The Lady of the Lake
wont to call him his Gray-Steill. [12] Archibald, being banished into
England, could not well comport with the humor of that nation, which
he thought to be too proud, and that they had too high a conceit
of themselves, joined with a contempt and despising of all others.
Wherefore, being wearied of that life, and remembering the King's favor
of old towards him, he determined to try the King's mercifulness and
clemency. So he comes into Scotland, and taking occasion of the King's
hunting in the park at Stirling he casts himself to be in his way, as he
was coming home to the Castle. So soon as the King saw him afar off, ere
he came near, he guessed it was he, and said to one of his courtiers,
"Yonder is my Gray-Steill, Archibald of Kilspindie, if he be alive." The
other answered that it could not be he, and that he durst not come into
the King's presence. The King approaching, he fell upon his knees and
craved pardon, and promised from thenceforward to abstain from meddling
in public affairs, and to lead a quiet and private life. The King went
by without giving him any answer, and trotted a good round pace up the
hill. Kilspindie followed, and though he wore on him a secret, or shirt
of mail, for his particular enemies, was as soon at the Castle gate as
the King. There he sat him down upon a stone without, and entreated some
of the King's servants for a cup of drink, being weary and thirsty; but
they, fearing the King's displeasure, durst gave him none. When the King
was set at his dinner, he asked what he had done, what he had said, and
whither he had gone? It was told him that he had desired a cup of drink,
and had gotten none. The King reproved them very sharply for their
discourtesy, and told them that if he had not taken an oath that no
Douglas should ever serve him, he would have received him into his
service, for he had seen him sometime a man of great ability. Then he
sent him word to go to Leith, and expect his further pleasure. Then some
kinsman of David Falconer, the cannonier, that was slain at Tantallon,
began to quarrel with Archibald about the matter, wherewith the King
showed himself not well pleased when he heard of it. Then he commanded
him to go to France for a certain space, till he heard further from him.
And so he did, and died shortly after. This gave occasion to the King of
England (Henry VIII.) to blame his nephew, alleging the old saying, That
a king's face should give grace. For this Archibald (whatsoever were
Angus's or Sir George's fault) had not been principal actor of anything,
nor no counsellor nor stirrer up, but only a follower of his friends,
and that noways cruelly disposed' (Hume of Godscroft, ii. 107)."
637. Larbert is a town about ten miles to the south of Stirling, and
Alloa another seven miles to the east on the north side of the Forth.
641. To Douglas gave a golden ring. Scott says: "The usual prize of a
wrestling was a ram and a ring, but the animal would have embarrassed my
story. Thus, in the Cokes Tale of Gamelyn, ascribed to Chaucer:
'There happed to be there beside
Tryed a wrestling;
And therefore there was y-setten
A ram and als a ring."
Again, the Litil Geste of Robin Hood:
'By a bridge was a wrestling,
And there taryed was he
And there was all the best yemen
Of all the west countrey.
A full fayre game there was set up,
A white bull up y-pight,
A great courser with saddle and brydle,
With gold burnished full bryght;
A payre of gloves, a red golde ringe,
A pipe of wine, good day;
What man bereth him best, I wis,
The prise shall bear away.'"
648. To hurl the massive bar. Cf. iv. 559 above.
658. Scottish strength. The MS. has "mortal strength."
660. The Ladies' Rock. A point in the "valley" between the Castle and
the Greyfriars Church. It was formerly the chief place for viewing the
games, which were held in this "valley," or depression in the hill on
which the Castle stands. It must not be confounded with the Ladies'
Lookout, a favorite point of view on the Castle walls.
662. Well filled. The MS. has "weighed down;" and in 664, "Scattered the
gold among the crowd."
674. Ere Douglas, etc. The MS. has "Ere James of Douglas' stalwart
hand;" and in 677, "worn" for wrecked.
681. Murmurs. Some eds. have "murmur."
685. The banished man. The MS. has "his stately form."
724. Needs but a buffet. Only a single blow is needed.
728. Then clamored, etc. The MS. and 1st ed. have "Clamored his comrades
of the train;" and in 730 the MS. has "warrior's" for Baron's.
735. Atone. See on iv. 421 above.
744. But shall a Monarch's presence, etc. The MS. reads:
"But in my court injurious blow, And bearded thus, and
thus out-dared? What, ho!" etc.
747. Ward. Guarding, confinement under guard. Cf. Gen. xl. 3.
752. Misarray. Disorder, confusion. Neither Wb. nor Worc. gives the
word.
754. Pricked. Spurred, rode. See on 486 above.
755. Repelled, etc. The MS. has "Their threats repelled by insult loud."
768. Hyndford. A village on the Clyde, a few miles above Lanark.
790. Widow's mate expires. An instance of prolepsis, or "anticipation"
in the use of a word. He must expire before she can be a widow. Cf.
Macbeth, iii. 4. 76:
"Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time,
Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal;"
that is, purged it and made it gentle.
794. Ward. Ward off, avert.
796. The crowd's wild fury, etc. The MS. reads:
"The crowd's wild fury ebbed amain
In tears, as tempests sink in rain."
The 1st ed. reads as in the text, but that of 1821 has "sunk amain."
