all, to each, a fair good-night,

And pleasing dreams, and slumbers light!

10

NOTES.

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES.

Cf. (confer), compare.

F. Q., Spenser's Faërie Queene.

fol., following.

Id. (idem), the same.

Imp. Dict., Ogilvie's Imperial Dictionary (Century Co.'s ed., New York, 1883). ind., introduction.

Lockhart, J. G. Lockhart's eation of Scott's poems (various issues).

P. L., Milton's Paradise Lost.

Rich., Richardson's Dictionary (London, 1838).

Wb., Webster's Dictionary (revised quarto ed. of 1879).

Worc., Worcester's Dictionary (quarto ed.).

The abbreviations of the names of Shakespeare's plays will be readily understood

The line-numbers are those of the "Globe " edition.

The references to the Lady of the Lake are to Rolfe's ed.

SCOTT began Marmion in November, 1806, while he was engaged upon his edition of Dryden. It was published on the 23d of February, 1808, "in a splendid quarto, price one guinea and a half" (about $7.50 in Federal money), and the first edition of two thousand copies was exhausted in less than a month. During the author's life some fifty thousand copies were sold, and ever since it has been one of the most popular of his poetical romances.

The poem was dedicated to "the right honorable Henry, Lord Mon tague," and was prefaced by the following " Advertisement:".