765. The selfsame, etc. The MS. has "In thundering tone the voice did say." 769. Appealing me. Making my appeal. 772. Parted. Departed. See on i. 20 above. 779. Passed. Went away. 793. Like Lindesay. Cf. iv. 184 above. 830. He almost loathed. Which he almost loathed, etc. above. See on 200 836. And lofty Law. The MS. has "conic " for lofty. See on iv. 623 above. 838. A venerable pile. "The convent alluded to is a foundation of Cistercian nuns near North Berwick, of which there are still some remains. It was founded by Duncan, Earl of Fife, in 1216” (Scott). 840. The lofty Bass. The Bass Rock, a precipitous rocky island, some four hundred feet high, about two miles from the shore. For the Lambie isle (a small island near by) the MS. has "the Lamb's green isle." 844. Rest. That is, to rest. 871. Cheer thee. Comfort thyself. Cf. Shakespeare, A. Y. L. ii. 6. 5 : "cheer thyself a little." 894. On. For the use with exclaim, cf. Shakespeare, V. and A. 930: "exclaims on Death," etc. 899. With candle, bell, and book. "In the solemn form of excommunication used in the Romish Church, the bell was tolled, the book of offices for the purpose used, and three candles extinguished, with certain ceremonies" (Nares). Cf. King John, iii. 3. 12: "Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back," etc. 908. Composed. Smoothed, arranged. 66 914. Forth of Forth from; as in Shakespeare, Tempest, v. 1. 160: "thrust forth of Milan," etc. Scott says here: This relates to the catastrophe of a real Robert de Marmion, in the reign of King Stephen, whom William of Newbury describes with some attributes of my fictitious hero. 'Homo bellicosus, ferocia et astucia fere nullo suo tempore impar. This baron, having expelled the monks from the church of Coventry, was not long of experiencing the divine judgment, as the same monks, no doubt, termed his disaster. Having waged a feudal war with the Earl of Chester, Marmion's horse fell, as he charged in the van of his troop, against a body of the Earl's followers: the rider's thigh being broken by the fall, his head was cut off by a common footsoldier, ere he could receive any succor. The whole story is told by William of Newbury." 924. As me. The grammar is sacrificed to the rhyme. 926. Judith. See the apocryphal book of Judith: and for Jael and Deborah below, Judges, iv. 931. Saint Anton'. Saint Antony. 934. By this good light! A common oath in the olden time. Cf. Tempest, ii. 2. 147: "By this good light, this is a very shallow monster!" 937. Don. All the early eds. print it "d' on," which was evidently suggested by its derivation from do on. 938. Patience take perforce. "Patience perforce" was a proverbial 66 expression, used when an evil that could not be remedied was to be borne. The full form of it, according to Ray, was Patience perforce is a medicine for a mad dog." Cf. Spenser, F. Q. ii. 3. 3: "Patience perforce: helplesse what may it boot To frett for anger, or for griefe to mone? 947. In that inviolable dome. This line, accidentally omitted in the early eds., was restored to the text from the MS. by Lockhart. For another reference to the ancient right of sanctuary, see quotation in note on ii. 233 above. 957. One victim. That is, Constance. 982. Studded gates. Cf. v. ind. 49 above. 1001. Etall and Wark. Border castles in Northumberland, both now in ruins. For Ford, see on i. 192 above. 1017. Millfield Plain. Opposite Flodden Hill, on the other side of the Till. 1021. Wooler. A town on the slope of the Cheviot Hills. 1031. Wot. Know; the present tense of the old wit (A. S. witan). 1032. Bated of. Cf. Dryden, Ovid: "Abate thy speed and I will bate of mine." The transitive bate is more common. INTRODUCTION TO CANTO SIXTH. MERTOUN HOUSE, where this poetical epistle was written, was the seat of Hugh Scott, Esq., of Harden, in a beautiful situation on the Tweed, about two miles below Dryburgh Abbey. See also on 95 below. Richard Heber (1773-1833), half-brother of Bishop Heber, was an eminent classical scholar and "bibliomaniac." His library of nearly 1 50,000 volumes cost him about £180,000, or nearly $900,000. He was for some years member of Parliament for Oxford University. He became acquainted with Scott while on a visit to Edinburgh, and was afterwards one of his most intimate friends. 5. The fittest time, etc. cheer." 