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第49部分

the lady of the lake-第49部分

小说: the lady of the lake 字数: 每页4000字

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or defenceless and unarmed。'  His foeman; conjectured to be one of the MacLarens; entered and paid his compliments; inquiring after the health of his formidable neighbor。 Rob Roy maintained a cold; haughty civility during their short conference; and so soon as he had left the house; 'Now;' he said; 'all is overlet the piper play Ha til mi tulidh' 'we return no more'; and he is said to have expired before the dirge was finished。〃


605。  Grim and still。  Originally 〃stern and still。〃  In a note to the printer; sent with the final stanzas; Scott writes: 〃I send the grand finale; and so exit the Lady of the Lake from the head she has tormented for six months。  In canto vi。 stanza 21; stern and still; read grim and still; sternly occurs four lines higher。  For a similar reason; stanza 24;dun deer read fleet deer。〃


608。  And art thou; etc。  The MS。 has 〃'And art thou gone;' the Minstrel said。〃


609。  Foeman's。  Misprinted 〃foeman's〃 in some eds。


610。  Breadalbane。  See on ii。 416 above。


614。  The shelter; etc。  The MS。 has 〃The mightiest of a mighty line。〃


631。  Even she。  That is; Ellen。


638。  Storied。  Referring to the scenes depicted on the painted glass。  Cf。 Milton; Il Penseroso; 159: 〃And storied windows; richly dight。〃  The change of tense in fall is of course for the rhyme; but we might expect 〃lighten〃 for lightened。


643。  The banquet; etc。  The MS。 reads:

    〃The banquet gay; the chamber's pride;      Scarce drew one curious glance aside;〃

and in 653; 〃earnest on his game。〃


665。  Of perch and hood。  That is; of enforced idleness。  See on ii。 525 above。  In some eds。 this song is printed without any division into stanzas。


670。  Forest。  The 1st ed。 and that of 1821 have 〃forests;〃 but we suspect that Scott wrote forest。


672。  Is meet for me。  The MS。 has 〃was meant for me。〃  For the ellipsis; cf。 540 above。


674。  From yon dull steeple's;〃 etc。  The MS。 has 〃From darkened steeple's〃 etc。  See on v。 558 above。


677。  The lark; etc。  The MS。 has 〃The lively lark my matins rung;〃 and 〃sung〃 in the rhyme。  The omission of to with ring and sing is here a poetic license; but in Elizabethan English it is common in many cases where it would not now be admissible。  Cf。 Othello; ii。 3。 190: 〃you were wont be civil;〃 F。 Q。 i。 1。 50: 〃He thought have slaine her;〃 etc。


680。  A hall; etc。  The MS。 has 〃a hall should harbor me。〃


683。  Fleet deer。  See on 605 above。


707。  At morning prime。  Early in the morning。  Prime is properly the first canonical hour of prayer; or 6 a。m。  For its looser use here; cf。 F。 Q。 ii。 9。 25: 〃at evening and at prime。〃


712。  Stayed。  Supported; not to be printed 〃staid;〃 as in some editions。


716。  Within; etc。  The MS。 reads:

    〃Within 't was brilliant all; and bright      The vision glowed on Ellen's sight。〃


726。  Presence。  Presence…chamber。  Cf。 Rich。 II。 i。 3。 289:

    〃Suppose the singing birds musicians;      The grass whereon thou tread'st the presence strew'd〃

(that is; strewn with rushes); Hen。 VIII。 iii。 1。 17:

        〃the two great cardinals     Wait in the presence;〃 etc。


727。  For him; etc。  The MS。 reads: 〃For him who owned this royal state。〃


737。  Sheen。  Bright。  See on i。 208 above。


740。  And Snowdoun's Knight is Scotland's King。  Scott says: 〃This discovery will probably remind the reader of the beautiful Arabian tale of Il Bondocani。  Yet the incident is not borrowed from that elegant story; but from Scottish tradition。  James V。; of whom we are treating; was a monarch whose good and benevolent intentions often rendered his romantic freaks venial; if not respectable; since; from his anxious attention to the interests of the lower and most oppressed class of his subjects; he was; as we have seen; popularly termed the King of the Commons。  For the purpose of seeing that justice was regularly administered; and frequently from the less justifiable motive of gallantry; he used to traverse the vicinage of his several palaces in various disguises。  The two excellent comic songs entitled The Gaberlunzie Man and We'll gae nae mair a roving are said to have been founded upon the success of his amorous adventures when travelling in the disguise of a beggar。 The latter is perhaps the best comic ballad in any language。

