vicinage of his several palaces in various disguises. The two excellent comic songs, entitled, "the Gaberlunzie man," and "We'll gae nae mair a roving," are said to have been founded upon the success of his amorous adventures when travelling in the disguise of a beggar. The latter is perhaps the best comic ballad in any language. from the spirited example of his neighbour tenants on the same estate, he is convinced similar exertion would promote his advantage." The author requests permission yet farther to verify the subject of his poem, by an extract from the genealogical work of Buchanan of Auchmar, upon Scottish surnames : "This John Buchanan of Auchmar and Arnpryor was afterwards termed King of Kippen, upon the following account: King James V., a very sociable, debonair prince, residing at Stirling, in Buchanan of Arnpryor's time, carriers were very frequently passing along the common road, being near Arnpryor's house, with necessaries for the use of the king's family; and he, having some extraordinary occasion, ordered one of these carriers to leave his load at his house, and he would pay him for it; which the carrier refused to do, telling him he was the king's carrier, and his load for his majesty's use; to which Arnpryor seemed to have small regard, compelling the carrier, in the end, to leave his load; telling him, if King James was King of Scotland, he was King of Kippen, so that it was reasonable he should share with his neighbour king in some of these loads, so frequently carried that road. The carrier representing this usage, and telling the story, as Arnpryor spoke it, to some of the king's servants, it came at length to his majesty's ears, who, shortly thereafter, with a few attendants, came to visit his neighbour king, who was in the meantime at dinner. King James, having sent a servant to demand access, was denied the same by a tall fellow with a battleaxe, who stood porter at the gate, telling, there could be no access till dinner was over. This answer not satisfying the king, he sent to demand access a second time; upon which he was desired by the porter to desist, otherwise he would find cause to repent his rudeness. His majesty finding this method would not do, desired the porter to tell his master that the Goodman of Ballageich desired to speak with the King of Kippen. The porter telling Arnpryor so much, he, in all humble manner, came and received the king, and having entertained Another adventure, which had nearly cost James his life, is said to have taken place at the village of Cramond, near Edinburgh, where he had rendered his addresses acceptable to a pretty girl of the lower rank. Four or five persons, whether relations or lovers of his mistress is uncertain, beset the disguised monarch as he returned from his rendezvous. Naturally gallant, and an admirable master of his weapon, the king took post on the high and narrow bridge over the Almond river, and defended himself bravely with his sword. A peasant, who was threshing in a neighbouring barn, came out upon the noise, and whether moved by compassion or by natural gallantry, took the weaker side, and laid about with his flail so effectually, as to disperse the assailants, well threshed, even according to the letter. He then conducted the king into his barn, where his guest requested a basin and a towel, to remove the stains of the broil. This being procured with difficulty, James employed himself in learning what was the summit of his deliverer's earthly wishes, and found that they were bounded by the desire of possessing, in property, the farm of Braehead, upon which he laboured as a bondsman. The lands chanced to belong to the crown; and James directed him to come to the palace of Holyrood, and enquire for the Guidman (i c. farmer) of Ballengiech, a name by which he was known in his excursions, and which answered to the Il Bondocani of Haroun Alraschid. He presented himself accordingly, and found, with due astonishment, that he had saved his monarch's life, and that he was to be gratified with a crown charter of the lands of Braehead, under the service of presenting a ewer, basin and towel, for the king to wash his hands when he shall happen to pass the Bridge of Cramond. This person was ancestor of the Howi-him with much sumptuousness and jollity, became so agreesons of Braehead, in Mid-Lothian, a respectable family, who continue to hold the lands (now passed into the female line) under the same tenure. 1 able to King James, that he allowed him to take so much of any provision he found carrying that road as he had occasion for; and seeing he made the first visit, desired Arnpryor in a few days to return him a second to Stirling, which he performed, and continued in very much favour with the king, always thereafter being termed King of Kippen while he lived."