to Rathely, Speedily, from RATHINGA, Sax. subito. Raft. Bereft, robbed. Rake. Reach. "This wil the torn tow rake." Matters will take this turn, p. 364. Rathe. Ready.

Rathé, rathely. Quickly.

Raught, reuzt. Reached, gave.
Raundoun. Impetus.
Raunsoun. Ransom, tribute.
Rawe. Row.
Recure. Cure.
Redyli. Readily.

Rede. Advice. Rede means
resolution, in p. 333.
Rede. Read.

Reles. Release. Renoun. Renown. Reped. Did excite, from REPEAN, Sax. Agiture. "Reped him many a res." Excited many an attack against him.

Repaire. A hunting phrase.

Res. Assault.

How Gamelin and Adam had
ydon a sori res.
Boundin and woundin many

men

Against the Kingis pece. Tale of Gamelyn, line 1080. Resoun. Reason.

Rewthe. Pity. "Rewthe mow ye here." A pitiful case ye may hear.

Reve. To rob.
Reved. Robbed.
Richelich. Richly.
Riis. Rise.
Rike. Rich.
Riven. Cleft.

Rive. The sea-shore, from
RIPA, Lat.

Rive, p. 344. To arrive. Rode. Rood, an appropriate expression for the cross. Romaunce means, properly, a narration in the ancient French language, called ROMANZ, from its affinity to the Latin. Rote. Root.

Rote.

An instrument of music. See note, p. 390. Roune. Properly to whisper, but signifies, in an enlarged sense, speech in general. "Rade in roune." Tell in tale. "Rade the rizt roune." Used the appropriate phrase. P. 334, Roun means to summon privately. Rought, or raught. cared for.

"No rought of his fare.' Recked not his situation. Rowe. Rough.

Rewe. Rowed, or did row.
Rewed. Was sorry, repented. Rowe, on rowe. In rank.

Oyain, oyaines. Against.

Sa. So.

S.

Sadel. Saddle. Sain. Sun. Sain. To say, an expletive. Sake. Guilt. "Of sake he make me free, p. 354. That he declare me free of guilt, or, rather, accusation, from Sax. lis vel objurgium, a very ancient word in the northern languages. Sackless, or sakeless, is Scottish for innocent. See also p. 355. San Schewe. An expletive, signifying not apparently, in reality.

Sand. Sound. A licentious spelling for the rhyme's sake. Sare. Sore.

Sat, from SÆTINGA, insidiæ. "Ysain we nought no sat." We have not discovered an ambush. Saughten. To make an agreement. Saughte. Reconciled or agreed.

Saun fayle. Without fail. Say. To say, expletive, that is to say. Say. To essay, or try. The cutting up a stag to see how fat he is, is called making the

say.

Sayn, p. 360. Seen.
Schadowe. Shadow.
Schemliche. Shamefully.
Schamly. Shamefully.
Schare. Cut. "As Morgan his

brede schare." As he was at
dinner.

Scheld, schelde. Shield.
Schene. Bright.

Schende. Schent, disgraced.
Schent. Disgraced, or spoiled.
Scheres. Doth cut, carve.
Schewe. Show.
Schille. Shrill.
Schip fare. Voyage.
Scholders. Shoulders.
Schone. Shoes.
Schope. Shaped, disguised.
Schorn. Shorn, cut out.
Schorteliche. Shortly.
Schour. schowr. Shower.
Schul. Shall.
Sclander. Slander.
Scrite, in scrite, IN SCRIPTO, in
writing.

*

Seighe. Saw.
Seistow. Sayest thou.
Seilli. Silly.

Selly, Sellike, Teut. SELIG.
Fortunate, divine.

Semblaunt, p. 353. Their semblance, or mode of behaviour.

Semed to. Beseemed.
Semly. Seemly.

Sen, See. "Sen on him." Look on him.

Sene, y-sene. Vell-seen, conspicuous.

Sett. Ruled, as in p. 340. "Tvo yere he sett that land." It is perhaps derived from SAUGHTEN, to put to accord,

Site. Sighed.

To go cautiously, as

to surprise some kinds of

game.

Stalworth. Strong and brave.

Sax. STAL-FERRTH.

Stan.

Stone.

Stat. State.

Fortis.

Stede. A port, or generally, a place.

Sith. Time. Fele sith. Often. Sive, p. 332. A sieve; not what is now so called, but an implement of the same shape, used in winnowing

The bottom is covered corn. with skin. In Scotland it is called a weight, and sometimes a sieve, the proper sieve being termed a riddle. Such a light and broad substance might prevent the feet from sinking in snow. Sket, skete. In haste. Sax. SCYTAN, irruere. Sla. Slay.

