NOTES TO CANTO SECOND.

NOTE I.

Morn's genial influence roused a minstrel grey. St. I. p. 39. That Highland chieftains, to a late period, retained in their service the bard, as a family officer, admits of very easy proof. The author of the letters from Scotland, an officer of engineers, quartered at Inverness about 1720, who certainly cannot be deemed a favourable witness, gives the following account of the office, and of a bard, whom he heard exercise his talent of recitation :

"The bard is skilled in the genealogy of all the Highland families, sometimes preceptor to the young laird, celebrates in Irish verse the original of the tribe, the famous warlike actions of the successive heads, and sings his own lyricks as an opiate to the chief, when indisposed for sleep; but poets are not equally esteemed and honoured in all countries. I happened to be a witness of the dishonour done to the muse, at the house of one of the chiefs, where

two of these bards were set at a good distance, at the lower end of a long table, with a parcel of Highlanders of nó extraordinary appearance, over a cup of ale. Poor inspiration!

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They were not asked to drink a glass of wine at our table, though the whole company consisted only of the great man, one of his near relations, and myself.

"After some little time, the chief ordered one of them to sing me a Highland song. The bard readily obeyed, and with a hoarse voice, and in a tune of few various notes, began, as I was told, one of his own lyricks; and when he had proceeded to the fourth or fifth stanza, I perceived, by the names of several persons, glens and mountains, which I had known or heard of before, that it was an account of some clan battle. But in his going on, the chief (who piques himself upon his school-learning) at some particular passage, bid him cease, and cryed out, 'There's nothing like that in Virgil or Homer.' I bowed, and told him I believed so. This you may believe was very edifying and delightful.”—Letters from Scotland, II. 167.

NOTE II.

The Grame.-St, VI. P. 43.

The ancient and powerful family of Graham (which, for metrical reasons, is here spelt after the Scottish pronunciation) held extensive possessions in the counties of Dumbarton and Stirling. Few

families can boast of more historical renown, having claim to three of the most remarkable characters in the Scottish annals. Sir John the Græme, the faithful and undaunted partaker of the labours and patriotic warfare of Wallace, fell in the unfortunate field of Falkirk, in 1298. The celebrated Marquis of Montrose, in whom De Retz saw realized his abstract idea of the heroes of antiquity, was the second of these worthies. And, notwithstanding the severity of his temper, and the rigour with which he executed the oppressive mandates of the princes whom he served, I do not hesitate to name as the third, John Græme, of Claverhouse, Viscount of Dundee, whose heroic death, in the arms of victory, may be allowed to cancel the memory of his cruelty to the non-conformists, during the reigns of Charles II and James II.

NOTE III.

This harp which erst Saint Modan sway'd.

St. VII. p. 44. I am not prepared to shew that Saint Modan was a performer on the harp. It was, however, no unsaintly accomplishment; for Saint Dunstan certainly did play upon that instrument, which, retaining, as was natural, a portion of the sanctity attached to its master's character, announced future events by its spontaneous sound. "But labouring once in

these mechanic arts for a devoute matrone that had sett him on work, his violl, that hung by him on

the wall, of its own accord, without anie man's helpe, distinctly sounded this anthime: Gaudent in cælis animæ sanctorum qui Christi vestigia sunt secuti; et quia pro eius amore sanguinem suum fuderunt, ideo cum Christo gaudent æternum. Whereat all the companie being much astonished, turned their eyes from behoulding him working, to looke on that strange accident."- --- Not long after, manie of the court that hitherunto had born a kind of fayned friendship towards him, began now greatly to envie at his progresse and rising in goodness, using manie crooked, backbiting meanes to diffame his vertues with the black markes of hypocrisie. And the better to authorise their calumnie, they brought in this that happened in the violl, affirming it to have been done by art magic. What more? this wicked rumour encreased dayly, till the king and others of the nobilitie taking hould thereof, Dunstan grew odious in their sight. Therfore he resolued to leaué the court, and goe to Elphegus, surnamed the Bauld, then bishop of Winchester, who was his cozen. Which bis enemies understanding, they layd wayte for him in the way, and hauing throwne him off his horse, beate him, and dragged him in the durt in the most miserable manner, meaning to haue slaine him, had not a companie of mastiue dogges, that came unlookt uppon them, defended and redeemed him from their crueltie. When with sorrow he was ashamed to see dogges more humane than they. And giuing

thankes to Almightie God, he sensibly againe perceiued that the tunes of his violl had giuen him a warning of future accidents."-Flower of the Lives of the most renowned Saincts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by the R. FATHER HIEROME PORTER. Doway. 1632. 4to. Tome I. p. 488..

The same supernatural circumstance is alluded to by the anonymous author of "Grim, the Collier of Croydon."

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[Dunstan's harp sounds on the wall.]

Forest. Hark, hark, my lord, the holy abbot's harp Sounds by itself so hanging on the wall!

Dunstan. Unhallow'd man, that scorn'st the sacred

rede,

Hark, how the testimony of my truth

Sounds heavenly music with an angel's hand,

To testify Dunstan's integrity,

And prove thy active boast of no effect."

NOTE IV.

Ere Douglasses, to ruin driven,

Were exiled from their native heaven.

St. VIII. p. 45.

The downfall of the Douglasses of the house of Angus, during the reign of James V, is the event alluded to in the text. The Earl of Angus, it will be remembered, had married the queen dowager, and availed himself of the right which he thus acquired, as well as of his extensive power, to retain the king in a sort of tutelage, which approached