solemn exercise of feats of chivalry, and the embankment around for the convenience of the spectators.

342. Left Mayburgh's mound and stones of power.

Higher up the river Eamont than Arthur's Round Table, is a prodigious enclosure of great antiquity, formed by a collection of stones upon the top of a gently sloping hill, called Mayburgh. In the plain which it encloses there stands erect an unhewn stone of twelve feet in height. Two similar masses are said to have been destroyed during the memory of man. The whole appears to be a monument of Druidical times.

343. The surface of that sable tarn.

The small lake called Scales-tarn lies so deeply embosomed in the recesses of the huge mountain called Saddleback, more poetically Glaramara, is of such great depth, and so comletely hidden from the sun, that it is said its eams never reach it, and that the reflection of he stars may be seen at mid-day.

344 On Caliburn's resistless brand.

This was the name of King Arthur's wellnown sword, sometimes also called Excalibar. 344. The terrors of Tintadgel's spear.

Tintadgel Castle, in Cerwall, is reported to have been the birthplace of King Arthur.

348. That burn'd and blighted where it fell. The author has an indistinct recollection of an adventure, somewhat similar to that which s here ascribed to King Arthur having befallen ne of the ancient kings of Denmark. Horn in which the burning liquor was presented o that monarch is said still to be preserved in he Royal Museum at Copenhagen.

The

348. The Saxons to subjection brought. Arthur is said to have defeated the Saxons n twelve pitched battles, and to have achieved he other feats alluded to in the text.

348. There Morolt of the iron mace.

The characters named in the stanza are all f them more or less distinguished in the omances which treat of King Arthur and his Round Table, and their names are strung together according to the established custom of instrels upon such occasions; for example, in he ballad of the Marriage of Sir Gawaine :

"Sir Lancelot, Sir Stephen bolde,

They rode with them that daye,
And, foremost of the companye,
There rode the stewarde Kaye.
"Soe did Sir Banier, and Sir Bore,
And eke Sir Garratte keen.
Sir Tristrem too, that gentle knight,
To the forest fresh and greene."

348. Look'd stol'n-wise on the Queen.

Upon this delicate subject hear Richard Robinson, citizen of London, in his Assertion of King Arthur:-"But as it is a thing sufficiently apparent that she (Guenever, wife of King Arthur) was beautiful, so it is a thing doubted whether she was chaste, yea or no. Truly, so far as I can with honestie, I would spare the impayred honour and fame of noble wonien. But yet the truth of the historie pluckes me by the eare, and willeth not onely, but commandeth me to declare what the ancients have deemed of her. To wrestle or contend with so great authoritie were indeede unto me a controversie, and that greate."-Assertion of King Arthure. Imprinted by John Wolfe, London, 1582.

349. There were two who loved their neighbours' wives,

And one who loved his own.

"In our forefathers' tyme, when Papistrie, as a standyng poole, covered and overflowed all England, fewe books were read in our tongue, savying certaine bookes of chevalrie, as they said, for pastime and pleasure; which, as some say, were made in the monasteries, by idle monks or wanton chanons. As one, for example, La Morte d'Arthure; the whole pleasure of which book standeth in two speciall poynts, in open manslaughter and bold bawdrye; in which booke they be counted the noblest knightes that do kill most men without any quarrell, and commit fowlest adoulteries by sutlest shiftes; as Sir Launcelot, with the wife of King Arthur, his master; Sir Tristram, with the wife of King Marke, his uncle; Sir Lamerocke, with the wife of King Lote, that was his own aunt. This is good stuffe for wise men to laugh at; or honest men to take pleasure at: yet I know when God's Bible was banished the Court, and La Morte d'Arthure received into the Prince's chamber."-ASCHAM'S Schoolmaster.

349. Who won the cup of Gold.

See the comic tale of the Boy and the Mantle, in the third volume of Percy's Reliques of Ancient Poetry, from the Breton or Norman original of which Ariosto is supposed to have taken his Tale of the Enchanted Cup.

353. Horse-milliner of modern days.

"The trammels of the palfraye pleased his sight,

And the horse-millanere his head with roses dight."

