Note 2. Stanza i.

—————St David's ruin'd pile.

David I. of Scotland purchased the reputation sanctity, by founding, and liberally endowing, not o the monastery of Melrose, but those of Kelso, Jedbur and many others, which led to the well-known ob vation of his successor, that he was a sore saint for crown.

dale, died possessed.-2d, A bull of Pope Adrian IV., carved and fretted, containing niches for the status confirming the will of Walter de Ridale, knight, in fa-saints, and labelled with scrolls, bearing appropr vour of his brother Anschittil de Ridale, dated 8th texts of scripture. Most of these statues have been April, 1155. 3d, A bull of Pope Alexander III., conmolished. firming the said will of Walter de Ridale, bequeathing to his brother Anschittil the lands of Liliesclive, Whettunes, etc., and ratifying the bargain botwixt Anschittil and Huctredus, concerning the church of Liliesclive, in consequence of the mediation of Malcolm M., and confirmed by a charter from that monarch. This bull is dated 17th June, 1160. 4th, A bull of the same pope, confirming the will of Sir Anschittil de Ridale, in favour of his son' Walter, conveying the said lands of Liliesclive and others, dated 10th March, 1120. It is remarkable, that Liliesclive, otherwise Rydale, or Riddel, and the Whittunes, have descended, through a long train of ancestors, without ever passing into a collateral line, to the person of Sir John Buchanan Riddell, Bart. of Riddell, the lineal descendant and representative of Sir Anschittil.-These circumstances appeared worthy of

notice in a Border work.

Note 21. Stanza xxx.

As glanced his eye o'er Halidon,

Halidon was an ancient seat of the Kerrs of Cessford, now demolished. About a quarter of a mile to the northward lay the field of battle betwixt Buccleuch and Angus, which is called to this day the Skirmish Field. -See the 4th note on this Canto.

Note 22. Stanza xxxi.

Old Melros' rose, and fair Tweed ran.
The ancient and beautiful monastery of Melrose was
founded by King David I. Its ruins afford the finest
specimen of Gothic architecture and Gothic sculpture
which Scotland can boast. The stone of which it is
built, though it has resisted the weather for so many
ages, retains perfect sharpness, so that even the most
minute ornaments seem as entire as when newly
wrought. In some of the cloisters, as is hinted in the
next Canto, there are representations of flowers, vege-
tables, etc., carved in stone, with accuracy and preci-
sion so delicate, that we almost distrust our senses,
when we consider the difficulty of subjecting so hard
a substance to such intricate and exquisite modulation.
This superb convent was dedicated to St Mary, and the
monks were of the cistertian order, At the time of
the Reformation, they shared in the general reproach
of sensuality and irregularity, thrown upon the Roman
churchmen. The old words of Galashiels, a favourite
Scottish air, ran thus:

O the monks of Melrose made gude kale'
On Fridays when they fasted;

They wanted neither beef nor ale,
As long as their neighbours' lasted.

CANTO II.

Note 1. Stanza ì.

When silver edges the imagery,

And the scrolls that teach thee to live and die.

The buttresses ranged along the sides of the ruins of Melrose Abbey are, according to the Gothic style, richly Kale, broth.

Note 3. Stanza ii.

-lands and livings, many a rood,

Had gifted the shrine for their souls' repose. The Buccleuch family were great benefactors to Abbey of Melrose. As early as the reign of Robert Robert Scott, baron of Murdieston and Rankelb (now Buccleuch), gave to the monks the lands of kery, in Ettrick Forest, pro salute animæ suæ.-Ch tulary of Melrose, 28th May, 1415.

ye

The Borderers were, as may be supposed, very ig rant about religious matters. Colville, in his Parane or Admonition, states, that, the reformed divines so far from undertaking distant journies to convert Heathen, « as I wold wis at God that wold only bot to the Hielands and Borders of our own realm. gain our awin countreymen, who, for lack of prech and ministration of the sacraments, must, with t becum either infidells or atheists.» But we learn, fr Lesly, that, however deficient in real religion, they gularly told their beads, and never with more zeal ta when going on a plundering expedition.

Note 5. Stanza vii.

-beneath their feet were the bones of the dead. The cloisters were frequently used as places of sep ture. An instance occurs in Dryburgh Abbey, who the cloister has an inscription, bearing, Hic jacet frat

Archibaldus.

Note 6. Stanza viii.

So had he seen, in fair Castile,

The youth in glittering squadrons start;
Sudden the flying jennet wheel,

And hurl the anexpected dart.

By my faith,» sayd the Duke of Lancaster to Portuguese squire), « of all the feates of armes that Castellyans, and they of your countrey doth use, th castynge of their dartes best pleaseth me, and gladly wolde see it; for, as I hear say, if they strike o pier aryghte, without he be well armed, the dart will him thrughe.»- By my fayth, sir,» sayd the squye «ye say trouth; for I have seen many a grete stro given with them, which at one time cost us derely, an was to us great displeasure; for, at the said skyrmish Sir John Laurence of Coygne was striken with a darti such wise, that the head perced all the plates of his co passe of mayle, and a sacke stopped with sylke, and thrughe his body, so that he fell down dead,»-FRots SART, vol. II, ch. 44.-This mode of lighting with dar

Note 10. Stanza xii.