-BUCHANAN'S Essay upon the Family of Buchanan. Edin. 1775, 8vo. p. 74. Another of James's frolics is thus narrated by Mr. Campbell from the Statistical Account :-"Being once benighted when out a-hunting, and separated from his attendants, he happened to enter a cottage in the midst of a moor at the foot of the Ochil hills, near Alloa, where, unknown, he was kindly received. In order to regale their unexpected guest, the gude- The readers of Ariosto must give credit for the amiable feaman (i. e. landlord, farmer) desired the gudcwife to fetch the tures with which he is represented, since he is generally conhen that roosted nearest the cock, which is always the plump-sidered as the prototype of Zerbino, the most interesting hero est, for the stranger's supper. The king, highly pleased with of the Orlando Furioso. his night's lodging and hospitable entertainment, told mine host at parting, that he should be glad to return his civility, and requested that the first time he came to Stirling, he would call at the castle, and enquire for the Gudeman of Ballenguich. Donaldson, the landlord, did not fail to call on the Gudeman of Ballenguich, when his astonishment at finding that the king had been his guest afforded no small amusement to the merry monarch and his courtiers; and, to carry on the pleasantry, he was thenceforth designated by James with the title of King of the Moors, which name and designation have descended from father to son ever since, and they have continued in possession of the identical spot, the property of Mr. Erskine of Mar, till very lately, when this gentleman, with reluctance, turned out the descendant and representative of the King of the Moors, on account of his majesty's invincible indolence, and great dislike to reform or innovation of any kind, although, NOTE 3 Z. Stirling's tower Of yore the name of Snowdoun claims.-P. 229. William of Worcester, who wrote about the middle of the fifteenth century, calls Stirling Castle Snowdoun. Sir David Lindsay bestows the same epithet upon it in his complaint of the Papingo: 1 The reader will find this story told at greater length, and with the addition in particular, of the king being recognized, like the Fitz-James of the Lady of the Lake, by being the only person covered, in the First Series of Tales of a Grand father, vol. iii. p. 37. The heir of Braehead discharged his duty at the banquet given to King George IV. in the Parliament House at Edinburgh, in 1822.-ED. 2 A small district of Perthshire. "Adieu, fair Snawdoun, with thy towers high, in the castle park, is still called the Round Table. Snawdoun is the official title of one of the Scottish heralds, whose epithets seem in all countries to have been fantastically adopted from ancient history or romance. It appears (See Note 3 Y) that the real name by which James was actually distinguished in his private excursions, was the Goodman of Ballenguich; derived from a steep pass Mr Chalmers, in his late excellent edition of Sir David Lindsay's works, has refuted the chimerical derivation of Snaw-leading up to the Castle of Stirling, so called. But the epithet doun from snedding, or cutting. It was probably derived from the romantic legend which connected Stirling with King Arthur, to which the mention of the Round Table gives countenance. The ring within which justs were formerly practised, would not have suited poetry, and would besides at once, and prematurely, have announced the plot to many of my countrymen, among whom the traditional stories above mentioned are still current. The Vision of Don Roderick. Quid dignum memorare tuis, Hispania, terris, -CLAUDIAN. PREFACE. picious and friendly kingdom, and terminates with the arrival of the British succours. It may be farther proper to mention, that the object of the Poem is less to commemorate or detail particular incidents, than to exhibit a general and impressive picture of the several periods brought upon the stage. THE following Poem is founded upon a Spanish Tradition, particularly detailed in the Notes; but bearing, in general, that Don Roderick, the last Gothic King of Spain, when the Invasion of the Moors was impending, had the temerity to descend into an an- I am too sensible of the respect due to the Public, escient vault, near Toledo, the opening of which had pecially by one who has already experienced more than been denounced as fatal to the Spanish Monarchy. ordinary indulgence, to offer any apology for the infeThe legend adds, that his rash curiosity was mortified riority of the poetry to the subject it is chiefly designed by an emblematical representation of those Saracens to commemorate. Yet I think it proper to mention, who, in the year 714, defeated him in battle, and re- that while I was hastily executing a work, written duced Spain under their dominion. I have presumed for a temporary purpose, and on passing events, the to prolong the Vision of the Revolutions of Spain task was most cruelly interrupted by the successive down to the present eventful crisis of the Peninsula; deaths of LORD PRESIDENT BLAIR, and LORD VISand to divide it, by a supposed change of scene, into COUNT MELVILLE. In those distinguished characters, THREE PERIODS. The FIRST of these represents the I had not only to regret persons whose lives were Invasion of the Moors, the Defeat and Death of Rode- most important to Scotland, but also whose notice and rick, and closes with the peaceful occupation of the patronage honoured my entrance upon active life; country by the Victors. The SECOND PERIOD em- and, I may add, with