ROWLEY'S Ballads of Charitie.

353. Whose Logic is from Single-speech. See "Parliamentary Logic, &c., by the Right Honourable William Gerard Hamilton," (1808,) commonly called "Single-Speech Hamilton."

369. Thy wood, dark Soignies, holds us now. The wood of Soignies is identified by some writers with Shakespeare's Ardennes. It is as Ardennes that Byron speaks of the forest in 'Childe Harold;' choosing, as he says, "a name connected with nobler associations than those of mere slaughter." Tacitus mentions the spot.

369. The peasant, at his labour blithe,

Plies the hook'd staff and shorten'd scythe.

The reaper in Flanders carries in his left hand a stick with an iron hook, with which he collects as much grain as he can cut at one sweep with a short scythe, which he holds in his right hand. They carry on this double process with great spirit and dexterity.

370. Pale Brussels! then what thoughts were thine?

It was affirmed by the prisoners of war, that Bonaparte had promised his army, in case of victory, twenty-four hours' plunder of the city of Brussels.

371. "On! On!" was still his stern exclaim.

The characteristic obstinacy of Napoleon was never more fully displayed than in what we may be permitted to hope will prove the last of his fields He would listen to no advice, and allow of no obstacles. An eye-witness has given the following account of his demeanour towards the end of the action :

"It was near seven o'clock. Bonaparte, who till then had remained upon the ridge of the hill whence he could best behold what passed, contemplated with a stern countenance the scene of this horrible slaughter. The more that obstacles seemed to multiply, the more his obstinacy seemed to increase He became indignant at these unforeseen difficulties; and, far from fearing to push to extremities an army whose confidence in him was boundless, he ceased not to pour down fresh troops, and to give orders to march forward-to charge with the bayonet-to carry by storm. He was repeatedly informed, from different points, that the day went against him, and that the troops seemed to be disordered; to which he only replied. En-avant! En-avant!'

"One general sent to inform the Emperor that he was in a position which he could not maintain, because it was commanded by a battery, and requested to know, at the same time, in what way he should protect his division from the murderous fire of the English artillery. Let him storm the battery,' replied Bonaparte, and turned his back on the aide-de-camp who

brought the message."-Relation de la Bo taille de Mont-St-Jean. Par un Tema (ka laire. Paris, 1815, 8vo, p. 51.

371. The fate their leader shunn'd to them It has been reported that Bonaparte char at the head of his guards, at the last penal this dreadful conflict. This, however, is accurate. He came down indeed to a les part of the high road, leading to Charler. within less than a quarter of a mile of the fam of La Haye Sainte, one of the points fiercely disputed Here he harangued t guards, and informed them that his precede operations had destroyed the British int and cavalry, and that they had only to supp the fire of the artillery, which they were : attack with the bayonet. This exhortation ww received with shouts of Vive l'Empereur, whic were heard over all our line, and led to an e that Napoleon was charging in person. b the guards were led on by Ney; nor did B parte approach nearer the scene of action ex the spot already mentioned, which the ris banks on each side rendered secure trem. such balls as did not come in a straight He witnessed the earlier part of the battle places yet more remote, particularly fren observatory which had been placed theres em King of the Netherlands, some weeks befor for the purpose of surveying the country is not meant to infer from these particulars ta Napoleon showed on that memorable occ the least deficiency in personal courage: the contrary, he evinced the greatest compet and presence of mind during the whole act But it is no less true that report has er ascribing to him any desperate efforts of va for recovery of the battle; and it is remark that during the whole carnage, nose of suite were either killed or wounded, wherD scarcely one of the Duke of Wellington's per sonal attendants escaped unhurt.

371. England shall tell the fight!

In riding up to a regiment which was br pressed, the Duke called to the men, ** Soldie we must never be beat.-what will they sati England?" It is needless to say how tha peal was answered.

371. As plies the smith his clanging trad A private soldier of the 95th regiment c pared the sound which took place immed

The mistakes concerning this obser have been mutual. The English suppe erected for the use of Bonaparte; and a writer affirms it was constructed by the of Wellington.

