The Lady of the Lake [93]
and Shakespeare, Much Ado, v. 3. 25:
"and look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray."
15. By. The word is used for the rhyme, but perhaps gives the idea of a hurry--muttered off the prayers.
16. Steal. The word here is expressive of haste.
18. Gael. "The Scottish Highlander calls himself, Gael, or Gaul, and terms the Lowlanders Sassenach, or Saxons" (Scott).
22. Wildering. Bewildering. See on i. 274 above. For winded, see on i. 500.
32. Bursting through. That is, as it burst through--"a piece of loose writing" (Taylor).
36. At length, etc. The MS. reads:
"At length they paced the mountain's side, And saw beneath the waters wide."
44. The rugged mountain's scanty cloak, etc. The MS. reads:
"The rugged mountain's stunted screen Was dwarfish | shrubs | with cliffs between." | copse |
46. Shingles. Gravel or pebbles. See on iii. 171 above.
Taylor says: "Note how the details of this description are used in stanza ix.--shingles, bracken, broom."
51. Dank. Damp, moist. Cf. Shakespeare, R. and J. ii. 3. 6: "and night's dank dew;" Milton, Sonnet to Mr. Lawrence: "Now that the fields are dank, and ways are mire," etc.
64. Sooth to tell. To tell the truth. See on i. 476 above. Sooth to say, to say sooth, in sooth, in good sooth, etc., are common in old writers. Cf. the Lay, introd. 57: "the sooth to speak."
65. To claim its aid. The MS. has "to draw my blade."
78. Enough. Suffice it that.
81. A knight's free footsteps, etc. The MS. reads:
"My errant footsteps | far and wide." A Knight's bold wanderings |
86. I urge thee not. The MS. has "I ask it not," and in 95 "hall" for Doune.
106. Outlawed. The 1st ed. has "exiled."
108. In the Regent's court, etc. Cf. ii. 221 above.
124. Albany. The Regent of 108 above. He was the son of a younger brother of James III., who had been driven into exile by his brother's attempts on his life. He took refuge in France, where his son was made Lord High Admiral. On the death of James IV. he was called home by the Scottish nobles to assume the regency.
126. Mewed. Shut up. The word seems originally to have meant to moult, or shed the feathers; and as a noun, "the place, whether it be abroad or in the house, in which the hawk is put during the time she casts, or doth change her feathers" (R. Holmes's Academy of Armory, etc.). Spenser has both noun and verb; as in F. Q. i. 5. 20: "forth comming from her darksome mew;" and Id. ii. 3. 34: "In which vaine Braggadocchio was mewd." Milton uses the verb in the grand description of Liberty in Of Unlicensed Printing: "Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam." In England the noun is still used in the plural to denote a stable for horses. Pennant says that the royal stables in London were called mews from the fact that the buildings were formerly used for keeping the king's falcons.
Scott says here: "There is scarcely a more disorderly period of Scottish history than that which succeeded the battle of Flodden, and occupied the minority of James V. Feuds of ancient standing broke out like old wounds, and every quarrel among the independent nobility, which occurred daily, and almost hourly, gave rise to fresh bloodshed. 'There arose,' said Pitscottie, 'great trouble and deadly feuds in many parts of Scotland, both in the north and west parts. The Master of Forbes, in the north, slew the Laird of Meldrum, under tryst' (that is, at an agreed and secure meeting). 'Likewise, the Laird of Drummelzier slew the Lord Fleming at the hawking; and, likewise, there was slaughter among many other great lords.' Nor was the matter much mended under the government of the Earl of Angus; for though he caused the King to ride through all Scotland, 'under the pretence and color of justice, to punish
"and look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray."
15. By. The word is used for the rhyme, but perhaps gives the idea of a hurry--muttered off the prayers.
16. Steal. The word here is expressive of haste.
18. Gael. "The Scottish Highlander calls himself, Gael, or Gaul, and terms the Lowlanders Sassenach, or Saxons" (Scott).
22. Wildering. Bewildering. See on i. 274 above. For winded, see on i. 500.
32. Bursting through. That is, as it burst through--"a piece of loose writing" (Taylor).
36. At length, etc. The MS. reads:
"At length they paced the mountain's side, And saw beneath the waters wide."
44. The rugged mountain's scanty cloak, etc. The MS. reads:
"The rugged mountain's stunted screen Was dwarfish | shrubs | with cliffs between." | copse |
46. Shingles. Gravel or pebbles. See on iii. 171 above.
Taylor says: "Note how the details of this description are used in stanza ix.--shingles, bracken, broom."
51. Dank. Damp, moist. Cf. Shakespeare, R. and J. ii. 3. 6: "and night's dank dew;" Milton, Sonnet to Mr. Lawrence: "Now that the fields are dank, and ways are mire," etc.
64. Sooth to tell. To tell the truth. See on i. 476 above. Sooth to say, to say sooth, in sooth, in good sooth, etc., are common in old writers. Cf. the Lay, introd. 57: "the sooth to speak."
65. To claim its aid. The MS. has "to draw my blade."
78. Enough. Suffice it that.
81. A knight's free footsteps, etc. The MS. reads:
"My errant footsteps | far and wide." A Knight's bold wanderings |
86. I urge thee not. The MS. has "I ask it not," and in 95 "hall" for Doune.
106. Outlawed. The 1st ed. has "exiled."
108. In the Regent's court, etc. Cf. ii. 221 above.
124. Albany. The Regent of 108 above. He was the son of a younger brother of James III., who had been driven into exile by his brother's attempts on his life. He took refuge in France, where his son was made Lord High Admiral. On the death of James IV. he was called home by the Scottish nobles to assume the regency.
126. Mewed. Shut up. The word seems originally to have meant to moult, or shed the feathers; and as a noun, "the place, whether it be abroad or in the house, in which the hawk is put during the time she casts, or doth change her feathers" (R. Holmes's Academy of Armory, etc.). Spenser has both noun and verb; as in F. Q. i. 5. 20: "forth comming from her darksome mew;" and Id. ii. 3. 34: "In which vaine Braggadocchio was mewd." Milton uses the verb in the grand description of Liberty in Of Unlicensed Printing: "Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam." In England the noun is still used in the plural to denote a stable for horses. Pennant says that the royal stables in London were called mews from the fact that the buildings were formerly used for keeping the king's falcons.
Scott says here: "There is scarcely a more disorderly period of Scottish history than that which succeeded the battle of Flodden, and occupied the minority of James V. Feuds of ancient standing broke out like old wounds, and every quarrel among the independent nobility, which occurred daily, and almost hourly, gave rise to fresh bloodshed. 'There arose,' said Pitscottie, 'great trouble and deadly feuds in many parts of Scotland, both in the north and west parts. The Master of Forbes, in the north, slew the Laird of Meldrum, under tryst' (that is, at an agreed and secure meeting). 'Likewise, the Laird of Drummelzier slew the Lord Fleming at the hawking; and, likewise, there was slaughter among many other great lords.' Nor was the matter much mended under the government of the Earl of Angus; for though he caused the King to ride through all Scotland, 'under the pretence and color of justice, to punish