260. Slashed. Cut so as to show the satin lining. 264. Bilboa blade. Bilboa, in Spain, was famous for the manufacture of swords. 270. Footcloth. A cloth covering the horse. 271. Wimple. A cloth worn out of doors by women, as a protection for the side of the head and the neck. 280. Cause of terror. The knowledge of Cranstoun's plan. 283. Barriers. The lists or enclosure in which the combat was to take place. 291. Mortal field. Field on which one combatant would probably receive a mortal wound. 301. Alternate heralds. Heralds speaking alternately. 303. Freely born. Free born, or born of free parents. 305. Dispiteous scathe. Malicious injury. 311. Strain. Ancestry, breeding. 313. Coat. Coat-of-arms, hence honor. 334. Claymore. A Highland broadsword. 344. Gorget. A piece of armor protecting the throat. (From French gorge = throat.) 346. Bootless. Useless. 358. Still. Constantly. 364. Ghostly. Spiritual. 371. Beaver. Lower and movable part of the helmet. 398. Deigned. Condescended. 408. The Spirit's prophecy. Cf. I, 177–179. 411. Their influence kindly stars may shower. An allusion to astrology, the science of the influence of the stars on human life, so generally believed in during the Middle Ages. 430. Dight. Clad. 456. Wraith. The apparition or ghost of a living person. 459. What hap had proved. What chance had come to pass. 481. Mark. An ancient coin worth about $3.32. 482. Long of thee. On your account, or owing to you. 490. Snaffle, spur, and spear. The cognizances or heraldic emblems of various Border families. 491. Gear. Stolen property. 494. Cheer the dark bloodhound. "The pursuit of Border marauders was followed by the injured party and his friends with bloodhounds and bugle-horn, and was called the hot-trod. He was entitled, if his dog could trace the scent, to follow the invaders into the opposite kingdom, a privilege which often occasioned bloodshed."- Scott's note. 499. Bowning. Preparing to return. Cf. III, 392, note. 506. Sable. Black. Stole. Sometimes applied to a long scarf, sometimes to a robe worn by churchmen. 512. Holme Coltrame's lofty nave. trame, a village on the Solway Firth. 523. In choral stave. The church at Holme Col With religious or church music. 527. A poor and thankless soil. 535. Misprized. Slighted or disparaged. CANTO SIXTH 17. Caledonia. Name given by Roman writers to the northern part of Great Britain, and applied poetically to Scotland. 26. Seems as. It seems as if. 30-36. By Yarrow's stream. That the feelings here expressed were Scott's own was proved later when, after returning from a tour on the Continent in the vain hope of regaining his failing health, he again reached his native country. His son-in-law Lockhart says: "As we descended the vale of the Gala he began to gaze about him, and by degrees it was obvious that he was recognizing the features of that familiar landscape. Presently he murmured a Gala Water, surely, Buckholm, Torwoodlee. As name or two we rounded the hill at Ladhofe, and the outline of the Eildons burst on him, he became greatly excited, and when turning himself on the couch his eye caught at length his own towers, at the distance of a mile, he sprang up with a cry of delight." Life of Scott, Vol. VIII. - Lockhart's 34. Teviot-stone. "A rough boulder on the Rashlie-grain height at the watershed between the counties of Roxburgh and Dumfries; it may have marked a parish boundary or a bridle path. It has long since disappeared.". Flather's edition of the Lay. 50. Tide. Time. (From A. S. tid = time.) 51. Spousal rite. Betrothal ceremony. 54. Owches. Jewels. 56. Minever. A kind of costly fur, perhaps ermine. 70. Planetary hour. An allusion to a common belief in the Middle Ages that at different times the influence of certain planets was especially strong. 79. Merlin. "A merlin, or sparrow-hawk, was actually carried by ladies of rank, as a falcon was, in time of peace, the constant attendant of a knight or baron." Scott's note. 89. Heron-shew. Young heron. 90. Princely peacock's gilded train. "The peacock, it is well known, was considered, during the times of chivalry, not merely as an exquisite delicacy, but as a dish of peculiar solemnity. After being roasted, it was again decorated with its plumage, and a sponge, dipped in lighted spirits of wine, was placed in its bill. When it was introduced on days of grand festival, it was the signal for the adventurous knights to take upon them vows to do some deed of chivalry, 'before the peacock and the ladies.'"' Scott's note. "The boar's head was also a usual dish In Scotland it was sometimes surrounded with 91. The boar-head. of feudal splendor. little banners, displaying the colors and achievements of the baron at whose board it was served." - Scott's note. Brave. Handsomely. 92. Cygnet. Swan. "There are often flights of swans upon St. Mary's Lake, at the head of the river Yarrow." Cf. Wordsworth's Yarrow Unvisited: - "Let beeves and home-bred kine partake The sweets of Burn-mill meadow; The swan on still Saint Mary's Lake 93. Ptarmigan. A kind of grouse. 94. Benison. Blessing. Scott's note. 98. Shalm. An ancient musical instrument resembling a clarionet. Psaltery. A kind of harp. 103. Hooded hawks. Hawks were kept hooded until loosed to catch game. 105. Shook their bells. Hawks wore bells to frighten their prey. 109. Sewers. Table servants. 128. Bit his glove. "To bite the thumb, or the glove, seems not to have been considered, upon the Border, as a gesture of contempt, though so used by Shakespeare, but as a pledge of mortal revenge. It is yet remembered, that a young gentleman of Teviotdale, on the morning after a hard drinking-bout, observed that he had bitten his glove. He instantly demanded of his companion, with whom he had quarrelled? And, learning that he had had words with one of the party, insisted on instant satisfaction, asserting, that though he remembered nothing of the dispute, yet he was sure he never would have bit his glove unless he had received some unpardonable insult. He fell in the duel, which was fought near SelScott's note. kirk, in 1721." 132. Lyme-dog. A dog held by a leam, or band; usually a hunting dog. 136. Cologne blade. A German sword such as Conrad would naturally wear. 139. Buttery. Pantry or storeroom. 142. Selle. Saddle, a French word. 147. Quit. Requite or repay. Tradition says that one of the 154-155. Since old Buccleuch. early Scotts earned the name and arms of Buccleuch, - literally, Buck's glen, by fearlessly seizing a stag that had been brought to bay, and, after carrying him up a steep and rocky slope, laying the animal at the feet of the King. 158-159. And swore it should be dearly bought. Swore that he should pay dearly for having drawn an arrow against him. 162. Solway strife. A battle at Solway Moss in 1542, when a Scotch army was put to flight by a force of English Borderers which they mistook for the whole English army, actually several miles distant. 166. Trencher. Wooden plate. Cheer. Food. 169. Bodkin. Small dagger. So called because claimed by both 172. Spurned. Kicked. Cf. V, 53. 184. The Land Debatable. England and Scotland. 190. Simple song. "It is the author's object, in these songs, to exemplify the different styles of ballad narrative which prevailed in this island at different periods, or in different conditions of society. The first (Albert's) is conducted upon the rude and simple model of the old border ditties, and produces its effect by the direct and concise narrative of a tragical occurrence."— - Jeffrey, quoted by Rolfe. 203. Lea. Properly, ploughed land, but loosely used of any kind of field. 207. She had not tasted well. She had hardly tasted. 215. Cross divine. 224. Port. Bearing. The cross worn by the Crusaders. |