The Lady of the Lake
it lightness, and the repetition of the same rhyme enables the poet
to throw together without break all that forms part of one picture"
(Taylor).
377. Erne. Eagle. See Wb.
392. I see, etc. Cf. iv. 152 above.
396. Boune. See on iv. 36 above. Most eds. misprint "bound."
404. Barded. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821; "corrected"
in all the recent ones into "barbed." Scott doubtless wrote barded (=
armored, or wearing defensive armor; but applied only to horses), a word
found in many old writers. Cf. Holinshed (quoted by Nares): "with barded
horses, all covered with iron," etc. See also Wb. Scott has the word
again in the Lay, i. 311:
"Above the foaming tide, I ween,
Scarce half the charger's neck was seen;
For he was barded from counter to tail,
And the rider was armed complete in mail."
405. Battalia. Battalion, army. The word is not a plural of battalion,
as some have seemed to think. See Wb.
414. Vaward. In the vanward, or vanguard; misprinted "vanward" in some
editions. Shakespeare has the noun several times; as in Hen. V. iv. 3.
130: "The leading of the vaward;" Cor. i. 6. 53: "Their bands i' the
vaward;" and figuratively in M. N. D. iv. 1. 110: "the vaward of the
day," etc.
419. Pride. Some eds. misprint "power."
429. As. As if. See on ii. 56 above.
434. Their flight they ply. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821.
Most of the eds. have "plight" for flight, and Taylor has the following
note on Their plight they ply: "The meaning of this is not very clear.
Possibly 'they keep up a constant fire,' but they seem in too complete a
rout for that." Cf. iii. 318 above.
438. The rear. The 1st ed. has "their rear."
443. Twilight wood. Cf. 403 above. "The appearance of the spears and
pikes was such that in the twilight they might have been mistaken at a
distance for a wood" (Taylor).
449-450. And closely shouldering, etc. This couplet is not in the MS.
452. Tinchel. "A circle of sportsmen, who, by surrounding a great space,
and gradually narrowing, brought immense quantities of deer together,
which usually made desperate efforts to breach through the Tinchel"
(Scott).
459. The tide. The 1st ed. has "their tide."
473. Now, gallants! etc. Cf. Macaulay, Battle of Ivry:
"Now by the lips of those ye love,
Fair gentlemen of France,
Charge for the golden lilies,--
Upon them with the lance!"
483. And refluent, etc. The MS. reads:
"And refluent down the darksome pass
The battle's tide was poured;
There toiled the spearman's struggling spear,
There raged the mountain sword."
488. Linn. Here the word is = cataract. See on i. 71 and ii. 270 above.
497. Minstrel, away! The MS. has "Away! away!"
509. Surge. Note the imperfect rhyme. See on i. 223 above.
511. That sullen. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821; "the
sullen" in many eds.
514. That parts not, etc. Lockhart quotes Byron, Giaour:
"the loveliness in death
That parts not quite with parting breath."
515. Seeming, etc. The MS. reads:
"And seemed, to minstrel ear, to toll
The parting dirge of many a soul."
For part = depart, see on ii. 94 above.
523. While by the lake, etc. The MS. reads:
"While by the darkened lake below
File out the spearmen of the foe."
525. At weary bay. See on i. 133 above.
527. Tattered sail. The 1st ed. has "shattered sail;" not noted in the
Errata.
532. Saxons. Some eds. misprint "Saxon."
538. Wont. See on i. 408 above.
539. Store. See on i. 548 above. Bonnet-pieces were gold coins on which
the King's head was represented with a bonnet instead of a crown.
540. To him will swim. For the ellipsis, see on i. 528 above.
556. Her billows, etc. The 1st ed. has "Her billow reared his snowy
crest," and "its" for they in the next line.
564. It tinged, etc. The MS. has "It tinged the boats and lake with
flame."
Lines 561-568 are interpolated in the MS. on a slip of paper.
565. Duncraggan's widowed dame. Cf. iii. 428 fol. above.
567. A naked dirk. The 1st ed. has "Her husband's dirk."
592. Chime. Music. Cf. iv. 524 above.
595. Varied his look, etc. The MS. has "Glowed in his look, as swelled
the song;" and in 600,
"his | glazing | eye."
| fiery |
602. Thus, motionless, etc. Cf. the Introduction to Rob Roy; "Rob Roy,
while on his death-bed, learned that a person, with whom he was at
enmity, proposed to visit him. 'Raise me from my bed,' said the invalid;
'throw my plaid around me, and bring me my claymore, dirk, and pistols:
it shall never be said that a foeman saw Rob Roy MacGregor defenceless
and unarmed.' His foeman, conjectured to be one of the MacLarens,
entered and paid his compliments, inquiring after the health of his
formidable neighbor. Rob Roy maintained a cold, haughty civility during
their short conference; and so soon as he had left the house, 'Now,' he
said, 'all is over--let the piper play Ha til mi tulidh' [we return no
more], and he is said to have expired before the dirge was finished."
605. Grim and still. Originally "stern and still." In a note to the
printer, sent with the final stanzas, Scott writes: "I send the grand
finale, and so exit the Lady of the Lake from the head she has tormented
for six months. In canto vi. stanza 21,--stern and still, read grim and
still; sternly occurs four lines higher. For a similar reason, stanza
24,--dun deer read fleet deer."
608. And art thou, etc. The MS. has "'And art thou gone,' the Minstrel
said."
