The Lady of the Lake [105]
kill her; and her joints were now grown stiff, and she declined to return; though she was at least a 'prentice, and so could not run away from her master; yet some cited Moses's law, that if a servant shelter himself with thee against his master's cruelty, thou shalt surely not deliver him up. The Lords, renitente cancellario, assoilzied Harden on the 27th of January (1687)' (Fountainhall's Decisions, vol. i. p. 439)."
136. Purvey. Provide. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. v. 12. 10: "He all things did purvay which for them needfull weare."
147. Bertram, etc. The MS. has "Bertram | his | | such | violence withstood."
152. The tartan screen. That is, the tartan which she had drawn over her head as a veil.
155. The savage soldiery, etc. The MS. has "While the rude soldiery, amazed;" and in 164 below, "Should Ellen Douglas suffer wrong."
167. I shame me. I shame myself, I am ashamed. The very was formerly used intransitively in this sense. Cf. Shakespeare, R. of L. 1143: "As shaming any eye should thee behold;" A. Y. L. iv. 3. 136: "I do not shame to tell you what I was," etc.
170. Needwood. A royal forest in Staffordshire.
171. Poor Rose, etc. The MS. reads:
"'My Rose,'--he wiped his iron eye and brow,-- 'Poor Rose,--if Rose be living now.'"
178. Part. Act; used for the rhyme. The expression is not unlike "do the part of an honest man" (Much Ado, ii. 1. 172), or "act the part," as we should now put it.
183. Tullibardine. The name of an old seat of the Murray family, about twenty miles from Stirling.
199. Errant damosel. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. ii. 1. 19: "Th' adventure of the Errant damozell."
209. Given by the Monarch, etc. The MS. has "The Monarch gave to James Fitz-James."
218. Bower. Chamber. See on i. 217 above.
222. Permit I marshal you the way. Permit that I conduct you thither.
233. The vacant purse, etc. The MS. reads:
"The silken purse shall serve for me, And in my barret-cap shall flee""--
a forced rhyme which the poet did well to get rid of.
234. Barret-cap. Cloth cap. Cf. the Lay, iii. 216:
"Old England's sign, St. George's cross, His barret-cap did grace."
He puts the purse in his cap as a favor. See on iv. 686 above.
242. Master's. He means the Douglas, but John of Brent takes it to refer to Roderick. See 305 below.
261. Wot. Know, understand. See on i. 596 above.
276. Rugged vaults. The MS. has "low broad vaults;" and in 279, "stretching" for crushing.
291. Oaken floor. The MS. and 1st ed. have "flinty floor;" and below:
"'thou mayst remain;' And then, retiring, bolt and chain, And rusty bar, he drew again. Roused at the sound," etc.
292, 293. Such ... hold. This couplet is not in the 1st ed., and presumably not in the MS., though the fact is not noted by Lockhart.
295. Leech. Physician. Cf. F. Q. iii. 3. 18: "Yf any leaches skill," etc.; and in the preceding stanza, "More neede of leach- crafte hath your Damozell," etc.
306. Prore. Prow (Latin prora); used only in poetry.
309. Astrand. On strand (cf. ashore), stranded.
316. At sea. The MS. has "on main," and "plain" for lea in the rhyme. The 1st ed. and that of 1821 have "on sea."
334. Has never harp, etc. The MS. reads:
"Shall never harp of minstrel tell Of combat fought so fierce and well."
348. Strike it! Scott says: "There are several instances, at least in tradition, of persons so much attached to particular tunes, as to require to hear them on their death-bed. Such an anecdote is mentioned by the late Mr. Riddel of Glenriddel, in his collection of Border tunes, respecting an air called the 'Dandling of the Bairns,' for which a certain Gallovidian laird is said to have evinced this strong mark of partiality. It is popularly told of a famous freebooter, that he composed the tune known by the name of Macpherson's Rant while under sentence of death, and played it at the gallows-tree. Some
136. Purvey. Provide. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. v. 12. 10: "He all things did purvay which for them needfull weare."
147. Bertram, etc. The MS. has "Bertram | his | | such | violence withstood."
152. The tartan screen. That is, the tartan which she had drawn over her head as a veil.
155. The savage soldiery, etc. The MS. has "While the rude soldiery, amazed;" and in 164 below, "Should Ellen Douglas suffer wrong."
167. I shame me. I shame myself, I am ashamed. The very was formerly used intransitively in this sense. Cf. Shakespeare, R. of L. 1143: "As shaming any eye should thee behold;" A. Y. L. iv. 3. 136: "I do not shame to tell you what I was," etc.
170. Needwood. A royal forest in Staffordshire.
171. Poor Rose, etc. The MS. reads:
"'My Rose,'--he wiped his iron eye and brow,-- 'Poor Rose,--if Rose be living now.'"
178. Part. Act; used for the rhyme. The expression is not unlike "do the part of an honest man" (Much Ado, ii. 1. 172), or "act the part," as we should now put it.
183. Tullibardine. The name of an old seat of the Murray family, about twenty miles from Stirling.
199. Errant damosel. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. ii. 1. 19: "Th' adventure of the Errant damozell."
209. Given by the Monarch, etc. The MS. has "The Monarch gave to James Fitz-James."
218. Bower. Chamber. See on i. 217 above.
222. Permit I marshal you the way. Permit that I conduct you thither.
233. The vacant purse, etc. The MS. reads:
"The silken purse shall serve for me, And in my barret-cap shall flee""--
a forced rhyme which the poet did well to get rid of.
234. Barret-cap. Cloth cap. Cf. the Lay, iii. 216:
"Old England's sign, St. George's cross, His barret-cap did grace."
He puts the purse in his cap as a favor. See on iv. 686 above.
242. Master's. He means the Douglas, but John of Brent takes it to refer to Roderick. See 305 below.
261. Wot. Know, understand. See on i. 596 above.
276. Rugged vaults. The MS. has "low broad vaults;" and in 279, "stretching" for crushing.
291. Oaken floor. The MS. and 1st ed. have "flinty floor;" and below:
"'thou mayst remain;' And then, retiring, bolt and chain, And rusty bar, he drew again. Roused at the sound," etc.
292, 293. Such ... hold. This couplet is not in the 1st ed., and presumably not in the MS., though the fact is not noted by Lockhart.
295. Leech. Physician. Cf. F. Q. iii. 3. 18: "Yf any leaches skill," etc.; and in the preceding stanza, "More neede of leach- crafte hath your Damozell," etc.
306. Prore. Prow (Latin prora); used only in poetry.
309. Astrand. On strand (cf. ashore), stranded.
316. At sea. The MS. has "on main," and "plain" for lea in the rhyme. The 1st ed. and that of 1821 have "on sea."
334. Has never harp, etc. The MS. reads:
"Shall never harp of minstrel tell Of combat fought so fierce and well."
348. Strike it! Scott says: "There are several instances, at least in tradition, of persons so much attached to particular tunes, as to require to hear them on their death-bed. Such an anecdote is mentioned by the late Mr. Riddel of Glenriddel, in his collection of Border tunes, respecting an air called the 'Dandling of the Bairns,' for which a certain Gallovidian laird is said to have evinced this strong mark of partiality. It is popularly told of a famous freebooter, that he composed the tune known by the name of Macpherson's Rant while under sentence of death, and played it at the gallows-tree. Some