66 The 1st ed. has Fit time for festival and 6. The savage Dane, etc. "The Iol of the heathen Danes (a word still applied to Christmas in Scotland) was solemnized with great festivity. The humor of the Danes at table displayed itself in pelting each other with bones: and Torfæus tells a long and curious story, in the history of Hrolfe Kraka, of one Hottus, an inmate of the court of Denmark, who was so generally assailed with these missiles, that he constructed, out of the bones with which he was overwhelmed, a very respectable entrenchment, against those who continued the raillery. The dances of the Northern warriors round the great fires of pine-trees are commemorated by Olaus Magnus, who says, they danced with such fury, holding each other by the hands, that if the grasp of any failed, he was pitched into the fire with the velocity of a sling. The sufferer, on such occasions, was instantly plucked out, and obliged to quaff off a certain measure of ale, as a penalty for spoiling the king's fire (Scott). 17. Scalds. The Scandinavian minstrels. 23. Odin. The chief of the Northern gods (from whose name, also spelled Woden, our Wednesday is derived), represented as feasting with his chosen heroes in Valhalla, or his great hall. 31. On Christmas eve, etc. Scott says: "In Roman Catholic countries, mass is never said at night, except on Christmas eve. Each of the frolics with which that holiday used to be celebrated, might admit of a long and curious note; but I shall content myself with the following description of Christmas, and his attributes, as personified in one of Ben Jonson's Masques for the Court: "Enter CHRISTMAS, with two or three of the Guard. He is attired in round hose, long stockings, a close doublet, a high-crowned hat, with a brooch, a long thin beard, a truncheon, little ruffs, white shoes, his scarfs and garters tied cross, and his drum beaten before him. The names of his children, with their attires: Miss-Rule, in a velvet cap, with a sprig, a short cloak, great yellow ruff, like a reveller; his torchbearer bearing a rope, a cheese, and a basket; -- - Carroll, a long tawny coat, with a red cap, and a flute at his girdle; his torchbearer carrying a song-book open ;· Minc'd-pie, like a fine cook's wife, drest neat, her man carrying a pie, dish, and spoons; Gamboll, like a tumbler, with a hoop and bells; his torchbearer arm'd with cole-staff, and blinding cloth; Post and Pair, with a pair-royal of aces in his hat, his garment all done over with pairs and purs; his squire carrying a box, cards, and counters; - New-Year's Gift, in a blue coat, serving-man like; with an orange, and a sprig of rosemary gilt on his head; his hat full of brooches, with a collar of gingerbread; his torchbearer carrying a march-pain, with a bottle of wine on either arm;- Mumming, in a masquing pied suit, with a visor; his torchbearer carrying the box, and ringing it; -Wassal, like a neat sempster and songster; her page bearing a brown bowl, drest with ribbons, and rosemary, before her; — Offering, in a short gown, with a porter's staff in his hand; a wyth borne before him, and a bason, by his torchbearer;- Baby Cocke, drest like a boy, in a fine long coat, biggin, bib, muckender, and a little dagger; his usher bearing a great cake, with a bean and a pease.' 33. Stoled. Wearing the stole, or ecclesiastical scarf. 34. Sheen. Shining, bright-colored. See on v. 215 above. 45. Post and pair. An old game at cards. See the personification of it by Ben Jonson, quoted in note on 31 above. 55. No mark, etc. A large salt-cellar usually served as this boundary between the guests of high and low degree; hence the expressions above the salt and below the salt, which occur so often in old writers. Cf. Ben Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, ii. 2: "He never drinks below the salt" (that is, to one sitting below it); Hall, Satires, ii. 6: “presume to sit above the salt," etc. 56. The lusty brawn. The big dish of brawn, or boar's flesh prepared in a particular manner. 60. Green-garbed. That is, in his "hunting-suit of Lincoln green" (Lady of the Lake, i. 464). 63. Baiting. The MS. has "hunting;" and for the next four lines: "Then round the merry wassel bowl, Garnish'd with ribbons, blithe did trowl, The reading of the first couplet in the 1st ed. is : Garnished with ribbons, blithe did trowl;" the second being as in the present text. 69. High tide. Holiday. Cf. King John, iii. 1. 86: "A wicked day, and not a holy day! What hath this day deserv'd? What hath it done, Among the high tides of the calendar?" 74. Who lists, etc. "It seems certain that the Mummers of England, who (in Northumberland at least) used to go about in disguise to the neighboring houses, bearing the then useless ploughshare; and the Guisards of Scotland, not yet in total disuse, present, in some indistinct degree, a shadow of the old mysteries, which were the origin of the English drama. In Scotland (me ipso teste), we were wont, during my boyhood, to take the characters of the apostles, at least of Peter, Paul, and Judas Iscariot, which last carried the bag, in which the dole of our neighbor's plum-cake was deposited. One played a Champion, and recited some traditional rhymes; another was 'Alexander, king of Macedon, Who conquered all the world but Scotland alone; These, and many such verses, were repeated, but by rote, and unconnectedly. There was also occasionally, I believe, a Saint George. In all, there was a confused resemblance of the ancient mysteries, in which the characters of Scripture, the Nine Worthies, and other popular personages, were usually exhibited. It were much to be wished, that the Chester Mysteries were published from the MS. in the Museum, with the annotations which a diligent investigator of popular antiquities might still supply" (Scott). The Chester Mysteries, edited by Markland, were printed for the Roxburghe Club in 1818. 78. Dight. Decked, dressed. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. i. 4. 6: “ With rich array and costly arras dight," etc. See also on p. 246 above, where it is used in the more general sense of prepared. 92. For course of blood, etc. "Blood is warmer than water erb meant to vindicate our family predilections" (Scott). 66 a prov 95. My great-grandsire, etc. Mr. Scott of Harden, my kind and affectionate friend, and distant relation, has the original of a poetical invitation, addressed from his grandfather to my relative, from which a few lines in the text are imitated. They are dated, as the epistle in the text, from Mertoun-house, the seat of the Harden family. With amber beard, and flaxen hair, Come hither, Christmas-day, and dine; And easy mirth with thoughts divine. Pray come, and welcome, or plague rott 'Mr. Walter Scott, Lessuden.' "The venerable old gentleman, to whom the lines are addressed, was the younger brother of William Scott of Raeburn. Being the cadet of a cadet of the Harden family, he had very little to lose; yet he contrived to lose the small property he had, by engaging in the civil wars and intrigues of the house of Stuart. His veneration for the exiled family was so great, that he swore he would not shave his beard till they were restored: a mark of attachment, which, I suppose, had been common during Cromwell's usurpation; for, in Cowley's 'Cutter of Coleman Street,' one drunken cavalier upbraids another, that, when he was not able to afford to pay a barber, he affected to 'wear a beard for the king.' I sincerely hope this was not absolutely the original reason of my ancestor's beard; which, as appears from a portrait in the possession of Sir Henry Hay Macdougal, Bart., and another painted for the famous Dr. Pitcairn, was a beard of a most dignified and venerable appearance" (Scott). 96. The 1st ed. transposes amber and flaxen. "In these fair halls, with merry cheer, III. The fair dame, etc. of noble German descent. The wife of Hugh Scott of Harden, a lady 120. Clips. Clasps, enfolds. Cf. King John, v. 2. 34: “Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about," etc. 126. And heard the chimes, etc. The MS. adds: "As boasts old Shallow to Sir John." See 2 Henry IV. iii. 2. 228, where Falstaff says: We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow!" 131. As Noll Bluff might say, etc. Scott cites the passage from The Old Bachelor, ii. 2: Hannibal was a pretty fellow, sir — a very pretty fellow in his day." 66 136. Latian. That is, Latin. "The old gentleman was an intimate of this celebrated genius. By the favor of the late Earl of Kellie, descended on the maternal side from Dr. Pitcairn, my father became possessed of the portrait in question." |