The figure here is a favorite one with Shakespeare. Cf. R. of L. 1788:
"This windy tempest, till it blow up rain,
Held back his sorrow's tide, to make it more;
At last it rains, and busy winds give o'er;"
3 Hen. VI. i. 4. 146:
"For raging wind blows up incessant showers,
And, when the rage allays, the rain begins;"
Id. ii. 5. 85:
"see, see, what showers arise,
Blown with the windy tempest of my heart;"
T. and C. iv. 4. 55: "Where are my tears? rain, to lay this wind, or my
heart will be blown up by the root;" and Macbeth, i. 7. 25: "That tears
shall down the wind."
808. The rough soldier. Sir John of Hyndford (768 above).
811. He led. The 1st ed. has "they led," and "their" for his in 813.
812. Verge. Note the rhyme with charge, and see on iv. 83 above.
819. This common fool. Cf. Shakespeare's "fool multitude" (M. of V. ii.
9. 26). Just below Lockhart quotes Coriolanus, i. 1. 180:
"Who deserves greatness
Deserves your hate; and your affections are
A sick man's appetite, who desires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favors swims with fins of lead
And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust ye?
With every minute you do change a mind,
And call him noble that was now your hate,
Him vile that was your garland."
821. Douglas. The reading of the 1st ed., as in 825 below; not
"Douglas'," as in some recent eds.
830. Vain as the leaf, etc. The MS. has "Vain as the sick man's idle
dream."
838. Cognizance. "The sable pale of Mar." See on iv. 153 above.
853. With scanty train, etc. The MS. has "On distant chase you will not
ride."
856. Lost it. Forgot it.
858. For spoiling of. For fear of ruining. Cf. Shakespeare, Sonn. 52. 4:
"The which he will not every hour survey,
For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure;
T. G. of V. i. 2. 136: "Yet here they shall not lie for catching cold;"
Beaumont and Fletcher, Captain, iii. 5: "We'll have a bib for spoiling
of thy doublet," etc.
887. Earl William. The Douglas who was stabbed by James II. See on 551
above.
Canto Sixth.
"Lord Jeffrey has objected to the guard-room scene and its accompanying
song as the greatest blemish in the whole poem. The scene contrasts
forcibly with the grace which characterizes the rest; but in a
poem which rests its interest upon incident, such a criticism seems
overstrained. It gives us a vigorous picture of a class of men who
played a very important part in the history of the time, especially
across the Border; men who, many of them outlaws, and fighting, not for
country or for king, but for him who paid them best, were humored
with every license when they were not on strict military duty. The
requirements of the narrative might have been satisfied without these
details, it is true; but the use which Sir Walter has made of them--to
show the power of beauty and innocence, and the chords of tenderness and
goodness which lie ready to vibrate in the wildest natures--may surely
reconcile us to such a piece of realism.
"The scene of Roderick's death harmonizes well with his character. The
minstrel's account of the battle the poet himself felt to be somewhat
long, and yet it is difficult to see how it could be curtailed without
spoiling it. It is full of life and vigor, and our only cause of
surprise is that the lay should only come to a sudden stand when it is
really completed" (Taylor).
6. Scaring, etc. The 1st ed. reads: "And scaring prowling robbers to
their den."
7. Battled. Battlemented; as in ii. 702 above.
9. The kind nurse of men. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. iii. 1. 5:
"O sleep, O gentle sleep,
Nature's soft nurse," etc.
23. Through narrow loop, etc. The MS. has "Through blackened arch,"
etc.; and below:
"The lights in strange alliance shone
Beneath the arch of blackened stone."
25. Struggling with. Some recent eds. misprint "struggling through."
47. Adventurers they, etc. Scott says: "The Scottish armies consisted
chiefly of the nobility and barons, with their vassals, who held lands
under them for military service by themselves and their tenants. The
patriarchal influence exercised by the heads of clans in the Highlands
and Borders was of a different nature, and sometimes at variance with
feudal principles. It flowed from the Patria Potestas, exercised by the
chieftain as representing the original father of the whole name, and
was often obeyed in contradiction to the feudal superior. James V. seems
first to have introduced, in addition to the militia furnished from
these sources, the service of a small number of mercenaries, who formed
a body-guard, called the Foot-Band. The satirical poet, Sir David
Lindsay (or the person who wrote the prologue to his play of the Three
Estaites), has introduced Finlay of the Foot-Band, who after much
swaggering upon the stage is at length put to flight by the Fool, who
terrifies him by means of a sheep's skull upon a pole. I have rather
chosen to give them the harsh features of the mercenary soldiers of the
period, than of this Scottish Thraso. These partook of the character of
the Adventurous Companions of Froissart, or the Condottieri of Italy."
53. The Fleming, etc. The soil of Flanders is very fertile and
productive, in marked contrast to the greater part of Scotland.
60. Halberd. A combination of spear and battle-axe. See Wb.
63. Holytide. Holiday. For tide = time, see on iii. 478 above.
73. Neighboring to. That is, lying in adjacent rooms.
75. Burden. Alluding to the burden, or chorus, of a song. Cf. ii. 392
above. The MS. has "jest" for joke; and in the next line "And rude oaths
vented by the rest."
78. Trent. the English river of that name. Cf. 231 below.
84. That day. Modifying cut shore, not grieved.
87. A merry catch, I troll. Cf. Shakespeare, Temp, iii. 2. 126: "will
you troll the catch," etc.
88. Buxom. Lively, brisk; as in Hen. V. iii. 6. 27: "of buxom valour,"