The Lady of the Lake [102]
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."
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."