melancholy pride, who permitbraces the state of the Peninsula, when the conquests ted my more advanced age to claim no common share of the Spaniards and Portuguese in the East and in their friendship. Under such interruptions, the West Indies had raised to the highest pitch the re-following verses, which my best and happiest efforts nown of their arms; sullied, however, by superstition must have left far unworthy of their theme, have, I and cruelty. An allusion to the inhumanities of the am myself sensible, an appearance of negligence and Inquisition terminates this picture. The LAST PART incoherence, which, in other circumstances, I might of the Poem opens with the state of Spain previous to have been able to remove.3 the unparalleled treachery of BUONAPARTE; gives a sketch of the usurpation attempted upon that unsus 1 The Vision of Don Roderick appeared in 4to, in July 15, 1811; and in the course of the same year was also inserted in the second volume of the Edinburgh Annual Register-which work was the property of Sir Walter Scott's then publishers, Messrs. John Ballantyne and Co. EDINBURGH, June 24, 1811. 1811, Scott says "I have this moment got your kind letter, just as I was packing up Don Roderick for you. This раtriotic puppet-show has been finished under wretched auspices; poor Lord Melville's death so quickly succeeding that of President Blair, one of the best and wisest judges that ever distributed justice, broke my spirit sadly. My official situation placed me in daily contact with the President, and his ability and candour were the source of my daily admiration. As for poor dear Lord Melville, 'tis vain to name him whom we mourn in vain.' Almost the last time I saw him, he was talking of you in the highest terms of regard, and expressing great hopes of again seeing you at Dunira this summer, where I proposed to attend you. Hei mihi! quid hei mihi? humana perpessi sumus. His loss will be long and severely felt here, and Envy is already paying her cold tribute of applause to the a In a letter to J. B. S. Morritt, Esq., Edinburgh, July 1, worth which she maligned while it walked upon earth." 2 The Right Hon. Robert Blair of Avontoun, President of the Court of Session, was the son of the Rev. Robert Blair, author of "The Grave." After long filling the office of Solicitor-General in Scotland with high distinction, he was elevated to the Presidency in 1803. He died very suddenly on the 20th May 1811, in the 70th year of his age; and his intimate friend, Henry Dundas, first Viscount Melville, having gone into Edinburgh on purpose to attend his remains to the grave, was taken ill not less suddenly, and died there the very hour that the funeral took place, on the 28th of the same month. The Vision of Don Roderick. то JOHN WHITMORE, Esq. AND TO THE COMMITTEE OF SUBSCRIBERS FOR RELIEF OF THE PORTUGUESE SUFFERERS, IN WHICH HE PRESIDES, THIS POEM, (THE VISION OF DON RODERICK,) COMPOSED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND UNDER THEIR MANAGEMENT,' friend the Earl of Dalkeith (afterwards Duke of Buccleuch) 2 MS.-"Who sung the changes of the Phrygian jar." 1 "The letters of Scott to all his friends have sufficiently "The poem was published, in 4to, in July; and the immeshown the unflagging interest with which, among all his per-diate proceeds were forwarded to the board in London. His sonal labours and anxieties, he watched the progress of the great contest in the Peninsula. It was so earnest, that he never on any journey, not even in his very frequent passages between Edinburgh and Ashestiel, omitted to take with him the largest and best map he had been able to procure of the seat of war; upon this he was perpetually poring, tracing the marches and counter-marches of the French and English by means of black and white pins; and not seldom did Mrs. Scott complain of this constant occupation of his attention and her carriage. In the beginning of 1811, a committee was formed in London to collect subscriptions for the relief of the Portuguese, who had seen their lands wasted, their vines torn up, and their houses burnt in the course of Massena's last unfortunate campaign; and Scott, on reading the advertisement, immediately addressed Mr. Whitmore, the chairman, begging that the committee would allow him to contribute to their fund the profits, to whatever they might amount, of a poem which he proposed to write upon a subject connected with the localities of the patriotic struggle. His offer was of course accepted; and THE VISION OF DON RODERICK was begun as soon as the Spring vacation enabled him to retire to Ashestiel. change." 4" The too monotonous close of the stanza is sometimes diversified by the adoption of fourteen-foot verse,-a license in poetry which, since Dryden, has (we believe) been altogether abandoned, but which is nevertheless very deserving of revival, so long as it is only rarely and judiciously used. The very first stanza in this poem affords an instance of it; and, introduced thus in the very front of the battle, we cannot help considering it as a fault, especially clogged as it is with the association of a defective rhyme-change, revenge.”— Critical Review, Aug. 1811. |