were failing under unremitted and gigantic labors that were wearing away, while they glorified, the latter years and months of his eventful life; for this is the work of a knight not only peerless in the domains of Romance, but unsurpassed by any in practical chivalry of business honor and of daily life, — his final work while he was falling, dying, in manly devotion to honesty, in courageous conflict with cruel adversity. And although this composition is less splendid than are the works of his full strength, still let us honor and love it for the record it forms in the noble story of his character. The scenery associated with this novel is chiefly that of Douglas Dale, a region not yet seen by the writer, but described as most readily accessible from Lanark, either by walking or by public or private carriage. Castle Dangerous is the ancient castle of Douglas, situated eleven miles from Lanark. One round tower, ruined and ivy-draped, is said to be the only portion of it remaining; and even of this tower quite a large part of the wall is broken out, from foundation upwards. Near the ruin is the stately modern Castle Douglas, surrounded by magnificent grounds. A town, bearing the name of the great family, and about a mile distant, is said to be a small, decayed place. A portion is preserved of its ancient church of St. Bride, containing monuments to members of the Douglas family, and described in the novel. The vale of Douglas has not only associations with turbulent mediæval times illustrated in this story, but also with the Covenanters, some of whom found secure refuge within it. The scenery is generally attractive. The upper portion of the vale is rather elevated, "and flanked with high moorish or pastoral hills; but afterwards" it becomes "a fine strath, flanked with sloping ascents, and extensively clothed with plantations; and at last it becomes a rich dale, expanding far in fertile haughs, and rising sideward into fine wooded banks and swells." There is a sad and peculiar interest associated with this region, chief natural scene in the last novel of Sir Walter Scott; for to it, during the latter part of July, 1831, he made his last long excursion in Scotland, through the fair and storied land he loved so well. His allusion to this visit, in the preface of the novel, is indeed pathetic in its quiet narration, and its history; for he sent it, in February, 1832, from Naples, where he was in vain seeking alleviation or arrest of disease already growing fatal. "The author," he says, "before he had made much progress in this, probably the last of his novels, undertook a journey to Douglasdale for the purpose of examining the remains of the famous Castle, the Kirk of St. Bride of Douglas, the patron saint of that great family, and the various localities alluded to by Gądscroft, in his account of the early adventures of good Sir James; but though he was fortunate enough to find a zealous and well-informed cicerone in Mr. Thomas Haddow, and had every assistance from the kindness of Mr. Alexander Finlay, the resident chamberlain of his friend, Lord Douglas, the state of his health at the time was so feeble, that he found himself incapable of pursuing his researches, as in better days he would have delighted to do, and was obliged to be contented with such a cursory view of scenes, in themselves most interesting, as could be snatched in a single morning, when any bodily exertion was painful." Mr. Lockhart (in chapter lxxx. of "The Life") has left a very interesting account of this "journey to Douglasdale," during which he accompanied Sir Walter. "We set out," the biographer wrote, "early on the 18th [July], and ascended the Tweed, passing in succession Yair, Ashestiel, Innerleithen, Traquair, and many more scenes dear to his early life, and celebrated in his writings," — including Drochel Castle, Biggar, the inn of Douglas Mill (where he spent a night), Douglas Castle, the Church of St. Bride near it; and, during the return, Milton-Lockhart, seat of Mr. Lockhart's brother. Scott retained much of the humor and feeling of his best years. He frequently repeated passages of poetry, - often long, and among these, at an appropriate moment, "without break or hesitation, Prior's verses to the historian Mezeray. That he applied them to himself [wrote his biographer], was touchingly obvious." One of these verses is so applicable to him, and so terse and expressive, that it should be quoted, and scarcely another can form a more proper close to this brief mention of the last long pilgrimage of Sir Walter Scott to shrines of the story of his native land, -ever shrines of his affections: "Whate'er thy countrymen have done, By law and wit, by sword and gun, In thee is faithfully recited; And all the living world that view At once instructed and delighted." XXIV. "A LEGEND OF MONTROSE." THE REGION OF THE TROSACHS, AND THE WEST COAST. Ninth Novel of the Series, written 1819; Published June 10, 1819; Time of Action of the Story 1645-6; Author's Age, 48. VISIT VISITS to scenery of this interesting story lead us from Glasgow, and regions described in the last three chapters, to that portion of Scotland where the Highlands join the Lowlands near Callander, and thence through the country of "The Lady of the Lake," to central portions of the western coasts. Thence, the route of this tour extends to scenes of "The Lord of the Isles" (pages 103-116), and to Orkney and Shetland in the distant north. After departure from Glasgow the first stop may be at Stirling. There will be found much that is associated with the long course of Scottish history, and, from the famous old castle, so interesting in the fortunes of "The Lady," Ellen Douglas (pages 69-75), may also be found one of the most extensive and noble landscapes in Britain. Not far from Stirling is Bannockburn, glorious