They sate them down on a marble stone,
A Scottish monarch slept below.

A large marble stone, in the chancel of Melrose, is

Lis baner hangyng over hym.»>-FROISSART, Vol. II, pointed out as the monument of Alexander II., one of

To tell you there of the manere,

It is bot sorrow for til here;

He wes the grettast menyd man

That ony cowth have thowcht of than,

Of his state, or of mare be fare;

All meynt him, bath bettyr and war;
The ryche and pure him menyd bath,
For of his dede was mekil skath.

Some years ago a person digging for stones, about the old castle
of Hermitage, broke into a vault containing a quantity of chaff,
some bones, and pieces of iron; amongst others, the curb of an an-
cient bridle, which the author has since given to the Earl of Dal-
housie, under the impression, that it possibly may be a relique of
tioned this discovery in his statistical account of Castletown.
his brave ancestor. The worthy clergyman of the parish has men-

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.

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 III. By a 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 chiromancy. Hence he passed among his contemporaries 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 pe-| nitissimos 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 as cribed 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 tanging 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 five 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 Scot.

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

Spain, from the reliques, doubtless, of Arabian lea ing and superstition, was accounted a favourite r dence of magicians. Pope Sylvester, who actually ported from Spain the use of the Arabian numer was supposed to have learned there the magic, for wh he was stigmatised by the ignorance of his age.liam of Malmsbury, lib. ii, cap. 10. There were pu schools, where magic, or rather the sciences suppo to involve its mysteries, were regularly taught, at ledo, Seville, and Salamanca. In the latter city, t were held in a deep cavern; the mouth of which walled up by Queen Isabella, wife of King Ferdina -D'Autun on learned Incredulity, p. 45. These S nish schools of magic are celebrated also by the Ita poets of romance:

This Salamanc

The celebrated magician Maugis, cousin to Rina of Montalban, called, by Ariosto, Malagigi, studied black art at Toledo, as we learn from L'Histoire Maugis D'Aygremont. He even held a professor's cb in the necromantic university; for so I interpret passage, «qu'en tous les sept arts d'enchantement, charmes et conjurations, il n'y avoit meilleur mais que lui; et en tel renom qu'on le laissoit en chaise, l'appelloit on maistre Maugis.n Domdaniel is said to have been founded by Hercul learned magic, he may consult « Les faiects et proes If the classic reader enquires where Hercules hims the fable of his aiding Atlas to support the heave du noble et vaillant Hercules,» where he will learn, t noble knight-errant, the seven liberal sciences, and, arose from the said Atlas having taught Hercules, particular, that of judicial astrology. Such, accordi to the idea of the middle ages,

recesses.

were the studi « maximus quæ docuit Atlas.»-In a romantic histo of Roderic, the last Gothic king of Spain, he is said It w have entered one of those enchanted caverns. situated beneath an ancient tower near Toledo: an when the iron gates, which secured the entrance, we unfolded, there rushed forth so dreadful a whirlwin that hitherto no one had dared to penetrate into a But Roderic, threatened with an invasion the Moors, resolved to enter the cavern, where he ex pected to find some prophetic intimation of the even of the war. Accordingly, his train being furnished with torches, so artificially composed, that the tempest coul 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 statu 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, 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

ceased

İya strange people ;» on one shoulder, « I invoke the ses of Hagar; on the other « I do mine office. When the king had decyphered these ominous inscripta, the statue returned to its exercise, the tempest ced anew, and Roderic retired, to mourn over acted evils which approached his throne. He begates of the cavern to be locked and barribut, in the course of the night, the tower fell *.tremendous noise, and under its ruins concealed ter the entrance to the mystic cavern. The conest of Spain by the Saracens, and the death of the aristurate Don Roderic, fulfilled the prophecy of the brwen statue. Historia verdadera del Rey Don Rodrigo por el sabio Alcayde Abulcacim, traduzeda de la ngaa Arabiga por Miquel de Luna, 1654, cap. vi. Note 13. Stanza xiii.

servant, who waited without, halloo'd upon the dis-
comfited 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
himself
(anglice, common sewer). In order to revenge
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. Ac-
cordingly, when the witch had refused the boon with
contumely, the servant, as his master had directed, laid
above the door a paper, which he had given him, con-
taining, amongst many cabalistical words, the well-
known rhyme,-

Maister Michael Scott's mau
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 reaps 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

The bells would ring in Notre Dame. Tentenne rem tam negligenter?» says Tyrwhitt, of predecessor Speight; who, in his commentary on Chewer, 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 new entirely lost. That future antiquaries may lay no smission to my charge, I have noted one or two the most current traditions concerning Michael He was chosen, it is said, to go upon an em-length the old man himself went to the house; but as y, to obtain from the King of France satisfaction his wife's frolic with Mr Michael, whom he had seen on certain piracies committed by his subjects upon the hill, made him a little cautious, he contented himse of Scotland. Instead of preparing a new equipage self with looking in at the window, and saw the reapers splendid retinue, the ambassador retreated to his at their involuntary exercise, dragging his wife, now ay, opened his book, and evoked a fiend in the shape completely exhausted, sometimes round, and sometimes of age black horse, mounted upon his back, and through the fire, which was, as usual, in the midst of bed him to fly through the air towards France. As the house. Instead of entering, he saddled a horse, rode ry crossed the sea, the devil insidiously asked his up the hill, to humble himself before Michael, and beg d. What it was that the old women of Scotland a cessation of the spell; which the good-natured warred at bed-time? A less experienced wizard might lock immediately granted, directing him to enter the swered, that it was the Pater Noster, which house backwards, and, with his left hand, take the spell wd have licensed the devil to precipitate him from from above the door; which accordingly ended the But Michael sternly replied, & What is that supernatural dance.—This tale was told less particularly Mount, Diabolus, and fly!» When he arrived in former editions, and I have been censured for inachen, he tied his horse to the gate of the palace, en- curacy in doing so.-A similar charm occurs in Huon d, and boldly delivered his message. An ambassador, du Bourdeaux, and in the ingenious Oriental tale called to hittle of the pomp and circumstance of diplo the Caliph Vathek. mary, was not received with much respect, and the was about to return a contemptuous refusal to his and, when Michael besought him to suspend his *ation till he had seen his horse stamp three times. The first stamp shook every steeple in Paris, and caused the bells to ring; the second threw down three of owers of the palace; and the infernal steed had fed his hoof to give the third stamp, when the king her chose to dismiss Michael, with the most ample aersions, than to stand to the probable consequences. er time it is said, that, when residing at the tower akwood, upon the Ettrick, about three miles above ark, he heard of the fame of a sorceress, called the rah of Falsehope, who lived on the opposite side of the river. Michael went one morning to put her skill to lest, but was disappointed, by her denying positively knowledge of the necromantic art. In his disare with her, he laid his wand inadvertently on the , which the hag observing, suddenly snatched it 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

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 Eilden 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 sca-sand.

Note 15. Stanza xvii.

flails, « And then the emperour entered into the cast with all his folke, and sought all aboute in every corn after Virgilius; and at the last they soughte so lon that they came into the seller, where they sawel lampe hang over the barrell where Virgilius lay in de Then asked the emperor the man, who had made b so herdy to put his mayster Virgilius so to dethe; a the man answered no word to the emperour. A then the emperour, with great anger, drewe out sworde, and slewe he there Virgilius' man. And w all this was done, then sawe the emperour, and all folke, a naked childe iii tymes rennynge about barrell, sayinge these wordes, 'Cursed be the tyme t ye ever came here! And with those wordes vanys! the chylde awaye, and was never sene ageyne; and t abyd Virgilius in the barrell deed,» Virgilius, bl. printed at Antwerpe by John Doesborcke. This rious volume is in the valuable library of Mr Dou and is supposed to be a translation from the Fren printed in Flanders for the English market. See Gos Biblioth. Franc. ix, 225. Catalogue de la Bibliothe 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 t belief by the well-known story of the Cid Ruy Dị When the body of that famous christian champ was sitting in state by the high altar of the cathed church of Toledo, where it remained for ten years, certain malicious Jew attempted to pull him by ↑ beard; but he had no sooner touched the formidal whiskers, than the corpse started up, and half sheathed his sword. The Israelite fled; and so p manent was the effect of his terror, that he beca Christian.-HEYWOOD's Hierarchie, p. 48o, quoted fro Sebastian Cobarruvias Crozee.

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 buraing 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, through 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 iiii 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.named Moffat, called out, What de il has tint you 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

Note 17. Stanza xxxi.

The baron's Dwarf his courser beld.

The idea of Lord Cranstoun's goblin-page is tak from a being called Gilpin Horner, who appeared, a made some stay, at a farm-house near the Bord mountains. A gentleman of that country has not down the following particulars concerning his appes

ance:

«The only certain, at least, most probable accoun that ever I heard of Gilpin Herner, was from an of man of the name of Anderson, who was born, and live all his life, at Todshaw-hill, in Eskdale-muir, the pla where Gilpin appeared and staid for some time. E said there were two men, late in the evening, when was growing dark, employed in fastening the horse upon the uttermost part of the ground (that is, tyin their fore-feet together, to hinder them from travellin far in the night), when they heard a voice, at som distance, crying, 'Tint! tint! tint! one of the met

Come here. Immediately a creature, of something like a human form, appeared. It was surprisingh little, distorted in features, and mis-shapen in limbs As soon as the two men could see it plainly, they ra home in a great fright, imagining they had met with some goblin. By the way Moffat fell, and it ran ove

Tint signifies lost.