Slaw. Slew, or slain. sle. Slay.

Sleighe, sleiye. Prudent, wise; hence the modern sly.

Stede. A steed.

Stef.

Stut.

Stiff, firm. Staggered; hence stutter, though now limited to the voice. Steiter, in Scottish, till signifies to stagger. Steke. Y-steke. Stabbed. Stere. Steer, manage. Sterveth. Dieth. Steven. Hour or time. Bestirred. Stird.

Stirt. Started.
Stithe. Stiff, stout, applied,
p. 334, to diligent attention.
Stive. To stave or push with
poles.

Stodieth. Studieth.
Ston. Stone.
Stond. Stand.

Stouer. Store, provisions. Stound. Time, properly, an hour. On stounde, or that stounde. At that time, an expletive.

Strade. Strode.
Strand, p. 349, seems to signify

channel. In Scotland, a ken-
nel is called a strand, as is the
runner from a well.

Styes. STYD, Sax. The places, or stations.

Swalu. Swallow.

Sware. To swear.

Swayn. Peasant.
Swelted. Swooned.
Swerd. Sword.

Swete. Sweat. "To tine swete." p. 563. To lose labour. Swiche. Such.

Swine, or swinke. Toil, labour.

In great haste.

Ta. Take.

Tan. Ta'en, taken.

Tare. To tear.

Swopen. Swept.

T.

GEN.

Treasoun. Treason.

Thro, equivalent to thra, sigfrom nifying courageous,

Tresow.

Treasure.

THRAB, Sax. brave. It is spelled thra, p. 338. Thurch. Through. Thye. Thrice.

Tidde. Betided, or happened. Tuight. Twitched. "Of tvight,"
Til. Until.
Tight. Tied.

p. 352. Torn off. Tviis. Twice.

Unrede, unride. Unrighteous.
Unselde. Not seldom. Oft and
unselde a pleonasm.
Unsete. Unsoft. From Teut.
SACHT, mollis

ed.

Under hand. We now say, On Unsounde. Not sound, woundhand. Understand. "To don him to understand." To serve as his

Untroweand. Faithless, trothbreaking.

Ure. In ure; an expletive. At that time.

Vene. Vein.

Venemed. Envenomed, poisoned.

Venery. The mystery of hunting.

"Wolf

Wede, wode. Mad. that wald wede." Wolf be"Wode to coming mad. wede," p. 354. Mad to frenzy. Weder. Weather. Weder (to fare. Weather fit for a voyage or journey. Wedde. Pledge. Welay. Contraction for wellaway.

Wate. As they wate. As they Weld. thought.

Wate. To wot of.
Wayleway. An exclamation of

sorrow often used by Chau-
cer, and sometimes spelled
walawa. It seems to have
been the burden of some me-
lancholy song.

Wede. Weed, garment.

Teut. WELTAN. Dirigere. The sense, in p. 333, may be conjectured from the following account given by Merlin's mother of the supernatural person by whom he was begotten:"As a man I him felt, As a man he me welte, As a man he laye bi me;

Sax. WIG-LIC, bellicosus. Wight. Strong.

Wiles, p. 365, should be wites. Blamest. Wikes. Wekes. Win. Wine. Wining. Winning. Wirche. Work. Wis. "Y wis and nought at wene." I know certainly, and do not speak at guess. "Y wis withouten wene," is

more common.

Wisse, from Germ. WEISAN. To guide. In world thou wisse me. In the world do thou me guide. To weise, is still used in popular Scottish. Wiis. Wise. Wite, witan. To know. Wite. To blame. "He wist it whom to wite." He knew where to lay the blame. Witeth, wateth. Know thou. Witt. Blamed, or imputed to. Wived. Married. Wode. Mad, or furious. Wok, p. 560. Watched. Won. Dwelling, or abode. Wondred. Wondered. Woning. Winning. Wore, p. 334. A licentious spelling of were.

Ya. Yes.
Yaf. Gave.
Yald, yalt. Did yield, or give.
Yare, v. 4. Readily.
Yare. Early. To foster yair.
To educate in youth. P. 332.
Wining yare. His former

Y.

Writhe. Wrath.
Wroken, wreken. Avenged.
Wrong. Wrung, thrust.

to signify, In times past. Hence, probably, the modern phrase, of yore. Yern. Nimbly. Yete. Yet. Yfold. Manifold. Yif. If.

winnings. It also means Yift. Gift.