Sir Thomas Picton, Sir William Ponsonby, and Colonel Sir William de Lancey, were on the staff, and were killed during the battle. Of the first named, Wellington in his despatch said. "In Lieutenant-General Sir T. Picton, his Majesty has sustained the loss of an officer who has frequently distinguished himself in his service; he fell gloriously leading his division to a charge with bayonets, by which one of the most serious attacks made by the enemy on our position was repulsed." The commanderin-chief also alluded to Sir W. Ponsonby as an ornament to his profession. It was in endeavouring to arrest the too rapid and reckless advance of his brigade that Ponsonby, being intercepted by the French lancers, in a ploughed field, was killed. Sir William de Lancey had been married as recently as the April preceding the battle. This is the meaning of the lines

"De Lancey change Love's bridal wreath, For laurels from the hand of death."

Colonel Miller, of the Guards, was son of Sir William Miller, Lord Glenlee. It is told of him, that at his desire, when on the point of death, the colours of his regiment were waved over his head. Colonel Cameron, of Fassiefern, fell at Quatre Bras, while heading a charge of the 92d or Gordon Highlanders. "Generous

NOTES TO BALLADS

428. The Switzer priest has ta'en the field. All the Swiss clergy who were able to bear arms fought in this patriotic war.

428. O Hare-castle, thou heart of hare! In the original, Haasenstein, or Hare-stone. 428. The peaks they hew'd from their bootpoints

Might well-nigh load a wain.

This seems to allude to the preposterous fashion, during the Middle Ages, of wearing boots with the points or peaks turned upwards,

Gordon " was Colonel the Honourable Sir Alexander Gordon, brother of the Earl of Aberdeen. He fell by the side of his chief, and a monument erected by his brother now marks the spot.

374

the towers of Hougomont.

"Hougomont-a sort of chateau, with a garden and wood attached to it, which was powerfully and effectually maintained by the Guards during the action. This place was particularly interesting. It was a quiet-looking gentleman's house, which had been burnt by the French shells. The defenders, burnt out of the house itself, betook themselves to the little garden, where, breaking loop-holes through the brick walls, they kept up a most destructive fire on the assailants, who had possessed themselves of a little wood which surrounds the villa on one side."-Scott to the Duke of Buccleuch, Aug. 1815.

374 And Field of Waterloo.

"I went," says Byron, "twice over the field, comparing it with my recollection of similar scenes. As a plain, Waterloo seems marked out for the scene of some great action, though this may be mere imagination. I have viewed with attention those of Plata, Troy, Mantinea, Leuctra, Chæronea, and Marathon; and the field around Mount St. Jean and Heugomont appears to want little but a better cause, and that indefinable but impressive halo which the lapse of ages throws around a celebrated spot, to vie in interest with any or all of these, except, perhaps, the last mentioned.'

THE DAUNTLESS.

397. Matthew and Morton we as such may

own

And such (f fame speak truth) the honour'd Barrington.

Bishop Matthew, Bishop Morton, and Bishop Barrington successively held the See of Durham.

FROM THE GERMAN.

and so long, that in some cases they were fastened to the knees of the wearer with small chains. When they alighted to fight upon foot, the Austrian gentlemen could not move about freely until they had cut off these peaks, that they might move with the necessary activity.

429. The Austrian Lion 'gan to growl.
A pun on the Archduke's name, Leopold.
429. The Mountain Bull he bent his brows.

A pun on the URUS, or wild-bull, which gives name to the Canton of Uri.

436. How blazed Lord Ronald's beltane-tree. The fires lighted by the Highlanders, on the 1st of May, in compliance with a custom derived from the Pagan times, are termed The Beltane-tree. It is a festival celebrated with various superstitious rites, both in the north of Scotland and in Wales.

437. The secr's prophetic spirit found.

I can only describe the second sight, by adopting Dr. Johnson's definition, who calls it "An impression, either by the mind upon the eye, or by the eye upon the mind, by which things distant and future are perceived and seen as if they were present." To which I would only add, that the spectral appearances, thus presented, usually presage misfortune; that the faculty is painful to those who suppose they possess it; and that they usually acquire it while themselves under the pressure of melancholy.

