The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott: With the Author's Introductions and NotesH. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1917 - 981 pages |
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Page 2
... And how full many a tale he knew Of the old warriors of Buccleuch : And , would the noble Duchess deign To listen to an old man's strain , Though stiff his hand , his voice though weak , He thought even yet , the sooth to speak , That ...
... And how full many a tale he knew Of the old warriors of Buccleuch : And , would the noble Duchess deign To listen to an old man's strain , Though stiff his hand , his voice though weak , He thought even yet , the sooth to speak , That ...
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Common terms and phrases
ancient arms band bard Barnard Castle battle battle of Methven beneath blood bold bower brave breast brow Bruce called castle Chap chief clan courser dark death deep Deloraine Douglas dread Earl Earl of Angus English Ettrick Forest fair falchion fame fear fell fight fire gallant glance glen grey hall hand harp hast hath head hear heard heart heaven Highland hill honour horse hound Isles John King knight lady land light Loch Katrine Lord Lorn loud maid maiden mark'd Marmion minstrel morning Mortham moss-troopers mountain ne'er noble Norham NOTE o'er Old Play pass'd pibroch pride Risingham rock Rokeby round rude Saint Scotland Scottish seem'd slain song sought sound spear steed stern stone stood sword tale tell thee thine Thomas the Rhymer thou tide tower turn'd Twas wake warrior wave ween wild wind
Popular passages
Page 39 - Caledonia ! stern and wild, Meet nurse for a poetic child ! Land of brown heath and shaggy wood, Land of the mountain and the flood, Land of my sires ! what mortal hand Can e'er untie the filial band, That knits me to thy rugged strand...
Page 15 - In peace, Love tunes the shepherd's reed ; In war, he mounts the warrior's steed ; In halls, in gay attire is seen ; In hamlets, dances on the green. Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, And men below, and saints above ; For love is heaven, and heaven is love.
Page 45 - Clair. There are twenty of Roslin's barons bold Lie buried within that proud chapelle; Each one the holy vault doth hold— But the sea holds lovely Rosabelle. And each St Clair was buried there, With candle, with book, and with knell ; But the sea-caves rung, and the wild winds sung, The dirge of lovely Rosabelle ! XXIV.
Page 168 - Front, flank, and rear, the squadrons sweep To break the Scottish circle deep, That fought around their king. But yet, though thick the shafts as snow, Though charging knights like whirlwinds go, Though bill-men ply the ghastly blow, Unbroken was the ring; The stubborn spearmen still made good Their dark impenetrable wood, Each stepping where his comrade stood, The instant that he fell. No thought was there of dastard flight; Link'd in the serried phalanx tight, Groom fought like noble, squire like...
Page 167 - Then, fainting, down on earth he sunk, Supported by the trembling Monk. XXXII. With fruitless labour, Clara bound, And strove to stanch, the gushing wound: The Monk, with unavailing cares, Exhausted all the Church's prayers. Ever, he said, that, close and near, A lady's voice was in his ear, And that the priest he could not hear ; For that she ever sung, " In the lost battle, borne down by the flying, Where mingles war's rattle with groans of the dying!
Page 2 - In varying cadence, soft or strong, He swept the sounding chords along : The present scene, the future lot, His toils, his wants, were all forgot : Cold diffidence, and age's frost, In the full tide of song were lost ; Each blank, in faithless memory void, The poet's glowing thought supplied ; And, while his harp responsive rung, 'Twas thus the LATEST MINSTREL sung.
Page 8 - Streams on the ruined central tower ; When buttress and buttress, alternately, Seem framed of ebon and ivory ; When silver edges the imagery, And the scrolls that teach thee to live and die ; When distant Tweed is heard to rave, And the owlet to hoot o'er the dead man's grave, Then go — but go alone the while — Then view St. David's ruin'd pile ; And, home returning, soothly swear, Was never scene so sad and fair ! II.
Page 167 - The war, that for a space did fail, Now trebly thundering swell'd the gale, And — STANLEY ! was the cry ; — A light on Marmion's visage spread, And fired his glazing eye : With dying hand, above his head, He shook the fragment of his blade, , And shouted " Victory ! — Charge, Chester, charge ! On, Stanley, on !" Were the last words of Marmion.
Page 164 - King James did rushing come. Scarce could they hear, or see their foes, Until at weapon-point they close. They close in clouds of smoke and dust, With sword-sway and with lance's thrust; And such a yell was there Of sudden and portentous birth, As if men fought upon the earth And fiends in upper air; O life and death were in the shout, Recoil and rally, charge and rout, And triumph and despair.
Page 47 - That day of wrath, .that dreadful day, When heaven and earth shall pass away, What power shall be the sinner's stay ? How shall he meet that dreadful day...