Old Stirling's towers arose in light, now, from England's host, the cry The murmur'd prayer, the early mass !— And midmost of the phalanx broad The Monarch held his sway. Beside him many a war-horse fumes, Around him waves a sea of plumes, Where many a knight in battle known, And some who spurs had first braced on, And deem'd that fight should see them won, King Edward's hests obey. De Argentine attends his side, With stout De Valence, Pembroke's pride, To wait upon his bridle-rein. Sunk banner, spear, and shield; For pardon they have kneel'd."-5 XXII. Earl Gilbert waved his truncheon high, Just as the Northern ranks arose. Signal for England's archery To halt and bend their bows. Then stepp'd each yeoman forth a pace, Glanced at the intervening space, And raised his left hand high; To the right ear the cords they bring 7 Nor paused on the devoted Scot As fiercely and as fast, Forth whistling came the grey-goose wing As the wild hailstones pelt and ring Adown December's blast. Nor mountain targe of tough bull-hide, Ner lowland mail, that storm may bide; Woe, woe to Scotland's banner'd pride, If the fell shower may last! 1 The MS. here interposes the couplet- Armour and lance return'd the shine." See Appendix, Note 3 V. B " Although Mr. Scott retains that necessary and characteristic portion of his peculiar and well-known manner, he is free, we think, from any faulty self-imitation; and the battle of Bannockburn will remain for ever as a monument of the fertile poetical powers of a writer, who had before so greatly excelled in this species of description."-Monthly Review. "The battle, we think, is not comparable to the battle in Marmion, though nothing can be finer than the scene of contrasted repose and thoughtful anxiety by which it is intro duced, (stanzas xix. xx. xxi.)"-JEFFREY. 4 See Appendix, Note 3 W. 5 MS.-"De Argentine! the cowards repent' For mercy they have kneel'd." 6 See Appendix, Note 3 X. 7 MS.-" Drew to bis ear the silken string." Then spurs were dash'd in chargers' flanks, Pierced through, trode down, by thousands slain, XXIV. The King with scorn beheld their flight. Than make a manly foe their mark. But, in mid-space, the Bruce's care Loud from the mass confused the cry They came like mountain-torrent red, That thunders o'er its rocky bed; They broke like that same torrent's wave? XXV. Too strong in courage and in might Was England yet, to yield the fight. Her noblest all are here; This Knight his youthful strength to prove, Names that to tear were never known, And Oxford's famed De Vere. Ross, Montague, and Mauley, came,' Firmly they kept their ground; And Slaughter revell'd round. XXVI. Unflinching foot 'gainst foot was set, Unceasing blow by blow was met; The groans of those who fell Were drown'd amid the shriller clang That from the blades and harness rang, And in the battle-yell. Yet fast they fell, unheard, forgot, 1 MS." Ross, Tybtot, Neville, Mauley, came." 2 MS.-"Names known of yore," &c. a MS." Unshifting foot," &c. "All these, life's rambling journey done, Have found their home, the grave."-CowPER. "The dramatic, and even Shakspearian spirit of much of this battle must, we think, strike and delight the reader. We pass over much alternate, and much stubborn and unflinching' contest The tug of strife to flag begins, Though neither loses yet nor wins; ' And that to win his lady's love; Some fought from ruffian thirst of blood, From habit some, or hardihood. But ruffian stern, and soldier good, The noble and the slave, From various cause the same wild road, On the same bloody morning, trode, To that dark inn, the grave! + XXVII. The tug of strife to flag begins, Sinks, Argentine, thy battle-word, 6 "The adventures of the day are versified rather too literally from the contemporary chronicles. The following passage, however, is emphatic; and exemplifies what this author has so often exemplified, the power of well-chosen and well but the description of it, as we have ventured to prophesy, arranged names, to excite lofty emotions, with little aid either will last for ever. "It will be as unnecessary for the sake of our readers, as it would be useless for the sake of the author, to point out many of the obvious defects of these splendid passages, or of others in the poem. Such a line as 'The tug of strife to flag begins.' from sentiment or description."-JEFFREY. 