女神电子书 > 浪漫言情电子书 > the lady of the lake >

第39部分

the lady of the lake-第39部分

小说: the lady of the lake 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



Since this rude race dare not abide      Upon their native mountain side;      'T is fit that Douglas should provide      For his dear child some safe abode;      And soon he comes to point the road。〃


207。  No; Allan; etc。  The MS。 reads:

    〃No; Allan; no!  His words so kind      Were but pretexts my fears to blind。      When in such solemn tone and grave      Douglas a parting blessing gave。〃


212。  Fixed and high。  Often misprinted 〃fixed on high。〃


215。  Stroke。  The MS。 has 〃shock;〃 and in the next line 〃adamantine〃 for invulnerable。


223。  Trowed。  Trusted; believed。  Cf。 Spenser; F。 Q。 v。 2。 34: 〃So much is more then 'than' just to trow。〃  See also Luke; xvii。 9。


231。  Cambus…kenneth's fane。  Cambus…kenneth Abbey; about a mile from Stirling; on the other side of the Forth。  The massive tower is now the only part remaining entire。


235。  Friends'。  Many recent eds。 misprint 〃friend's。〃


250。  Sooth。  True。  See on i。 476 above。


261。  Merry it is; etc。  Scott says: 〃This little fairy tale is founded upon a very curious Danish ballad which occurs in the Kaempe Viser; a collection of heroic songs first published in 1591; and reprinted in 1695; inscribed by Anders Sofrensen; the collector and editor; to Sophia; Queen of Denmark。〃

The measure is the common ballad…metre; the basis of which is a line of eight syllables followed by one of six; the even syllables accented; with the alternate lines rhyming; so as to form a four…line stanza。  It is varied by extra unaccented syllables; and by rhymes within the longer lines (both of which modifications we have in 263 and 271); and by 〃double rhymes〃 (like singing and ringing)。


262。  Mavis and merle。  Thrush and blackbird。


267。  Wold。  Open country; as opposed to wood。  Cf。 Tennyson; In Memoriam; 11: 〃Calm and deep peace on this high wold;〃 etc。 See also 724 below。


274。  Glaive。  Broadsword。  Cf。 Spenser; F。 Q。 iv。 7。 38: 〃laying both his hands upon his glave;〃 etc。  See also v。 253 below。


277。  Pall。  A rich fabric used for making palls; or mantles。 Cf。 F。 Q。 i。 7。 16: 〃He gave her gold and purple pall to weare。〃


278。  Wont。  Were accustomed。  See on i。 408 above。


282。  'Twas but; etc。  The MS。 reads:

    〃'Twas but a midnight chance;      For blindfold was the battle plied;        And fortune held the lance。〃


283。  Darkling。  In the dark; a poetical word。  Cf。 Milton; P。 L。 iii。 39:

       〃as the wakeful bird     Sings darkling;〃

Shakespeare; Lear; i。 4。 237: 〃So out went the candle; and we were left darkling;〃 etc。  See also 711 below。


285。  Vair。  The fur of the squirrel。  See Wb。


286。  Sheen。  See on i。 208 above。


291。  Richard。  Here accented on the final syllable。  Such license is not unusual in ballad poetry。


298。  Woned。  Dwelt。  See on i。 408 above。  Scott has the following note here:

〃In a long dissertation upon the Fairy Superstitions; published in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border; the most valuable part of which was supplied by my learned and indefatigable friend; Dr。 John Leyden; most of the circumstances are collected which can throw light upon the popular belief which even yet prevails respecting them in Scotland。  Dr。 Grahame; author of an entertaining work upon the Scenery of the Perthshire Highlands; already frequently quoted; has recorded with great accuracy the peculiar tenets held by the Highlanders on this topic; in the vicinity of Loch Katrine。 The learned author is inclined to deduce the whole mythology from the Druidical systeman opinion to which there are many objections。

'The Daoine Shi'; or Men of Peace; of the Highlanders; though not absolutely malevolent; are believed to be a peevish; repining race of beings; who; possessing themselves but a scanty portion of happiness; are supposed to envy mankind their more complete and substantial enjoyments。  They are supposed to enjoy; in their subterraneous recesses; a sort of shadowy happiness;a tinsel grandeur; which; however; they would willingly exchange for the more solid joys of mortality。