〃Another adventure; which had nearly cost James his life; is said to have taken place at the village of Cramond; near Edinburgh; where he had rendered his addresses acceptable to a pretty girl of the lower rank。  Four or five persons; whether relations or lovers of his mistress is uncertain; beset the disguised monarch as he returned from his rendezvous。  Naturally gallant; and an admirable master of his weapon; the King took post on the high and narrow bridge over the Almond river; and defended himself bravely with his sword。 A peasant who was thrashing in a neighboring barn came out upon the noise; and; whether moved by compassion or by natural gallantry; took the weaker side; and laid about with his flail so effectually as to disperse the assailants; well thrashed; even according to the letter。  He then conducted the King into his barn; where his guest requested a basin and a towel; to remove the stains of the broil。 This being procured with difficulty; James employed himself in learning what was the summit of the deliverer's earthly wishes; and found that they were bounded by the desire of possessing; in property; the farm of Braehead; upon which he labored as a bondsman。  The lands chanced to belong to the Crown; and James directed him to come to the palace of Holyrood and inquire for the Guidman (that is; farmer) of Ballenguich; a name by which he was known in his excursions; and which answered to the Il Bondocani of Haroun Alraschid。  He presented himself accordingly; and found; with due astonishment; that he had saved his monarch's life; and that he was to be gratified with a crown charter of the lands of Braehead; under the service of presenting a ewer; basin; and towel for the King to wash his hands when he shall happen to pass the bridge of Cramond。  This person was ancestor of the Howisons of Braehead; in Mid…Lothian; a respectable family; who continue to hold the lands (now passed into the female line) under the same tenure。 'FN#15'

〃Another of James's frolics is thus narrated by Mr。 Campbell from the Statistical Account: 'Being once benighted when out a… hunting; and separated from his attendants; he happened to enter a cottage in the midst of a moor; at the foot of the Ochil hills; near Alloa; where; unknown; he was kindly received。  In order to regale their unexpected guest; the gudeman desired the gudewife to fetch the hen that roosted nearest the cock; which is always the plumpest; for the stranger's supper。  The King; highly pleased with his night's lodging and hospitable entertainment; told mine host; at parting; that he should be glad to return his civility; and requested that the first time he came to Stirling he would call at the Castle; and inquire for the Gudeman of Ballenguich。  Donaldson; the landlord; did not fail to call on the Gudeman of Ballenguich; when his astonishment at finding that the King had been his guest afforded no small amusement to the merry monarch and his courtiers; and to carry on the pleasantry; he was thenceforth designated by James with the title of King of the Moors; which name and designation have descended from father to son ever since; and they have continued in possession of the identical spot; the property of Mr。 Erskine of Mar; till very lately; when this gentleman with reluctance turned out the descendant and representative of the King of the Moors; on account of his Majesty's invincible indolence; and great dislike to reform or innovation of any kind; although; from the spirited example of his neighbor tenants on the same estate; he is convinced similar exertion would promote his advantage。'

〃The author requests permission yet farther to verify the subject of his poem; by an extract from the genealogical work of Buchanan of Auchmar; upon Scottish surnames (Essay upon the Family of Buchanan; p。 74):

'This John Buchanan of Auchmar and Arnpryor was afterwards termed King of Kippen 'a small district of Perthshire' upon the following account: King James V。; a very sociable; debonair prince; residing at Stirling; in Buchanan of Arnpryor's time; carriers were very frequently passing along the common road; being near Arnpryor's house; with necessaries for the use of the King's family; and he; having some extraordinary occasion; ordered one of these carriers to leave his load at his house; and he would pay him for it; which the carrier refused to do; telling him he was the King's carrier; and his load for his Majesty's use; to which Arnpryor seemed to have small regard; compelling the carrier; in the end; to leave his load; telling him; if King James was King of Scotland; he was King of Kippen; so that it was reasonable he should share with his neighbor king in some of these loads; so frequently carried that road。 The carrier representing these usage; and telling the story as Arnpryor spoke it; to some of the King's servants; it came at length to his majesty's ears; who shortly thereafter; with a few attendants; ca

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