Such are the nice traits of character so often lost in general

history.

Note XII.

Thou heard'st a wretched female plain,

In agony of travail-pain,

And thou didst bid thy little band

Upon the instant turn and stand.-P. 206.

This incident, which illustrates so happily the chivalrous generosity of Bruce's character, is one of the many simple and natural traits recorded by Barbour. It occurred during the expedition which Bruce made to Ireland, to support the pretensions of his brother Edward to the throne of that kingdom. Bruce was about to retreat, and his host was arrayed for moving:

"The king has heard a woman cry,
He asked, what that was in hy,*
'It is the layndar, † sir,' sai ane,
"That her child-ill‡ right now has ta'en:
And must now leave behind us here.
Therefore she makes an evil cheer.' §

The king said, Certes, || it were a pity
That she in that point left should be,
For certes I trow there is no man
That he no will rue ¶ a woman than.'
His hoste all there arrested he,
And gert a tent soon stintit** be,

* Haste.

Certainly.

+ Laundress.
Pity.

+ Child-bed. **Pitched.

§ Stop.

And gert her gang in hastily,
And other women to be her by.
While she was delivered he bade;

And syne forth on his ways rade.
And how she forth should carried be,
Or he forth fure,* ordained he.
This was a full great courtesy,
That swilk a king and so mighty,
Gert his men dwell on this maner,
But for a poor lavender."

BARBOUR'S Bruce, Book XVI. p. 39, 40.

* Moved.

NOTES TO CANTO V.

Note I.

O'er chasms he pass'd, where fractures wide
Craved wary eye and ample stride.-P. 222.

The interior of the island of Arran abounds with beautiful highland scenery. The hills, being very rocky and precipitous, afford some cataracts of great height, though of inconsiderable breadth. There is one pass over the river Machrai, renowned for the dilemma of a poor woman, who, being tempted by the narrowness of the ravine to step across, succeeded in making the first movement, but took fright when it became necessary to move the other foot, and remained in a posture equally ludicrous and dangerous, until some chance passenger assisted her to extricate herself. It is said she remained there some hours.

Note II.

He cross'd his brow beside the stone,

Where Druids erst heard victims groan,
And at the cairns upon the wild,

O'er many a heathen hero piled.-P. 222.

The isle of Arran, like those of Man and Anglesea, abounds with many reliques of heathen, and probably druidical, superstition. There are high erect columns of unhewn stone, the most early of all monuments, the circles of rude stones, commonly entitled druidical, and the cairns, or sepulchral piles, within which are usually found urns inclosing ashes. Much doubt necessarily rests upon the history of such monuments, nor is it possible to consider them as exclusively Celtic, or druidical. By much the finest circles of standing stones, excepting Stonehenge, are those of Stenhouse, at Stennis, in the island of Pomona, the principal isle of the Orcades. These, of course, are neither Celtic nor druidical; and we are assured that many circles of the kind occur both in Sweden and Norway.

Note III.

Old Brodick's Gothic towers were seen.

From Hastings, late their English lord,

Douglas had won them by the sword.-P. 223.

Brodick or Brathwick castle, in the Isle of Arran, is an ancient fortress, near an open road-stead called Brodick Bay, and