PREFACE.

Though the Public seldom feel much interest in such communications, (nor is there any reason why they should,) the Author takes the liberty of stating, that these scenes were commenced with the purpose of contributing to a miscellany projected by a much-esteemed friend. But instead of being confined to a scene or two, as intended, the work gradually swelled to the size of an independent publication. It is designed to illustrate military antiquities, and the manners of chivalry. The Drama (if it can be termed one) is, in no particular, either designed or calculated for the stage.3

The subject is to be found in Scottish history; but, not to overload so slight a publication with antiquarian research, or quotations from obscure chronicles, may be sufficiently illustrated by the following passage from PINKERTON'S History of Scotland, vol. i. p. 72.

"The Governor (anno 1402) dispatched a considerable force under Murdac, his eldest son; the Earls of Angus and Moray also joined Douglas, who entered England with an army of ten thousand men, carrying terror and devastation to the walls of Newcastle.

"Henry IV. was now engaged in the Welsh war against Owen Glendour; but the Earl of Northumberland, and his son, the Hotspur Percy, with the Earl of March, collected a numerous array, and awaited the return of the Scots, impeded with spoil, near Milfield, in the north part of Northumberland. Douglas had reached Wooler, in his return;

and perceiving the enemy, seized a strong post between the two armies called Homildon-hill. In this method he rivalled his predecessor at the battle of Otterburn, but not with like success. The English advanced to the assault, and Henry Percy was about to lead them up the hill, when March caught his bridle, and advised him to advance no farther, but to pour the dreadful shower of English arrows into the enemy. This advice was followed with the usual fortune; for in all ages the bow was the English instrument of victory; and though the Scots, and perhaps the French, were superior in the use of the spear, yet this weapon was useless after the distant bow had decided the combat. Robert the Great, sensible of this at the battle of Bannockburn, ordered a prepared detachment of cavalry to rush among the English archers at the commencement, totally to disperse them, and stop the deadly effusion. But Douglas now used no such precaution; and the consequence was, that his people, drawn up on the face of the hill, presented one general mark to the enemy, none of whose arrows descended in vain. The Scots fell without fight, and unrevenged, till a spirited knight, Swinton, exclaimed aloud, 'O my brave countrymen! what fascination has seized you to-day, that you stand like deer to be shot, instead of indulging your ancient courage, and meeting your enemies hand to hand? Let those who will, descend with me, that we may gain victory, or life, or fall like men.' 4 This being heard by Adam Gordon, between whom and Swinton there existed an ancient deadly feud, attended with the mutual slaughter of many followers, he instantly fell on his knees before Swinton, begged his pardon, and desired to be dubbed a

[This volume contains all the dramatic pieces which Sir Walter Scott ever published: namely, the translation of Goetz von Berlichingen, which appeared in 1799; the House of Aspen, which was written at the same early period, though it was first printed in the Keepsake for 1830; Halidon Hill, written and published in 1822; Mac Duff's Cross, 1823; and the Doom of DeVorgoil, and the Ayrshire Tragedy, which appeared together in 1830.

The Editor had some scruples about reprinting the version of Goetz of the Iron Hand; but it marks so important a period in the author's studies, that, on the whole, be considered it proper to insert it, though in a smaller type, and in the shape of an Appendix. ]

[The author alludes to a collection of small pieces in verse, edited, for a charitable purpose, by Mrs. Joanna Baillie. ]

3

[In the first edition, the text added, "In case any attempt shall be made to produce it in action, (as has happened in similar cases,) the author takes the present opportunity to intimate, that it shall be at the peril of those who make such an experiment." Adverting to this passage, the New Edinburgh Review (July, 1822) said,-"We, nevertheless, do not believe that any thing more essentially dramatic, in so far as it goes, more capable of stage effect, has appeared in England since the days of her greatest genius; and giving Sir Walter, therefore, full credit for his coyness on the present occasion, we ardently hope that he is but trying his strength in the most arduous of all literary enterprises, and that, ere long, he will demonstrate his right to the

highest honours of the tragic muse." The British Critic, for October, 1822, says, on the same head, "Though we may not accede to the author's declaration, that it is in no particular calculated for the stage,' we must not lead our readers to look for any thing amounting to a regular drama. It would, we think, form an underplot, of very great interest, in an historical play of customary length; and although its incidents and personages are mixed up, in these scenes, with an event of real history, there is nothing in either to prevent their being interwoven in the plot of any drama of which the action should lie in the confines of England and Scotland, at any of the very numerous periods of Border warfare. The whole interest, indeed, of the story, is engrossed by two characters, imagined, as it appears to us, with great force and probability, and contrasted with considerable skill and effect."]

