The Lady of the Lake [111]
fifteenth century, calls Stirling Castle Snowdoun. Sir David Lindsay bestows the same epithet upon it in his Complaint of the Papingo:
'Adieu, fair Snawdoun, with thy towers high, Thy chaple- royal, park, and table round; May, June, and July, would I dwell in thee, Were I a man, to hear the birdis sound, Whilk doth agane thy royal rock rebound.'
"Mr. Chalmers, in his late excellent edition of Sir David Lindsay's works, has refuted the chimerical derivation of Snawdoun from snedding, or cutting. It was probably derived from the romantic legend which connected Stirling with King Arthur, to which the mention of the Round Table gives countenance. The ring within which justs were formerly practised in the Castle park, is still called the Round Table. Snawdoun is the official title of one of the Scottish heralds, whose epithets seem in all countries to have been fantastically adopted from ancient history or romance.
"It appears from the preceding note that the real name by which James was actually distinguished in his private excursions was the Goodman of Ballenguich; derived from a steep pass leading up to the Castle of Stirling, so called. But the epithet would not have suited poetry, and would besides at once, and prematurely, have announced the plot to many of my country men, among whom the traditional stories above mentioned are still current."
798. My spell-bound steps. The MS. has
"Thy sovereign back | to Benvenue." Thy sovereign's steps |
800. Glaive. Sword. See on iv. 274 above.
803. Pledge of my faith, etc. The MS. has "Pledge of Fitz- James's faith, the ring."
808. A lightening. Some eds. have "A lightning."
809. And more, etc. The MS. reads:
"And in her breast strove maiden shame; More deep she deemed the Monarch's ire Kindled 'gainst him, who, for her sire, Against his Sovereign broadsword drew; And, with a pleading, warm and true, She craved the grace of Roderick Dhu."
813. Grace. Pardon.
825. Stained. Reddened.
829. The Graeme. Jeffrey says: "Malcolm Graeme has too insignificant a part assigned him, considering the favor in which he is held both by Ellen and the author; and in bringing out the shaded and imperfect character of Roderick Dhu as a contrast to the purer virtue of his rival, Mr. Scott seems to have fallen into the common error of making him more interesting than him whose virtues he was intended to set off, and converted the villain of the piece in some measure into its hero. A modern poet, however, may perhaps be pardoned for an error of which Milton himself is thought not to have kept clear, and for which there seems so natural a cause in the difference between poetical and amiable characters."
837. Warder. Guard, jailer.
841. Lockhart quotes here the following extract from a letter of Byron's to Scott, dated July 6, 1812:
"And now, waiving myself, let me talk to you of the Prince Regent. He ordered me to be presented to him at a ball; and after some saying, peculiarly pleasing from royal lips, as to my own attempts, he talked to me of you and your immoralities: he preferred you to every bard past and present, and asked which of your works pleased me most. It was a difficult question. I answered, I thought the Lay. He said his own opinion was nearly similar. In speaking of the others, I told him that I thought you more particularly the poet of princes, as they never appeared more fascinating than in Marmion and The Lady of the Lake. He was pleased to coincide, and to dwell on the description of your James's as no less royal than poetical. He spoke alternately of Homer and yourself, and seemed well acquainted with both."
842. Harp of the North, farewell! Cf. the introduction to the poem.
846. Wizard elm. See on i. 2 above.
850. Housing. Returning to the hive.
858. The grief devoured. For the figure, cf. Ps. xlii. 3, lxxx. 5, and Isa. xxx. 20.
859. O'erlive. Several eds. misprint "o'erlived."
Addendum.
'Adieu, fair Snawdoun, with thy towers high, Thy chaple- royal, park, and table round; May, June, and July, would I dwell in thee, Were I a man, to hear the birdis sound, Whilk doth agane thy royal rock rebound.'
"Mr. Chalmers, in his late excellent edition of Sir David Lindsay's works, has refuted the chimerical derivation of Snawdoun from snedding, or cutting. It was probably derived from the romantic legend which connected Stirling with King Arthur, to which the mention of the Round Table gives countenance. The ring within which justs were formerly practised in the Castle park, is still called the Round Table. Snawdoun is the official title of one of the Scottish heralds, whose epithets seem in all countries to have been fantastically adopted from ancient history or romance.
"It appears from the preceding note that the real name by which James was actually distinguished in his private excursions was the Goodman of Ballenguich; derived from a steep pass leading up to the Castle of Stirling, so called. But the epithet would not have suited poetry, and would besides at once, and prematurely, have announced the plot to many of my country men, among whom the traditional stories above mentioned are still current."
798. My spell-bound steps. The MS. has
"Thy sovereign back | to Benvenue." Thy sovereign's steps |
800. Glaive. Sword. See on iv. 274 above.
803. Pledge of my faith, etc. The MS. has "Pledge of Fitz- James's faith, the ring."
808. A lightening. Some eds. have "A lightning."
809. And more, etc. The MS. reads:
"And in her breast strove maiden shame; More deep she deemed the Monarch's ire Kindled 'gainst him, who, for her sire, Against his Sovereign broadsword drew; And, with a pleading, warm and true, She craved the grace of Roderick Dhu."
813. Grace. Pardon.
825. Stained. Reddened.
829. The Graeme. Jeffrey says: "Malcolm Graeme has too insignificant a part assigned him, considering the favor in which he is held both by Ellen and the author; and in bringing out the shaded and imperfect character of Roderick Dhu as a contrast to the purer virtue of his rival, Mr. Scott seems to have fallen into the common error of making him more interesting than him whose virtues he was intended to set off, and converted the villain of the piece in some measure into its hero. A modern poet, however, may perhaps be pardoned for an error of which Milton himself is thought not to have kept clear, and for which there seems so natural a cause in the difference between poetical and amiable characters."
837. Warder. Guard, jailer.
841. Lockhart quotes here the following extract from a letter of Byron's to Scott, dated July 6, 1812:
"And now, waiving myself, let me talk to you of the Prince Regent. He ordered me to be presented to him at a ball; and after some saying, peculiarly pleasing from royal lips, as to my own attempts, he talked to me of you and your immoralities: he preferred you to every bard past and present, and asked which of your works pleased me most. It was a difficult question. I answered, I thought the Lay. He said his own opinion was nearly similar. In speaking of the others, I told him that I thought you more particularly the poet of princes, as they never appeared more fascinating than in Marmion and The Lady of the Lake. He was pleased to coincide, and to dwell on the description of your James's as no less royal than poetical. He spoke alternately of Homer and yourself, and seemed well acquainted with both."
842. Harp of the North, farewell! Cf. the introduction to the poem.
846. Wizard elm. See on i. 2 above.
850. Housing. Returning to the hive.
858. The grief devoured. For the figure, cf. Ps. xlii. 3, lxxx. 5, and Isa. xxx. 20.
859. O'erlive. Several eds. misprint "o'erlived."
Addendum.