437. Will good St. Oran's rule prevail?

St. Oran was a friend and follower of St. Columba, and was buried at Icolmkill. His pretensions to be a saint were rather dubious. According to the legend, he consented to be buried alive, in order to propitiate certain demons of the soil, who obstructed the attempts of Columba to build a chapel. Columba caused the body of his friend to be dug up, after three days had elapsed; when Oran, to the horror and scandal of the assistants, declared, that there was neither a God, a judgment, nor a future state! He had no time to make further discoveries, for Columba caused the earth once more to be shovelled over him with the utmost despatch. The chapel, however, and the cemetery, were called Relig Ouran; and, in memory of his rigid celibacy, no female was permitted to pay her devotions, or be buried in that place. This is the rule alluded to in the poem.

439. And thrice St. Fillan's powerful prayer. St. Fillan has given his name to many chapels, holy fountains, &c. in Scotland. He was, according to Camerarius, an Abbot of Pittenweem, in Fife; from which situation he retired, and died a hermit in the wilds of Glenurchy, A.D. 649. While engaged in transcribing the Scriptures, his left hand was observed to send forth such a splendour, as to afford light to that with which he wrote; a miracle which saved many candles to the convent, as St. Fillan used to spend whole nights in that exercise. The oth of January was dedicated to this saint, who gave his name to Kilfillan, in Renfrew, and St. Phillans, or Forgend, in Fife. Lesley, lib. 7, tells us, that Robert the Bruce, was possessed of Fillan's miraculous and luminous arm, which he enclosed in a silver shrine, and had it carried at the head of his army. Previous to the Battle of Bannockburn, the king's chaplain, a man of

little faith, abstracted the relic, and depo it in a place of security, lest it should £1: the hands of the English But, low Robert was addressing his prayers to the casket, it was observed to open and shu si denly; and, on inspection, the salt was fa to have himself deposited his arm in the me as an assurance of victory. Such is the t Lesley. But though Bruce little redel the arm of St. Fillan should as-ist las dedicated to him, in gratitude, a priory at Kimy upon Loch Tay.

In the Spots Magazine for July, 180s, them is a copy of a very curious crown grunt de 4 11th July, 487, by which James II o to Malice Toire, an inhabitant of Strat in Perthshire, the peaceable exercise as ment of a relic of St. Fillan, being apart the head of a pastoral staff called the Quie which he and his predecessors are sail to b possessed since the days of Robert Bruce As the Quegrich was used to cure diseos ta document is probably the most andert ever granted for a quack medicine. The nious correspondent, by whom it is furr farther observes, that additional port concerning St. Fillan are to be found in 5 LENDEN'S Bo-ce, Book 4, folio cexia, 17. PENNANT'S Tour in Scotland, 1772, pp. 14, 15

440. The catastrophe of the tale is fr upon a well-known Irish trunki.

There is an old and well-known iri h tion, that the Lodies of certain spuits and are scorchingly hot, so that they leave anything they touch an impress as if ci re iron. It is related of one of Melancth.s lations, that a devil seized hold of her be which bore the mark of a burn to her dy** day. The incident in the poem is of a ve nature-the ghost's hands "scorch'd like at brand," leaving a burning impress in the 1 and the lady's wrist. Another class of ferd. reported to be icy-cold, and to freeze t of any one with whom they come in certac

440. He came not from where Ancran. How Ran red with English Elet

Bolls of corn

12,492 1,296

200

850

Insight gear, &c. (furniture) an incalculable quantity.

MURDIN'S State Papers, vol. i. p. 51.

For these services Sir Ralph Evers was made Lord of Parliament.

