The last of all the Bards was he, The unpremeditated lay: Old times were changed, old manners gone; Had call'd his harmless art a crime. A wandering Harper, scorn'd and poor, He pass'd where Newark's stately tower Looks out from Yarrow's birchen bower: the lofty visions of chivalry, and partial to the strains in which they were formerly embodied, seems to have employed all the resources of his genius in endeavouring to recall them to the favour and admiration of the public, and in adapting to the taste of modern readers a species of poetry which was once the delight of the courtly, but has long ceased to gladden any other eyes than those of the scholar and the antiquary. This is a romance, therefore, composed by a minstrel of the present day; or such a romance as we may suppose would have been written in modern times, if that style of composition had continued to be cultivated, and partakes consequently of the improvements which every branch of literature has received since the time of its desertion."-JEFFREY, April, 1805. "Turning to the northward, Scott showed us the crags and tower of Smailholme, and behind it the shattered fragment of Erceldoung, and repeated some pretty stanzas ascribed to the last of the real wandering minstrels of this district, by name Burn: 'Sing Erceldoune, and Cowdenknowes, · But Minstrel Burn cannot assuage His grief while life endureth, To see the changes of this age Which fleeting time procureth; Life, vol vi. p. 78. 2" This is a massive square tower, now unroofed and ruinous, surrounded by an outward wall, defended by round flanking turrets. It is most beautifully situated, about three miles from Selkirk, upon the banks of the Yarrow, a fierce and precipitous stream, which unites with the Ettricke about a mile beneath the castle. "Newark Castle was built by James II. The royal arms, with the unicorn, are engraved on a stone in the western side of the tower. There was a much more ancient castle in its The Minstrel gazed with wishful eye- The embattled portal arch he pass'd, When kindness had his wants supplied, And the old man was gratified, Began to rise his minstrel pride:" And he began to talk anon, Of good Earl Francis, dead and gone, immediate vicinity, called Auldwark, founded, it is said, by Alexander III. Both were designed for the royal residence when the king was disposed to take his pleasure in the extensive forest of Ettricke. Various grants occur in the records of the Privy Seal, bestowing the keeping of the Castle of Newark upon different barons. There is a popular tradition that it was once seized, and held out by the outlaw Murray, a noted character in song, who only surrendered Newark upon condition of being made hereditary sheriff of the forest. A long ballad, containing an account of this transaction, is preserved in the Border Minstrelsy, (vol. i. p. 369.) Upon the marriage of James IV. with Margaret, sister of Henry VIII., the Castle of Newark, with the whole Forest of Ettricke, was assigned to her as a part of her jointure lands. But of this she could make little advantage; for, after the death of her husband, she is found complaining heavily, that Buccleuch had seized upon these lands. Indeed, the office of keeper was latterly held by the family of Buccleuch, and with so firm a grasp, that when the Forest of Ettricke was disparked, they obtained a grant of the Castle of Newark in property. It was within the court-yard of this castle that General Lesly did military execution upon the prisoners whom he had taken at the battle of Philiphaugh. The castle continued to be an occasional seat of the Buccleuch family for more than a century; and here, it is said, the Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch was brought up. For this reason, probably, Mr. Scott has chosen to make it the scene in which the Lay of the Last Minstrel is recited in her presence, and for her amusement."-SCHETKY's Illustrations of the Lay of the Last Minstrel It may be added that Bowhill was the favourite residence of Lord and Lady Dalkeith, (afterwards Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch), at the time when the poem was composed; the ruins of Newark are all but included in the park attached to that modern seat of the family; and Sir Walter Scott, no doubt, was influenced in his choice of the locality, by the predilection of the charming lady who suggested the subject of his Lay for the scenery of the Yarrow-a beautiful walk on whose banks, leading from the house to the old castle, is called, in memory of her, the Duchess's Walk.