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."

562. Pennons. Wings. She is preparing to fly to her mur dered 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.

744. Privilege chase. Explained by following lines. Interpret the figure.

780. Stranger. Noun.

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

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

GENERAL QUESTIONS ON CANTO FOURTH

1. Compare this lovely prelude with Burns's

"My love is like the red, red rose.'

2. Tell the story of Ellen from the beginning of the poem through this Canto, and point out, with your evidence, all the traits which you have discovered in her. Is Malcolm a satisfactory

suitor for her hand?

3. What do you know of fairy-lore? Tell the prettiest fairy story that you know.

4. How does the impression left by the second visit of FitzJames differ from that of his first?

5. Tell the story of poor Blanche, and why she warns Snowdoun's Knight. How did she know that he was in danger?

6. You have already found exhibitions of Highland hospitality; what others appear in the latter part of this Canto?

7. Note the various means by which the effect of weirdness is produced.

8. Who was the Lady of the Lake? What lake? Precisely where is it? "The Chase " -by whom, of what, where, and how ended? "The Island" what island? Who were its occupants? "The Gathering"-why, where, of whom, how made? "The Prophecy" what was it? Who made it? To whom?

9. How much time has been covered by the action of these four cantos ?

CANTO FIFTH

2. Pilgrim. Here apparently a mere traveller.

8. Martial Faith. Why martial?

Does this introduction change our feeling toward Roderick Dhu? 14. Dappled. Flecked with spots. See note to I. 1. 461

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. 221.2oh

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; "warning 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. Cf. "Theodosius having manned himself with proper reflections," Addison, as quoted by Webster.

246. Mother earth... birth. Is this an allusion to Cadmus ? See Classic Myths.

253. Jack. A cheap leather substitute for coat of mail.

262. Fear naught. 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.

Why was there no need to say that?

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. Explain the figure.

406. Recreant.

408. Toil.

Coward.

Snare.

424. Dagger. The only weapon he had left.

452. Squires. The attendants of a knight.

462. Fairer freight. Ellen.

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

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?

1525. 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 ?