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531-532 Allan and Devan.

Two Perthshire streams.

555. Maudlin's charge. An insane asylum. Contracted from Magdalen. Cf. "Maudlin" College, Oxford, colloquial for "Mary Magdalen's."

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562. Pennons. Wings. She is preparing to fly to her murdered lover.

567. Batten. Fatten.

571. Meet. Appropriate.

590. Jeffrey objects to this song on the ground that a maniac would not sing a sensible warning song. Can you answer his objection ?

The... set. The nets and stakes are prepared for the stag of ten (ten branches on its horns). The stag is James Fitz-James. Who are the hunters and the wounded doe?

617. Thrilled in. Pierced.

630. Pine. Appropriateness of the pine?

642. Daggled. Besmeared, soaked.

686. Favor. Token of affection for his lady, worn by a knight. 687. Imbrue. Moisten. 698. Hoar. Does this mean aged ? 722. Summer Solstice. Summer's greatest heat. 734-750. Thy name spy. Notice omission of verbs to add strength.

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chase. Explained by following lines. Inter

780. Stranger. Noun.

787. Coilantogle's Ford. On the Teith just below Loch Venmachar.

798. Purpled. Morning again, as in Canto I. How did Cante III. end?

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44. Rugged mountain's scanty cloak. Note the resemblance between the mountain and the Highlanders.

46. Shingles. Coarse gravel and broken stone.

64. Sooth to tell. To tell the truth.

77. Mechanic laws. Grammatical construction of mechanic? 85. Danger's self. Is this a true touch?

86-111. What fatal mistake did Roderick make ?

108. Regent's court. The Regent was Albany (1. 124), a cousin of James IV., whom the Scottish nobles called home from France to assume the reins of government after that monarch was slain at Flodden Field. It was a disorderly time, full of feuds.

119. Holy-Rood. Cf. II. 221.

125. Truncheon. Sceptre or baton.

126. Mewed. Confined, as in a cage.

152-153. Sires . . . claymore. The target and claymore were weapons of the Britons from earliest times.

Note the fire and effectiveness of the whole dispute.

169. Seek other cause. A foray was considered by the Highlanders an honorable undertaking. Scott says that the Gael never forgot that the Lowlands at some remote period had belonged to his ancestors, and so were fair prey.

176-177. I seek... maid. Dependent upon warning; "warn ing that I seek," etc.

196-227. "The chef d'œuvre of Walter Scott."

Notice how every detail helps the whole.

230. Manned himself. Furnished himself with strength. Ct. Theodosius having manned himself with proper reflections," Addison, as quoted by Webster.

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253. Jack. A cheap leather substitute for coat of mail. 262. Fear naught. Why was there no need to say that?

270. I only meant. Scott explains: "This incident, like some other passages in the poem, illustrative of the character of the ancient Gael, is not imaginary, but borrowed from fact." It was taken from the adventures of an Englishman with a famous freebooter, John Gunn.

277. Flood. Flow; to rhyme with blood.

298. Three mighty lakes. Katrine, Achray, and Vennachar. 301. Mouldering lines. The remains of a Roman camp, probably built in the time of Agricola.

309. Murderous Chief, ruthless man. Cf. the preceding words of Fitz-James.

329-330. Prophet bred... dead. Cf. III. 91, and IV. 124–125. 334. Read. Interpreted.

336. Stark and stiff. Difference?

356. Carpet knight. A Shakespearean expression. A hero of the drawing room; one who has not known the hardships of the field.

364. Truce... begone. "Let this be the end of delay and pity." 378. Dubious. As to its issue.

383. Trained abroad. In France.

390. Blade . . . blood.

406. Recreant. Coward.

408. Toil. Snare.

Explain the figure.

424. Dagger. The only weapon he had left.

£43-444. Yet . . . give. Explain these lines.

452. Squires. The attendants of a knight.

462. Fairer freight. Ellen.

466. Boune. Ready. One of Scott's favorite words; checkered is another.

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470-532. Stand. won. Select words expressing motion. 486. Pricked. Spurred.

The places named are those where Scott had visited friends in his younger days.

496. Mark just glance. Perceive, quickly to meet the eye and then to disappear.

509. His. Antecedent?

525. Saint Serle. A very obscure saint, but the only one whose name rhymes with earl.

532. Postern gate. Rear gate.

533. Douglas. Why had the Douglas come?

544. Bride of heaven. A nun. The convent was the common baven of high-born maidens.

551. Fatal mound. The place where many state criminals had been executed, situated on the northeast of the castle.

558. Franciscan steeple. Grayfriars' Church, built by James IV. Here John Knox preached the sermon for the coronation of James VI.

562. Morrice-dancers. The morrice, or morris, dance was one originally borrowed from the Moors. It is described in Scott's Abbot.

583-592. Bending low . . . nods. Notice how the king's manner varies according to the station of the subject.

602. Mean burgher's. Does mean modify burgher's, or joys & 606. Feudal power. At home a lord, here a scorned vassal. 610. Their checkered bands. Whose bands? Why checkered ?

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