4["Miles magnanimus dominus Johannes Swinton, tanquam voce borrida præconis exclamavit, dicens, O commilitones inclyti! quis vos hodie fascinavit non indulgere solitæ probitati, quod nec dextris conseritis, nec ut viri corda erigitis, ad invadendum æmulos, qui vos, tanquam damulos vel hinnulos imparcatos, sagittarum jaculis perdere festinant. Descendant mecum qui velint, et in nomine Domini hostes penetrabimus, ut vel sic vita potiamur, vel saltem ut milites cum honore occumbamus," etc.-FORDUN, Scoli-Chronicon, vol. ii. p. 434. ]

knight by him whom he must now regard as the wisest and the boldest of that order in Britain. The ceremony performed, Swinton and Gordon descended the hill, accompanied only by one hundred men; and a desperate valour led the whole body to death. Had a similar spirit been shown by the Scottish army, it is probable that the event of the day would have been different. Douglas, who was certainly deficient in the most important qualities of a general, seeing his army begin to disperse, at length attempted to descend the hill; but the English archers, retiring a little, sent a flight of arrows so sharp and strong, that no armour could withstand; and the Scottish leader himself, whose panoply was of remarkable temper, fell under five wounds, though not mortal. The English men-of-arms, knights, or squires, did not strike one blow, but remained spectators of the rout, which was now complete. Great numbers of the Scots were slain, and near five hundred perished in the river Tweed upon their flight. Among the illustrious captives was Douglas, whose chief wound deprived him of an eye; Murdac, son of Albany; the Earls of Moray and Angus; and about twenty-four gentlemen of eminent rank and power. The chief slain were, Swinton, Gordon, Livingston of Calendar, Ramsay of Dalhousie, Walter Sinclair, Roger Gordon, Walter Scott, and others. Such was the issue of the unfortunate battle of Homildon."

It may be proper to observe, that the scene of action has, in the following pages, been transferred from Homildon to Halidon Hill. For this there was an obvious reason;-for who would again venture to introduce upon the scene the celebrated Hotspur, who commanded the English at the former battle? There are, however, several coincidences which may reconcile even the severer antiquary to the substitution of Halidon Hill for Homildon. A Scottish army was defeated by the English on both occasions, and under nearly the same circumstances of address on the part of the victors, and mismanagement on that of the vanquished, for the English long-bow decided the day in both cases. In both cases, also, a Gordon was left on the field of battle; and at Halidon, as at Homildon, the Scots were commanded by an illfated representative of the great house of Douglas. He of Homildon was surnamed Tine-man, i. e. Loseman, from his repeated defeats and miscarriages; and, with all the personal valour of his race, seems to have enjoyed so small a portion of their sagacity, as to be unable to learn military experience from reiterated calamity. I am far, however, from intimating, that the traits of imbecility and envy attributed to the Regent in the following sketch, are to be historically ascribed either to the elder Douglas of Halidon Hill, or to him called Tine-man, who seems to have enjoyed the respect of his countrymen, notwithstanding that, like the celebrated Anne de Montmorency, he was either defeated, or wounded, or made prisoner, in every battle which he fought. The Regent of the sketch is a character purely imaginary.

The tradition of the Swinton family, which still survives in a lineal descent, and to which the author has the honour to be related, avers, that the Swinton who fell at Homildon in the manner narrated in the preceding extract, had slain Gordon's father; which seems sufficient ground for adopting that circumstance into the following Dramatic Sketch, though it is rendered improbable by other authorities.

If any reader will take the trouble of looking at Froissart, Fordun, or other historians of the period, he will find,

Prior. Fain would I see you join some Baron's banBefore I say farewell. The honour'd sword That fought so well in Syria, should not wave Amid the ignoble crowd.

Vip. Each spot is noble in a pitched field, So that a man has room to fight and fall on't. But I shall find out friends. 'Tis scarce twelve years Since I left Scotland for the wars of Palestine, And then the flower of all the Scottish nobles Were known to me; and I, in my degree, Not all unknown to them.

[time;

Prior. Alas! there have been changes since that The Royal Bruce, with Randolph, Douglas, Grahame, Then shook in field the banners which now moulder Over their graves i' the chancel. Vip. And thence comes it, That while I look'd on many a well-known crest And blazon'd shield,' as hitherward we came, The faces of the Barons who displayed them Were all unknown to me. Brave youths they seem'd;