7 MS." The sinking," &c. 8 See Appendix, Note 4 C. 9 MS." Then hurry to the shock!" The fresh and desperate onset bore Alone, De Argentine Yet bears on high his red-cross shield, And still makes good the line. To hem the Islesmen round; "O God! the combat they renew, And is no rescue found! XXX. The multitude that watch'd afar, To us, as to our lords, are given And, like a banner'd host afar, XXXI. Already scatter'd o'er the plain, O give their hapless prince his due. And cursed their caitiff fears; I know his banner well. XXXII. Again he faced the battle-field, Wildly they fly, are slain, or yield.7 "Now then," he said, and couch'd his spear, "My course is run, the goal is near; One effort more, one brave career, Must close this race of mine." "Saint James for Argentine!' 1 MS. " of lead or stone." 2 MS. To us, as well as them, belongs." See Appendix, Note 4 D. MS.-"And rode in bands away." 5 See Appendix, Note 4 E. 6 MS." And bade them hope amid despair." 7 The MS. has not the seven lines which follow. -Stirrup, steel-boot, and cuish gave way, Beneath that blow's tremendous sway, The blood gush'd from the wound; And the grim Lord of Colonsay Hath turn'd him on the ground, And laugh'd in death-pang, that his blade The mortal thrust so well repaid. XXXIII. Now toil'd the Bruce, the battle done. Fell faintly on his ear; "Save, save his life," he cried, "O save The kind, the noble, and the brave!" The squadrons round free passage gave, The wounded knight drew near; He raised his red-cross shield no more, Helm, cuish, and breastplate stream'd with gore, Yet, as he saw the King advance, He strove even then to couch his lance- The spur-stroke fail'd to rouse the horse; He stumbled on the plain. "Lord Earl, the day is thine! My Sovereign's charge, and adverse fate, As boon from ancient comrade, crave- XXXIV. Bruce press'd his dying hand-its grasp Kindly replied; but, in his clasp, 1 MS.-"Now toil'd the Bruce as leaders ought, To use his conquest boldly bought." 2 See Appendix, Note 4 F. 3 MS." And the best names that England owns Swell the sad death-prayer's dismal tones." 4 MS.-"When for her rights her sword was bare, Rights dear to all who freedom share." 5 "The fictitious part of the story is, on the whole, the least interesting-though we think that the author has hazarded rather too little embellishment in recording the adventures of the Bruce. There are many places, at least, in which he has evidently given an air of heaviness and flatness to his narration, by adhering too closely to the authentic history; and has lowered down the tone of his poetry to the tame level of the rude chroniclers by whom the incidents were originally recorded. There is a more serious and general fault, however, in the conduct of all this part of the story,-and that is, that It is not sufficiently national-and breathes nothing either of that animosity towards England, or that exultation over her defeat, which must have animated all Scotland at the period to which he refers; and ought, consequently, to have been the ruling passion of his poem. Mr. Scott, however, not only It stiffen'd and grew cold"And, O farewell!" the victor cried, "Of chivalry the flower and pride, The arm in battle bold, The courteous mien, the noble race, O'er better knight on death-bier laid, XXXV. Nor for De Argentine alone, Through Ninian's church these torches shone, And rose the death-prayer's awful tone.2 That yellow lustre glimmer'd pale, On broken plate and bloodied mail, Since Norman William came. Grudge not her victory, XXXVI. Turn we to Bruce, whose curious car "For the mute page had spoke.”— "Page!" said Fitz-Louis," rather say, An angel sent from realms of day, To burst the English yoke. dwells fondly on the valour and generosity of the invaders, but actually makes an elaborate apology to the English for having ventured to select for his theme a story which records their disasters. We hope this extreme courtesy is not intended merely to appease critics, and attract readers in the southern part of the island--and yet it is difficult to see for what other purposes it could be assumed. Mr. Scott certainly need not have been afraid either of exciting rebellion among his coun. trymen, or of bringing his own liberality and loyalty into question, although, in speaking of the events of that remote period, where an overbearing conqueror was overthrown in a lawless attempt to subdue an independent kingdom, he had given full expression to the hatred and exultation which must have prevailed among the victors, and are indeed the only passions which can be supposed to be excited by the story of their exploits. It is not natural, and we are sure it is not poetical, to represent the agents in such tremendous scenes as calm and indulgent judges of the motives or merits of their opponents; and, by lending such a character to the leaders of his host, the author has actually lessened the interest of the mighty fight of Bannockburn, to that which might be supposed to belong to a well regulated tournament among friendly rivals.”—JEFFREY |