-ED. 3 Anne, Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth, representative of the ancient Lords of Buccleuch, and widow of the unfortunate James, Duke of Monmouth, who was beheaded in 1685. 4 Francis Scott, Earl of Euccleuch, father of the Duchess. And of Earl Walter,' rest him, God! A braver ne'er to battle rode; Of the old warriors of Buccleuch : Though stiff his hand, his voice though weak, The humble boon was soon obtain'd; And then, he said, he would full fain I Walter, Earl of Buccleuch, grandfather of the Duchess, and a celebrated warrior. "Mr. W. Dundas, (see Life of Scott, vol. ii. p. 226,) says, that Pitt repeated the lines, describing the old harper's embarrassment when asked to play, and said, 'This is a sort of thing which I might have expected in painting, but could never have fancied capable of being given in poetry.'” And lighten'd up his faded eye, In varying cadence, soft or strong, The Lay of the Last Minstrel. CANTO FIRST. I. THE feast was over in Branksome tower.* Jesu Maria, shield us well! No living wight, save the Ladye alone, II. The tables were drawn, it was idlesse all; Or crowded round the ample fire: Lay stretch'd upon the rushy floor, 5 "The ancient romance owes much of its interest to the lively picture which it affords of the times of chivalry, and of those usages, manners, and institutions, which we have been accustomed to associate in our minds, with a certain combination of magnificence with simplicity, and ferocity with romantic honour. The representations contained in those performances, however, are, for the most part too rude and naked to give complete satisfaction. The execution is always extremely unequal; and though the writer sometimes touches upon the appropriate feeling with great effect and felicity, still this appears to be done more by accident than design; and he wanders away immediately into all sorts of ridiculous or uninteresting details, without any apparent consciousness of incongruity. These defects Mr. Scott has corrected with admirable address and judgment in the greater part of the work now before us; and while he has exhibited a very strik 3 "In the very first rank of poetical excellence, we are inclined to place the introductory and concluding lines of every canto, in which the ancient strain is suspended, and the feelings and situation of the minstrel himself described in the words of the author. The elegance and the beauty of this setting, if we may so call it, though entirely of modern workmanship, appears to us to be fully more worthy of admiration than the bolder relief of the antiques which it encloses, and leads us to regret that the author should have wasted, in imita-ing and impressive picture of the old feudal usages and instition and antiquarian researches, so much of those powers which seem fully equal to the task of raising him an independent reputation."-JEFFREY. See Appendix, Note A. tutions, he has shown still greater talent in engrafting upon those descriptions all the tender or magnanimous emotions to which the circumstances of the story naturally give rise. Without impairing the antique air of the whole piece, or violating the simplicity of the ballad style, he has contrived, in this way, to impart a much greater dignity and more powerful interest to his production, than could ever be obtained by the unskilful and unsteady delineations of the old romancers. Nothing, we think, can afford a finer illustration of this remark, than the opening stanzas of the whole poem; they transport us at once into the days of knightly daring and feudal hostility, at the same time that they suggest, in a very interesting way, all those softer sentiments which arise out of some parts of the description."—JEFFREY. See Appendix, Note B. 2 See Appendix, Note C. 8 See Appendix, Note D, and compare these stanzas with the description of Jamie Telfer's appearance at BranksomeHall, (Border Minstrelsy, vol. ii. p. 5,) to claim the protection of "Auld Buccleuch"-and the ensuing scene, (page 9,)— In sorrow o'er Lord Walter's bier Old Teviot's maids and matrons lent: Had lock'd the source of softer woe; And burning pride, and high disdain, Forbade the rising tear to flow; Until, amid his sorrowing clan, Her son lisp'd from the nurse's knee"And if I live to be a man, My father's death revenged shall be !" "The Scotts they rade, the Scotts they ran, Was-Rise for Branksome readilie," &c. Compare also the Ballad of Kinmont Willie, (vol. ii. p. 53.) "Now, word is gane to the bauld keeper, In Branksome ha' where that he lay," &c.-ED. There are not many passages in English poetry more impressive than some parts of Stanzas vii. viii. ix.—JEFFREY. See Appendix, Note E. • Edinburgh. 