'They are believed to inhabit certain round grassy eminences; where they celebrate their nocturnal festivities by the light of the moon。 About a mile beyond the source of the Forth; above Loch Con; there is a placed called Coirshi'an; or the Cove of the Men of Peace; which is still supposed to be a favorite place of their residence。 In the neighborhood are to be seen many round conical eminences; particularly one near the head of the lake; by the skirts of which many are still afraid to pass after sunset。  It is believed that if; on Hallow…eve; any person; alone; goes round one of these hills nine times; towards the left hand (sinistrorsum) a door shall open; by which he will be admitted into their subterraneous abodes。  Many; it is said; of mortal race have been entertained in their secret recesses。  There they have been received into the most splendid apartments; and regaled with the most sumptuous banquets and delicious wines。  Their females surpass the daughters of men in beauty。  The seemingly happy inhabitants pass their time in festivity; and in dancing to notes of the softest music。 But unhappy is the mortal who joins in their joys or ventures to partake of their dainties。  By this indulgence he forfeits for ever the society of men; and is bound down irrevocably to the condition of Shi'ich; or Man of Peace。'〃


301。  Why sounds; etc。  〃It has been already observed that fairies; if not positively malevolent; are capricious; and easily offended。 They are; like other proprietors of forests; peculiarly jealous of their rights of vert and venison。 。。。 This jealousy was also an attribute of the northern Duergar; or dwarfs; to many of whose distinctions the fairies seem so have succeeded; if; indeed; they are not the same class of beings。  In the huge metrical record of German chivalry entitled the Helden…Buch; Sir Hildebrand; and the other heroes of whom it treats; are engaged in one of their most desperate adventures; from a rash violation of the rose…garden of an Elfin or Dwarf King。

〃There are yet traces of a belief in this worst and most malicious order of fairies among the Border wilds。  Dr。 Leyden has introduced such a dwarf into his ballad entitled The Cout of Keeldar; and has not forgot his characteristic detestation of the chase。

    'The third blast that young Keeldar blew;       Still stood the limber fern;     And a wee man; of swarthy hue;       Upstarted by a cairn。

    'His russet weeds were brown as heath       That clothes the upland fell;     And the hair of his head was frizzy red       As the purple heather…bell。

    'An urchin; clad in prickles red;       Clung cow'ring to his arm;     The hounds they howl'd; and backward fled;       As struck by fairy charm。

    '〃Why rises high the staghound's cry;       Where staghound ne'er should be?     Why wakes that horn the silent morn;       Without the leave of me?〃

    '〃Brown Dwarf; that o'er the muirland strays;       Thy name to Keeldar tell!〃      〃The Brown Man of the Muirs; who stays       Beneath the heather…bell。

    '〃'T is sweet beneath the heather…bell        To live in autumn brown;     And sweet to hear the lav'rock's swell;        Far; far from tower and town。

    '〃But woe betide the shrilling horn;       The chase's surly cheer!     And ever that hunter is forlorn       Whom first at morn I hear。〃'

〃The poetical picture here given of the Duergar corresponds exactly with the following Northumberland legend; with which I was lately favored by my learned and kind friend; Mr。 Surtees of Mainsforth; who has bestowed indefatigable labor upon the antiquities of the English Border counties。  The subject is in itself so curious; that the length of the note will; I hope; be pardoned:

'I have only one record to offer of the appearance of our Northumbrian Duergar。  My narratrix is Elizabeth Cockburn; and old wife of Offerton; in this country; whose credit; in a case of this kind; will not; I hope; be much impeached when I add that she is by her dull neighbors supposed to be occasionally insane; but by herself to be at those times endowed with a faculty of seeing visions and spectral appearances which shun the common ken。

'In the year before the great rebellion; two young men from Newcastle were sporting on the high moors above Eldson; and after pursuing their game several hours; sat down to dine in a green glen near one of the mountain streams。  After their repast; the younger lad ran to the brook for water; and after stooping to drink; was surprised; on lifting his head again; by the appearance of a brown dwarf; who stood on a crag covered with brackens; across the burn。  This extraordinary personage did not appear to be above half the stature of a common man; but was uncommonly stout and broad…built; having the appearance of vast strength。  His dress was entirely brown; the color of the brackens; and his head covered with frizzled red hair。  His countenance was expressive of the most savage ferocity; and his eyes glared like a bull。  It seems he addressed the young man first; threatening him with his vengeance for having trespassed on his demesnes; and asking him if he knew in whose presence he stood?  Th

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的