609. Foeman's. Misprinted "foeman's" in some eds.
610. Breadalbane. See on ii. 416 above.
614. The shelter, etc. The MS. has "The mightiest of a mighty line."
631. Even she. That is, Ellen.
638. Storied. Referring to the scenes depicted on the painted glass.
Cf. Milton, Il Penseroso, 159: "And storied windows, richly dight." The
change of tense in fall is of course for the rhyme; but we might expect
"lighten" for lightened.
643. The banquet, etc. The MS. reads:
"The banquet gay, the chamber's pride,
Scarce drew one curious glance aside;"
and in 653, "earnest on his game."
665. Of perch and hood. That is, of enforced idleness. See on ii. 525
above. In some eds. this song is printed without any division into
stanzas.
670. Forest. The 1st ed. and that of 1821 have "forests," but we suspect
that Scott wrote forest.
672. Is meet for me. The MS. has "was meant for me." For the ellipsis,
cf. 540 above.
674. From yon dull steeple's," etc. The MS. has "From darkened
steeple's" etc. See on v. 558 above.
677. The lark, etc. The MS. has "The lively lark my matins rung," and
"sung" in the rhyme. The omission of to with ring and sing is here a
poetic license; but in Elizabethan English it is common in many cases
where it would not now be admissible. Cf. Othello, ii. 3. 190: "you were
wont be civil;" F. Q. i. 1. 50: "He thought have slaine her," etc.
680. A hall, etc. The MS. has "a hall should harbor me."
683. Fleet deer. See on 605 above.
707. At morning prime. Early in the morning. Prime is properly the first
canonical hour of prayer, or 6 a.m. For its looser use here, cf. F. Q.
ii. 9. 25: "at evening and at prime."
712. Stayed. Supported; not to be printed "staid," as in some editions.
716. Within, etc. The MS. reads:
"Within 't was brilliant all, and bright
The vision glowed on Ellen's sight."
726. Presence. Presence-chamber. Cf. Rich. II. i. 3. 289:
"Suppose the singing birds musicians,
The grass whereon thou tread'st the presence strew'd"
(that is, strewn with rushes); Hen. VIII. iii. 1. 17:
"the two great cardinals
Wait in the presence," etc.
727. For him, etc. The MS. reads: "For him who owned this royal state."
737. Sheen. Bright. See on i. 208 above.
740. And Snowdoun's Knight is Scotland's King. Scott says: "This
discovery will probably remind the reader of the beautiful Arabian tale
of Il Bondocani. Yet the incident is not borrowed from that elegant
story, but from Scottish tradition. James V., of whom we are treating,
was a monarch whose good and benevolent intentions often rendered his
romantic freaks venial, if not respectable, since, from his anxious
attention to the interests of the lower and most oppressed class of
his subjects, he was, as we have seen, popularly termed the King of
the Commons. For the purpose of seeing that justice was regularly
administered, and frequently from the less justifiable motive of
gallantry, he used to traverse the vicinage of his several palaces
in various disguises. The two excellent comic songs entitled The
Gaberlunzie Man and We'll gae nae mair a roving are said to have been
founded upon the success of his amorous adventures when travelling in
the disguise of a beggar. The latter is perhaps the best comic ballad in
any language.
"Another adventure, which had nearly cost James his life, is said to
have taken place at the village of Cramond, near Edinburgh, where he had
rendered his addresses acceptable to a pretty girl of the lower rank.
Four or five persons, whether relations or lovers of his mistress
is uncertain, beset the disguised monarch as he returned from his
rendezvous. Naturally gallant, and an admirable master of his weapon,
the King took post on the high and narrow bridge over the Almond river,
and defended himself bravely with his sword. A peasant who was thrashing
in a neighboring barn came out upon the noise, and, whether moved by
compassion or by natural gallantry, took the weaker side, and laid
about with his flail so effectually as to disperse the assailants, well
thrashed, even according to the letter. He then conducted the King into
his barn, where his guest requested a basin and a towel, to remove the
stains of the broil. This being procured with difficulty, James employed
himself in learning what was the summit of the deliverer's earthly
wishes, and found that they were bounded by the desire of possessing, in
property, the farm of Braehead, upon which he labored as a bondsman. The
lands chanced to belong to the Crown; and James directed him to come to
the palace of Holyrood and inquire for the Guidman (that is, farmer) of
Ballenguich, a name by which he was known in his excursions, and which
answered to the Il Bondocani of Haroun Alraschid. He presented himself
accordingly, and found, with due astonishment, that he had saved his
monarch's life, and that he was to be gratified with a crown charter of
the lands of Braehead, under the service of presenting a ewer, basin,
and towel for the King to wash his hands when he shall happen to pass
the bridge of Cramond. This person was ancestor of the Howisons of
Braehead, in Mid-Lothian, a respectable family, who continue to hold the
lands (now passed into the female line) under the same tenure. [15]
"Another of James's frolics is thus narrated by Mr. Campbell from the
Statistical Account: 'Being once benighted when out a-hunting, and
separated from his attendants, he happened to enter a cottage in the
midst of a moor, at the foot of the Ochil hills, near Alloa, where,
unknown, he was kindly received. In order to regale their unexpected
guest, the gudeman desired the gudewife to fetch the hen that roosted
nearest the cock, which is always the plumpest, for the stranger's
supper. The King, highly pleased with his night's lodging and hospitable
entertainment, told mine host, at parting, that he should be glad
to return his civility, and requested that the first time he came to
Stirling he would call at the Castle, and inquire for the Gudeman
of Ballenguich. Donaldson, the landlord, did not fail to call on the