7 The war-cry, or gathering-word, of a Border clan. 8 See Appendix, Note F. Orig. (1st Edition.) "The Ladye dropp'd nor sigh nor tear. Then fast the mother's tears did seek To dew the infant's kindling cheek. X. All loose her negligent attire, All loose her golden hair, Hung Margaret o'er her slaughter'd sire, And wept in wild despair, But not alone the bitter tear Had filial grief supplied; For hopeless love, and anxious fear, XI. Of noble race the Ladye came, Of Bethune's line of Picardie :3 XII. And of his skill, as bards avow, That chafes against the scaur's red side? That moans old Branksome's turrets round? XIII. At the sullen, moaning sound, The ban-dogs bay and howl; 1 See Appendix, Note G. (The name is spelt differently by the various families who bear it. Carr is selected, not as the most correct, but as the most poetical reading.) See Appendix, Note H. 8 See Appendix, Note I. 4 See Appendix, Note K. And, from the turrets round, Loud whoops the startled owl. In the hall, both squire and knight Swore that a storm was near, And looked forth to view the night? But the night was still and clear! XIV. From the sound of Teviot's tide, The Ladye knew it well! It was the Spirit of the Flood that spoke, And he called on the Spirit of the Fell. XV. RIVER SPIRIT. "Sleep'st thou, brother?"— MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. -"Brother, nay— On my hills the moon-beams play. Merry elves their morris pacing, Trip it deft and merrily. Up, and mark their nimble feet! XVI. RIVER SPIRIT. "Tears of an imprison'd maiden Mix with my polluted stream; Margaret of Branksome, sorrow-laden, Mourns beneath the moon's pale beam. Tell me, thou, who view'st the stars, When shall cease these feudal jars? What shall be the maiden's fate? Who shall be the maiden's mate ?" XVII. MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. Twinkling faint, and distant far, 5 First Edition-" St. Kentigerne's hall."-St. Mungo, or Kentigerne, is the patron saint of Glasgow. 6 See Appendix, Note L. 7 See Appendix, Note M. Scaur, a precipitous bank of earth. XVIII. The unearthly voices ceast, And the heavy sound was still; It died on the river's breast, It died on the side of the hill. But round Lord David's tower The sound still floated near; For it rung in the Ladye's bower, And it rung in the Ladye's ear. She raised her stately head, And her heart throbb'd high with pride:"Your mountains shall bend, And your streams ascend, Ere Margaret be our foeman's bride!" XIX. The Ladye sought the lofty hall, Where many a bold retainer lay, In mimic foray rode. Even bearded knights, in arms grown old, Were stubborn as the steel they wore. For the grey warriors prophesied, How the brave boy, in future war, Should tame the Unicorn's pride,3 Exalt the Crescent and the Star.4 XX. The Ladye forgot her purpose high, Then from amid the armed train, XXI. A stark moss-trooping Scott was he, 1 See Appendix, Note N. 2 Foray, a predatory inroad. 3 This line, of which the metre appears defective, would have its full complement of feet according to the pronunciation of the poet himself as all who were familiar with his utterance of the letter r will bear testimony.-ED. 4 See Appendix, Note O. 5 Ibid. Note P. 6 Ibid. Note Q. 7 Hairibee, the place of executing the Border marauders at Carlisle. The neck-verse is the beginning of the 51st Psalm, Alike to him was tide or time, By England's King, and Scotland's Queen. XXII. "Sir William of Deloraine, good at need, Seek thou the Monk of St. Mary's aisle. Say that the fated hour is come, To win the treasure of the tomb: For this will be St. Michael's night, Will point to the grave of the mighty dead. XXIII. "What he gives thee, see thou keep; Stay not thou for food or sleep: Be it scroll, or be it book, Into it, Knight, thou must not look; If thou readest, thou art lorn! Better had'st thou ne'er been born." XXIV. "O swiftly can speed my dapple-grey steed, Which drinks of the Teviot clear; Ere break of day," the Warrior 'gan say, "Again will I be here: And safer by none may thy errand be done, Than, noble dame, by me; Letter nor line know I never a one, Wer't my neck-verse at Hairibee."7 XXV. Soon in his saddle sate he fast, And cross'd old Borthwick's roaring strand; Miserere mei, &c., anciently read by criminals claiming the benefit of clergy. ["In the rough but spirited sketch of the marauding Borderer, and in the naïveté of his last declaration, the reader will recognise some of the most striking features of the ancient ballad."—Critical Review.] 8 Barbican, the defence of the outer gate of a feudal castle. Peel, a Border tower. 10 See Appendix, Note R. |