in history and in the romance of "The Lord of the Isles" (page 119). In another direction, and in sight from Stirling, is the Abbey Craig, over five hundred feet high, bearing a monument to tower two hundred and twenty feet above it, built in the baronial style of Scotland to her hero, Sir William Wallace. The many natives of other lands who honor his memory, will cordially say of it, with his countrymen, and with her (C. E. Norton) who has written so well of the memorial and of the patriot, — "While the great rock he watched from shall endure, His monument is sure. Build low-build high — The great name cannot die!" And while we look from the stately walls of the castle upon the wide panoramic view they command, we may see, in long array northward, the majestic and beautiful mountains of Perthshire, that appear always inviting us to explore their picturesque scenery, to which the pathway of travel, as well as our inclinations, will conduct us. We can go first to Callander, -a central point from which such researches may be made, — and find near it the opening scene of this story, one of the shorter, yet one of the more exciting, of Scott's novels. Or we may go from Stirling to Crieff, and thence to Aberfeldy, three miles from which is Grandtully Castle, a supposed original of Tully Veolan in "Waverley" (page 141); and at which are the three beautiful falls of Moness, celebrated by Burns in the verses, "The braes ascend like lofty wa's, The foaming stream, deep roaring, fa's, Be Thence this excursion leads to Kenmore, also described by Burns, and near the magnificent seat of the Marquis of Breadalbane, Taymouth Castle. Thence the road leads along the border of Loch Tay — one of the noblest of Scottish lakes - to Killin; and then past Rob Roy's country, Balquhidder, to Lochearnhead. tween the last named place and Callander, fourteen miles distant, is the Pass of Leni, and in it we are introduced to the action described in this "Legend of Montrose." From Callander our way will be nine miles to the Trosachs, and scenery of "The Lady of the Lake," sketched in chapter vii. No region, except that around Melrose and Abbotsford, is more thoroughly and delightfully associated with Scott and with his creations than this within the circuit of a dozen miles from the Trosachs it deserves and rewards complete exploration. And before the "Legend" and its scenery are sketched, there cannot be a more proper introduction, than description of a wide, grand outlook upon this peculiarly attractive and suggestive region of his enchanted lands, from a point, identified with no one of his creations, yet commanding view of many places that are. This point is the summit of Ben Ledi, the great "Hill of God;" named thus because, it is said, the Druids there performed rites of fire-worship. The mountain and its top are easily reached from the Trosachs Inn by a walk of a few miles along the Callander road, and over the Brig of Turk, and thence, to the left, by a little path beside the Teith to a small hamlet, in the depths of Glenfinlas, encompassed by grand hills that rise close around it. This hamlet represents not a few found in the Highlands. It consisted, when the writer saw it, of one good, single-storied house, and a few long, low, narrow huts, rude and cheerless, with rough stone walls (some, of the better class only, whitewashed), and with thatched roofs sloping almost to the ground. From this place the way is over uneven declivities, directly to the summit of Ben Ledi, distinctly visible when the weather is proper for mountain excursions in Scotland. From the direction of this approach Ben Ledi appears to be a long ridge, rising to a rounded top, and declining rather steeply to the right (the south). Along the way is the variety of surface presented by bogs, streams, water-courses in grass, mosses, heather, peat, and gray, lichen-grown, broken rocks. The summit should be reached in about two hours from the Trosachs. It is almost covered with soft sward, grasses, and little plants. The natural features of the view from Ben Ledi are very diversified. Eastward, over the Pass of Leni, a deep ravine with steep sides, and over Strath Ire and gleaming reaches of Loch Lubnaig, are irregular elevations, beyond which rise the broad, long UamVar, and "lone" Glen Artney. Close to the north of these is the great depressed pyramidal form of Ben Voirlich; and to the south, the braes of Doune; and farther, the lowlands in several shires, in which tower Doune and Stirling and dark Abbey Craig. Beyond these are the large, dusky forms of the Ochil Hills, and almost over them, far distant, may be seen in clear weather the remotest eastward limit of the panorama, the German Ocean and the Bass Rock off North Berwick. Callander seems to be nearly at one's feet. South of it lies the placid lake of Menteith, with its fair Inch-mahome, the Isle of Rest, and beyond, a wide, rural country, bounded along the horizon by the extended but not high ridge of Campsie Fells, conspicuous towards the western end of which is the Earl's Seat. In this direction, closely below the crest of Ben Ledi, appear the lochs of Vennachar, Drunkie, and Achray, and, beyond them, a lofty ridge that hides Aberfoyle. More westward stands the dark, serrated, prolonged form of Ben Venue, backed by heights more wall-like in shape. Farther on towers great Ben Lomond, appearing triple-headed, and suggesting some aspects of Chocorua among the American White Hills. And then, all around westward and northward, the view sweeps-magnificent in extent and in scenery - from the Paps of Jura, south of west, to Moray Firth, east of north over intricate groups or ranges of mountains that sentinel enchanted ground" about Loch Katrine, where "huge Ben Venue" stands like a giant, and Ben An heaves "high his forehead 66 |