To hear the clash of rusty arms : Goblin and witch!"-Nay, Heber dear, At every turn, locutus Bos. As grave and duly speaks that ox, As if he told the price of stocks; Or held, in Rome republican, The place of Common-councilman. 1 [MS." With all his many-languaged lore." John Leyden, M. D., who had been of great service to Sir Walter Scott in the preparation of the Border Minstrelsy, sailed for India in April, 1803, and died at Java in August, 1811, before completing his 36th year. "Scenes sung by him who sings no more! And mute his tuneful strains; A distant and a deadly shore Has LEYDEN's cold remains!"' Lord of the Isles, Canto IV. vol. v. post. See a notice of his life in the Author's Miscellaneous Prose Works.] All nations have their omens drear, And shun "the Spirit's Blasted Tree.”—1 He walks among the sons of men. Did'st e'er, dear Heber, pass alongs Beneath the towers of Franchémont, 1 [See Appendix, Note P.] 2 The Daoine shi', or Men of Peace, of the Scottish Highlanders, rather resemble the Scandinavian Duergar, than the English Fairies. Notwithstanding their name, they are, if not absolutely malevolent, at least peevish, discontented, and apt to do mischief on slight provocation. The belief of their existence is deeply impressed on the Highlanders, who think they are particularly offended at mortals, who talk of them, who wear their favourite colour green, or in any respect interfere with their affairs. This is especially to be avoided on Friday, when, whether as dedicated to Venus, with whom, in Germany, this subterraneous people are held nearly connected, or for a more solemn reason, they are more active, and possessed of greater power. Some curious particulars concerning the popular superstitions of the Highlanders may be found in Dr. Graham's Picturesque Sketches of Perthshire. 3 [This paragraph appears interpolated on the blank page of the MS.] Which, like an eagle's nest in air, Hang o'er the stream and hamlet fair?1 1 [MS.—“ Which, high in air, like eagle's nest. Hang from the dizzy mountain's breast."] 2 The journal of the friend, to whom the Fourth Canto of the Poem is inscribed, furnished me with the following account of a striking superstition. "Passed the pretty little village of Franchémont, (near Spaw,) with the romantic ruins of the old castle of the Counts of that name. The road leads through many delightful vales, on a rising ground; at the extremity of one of them stands the ancient castle, now the subject of many superstitious legends. It is firmly believed by the neighbouring peasantry, that the last Baron of Franchémont deposited, in one of the vaults of the castle, a ponderous chest, containing an immense treasure in gold and silver, which, by some magic spell, was intrusted to the care of the Devil, who is constantly found sitting on the chest in the shape of a huntsman. Any one adventurous enough to touch the chest is instantly seized with the palsy. Upon one occasion, a priest of noted piety was brought to the vault: he used all the arts of exorcism to persuade his infernal majesty to vacate his seat, but in vain; the huntsman remained immovable. At last, moved by the earnestness of the priest, he told him, that he would agree to resign the chest, if the exorciser would sign his name with blood. But the priest understood his meaning, and refused, as by that act he would have delivered over his soul to the Devil. Yet if anybody can discover the mystic words used by the person who deposited the treasure, and pronounce them, the fiend must instantly decamp. I had many stories of a similar nature from a The iron chest is bolted hard, A Huntsman sits, its constant guard; To chase the fiend, and win the prize, And scarce three letters has he won. peasant, who had himself seen the Devil, in the shape of a great cat." Such general superstition may My song the messenger from Heaven,1 Your treasured hoards of various lore, Yet who, of all who thus employ them, 1 [See Appendix, Note L.] 2 [The four lines which follow are not in the MS.] |