The King of England had promised to these wo barons a feudal grant of the country, which hey had thus reduced to a desert; upon hearing which, Archibald Douglas, the seventh Earl of Angus, is said to have sworn to write the deed of investiture upon their skins, with sharp pens and bloody ink, in resentment for their having lefaced the tombs of his ancestors at Melrose.GODSCROFT. In 1545 Lord Evers and Latoun gain entered Scotland, with an army consistig of 3,000 mercenaries, 1,500 English Borderers, and 700 assured Scottish men, chiefly Armstrongs, Turnbulls, and other broken clans. In this second incursion, the English generals ven exceeded their former cruelty. Evers ourned the tower of Broonhouse, with its lady a noble and aged woman, says Lesley) and her whole family. The English penetrated as far Melrose, which they had destroyed last year, and which they now again pillaged. As they eturned towards Jedburgh, they were followed by Angus at the head of 1,000 horse, who was hortly after joined by the famous Norman esley, with a body of Fife-men. The English, eing probably unwilling to cross the Teviot hile the Scots hung upon their rear, halted pon Ancram Moor, above the village of that ame: and the Scottish general was deliberatng whether to advance or retire, when Sir Valter Scott,* of Buccleuch, came up at full peed with a small but chosen body of his reiners, the rest of whom were near at hand. By the advice of this experienced warrior (to hose conduct, Pitscottie and Buchanan ascribe he success of the engagement), Angus withrew from the height which he occupied, and rew up his forces behind it, upon a piece of ow flat ground, called Panier heugh, or Panieleugh. The spare horses being sent to an emi

"The Editor has found no instance upon ecord, of this family having taken assurance with England. Hence, they usually suffered readfully from the English forays. In August 544 (the year preceding the battle), the whole nds belonging to Buccleuch, in West Teviotale, were harried by Evers; the outworks, or armkin, of the tower of Branxholm burned; ight Scots slain, thirty made prisoners, and an mense prey of horses, cattle, and sheep, arried off. The lands upon Kale Water, beonging to the same chieftain, were also plunered, and much spoil obtained; 30 Scots slain, nd the Moss Tower (a fortress near Eckford) moked very sore. Thus Buccleuch had a long ccount to settle at Ancram Moor."-MURDIN'S Etate Papers, pp. 45, 46.

nence in their rear, appeared to the English to be the main body of the Scots in the act of flight. Under this persuasion, Evers and Latoun hurried forward, and having ascended the hill, which their foes had abandoned, were no less dismayed than astonished to find the phalanx of Scottish spearmen drawn up, in firm array upon the flat ground below. The Scots in their turn became the assailants. A heron, roused from the marshes by the tumult, soared away betwixt the encountering armies: "O!" exclaimed Angus, "that I had here my white goss-hawk, that we might all yoke at once!"GODSCROFT. The English, breathless and fatigued, having the setting sun and wind full in their faces, were unable to withstand the resolute and desperate charge of the Scottish lances. No sooner had they begun to waver, than their own allies, the assured Borderers, who had been waiting the event, threw aside their red crosses, and, joining their countrymen, made a most merciless slaughter among the English fugitives, the pursuers calling upon each other to remember Broomhouse!"-LESLEY, p. 478.

In the battle fell Lord Evers and his son, together with Sir Brian Latoun and 800 Englishmen, many of whom were persons of rank. A thousand prisoners were taken. Among these was a patriotic alderman of London, Read by name, who, having contumaciously refused to pay his portion of a benevolence, demanded from the city by Henry VIII, was sent by royal authority to serve against the Scots. These, at settling his ransom, he found still more exorbitant in their exactions than the monarch.-REDPATH'S Border History, p. 563.

The

Evers was much regretted by King Henry, who swore to avenge his death upon Angus, against whom he conceived himself to have particular grounds of resentment, on account of favours received by the earl at his hands. answer of Angus was worthy of a Douglas: "Is our brother-in-law offended," said he, "that I, as a good Scotsman, have avenged my ravaged country, and the defaced tombs of my ancestors, upon Ralph Evers? They were better men than he, and I was bound to do no less-and will he take my life for that? Little knows King Henry the skirts of Kirnetable: I can keep myself there against all his English host." -GODSCROFT.

Such was the noted battle of Ancram Moor. The spot on which it was fought is called Lilyard's Edge, from an Amazonian Scottish woman of that name, who is reported, by tradition, to have distinguished herself in the same manner as Squire Witherington. I The old people point out her monument, now broken and defaced. The inscription is said to have been legible within this century, and to have run thus: