diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/54980-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54980-8.txt | 13790 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 13790 deletions
diff --git a/old/54980-8.txt b/old/54980-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6c16043..0000000 --- a/old/54980-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13790 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Country of Sir Walter Scott, by Charles S. Olcott - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Country of Sir Walter Scott - -Author: Charles S. Olcott - -Illustrator: Charles S. Olcott - -Release Date: June 26, 2017 [EBook #54980] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COUNTRY OF SIR WALTER SCOTT *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - - - - -[Frontispiece: Sir Walter Scott] - - - - - THE COUNTRY OF - SIR WALTER SCOTT - - BY - CHARLES S. OLCOTT - - - _Author of George Eliot: Scenes and People of Her Novels_ - - - - ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS - BY THE AUTHOR - - - - BOSTON AND NEW YORK - HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY - The Riverside Press Cambridge - - - - -COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY CHARLES S. OLCOTT - -ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - -Published September 1913 - - - - - TO - - MY WIFE - - THE COMPANION OF MY TRAVELS - TO WHOSE SYMPATHETIC COOPERATION I AM - INDEBTED FOR MUCH OF THE MATERIAL - THIS BOOK - IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED - - - - - CONTENTS - - Introduction - - I. The 'Making' of Sir Walter - II. The Lay of the Last Minstrel - III. Marmion - IV. The Lady of the Lake - V. Rokeby - VI. The Bridal of Triermain - VII. The Lord of the Isles - VIII. Waverley - IX. Guy Mannering - X. The Antiquary - XI. The Black Dwarf - XII. Old Mortality - XIII. Rob Roy - XIV. The Heart of Midlothian - XV. The Bride of Lammermoor - XVI. A Legend of Montrose - XVII. Ivanhoe - XVIII. The Monastery - XIX. The Abbot - XX. Kenilworth - XXI. The Pirate - XXII. The Fortunes of Nigel - XXIII. Peveril of the Peak - XXIV. Quentin Durward - XXV. St. Ronan's Well - XXVI. Redgauntlet - XXVII. Tales of the Crusaders - XXVIII. Woodstock - XXIX. The Fair Maid of Perth - XXX. The Chronicles of the Canongate and Other Tales - The Highland Widow - The Two Drovers - The Surgeon's Daughter - Anne of Geierstein - Count Robert of Paris - Castle Dangerous - XXXXI. A Successful Life - - Index - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -Portrait of Sir Walter Scott . . . . . . Frontispiece - Photogravure from an engraving by William Walker of a painting - by Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., 1822. - -Smailholm - -Kelso Abbey - -The Popping Stone - -Lasswade Cottage - -Map Of Scotland - Showing localities of Scott's writings - -St. Mary's Loch - -Branksome Hall - -Melrose Abbey - -Ashestiel - -Entrance to Norham Castle - -Llndisfarne Abbey - -Tantallon Castle - -Loch Achray - -Cambusmore - -Glenfinglas - -Stirling Castle - -Brackenbury Tower, Barnard Castle - -The Valley of the Tees - From Barnard Castle - -The Valley of St. John - Showing Triermain Castle Rock - -Turnberry Castle, Coast of Ayrshire - -Grandtully Castle - -Doune Castle - From the Teith - -Ullswater - Waverley's retreat after the defeat of the Chevalier - -Caerlaverock Castle - -Edinburgh from the Castle - -Auchmuthie - -The Black Dwarf's Cottage - -Craignethan Castle (Tillietudlem) - -Crichope Linn - -Chillingham Castle - -Loch Lomond from Inversnaid - -St. Anthony's Chapel - -Crichton Castle - -Loch Lubnaig - -Map of England - Showing Localities of Scott's writings - -Castle of Ashby de la Zouch - -The Buck-Gate - Entrance to the Duke of Portland's estate, Sherwood Forest - -The Avenue of Limes, Sherwood Forest - -Interior of Fountains Abbey - -Coningsburgh Castle - -Cathcart Castle - -Leicester's Buildings, Kenilworth - -Cæsar's Tower, Kenilworth - -Entrance to Warwick Castle - -Mervyn's Tower, Kenilworth - -Lerwick, Shetland - -A Crofter's Cottage, Orkney - -Sumburgh Head, Shetland - -Scalloway, Shetland - -The Standing Stones of Stennis - -Stromness, Orkney - -Map of London - Showing localities of Scott's writings - -The Pack-Horse Bridge, Haddon Hall - -The Saxon Tower, Isle of Man - -The Tweed and Eildon Hills - -Scott's Tomb, Dryburgh - -Hoddam Castle - -Powis Castle, Wales - -Godstow Priory - Burial-place of 'The Fair Rosamond' - -Loch Tay - -House of the Fair Maid of Perth - -Abbotsford - -Scott Monument, Edinburgh - - - - -{xiii} - -INTRODUCTION - -On the first day of May, 1911, we began our exploration of the 'Scott -Country.' I say we, because I was accompanied by the companion of a -much longer journey, of which that year was the twenty-fifth milestone. -Whether from reasons of sentiment resulting from the near approach of -our silver anniversary, or because of more prosaic geographical -considerations, we began at the place where Walter Scott discovered -that he would be likely to see more of the beauty of life if he were -equipped with two pairs of eyes rather than one. This was at the -village of Gilsland, in the north of England, where the poet first met -the companion who was to share the joys and sorrows of the best years -of his life. A pony and dogcart took us clattering up to the top of -the hill, where, leaving our conveyance, we started down the glen to -the banks of the river Irthing. Here the camera promptly responded to -the call of a beautiful view and the first exposure was made:--a gently -flowing stream of shallow water, scarcely covering the rocky bed of the -river; a pleasant path along the bank, well shaded from the sun; and a -slender little waterfall in the distance;--the same scene which so -often met the eyes of Walter Scott and his future bride as they -strolled along the stream in their 'courting' days. - -This was the beginning of a tour which eventually led into nearly every -county of Scotland, as far north as the Shetland Islands, and through a -large part of England {xiv} and Wales. We went wherever we thought we -might find a beautiful or an interesting picture, connected in some way -with the life of Sir Walter, or mentioned by him in some novel or poem. -Knowing that he had derived his inspiration from an intimate knowledge -of the country, we sought to follow his footsteps so far as possible. -Months of preparation had been devoted to the work before leaving home. -Every novel and poem had to be read, besides many books of reference, -including, of course, Lockhart's _Life_, for it would not have been -safe to trust to the recollections of earlier reading. Notes were made -of the places to be sought, and two large maps were prepared on which I -marked circles with a red pencil around all points which I thought -ought to be visited, until my maps began to look as though they were -suffering from a severe attack of measles. Then the route was laid out -by 'centres.' The first was Carlisle, then Dumfries, Melrose, -Edinburgh, Berwick, Glasgow, Stirling, Callander, the Trossachs, Oban, -and so on until the entire country had been covered. From each -'centre' as a convenient point of departure we explored the country in -many directions, visiting so far as possible every scene of the novels -and poems that could be identified. - -It was surprising to find so many of these scenes exactly as Sir Walter -had described them. The mountains and valleys, the rivers, lakes, and -waterfalls, the wild ruggedness of the seaside cliffs, the quaint -little old-fashioned villages, the ruined castles and abbeys, all -brought back memories of the romances which he had so charmingly set -amidst these scenes. It was like actually living the Waverley Novels -to see them. And in seeing {xv} them, we came to know, on intimate -terms, Sir Walter himself; to feel the genial influence of his presence -as if he were a fellow traveller, and to love him as his companions had -done a century ago. - -But our constant purpose was to do more than this. With the help of -the camera we sought to catch something of the spirit of the scenery -and to bring it home with us, in the hope that those who have never -seen the 'Scott Country' might at least have a few glimpses of it, and -that those who have seen all or a part of it, might find in these views -a pleasant reminder of what must have been a happy experience. - -There is no occasion to add at the present time to the volume of -literary criticism of such well-known novels and poems as those of -Scott, nor is it possible to add any material facts to his biography. -This book makes no such claim. It does not attempt to retell the -romances, except in so far as may be necessary to explain their -connexion with the scenery or to introduce the 'original' of some -well-known character. If a glimpse of the novelist's genial face is -seen now and then, it is because his spirit pervades every nook and -corner of bonnie Scotland, and it would be impossible for appreciative -eyes to view the scenery without seeing something of the man whose -genius has added so greatly to its charm. - -If this book shall add to the pleasure of any of the readers of Sir -Walter Scott by bringing them into the atmosphere of his novels and -poems, and so a little nearer to the kindly personality of the man, its -purpose will have been fulfilled. - - - - -{1} - - THE COUNTRY - OF SIR WALTER SCOTT - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE 'MAKING' OF SIR WALTER - -'He was makin' himsel' a' the time, but he didna ken maybe what he was -about till years had passed; at first he thought o' little, I dare say, -but the queerness and the fun.' - -In these expressive words, Robert Shortreed, who guided Walter Scott on -the celebrated 'raids' into the Liddesdale country, correctly -summarized the youth and early manhood of the future poet and novelist. -Scott was thirty-four years old when the 'Lay of the Last Minstrel' -appeared, and had reached the mature age of forty-three before he -published the first of the Waverley Novels. But from early childhood -he was busily engaged, with more or less conscious purpose, in -gathering the materials for his future work. - -It is the purpose of this chapter to show, by a brief survey of these -preparatory years, how he acquired that intimate knowledge of human -nature that enabled him to record so truthfully and with such real -sympathy the thoughts and feelings, the hopes and fears, the manners of -life, the dress, the conversation, and the personal peculiarities of -people of every degree, from Mary, Queen of Scots, to Meg Merrilies, -the Queen of the {2} Gipsies; from the lordly Earl of Montrose down to -the humblest of the Children of the Mist. It will also aim to suggest -something of the method by which he learned to paint such charming -pictures of ancient castles and ruined abbeys, of princes' palaces and -fishermen's cottages, of rocky shores and wild paths through the woods, -of rivers, lakes, and mountains, and all the other elements that make -up the varied and beautiful scenery of Scotland and England. - -In the hilly country south of Edinburgh, standing alone on a high rock, -is an old feudal tower called Smailholm. Outlined against the western -sky, in the glow of a summer sunset, it seemed to us like a proud and -beautiful capital letter 'I,' saying with some emphasis on the personal -pronoun, '_I_ am a thing of some importance.' We forgave the egotism, -for the old tower really is important, marking the very beginning of -Walter Scott's career, the spot where he received his first poetic -impulse. Here at the age of three years, he rolled about on the rocks -with the sheep and lambs as if he were one of them. He had been -brought to Sandy Knowe, the home of his grandfather, in an effort to -save his life, for he had been a sickly child, and six brothers and -sisters had died in infancy, so that his parents were naturally more -than anxious. The life out of doors soon brought a marked improvement, -and except for the lameness, which never left him, the boy became -healthy and vigorous. He was attended by an old shepherd, known as the -'cow-bailie,' who had a great fund of Border stories, to which the lad -listened eagerly. - -[Illustration: SMAILHOLM] - -A devoted aunt, Miss Janet Scott, who lived at the farm, often read to -him stories of Bible heroes and of the {3} great men of Scottish -history. From a few volumes of miscellaneous poetry which the family -chanced to own, she read some Scottish ballads which quickly seized -upon his childish fancy. He was especially fond of historical tales, -and under the shadow of the old tower he used to marshal the armies of -Scotland and England, fighting their battles with mimic forces of -pebbles and shells, and always ending the conflict with the complete -rout of the English and the triumph of the Scottish arms. One day he -was missed during a violent thunderstorm, and the household set out in -search of him. He was found lying on his back on the rocks, kicking -his heels in the air and clapping his hands with delight as he watched -the vivid lightning; and as one flash followed another, each more -brilliant than the one before, he would shout, 'Bonnie! Bonnie!! Dae -it again! Dae it again!' I like to think of this scene as symbolic; -as a prophecy of the time, soon to come, when the lad, grown to -manhood, would be sending out flash after flash of his genius while the -whole world looked on in delight, shouting, 'Bonnie! Bonnie!! Dae it -again! Dae it again!' - -How much the old tower of Smailholm really had to do with Scott's -earliest poetic fancy he has himself told in a touching reference in -the Introduction to the Third Canto of 'Marmion':-- - - And still I thought that shattered tower - The mightiest work of human power, - And marvelled as the aged hind - With some strange tale bewitched my mind. - -He made it the setting of one of his earliest poems, 'The Eve of St. -John,' and probably had it in mind, when {4} writing 'The Monastery' -and 'The Abbot,' as the original of Avenel Castle. Smailholm was once -surrounded by water, all of which has been drained off except a very -small portion on the eastern side. With the addition of the original -lake it would make a very good prototype of Avenel. - -At the age of six, Scott was taken for a visit to Prestonpans, where he -made the acquaintance of George Constable, the original of Monkbarns in -'The Antiquary.' This statement should be qualified, however, for -Scott himself was the real 'Antiquary' in many ways. None but a -genuine antiquarian could ever have written that keen bit of humorous -characterization. This old gentleman, besides giving Scott his first -knowledge of Shakespeare, told him many excellent stories of the -'affair of 1745' and of the battle of Prestonpans. Here he also made -the acquaintance of an old man who had seen much service in the German -wars and who was delighted to find a good listener to his tales of -military feats. Under the guidance of this old soldier, whose name, -Dalgetty, subsequently reappears in 'A Legend of Montrose,' he explored -the battle-field, heard the story of Colonel Gardiner's death, and -found the grave of 'Balmawhapple,' 'where the grass grew rank and -green, distinguishing it from the rest of the field.' This was in -1777, when Scott was only six. Thirty-seven years later these early -impressions found a place in 'Waverley.' - -At about the same period young Walter was presented with a Shetland -pony, an animal not so large as a full-grown Newfoundland dog. He soon -learned to ride, and often frightened his Aunt Jenny by dashing -recklessly {5} over the rocks about the tower. The importance of the -event lies in the fact that it was the beginning of Scott's fondness -for horseback riding, his proficiency in which played an important part -in later years, enabling him to gather valuable material that would not -otherwise have been accessible. Scott's father now thought best to -bring him back to Edinburgh, where he lived the life of an average -schoolboy, with this difference, that his lameness frequently confined -him to the house, compelling him to seek his amusement in books instead -of romping with his fellows in George's Square. At twelve years, and -again a little later, he went for a vacation visit to his Aunt -Jenny,--Miss Janet Scott,--who was then living at Kelso in a small -house, pleasantly situated in a garden of seven or eight acres, 'full -of long straight walks, between hedges of yew and hornbeam' and -'thickets of flowery shrubs.' The Grammar School of Kelso was attached -to the old Abbey. Here he met the two men who, though lifelong -friends, were destined to bring to Walter Scott the saddest experience -of his career--James and John Ballantyne, the publishers, whose failure -clouded the last years of the novelist's life, forcing upon him the -payment of a debt of £117,000,--a task which he manfully assumed, and -wore out his life in the execution of it. Another school fellow here -was Robert Waldie, whose mother showed Scott many attentions. It was -through his association with 'Lady Waldie,' who was a member of the -Society of Friends, that Scott in subsequent years was enabled to paint -the lovely picture of the home life at Mount Sharon of Joshua Geddes -and his sister, which adds so much to the pleasure of 'Redgauntlet.' - -{6} - -An old vault in Kelso Abbey was used as the village prison--the kind of -a jail which Edie Ochiltree thought 'wasna so dooms bad a place as it -was ca'd.' No doubt the real Edie was often confined here. He was an -old mendicant, well known in the neighbourhood, by the name of Andrew -Gemmels. Scott met him often. Many curious stories are related of his -eccentricities. He was once presented with a good suit of clothes -which he thankfully accepted. The friendly donor chanced to meet him -later in the day, dragging the clothes behind him along the road -through the dirt and mud. Being asked why he treated the gift in that -way he replied that he would have 'to trail the duds that way for twa -days, to mak them _fit for use_.' - -[Illustration: KELSO ABBEY] - -A few miles southeast of Kelso, in the village of Kirk Yetholm, Scott -picked up another of his most famous characters--the picturesque Meg -Merrilies. Kirk Yetholm was in Scott's boyhood, and even later in his -life, the headquarters of a large gipsy tribe. Such a people could not -fail to interest one of his temperament and he soon came to know them -on familiar terms. The Queen of the Gipsies introduced herself by -giving him an apple. She was a woman of extraordinary height, dressed -in a long red cloak, who naturally inspired the boy with a feeling of -awe. Her name was Madge Gordon, a granddaughter of Jean Gordon, the -most famous of the Gipsies. Jean's history was well known. She was an -ardent Jacobite, and met her death at Carlisle in 1746, in a most -inhuman fashion, being drowned by a mob in the river Eden. She was a -powerful woman and as the men struggled to keep her head under the -water, she kept coming to the surface, each time screaming, {7} -'Charlie yet! Charlie yet!' Scott as a child often heard her story -and cried piteously for old Jean Gordon. She was the real Meg -Merrilies. - -During his frequent visits to Kelso and subsequent residence at -Rosebank, near by, Scott explored the country in every direction. He -rode over the battlefield of Flodden, becoming convinced that 'never -was an affair more completely bungled.' He explored the heights of -Branxton Hill, and riding through the village of Coldstream, passed the -old town of Lennel, where Marmion paused on the eve of the battle. -Then recrossing the river, he came to Twisel Bridge, and following the -course of the Tweed, reached the ruins of Norham Castle, where Marmion -was entertained by Sir Hugh Heron. This was an old Border fortress -which passed from Scottish to English hands and back again for several -centuries. Thus, without conscious effort, Scott laid the foundation -for 'Marmion' early in life, though the poem did not take final shape -until nearly twenty years later. - -When not spending his vacations in the country, Scott was attending the -college in Edinburgh and later preparing himself for the practice of -the law. During all these years the gathering of materials for his -future writings continued. A favourite companion of the days in -Edinburgh was John Irving. On Saturdays, or more frequently during -vacations, the two used to borrow three or four books from the -circulating library and walk to Salisbury Crags, climb high up to some -sequestered nook and read the books together. After continuing this -practice for two years, during which they devoured a prodigious number -of volumes, Scott {8} proposed that they should make up adventures of -their favourite knights-errant, and recite them to each other -alternately--a pastime in which Scott greatly excelled his companion. -At this time the former began to collect old ballads, and as Irving's -mother knew a great many, he used to go to her and learn all she could -repeat. Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat found their way into -'Waverley,' and later, with St. Leonard's Hill, in the same vicinity, -became the background for the earlier chapters of the 'Heart of -Midlothian.' The ruins of St. Anthony's Chapel, on the ascent to -Arthur's Seat, must have been one of these favourite nooks. Blackford -Hill, the third of these resorts, lies south of Edinburgh. Here Scott -carried Marmion for that superb view of Edinburgh, 'mine own romantic -town,' so well described in the poem:--. - - Still on the spot Lord Marmion stayed, - For fairer scene he ne'er surveyed. - -The scene is still a beautiful one, for though the plain that held the -Scottish camp is now filled with well-built suburban homes, we still -may see - - Yon Empress of the North - Sit on her hilly throne, - Her palace's imperial bowers, - Her castle, proof to hostile powers, - Her stately halls and holy towers. - -So great was Scott's love of the picturesque and especially of the old -feudal castles that he yearned to become a painter. But it was of no -use. His lessons came to naught and he could make no progress. -Perhaps this was fortunate, for, as Lockhart points out, success with -the pencil might have interfered with his future greatness {9} as a -'painter with the pen.' At fifteen, Scott entered upon an -apprenticeship to his father as a writer's (lawyer's) clerk, during -which period he formed an intimate companionship with a relative of his -friend Irving, William Clerk, a young man of good intellect and many -accomplishments. The experiences of these two young law students will -be found in 'Redgauntlet.' William Clerk was the Darsie Latimer of -that story, while Scott himself was Alan Fairford. Alan's precise and -dignified father, Mr. Saunders Fairford, whose highest hope in life was -to see his son attain 'the proudest of all distinctions--the rank and -fame of a well-employed lawyer,' was a fairly good portrait of Scott's -own father. The house in which the Fairfords lived was in Brown -Square, then considered 'an extremely elegant improvement.' It is -still standing, and is now used as a dental college. Old 'Peter -Peebles,' whose interminable lawsuit was used for young lawyers to -practise on, actually existed and haunted the law courts at this time. -Scott himself admits that he took his turn as 'counsel' to the -grotesque old litigant. - -The Edinburgh of Scott's day was still chiefly confined to the Old -Town. High Street in those days was considered the most magnificent -street in the world. Again and again Scott refers to it. At one end -is the great Castle, old enough to remember the time when even the Old -Town did not exist. Lower down is St. Giles and the Parliament House. -Next to St. Giles is the site of the Old Tolbooth, which, after serving -the city as a prison for two hundred and fifty years, was pulled down -in 1817. In Writer's Court in the same locality was the tavern where -the lawyers held 'high {10} jinks' in 'Guy Mannering.' Greyfriars -Church, where Colonel Mannering heard a sermon by Scott's old friend, -the Rev. John Erskine, is not far off. Down the street, in the part -called the Canongate, is the house of the Earl of Murray, the Regent of -Scotland in Queen Mary's time, who figures prominently in 'The Abbot.' -Street fighting was a common occurrence in Edinburgh in those days and -there is a good description of such a broil in 'The Abbot.' 'My Lord -Seton's Lodging,' where Roland Graeme took refuge after a scrimmage, is -in the same street, and a little farther on is the 'White Horse Close,' -where the officers of Prince Charles made their headquarters in -'Waverley.' Holyrood Palace is at the extreme end of the street, about -a mile from the Castle. The great ball, which Scott describes in -'Waverley,' was given here by the young Chevalier, Charles Edward -Stuart, on the evening of September 17, 1745. - -While still in his fifteenth year, Scott made his first excursion into -the Highlands of Perthshire through scenery unsurpassed in natural -beauty by any other region in all Scotland. Approaching from the -south, he rode over the mountains, through a pass no longer accessible, -known as the Wicks of Baiglie. Here 'he beheld, stretching beneath -him, the valley of the Tay, traversed by its ample and lordly stream; -the town of Perth, with its two large meadows, or Inches, its steeples -and its towers: the hills of Moncreiff and Kinnoul faintly rising into -picturesque rocks, partly clothed with woods; the rich margin of the -river, studded with elegant mansions; and the distant view of the huge -Grampian Mountains, the northern screen of this exquisite landscape.' -These words were written as part of the Introduction to the {11} 'Fair -Maid of Perth' in 1828. The impression they record was made upon the -mind of a boy of fifteen, forty-two years earlier. On this visit, no -doubt, he saw the original house of Simon Glover in Curfew Street, and -also the home of Hal o' the Wynd, not far away. Both houses still -remain, and the stories connected with them were of course current in -Scott's time. - -During all the time that the scenes and the stories connected with this -and other excursions were making their impress upon the mind of Walter -Scott, it must be remembered that he was not thinking of any ultimate -use of them in literature, but was only ambitious to make a success of -his chosen profession of the law. It so happened that one of the -earliest duties which fell to his lot as a writer's apprentice was to -serve a writ upon a certain obstreperous family in the Braes of -Balquhidder, the country made famous by the exploits of Rob Roy. -Fearing that the execution of the summons would be resisted, an escort -of a sergeant and six men was procured, and Scott, a young man of -scarcely sixteen, marched into the Highlands, 'riding,' as he said, 'in -all the dignity of danger, with a front and rear guard, and loaded -arms.' The sergeant was full of good stories, principally about Rob -Roy, and proved to be a very good companion. This expedition was -Scott's first introduction to the scenery around Loch Katrine, which -later owed most of its fame to his pen. It enabled him, by actual -contact with the Highland clans, to learn for the first time some of -the thrilling tales with which the region abounded and to become -familiar with the habits, the speech, the dress, and all the other -marked characteristics of a romantic people. The delightful {12} -scenery of Loch Vennachar, Loch Achray, and Loch Katrine, the rugged -slopes of Ben Venue and Ben An, the more distant peaks of Ben Lomond -and Ben Ledi, the tangled masses of foliage in the 'deep Trossachs' -wildest nook,'--all appealed at once to the artistic sense within him, -to his poetic feeling, and to his love of nature. 'The Lady of the -Lake' was not written until twenty-three years later, but the germ of -that poem was planted in his bosom by this first youthful experience -and its writing was only a labor of love. - -On his subsequent excursions to the Highlands, Scott gathered some -valuable material which later appeared in 'Waverley.' He found one old -gentleman who had been obliged to make a journey to the cave of Rob -Roy, where he dined on 'collops' or steaks, cut from his own cattle. -This cavern is on Loch Lomond in the midst of most beautiful scenery. -Scott makes it the retreat of Donald Bean Lean in 'Waverley,' but does -not refer to it in his story of 'Rob Roy.' From another aged gentleman -he heard the history of Doune Castle, a fine old ruin on the river -Teith, near Stirling, and this he also introduced into 'Waverley.' The -story of Waverley's saving the life of Colonel Talbot and the death at -Carlisle of Fergus MacIvor are based upon incidents related to Scott at -this time. - -Among the many places visited was Craighall, in Perthshire, from which -some of the features of Tully Veolan were copied. The situation of -this country-seat was convenient for the story, and near by was a cave, -similar to that in which the Baron of Bradwardine sought concealment. -But there is another house, a little to the west, on the river Tay, -which is said to correspond {13} even more closely with Scott's -description. This is Grandtully Castle, the beautiful estate of the -Stewart family. Another house which entered into this composite -picture was the residence of the Earl of Traquair, a place on the -Scottish Border well known to Scott and frequently visited by him -during the time when he was writing 'Waverley.' It has a curious -entrance gate, surmounted by some queer-looking bears, which doubtless -suggested the Bears of Bradwardine. - -These numerous excursions, however fruitful they may have proved in -later years, were not by any means the chief business of Scott's life -at this time. They were only vacation trips, except the first, which -seems to have had a business purpose. He was for the most part hard at -work in Edinburgh in the study of the law and in the duties of a -writer's apprentice, which meant copying by hand page after page of -legal documents, sometimes accomplishing as much as a hundred and -twenty pages in one day. In 1792, at the age of twenty-one, he -successfully passed the law examinations and was admitted to the Bar, -very much to his father's delight. The real Alan Fairford and Darsie -Latimer 'put on the gown' the same day, a solemn ceremony followed by a -jolly dinner to their companions. - -Scott was now a fine, handsome young fellow with a host of friends. -The sickliness of childhood had given way to a robust and vigorous -manhood. His lameness still remained, but in spite of this he had -acquired the frame of a young athlete. He was tall, well formed, -big-chested, and powerful. His complexion was fresh and even -brilliant; his eyes were bright and twinkling with fun; there was a -queer little look about his lips as though {14} they were about to -break out into some funny remark--an expression that was the delight of -all his friends and the despair of portrait painters. Perhaps the most -striking feature of his face was the high forehead, bespeaking -intellectual power and dignity, yet in perfect consonance with his good -humour and affectionate kindliness. In every company of young people -he was easily the life and soul of the group. They crowded around him -to revel in his store of anecdotes and ballads à propos to every -occasion, and his jokes usually kept them in a gale of merriment. He -was fond of every kind of outdoor amusement, especially of fishing, -hunting, and riding. Few could excel him in horsemanship, either in -skill or endurance. From the days of his first Shetland pony he had -loved horses, and but for his ability to make long journeys on -horseback to remote regions at a time when there were no railways and -few coach-roads, he would have been unable to acquire the knowledge of -places and people which gave a peculiar charm to all his writings. - -The day after his admission to the Bar, Scott 'escaped' to the country, -going first to Rosebank and then to Jedburgh, where he met Robert -Shortreed, a sheriff-substitute of Roxburghshire, who consented to -become his guide on a visit to the wild and inaccessible district of -Liddesdale. For seven successive years they made these 'raids' as -Scott called them, 'exploring every rivulet to its source and every -ruined peel from foundation to battlement.' 'There was no inn or -public-house of any kind in the whole valley; the travellers passed -from the shepherd's hut to the minister's manse, and again from the -cheerful hospitality of the manse to the {15} rough and jolly welcome -of the homestead; gathering, wherever they went, songs and tunes, and -occasionally more tangible relics of antiquity.' To his friendly -familiarity with these unsophisticated people and the intimate -knowledge thus acquired of their manner of living, we are indebted for -some of the most charming pages of 'Guy Mannering.' Whether the future -poet had any plan in his mind for using the material so gathered is -doubtful, though much of it went into the 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish -Border' and perhaps these raids suggested that undertaking. - -In the summer vacation of 1797, Scott set out for a visit to the -English Lakes. He was accompanied by his brother John and Adam -Ferguson, an intimate friend through whom he had been introduced to the -highest literary circles of Edinburgh. Their first stop was at the -country home of Dr. Ferguson, the distinguished philosopher and -historian, and the father of Scott's friend. This was at Hallyards, in -the vale of Manor Water, near Peebles. The venerable old gentleman, -then in his seventy-third year, had become interested in one of the -strangest men, physically and mentally, who ever lived,--a poor, -ungainly, and hideous dwarf named David Ritchie. Dr. Ferguson -conducted his young friend to the rude hut of this horrible being, and -Scott, strong and fearless as he was, is said to have come away as pale -as ashes and shaking in every limb. This singular meeting resulted, -nineteen years later, in the story of 'The Black Dwarf,' where Scott -skilfully combined some good traits, which Ritchie was known to -possess, with the grotesque and terrifying external figure. - -Proceeding to the English Lakes, Scott now saw for the {16} first time -the wild and rugged beauty of Saddleback and Skiddaw and the desolate -loneliness of Helvellyn, contrasting with the calm loveliness of -Grasmere and Windermere and with the sweet homeliness of the dalesmen's -cottages, their pastures and peaceful flocks. Like all other scenes of -beauty, it made its impression upon his mind. He found a home here for -Colonel Mannering; when Waverley was hard-pressed after the failure of -the insurrection of 1745, he found it convenient to make a home for his -hero with a farmer at Ullswater; and he marched his gallant Baron of -Triermain into 'the narrow Valley of St. John' in search of the -mysterious castle, as directed by the sage of Lyulph's tower. The -tower of Lyulph may be seen near the shores of Ullswater, and on the -side of a hill rising above St. John's Beck, a little stream flowing -out of Lake Thirlmere, is a huge rock now called 'Triermain Castle,' -which at a distance, under certain conditions of the atmosphere, bears -a fancied resemblance to the phantom castle of the poem. - -Scott frequently showed his profound admiration for the English Lake -district, and if he did not love it with all the devotion of his friend -Wordsworth, it was only because his own beloved Highlands had a prior -claim upon his affections. - -On a summer day soon after his return from the Lake District, in the -same year, Scott and his friend Adam Ferguson were riding together -along a country road near the pleasant little village of Gilsland, in -the north of England. The former was then twenty-six years of age. He -was a tall man of athletic frame, who rode as though incapable of -fatigue. There was a peculiar grace and charm in both face and figure, -which almost irresistibly {17} caused a passer-by to follow his first -glance with a second and longer scrutiny. - -As they rode along, the two companions chanced to pass a young lady, -also on horseback, who immediately attracted their notice. Her form -was like that of a fairy, light and full of grace. Her long silken -tresses were jet black, her complexion a clear olive, and her eyes a -lovely brown, large, deep-set, and brilliant. Young and vivacious, -with a natural air of gaiety, she was both pleasant to meet and -charming to look upon. - -At the ball which took place in the evening there was much rivalry -among the young men for the honour of dancing with this vision of -loveliness, who had blotted out all other thoughts from their morning -ride. To the tall young man fell the privilege of taking the fair -stranger to supper, and this was the introduction of Walter Scott to -Miss Charlotte Margaret Carpenter. The evening of September 30, -immediately following the ball, was one of the happiest Scott ever -knew. A friend records that he 'was _sair_ beside himself about Miss -Carpenter;--we toasted her twenty times over--and sat together, he -raving about her until it was one in the morning.' - -This was not Scott's first love affair, but it was equally genuine. -Some four years previously he had chanced to meet at the Greyfriars -Church in Edinburgh, a very charming young lady of seventeen. As the -Sunday service closed, an unexpected shower came up. Scott had an -umbrella and the lady had none--sufficient reason for escorting the -fair one to her home. There was also sufficient reason for falling in -love with her, for Miss Williamina Stuart was not only beautiful in -face and {18} figure, but lovely in character. Highly educated, -accomplished in music and painting, well versed in literature, and with -the best family connections, she was still a sweet girl, of charming -manners and no affectation. For three years Scott cherished the most -ardent feelings of love, but in silence. He was then a young man of -small worldly prospects. He had written nothing and was unknown -outside the circle of friends in the law courts, where he was but a -beginner. This, however, would not have been an insurmountable -difficulty had the love been mutual. But the young lady had already -given her heart unreservedly to an intimate friend of Scott's, William -Forbes, a man of noble character. She gave Scott no encouragement, but -frequently, wrote him in a friendly way, chiefly concerning literary -topics. After many months of patient restraint, Scott finally wrote -her a frank and unreserved declaration of his feelings, and received in -reply a letter which filled him with many forebodings but with 'new -admiration of her generosity and candour.' She urged upon him the -continuation of their simple friendship as the 'prudent line of -conduct.' Unfortunately, Scott read between the lines, as too hopeful -persons sometimes do, sentiments which were not intended. The final -disappointment came in the autumn of 1796, and in the following January -Miss Stuart became the bride of Walter Scott's successful rival. It is -pleasant to think that the success of the one and the disappointment of -the other led to no bitterness. Both were men of noble and generous -minds. And in the days of Scott's adversity, when he was wearing away -his vitality in a desperate but honourable endeavour to pay his debts, -Sir William Forbes, though {19} his own bank was one of the heavy -losers in the disaster that overwhelmed Scott, came forward with offers -of assistance, and even went so far as to pay secretly a large and -pressing debt, that his friend Sir Walter might not be entirely crushed. - -The poet never forgot the tender experiences of these years, and long -afterward drew a lovely picture of Williamina in 'Rokeby':-- - - Wreathed in its dark brown rings, her hair - Half hid Matilda's forehead fair, - Half hid and half revealed to view - Her full dark eye of hazel hue. - The rose, with faint and feeble streak, - So lightly tinged the maiden's cheek, - That you had said her hue was pale: - But if she faced the summer gale, - Or spoke, or sung, or quicker moved, - Or heard the praise of those she loved, - The mantling blood in ready play - Rivalled the blush of rising day. - - -But Walter Scott was a young man, and in his great big heart there was -still room for love. If he thought his heart was broken, he admitted -that it was 'handsomely pieced' again. Fascinated with the vivacity -and attractiveness of Miss Carpenter, Scott remained at Gilsland much -longer than he had intended. The lovers strolled through many -delightful paths--walks which left their impress upon the poet's mind -and gave him many backgrounds for his future verses and tales. - -Miss Carpenter had rooms at a large hotel, known as Shaw's, where the -momentous ball was held, and Scott was at Wardrew House, a private -residence with a picturesque walled-in garden on the slope of a hill -not far away. We followed them in fancy as they descended {20} into -the glen which separates these two houses, where they might drink of -the mineral spring which gives a local fame to the place. Then like -the faithful page of the Baron of Triermain, no doubt they 'crossed -green Irthing's Mead' and wandering along the shady bank of this -pleasant stream, reached - - the favourite glade, - Paled in by copsewood, cliff and stone, - Where never harsher sounds invade - To break affection's whispering tone - Than the deep breeze that waves the shade, - Than the small brooklet's feeble moan. - -Then, turning a bend in the stream, perchance he invited her to - - Come! rest thee on thy wonted seat; - Mossed is the stone, the turf is green, - A place where lovers best may meet - Who would not that their love be seen. - -Here is the so-called 'Popping Stone,' where, local tradition asserts, -Scott asked the all-important question. Whether this is true or not -makes no difference. The question was asked and the stone is there. -Whatever virtue there may be in the stone, it is certain that thousands -of young couples have found their way thither, and they have literally -worn it away until now it is scarcely half its original size. - -[Illustration: THE POPPING STONE] - -A little farther west we came to the beautiful old ruins of Lanercost, -in which is the tomb of Thomas, Lord Dacre, to whom Marmion, with his -last dying gasp on the field of Flodden, sent a message with his signet -ring. Near by and entered through a beautiful park is the fine old -feudal castle of Naworth, the stronghold of the {21} Dacres and later -of the Howards, both of whom are mentioned in 'The Lay of the Last -Minstrel.' - -The place which seems to have interested Scott the most in these -rambles was the old ruined wall of Triermain Castle. He saw more of it -than can be seen to-day, for a great part of it remained standing until -1832. But it was a ruin in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Scott's -imagination, however, soon rebuilt and repeopled it, and Sir Ronald de -Vaux became immortalized in 'The Bridal of Triermain,' though forgotten -in the pages of history. In almost the latest years of his life, the -novelist came back to these scenes of his early manhood for another -character whom he took from the same old castle of Triermain, the big -and burly, but always faithful, Sir Thomas de Multon of 'The Talisman.' - -During the autumn of 1797, Scott was a frequent visitor to the city of -Carlisle, where Miss Carpenter was living in Castle Street. A few -steps beyond the site of her house is Carlisle Cathedral, the most -striking feature of which is the beautiful East Window, said to be the -finest in England. The cathedral was founded by Henry I in 1101. -During the Civil War it was occupied by soldiers, who pulled down -ninety-six feet of the nave to build fortifications. The portion that -remained, thirty-nine feet, was later enclosed and used as the parish -Church of St. Mary. Here, standing between two great Norman pillars of -red sandstone, on the day before Christmas, 1797, Walter Scott and -Charlotte Carpenter were married. - -They went to live in Edinburgh, but during the following summer took up -their abode in a charming little cottage with a thatched roof and a -delightful garden on {22} the banks of the river Esk at Lasswade. It -was then a small house with only one room of fair size, though now very -much enlarged. The thatched portion, however, is carefully preserved. -Mrs. Scott's good taste and her husband's enthusiasm soon converted the -house and grounds into a veritable bower of delight. Unfortunately, -the rustic archway of ivy, which Scott took so much pleasure in -fashioning, has disappeared. But the vale of the Esk still remains, to -thrill the souls of the romantic. Not even in lovely Scotland is there -a river or glen to surpass it. Deep down between precipitous cliffs -and rocks, shaded by tall trees and overgrown by a bewildering -profusion of creeping plants and overhanging vines, the little river -flows merrily along, seeming to sparkle at every bend with some new -recollection of the romantic legends or fantastic tales of the barons -of old, who once peopled its ancient castles and drank their wine while -they listened to the rhythmic stories of the minstrel bards. Here six -happy summers were spent. Friends came down from Edinburgh and new -friendships were formed with important personages living in the villas -and castles of the vicinity. All found that Scott had formed a -connection with one who had the 'sterling qualities of a good wife,' to -quote Lockhart's phrase. The brothers of the _Mountain_--a group of -boon companions who were closely associated and very fond of each -other's society--welcomed Mrs. Scott with the greatest delight. A -married life of perfect serenity was inaugurated, which lasted until -the death of 'the ever faithful and true companion' in 1826. - -In a confidential letter to Lady Abercorn, written in 1810, Scott -refers to his attempt, in the 'Lady of the {23} Lake,' to make 'a -knight of love who never broke a vow,' and mentions his own melancholy -experience of early days. He adds: 'Mrs. Scott's match and mine was -one of our own making, and proceeded from the most sincere affection on -both sides, which has rather increased than diminished during twelve -years' marriage. But it was something short of love in all its forms, -which I suspect people only _feel_ once in their lives; folks who have -been nearly drowned in bathing rarely venturing a second time out of -their depth.' - -These words should not be misconstrued. Whatever the ardency of his -first love, the second was no less sincere and true. If the first was -the highly poetic type, the young dream of a peculiarly sensitive -nature, the second was the kind that enables young couples to meet in -peace and serenity all the varied problems of life, to establish their -housekeeping in mutual helpfulness, to laugh away their cares, as Scott -wrote to Miss Carpenter, or if the load is too heavy, to share it -between them, 'until it becomes almost as light as pleasure itself.' It -was in this spirit that the young people established their household -gods in the cottage at Lasswade. - -To a man of Scott's disposition, happy in his new home life, with every -incentive to improve his opportunities, his mind steeped from infancy -in the rude ballads of the border country and his heart bounding with -delight at the beauties of nature, this new environment seemed all that -was needed to turn his whole thought to poetry. - - Sweet are the paths, O passing sweet! - By Esk's fair streams that run - O'er airy steep through copsewood deep - Impervious to the sun. - -{24} - - There the rapt poet's step may rove, - And yield the muse the day; - There Beauty, led by timid Love - May shun the telltale ray. - - -No afternoon stroll could be more delightful than one through the -valley of the Esk as far as Roslin. Many go to Roslin by coach from -Edinburgh, but they fail to see the glen. Guided by a Scottish friend, -we found that the better way is to go to Hawthornden and walk through -the gardens and grounds of the ancient castle where the poet Drummond -lived and wrote to his heart's content of the beauties of the scene. -Here we saw the caves, cut out of the solid rock beneath the castle, -which sheltered Robert Bruce during the troublous times when Fortune -seemed to frown. Here, too, we stood under the sycamore tree where -Drummond welcomed Ben Jonson to his home. Descending the path to the -river, we crossed by a little wooden bridge, with a gate in the middle, -which can be opened only from the Hawthornden side. Then a walk, which -was half scramble, brought us finally to Roslin Castle, on a rock -peeping over the foliage, high above the river. Both Roslin and -Hawthornden are mentioned in 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel' in the -ballad of the lovely Rosabelle:-- - - O'er Roslin all that dreary night - A wondrous blaze was seen to gleam; - 'T was broader than the watch-fire light, - And redder than the bright moonbeam. - - It glared on Roslin's castled rock, - It ruddied all the copsewood glen; - 'T was seen from Dreyden's groves of oak, - And seen from caverned Hawthornden. - -{25} - -[Illustration: LASSWADE COTTAGE] - -The quiet of Lasswade gave Scott the opportunity for the compilation of -the 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border,' and its romantic beauty -furnished the inspiration for his first serious attempts to write new -ballads in imitation of the old ones. 'It was amidst these delicious -solitudes,' says Lockhart, 'that he produced the pieces which laid the -imperishable foundations of all his fame. It was here that when his -warm heart was beating with young and happy love, and his whole mind -and spirit were nerved with new motives for exertion--it was here in -the ripened glow of manhood he seems to have first felt something of -his real strength, and found himself out in those splendid original -ballads which were at once to fix his name.' - -At this period Scott was a man of unusually robust health. In spite of -the lameness with which he had been afflicted from infancy, his powers -of endurance were very great. He could walk thirty miles a day or ride -one hundred without resting. He was quartermaster of the Edinburgh -Volunteers and had a great reputation as a skilful horseman. 'He had a -remarkably firm seat on horseback,' said Mr. Skene, 'and in all -situations a fearless one: no fatigue ever seemed too much for him, and -his zeal and animation served to sustain the enthusiasm of the whole -corps.' His companions called him 'Earl Walter,' and whenever there -came, at drills, a moment of rest, all turned intuitively to the -quartermaster, whose ever ready fun never failed to lighten the burdens -of the day. It was really this remarkable gift of good companionship, -coupled with his fondness for horses and unusual powers of endurance, -that enabled Scott to gather the materials for his poems. - -{26} - -'Eh me,' said Shortreed, his companion and guide in the Liddesdale -raids, 'sic an endless fund o' humour and drollery as he then had wi' -him! Never ten yards but we were either laughing or roaring or -singing. Wherever we stopped, how brawlie he suited himsel' to -everybody! He aye did as the lave did; never made himsel' the great -man, or took ony airs in the company.' It was literally true, as he -said, that he 'had a home in every farmhouse.' - -To his rare good fellowship and his powers of endurance, Scott added -one other quality without which his vigorous search for literary -material might have been of little use, namely, a most extraordinary -memory, which enabled him to retain what he had heard and use it many -years afterward. James Hogg, the eccentric Ettrick shepherd, gives a -fine instance of this power. One night Scott, with his friends, Hogg -and Skene, was out on a fishing expedition. 'While we three sat down -on the brink of a river,' says Hogg, 'Scott desired me to sing them my -ballad of Gilman's Cleugh. Now be it remembered that this ballad had -never been printed: I had merely composed it by rote, and, on finishing -it three years before, had sung it over once to Sir Walter. I began -it, at his request, but at the eighth or ninth stanza I stuck in it and -could not get on with another verse, on which he began it again and -recited it every word from beginning to end. It being a very long -ballad, consisting of eighty-eight stanzas, I testified my -astonishment, knowing that he had never heard it but once, and even -then did not appear to be paying particular attention. He said he had -been out with a pleasure party as far as the opening of the Firth of -Forth, and, {27} to amuse the company, he had recited both that ballad -and one of Southey's ("The Abbot of Aberbrothock"), both of which -ballads he had only heard once from their respective authors, and he -believed he recited them both without misplacing a word.' - -Living in a country where new beauty appears at every turn in the road -and romance is echoed from every hillside, happy in his domestic -relations, blessed with the faculty of making friends wherever he went, -whether among farmers and shepherds or lords and ladies, active in -travelling into every nook or corner where material could be found, -keen to appreciate a good story or a pleasing ballad, and able to -remember all he ever heard or read, Walter Scott became a poet as -easily and naturally as the rippling waters of his beloved Tweed find -their way to the sea. - - - - -{28} - -CHAPTER II - -THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL - -The years at Lasswade were marked by one of the most momentous -decisions of Scott's life. He had reached the parting of the ways; one -leading to the practice of the law; the other--and the more alluring -one--to literature as a profession. Had his father been alive, it is -probable that a high sense of duty and loyalty would have determined -him to continue in the law, for the old gentleman had set his heart -upon that, and Scott would have submitted to almost any irksome -requirement rather than wound the feelings of his parent. But the -worthy barrister's death a year or two after his son's marriage had put -an end to any scruples on his account. Although Scott had not made a -failure, his success at the Bar was not remarkable. In the year -preceding his marriage and the fifth year of his practice, his fee-book -showed an income of only one hundred forty-four pounds, ten shillings. -He never had any fondness for the law. As he afterwards expressed it: -'My profession and I came to stand nearly upon the footing which honest -Slender consoled himself on having established with Mistress Anne Page: -"There was no great love between us at the beginning and it pleased -Heaven to decrease it on farther acquaintance."' He began to realize -that 'the Scottish Themis was peculiarly jealous of any flirtation with -the Muses,' and that a young lawyer could not expect to succeed unless -he kept up the appearance of {29} being busy even when he had nothing -to do. A barrister who spent his time 'running after ballads' was not -to be trusted. To succeed in the law meant, therefore, a farewell to -literature. It meant other sacrifices, too. His vigorous health at -this period enabled him to indulge a natural fondness for country -sports, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and the like. His -membership in the Edinburgh Volunteers gave him a most agreeable -companionship with a fine class of men, among whom he was extremely -popular and with whom he spent some of the happiest hours of his life. -All this would have to be given up if he continued at the Bar, and -instead he would feel obliged to tie himself down to a severe course of -study in some musty old office in Edinburgh. - -Two circumstances combined to make feasible the more attractive path. -The first was Scott's appointment as Sheriff of Selkirk with an income -of three hundred pounds a year, which gave him a certain degree of -independence, while the duties were not onerous. The second was the -success of the 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.' For several years -Scott had travelled extensively through many remote nooks and corners -in search of material for this compilation, and its publication had -brought him into public notice as a man of no small literary skill. -His gratification with its success may be judged from a letter to his -brother-in-law, Charles Carpenter, in 1803:-- - - -I have continued to turn a very slender portion of literary talents to -some account by a publication of the poetical antiquities of the -Border, where the old people had preserved many ballads descriptive of -the manners of the country during the wars with England. This trifling -collection was {30} so well received by a discerning public, that, -after receiving about £100 profit for the first edition, which my -vanity cannot omit informing you went off in six months, I have sold -the copyright for £500 more. - - -This enterprise, paying as much as the entire proceeds of Scott's first -five years of legal effort, gave assurance of a financial success in -literature, which coupled with a certain income as Sheriff seemed to -make the future fairly secure. Reasoning in this way, Scott finally -reached his decision to abandon the law and devote his life to -literature. - -[Illustration: Map of Scotland] - -'The Lay of the Last Minstrel' was the immediate result. Scott felt -the responsibility of his position. He was now the head of a family, -having a wife and three children of whom he might well be proud, and he -felt impelled to make a financial as well as literary success of his -chosen profession. He had previously tried his hand at original -composition. Inspired perhaps by his familiarity with the old Scottish -ballads, he had essayed something of the same character. The first of -these productions was 'Glenfinlas,' growing out of his early visits to -the Highlands. Glenfinlas is a forest in Perthshire, north of the -Trossachs and east of Loch Katrine. Next came 'The Eve of St. John,' -in which Scott rebuilt and repeopled the old tower of Smailholm which -had so fascinated his boyish fancy. In 'The Gray Brother,' an -incomplete ballad of this period, the poet sang the praises of the vale -of the Esk, then the scene of his almost daily walks. The fourth of -these early poems was 'Cadyow Castle,' a ballad on the assassination of -the Regent Murray. Cadyow Castle is a very dilapidated old ruin in a -park of wondrous beauty near Hamilton, {31} southeast of Glasgow. -There is a deep glen, through which runs a little river, the Avon, and -on the banks are many tall and beautiful trees. The park was once a -part of the old Caledonian forest, a few of the ancient oaks of which -still remain standing. It was the habitation of the fierce wild cattle -which furnished the liveliest and most dangerous sport whenever a hunt -was arranged. Something of the spirit and fire of Scott's later work -is seen in these lines:-- - - Mightiest of all the beasts of chase - That roam in woody Caledon, - Crashing the forest in his race, - The Mountain Bull comes thundering on. - - Fierce on the hunter's quivered band - He rolls his eyes of swarthy glow, - Spurns, with black hoof and horn, the sand - And tosses high his mane of snow. - -The man who could write such lines as these must have felt an instinct -for poetry which no amount of reasoning could ever set aside. It was, -therefore, well that Scott did not attempt to resist his natural -inclinations. - -We find him, then, deliberately turning to poetry, and carefully -surveying the field to choose his first subject. Three influences, -widely different in character, combined to solve this problem. The -first was his interest in the stories of Border warfare aroused by the -tales of his childhood and immensely stimulated by his thorough search -for ballads to make up the 'Border Minstrelsy.' The second was his -membership in the Edinburgh Volunteers which gave a military trend to -his thoughts. The third was his desire to oblige a lady. The young -Countess of Dalkeith, afterward Duchess of Buccleuch, {32} was an -intellectual woman of extreme beauty and lovely character. She was, -moreover, the wife of the chief of the clan of Scott, and therefore -entitled, in the poet's view at least, to the fealty of her kinsmen. -Having heard the legend of Gilpin Horner, a goblin dwarf in whom most -of the people implicitly believed, the Countess, much delighted with -the story, enjoined upon Scott the task of composing a ballad on the -subject. The slightest wish of one so beloved was a command. - -The poet soon realized that the goblin was likely to prove a veritable -imp of mischief, threatening to ruin his ballad, and before the poem -was finished, relegated him to the kitchen where he properly belonged. -With the goblin story reduced to a mere incident, the poem expanded to -a tale of Border warfare in which all of Scott's military spirit and -knowledge of history and legend came to the front. He wrote it, as he -declared in a letter to Wordsworth, to discharge his mind of the ideas -which from infancy had rushed upon it. In a letter to George Ellis in -1802, he refers to it as a 'kind of romance of Border chivalry in a -light-horseman sort of stanza.' In the autumn of that year, while on -duty with his troop at Musselburgh, during a charge on Portobello -sands, he received a kick from his horse which confined him to his -rooms for three days. This accident gave an unexpected opportunity, -and in these three days the actual writing of the poem was started and -the whole of the first canto completed except the introductory -framework. It is easy to recognize the 'light-horseman' stanza. -Indeed, the clatter of horses' hoofs is heard distinctly as Sir William -of Deloraine sets forth upon his night ride to Melrose:-- - -{33} - - '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!' - - * * * * * - - Soon in his saddle sate he fast, - And soon the steep descent he passed, - Soon crossed the sounding barbican, - And soon the Teviot side he won. - - * * * * * - - And soon he spurred his courser keen - Beneath the tower of Hazeldean. - The clattering hoofs the watchmen mark: - 'Stand ho! thou courier of the dark!' - 'For Branksome, ho!' the knight rejoined, - And left the friendly tower behind. - -The spirited ride to Melrose; the opening of the wizard's grave; the -delightful picture of the ruined abbey; the meeting of Lady Margaret -and Lord Cranstoun; the telling encounter of the latter with the Knight -of Deloraine; the manly spirit of the young heir of Branksome; the -tales of Watt Tinlinn and the Scotts of Thirlstane, of Harden and of -Eskdale, the coming of the Englishmen, Belted Will Howard and Lord -Dacre, the duel resulting in the death of Richard of Musgrave, and the -triumph of Cranstoun's love for the fair Margaret, all combine to -produce a vivid impression of the stirring events, the conditions of -life, and the ideals of the Border country in the days of chivalry. - -The framework of this picture, from which it takes its name, is -generally considered the most beautiful part of the poem. The old -minstrel is supposed to relate the tale, with the accompaniment of his -harp, to the noble {34} Duchess of Buccleuch. The minstrel, with his -reverence and enthusiasm for the old ballad poetry, now in its -decadence, is of course the poet himself and the Duchess is his patron, -who first suggested the poem. In no more beautiful and delicate way -could the poet have shown his devotion to the lord and lady who had so -greatly inspired him. Moreover, it gave him the method of showing, as -he said, that he had no intention of setting up a new school of poetry, -but was only making 'a feeble attempt to imitate the old.' The -historical basis of the poem is told in a letter to Lady Dalkeith:-- - - -Dame Janet Beatoun, Lady Buccleuch, who flourished in Queen Mary's -time, was a woman of high spirit and great talents. According to the -superstition of the times, the vulgar imputed her extraordinary -abilities to supernatural knowledge. If Lady Dalkeith will look into -the Introduction to the 'Border Ballads,' pages xv and xxix, she will -find some accounts of a deadly feud betwixt the clans of Scott and -Kerr, which, among other outrages, occasioned the death of Sir Walter -Scott of Buccleuch, the husband of Janet Beatoun, who was slain by the -Kerrs in the streets of Edinburgh. The lady resented the death of her -husband by many exploits against the Kerrs and their allies. In -particular the Laird of Cranstoun fell under her displeasure, and she -herself headed a party of three hundred horse with the intention of -surprising and killing that baron in the chapel of St. Mary, beside St. -Mary's Loch at the head of Yarrow. The Baron escaped, but the lady -burned the chapel and slew many of the attendants.... The feud was -finally ended by Cranstoun marrying the lady's daughter. - -[Illustration: ST. MARY'S LOCH] - -About this fragment of history Scott wove his stirring tale of the -Scottish lowlands in the sixteenth century. - - The last of all the bards was he - Who sung of Border chivalry, - -{35} - -The aged minstrel is introduced as he passes - - where Newark's stately tower - Looks out from Yarrow's birchen bower. - -The old ruin was a favourite resort for Scott, and many a happy holiday -excursion was made to those 'rich groves of lofty stature' which -Wordsworth celebrated in his 'Yarrow Visited.' The ancient tower -stands on high ground above the Yarrow, on a road leading westward from -Selkirk, over which Scott often walked or rode. About two miles away -is Bowhill, a country-seat of the Duke of Buccleuch, where the poet was -always a welcome guest. He refers to it affectionately in the closing -stanza of the 'Lay':-- - - When summer smiled on sweet Bowhill. - -Still farther south is Oakwood Tower, a stronghold of the celebrated -Wat of Harden, one of the poet's ancestors. - - Wide lay his lands round Oakwood Tower - And wide round haunted Castle-Ower. - -This was 'Auld Wat,' who married the 'Flower of Yarrow,' one of the -most beautiful women of the Border, who lived at Dryhope, near the foot -of St. Mary's Loch. - - High over Borthwick's mountain flood - His wood-embosomed mansion stood. - -The Borthwick joins the Teviot just above the town of Hawick. The -house of Harden stands high up above a deep and romantic glen where -there was ample room to conceal 'the herds of plundered England.' - - Marauding chief! his sole delight - The moonlight raid, the morning fight; - Not even the Flower of Yarrow's charms - In youth might tame his rage for arms. - -{36} Auld Wat's son, afterwards Sir William Scott of Harden, a -remarkably handsome man and an early favourite of King James VI, -inherited some of his father's propensities for driving off his -neighbour's cattle and other irregularities common to the time. In a -raid upon the lands of Sir Gideon Murray of Elibank he was captured and -carried in chains to the castle. Elibank is now a ruin on the banks of -the Tweed not far from Ashestiel, whither Scott was fond of walking on -Sunday mornings. The legend which Scott tells, about as it was told to -him in his youth, and not, perhaps, in exact accordance with the facts, -is as follows:-- - -When the young marauder was brought to the castle in chains, the Lady -Murray asked her lord what he proposed to do with him. 'Why, hang the -robber, assuredly,' was the answer. 'What,' answered the lady, 'hang -the handsome young knight of Harden when I have three ill-favoured -daughters unmarried! No, no, Sir Gideon, we'll force him to marry our -Meg.' 'Meikle-mouthed Meg' was the ugliest woman in the country, and -young Sir William promptly decided that he would rather hang. Three -days were given him to think the matter over, after which he was led -out beneath a convenient oak, with a rope tied around his neck and the -other end was passed over a stout limb of the tree. Then he began to -reconsider and decided that, as between nooses, he preferred the -matrimonial one. There may be some advantages in ugly wives after all, -and one of them, in this case at least, seemed to be an entire absence -of jealousy. It was said, moreover, that 'Meg' had 'a curious hand at -pickling the beef which Sir William stole.' They lived a very happy -life. The marriage {37} contract was written on the head of a drum and -the parchment is still preserved. Scott was so fond of the legend that -he wanted to make it the subject of a comic ballad. He accordingly -began, but never finished 'The Reiver's Wedding.' The grandson of this -couple was Walter Scott, known as 'Beardie,' the great-grandfather of -the poet. - -About a mile above the junction of the Teviot with the Borthwick stands -the castle of Branksome. Seen from the opposite side of the river -standing on a terraced slope, partly hidden by the trees and shrubs, it -makes a pretty picture. - - All, all is peaceful, all is still, - -and there is nothing to suggest the time when - - Nine and twenty knights of fame-- - Hung their shields in Branksome Hall. - -It seemed to us more modern than it really is, for it was completed in -its present form in the year 1576. The barony of Branxholme, or -Branksome, came into the possession of Sir William Scott of Buccleuch -in the early part of the fifteenth century and still remains in the -family. The towers which formerly occupied the site were attacked by -the English again and again, and the castle burned and pillaged. It -will be remembered that after a preliminary survey of the castle and -its attendant knights, the minstrel tells the story of how Lord Walter -fell, of the widow's desire for vengeance, and of the Lady Margaret's -love for Lord Cranstoun, her father's foe. Then for some purpose which -is not clearly defined, the 'Ladye' calls to her side the boldest -knight of her train, Sir William of Deloraine, and bids him ride with -all {38} haste to Melrose Abbey, there to open the grave of the wizard, -Michael Scott, and to take from it the 'Mighty Book.' Sir Michael -Scott was a man of learning who flourished in the thirteenth century. -He wrote several philosophical treatises and devoted much time to the -study of alchemy, astrology, chiromancy, and other abstruse subjects, -whence he gained the reputation of being a wizard. Many weird tales -are told of his performances. Being sent as an ambassador to France to -demand satisfaction for certain grievances, he opened his magic book -and caused a fiend in the shape of a huge black horse to fly out. -Mounting, he flew across the sea and presented himself to the king. -His demands were about to be met with a curt refusal when Michael -begged the king to defer his answer until the black horse had stamped -three times. The first stamp set all the bells in Paris to ringing; -the second tumbled over three towers of the palace; the horse raised -his foot for the third stamp, but the king would not risk another and -gave to Michael what he wanted. It was this same wizard who 'cleft the -Eildon Hills in three,' the triple peaks which so picturesquely -dominate the entire landscape in the vicinity of Melrose, having been -formerly, so it is said, a single summit. It has always been -understood that the 'magic book' was buried with the wizard, and that -no one dared remove it because of the 'terrible spells' which it -contained. - -[Illustration: BRANKSOME HALL] - -The knight arrived after a spirited gallop, and shortly after midnight -rapped with the hilt of his dagger on the wicket gate. The porter -hurried to admit him, and soon he greeted the aged monk of St. Mary's -Aisle. Sighing heavily the monk conducted the man of arms through {39} -the cloisters, which may still be seen looking very much as the poet -described them in lines not only poetically beautiful but literally -true:-- - - Spreading herbs and flowerets bright - Glistened with the dew of night; - Nor herb nor floweret glistened there - But was carved in the cloister arches as fair. - -Seven graceful arches, forming stalls or seats once used by the -dignitaries of the church, make a continuous line along the eastern -wall. Above the arches, and joining one to another, are stone carvings -of rare delicacy and beauty. Of the more than a hundred separate -figures in this frieze no two are alike. There are roses, lilacs, -thistles, ferns, oak leaves, and scores of other representations of the -forms of nature, all exquisitely carved with inimitable accuracy. -Scott admired these arches so greatly that he copied one of them for -the fireplace of the entrance hall at Abbotsford. - -The 'steel-clenched postern door,' through which the monk and the -knight now entered the chancel, stands nearly intact. Its three arches -rest on graceful pilasters surmounted by capitals, with carved foliage -so delicate that a straw can be passed behind the stalks of the leaves. -We found it interesting upon entering this door to note the accuracy of -the poet's descriptions, which the guide quoted with great fluency. -The pillars supporting the lofty roof spread out to form the great -arches, seeming to be 'bundles of lances which garlands had bound.' - -We stood beneath this arched roof for a long time to admire the -beautiful East Window, and the guide quoted:-- - -{40} - - The moon on the East oriel shone - Through slender shafts of shapely stone - By foliaged tracery combined. - -It is almost impossible to realize that these long and slender shafts -are really carved out of stone and that the work was done many -centuries ago. Scott accounts for it poetically:-- - - Thou wouldst have thought some fairy's hand - Twixt poplars straight the osier wand - In many a freakish knot had twined, - Then framed a spell when the work was done, - And changed the willow wreaths to stone. - -Beneath the window lies the heart of Robert Bruce. It had been the -desire of the monarch that his heart be interred in the Holy Sepulchre -at Jerusalem. After his death the body was buried beneath the high -altar of the church at Dunfermline, but the heart was taken out and -committed to the keeping of James, Lord Douglas, who undertook to carry -it to the Holy Land. But James was defeated and killed by the -Saracens, and the heart of his royal master was taken to Melrose and -buried there. This was as it should be, for the heart of Bruce, -figuratively speaking, was always in Melrose. After the destruction of -the abbey in 1322 by Edward II on his retreat from Scotland, Bruce made -a grant of £2000 sterling, a sum equivalent to about £50,000 in the -money of to-day. Because of this munificence the abbey was rebuilt in -all the beauty and perfection which Gothic architecture could suggest, -so that even in ruins it is still a structure of graceful magnificence. -In 1384, the abbey was again destroyed, but later restored. In 1544, -1545, and finally a century later under the Reformation, {41} the abbey -suffered serious damage from which it never recovered. - -The grave of Michael Scott which Deloraine was sent to open was pointed -out to us, as it is to all visitors, but in reality its exact position -is not known. Johnny Bower, an old guide of whom Scott was very fond, -discovered the position of the grave by noting the direction of the -moonbeams through the oriel window. 'I pointed out the whole to the -Shirra,' said he, 'and he couldna' gainsay but it was varra clear.' -'Scott,' says Washington Irving, who tells the story, 'used to amuse -himself with the simplicity of the old man and his zeal in verifying -every passage of the poem, as though it had been authentic history, and -always acquiesced in his deductions.' - -Like all other visitors we wanted to see the abbey properly, and that, -according to the poet, could only be done by moonlight. - - If thou wouldst view fair Melrose aright, - Go visit it by the pale moonlight. - -The moon was full while we were there and seemed to offer a splendid -opportunity. But an unexpected obstacle appeared. In Scotland, in the -summer time, the evenings are very long, the twilight lasting until ten -or eleven o'clock, while the moon makes very little impression until a -late hour. And the custodian of the abbey goes to bed early! So it -was impossible to see the moon shining through the east oriel, but -fortunately we could see the outer walls from the windows of our hotel, -which adjoins the ruin, and the moon kindly favoured us by making - - Buttress and buttress alternately - Seem framed of ebon and ivory. - -{42} The next day we were treated to a superb view from the private -grounds of a gentleman whose estate adjoins the abbey. From this point -the entire southern wall, which remains nearly intact, gives at first -glance the impression of a complete and beautiful Gothic structure. -The distant hills furnish a fine background and the well-kept lawns and -graceful birches perform the double duty of shutting out the graveyard -and making a charming foreground. - -But to return to the story. While William of Deloraine, with the -mystic book pressed close to his breast, was eagerly returning to -Branksome, the fair Lady Margaret was early awake and seeking the -greenwood at dawn of light to meet her lover, the Baron Henry. - - A fairer pair were never seen - To meet beneath the hawthorn green. - He was stately and young and tall, - Dreaded in battle and loved in hall; - And she, when love, scarce told, scarce hid, - Lent to her cheek a livelier red, - When the half sigh her swelling breast - Against the silken ribbon pressed, - When her blue eyes their secret told, - Though shaded by her locks of gold-- - Where would you find the peerless fair - With Margaret of Branksome might compare! - -Lockhart finds in this passage 'the form and features of Scott's first -love,' and also says that the choice of the hero was dictated by the -poet's affection for the living descendants of the Baron of Cranstoun. -One of these, George Cranstoun, afterward Lord Corehouse, was one of -Scott's earliest friends. His sister, the Countess of Purgstall, was -the confidante of Scott at the time of his early disappointment in love. - -[Illustration: MELROSE ABBEY] - -{43} - -The meeting of the lovers was all too brief. The Baron's horse pricked -up his ears, 'as if a distant noise he hears,' and the goblin dwarf -signed to the lovers to part and fly. William of Deloraine, returning -from his all-night ride, was seen coming down the hill into -'Branksome's hawthorn green.' No words were wasted. - - Their very coursers seemed to know - That each was other's mortal foe. - -Like the bursting of a thundercloud the two champions met, and in -another moment William of Deloraine lay on the ground, with Cranstoun's -lance, broken, in his bosom. The goblin page was directed to attend -the wounded knight, and in doing so discovered the 'Mighty Book' from -which he learned some mischievous 'spells.' The son of the Ladye of -Branksome was lured into the woods and fell into the hands of an -English yeoman who took him, a captive, to Lord Dacre. Scouts hurrying -into the castle brought news of the approach of three thousand -Englishmen led by 'Belted Will Howard' and 'Hot Lord Dacre.' - -Naworth Castle, the home of the Dacres and later of the Howards, was -one of the first places we visited. It is a fine old baronial castle -in Cumberland County, about twelve miles from Carlisle. It was built -in the fourteenth century by the Dacre family, who derived their name -from the exploits of an ancestor who was conspicuous at the Siege of -Acre in the Holy Land, under King Richard the Lion-Hearted. In the -sixteenth century it passed into the possession of Lord William Howard, -a famous 'warden of the marches,' who became known as 'Belted Will -Howard.' - -{44} - - His Bilboa blade, by Marchmen felt, - Hung in a broad and studded belt; - Hence, in rude phrase, the Borderers still - Called noble Howard Belted Will. - -One of the towers of Naworth, which this celebrity occupied, still -remains much as he left it, even to the books that formed his library. -Lanercost Priory, the burial-place of the Howards and Dacres, is an -unusually picturesque and interesting ruin in the same vicinity. - -The beacon fires soon summoned a goodly array of the best blood of -Scotland to meet the English invaders, among whom were Archibald -Douglas, seventh Earl of Angus, a descendant of James, Lord Douglas, -who attempted to carry the heart of Bruce to the Holy Land. But the -battle was averted, and instead a single combat arranged between -Richard of Musgrave and William of Deloraine, the prize of the field to -be the young Buccleuch, who had fallen into the hands of the English. -The Lady of Branksome was escorted to the field of the tournament by -Lord Howard, while Margaret had the stately Douglas by her side. The -strife was desperate and long, and in the end Musgrave was slain. But -not by the hand of William of Deloraine. Lord Cranstoun, by the aid of -magic learned from the 'Mighty Book' and assisted by the goblin page, -had contrived to array himself in the armour of Sir William and so had -won the fight. - - 'And who art thou,' they cried, - 'Who hast this battle fought and won?' - His pluméd helm was soon undone-- - 'Cranstoun of Teviot-side! - For this fair prize I've fought and won'-- - And to the Ladye led her son. - -{45} - -Then and there the feud was ended. The Ladye of Branksome, declaring -that 'pride is quelled and love is free,' gave the hand of Margaret to -the Baron of Cranstoun, with all the noble lords assembled to grace the -betrothal with their presence. - -The sixth canto is superfluous if we consider that the story ends with -the betrothal. And yet it contains some of the finest passages in the -whole poem. It opens with that superb outburst of patriotism, -beginning,-- - - Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, - Who never to himself hath said, - This is my own, my native land?-- - -which shows, better than anything else, the extent to which Scott's -inspiration was derived from his own Scotland. - - O Caledonia, stern and wild, - Meet nurse for a poetic child! - Land of brown heath and shaggy wood, - Land of the mountain and the flood, - Land of my sires! what mortal hand - Can e'er untie the filial band - That knits me to thy rugged strand! - -Here, too, we find the ballad of the lovely Rosabelle, having its scene -in the Castle of Roslin, in the vale of the Esk, which Scott learned to -love during those six bright years spent at Lasswade. This alone would -almost justify the extra canto, but we have in addition the stately -requiem of Melrose Abbey, bringing the poem to a solemn and beautiful -close. - -Then comes the final word of the old minstrel:-- - - Hushed is the harp--the Minstrel gone. - And did he wander forth alone? - Alone, in indigence and age, - To linger out his pilgrimage? - -{46} - - No: close beneath proud Newark's tower - Arose the Minstrel's lowly bower, - A simple hut; but there was seen - The little garden hedged with green, - The cheerful hearth, and lattice clean. - -These lines are but the embodiment of one of Scott's dreams at the time -he wrote them. The small estate of Broadmeadows, near the ruins of -Newark, was about to be offered for sale, and Scott, dreaming of the -time when he might have a home of his own, rode around it frequently -with Lord and Lady Dalkeith, earnestly hoping that some day he might -possess it. But the vision faded when the success of the poem gave him -larger ambitions, leading ultimately to the purchase of Abbotsford. - - - - -{47} - -CHAPTER III - -MARMION - -There was no title of which Scott was more fond than that of 'Sheriff -of Ettrick Forest.' The 'Shirra,' as he was affectionately called, was -a welcome guest in every farmhouse and there were few in the region -where he had not been entertained. The 'Forest' comprises the great -tract of hilly country lying between the Tweed and Ettrick Water and -extending as far east as Selkirk. Perhaps because we were familiar -with the Adirondacks and the Blue Ridge Mountains, where one may travel -for hours in the shade of the 'forest primeval,' it was to us a -distinct disappointment, and recalled the remark of Washington Irving, -that you could almost see a stout fly walking along the profile of the -hills. Centuries ago these hills, now completely denuded, were clothed -with a dense growth of trees and the entire region was set apart as a -royal hunting-ground. It is recorded that in the sixteenth century -King James V gave a royal hunting-party, in which the nobles and -gentlemen of Scotland to the extent of twelve thousand men -participated. But love of sport at length gave way to royal cupidity. -For the sake of increasing his revenue, the king turned the forest into -a huge sheep pasture, and these hungry animals, still retaining -possession, have literally destroyed the forest and changed the whole -aspect of the land. Scott, nevertheless, loved the bare hills, and -said, 'If I {48} could not see the heather at least once a year, I -think I should die.' - -The duties of the Sheriff's office compelled a change from Lasswade to -a place nearer the town of Selkirk, and Scott found a small farm well -suited to his fancy, near the northern limits of the 'Forest,' at -Ashestiel, on high ground overlooking the Tweed. Here he spent some of -the happiest summers of his life. In a letter to Dr. Leyden, he gives -a pleasant picture of his happy family at this time:-- - - -Here we live all the summer like little kings, and only wish that you -could take a scamper with me over the hills in the morning, and return -to a clean tablecloth, a leg of forest mutton, and a blazing hearth in -the afternoon. Walter has acquired the surname of Gilnockie, being -large of limb and bone and dauntless in disposition like that noted -chieftain. Your little friend Sophia is grown a tall girl, and I think -promises to be very clever, as she discovers uncommon acuteness of -apprehension. We have, moreover, a little roundabout girl with large -dark eyes, as brown, as good-humoured, and as lively as the mother that -bore her, and of whom she is the most striking picture. Over and above -all this, there is in _rerum natura_ a certain little Charles, so -called after the Knight of the Crocodile; but of this gentleman I can -say but little, as he is only five months old, and consequently not at -the time of life when I can often enjoy the 'honour of his company.' - - -[Illustration: ASHESTIEL] - -Of the house itself and its surroundings Lockhart has given a charming -description:-- - - -You approached it through an old-fashioned garden, with holly hedges, -and broad, green terrace walks. On one side, close under the windows, -is a deep ravine, clothed with venerable trees, down which a mountain -rivulet is heard, more than seen, in its progress to the Tweed. The -river itself is {49} separated from the high bank on which the house -stands only by a narrow meadow of the richest verdure. Opposite, and -all around, are the green hills. The valley there is narrow and the -aspect in every direction is that of perfect pastoral repose. - - -They were eight miles from the nearest town and four from the nearest -neighbour. The latter circumstance Scott did not regret, though he -found the former somewhat inconvenient for obtaining needed supplies -and naïvely complains to Lady Abercorn that he had been compelled to go -out and shoot a crow to get a quill with which to write her. Nearly -the whole country roundabout belonged to the Duke of Buccleuch, who -gave the poet full liberty to hunt upon his estates. The Tweed in the -vicinity of Ashestiel and of Elibank, a little above, was unsurpassed -for fishing. A favourite sport was 'leistering kippers,' or spearing -salmon at night by the light of a blazing peat fire. Perhaps the most -exhilarating pastime of all was the horseback riding, in which the poet -was an expert. Accompanied by one or more of his most congenial -friends, he would make excursions into remote regions, never -dismounting in the very worst paths and displaying powers of endurance -and fearlessness that made him the wonder and the envy of his -companions. - -Scott was now in the full vigour of his manhood. The weakness of -earlier years had disappeared, and with the exception of the lameness, -which never left him, he was strong and healthy in body as well as -mind. He was in the full flush of his first great fame as a man of -letters, and the trials of his later life had not yet begun. - -It was at this period and under these circumstances {50} that the poem -of 'Marmion' was written. The poet's enthusiasm for the locality in -which he lived, and for the friends who made that life a joy, found -expression in the Introductions to the six cantos, each addressed to -one of his intimate companions. Most readers of 'Marmion,' becoming -absorbed in the story, have regarded these introductions as unnecessary -interruptions. But no one would wish them to be omitted, for they -reveal the author who is telling the tale, and we seem to see him in -his changing environment, through the successive seasons as the poem -advances, beginning with the day at Ashestiel, when - - November's sky is chill and drear - November's leaf is red and sear; - -and closing with the Christmas-time, a year later at Mertoun House, -where the poet passed the happy days in the house where his great -grandsire came of old, 'the feast and holy tide to share.' - -The introductions were originally intended to be published in a -separate volume as 'Six Epistles from Ettrick Forest.' The first, as -of course every one knows, is inscribed to William Stewart Rose, a poet -who is chiefly known for his translation of Ariosto's 'Orlando -Furioso.' It opens with a fine description of the beginning of winter -at Ashestiel, then turns to thoughts of 'My country's wintry state,' -and the loss to Britain brought by the death of the two rival -statesmen, Pitt and Fox, who had passed away in the same year, 1806, in -which the poem was begun. - -The second canto, inscribed to the Rev. John Marriott, is reminiscent -of scenes and incidents of the Ettrick Forest. The third canto is the -most important of {51} all because of its autobiographic character. It -is addressed to William Erskine, a warm friend of the poet's youth, in -whose literary judgment Scott reposed the firmest faith. He had been -from the beginning a kind of literary monitor, sympathizing fully with -Scott's feeling for the picturesque side of Scottish life, but strongly -urging him to follow more closely the masters of poetry in some of the -minor graces of arrangement and diction. This the poet declares is -impossible, and exclaims:-- - - Though wild as cloud, as stream, as gale - Flow forth, flow unrestrained, my tale! - -In this Introduction the poet's mind reverts to the scenes of his -childhood, the old farm at Sandy Knowe, where he lived with his -grandfather, and the ancient tower of Smailholm near by. - - Then rise those crags, that mountain tower, - Which charmed my fancy's wakening hour. - * * * * * - It was a barren scene and wild, - Where naked cliffs were rudely piled, - But ever and anon between - Lay velvet tufts of loveliest green; - And well the lonely infant knew - Recesses where the wall-flower grew, - And honeysuckle loved to crawl - Up the low crag and ruined wall. - I deemed such nooks the sweetest shade - The sun in all its round surveyed. - -The preparation for the writing of 'Marmion' began right here, for the -love of martial tales so early implanted in the poet's breast never -ceased to grow until it reached its full maturity. - - While stretched at length upon the floor, - Again I fought each combat o'er, -{52} - Pebbles and shells, in order laid, - The mimic ranks of war displayed; - And onward still the Scottish lion bore, - And still the scattered Southron fled before. - - -The fourth canto is inscribed to the poet's artist friend, James Skene, -with whom he made many an excursion on horseback through the Border -country. It recalls many memories of summer days and winter nights, -happily spent with mutual friends. The fifth is addressed to George -Ellis, a man of wide knowledge of poetry and extensive literary -attainments, with whom Scott was on terms of almost brotherly intimacy. -It was written from Edinburgh, more than a year after the beginning of -the poem, and is distinguished by a fine outburst of enthusiasm for the -poet's native city, 'Caledonia's Queen.' The sixth canto and the last -is dedicated to Richard Heber, who had rendered able assistance in the -preparation of the 'Border Minstrelsy.' He was a member of Parliament -for Oxford and a man of profound knowledge of the literary monuments of -the Middle Ages. He possessed an extensive library to which he gave -the poet free access, and his oral commentaries were scarcely less -important. The introduction was written at Mertoun House, where Scott -had gone to spend the Christmas season at the home of the head of his -clan. - - Heap on more wood!--the wind is chill; - But let it whistle as it will, - We'll keep our Christmas merry still. - - -[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO NORHAM CASTLE] - -A brief review of the well-known narrative will serve to point out the -most important of the many interesting and often beautiful scenes which -the poet so graphically {53} describes. The story opens, as everybody -knows, at Norham Castle at close of day, when Lord Marmion, mounted on -his red-roan charger, proudly enters,-- - - Armed from head to heel - In mail and plate of Milan steel, - -with helm richly embossed with burnished gold and surmounted by a -flowing crest, amid which - - A falcon hovered on her nest, - With wings outspread and forward breast. - -He was followed by two gallant and ambitious squires; then came four -men-at-arms 'with halbert, bill, and battle-axe,' bearing their -chieftain's lance and pennon; and finally twenty yeomen, each a chosen -archer who could bend a six-foot bow, and all with falcons embroidered -on their breasts. They were welcomed with blare of trumpets and the -martial salute of cannon, making a clangor, such as the old turrets of -Norham had seldom heard. Marmion responded to the noisy welcome of -soldiers and minstrels by a lavish distribution of gold and was ushered -into the presence of Sir Hugh the Heron, with whom he spent the hours -till midnight in sumptuous feasting. - -Norham Castle, the ruins of which we reached at the close of day, after -a long tour by motor from Berwick, was once a magnificent mansion and -fortress, standing on high ground overlooking the Tweed. For a -thousand years it was the scene of alternating peace and turmoil. -Founded in the seventh century, it passed from English to Scottish -hands and back again for many years. By the beginning of the -thirteenth century it had become one of the strongest of English -fortresses. James IV captured it just before the battle of Flodden -Field, but {54} after that event the English recovered it. For the -past three hundred years it has been crumbling to ruins, and now there -is little left except a single wall and a remnant of the - - sable palisade, - That closed the castle barricade - -before which Marmion's bugle-horn was sounded. - -Like so many of Scott's characters, Marmion, though a fictitious -personage, moved among the real people of history and could boast a -genuine ancestry. There was a distinguished family of Marmion, Lords -of Fontenoy in Normandy, one of whom became a follower of William the -Conqueror and received a grant of the castle and tower of Tamworth and -the manor of Scrivelby, in Lincolnshire. The family became extinct in -the latter part of the thirteenth century. - -In the second canto the scene changes to St. Cuthbert's Holy Isle, -where Constance de Beverley is a prisoner. She had broken her vows as -a nun and deserted the convent to follow Marmion, in the guise of a -page, as his paramour-- - - And forfeited to be his slave - All here, and all beyond the grave. - -The island, so called, is on the English coast of the North Sea, about -ten miles southeast of Berwick. We reached it by crossing the sands in -a two-wheeled vehicle, something like an Irish jaunting-car, in which -springless instrument of torture we were compelled to travel about -three miles. At intervals along the route there are little groups of -poles standing in the water, with miniature platforms near the top. -These are havens of refuge. If {55} you get caught by the rising tides -you have only to make for one of these, and, after watching your horse -drown, wait for five or six hours until, with the turn of the tide, -somebody comes along to rescue you. Our enterprising Jehu assured us -that the tide would be running out, and that there was no danger. But -when about halfway over we began to notice that the ride was rising, -and the water was soon nearly up to the bed of the wagon. We had made -the entire journey in the face of a rising tide and reached the island -none too soon, for it was nearly high tide. - -Cuthbert, the patron saint of the Holy Island, flourished in the -seventh century. He was a prior of the original Melrose Abbey--not the -one which is now a ruin in the town of that name, but its predecessor -which occupied a site farther down the Tweed. Later he became Prior of -Lindisfarne and afterward Bishop. The ruins of the abbey show that it -must have been a very extensive establishment of great antiquity. -Besides the foundation stones, little now remains except part of the -walls of the church which are best described in the poet's words:-- - - In Saxon strength that abbey frowned, - With massive arches broad and round, - That rose alternate, row and row, - On ponderous columns, short and low, - Built ere the art was known - By pointed aisle and shafted stalk - The arcades of an alleyed walk - To emulate in stone. - -We searched in vain for the dreadful 'Vault of Penitence,' the awful -dungeon below the abbey, its position known only by the abbot, to which -both victim and {56} executioner were led blindfold. There is no trace -of any underground vaults nor of anything resembling the niche where -poor Constance was immured, to die a slow death from starvation. As a -matter of fact, Lindisfarne was never a convent at all. But at -Coldingham Abbey, on the coast of Scotland not many miles away, there -was discovered, in Scott's time, a female skeleton which, from the -shape of the niche and the position of the figure, seemed to be that of -a nun immured very much as Constance was supposed to have been. - -[Illustration: LINDISFARNE ABBEY] - -Returning to Norham Castle, and continuing the narrative, we find -Marmion and his men preparing to depart at an early hour of the morning -following their arrival. Guided by the supposed Holy Palmer, they -travelled all day, following the mountain paths straight across the -Lammermuir Hills, in a northwesterly direction, until at close of day -they came to the village of Gifford, four or five miles south of the -town of Haddington. A night at the village inn, a weird ghost story by -the landlord, and a strange, uncanny adventure of Marmion resulting -from it, complete the experiences of the first twenty-four hours. The -next day the travellers meet a messenger from the King, Sir David -Lindsay, by whom they are escorted to Crichton Castle and entertained -in royal magnificence. We found the ruins of this picturesque old -castle on the banks of the Tyne, a dozen miles southeast from -Edinburgh. From his boyhood they had exercised a fascinating influence -upon the poet. - - Crichtoun! though now thy miry court - But pens the lazy steer and sheep, - Thy turrets rude and tottered keep - Have been the minstrel's loved resort. - -{57} During his school days, Scott took many a vacation tramp to visit -the scenes in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh which appealed to his -fancy, and nothing ever made a stronger appeal than some old ruin to -which was attached a bit of history or legend. Referring to the time -when he was about thirteen years old, he says, in the brief fragment of -his 'Autobiography':-- - - -To this period I can trace distinctly the awaking of that delightful -feeling for the beauties of natural objects which has never since -deserted me.... The romantic feelings which I have described as -predominating in my mind, naturally rested upon and associated -themselves with these grand features of the landscape around me; and -the historical incidents, or traditional legends connected with many of -them, gave to my admiration a sort of intense impression of reverence, -which at times made my heart feel too big for its bosom. From this -time the love of natural beauty, more especially when combined with -ancient ruins, or remains of our fathers' piety or splendour, became -with me an insatiable passion, which, if circumstances had permitted, I -would willingly have gratified by travelling over half the globe. - - -It was with something of this same feeling that the poet caused Marmion -to travel from Norham to Edinburgh by a circuitous route, in order that -he might visit Crichton and afterward view Edinburgh from the Blackford -Hills. Mr. Guthrie Wright, a friend and relative of Scott's friend, -Erskine, once asked the poet: 'Why did ever mortal coming from England -to Edinburgh go by Gifford, Crichton Castle, Borthwick Castle, and over -the top of Blackford Hill? Not only is it a circuitous detour, but -there never was a road that way since the world was created!' 'That is -a most irrelevant objection,' said Sir Walter; 'it was my good pleasure -to bring Marmion {58} by that route, for the purpose of describing the -places you have mentioned, and the view from Blackford Hill--it was his -business to find the road and pick his steps the best way he could.' - -At Crichton, Marmion heard from Sir David Lindsay a legend of King -James and the Palace of Linlithgow. - - Of all the palaces so fair - Built for the royal dwelling - In Scotland, far beyond compare - Linlithgow is excelling. - -This famous palace, now a ruin, lies about midway between Edinburgh and -Glasgow. It is beautifully situated on a small loch, from the opposite -shores of which it makes an imposing appearance. The walls are in a -good state of preservation and still give some intimations of the early -magnificence of the royal residence. Three of the Stuart kings, James -III, IV, and V, occupied it in succession. Mary, Queen of Scots, was -born here in what was once a large and beautiful room. On the opposite -side of the building is a room ninety-eight feet long and thirty feet -wide, formerly used by the Scottish Parliaments, and the scene of many -a state banquet. At one end is an immense fireplace which still -remains in almost perfect condition. In the large court are the -remains of a fine fountain, with elaborate carvings, erected by James V -in anticipation of his marriage with the Princess Madeleine of France. -The most striking feature of the palace is Queen Margaret's Bower, a -lofty turret, where it is said the Queen watched all day for her -husband's return from Flodden Field, only to learn of his disastrous -defeat and death. As I stood on the parapet opposite the bower, -preparing to make its photograph, {59} the custodian reminded me that I -was standing where many famous people used to promenade. - -Adjoining the palace is the ancient church of St. Michael's, where, -according to Lindsay's story, King James received the ghostly visitor -in the semblance of the Apostle John, bearing the prophetic warning:-- - - 'My mother sent me from afar, - Sir King, to warn thee not to war,-- - Woe waits on thine array; - If war thou wilt, of woman fair, - Her witching wiles and wanton snare, - James Stuart, doubly warned, beware: - God keep thee as he may!' - - -From Crichton the journey to the Scottish camp was resumed, and the -party now traverses ground even more familiar to the poet:-- - - Early they took Dun-Edin's road, - And I could trace each step they trode; - Hill, brook, nor dell, nor rock, nor stone, - Lies on the path to me unknown. - -Over this well-worn road they reached the top of Blackford Hill, and -the view that met their eyes aroused an enthusiasm that even Marmion, -sullen warrior that he was, could scarcely suppress. The Scottish -camp, lying on the plain below, is painted in all the colours of the -rainbow:-- - - A thousand streamers flaunted fair; - Various in shape, device, and hue, - Green, sanguine, purple, red, and blue. - -The city, too, is pictured in colours no less vivid and glows 'with -gloomy splendour, red.' The Ochil Mountains, reflecting the morning -rays are like a 'purple {60} amethyst'; the islands in the Firth are -like 'emeralds chased in gold'; and a 'dusky grandeur clothed the -height, where the huge castle holds its state.' - -The scene which Marmion saw, the poet admits, was far different in his -own time; and it has changed, perhaps, even more since Sir Walter's -day, for the plain where King James's army lay is now filled with -well-built cottages. But the dominating features of the view, the huge -castle on the left, Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags on the right, -Calton Hill, and the crown-shaped steeple of St. Giles still remain to -command our admiration and delight. - -[Illustration: TANTALLON CASTLE] - -Passing through the Scottish camp, Marmion and his train soon came to -Holyrood Palace. The tower on the left was built by James IV as a -royal palace in 1498-1503. In the latter year it was the scene of the -marriage of the King to Princess Margaret, the daughter of Henry VII of -England. The wedding was celebrated with great magnificence. Here -Marmion is received by the King, who, on the night before marching to -the south, is making Holyrood ring with 'wassail, mirth, and glee.' He -is devoting much attention to the wife of Sir Hugh the Heron, who sings -for him the song of the young Lochinvar. A glance, thrown by 'the -witching dame' to Marmion, arouses the jealous displeasure of the King, -and Marmion is hurried off to Tantallon Castle, under conduct of the -owner of that stronghold, Douglas, Earl of Angus, known as Archibald -Bell-the-Cat. Tantallon is on the north coast of Haddingtonshire, near -the town of North Berwick. The ruins still remain, - - Broad, massive, high, and stretching far. - -{61} They stand on a high, projecting rock, guarded on three sides by -the ocean, while on the land side the remnant of the 'double mound and -fosse' may still be seen. The castle was a favourite residence of the -Douglas family, though its fame owes less to history than to the genius -of Sir Walter. It was here that Marmion dared - - To beard the lion in his den - The Douglas in his hall,-- - -and in defiance of Lord Angus gave utterance to one of those dramatic -passages which have made the poem linger so long in the memory of all -its readers. This is one of the chief characteristics of Scott's -poetry, that certain lines will insist upon 'running in one's head.' -George Ellis pointed out the significant fact that 'everybody reads -Marmion more than once' and that it improves on second reading. -Perhaps this is why so many people can quote freely from the poem, -particularly such passages as the quarrel of Marmion and Douglas. - -From Tantallon, Marmion and his men, with the Lady Clare, proceed to -Flodden Field, reaching at eve the convent of Lennel where 'now is left -but one frail arch.' This resting place is on the river Tweed just -below the town of Coldstream and not far from the famous ford at the -mouth of the river Leet, used by Edward I in the invasion of Scotland -near the close of the thirteenth century and by the contending armies -of England and Scotland for nearly four hundred years afterward. Over -this ford Marmion rushes impetuously to throw himself into the thick of -the battle. - - Then on that dangerous ford and deep - Where to the Tweed Leet's eddies creep - He ventured desperately: -{62} - And not a moment will he bide - Till squire or groom before him ride; - Headmost of all he stems the tide, - And stems it gallantly. - -Sir Walter wrote this passage, and many more like it, from experience, -for it was one of his chief delights to ford a stream. James Skene -said he believed there was not a single ford in the whole course of the -Tweed that he and Scott had not traversed together. 'He had an amazing -fondness for fords, and was not a little adventurous in plunging -through, whatever might be the state of the flood, and this even though -there happened to be a bridge in view. If it seemed possible to -scramble through, he scorned to go ten yards about, and in fact -preferred the ford.' There was a ford at Ashestiel that was never a -good one. At one time, after a severe storm, it became quite perilous. -Scott was the first to attempt the passage, which he accomplished in -safety, thanks to his steady nerve and good horsemanship, for his -favourite black horse, Captain, was obliged to swim nearly the whole -distance across. - -Many of the landmarks of Flodden Field may still be seen. The Twisel -Bridge over which the English crossed the Till; Ford Castle, the -residence of Sir William Heron, whom Scott transfers to Norham, -changing his name to Hugh; Etal Castle, which with Ford, Norham, and -Wark was captured by King James; a remnant of the old cross in the -field where Marmion died; the well of Sybil Grey, a spring running into -a small stone basin, upon which has been cut an inscription something -like that referred to in the poem; and 'Marmion's well' at the edge of -the village of Branxton, which the local {63} inhabitants are certain -is the real spring where Clare filled Marmion's helm with the cooling -water,--all these are easily visited in a day's drive. On the summit -of Piper's Hill a monument has been erected, marking the spot where -King James fell. - -The King failed to heed the warning given in Linlithgow. He insisted -upon going to war and wasted too much precious time with the Lady -Heron. As a result he seemed to do everything that a good general -would not have done and he failed to do all that a competent leader -would have done. The poet gives full vent to his righteous -indignation:-- - - And why stands Scotland idly now, - Dark Flodden! on thy airy brow, - Since England gains the pass the while, - And struggles through the deep defile? - What checks the fiery soul of James? - Why sits that champion of the dames - Inactive on his steed? - * * * * * - O Douglas, for thy leading wand! - Fierce Randolph for thy speed! - Oh! for one hour of Wallace wight, - Or well-skilled Bruce, to rule the fight - And cry, 'Saint Andrew and our right!' - Another sight had seen that morn, - From Fate's dark book a leaf been torn, - And Flodden had been Bannockbourne. - - -The King fell, bravely fighting, it is said, within a lance's length of -the Earl of Surrey. The noblest of the Scottish army lay dead and -dying about the field. Never before in Scottish history had there been -so great a disaster as that - - Of Flodden's fatal field - Where shivered was fair Scotland's spear - And broken was her shield! - -{64} Richard H. Hutton thinks that Scott's description of war in this -account is perhaps the most perfect which the English language -contains, and that 'Marmion' is Scott's finest poem. 'The Battle of -Flodden Field,' he says, 'touches his highest point in its expression -of stern, patriotic feeling, in its passionate love of daring, and in -the force and swiftness of its movement, no less than in the brilliancy -of its romantic interests, the charm of its picturesque detail, and the -glow of its scenic colouring.' - -Lockhart, whose judgment must always be regarded, also believed -'Marmion' to be the greatest of Scott's poems, because of its 'superior -strength and breadth and boldness both of conception and execution.' It -has been severely criticized. That Marmion, a knight of many noble -qualities, should have been guilty of the contemptible crime of -forgery, is a blot which Scott himself acknowledged. Mr. Andrew Lang -thinks that 'our age could easily dispense with Clara and her lover.' -George Ellis, on the contrary, thought it too short, that 'the masterly -character of Constance would not have been less bewitching had it been -much more minutely painted--and that De Wilton might have been dilated -with great ease and even to considerable advantage.' Lord Jeffrey -denounced it in characteristic fashion as an 'imitation of obsolete -extravagance.' Such a thing, he thought, might be excused for once as -a 'pretty caprice of genius,' but a second production imposed 'a sort -of duty to drive the author from so idle a task.' - -But Jeffrey's crabbed remarks were universally condemned as unjust and -the public responded to 'Marmion' with enthusiasm. Scott had painted a -picture full of lofty patriotism and glowing with life and colour. -{65} He had glorified his native city with a fervour that went straight -to the hearts of its people. The bravery of the Scottish troops as -they rallied around their king and fought to the bitter end seemed to -turn the worst disaster in their history into a scene of which every -Scotchman might well be proud. The great chieftains of Scotland had -been exalted. The hills and mountains, the rivers and brooks, and all -the delightful scenes of the southern border had been painted in -charming colours. And so the poet had touched the pride of his -countrymen and if there were faults of composition or of diction they -saw them not. - - - - -{66} - -CHAPTER IV - -THE LADY OF THE LAKE - -The most popular of all Scott's poems, as 'The Lady of the Lake' has -proved to be, is in reality a romantic story set to music and staged in -an environment of wondrous natural beauty. It is like an open-air -play, but with this advantage, that the audience seems to move -continually from one scene of beauty to another, each more entrancing -than the one before. You may travel from Stirling to Loch Katrine and -from the Trossachs to the Braes of Balquhidder and all the time feel -the thrill of the poem, which seems fairly to permeate the atmosphere. -It is full of incident, and there is never a dull moment from the -beginning of the stag hunt in the solitudes of Glenartney to the final -scenes of generosity and gratitude, of love and joyous reunion, in the -King's Palace of Stirling Castle. The characters are types, each -presenting a poetic interest of his own, of a race of men famous in -history and in song for deeds of personal prowess, for skill in the use -of claymore and battle-axe, for loyalty to friends, for bitter -resentment of wrongs, for courage, for endurance, for hospitality, for -love of music and poetry, for strength of physique and for picturesque -personal appearance and attire. - -The spell of the Wizard of the North came upon us as we entered the -enchanted land and his whole company of players appeared as if by -magic. In the centre of the group there seemed to be the figure of a -young woman, {67} pure, beautiful, and good--yet not too good to be -human, for she was at least sensitive to the admiring glances of a -certain handsome, well-built, and courteous stranger. But Ellen -Douglas was nevertheless true to her accepted lover, faithful to her -father, and loyal to her own ideals of truth and right. - - And ne'er did Grecian chisel trace - A Nymph, a Naiad, or a Grace - Of finer form or lovelier face. - * * * * * - A chieftain's daughter seemed the maid: - Her satin snood, her silken plaid, - Her golden brooch, such birth betrayed. - And seldom was a snood amid - Such wild, luxuriant ringlets hid - Whose glossy black to shame might bring - The plumage of the raven's wing: - And seldom o'er a breast so fair - Mantled a plaid with modest care, - And never brooch the folds combined - Above a heart more good and kind. - -Grouped about the maiden were the figures of a Lowland king, a Highland -chieftain, a stalwart father, and a sturdy lover. The first two -presented a striking contrast. The King, disguised as a hunter in -Lincoln green, with a bold visage upon which middle age had not yet -quenched the fiery vehemence of youth; with sturdy limbs fitted for any -kind of active sport or contest; with stately mien and ready speech, -'in phrase of gentlest courtesy'; jovial, kindly, even gleeful and -frolicsome at times, with the will to do and the soul to dare, made a -splendid picture as he stood upon the Silver Strand, face to face with -Ellen Douglas. Far different was the sullen visage of Roderick Dhu, as - -{68} - - Twice through the hall the Chieftain strode: - The waving of his tartan broad, - And darkened brow, where wounded pride - With ire and disappointment vied, - Seemed, by the torch's gloomy light, - Like the ill Demon of the night. - -Yet in spite of the fierce aspect of this terrible chief, one cannot -withhold his admiration, and we feel like echoing the shout of -enthusiasm of the cheering boatmen as they approach the island, -singing,-- - - Loud should Clan-Alpine then - Ring from her deepmost glen, - Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! ieroe! - -When Roderick scorns to take advantage of Fitz-James, though the latter -is in his power, and shares with him his camp-fire, his supper, and his -bed, finally conducting him in safety through hundreds of hostile -Highlanders to the very limits of Clan-Alpine's territory, there to -battle single-handed and on equal terms, we begin to feel what real -Highland hospitality and chivalry mean and to realize the true nobility -of character beneath the rough exterior of this stern soldier. - -Ellen's father, the exiled Douglas, was a giant in stature who could -wield as lightly as a hazel wand a sword which other men could scarcely -lift. - - The women praised his stately form, - Though wrecked by many a winter's storm; - The youth with awe and wonder saw - His strength surpassing Nature's law. - -Contrasting with this fine old man was Malcolm Graeme, Ellen's lover:-- - - Of stature fair, and slender frame - But firmly knit was Malcolm Graeme. -{69} - The belted plaid and tartan hose - Did ne'er more graceful limbs disclose; - His flaxen hair, of sunny hue, - Curled closely round the bonnet blue. - -His mind was 'lively and ardent, frank and kind,' and he had a scorn of -wrong and a zeal for truth that promised to make his name one of the -greatest in the mountains. But poor Malcolm was to the poet's mind not -an artistic success. The latter confessed that he compelled him to -swim from Ellen's Isle to the shore merely to give him something to do, -but 'wet or dry,' he said, 'I could do nothing with him.' - -[Illustration: LOCH ACHRAY] - -Behind these five figures we could fancy a white-haired minstrel, harp -in hand; a hermit monk, in frock and hood, barefooted, with grizzled -hair and matted beard, naked arms and legs seamed with scars, and a -wild and savage face that spoke of nothing but despair; three young men -in kilt skirts and Highland plaids, every movement showing the agile -strength of their youthful limbs, passing from one to another a cross -of fire,--Malise, Angus, and Norman, the messengers who summoned the -clans to battle; and back of all, filling up the picture, Highlanders -of high and low degree, men, women, and children, all fired with -intense loyalty to the Clan-Alpine. The whole picture seemed to -project itself upon a background of mountains and valleys, lakes, -rivers and waterfalls, fantastic rocks and weather-beaten crags, grey -birches and warrior oaks, ferns and wild flowers, all - - So wondrous wild, the whole might seem - The scenery of a fairy dream. - - -Scott was always fond of brilliant hues, but here he fairly revels in -colour:-- - -{70} - - The western waves of ebbing day - Rolled o'er the glen their level way: - Each purple peak, each flinty spire, - Was bathed in floods of living fire. - * * * * * - All twinkling with the dew-drop sheen, - The brier rose fell in streamers green - And creeping shrubs of thousand dyes - Waved in the west wind's summer sighs. - * * * * * - Boon nature scattered, free and wild, - Each plant or flower, the mountain's child, - Here eglantine embalmed the air, - Hawthorn and hazel mingled there: - The primrose pale and violet flower - Found in each clift a narrow bower. - - -The best way to read 'The Lady of the Lake' is to see the Trossachs; -the best way to see the Trossachs is to read 'The Lady of the Lake.' -There is a peculiar affinity between the poem and the country that -makes each indispensable to the other. Those who read the poem without -some knowledge of the scenery are likely to have an inadequate -conception of its real significance, or possibly to feel that the poet -has painted in colours too vivid and that his enthusiasm is not perhaps -fully justified by the facts. Those who see the Trossachs without -reading the poem are apt to say, as one man did say to me, 'Yes, this -is beautiful, but after all I have seen just such roads in New -Hampshire.' He might have added, 'The Rocky Mountains are much higher -and more sublime, and the Italian lakes reflect a sky of more brilliant -blue and are bordered by foliage infinitely more gorgeous in its -colourings,'--all of which is true. But when you come to read the poem -with a mental vision of the Trossachs {71} before you and to see the -Trossachs with the exquisite descriptions of the poem fully in mind, -each acquires a new charm which alone it did not possess. - -Before the poem was written the Trossachs were scarcely known and Loch -Katrine was no more than any other Highland lake. Now these regions -are visited yearly by thousands of tourists and to those who know the -poem, every turn in the road seems to suggest some favourite stanza. -To us the tour was one of unfailing delight and productive of mental -visions that will never fade. The Brig o' Turk is to me not merely an -old stone bridge over a placid rivulet; but, rushing over it at full -speed, eagerly spurring his fine grey horse to further effort, I see -the figure of a gallant hunter clad in a close-fitting suit of green, -his eyes intently fixed on the road ahead, where a splendid stag, now -nearly exhausted, is straining his last ounce of energy in a final -effort to distance the pursuing hounds. To me the low ground on the -edge of Loch Vennachar, known as Lanrick Mead, appears like a military -camp, with great crowds of giant clansmen, in Highland kilts and plaids -of many colours, their spears and battle-axes glistening in the sun. -The aged oak, bending over the water's edge on Ellen's Isle, is not -merely an old dead tree, but it brings the vision of Ellen Douglas -putting forth in her frail shallop to answer (as she supposes) the -bugle call of her noble father from the Silver Strand. - -This is the secret charm of the Trossachs. The tourist who goes -through, as many do, with whole-hearted devotion to the time-table and -guide-book, and whose mind is fixed upon the absolute necessity of -'making' all the points in his itinerary, does not see these scenes any -{72} more than do the horses who draw the lumbering coaches. The more -leisurely traveller who can follow the course of the poem, viewing each -scene as Scott has so charmingly described it, finds exhilaration and -delight in every step of the way. - -Scott was only fifteen when he began to make those merry expeditions to -the Highlands in the company of congenial companions which gave him so -much material of the right kind as to make a poem inevitable. He -learned to know the strange but romantic Highland clansmen; he heard -many tales and bits of history which his memory stored up for the -future, and the rare beauty of the scenery fascinated him as it does -every one else. 'This poem,' he said, 'the action of which lay among -scenes so beautiful and so deeply imprinted on my recollections, was a -labour of love and it was no less so to recall the memories and -incidents introduced.' - -In one of these excursions (in 1793), he visited the home of the young -Laird of Cambusmore, John Buchanan, one of his associates, and -subsequently revisited the place many times. Cambusmore is a charming -estate about two miles southeast of Callander. Entering by the -porter's gate, we drove through a beautiful winding road, lined with -rhododendrons. The shrubs, or rather trees (for their extraordinary -height and wide-spreading branches entitle them to the more dignified -name), were in full bloom, thousands of great, splendid clusters vying -with each other to see which could catch and reflect the most sunlight. -Here we were hospitably received by the present owner, Mrs. Hamilton, a -great-granddaughter of Scott's friend, John Buchanan. The house has -been considerably enlarged, but the older portion, {73} thickly covered -with ivy, is very much as it was when Scott was a guest and sat on the -porch, listening to the story of Buchanan's ancestors. While he was -writing 'The Lady of the Lake,' Scott revisited Cambusmore and recited -parts of the poem to Mrs. Hamilton's grandfather. He also -demonstrated, by actually performing the feat himself, that it would be -possible for a horseman to ride from the foot of Loch Vennachar to -Stirling Castle in the time allotted to Fitz-James. - -[Illustration: CAMBUSMORE] - -From the road in front of this mansion, far away to the north, but -faintly visible through the trees, we could see the 'wild heaths of Uam -Var,' where the stag first sought refuge when, driven by the deep -baying of the hounds, he left the cool shades of Glenartney's hazel -woods. From another side we caught a fine glimpse of what the huntsmen -saw - - When rose Ben Ledi's ridge in air. - - -These hills of Scotland have witnessed many a hunt where scores of men -dashed wildly after the frightened game. But no stag, ever before or -since, has been pursued by so many eager hunters as the creature of -Scott's fancy. We joined in the hunt, as all tourists are supposed to -do, provided they have the time, which many, especially Americans, have -not, for as one Scotchman put it, 'they go through so fast, sir, that -you could set a tea-table on their coat-tails, sir.' - -We saw 'the varied realms of fair Menteith,' a lovely little lake with -irregular shores and studded with bright green islands. I remember I -had to walk a long way over a lonely heath to get my picture of the -lake, and that I was closely followed by a large flock of angry plovers -{74} who feared that I might harm their nests. They flew so close that -I had to keep one arm above my head for defence, and all the time they -were screaming vociferously. - -We visited 'far Loch Ard' and Aberfoyle, both associated more closely -with Rob Roy. We found - - the copsewood grey - That waved and wept on Loch Achray; - -and climbed up among - - the pine trees blue - On the bold cliffs of Ben Venue. - -We passed along 'Bocastle's heath' and reached the shores of Loch -Vennachar, more fortunate than the huntsmen of the poem, most of whom -gave up from sheer exhaustion before they reached that place. For, - - when the Brig o' Turk was won, - The headmost horseman rode alone. - -This picturesque old stone bridge, spanning the little stream that -waters the valley of Glen Finglas, is the entrance to the Trossachs, a -region, as the name implies, of wild and rugged beauty. - - Alone, but with unbated zeal, - That horseman plied the scourge and steel; - For jaded now, and spent with toil, - Embossed with foam, and dark with soil, - While every gasp with sobs he drew, - The labouring stag strained full in view. - -Thus the race went along the shore of Loch Achray until they reached -the dense woods that lie between this little lake and Loch Katrine. -Then just as the hunter,-- - - Already glorying in the prize, - Measured his antlers with his eyes, - -{75} the wily stag dashed suddenly down a darksome glen and disappeared - - In the deep Trossach's wildest nook. - - -The place thus indicated may be reached by leaving the fine wagon road -and walking up the hill on the right by a path that leads along a -little rill to a dense thicket, over which hang some rugged cliffs. We -spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon exploring the dark ravines,-- - - Where twined the path in shadow hid, - Round many a rocky pyramid, - Shooting abruptly from the dell - Its thunder-splintered pinnacle. - -This is one of the most delightful spots in the Trossachs, though never -seen by the thousands who whirl through all this enchanted land in a -single day, packed five or six in a seat on a jolting coach, breathing -the dust of the road and frittering away their golden opportunity in -idle chatter. You cannot catch the spirit of this wild and rugged -region unless you walk into the unfrequented parts and see the 'native -bulwarks of the pass,' where - - The rocky summits, split and rent, - Formed turret, dome, or battlement, - Or seemed fantastically set - With cupola or minaret. - -Here Fitz-James found himself alone and on foot, for his good grey -horse had fallen, exhausted, never to rise again. Marvelling at the -beauty of the scene, he wandered on, until, seeing no pathway by which -to issue from the glen, he climbed a 'far-projecting precipice'; when -suddenly there burst upon his sight the grandest view of all, Loch -Katrine,-- - -{76} - - gleaming with the setting sun - One burnished sheet of living gold. - -As sentinels guarding an enchanted land, two mountains stood like -giants: on the south rose Ben Venue, its sides strewn with rough -volcanic rocks and its summit 'a wildering forest feathered o'er': on -the north 'Ben An heaved high his forehead bare.' - -The stranger stood enraptured and amazed. Then, thinking to call some -straggler of his train, he blew a loud blast upon his horn. To his -great surprise the sound was answered by a little skiff which glided -forth - - From underneath an aged oak - That slanted from the islet's rock. - -The old oak was the supposed landing place of Ellen Douglas on what has -since been known as 'Ellen's Isle.' The oak, old in Scott's day, is -dead now, but singularly enough it died not of old age but by drowning. -Loch Katrine is now the reservoir that supplies the city of Glasgow. -In preparing it for this service the engineers raised the level of the -lake about twenty-five feet, creating many new islands to keep the -'lone islet' company, and completely submerging the 'Silver Strand' so -often mentioned in the poem. But the beauty of the lake has not been -marred, and the scenes, though changed, are still as lovely as when -they aroused the poetic fervour of Sir Walter Scott. - -[Illustration: GLENFINGLAS] - -The visitor who takes the trouble, as we did, to row out to Ellen's -Isle, will find nothing to suggest the imagined home of Roderick Dhu -and the temporary shelter of the Douglas and his daughter. But he will -have an excellent opportunity to indulge his fancy and call back {77} -to memory the stirring incidents which served to bring together all the -leading people of the tale. He may stand on the shore of the island -and see the barges, filled with the warriors of Roderick Dhu, bearing -down upon him, their spears, pikes, and axes flashing and their -banners, plaids, and plumage dancing in the air. He may hear the sound -of the war-pipes and the chorus of the clansmen as they shout their -chieftain's praise. Then, as the storm of war rises higher and higher, -he may fancy Brian the Hermit with wild incantations calling the clans -to battle and uttering a terrible curse upon any who failed to heed the -summons. He may see the fiery Cross placed in the hands of the young -Malise, and watch the fleet messenger as he crosses the lake to the -Silver Strand where he lightly bounds ashore. Then, if he be a real -enthusiast, he may follow the course of the fiery cross. Malise -carried it through the Trossachs, and along the shore of Loch Achray to -the hamlet of Duncraggan, just beyond the Brig o' Turk, and in sight of -Lanrick Mead, the gathering-place of the clans. Then young Angus, the -stripling son of Duncan, seized the fatal symbol, and hurried over the -mountains, crossing the southern slopes of Ben Ledi, until, reaching -the river Leny at the outlet of Loch Lubnaig, he swam the stream, and -after a desperate struggle with the swollen torrent, reached the -opposite bank at the chapel of St. Bride. No chapel now exists, but a -stone wall marks the site where the little church once stood, and -within the enclosure is a single grave. As Angus arrived, a little -wedding party was issuing from the churchyard gate. The dreadful sign -of fire and sword was thrust into the hands of Norman, the bridegroom, -and the command given to 'speed {78} forth the signal.' Not daring to -look a second time upon the tearful face of his lovely bride, Norman -manfully seized the torch and hurried to the north. He followed the -shores of Loch Lubnaig and the swampy course of the river Balvaig, -then, turning sharply to the left, entered the Braes of Balquhidder and -passed along the northern shores of Loch Voil and Loch Doine, two -lovely little Highland lakes that lie hidden away in the solitude of -the hills. Thence, turning to the south, he crossed the intervening -mountains until he came to the valley of Strathgartney on the northern -shore of Loch Katrine. - -The scene now changes to the slopes of Ben Venue, a rugged mountain -peak, towering high above the south-eastern end of Loch Katrine and -dominating the entire region of the Trossachs. On the side nearest the -lake is a confused mass of huge volcanic rocks overhung here and there -by scraggly oaks or birches. Ancient Celtic tradition assigned this -wild spot to the Urisk or shaggy men whose form was part man, part -goat, like the satyrs of Greek mythology. In later times the Celtic -name of Coir-nan-Uriskin gave way to the more euphonious title of the -Goblin Cave. To this 'wild and strange retreat,' fit only for wolves -and wild-cats, Douglas brought his daughter for safety. Roderick Dhu, -hovering about the place like a restless ghost, heard the soft voice of -Ellen, singing her 'Hymn to the Virgin.' Then, goaded by the thought -that he should never hear that angel voice again, the chieftain strode -sullenly down the mountain-side, and crossing the lake soon rejoined -his men at Lanrick Mead. - -In the night Douglas silently departed, resolved to go to Stirling -Castle and give his life as a ransom for his {79} daughter and his -friends. In the morning Fitz-James found the retreat of Ellen and -offered to carry her away in safety. But Ellen in simple confidence -told of her love for Malcolm Graeme, and warned the knight that his -life was in danger from his treacherous guide. Fitz-James then gave a -signet ring to Ellen, telling her to present it to the King, who would -redeem it by granting whatever she might ask. The wanderer then went -on his way, passing through the Trossachs again, where he met the -half-crazed maid, Blanche of Devon. The poet actually saw the original -of this strange character in the Pass of Glencoe. 'This poor woman,' -he says, 'had placed herself in the wildest attitude imaginable upon -the very top of a huge fragment of rock: she had scarce any covering -but a tattered plaid, which left her arms, legs, and neck bare to the -weather. Her long shaggy black hair was streaming backwards in the -wind and exposed a face rather wild and wasted than ugly, and bearing a -very peculiar expression of frenzy. She had a handful of eagle -feathers in her hand.' - -Following the dramatic death of Blanche and the swift justice to her -murderer, the treacherous guide Murdoch, comes the well-remembered -meeting of Fitz-James and Roderick Dhu. Clan-Alpine's chief extended -to his enemy the hospitality of 'a soldier's couch, a soldier's fare,' -and conducted him safely through countless hordes of his own men -concealed behind every bush and stone until they reached the ford of -Coilantogle, at the extreme limit of the Highland chief's territory. -The place is at the outlet of Loch Vennachar, about two miles west of -Callander, and is readily seen from the main road to the Trossachs. -Here occurred the terrific {80} combat, so vividly painted by the poet, -and Roderick was left upon the field, severely wounded, a prisoner in -the hands of Fitz-James's men, who had responded to the bugle call of -their leader. The latter, accompanied by two of his knights, rode -rapidly along the shores of the Forth. They passed 'the bannered -towers of Doune,' now a ruin, which makes a pretty picture seen in the -distance from the bridge over the river. Pressing on, they were soon -in sight of Stirling Castle, when Fitz-James saw a woodsman 'of stature -tall and poor array,' and at once recognized 'the stately form and -step' of Douglas. - -Cambus Kenneth, from which Douglas had just come, is a tall square -tower on the banks of the Forth, west of Stirling. It was once a large -abbey, founded in the twelfth century and built on the site of the -battle-field, where the Scots under Kenneth MacAlpine defeated the -Picts. The tower is all that now remains, but the foundations of some -of the walls show the great extent of the structure. Amid the ruins is -the grave of King James III, over which is a monument erected by Queen -Victoria. It is supposed to be in exactly the place where King James -was buried, under the high altar, but is so far away from the tower as -to indicate that the original abbey must have been unusually large. - -Next to Edinburgh Castle, Stirling is the most imposing fortress in -Scotland. It stands on a rock four hundred and twenty feet above the -sea, commanding a fine view in every direction. On the esplanade is a -statue of King Robert the Bruce. The figure is clad in chain armour -and the king is sheathing his sword, satisfied with his great victory -as he gazes toward the field of {81} Bannockburn. Across the valley on -the Abbey Craig, two miles away, is a tall tower in memory of that -other great national hero, the mention of whose name still brings a -tingle into the blood of the loyal Scotsman, William Wallace. The -castle is entered by a gateway between two round towers, beneath one of -which is the dungeon where Roderick Dhu may be supposed to have been -carried after the fatal duel. Here one may fancy the aged minstrel -Allan-bane, singing to the dying chief the story of the Battle of Beal' -an Duine. A poem that can hold the attention of a company of soldiers -when actually under fire themselves must be thrilling, indeed; yet this -test was successfully applied to the tale as Scott told it through the -minstrel. Sir Adam Ferguson received the poem on the day when he was -posted with his company on a point of ground exposed to the enemy's -artillery. The men were ordered to lie prostrate on the ground, while -the captain, kneeling at their head, read the description of the -battle. The soldiers listened attentively, only interrupting -occasionally with a loud huzza, when a shot struck the bank just above -their heads. - -On the left of the castle gate is the Royal Palace, built by James III -and a favourite residence of James IV and James V. All the windows -have heavy iron bars, making the palace look more like a prison than a -king's mansion. They were placed there for the protection of the -infant James VI, son of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was born in Edinburgh -Castle; but considered unsafe there, he was lowered over the walls in a -basket and carried to Stirling Castle. Queen Mary had lived here for -four years in her childhood and it was here that she was secretly -married to Darnley. Two years later, on a {82} visit to the castle to -see her son, she was intercepted by Bothwell and carried away to -Dunbar, probably with her own connivance, where a month later the two -were married. James VI, afterward James I of England, spent most of -his boyhood here, and when he left to assume the English crown, -Stirling ceased to be a royal residence. - -Among the many strange and much mutilated statues on the exterior of -the palace is one representing King James V as the 'Gudeman of -Ballengeich.' It was the custom of this king, as it had been of his -father, to disguise himself and mingle with the people, thereby finding -relief from the strain of more serious affairs and doubtless learning -at first hand what the people thought of him. Their opinions must have -been favourable, for the King enjoyed the experiences and the -intercourse was always friendly and often amusing. Once on a hunting -expedition, the King became separated from the others of his party and -was obliged to spend the night at a cottage in the moorlands. The -'gudeman,' like all true Highlanders, was extremely hospitable to the -stranger, and ordered the 'gude wife,' to kill for supper the plumpest -of the hens. The stranger, departing the next morning, invited the -farmer to call on the 'Gudeman of Ballengeich' when he next visited -Stirling. The farmer soon accepted the invitation and was much -astonished to find himself received by the King, who enjoyed his -confusion most heartily and gave him the facetious title, 'King of the -Moors.' This story and others like it gave the idea to Scott which he -so skilfully made the basis of 'The Lady of the Lake.' - -[Illustration: STIRLING CASTLE] - -Another gateway leads into the upper court, on the right of which is -the old Parliament House, where {83} the last Scottish Parliament met. -At the north end of the court is the Chapel Royal. A third gateway -leads to the Douglas Garden, at the left of which is the Douglas Room, -where James II treacherously stabbed the Earl of Douglas. The latter -had visited the castle under a safe-conduct granted by the King -himself. The body was dragged into an adjoining room and thrown out of -the window. Later it was buried just where it fell. Scott makes James -Douglas refer to the incident as he sadly returns to Stirling to -surrender himself and die for his family. - - Ye towers, within those circuit dread - A Douglas by his sovereign bled. - -From the parapet along the walls of this garden, built on a rock three -hundred feet high, a splendid landscape may be seen. Down below appear -the windings of the river Forth and the old Stirling Bridge, known as -the 'Key to the Highlands,' the only bridge across the Forth during all -the stirring times of Scottish history. There too is the 'Heading -Hill' to which Douglas also refers:-- - - And thou, O sad and fatal mound! - Thou oft hast heard the death-axe sound, - As on the noblest of the land - Fell the stern headsman's bloody hand. - -From another place on the wall, far down on the plain below, we could -see the King's Knot, a curiously shaped, octagonal mound of great -antiquity, near the base of the precipitous rock upon which the castle -stands. This plain, so easily seen from the castle, was the place -where many a knightly tournament was held, and it was to this castle -park that Douglas went to take part in the games, so that - -{84} - - King James shall mark - If age has tamed these sinews stark, - Whose force so oft in happier days - His boyish wonder loved to praise. - -Here was held the archery contest where Douglas won the silver dart; -here was the wrestling match where he won the golden ring; here his -brave dog Lufra pulled down the royal stag, and Douglas knocked -senseless with a single blow the groom who struck his noble hound; and -from here Douglas was led a captive into the fortress. - -Meanwhile Ellen had found her way to the castle determined to see the -King and with his signet ring beg the boon of her father's life. She -learned to her astonishment that the King and Fitz-James were one, and -that her suit was granted before it was asked, for the genial monarch -announced Lord James of Douglas as 'a friend and bulwark of our throne.' - - The monarch drank, that happy hour, - The sweetest, holiest draught of Power,-- - When it can say with godlike voice, - Arise, sad Virtue, and rejoice! - -Then Ellen blushingly craved, through her father, the pardon of her -lover, and the King in jovial mood commanded Malcolm to stand forth, -exclaiming,-- - - 'Fetters and warder for the Graeme!' - His chain of gold the King unstrung, - The links o'er Malcolm's neck he flung, - Then gently drew the glittering band, - And laid the clasp on Ellen's hand. - - -Looking out from Stirling Castle over the delightful scenery of the -Scottish Highlands, made a hundred times more lovely by the romantic -poem, whose magic has {85} seemed to touch every lake and river, hill -and valley, with its influence, we felt a strange reluctance to leave -the scene, akin to that of the poet himself as he bids farewell to the -Harp of the North:-- - - Hark! as my lingering footsteps slow retire, - Some Spirit of the Air has waked thy string! - 'T is now a seraph bold, with touch of fire, - 'T is now the brush of Fairy's frolic wing. - Receding now, the dying numbers ring - Fainter and fainter down the rugged dell; - And now the mountain breezes scarcely bring - A wandering witch-note of the distant spell, - And now, 't is silent all!--Enchantress, fare thee well! - - - - -{86} - -CHAPTER V - -ROKEBY - -The town of Barnard Castle, where we arrived one evening after a long -tour through Yorkshire, is on the left bank of the river Tees and on -the southern boundary of the county of Durham. In the morning we were -told by 'Boots,' the one man in an English hotel who knows everything, -that the castle, which gives its name to the town, could be reached -through the stable-yard back of the house. After travelling far out of -our way to view the setting of Rokeby, which in the natural beauty of -its scenery is unsurpassed by that of any of Scott's other poems, -except 'The Lady of the Lake,' the suggestion of such an entrance to -the locality of the opening stanzas was a rude shock to our sense of -romantic propriety. The reality was worse than the suggestion and we -began to think that possibly Mr. Boots might have misdirected us, -supposing we wished to see the barnyard instead of Barnard Castle. We -proceeded on our way, however, soon coming to a small cottage with a -pretty little garden,--nearly every English cottage boasts one of these -delightful little areas of colour and of fragrance,--and passing -through, reached the enclosure where all that is left of the castle, or -nearly all, now stands. Two impressive ruined towers and a short -connecting wall are practically all that remain of a once splendid -royal residence. On the left is 'Brackenbury's dungeon-tower,' no -longer 'dismal,' for the ancient stones are partly clothed with {87} -the foliage of fruit trees, trained English fashion against the walls, -while a bed of bright-blooming flowers on the right, the fresh green -leaves of some overhanging branches on the left, and the lawn, -plentifully besprinkled with the dainty little English daisies, each -catching its own ray of sunshine and giving a sparkle to the whole -scene, all spoke eloquently of the change from death to life since the -time when these walls cast only deep shadows of darkness and despair. - -On the right of the enclosure is the old Baliol Tower, and in the wall -connecting it with Brackenbury is an oriel window, where the arms of -King Richard III may still be faintly traced in the stone. - -Baliol Tower is a heavy round structure of great antiquity. It has a -remarkable vaulted ceiling composed entirely of keystones arranged in -circles. A narrow staircase within the walls leads to the battlements -from which we obtained a magnificent view of the valley of the Tees. - - What prospects from his watch-tower high - Gleam gradual on the warder's eye! - Far sweeping to the east he sees - Down his deep woods the course of Tees, - And tracks his wanderings by the steam - Of summer vapours from the stream. - - -If Barnard Castle appeared unromantic, approached from the yard of the -inn, exactly the opposite feeling took possession of us when we viewed -it from the footbridge, just above the dam. Here the river widens -until it looks like a placid lake. The castle rises high above the -stream, its base concealed by trees of heavy growth, but not tall -enough to cover the two great towers and {88} the oriel window of King -Richard. It is no longer a single ruined wall, but the imposing front -of a vast structure, well placed for defence, once strong in war but -now beautiful in peace. - -Barnard Baliol, whose father was one of the followers of William the -Conqueror, founded the castle in the beginning of the twelfth century. -He was the grandfather of John Baliol, who contested with Robert Bruce -the claim to the Scottish crown. The original castle or fortress -covered an extensive area of over six acres, most of which is now given -over to sheep-raising or to the cultivation of fruit trees. An -extensive domain, comprising much of the surrounding country, was -granted to the descendants of Barnard Baliol in the reign of King -Rufus. Edward I granted it to Guy Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, in whose -family it remained for several generations. Through the marriage of -the daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, famous as the -king-maker, to the Duke of Gloucester, afterward King Richard III, the -estate came into possession of the Crown. The castle was a favourite -residence of Richard, who made many additions to it. In the reign of -Charles I it was purchased by Sir Henry Vane the elder. When Scott -makes it the property of Oswald Wycliffe, he does not go very far -astray, for John Wycliffe, the great forerunner of the Reformation in -England, was born on the banks of the river Tees and received his -education at Baliol College, Oxford, which was founded by the Baliols -of Barnard Castle, who were the neighbours of his family. - -[Illustration: BRACKENBURY TOWER, BARNARD CASTLE] - -Barnard Castle, however, interesting as it is, was not the magnet that -drew the poet to this region for his {89} scenery. In 1808, Scott -began his intimacy with John B. S. Morritt, a man of sterling character -and high literary attainments, for whom he came to entertain a genuine -affection. Morritt had inherited the estate of Rokeby, situated about -four miles southeast of Barnard Castle. The Rokebys, like their -neighbours, the Baliols, were descended from one of the followers of -the Conqueror. The old manor house was destroyed by the Scotch after -the battle of Bannockburn (1314), and the Rokeby of that day built the -Castle of Mortham, much of which still remains standing on the opposite -bank of the Greta. The present Hall was built in 1724. It stands in -the midst of an extensive and beautiful park, which Scott, on the -occasion of his first visit, thought 'one of the most enviable places' -he had ever seen. 'It unites,' said he, 'the richness and luxuriance -of English vegetation with the romantic variety of glen, torrent, and -copse, which dignifies our Northern scenery. The Greta and Tees, two -most beautiful and rapid rivers, join their currents in the demesne. -The banks of the Tees resemble, from the height of the rocks, the Glen -of Roslin, so much and justly admired.' The letter containing this -enthusiastic praise of his friend's estate was written in 1809. Two -years later, when the purchase of Abbotsford seemed to require another -poem for its consummation, it was to the one place worthy of comparison -with his beloved Glen of Roslin that the poet instinctively turned for -his backgrounds. - -Scott's ambition to be the 'laird' of an estate was gratified in the -summer of 1811 when he became the owner of an unprepossessing farm of -about one hundred acres. The land was in a neglected state, but little -of it {90} having been under cultivation. The farmhouse was small and -poor, and immediately in front of it was a miserable duck pond. The -place, from its disreputable appearance, had been known as 'Clarty -Hole.' But Scott's prophetic vision could look beyond all this and see -something, if not all, of the transformation which was to be wrought in -the next twelve years. The farm lay for half a mile along the banks of -the beautiful Tweed, the river which Scott loved. He knew the -fertility of the soil and saw the possibility of making the place a -beautiful grove. At first he thought only of 'a cottage and a few -fields,' but as the passion for buying, planting, and building grew -with his apparent prosperity, the farm became a beautifully wooded -estate of eighteen hundred acres, the cottage grew into a castle, and -'Clarty Hole,' its name changed into 'Abbotsford' within less than an -hour after the new owner took possession, became one of the most famous -private possessions in the world. - -The farm cost £4000, one half of which was borrowed from the poet's -brother, Major John Scott, and the other half advanced by the -Ballantynes on the security of 'Rokeby,' though the poem was not yet -written. The plans for the purchase out of the way, Scott wrote to his -friend, Morritt, outlining the new poem, having for its scene the -domain of Rokeby and its subject the civil wars of Charles I. Morritt -was delighted and immediately responded with a letter full of valuable -information. The following summer was a busy one. Until the middle of -July, Scott's duties as Clerk of the Court of Sessions kept him at -Edinburgh five days in the week. Saturdays and Sundays were spent at -Abbotsford. He composed poetry while planting trees and wrote down the -verses {91} amid the noise and confusion incident to building his new -cottage. 'As for the house and the poem,' he wrote to Morritt, 'there -are twelve masons hammering at the one and one poor noddle at the -other.' Both 'Rokeby' and 'The Bridal of Triermain' were written under -these conditions and at the same time, while Scott found opportunity -also to continue his work on the 'Life of Swift,' which eventually -reached nineteen octavo volumes, and to render other literary services -to his publishers, the Ballantynes. - -It was not long before Scott found an opportunity to visit Rokeby -again, where he remained about a week. On the morning after his -arrival, he informed Morritt that he needed 'a good robber's cave and -an old church of the right sort.' Morritt promptly undertook to supply -both, and to find the former rode with his friend to Brignall Woods, -where the Greta flows through a deep glen, on one side of which are -some perpendicular rocks, the site of an old quarry. I could not find -any robber's caves, but it was easy enough for Scott to make one in -such a rock formation. I could, however, form a pretty good idea of -the wild flight of Bertram Risingham as he - - Now clomb the rocks projecting high - To baffle the pursuer's eye: - Now sought the stream, whose brawling sound - The echo of his footsteps drowned. - -In all probability, the scene is the same to-day, as it was in Scott's -time, wild and beautiful. The stream winds around through shady nooks, -here rippling over the rocks and then widening out into a placid pool; -occasionally passing out from beneath the trees into an open glade, -where the well-worn boulders that punctuated its {92} course lay -gleaming in the sun, and presenting at every turn some new and changing -view. - - O, Brignall banks are wild and fair, - And Greta Woods are green. - - -In describing the visit to this place Mr. Morritt gives an excellent -idea of Scott's method:-- - - -I observed him noting down even the peculiar little wild flowers and -herbs that accidentally grew round and on the side of a bold crag near -his intended cave of Guy Denzil; and could not help saying that as he -was not to be upon oath in his work, daisies, violets, and primroses -would be as poetical as any of the humble plants he was examining. I -laughed, in short, at his scrupulousness; but I understood him when he -replied, 'that in nature herself no two scenes were ever exactly alike, -and that whoever copied truly what was before his eyes would possess -the same variety in his descriptions and exhibit apparently an -imagination as boundless as the range of nature in the scenes he -recorded; whereas whoever trusted to imagination would soon find his -own mind circumscribed, and contracted to a few favourite images, and -the repetition of these would sooner or later produce that very -monotony and bareness which had always haunted descriptive poetry in -the hands of any but the patient worshippers of truth. - - -The 'old church of the right sort' was found on the other side of -Rokeby Park. We reached it from Barnard Castle by crossing the high -Abbey Bridge, beneath which the Tees flows in a narrow, rippling, -foaming lane of water, flanked on either side by trees of rich foliage -whose bright green branches wave to each other continually across the -stream in a sort of friendly salute. The old grey Abbey of Egliston is -pleasantly situated on rising ground near where the Tees is joined by -the rivulet known as Thorsgill. - -{93} - - Yet scald or kemper erred, I ween, - Who gave that soft and quiet scene, - With all its varied light and shade, - And every little sunny glade, - And the blithe brook that strolls along - Its pebbled bed with summer song, - To the grim God of blood and scar, - The grisly King of Northern War. - -The abbey was founded in the twelfth century and dedicated to St. Mary -and St. John the Baptist. It was once a beautiful cruciform building -in the Early English style, but has been allowed to fall into decay and -now only parts of the walls of the choir and nave remain. - - The reverend pile lay wild and waste, - Profound, dishonoured, and defaced. - Through storied lattices no more, - In softened light the sunbeams pour, - Gilding the Gothic sculpture rich - Of shrine and ornament and niche. - -This was the scene which Scott chose for the culminating tragedy of the -poem. - -There are many other places in the neighbourhood to which the poet -refers. There is 'Raby's battered tower,' a large castle which boasts -the honour of twice entertaining Charles I. There is the Balder, 'a -sweet brooklet's silver line,' which flows into the Tees a few miles -above Barnard Castle, and farther to the northwest, where the three -counties of York, Durham, and Westmoreland meet, is the place - - Where Tees in tumult leaves his source - Thundering o'er Cauldron and High-Force. - - -These two cataracts are most impressive when rainstorms have swelled -the stream to its full capacity. Just {94} outside the park of Rokeby -is a charming spot where the Greta meets the Tees,-- - - Where, issuing from her darksome bed, - She caught the morning's eastern red, - And through the softening vale below - Rolled her bright waves in rosy glow - All blushing to her bridal bed, - Like some shy maid in convent bred, - While linnet, lark, and blackbird gay - Sang forth her nuptial roundelay. - - -Half hidden by the trees, the old stone 'dairy bridge' crosses the -Greta, just where the river emerges from the park. It makes a pretty -picture as you look through the single arch into the cool shades of the -peaceful domain. Passing over this bridge we came to the old tower of -Mortham. We did not find it deserted as did Wilfrid and Bertram, for -it is now used as a farm and the tower is almost completely surrounded -by low buildings of comparatively recent construction. From the -garden, however, a fairly good view can be obtained. - - And last and least, and loveliest still, - Romantic Deepdale's slender rill. - Who in that dim-wood glen hath strayed, - Yet longed for Roslin's magic glade? - -The glen which Scott would compare with his favourite Roslin must be -romantic, indeed. The rill of Deepdale joins the Tees just above -Barnard Castle. The scenery increases in beauty as the stream is -ascended, to the solitary spot near the Cat Castle rocks-- - - Where all is cliff and copse and sky,-- - -and reaches its climax at the pretty waterfall of Cragg Force. - -{95} - -[Illustration: THE VALLEY OF THE TEES, FROM BARNARD CASTLE] - -The Cavaliers and Roundheads whom Scott introduces into the midst of -this beautiful scenery are not, it must be confessed, particularly -interesting, nor is the villain Bertram, in spite of the fact that the -poet was a little proud of him as a sketch full of dash and vigour. -There are three people, however, who hold the attention. The first is -Matilda, who, by the poet's faintly veiled admission, was intended to -be the picture of his early love, Williamina Stuart. In Wilfrid, the -youth of poetic temperament, who loved in vain, and Redmond, his -successful but generous rival, there is a suggestion, which one can -scarcely escape, of the poet himself and Sir William Forbes, who -married Williamina. Redmond showed his kindly heart and soldierly -strength by fighting desperately over the prostrate figure of his -wounded rival, at length carrying him in his arms from the burning -castle to a place of safety, after his entire train had deserted their -leader. Sir William Forbes was one of the first to offer aid when -financial misfortune overtook Sir Walter, and when one creditor -undertook to make serious trouble, privately paid the entire claim of -nearly £2000, taking care that Scott should not know how it was -managed. As a matter of fact, Sir Walter did not learn the truth until -some time after the death of his generous friend. - - - - -{96} - -CHAPTER VI - -THE BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN - -One of Scott's chief delights was the little game of _fooling the -critics_. No sooner had he arranged for the publication of 'Rokeby' -than he began to _lay a trap for Jeffrey_, whose reviews of the earlier -poems had not been altogether agreeable. From this innocent little -scheme the poet and his confidant, William Erskine, anticipated great -amusement. The plan was to publish simultaneously with 'Rokeby,' a -shorter and lighter romance, in a different metre and to 'take in the -knowing ones' by introducing certain peculiarities of composition -suggestive of Erskine. The poem thus projected, of which fragments had -already been published, was 'The Bridal of Triermain.' The scheme so -far succeeded that for a long while the public was completely -mystified. A writer in the 'Quarterly Review,' probably George Ellis, -thought it 'an imitation of Mr. Scott's style of composition,' and -added, 'if it be inferior in vigour to some of his productions, it -equals or surpasses them in elegance and beauty.' Jeffrey escaped the -trap by the chance of a voyage to America that year, though it may be -doubted whether he would have fallen into it. - -I have already referred to the fact (chapter I) that much of the -material for this poem came to Scott in the summer of 1797, when, after -a visit to the English Lakes, he found some weeks of real romance near -the village of {97} Gilsland. To this period the poet's recollection -turned for his 'light romance.' In the passage where Arthur derides -the pretensions of his military rival,-- - - Who comes in foreign trashery - Of tinkling chain and spur, - A walking haberdashery - Of feathers, lace, and fur,-- - -Lockhart finds an allusion to some incident of the ball at Gilsland Spa -where Scott first met his future wife. Whether the walk along the -Irthing River below the 'Spa' was really in the poet's mind, when he -wrote of the 'woodland brook' beside which Arthur and Lucy wandered, is -of course unknown, but I do not doubt that it may have been, since so -much of the poem was suggested by the experiences of that pleasant -summer. Triermain Castle, or what is left of it, is about three miles -west of Gilsland. Only a fragment about the size of an ordinary -chimney is now standing, though Scott saw more of it, for a -considerable portion of the ruin fell in 1832. The Barons of Gilsland -received a grant of land from Henry II sometime in the twelfth century, -and Robert de Vaux, son of the original grantee, was probably the -builder of the castle. On his tombstone in Lannercost Priory, near by, -is this inscription:-- - - Sir Robert Vaux that sometime was the Lord of Triermain, - Is dead, his body clad in lead, ligs law under this stane; - Evin as we, evin as he, on earth a levan man, - Evin as he, evin so maun we, for all the craft of men. - -The castle was built of the stones of the old Roman wall which passes -near the place. From Triermain, Sir Roland de Vaux sent his page to -Ullswater, passing {98} through Kirkoswald, a village of Cumberland on -the river Eden. He came to Penrith, to the south of which is a -circular mound supposed to have been used for the exercise of feats of -chivalry, which the poet calls 'red Penrith's Table Round.' In the -same locality near the river Eamont is 'Mayburgh's mound,' a collection -of stones said to have been erected by the Druids. Continuing to the -southward, he came to the shores of Ullswater, where he found the -wizard of Lyulph's Tower. The venerable sage then related the story of -King Arthur's adventure in the Valley of St. John. - -[Illustration: THE VALLEY OF ST. JOHN, SHOWING TRIERMAIN CASTLE ROCK] - -We set out in quest of the mysterious phantom castle and found the -drive through the narrow valley a delightful one. Nearly everybody who -visits the English Lakes drives over the hills from Ambleside to -Keswick. After passing Dunmailraise and skirting the shores of -Thirlmere Lake beneath the shadows of Helvellyn, we turned off the main -road near the mouth of St. John's Beck, one of the many pretty brooks -that are found everywhere in the neighbourhood. A huge pile of rocks, -projecting curiously from the side of a green-coated hill, is called, -from the poem, Triermain Castle Rock. Following the course of the -streamlet, upward, we found a view much like that which appeared to -King Arthur, after the goblet with its liquid fire had disenchanted him. - - The monarch, breathless and amazed, - Back on the fatal castle gazed-- - Nor tower nor donjon could he spy, - Darkening against the morning sky; - But on the spot where once they frowned, - The lonely streamlet brawled around - A tufted knoll, where dimly shone - Fragments of rock and rifted stone. - -{99} - -As we proceeded up the valley, looking back time and again for a last -view of the rock, it was easy to fancy that what we saw in the distance -might well be a castle and that under certain atmospheric conditions -the illusion might be heightened. - - - - -{100} - -CHAPTER VII - -THE LORD OF THE ISLES - -'The Lord of the Isles,' was another effort to deceive the critics. A -long poem acknowledged by Walter Scott, following soon after 'Waverley' -and only a month preceding 'Guy Mannering,' was calculated to 'throw -off' those who were trying to identify the mysterious author of the -Waverley Novels with the well-known poet. It was the result of a -vacation journey of about six weeks in a lighthouse yacht, made in the -summer of 1814 in the company of a party of congenial friends. The -chief of the expedition was Robert Stevenson, a distinguished civil -engineer in charge of the lighthouse service on the north coast of -Scotland, and the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson. After -circling the Shetland and Orkney Islands they came down into the Minch -or channel which separates the west coast of Scotland from the -Hebrides, and stopped at Dunvegan, on the Isle of Skye, to see the -ancient castle. Two days later they stopped to examine Loch Corriskin, -which made a profound impression upon the poet's mind. 'We were -surrounded,' he said in his Diary of the expedition, 'by hills of the -boldest and most precipitous character and on the margin of a lake -which seemed to have sustained the constant ravages of torrents from -these rude neighbours. The shores consist of huge layers of naked -granite, here and there intermixed with bogs and heaps of gravel and -sand, marking the course of torrents. Vegetation there was {101} -little or none, and the mountains rose so perpendicularly from the -water's edge that Borrowdale is a jest to them. We proceeded about one -mile and a half up this deep, dark, and solitary lake, which is about -two miles long, half a mile broad, and, as we learned, of extreme -depth.... It is as exquisite as a savage scene, as Loch Katrine is as -a scene of stern beauty.' In the poem he gives a little more vivid -description:-- - - For rarely human eye has known - A scene so stern as that dread lake - With its dark ledge of barren stone. - Seems that primeval earthquake's sway - Hath rent a strange and shatter'd way - Through the rude bosom of the hill, - And that each naked precipice, - Sable ravine, and dark abyss, - Tells of the outrage still. - The wildest glen but this can show - Some touch of Nature's genial glow; - On high Benmore green mosses grow, - And heath-bells bud in deep Glencroe, - And copse on Cruchan-Ben; - But here--above, around, below, - On mountain or in glen, - Nor tree nor shrub, nor plant, nor flower, - Nor aught of vegetative power - The weary eye may ken. - For all is rocks at random thrown, - Black waves, bare crags, and banks of stone, - As if were here denied - The summer's sun, the spring's sweet dew, - That clothe with many a varied hue - The bleakest mountain-side. - -No wonder that the exiled monarch, Bruce, should say: - - A scene so rude, so wild as this, - Yet so sublime in barrenness, -{102} - Ne'er did my wandering footsteps press - Where'er I happed to roam. - - -Returning to their vessel after an extraordinary walk, the party left -Loch Scavig and, rounding its southern cape, sailed into the Loch of -Sleapin, where they visited Macallister's Cave. Here they found a -wonderful pool, which, 'surrounded by the most fanciful mouldings in a -substance resembling white marble, and distinguished by the depth and -purity of its waters, might be the bathing grotto of a Naiad.' - -In the morning they sailed toward the south and - - Merrily, merrily goes the bark - On a breeze from the northward free, - So shoots through the morning sky the lark, - Or the swan through the summer sea. - The shores of Mull on the eastward lay, - And Ulva dark and Colonsay, - And all the group of islets gay - That guard famed Staffa round. - -They were following the same route, or nearly so, which the poet -afterward laid down for Robert Bruce on his return from the Island of -Skye to his native coast of Carrick. - -They stopped at Staffa to view the famous basaltic formation,-- - - Where, as to shame the temples decked - By skill of earthly architect, - Nature herself, it seemed, would raise - A minster to her Maker's praise. - -'The stupendous columnar side walls,' says the Diary; 'the depth and -strength of the ocean with which the cavern is filled--the variety of -tints formed by stalactites {103} dropping and petrifying between the -pillars and resembling a sort of chasing of yellow or cream-coloured -marble filling the interstices of the roof--the corresponding variety -below, where the ocean rolls over a red, and in some places a -violet-coloured rock, the basis of the basaltic pillars--the dreadful -noise of those august billows so well corresponding with the grandeur -of the scene--are all circumstances unparalleled.' - -They also stopped to view 'Old Iona's holy fane,' the ancient -burial-place of kings and abbots and other men of eminence. It is said -that Macbeth was buried here and before him sixty other Scottish kings -whose names are now unknown. - -The vivid descriptions of scenes along the route of Bruce to Scotland, -with which 'The Lord of the Isles' abounds, were gathered on this -memorable journey of the poet. It was not so, however, with the -arrival of Bruce at his ancestral castle of Turnberry on the coast of -Ayr, the information for which was supplied by Scott's indefatigable -friend, Joseph Train, whose investigations brought to light the ancient -superstition that on each anniversary of the night of Bruce's return a -meteoric gleam reappeared in the same quarter of the heavens. - - The light that seemed a twinkling star - Now blazed portentous, fierce and far, - Dark red the heaven above it gleamed, - Dark red the sea beneath it flowed, - Red-rose the rocks on ocean's brim, - In blood-red light her islets swim. - - -The ruins of Bruce's castle may still be seen close by the lighthouse -at Turnberry. So little remains that they are scarcely visible from -the land side, and though {104} thousands visit the locality for a run -over the superb golf links, few realize that here was the birthplace of -Robert Bruce, and that the skirmishes here begun, when the future king -returned prematurely from exile, led eventually to the series of -successes which terminated in the great victory of Bannockburn. - -The poetic description of this terrific combat lacks nothing of the -vigour and dramatic force that characterize the story of Flodden Field. -The scene where the Bruce, suddenly attacked by Sir Henry de Bohun, -rises in his stirrups and fells the fierce knight with a single blow of -his battle-axe; the stratagem of the concealed ditches into which the -English rode with fearful losses; the kneeling of the Scottish army in -prayer before the battle; the charge of the cavalry against the English -archers; the sudden appearance of the Scottish camp-followers on the -brow of the hill, waving their spears and banners, so that they -resembled a fresh army of reinforcements; the tragic death of De -Argentine and the final triumph of the Scottish cause are vividly -portrayed with all the poet's accustomed power. - -'The Lord of the Isles' was the last of Scott's important poems. Two -other attempts followed, 'The Field of Waterloo' and 'Harold, the -Dauntless,' but neither was considered successful. - -[Illustration: TURNBERRY CASTLE, COAST OF AYRSHIRE] - -'Rokeby,' 'The Bridal of Triermain,' and 'The Lord of the Isles,' -though well worthy of the genius of the poet, had failed to equal in -popularity the three greater poems by which his fame had been -established. The brilliant success of Byron was, as Scott feared, -'taking the wind out of his sails.' Moreover, his own interest in -poetry had waned under the influence of his greater achievements {105} -in prose. As the author of the Waverley Novels he had stepped into a -new and vastly more important field, where he now stood alone. So with -the passing of Walter Scott the poet came the rising star of the -novelist, and the world was the richer by the transition. - - - - -{106} - -CHAPTER VIII - -WAVERLEY - -One morning during our stay at Melrose, we drove by motor westward -along the Tweed, passing Ashestiel, situated high up on the opposite -bank, but catching only a glimpse of it through the trees. Here -'Waverley' was begun in 1805 and laid aside because of the criticism of -a close friend. Here, too, in 1810, it was resumed and again put aside -because of the faint praise of James Ballantyne. This time the -manuscript was lost and completely forgotten. It came to light in 1813 -when Scott was searching in an old cabinet for some fishing-tackle. He -was seized with a desire to finish it, and the work was done so fast -that the last two of the original three volumes were written in three -weeks. It was published on the 7th of July, 1814. - -Farther up the stream we could see in the distance on a high elevation -the ruins of Elibank, where Scott's ancestor, young Wat of Harden, came -so near paying the penalty for 'lifting' a few head of his neighbour's -cattle. Scott always said that the blood of the old cattle-drivers of -Teviotdale still stirred in his veins, and in this way he accounted for -his 'propensity for the dubious characters of borderers, buccaneers, -Highland robbers, and all others of a Robin Hood description.' - -Our journey on this particular morning was for the purpose of visiting -an old baronial mansion which Scott no doubt had very much in his mind -during the writing {107} of 'Waverley.' This was Traquair House, -situated in the village of that name, about two miles south of -Innerleithen. It presents some striking resemblances to the -description of Tully Veolan. There is a long and wide avenue, having -an upper and a lower gate. 'This avenue was straight and of moderate -length, running between a double row of very ancient horse-chestnuts, -planted alternately with sycamores, which rose to such huge height, and -flourished so luxuriantly, that their boughs completely overarched the -broad road beneath.' Two narrow drives, one on each side of the broad -avenue, converge immediately in front of the inner gate. Between these -is a broad space 'clothed with grass of a deep and rich verdure.' The -outer entrance to the avenue is barred by a pair of iron gates, hung -between two massive pillars of stone, on each of which is a curious -beast, standing on his hind legs, his fore legs resting on a sort of -scroll-work support. The animals face each other like a couple of -rival legislators holding a joint debate from behind tall -reading-desks. Scott says somewhat dubiously that these 'two large -weather-beaten mutilated masses of upright stone ... if the tradition -of the hamlet could be trusted, had once represented, or at least been -designed to represent, two rampant Bears, the supporters of the family -of Bradwardine.' If any of the village people, who stood around as I -arranged my camera, their wide-stretched eyes and open mouths betraying -their curiosity, had told me that these 'bears' were 'rampant -hippopotami,' I should have rewarded them with my usual credulous nod -and 'thank you.' There can be little doubt that Scott took the idea of -the Bears of Bradwardine from this gate, although he {108} multiplied -the two and scattered them all over the place. - -Like Tully Veolan, the house seems to consist of high, narrow, and -steep-roofed buildings, with numberless windows, all very small, while -the roofs have little turrets, 'resembling pepper-boxes.' It was built -'at a period when castles were no longer necessary and when the -Scottish architects had not yet acquired the art of designing a -domestic residence.' - -Scott no doubt was a frequent visitor here. In one of his letters he -refers to the owner in connection with a plan to plant some 'aquatic -trees,--willows, alders, poplars, and so forth,'--around a little pond -in Abbotsford and to have a 'preserve of wild ducks' and other -water-fowl. He says, 'I am to get some eggs from Lord Traquair, of a -curious species of half-reclaimed wild ducks, which abound near his -solitary old château and nowhere else in Scotland that I know of.' This -denotes a somewhat intimate acquaintance with the Earl of Traquair. -The house, indeed, was so near Ashestiel that Scott could hardly fail -to visit so interesting a place many times. It is doubtful if there is -another inhabited house in Scotland more ancient than Traquair. The -present owner takes care to preserve its appearance of antiquity. No -repairs or alterations are made except such as are absolutely -necessary, and then the work is done in such a way as to conceal its -'newness.' Among the early owners of the estate was James, Lord -Douglas, the friend of Bruce, who attempted to carry his chief's heart -to the Holy Land. The founder of the family of Traquair was James -Stuart, and his descendants have held the estate for nearly four -centuries. - -{109} - -The great gate with the grotesque bears has been closed for more than a -century. One tradition is that the defeat of the young Prince Charles -at the battle of Culloden in 1746 was the direct cause of its final -closing. The Prince visited the Earl of that day (Charles, the fifth -Earl of Traquair) to persuade him to lend his active support to the -Jacobite cause. The Earl felt compelled to decline, but in escorting -his visitor from the park, made a vow that the gate should never be -opened again until a Stuart was on the throne. The defeat of the -Prince was a severe disappointment to the Traquair family and the vow -of the Earl has been kept to this day, even though the earldom is now -extinct. - -It is not correct, however, in spite of the striking resemblances, to -speak of Traquair House as the 'original' of Tully Veolan. Scott -himself says in his note in the edition of 1829, 'There is no -particular mansion described under the name of Tully Veolan; but the -peculiarities of description occur in various old Scottish seats.' -Among these were the house of Sir George Warrender upon Bruntsfield -Links; the old house of Ravelston, owned by Sir Alexander Keith, the -author's friend and kinsman, from which he took some hints for the -garden; and the house of Dean, near Edinburgh. He adds,'The author -has, however, been informed that the house of Grandtully resembles that -of the Baron of Bradwardine still more than any of the above.' - -Acting upon this hint, when we were making the city of Perth our -centre, we took a long journey by motor with Grandtully Castle as the -objective point. I doubt if there is a more beautiful drive in all -Scotland. We followed the left bank of the river Tay through a fertile -{110} valley of surpassing loveliness. In the whole journey of nearly -one hundred miles it seemed as though there was never a blot on the -landscape. No neglected farms, no rough patches of naked earth, no -tumble-down fences, no unsightly railroad excavations nor bare -embankments, no swamps filled with fallen timber, no hideous -bill-boards, none of the hundreds of unsightly objects which mar the -scenery of so many country drives. Everything seemed well kept. The -big estates were filled with beautiful trees and shrubs, many of them -in full bloom, and the humbler places did equally well, though on a -smaller scale. I remember passing a hedge of beeches, half a mile -long, the trees growing ninety feet high and so close together as to -make a wall impenetrable to the sunlight. I was told that this hedge -was trimmed once in three years at an expense of fifteen hundred -dollars each time. This is only one item in the care of a large -estate. We passed the park and palace of Scone, where the coronation -stone was kept before its removal to Westminster Abbey, and from which -it received its name. Farther to the north we stopped a few minutes at -Campsie Linn, which I shall mention later in connection with 'The Fair -Maid of Perth.' A little beyond Cargill our course turned sharply to -the West, although the main road continues to the north until it -reaches Blairgowrie, some two or three miles beyond which is another -'original' of Tully Veolan, the house of Craighall. Unfortunately lack -of time did not permit a visit to this place, but I must digress long -enough to explain its significance. It was the seat of the Rattray -family, who were related to William Clerk, one of Scott's most intimate -companions of the early days {111} spent among the law courts of -Edinburgh. During one of the Highland excursions the friends stopped -at Craighall. When 'Waverley' came out, twenty-one years later, Mr. -Clerk was so much struck with the resemblance of Tully Veolan to the -old mansion of the Rattrays that he immediately said, 'This is -Scott's.' The reason for the conviction was probably not so much the -similarity of the real house to the fictitious one as the recollection -of a little incident of the early excursion. Clerk, seeing the smoke -of a little hamlet before them, when they were tired and heated from -their journey, is said to have exclaimed, 'How agreeable if we should -here fall in with one of those signposts where a red lion predominates -over a punch-bowl!' In spite of the lapse of so many years, Clerk -recognized his own expression (with which he knew Scott had been -particularly amused) in that part of the description of Tully Veolan -where 'a huge bear, carved in stone, predominated over a large stone -basin.' - -[Illustration: GRANDTULLY CASTLE] - -Following the course of the beautiful river, upstream, we came at -length, far up in the Perthshire hills, to the Castle of Grandtully. -It is a large and stately mansion, situated in one of those beautiful -parks with which the region abounds. It has the pepper-box turrets and -small windows of Tully Veolan. It is now, as in Scott's time, the home -of a family of Stewarts, one of whom, Sir George, supported the cause -of 'the Young Chevalier' in 1745. The gardener, who, in the absence of -the family, did the honours of the place, told me that Scott had -visited the house many years after 'Waverley' appeared and had said -then that it was more nearly like what he had described than any other -castle, and that {112} 'the only mistake he had made was in putting -bears on the gateway instead of bees.' There is a fine wrought-iron -gate at Grandtully with the figures of two bees, forming a part of the -coat of arms of the Stewart family. An avenue of limes formerly led to -this gate, but it is no longer used and only two of the trees remain. -Scott was always cautious about admitting any connection of his -writings with definite 'originals,' but was ever ready to humour those -who fancied they saw certain resemblances. It is curious that he does -not mention either Traquair House or Craighall in his note, though both -were identified as 'originals' during his lifetime. No doubt, -consciously or unconsciously, he wove into his novel partial -descriptions of both, as well as of Grandtully, while the houses which -he particularly mentions also furnished some of the details. - -The historical value of 'Waverley' lies in its picture of the rising of -the Highland clans in favour of Charles Edward Stuart, called the -'Young Pretender' by the supporters of the reigning king, but -affectionately known among his Scottish adherents as 'Bonnie Prince -Charlie.' The ambitious young man, the grandson of James II, left -France in the summer of 1745 in a small vessel, with only seven -friends, and landed on one of the Hebridean Islands. Before the end of -August he had raised his standard in the valley of Glenfinnan and found -himself at the head of an army of fifteen hundred men, chiefly of the -clans of MacDonald and Cameron. He soon made a triumphant march to -Edinburgh, where he established himself in the Palace of Holyrood, -which the Stuart family had already made famous. On Tuesday, the 17th -of September, he caused the proclamation {113} of his father, 'the Old -Pretender,' as King James VIII, to be read by the heralds at the old -Market Cross in Parliament Square. The people crowded around the -'Young Chevalier,' eager to kiss his hand or even to touch for a single -instant the Scottish tartan which he wore. So great was the crowd that -he was compelled to call for his horse, for otherwise he could make no -progress. It is said that his noble appearance so won the hearts of -all who beheld him that before he reached the palace the polish of his -boots was dimmed by the kisses of the multitude. - -That night the old palace reawakened to something of its former -brilliancy, on the occasion of a great ball, given by the Prince. The -old picture gallery, with its array of queer portraits of -long-forgotten Scottish kings, was a scene of glittering splendour. -The long-deserted halls, now brilliant with a thousand lights, were -crowded with an assembly of men of education and fortune, accompanied -by their ladies in gowns of such elegance as the confusion of the times -might permit. Mingling with these representations of the Jacobean -gentry of Edinburgh were the handsomely arrayed officers of the clans, -the Highland gentlemen of importance, with their many coloured plaids -and sashes, their broadswords glittering with heavy silver plate and -inlaid work, and all the other elegant appurtenances for which the -picturesque Highland costume offered abundant scope. In the chapter on -the Ball, Scott merely introduced into an historic assemblage two -handsome women, Flora MacIvor and Rose Bradwardine, and two men, Fergus -MacIvor and Edward Waverley. - -The palace is to-day much the same as it was in the {114} time of the -Prince, though the adjoining abbey is now roofless and very much more -of a ruin. A walk through the Canongate, from Holyrood to the Market -Cross, would give one a very fair idea of the street through which -Fergus MacIvor and Waverley passed to the lodgings of the former in the -house of the buxom Widow Flockhart, where Waverley received his new -Highland costume from the hands of James of the Needle. At the other -end of the town, beneath the castle, is St. Cuthbert's Church, then -called the West Kirk, where the honest Presbyterian clergyman, -MacVicar, preached every Sunday and prayed for the House of Hanover in -spite of the fact that many of the Jacobites were present. In one of -those petitions he referred to the fact that 'a young man has recently -come among us seeking an earthly crown' and prayed that he might -speedily be granted a heavenly one! - -Much of the material for 'Waverley' was stored up in the retentive -memory of the novelist when he was a mere boy. At six years of age he -was taken for a visit to Prestonpans. If the old veteran of the German -wars, Dalgetty, whom he met here and who found a ready listener in the -bright-eyed little boy, was able to tell the story of the battle in -anything like a graphic manner, it must have made a profound impression -upon the mind of a lad who had already learned to fight the battles of -Scotland with miniature armies of pebbles and shells. On one side was -an army of Highlanders, the chief men of each clan proudly dressed in -their distinctive tartans. They were tall, vigorous, hardy men, all -proud of their ancestry, each capable of deeds of individual daring and -courage, but all loyal to their chiefs and to their temporary leader, -{115} Prince Charles Edward Stuart. They were not only well dressed -but well armed, each man having a broadsword, target, dirk, and fusee, -or flintlock gun, and perhaps a steel pistol. These were the gentlemen -of the Highlands. Contrasting strangely with them and forming the -larger part of the army was the rear guard, a motley crowd, bearing -every appearance of extreme poverty. They were rough, uncouth, -half-naked men of savage aspect, armed with whatever weapon could be -most easily obtained. Some had pole-axes; some carried scythes, -securely fastened to the ends of poles; a few had old guns or swords; -while many had only dirks and bludgeons. But all had the fighting -spirit and a keen desire for plunder. To complete this curious but -formidable array, there was an old iron cannon, dragged along by a -string of Highland ponies. This constituted the entire artillery of -the army and it could only be used for firing signals, yet the leaders -allowed it to be retained because of the belief on the part of the men -in the ranks that it would in some miraculous way contribute to their -expected victory. - -On the English side a complete army of infantry, cavalry, and -artillery, well equipped and disciplined, confronted the Highland -hordes. As they wheeled into line the fixed bayonets of the infantry -glistened in the sun like 'successive hedges of steel.' These, with -the trains of artillery and troop after troop of well-equipped -dragoons, presented a formidable appearance. But they struck no terror -into the hearts of the wild 'petticoat-men.' With terrific yells the -forces of the rebellious Scotchmen rushed into battle. Discipline and -order gave way before the impact of savage zeal, and panic {116} seized -the English army. The result was what the child Scott always contrived -to accomplish in his mimic battles of pebbles,--the complete victory of -the Scots and the utter rout of their enemy. There is now little to be -seen on the battle-field. The old thorn tree, which was once the -central landmark, has almost disappeared. The fertile fields, once -trampled by hostile armies, have given way to railroad tracks and -unsightly collieries. Colonel Gardiner's house, however, where that -hero died after receiving a mortal wound upon the battle-field, still -remains standing, and in front, at the end of a fine avenue of trees, -is a plain but dignified monument to his memory. - -The principal incident of the battle, as told in 'Waverley,' is based -upon a true story, which Scott heard from Alexander Stewart of -Invernahyle, on one of his early visits to the Highlands. When the -Highlanders in 1745 attacked the army of Sir John Cope at Prestonpans, -Stewart was one of the leaders in charge. Noticing an officer of the -English army standing alone, sword in hand, too proud to fly with the -others, he called on him to surrender. The officer answered by a -thrust of his sword which Stewart received in his target, breaking the -blade. A huge Highlander rushed up to the defenceless man with lifted -battle-axe, and in another moment would have killed his victim but for -the chivalrous interference of Stewart, who protected him from injury, -took care of his personal property, and finally secured his release on -parole. This officer was a Scotch gentleman, serving in the King's -army, whose name was Colonel Whitefoord. Stewart later paid him a -visit at his home in Ayrshire. After the battle of Culloden had put an -end to the hopes of Prince Charles and his loyal Scottish {117} -friends, when those who had supported the rebellion were in grave -danger of death and the confiscation of their property, Colonel -Whitefoord took occasion to repay the debt to Mr. Stewart. He called -in person on the Duke of Cumberland to plead for his friend's life, or -at least for the protection of his family and property. On receiving a -positive refusal, he took his commission from his pocket, and laying it -on the table before the Duke, with great emotion begged leave to retire -from the service of a king who did not know how to be merciful to a -vanquished enemy. The Duke was deeply affected and granted the desired -protection. It was none too soon, for the troops were even then -beginning to plunder the country in the immediate vicinity of -Invernahyle's home. That unfortunate gentleman had lain for many days -concealed in a cave, his food being brought by one of his daughters, a -child so young that she was not suspected by the soldiers. - -The rescue of Colonel Talbot by Waverley and the subsequent friendly -assistance of that officer, upon which so much of the plot of the novel -depends, was founded upon this incident, which the old soldier related -to Walter Scott, a boy of fifteen. It will be remembered that Scott's -first Highland visit took place in 1786, so that Stewart, who was 'out' -in the rebellion of 1715, must have been a very old man when he told -the story. The lad, who no doubt listened eagerly, absorbing every -detail into his extraordinary memory, did not use the tale until nearly -a quarter of a century later. - -An example of Scott's remarkable way of remembering and reproducing the -little details of the stories he heard is the use he made of Stewart's -experience in {118} hiding in a cave. The Baron of Bradwardine is -supposed to have concealed himself in similar manner and to have had -important assistance from 'Davie Gellatley,' the Baron's 'natural' or -fool, who was 'no sae silly as folk tak him for.' Colonel Stewart, a -grandson of Stewart of Invernahyle, in his book on the Highlands, -points out that while some gentlemen 'who had been out' in the -rebellion were obliged to conceal themselves in the woods near his -grandfather's house, they were supplied with food and other necessaries -by one of these poor, half-witted creatures, who showed an -extraordinary sagacity as well as fidelity in protecting the friends of -his patron. - -'Davie Gellatley' was a type common enough, especially in the country -districts of Scotland, a century ago. These rustic fools were usually -treated with kindness, the good people feeling a sense of duty to help -those to whom Providence had denied their full share of mental power. -They frequently possessed a certain sagacity or cunning, combined with -sly humour, which enabled them at times to make quick and unexpected -answers, causing much amusement and wonder. Such a man was Daft Jock -Gray, who lived on a farm in Ettrick and was well known to all the -Border people. He was a frequent visitor at Ashestiel, where he -entertained the family with his wild snatches of songs and ballads and -his eccentric performances. Jock was once travelling with a man of his -own type, Jamie Renwick. When night came, they lodged in a convenient -barn. Jock could not sleep and got up and walked about singing his -wild and incoherent songs. This so irritated Jamie that he shouted, -'Come to your bed, ye skirlin' deevil! I canna get a wink o' sleep for -ye; I daur say the folk will think us daft! Od, if ye {119} dinna come -and lie down this instant, I'll rise and _bring ye to your senses_ wi' -my rung!' 'Faith,' says Jock, 'if ye do that, it will be mair than ony -ither body has ever been able to do.'[1] - -The visit of Waverley to the cave of Donald Bean Lean was based upon -another incident, told to Scott on a later excursion to the Highlands -in 1793, when he stopped for a time at Tullibody, the residence of Mr. -Abercrombie, the grandfather of his intimate friend and companion, -George Abercrombie. The old gentleman related how he had been -compelled to make a visit to the wild retreats of Rob Roy, where he was -entertained with great courtesy by that Highland chief in a cave very -much like that described in Waverley. He was treated to a dinner of -'collops' or steaks, cut from his own cattle, which he recognized -hanging by the heels in the cavern. He found it necessary to arrange -for the payment of blackmail to the cateran, which insured the -protection of his herds against not only Rob Roy himself, but all other -freebooters. - -We found just such a cave on the east shore of Loch Lomond in the heart -of the Rob Roy country. It is reached by rowing from Inversnaid about -a mile up the lake, and clambering over some rough rocks to the -opening. It is known as Rob Roy's Cave and gave an excellent idea of -the place where Waverley was entertained by Donald Bean Lean and the -good-natured Highland girl, his daughter, who thought nothing of -walking four miles to 'borrow' enough eggs for his breakfast. From the -rocks we enjoyed a superb view of Loch Lomond, {120} strongly -suggesting the Highland loch of 'Waverley,' 'surrounded by heathy and -savage mountains, on the crests of which the morning mist was still -sleeping.' I was fortunate enough to get a good photograph of these -mists as they rose above the summit of Ben Vorlich on the opposite side -of the lake. - -On this same excursion to the Highlands, Scott learned from another old -gentleman something of the history of Doune Castle, the ruins of which -now stand on the banks of the Ardoch, a tributary of the Tieth, some -ten miles or more north of Stirling. We found the most beautiful view -from the bridge on the main road, crossing the Tieth. The ruins show -that the castle was once of great extent. It was built by Murdoch, -Duke of Albany, while governor of Scotland in the exile of James I. -When James returned in 1423, he took vengeance upon the unfaithful -guardian of his kingdom and beheaded Murdoch on the Heading Hill of -Stirling Castle. The Scottish monarchs, or several of them, utilized -the castle as a dower-house for their queen consorts. James II in 1451 -bestowed it upon his queen, Mary of Gueldres; James III gave it to his -consort, Margaret of Denmark, in 1471; and James IV presented it to -Queen Margaret in 1503, making it one of his royal residences. In the -year 1745 it came into the possession of Charles Edward, the Young -Pretender, who used it as a prison. Scott is quite consistent with the -facts of history, therefore, when he causes Waverley to be detained -there on his way to Holyrood Palace. - -[Illustration: DOUNE CASTLE FROM THE TEITH] - -One other incident of this same Highland excursion must be mentioned. -It was then that Scott first visited the home of his friend, Buchanan, -the Laird of Cambusmore. {121} Francis Buchanan, the great uncle of -the young laird, was carried away from this house to Carlisle, where he -was hanged on a charge of treason, this estate and another at Strathyre -being confiscated. The property was later restored to the family, by -whom it is still owned. The account of the execution of Fergus MacIvor -at Carlisle Castle was based upon this story, as told to Scott on the -porch of Cambusmore by his friend Buchanan. - -Another spot in the Highlands of which Scott was very fond is the -little waterfall of Lediard. We found the place because we were -looking for it, but the casual tourist would not be likely to see it. -It is reached from the road leading along the north shore of Loch Ard, -west of Aberfoyle and south of the Trossachs. I found it necessary to -walk through a lane to a near-by farmhouse and then go up a slight -incline by a narrow winding path along a little brook until I came to a -thick wood. There the rush of the waters could be plainly heard, and -guided by the sound, I was able after some search to find a rock where -I could place my camera for a view of the little cascade. It is not -remarkable either for the height of the fall or for the volume of -water, but its charm comes from the dense foliage through which the -sunlight dances and sparkles, from the rough rocks clothed in ferns and -moss and wild flowers, except where the fantastic play of the streamlet -keeps them bare, and from the deep pool at the bottom filled to the -brim with pure, cold water. - -This exquisite scene was chosen by Scott for one of his most romantic -pictures--the meeting of Waverley and Flora MacIvor, when the graceful -and beautiful daughter of the Highlands, blending her voice with the -music of the waterfall and the accompaniment of the harp, {122} sang -the Celtic verses so full of devotion to her native land and the cause -of the Prince, calling to the clans:-- - - For honour, for freedom, for vengeance awake! - -It is interesting to compare the character of Flora MacIvor and her -devotion to the fortunes of the exiled Stuarts with that of the famous -Flora MacDonald. In the circumstances of their environment there is no -similarity between the two heroines, one of fiction and the other of -real life. Flora MacDonald was born in the Island of South Uist and -brought in infancy to the neighbouring island of Skye. Except for a -brief visit to Argyleshire, she never left those islands until after -the stirring events which made her famous. She did not meet the Prince -until she engaged in her efforts to rescue him, after the battle of -Culloden. - -In personal characteristics there is a very striking resemblance. -Flora MacDonald, though reared in the solitude of a remote island, -acquired an excellent education, to which she added the natural love of -poetry and romance peculiar to her people. 'There was nothing -unfeminine, either in her form or in her manners, to detract from the -charm of her great natural vivacity, or give a tone of hardness to her -strong good sense, calm judgment, and power of decision. Her voice was -sweet and low; the harsher accents of the Scottish tongue were not to -be detected in her discourse.'[2] She always manifested a perfect -modesty and propriety of behaviour coupled with a noble simplicity of -character which led her to regard with surprise the many tributes of -praise which her conduct merited. These were the characteristics {123} -with which Scott invested his heroine. Flora MacDonald's family -belonged to the clan of MacDonald of Clanronald, and one of Scott's -most valued friends, Colonel Ronaldson MacDonnel of Glengarry,[3] was a -descendant of the same clan. He was an eccentric character who tried -to play the chieftain and thought, felt, and acted about as he might -have done a hundred years earlier, but could not do in his own time -without provoking censure and ridicule. He even attempted to have -himself recognized as the chief of the whole clan of Clanronald, though -his own ancestors had been unable to establish the right. Scott -regarded him as a treasure, 'full of information as to the history of -his own clan, and the manners and customs of the Highlanders in -general.' In his effort to make Fergus MacIvor, Vich Ian Vohr, a -typical leader of one of the Highland clans, Scott no doubt received -considerable help from Glengarry, whose castle of Invergarry was on -Loch Oich, in Inverness, in the very heart of the country of the -rebellious chiefs and only a few miles distant from Culloden, the scene -of their final defeat. - -Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine, Esq., the pompous, tiresome, but laughable -bore, with his endless quotations in Latin, the honourable soldier, the -excellent father and the lovable friend, is one of Scott's most -interesting characters. Though an original creation, there was more -than one man of his time who might have sat for the portrait of the -brave, honourable, kind-hearted gentleman who spoke Latin as fluently -as his native Scotch dialect and who loved his 'Livy' so much that -{124} after escaping from some soldiers who had arrested him, he risked -recapture in order to return and secure the beloved volume which he had -forgotten in his haste. The absurd old Baron is represented as -insisting upon his right and duty, under a charter of Robert Bruce, by -which his lands were held, to pull off the boots of the King. Two -difficulties present themselves:--first that Prince Charles is not the -King, and second that he does not wear boots. But it is decided that -Charles represents the King, and that a service performed to him is -done for the King; also that brogues are a legitimate substitute for -boots. So with the good-natured consent of the Prince, the ridiculous -ceremony takes place with due solemnity. This incident, fantastic as -it seems, is only an example of the way in which certain Scottish -tenures were held. Mrs. Hughes, of Uffington, says that Scott told her -of a similar tenure under which the Howistons of Braehead held their -lands, namely, by presenting a basin and ewer with water and a towel -for the King to wash whenever he came to Holyrood. - -The Laird of Balmawhapple was a purely fictitious character, but the -method of his death at Prestonpans was one of the true stories told to -Scott as a child when he first visited the battle-field. A brave and -honourable gentleman, one of the few cavalrymen who followed Prince -Charles, was pursuing some fugitive dragoons. Suddenly discovering -that they were followed only by one man and his two servants, the -soldiers turned and cut down the courageous Highlander. - -[Illustration: ULLSWATER (WAVERLEY'S RETREAT AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE -CHEVALIER)] - -As in many of Scott's novels, the hero is less attractive than some of -the subordinate characters. The author himself characterized Edward -Waverley, somewhat too {125} severely, as a 'sneaking piece of -imbecility' and added, 'if he had married Flora, she would have set him -up upon the chimneypiece, as Count Borowlaski's wife used to do with -him.' Yet in the third chapter, where the subject is Waverley's -education, he is really giving a bit of autobiography. He refers to -Edward's power of imagination and love of literature and mentions the -pleasure which his uncle's large library afforded him. 'He had read -and stored, in a memory of uncommon tenacity, much curious though -ill-arranged and miscellaneous information. In English literature he -was master of Shakespeare and Milton, of our earlier dramatic authors, -of many picturesque and interesting passages from our old historical -chronicles, and was particularly well acquainted with Spenser, Drayton, -and other poets, who have exercised themselves on romantic fiction.' - -'Waverley' will always be remembered for its graphic picture of the -Scottish Highlands in the period just before they ceased to have a -distinctive individual existence, and for the portrait of the Young -Pretender, who in 'the affair of 1745' achieved such a remarkable hold -upon the affections of the Scottish people. Scott pictures the young -Prince in the most brilliant period of his career, and if he does so in -colours more attractive than his character deserves, it must be -remembered that these were the traits which won the love of his -followers and by which alone that affection can be explained. The -excesses of later years had not yet marred the fine promise of youth, -which, under happier circumstances, might have developed into a higher -type of manhood. - - - -[1] From _Illustrations of the Author of Waverley_, by Robert Chambers. - -[2] From a Memoir, by Mrs. Thomson, 1846. - -[3] It was to this good friend that Scott was indebted for the gift of -his famous staghound Maida. - - - - -{126} - -CHAPTER IX - -GUY MANNERING - -For the principal scenery of Scott's second novel, we found it -desirable to change our headquarters to the city of Dumfries, a royal -burgh of great antiquity, on the banks of the river Nith. A mile or -more to the north, where the Cluden flows into the Nith, are the -picturesque ruins of Lincluden Abbey, to which Robert Burns made many a -pilgrimage. His favourite walk was along the opposite bank of the -stream, and here, at the close of a summer's day, he would promenade in -the twilight, enjoying the calm of the evening while he composed his -lyrics. Several miles farther north is Ellisland, where Burns -endeavoured to combine the pursuit of farming with the collection of -the king's revenue in the excise service, and incidentally 'met the -Muses' to the extent of producing 'Tam o' Shanter' and several other -well-known poems. - -South of the city the Nith is a tidal river, gradually broadening until -it becomes an arm of the Solway Firth. Two fine old ruins guard its -outlet, one on either side. On the west is Sweetheart Abbey, a -beautiful ruin in an excellent state of preservation. Its name comes -from a pretty story. The Lady Devorgilla, mother of John Baliol, who -became King of Scotland, founded the abbey in 1275 and erected a tomb -near the high altar. At her husband's death, six years before, she had -caused his heart to be embalmed and enclosed in a casket adorned {127} -with precious stones, which she ever after carried with her wherever -she went. She gave orders that at her death her body should be laid in -the tomb which she had built and that the precious casket should be -laid on her breast. Thus the two 'sweethearts' were to rest together. -In the opening chapter of the novel, Scott refers to some monastic -ruins which the young English gentleman, Guy Mannering, had spent the -day in sketching. Doubtless Sweetheart Abbey was in his mind, or -possibly Lincluden. - -On the opposite side of the river, or of the bay, for it is difficult -to tell where the river ends and the Solway begins, is the fine old -ruin of Caerlaverock Castle, the original of 'Ellangowan Auld Place,' -the ancestral home of the Bertram family and the place around which -revolves the whole plot of 'Guy Mannering.' - -The day after our arrival at Dumfries we set out to examine this ruin, -stopping first at Glencaple, a small town on the Nith just below the -place where the river begins to widen into an arm of the sea. It was -low tide, and there was a sandy beach of extraordinary width which the -receding waters had sculptured in waving lines of strange contour. The -sky above was filled with fleecy clouds, and in the distance the summit -of Criffell reared its height in a majestic background. It was on such -a coast that Van Beest Brown, or Harry Bertram, landed when he returned -to Scotland after many years, and found himself at the ruins of the -house of his ancestors. The locality might be taken for the original -of Portanferry, if geographical relations were to be considered. - -Caerlaverock Castle is one of the most picturesque ruins in Scotland. -Enough of the original walls remain {128} to show the unusual extent of -the building. It was triangular in form, with two massive round -turrets at one angle, forming the entrance, and a single turret at each -of the others. The two entrance turrets and one of the others are -still intact and well preserved. The turret which once stood at the -third angle has completely disappeared. Between the front towers is a -very tall arched doorway, now reached by a little wooden bridge over -the moat. Many of these old ruins have mounds showing where the moat -used to be, but this is one of the few in which the water still -remains. For centuries the lofty turrets have been appropriated by -rooks, and the moat is now a safe retreat for geese. - -The inner court was three stories high, containing a magnificent suite -of apartments, all richly sculptured. Behind these was a great -banqueting-hall, ninety feet long, extending between the two rear -towers along the base of the triangle. There was a great dais and -ample arrangements for the seating of all guests of high and low -degree. Judging from an ancient document, the castle was richly -furnished. According to this inventory, there were eighty-six beds, -five of them so sumptuous that they were valued at £110 sterling each. -There were forty carpets, and a library worth more than £200. These -figures would not, perhaps, seem large to a twentieth-century -millionaire, but they indicate a scale of magnificence almost without -parallel in the period when this castle flourished. - -[Illustration: CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE] - -Caerlaverock was in existence as early as the sixth century, when it -was founded by Lewarch Og. From him it received the name of Caer -Lewarch Og, which in Gaelic signifies 'the city or fortress of Lewarch -Og.' This {129} was subsequently corrupted to Caer-laverock. In the -beginning of the fourteenth century it was besieged and captured by -Edward I and recovered by Robert Bruce, changing hands twice again -during the wars for independence that ensued. Murdoch, Duke of Albany, -who was arrested for treason on the return of James I from exile, was -imprisoned in one of these towers, and the castle was the residence of -James V when he heard the news that broke his heart, the defeat of his -forces at Solway Moss and the serious disaffection of his nobles. - -On the day of our visit the ruin made a charming picture. The sky was -partly filled with cumulus clouds of a foamy, filmy whiteness through -the open spaces of which the sun was shining brightly. The clear water -of the moat reflected the azure tint of the heavens, so that the old -ruin, its turrets and walls thickly covered with the deep green of the -ivy, was clearly defined against a background of white, bordered above -and below with shades of the loveliest blue. The dry, yellow grass of -the field in the foreground, the green rushes bordering the moat, some -purple flowers at the base of the turrets and hundreds of bright golden -wallflowers in the broken interstices of the walls completed a -brilliancy of colour which I have seldom seen equalled in any landscape. - -The surroundings of Caerlaverock do not in any way correspond with the -environments of Ellangowan Auld Place. I had already learned, however, -not to depend too much upon geographical considerations. It requires -only a superficial knowledge of Scott's method of work to understand -that while he was a most careful observer of all that interested him -and wrote many accurate descriptions of scenery, he did not hesitate to -use his {130} material with a free hand. It was perfectly simple for -him to transplant an old ruin, which admirably fitted one requirement -of the story, to a rocky coast, thirty or forty miles away, where the -other necessary features were to be found, or even to combine two -different parts of the coast for his purpose. - -We found it necessary, therefore, to return to Dumfries, for there is -no bridge below the city, and there, crossing the river, travel again -to the south, this time on the west shore, to the town of -Kirkcudbright, where we stopped long enough to learn to pronounce the -name ('Kir-koo'bry') and to have our lunch. Then, continuing -southward, we stopped our motor at Balmae, the country-seat of Lady -Selkirk, and walked about a mile to the rocky coast of the Solway at -Torr's Point, where we could enjoy a superb view of the Irish Sea, the -English coast far away on the left, and the Isle of Man, faintly -visible in the distance. The coast is high and rocky. It is broken -into many coves or bays, which were a convenient resort for pirates and -smugglers. It would be easy to imagine Ellangowan Auld Place situated -on one of these cliffs, except that some other features have to be -taken from another part of the coast. Scott's description of the -smuggling trade carried on by Dirk Hatteraick and others of his kind -was taken from the local traditions. The coast, to sailors who knew it -well, offered many a haven of refuge, but was an extremely dangerous -place for a stranger ship. There are many stories current regarding -the exploits of Paul Jones, who was a native of Kirkcudbright. After -embracing the American cause in the War of the Revolution, he cruised -in his little ship, the Ranger, along the coasts of England and -Scotland, {131} his familiarity with the Solway enabling him to make -use of its numerous coves to excellent advantage. - -To complete the investigation of the scenery which Scott supposed to be -within a mile of Ellangowan, I made another long journey the next day, -taking the train from Dumfries to Kirkcudbright and thence driving -westward by pony-cart, through Gatehouse-of-Fleet to Ravenshall Point -on the coast of Wigtown Bay. Here we put up the horse at a farm and -walked westward along the shore, my driver acting as guide. Chancing -to meet a gentleman whose family are large land-holders in the -neighbourhood, I was conducted to the Gauger's Loup,[1] a cliff on the -rocky coast, beneath which were some huge rocks that had dislodged and -fallen to the shore. At this point a revenue officer was once attacked -by smugglers and thrown over the cliffs, dashing out his brains on the -ragged rocks below. This well-known incident gave Scott the basis for -his account of the death of Kennedy. Standing on this cliff, my -new-found friend pointed out a notch in a distant hill, called the -'Nick of the Doon,' which he said local tradition assigned as the place -where Meg Merrilies pronounced her malediction upon the Laird of -Ellangowan. Not many hundred yards away is the original of Dirk -Hatteraick's Cave, so called because it was once used by smugglers and -particularly by a Dutch skipper named Yawkins, who was the prototype of -Scott's famous character. To reach it by direct line was impossible, -so we walked down the road a quarter of a mile, crossed a field, -climbed a stone wall, and dropped into a thick {132} wood. Here the -land sloped at an angle of forty-five degrees. The ground was thickly -covered with garlic, emitting a strong odour. We finally reached the -rocks and began a scramble worthy of a mountain goat, until at last we -discovered the cave. The entrance is a narrow opening between two -great rocks, barely large enough to admit a man of moderate size. We -could look down a steep incline of about thirty feet, full of dirt and -slime. It would be very easy to enter, for it would be like pushing a -cork into an empty bottle. The difficulty would be to get the cork -out. Having no desire to experiment, I took the guide's word for it, -that the cave is about sixty feet long, from six to twelve feet wide, -and high enough for a man to stand erect. It would, therefore, afford -plenty of room for the crew of a smuggler's boat and a large cargo of -whiskey and other contraband stores. - -I asked the driver to impersonate Dirk Hatteraick for a few minutes, -and he, good-naturedly, complied, crawling into the opening, which he -completely filled, and looking out at me with a pipe in his mouth and a -broad grin. I took his picture, but his honest young face and amiable -smile made a very poor pose for the desperate old smuggler. It served, -however, to show the small size of the opening, which might easily have -been concealed by shrubbery or brushwood. - -Scott's information regarding this coast came from Joseph Train, a -resident of Newton-Stewart, a town in Galloway on the river Cree, just -above its outlet into Wigtown Bay. He was an excise officer who -performed his duties faithfully. He had early in life developed a -passion for antiquarian research as well as a taste for poetry. With a -friend he had begun the collection {133} of material for a History of -Galloway, when he was surprised and delighted to receive a letter from -Walter Scott, asking for some copies of a poem which he had written. -In a subsequent letter Scott asked for any local traditions or legends -which he did not wish to turn to his own account, adding, 'Nothing -interests me so much as local anecdotes; and, as the applications for -charity usually conclude, the smallest donation will be thankfully -received.' - -Train immediately abandoned the idea of attempting any work of original -authorship and determined to devote himself to collecting material for -the benefit of one who could make far better use of it,--a decision in -which his friend acquiesced. 'Upon receiving Mr. Scott's letter,' he -said, 'I became still more zealous in the pursuit of ancient lore, and -being the first person who had attempted to collect old stories in that -quarter with any view to publication, I became so noted, that even -beggars, in the hope of reward, came frequently from afar to -Newton-Stewart, to recite old ballads and relate old stories to me.' - -In later years Train often visited Abbotsford; a genuine affection -sprang up between him and the novelist; he became one of the few who -knew the secret of the authorship of 'Waverley'; and no other of the -author's many friends ever did so much in furnishing him material of -the kind he wanted. Not only stories and ballads, but more tangible -objects of antiquarian interest were picked up by him and forwarded to -his patron. One of the most interesting possessions now in the study -at Abbotsford is the Wallace Chair, made from the wood of the house in -which Sir William Wallace - -{134} - - Was done to death by felon hand - For guarding well his fathers' land. - -The chair was made under the direction of Train and presented by him to -Sir Walter 'as a small token of gratitude.' - -Besides giving Scott many descriptions of scenery and much local -history, Train supplied a collection of anecdotes of the Galloway -gipsies, and a story about an astrologer which reminded Scott of a -similar story he had heard in his youth. This tale, as related to the -novelist by an old servant of his father's, named John MacKinlay, -appears in full in the Introduction to 'Guy Mannering.' Later Mr. -Train put in writing 'The Durham Garland,' a ballad which was recited -to him by a Mrs. Young, of Castle Douglas, who had been in the habit of -repeating the verses to her family once a year in order not to forget -them. It contains practically the same story. This old tale, -reappearing in several different ways, became the basis of the novel.[2] - -In January, 1813, Scott wrote to his friend, Morritt, mentioning a -murder case in Galloway where the identity of the murderer was -discovered by means of a footprint left upon the clay floor of the -cottage where the {135} death struggle took place. The 'old ram-headed -sheriff,' nicknamed 'Leatherhead,' suddenly became sagacious. He -advertised that all persons in the neighbourhood would be expected to -be present at the burial of the victim and to attest their own -innocence. This would be certain to include the murderer. When the -people were assembled in the kirk he caused all the doors to be locked, -and carefully measured the shoes of all present until he found the -guilty man. The method by which the astute Counsellor Pleydell trapped -Dirk Hatteraick was clearly suggested by this incident. - -It will be seen from the above that the story was put together from -fragments of Galloway incidents, mostly supplied by Train, and from -various legal experiences known to the author. - -Scott himself made a visit to Dumfries in 1807, when he spent several -days visiting Sweetheart Abbey, Caerlaverock Castle, and other ancient -buildings. Mr. Guthrie Wright, who made the trip with him, wrote: 'I -need hardly say how much I enjoyed the journey. Every one who had the -pleasure of his acquaintance knows the inexhaustible store of anecdote -and good humour he possessed. He recited poetry and old legends from -morn until night, and in short it is impossible that anything could be -more delightful than his society.' - -When Scott made his visit to the English Lakes in 1797, he became -impressed with the beauty of Westmoreland and Cumberland and -particularly with the grandeur of the chain of mountains of which -Skiddaw and Saddleback are the best known. It was in this pleasant -country that he placed the home of Colonel Mannering. It will be -remembered that Scott returned {136} from that excursion, through -Cumberland to Gilsland. This is the route which he selected for Harry -Bertram on his return to Scotland after many years. Bertram (or Brown, -as he was then called) paused to view the remains of an old Roman wall, -precisely as Scott himself had done. There are many such ruins in the -vicinity of Gilsland, all remnants of the wall which it is believed the -Roman general Agricola built from the Tyne to the Solway Firth about -A.D. 79. One of these suggested to Scott the lines which he addressed -to a lady friend in the year of his first visit:-- - - Take these flowers, which, purple waving, - On the ruined rampart grew, - Where, the sons of freedom braving, - Rome's imperial standards flew. - - Warriors from the breach of danger - Pluck no longer laurels there; - They but yield the passing stranger - Wild-flower wreaths for Beauty's hair. - - -A few miles from Amboglanna, the most interesting of these remains, in -the village of Gilsland, is a neat little building, occupied by a -store, which is pointed out as 'Mump's Ha'.' It has been so much -rebuilt that it now suggests but little of the disreputable Border inn -which once marked the site, nor does the present well-kept village -suggest much of the scene that was supposed to greet the eyes of -Bertram on his approach. The alehouse was the resort of Border -thieves, and its reputation was so bad that a man known to possess a -fair supply of money dared not remain overnight. Tib Mumps, the -landlady, who was secretly in league with the freebooters who came to -her place, was a real character; or perhaps {137} it would be better to -say there were two women, either of whom might have served for her -prototype. The tavern was kept by Margaret Carrick, who died in 1717 -at the age of one hundred years. She was succeeded by her -granddaughter, Margaret Teasdale, who lived to be ninety-eight. Both -are buried in the churchyard of Over-Denton, a mile away. Scott no -doubt heard much about them both at the time of his visit, and also the -story of 'Fighting Charlie of Liddesdale' which suggested some of the -material for the exploits of Dandie Dinmont. - -Dandie was one of those 'real characters' who are not 'real' because -there were a dozen of him. In Scott's so-called raids into Liddesdale, -where he 'had a home in every farmhouse,' he met many prototypes of -Dandie. James Davidson, one of these worthy farmers, possessed a large -family of terriers, all of whom he named Mustard and Pepper, according -as they were yellow or greyish black. For this reason and because of -his great passion for fox-hunting, the name of Dandie Dinmont became -fixed upon him. Far from resenting it, Davidson considered that he had -achieved a great honour. - -Robert Shortreed, Scott's guide through Liddesdale, fixed upon Willie -Elliott, of Millburnholm, the first of these farmers whom Scott -visited, as the real Dandie. Lockhart, however, gives the honour to -neither, and believes that Scott built up the description of this kind -and manly character and of his gentle wife, Ailie, from his observation -of the early home of William Laidlaw, who later became the novelist's -amanuensis and one of his most affectionate friends. - -At 'Mump's Ha', Bertram first met the old witch, {138} Meg Merrilies, -who played so important a part in his destiny. Scott, as a boy -attending school at Kelso, had made several visits to Kirk Yetholm, a -village near the English Border, then known as the capital of the -gipsies. A certain gipsy soldier, having rendered a service to the -Laird of Kirk Yetholm in 1695, was allowed to settle on his estate, -which thereafter was the headquarters of the tribe. Scott remembered -being accosted on one of his visits by a 'woman of more than female -height, dressed in a long red cloak,' who gave him an apple. This -woman was Madge Gordon, who was the Queen of the Yetholm tribes. She -was a granddaughter of Jean Gordon, whom she greatly resembled in -appearance. An interesting story of the latter, who was the real Meg -Merrilies, is told in the Introduction to 'Guy Mannering.' - -The royal name of the gipsies was Faa, supposed to be a corruption of -Pharaoh from whom they claimed descent. Gabriel Faa, the nephew of Meg -Merrilies, was a character whom Scott met when on an excursion with -James Skene. 'He was one of those vermin-destroyers,' says Skene, 'who -gain a subsistence among the farmers in Scotland by relieving them of -foxes, polecats, rats, and such-like depredators. The individual in -question was a half-witted, stuttering, and most original-looking -creature, ingeniously clothed in a sort of tattered attire, to no part -of which could any of the usual appellations of man's garb be -appropriately given. We came suddenly upon this crazy sportsman in one -of the wild glens of Roxburghshire, shouting and bellowing on the track -of a fox, which his not less ragged pack of mongrels were tracking -around the rocky face of a hill. He was {139} like a scarecrow run -off, with some half-dozen grey-plaided shepherds in pursuit of him, -with a reserve of shaggy curs yelping at their heels.' - -Scott was able to write the vivid description of the salmon-spearing -incident, in which Gabriel lets the torch drop into the water just as -one of the fishermen had speared a thirty-pound fish, because the sport -was one of his own favourite amusements. One night in January, he, -with James Skene, Hogg the Ettrick Shepherd, and one or two others, -were out on the Tweed by the side of Elibank. They had a fine, blazing -light and the salmon were plentiful. The boat, however, was a crazy -old craft, and just as they reached the deepest pool in the river she -began to sink. His companions begged him to push for the shore, but -Scott, in great glee, replied, 'Oh, she goes fine,' and began some -verses of an old song:-- - - An gin the boat war bottomless, - An seven miles to row,-- - -when the boat suddenly went to the bottom. Nothing worse than a good -drenching happened to any of the party and Scott enjoyed the experience -heartily. - -While attending lectures in the University of Edinburgh, it happened -frequently that Scott sat by the side of a modest but diligent student, -whose extreme poverty was quite obvious. This did not deter him from -making a companion of the boy, and they often walked together in the -country. Toward the end of the session, he was strolling alone one day -when he saw his friend talking, in a confidential manner, with an old -beggar to whom he had often given small sums of money. Observing some -confusion on the part of the young man, he made some inquiries, and -learned that the beggar was his friend's {140} father. It was -characteristic of Scott's generous heart that he did not allow this -fact to break the acquaintance, but with great sympathy he kept the -secret. Some time later he called by special request of the old man at -the latter's humble cottage, where he found his fellow student, pale -and emaciated from a recent illness. He learned that the old man had -saved enough for his own maintenance, but had voluntarily subjected -himself to the humiliation of professional mendicancy for no other -purpose than to pay for his son's college expenses. In the course of -the conversation the poor father often expressed the hope that his -bairn 'might wag his pow in a pulpit yet.' These are the words -attributed to the parents of Dominie Sampson, of whom the poor lad was -the earliest suggestion. When the family came to live at Abbotsford, a -tutor for Walter, the eldest son, was required. Scott, always eager to -help the unfortunate, employed George Thomson, 'a gallant son of the -church,' who by accident had lost a leg. He was 'tall, vigorous, -athletic, a dauntless horseman, and expert at the single-stick.' Scott -often said of him, 'In the Dominie, like myself, accident has spoiled a -capital lifeguardsman.' He was a man of many eccentricities and -peculiarities of disposition, among them a remarkable -absent-mindedness, but kind-hearted, faithful, upright, and an -excellent scholar. In these respects he was the prototype of Dominie -Sampson, though the story of the latter's devotion to Lucy Bertram in -the days of her adversity is based upon an incident in the life of -another person. - -Counsellor Pleydell, whom Dominie Sampson regarded as 'a very erudite -and fa-ce-ti-ous person,' was generally identified, by those who knew -Edinburgh a century {141} ago, with Mr. Andrew Crosbie,[3] a -flourishing member of the Scottish Bar of that period. Eminent lawyers -were then in the habit of meeting their clients in taverns, where -important business was transacted to the accompaniment of drinking and -revelry. This typical old Scottish gentleman of real life lived in -Lady Stair's Close and later in Advocate's Close, both resembling the -quarters assigned to Counsellor Pleydell. In those days, the extremely -high buildings, crowded closely together in that part of the Old Town -nearest to the Parliament House, were occupied by the elite of -Edinburgh society. They were ten and twelve stories high and reached -by narrow winding stairs. Access from High Street was gained by means -of narrow and often steep alleyways or closes. As a rule the more -aristocratic and exclusive families lived on the top floors, and as -there were no elevators, it might be said, the higher a man's social -position, the more he had to work for his living. - -Like his brethren in the profession, Mr. Crosbie had his favourite -tavern, where he could always be found by any of the 'cadies'[4] in the -street. This was Dawny Douglas's tavern in Anchor Close, the -meeting-place of the 'Crochallan Fencibles,' a convivial club of which -William Smellie, a well-known printer and editor of the {142} day, was -the inspiring genius, and where Robert Burns, when in Edinburgh, joined -heartily in the bacchanalian revels which were famous for their -duration and intensity. Smellie's printing-office in this close was -frequented by some of the most eminent literary men of the day. - -The game of 'High Jinks' was played on Saturday nights in Douglas's -tavern very much as described in the novel. Clerihugh's, which Scott -mentions as Mr. Pleydell's resort, was a somewhat more respectable -place in Writers' Court. - -It is a curious fact that Mr. Crosbie had a clerk very much like -Pleydell's 'Driver,' who could write from dictation just as well, -asleep or awake, drunk or sober, and whose principal recommendation was -that he could always be found at the same tavern, while less 'steady' -fellows often had half a dozen. The incident which Mr. Pleydell -relates to Colonel Mannering, of how certain legal papers were prepared -while both lawyer and clerk were intoxicated, was, we are assured by -the author, no uncommon occurrence. It will be remembered that Mr. -Pleydell had been dining on Saturday night and at a late hour, when he -'had a fair tappit hen[5] under his belt,' was asked to draw up some -papers. Driver was sent for and brought in both speechless and -motionless. He was unable to see the inkstand, and it was necessary -for some one to dip the pen in the ink. Nevertheless he was able to -write as handsomely as ever and the net result of this attempt to -'worship Bacchus and Themis' {143} at the same time, was a document in -which 'not three words required to be altered.' - -[Illustration: EDINBURGH FROM THE CASTLE] - -Crosbie's clerk, though a dissipated wretch, was well versed in the -law. He had been known to destroy a paper in his employer's writing -and draw up a better one himself. An old Scotchman used to say that -'he would not give ----'s drunken glour at a paper for the serious -opinions of the haill bench.' - -Unfortunately, both Crosbie and his clerk gave up the 'steady' habit of -drinking at a single tavern and in later life began to frequent many -places. The result was the complete ruin of both. Scott's highly -amusing account of the convivial habits of Counsellor Pleydell and his -dissipated clerk is a fairly accurate, if not entirely complimentary -picture of the daily life of a certain class of prominent lawyers in -Edinburgh, in the middle of the eighteenth century. The more pleasing -side of Pleydell's character was taken from Adam Rolland, an old friend -of Scott's, who died at the age of eighty-five, four years after 'Guy -Mannering' was published. He was an accomplished gentleman, an -excellent scholar, an eminent lawyer, and a man of the highest probity -and Christian character. He would have been quite incapable of such a -performance as 'high jinks.' - -As in many of his other novels, Scott makes the subordinate characters -of 'Guy Mannering' the most interesting. Dominie Sampson, Dandie -Dinmont, Meg Merrilies, Dirk Hatteraick, and Paulus Pleydell are -original creations of strong, dramatic interest. Each had a prototype -in real life, but it was the genius of the novelist that brought them -into existence in the sense that Mr. Pickwick and Becky Sharp are real -people, and {144} conferred upon them a kind of immortality that will -be as sure to delight the generations of the future as they have been -successful in appealing to the readers of the past century. - -As to Colonel Mannering himself, I need only repeat the exclamation of -James Hogg when he first read the novel:--'Colonel Mannering is just -Walter Scott painted by himself!' Though doubtless not intended for a -portrait, the fine, dignified, soldierly, and scholarly colonel is the -picture of a perfect gentleman, intended to embody the high ideals -which were a part of Scott's own character and for which we like to -remember him. - - - -[1] A 'Gauger' is an excise officer and 'Loup' is Scottish for 'leap.' - -[2] Another story, some of the details of which may have suggested a -part of the plot, concerns the experiences of James Annesley, a full -account of which appeared in _The Gentleman's Magazine_ of July, 1840, -and is reprinted in full in Lockhart's _Life of Scott_, vol. v. -Lockhart says, 'That Sir Walter must have read the record of this -celebrated trial, as well as Smollett's edition of the story in -_Peregrine Pickle_, there can be no doubt.' The trial took place in -1743. It suggested, perhaps, something of the method by which Glossin -undertook to deprive Harry Bertram of his rights. Another legal case, -which came within Scott's own knowledge and may have suggested some of -the details of the novel, was related by him in a letter to Lady -Abercorn. See _Familiar Letters of Sir Walter Scott_, vol. 1, p. 292. - -[3] As Crosbie died when Scott was only fourteen, the novelist could -scarcely have known him personally; on the other hand, he could hardly -have failed to hear the stories of such an individual, whose exploits -were well known to the frequenters of Parliament Square. - -[4] These cadies (or caddies, a name that has become familiar through -the introduction of the Scotch game of golf) were a class of men and -boys who in the eighteenth century frequented the law courts of -Edinburgh, eager to be employed upon any errand. They knew the -particular haunts of all the lawyers of any consequence, and never -dreamed of looking for anybody at his own home, or in any place other -than the special tavern which he was known to frequent. - -[5] The 'Tappit Hen' was a pewter mug, with the figure of a hen on the -lid. It held three quarts of claret, which was drawn from the -tap,--hence the name. - - - - -{145} - -CHAPTER X - -THE ANTIQUARY - -Washington Irving's story of a week spent with Scott at Abbotsford -always leaves in my mind an indescribable thrill of pleasure. Partly -because Irving really did have a delightful experience such as falls to -the lot of few men and partly because he knew, better than others, how -to transfer his own pleasurable emotions to the minds of other people, -it is certain that, to my mind at least, there is no single sketch in -all the Scott literature, not even in Lockhart's brilliant work, that -throws a stronger light upon the Great Wizard's character or -illuminates a more attractive picture. - -It was a happy week for the American visitor, and I imagine it -contained no happier moment than when the younger author nestled by the -side of his warm-hearted friend, under the lee of a sheltering bank -during a shower, the plaid of the Scotchman closely wrapped around them -both, while the enchanting flow of anecdote, reminiscence, and -whimsical suggestion went merrily on in spite of the Scottish mist. It -was in the course of their walk on this particular morning that Scott -stopped at the cottage of a labourer on his estate to examine some -tongs that had been dug up in the Roman camp near by. 'As he stood -regarding the relic,' says Irving, 'turning it round and round, and -making comments on it, half grave, half comic, with the cottage group -around him, all joining occasionally in the {146} colloquy, the -inimitable character of Monkbarns was again brought to mind and I -seemed to see before me that prince of antiquarians and humourists, -holding forth to his unlearned and unbelieving neighbours.' There was -something peculiarly delightful about Scott's antiquarianism. He -seemed to feel that those who were without his own knowledge of values -were inclined to smile at his enthusiasm, and whenever he talked on his -favourite subject there was an undercurrent of sly humour which gave an -exquisite flavour to his conversation. The discovery of anything -ancient, whether a ruined castle, a broadsword or sporran from the -Highlands, or a scrap of some old ballad, gave him the greatest -pleasure, and nothing afforded his friends more enjoyment than to be -able to present him with such relics and curiosities as they knew he -would appreciate. A casual walk through the Entrance Hall and Armory -of Abbotsford, where hundreds of helmets, suits of armour, swords, -guns, pistols, and curiosities of infinite variety are displayed, is -enough to suggest to any one that Sir Walter himself was the real -Jonathan Oldbuck of 'The Antiquary.' A glance at the Library, with its -collection of twenty thousand rare old volumes, is enough to prove that -Scott, like Monkbarns, was not only an antiquary but a bibliophile as -well. Who but a genuine enthusiast could have written that chapter in -which the worthy Mr. Oldbuck exhibits the treasures of his sanctum -sanctorum to Mr. Lovel? 'These little Elzevirs are the memoranda and -trophies of many a walk by night and morning through the Cowgate, the -Canongate, the Bow, St. Mary's Wynd,--wherever, in fine, there were to -be found brokers and trokers, those miscellaneous dealers in things -{147} rare and curious. How often have I stood haggling on a half -penny, lest, by a too ready acquiescence in the dealer's first price, -he should be led to suspect the value I set upon the article!--how have -I trembled, lest some passing stranger should chop in between me and -the prize, and regarded each poor student of divinity that stopped to -turn over the books at the stall as a rival amateur, or prowling -bookseller in disguise!--And, then, Mr. Lovel, the sly satisfaction -with which one pays the consideration, and pockets the article, -affecting a cold indifference, while the hand is trembling with -pleasure!' - -It was during the visit to Prestonpans, previously mentioned, that -Scott, a child of six, first made the acquaintance of George Constable, -an old friend of his father's, who resided near Dundee. He must have -learned from this gentleman something which started in him the -antiquarian instincts, for, as he himself has remarked, 'children -derive impulses of a powerful and important kind in hearing things -which they cannot entirely comprehend.' Certainly he put enough of Mr. -Constable into the description of Jonathan Oldbuck to cause various -friends to recognize him; and as Constable's intimacy with Scott's -father was well known, this gave colour to the suspicion that Scott -himself was the unknown author of 'The Antiquary.' But even a more -faithful delineation of George Constable than the book contains would -have failed to bring out the real charm of the delightful Oldbuck. It -is the Scott part of his nature that we really enjoy. - -Next to the Antiquary himself, old Edie Ochiltree is the character who -is chiefly responsible for the pleasant {148} flavour of this book. He -is a mendicant whom it is a real pleasure to meet. His amiable nature, -his sly good humour, and his genuine friendliness win your affection in -the beginning and hold it to the very end. He is a picture drawn from -real life, though it is probable that old Andrew Gemmels, his -prototype, did not possess the many endearing qualities with which the -novelist invested Edie. - -The 'blue gowns' of the south of Scotland were a class of licensed -beggars, known as the 'King's Bedesmen.' The number of them was -supposed to be the same as the years of the King's life, so it was -necessary to initiate a new member of the aristocracy of paupers every -year. At every royal birthday each bedesman received a new light-blue -cloak or gown and a pewter badge, together with a purse containing as -many pennies as the years of the King's life. Their sole duty was to -pray for long life for the King, which, considering that the older the -sovereign the larger the purse, they might very cheerfully do. In -return, all laws against beggars were suspended in their favour, and -the 'blue gowns' went about from house to house, fairly assured of food -and lodging and seemingly free from care. - -The service of the 'blue gown' to the community is best set forth in -the words of Edie Ochiltree, who apparently considered himself a public -benefactor:-- - - -And then what wad a' the country about do for want o' auld Edie -Ochiltree, that brings news and country cracks frae ae farm-steading to -anither and gingerbread to the lasses, and helps the lads to mend their -fiddles and the gudewives to clout their pans, and plaits rush-swords -and grenadier caps for the weans and busks the lairds' flees, and has -skill o' {149} cow-ills and horse-ills, and kens mair auld sangs and -tales than a' the barony besides, and gars ilka body laugh whereever he -comes? Troth, my leddy, I canna lay down my vocation; it would be a -public loss. - - -Andrew Gemmels was well known throughout the Border country of Scotland -for more than half a century as a professional beggar or 'gaberlunzie.' -He had been a soldier in his youth and maintained his erect military -carriage even in old age. He was very tall and carried a walking-stick -almost as high as himself. His features were strongly intellectual, -but marked by a certain fierceness and austerity of expression, the -result of his long and peculiar contact with all sorts of hard -experiences. Scott, who had often met him, comments upon his -remarkable gracefulness. With his striking attitudes he would have -made a fine model for an artist. One of his chief assets was an -unusual power of sarcasm, coupled with a keen wit, the fear of which -often gained for him favours which might otherwise have been denied. -He was full of reminiscences of the wars and of adventures in foreign -lands, which he told in a droll fashion, coupled with a shrewd wit, -that always made him an entertaining visitor. He wandered about the -country at pleasure, demanding entertainment as a right, which was -accorded usually without question. His preference as to sleeping -quarters was the stable or some outbuilding where cattle were kept. He -never burdened anybody, usually appearing at the same place only once -or twice a year. He always had money--frequently more than those of -whom he begged. When a certain parsimonious gentleman expressed regret -that he had no silver in his pocket or he would have given him -sixpence, Andrew promptly {150} replied, 'I can give you change for a -note, laird.' In later years he travelled about on his own horse, a -very good one, and carried a gold watch. He died at the age of a -hundred and six years, leaving enough wealth to enrich a nephew, who -became a considerable landholder. His tombstone in Roxburgh -Churchyard, near Kelso, contains a quaint carved figure of the -mendicant, above which are the words, 'Behold the end o' it.' This -refers to an incident related by a writer in the 'Edinburgh Magazine' -in 1817, the year after the publication of the novel:-- - - -Many curious anecdotes of Andrew's sarcastic wit and eccentric manners -are current in the Borders. I shall for the present content myself -with one specimen, illustrative of Andrew's resemblance to his -celebrated representative. The following is given as commonly related -with much good humour by the late Mr. Dodds, of the War-Office, the -person to whom it chiefly refers: Andrew happened to be present at a -fair or market somewhere in Teviotdale (St. Boswell's if I mistake not) -where Dodds, at that time a non-commissioned officer in His Majesty's -service, happened also to be with a military party recruiting. It was -some time during the American War, when they were eagerly beating up -for fresh men--to teach passive obedience to the obdurate and -ill-mannered Columbians; and it was then the practice for recruiting -sergeants, after parading for a due space with all the warlike -pageantry of drums, trumpets, 'glancing blades, and gay cockades,' to -declaim in heroic strains the delights of the soldier's life, of glory, -patriotism, plunder, the prospect of promotion for the bold and the -young, and His Majesty's munificent pension for the old and the -wounded, etc., etc. Dodds, who was a man of much natural talent, and -whose abilities afterwards raised him to an honourable rank and -independent fortune, had made one of his most brilliant speeches on -this occasion. A crowd of ardent and anxious {151} rustics were -standing round, gaping with admiration at the imposing mien, and -kindling at the heroic eloquence, of the manly soldier, whom many of -them had known a few years before as a rude tailor boy; and the -sergeant himself, already leading in idea a score of new recruits, had -just concluded, in a strain of more than usual elevation, his oration -in praise of the military profession, when Gemmels, who, in tattered -guise, was standing close behind him, reared aloft his _meal-pocks_ on -the end of his kent or pike-staff, and exclaimed, with a tone and -aspect of the most profound derision, 'Behold the end o' it!' The -contrast was irresistible--the beau-ideal of Sergeant Dodds, and the -ragged reality of Andrew Gemmels, were sufficiently striking; and the -former, with his red-coat followers, beat a retreat in some confusion, -amidst the loud and universal laughter of the surrounding multitude. - - -The character of the old 'gaberlunzie,' as revealed in this anecdote, -was so faithfully transferred by the novelist to Edie Ochiltree, that -in spite of some embellishments he was immediately recognized. - -To study the scenery of 'The Antiquary,' we went to Arbroath, a town on -the east coast of Scotland, which traces its beginnings back to the -twelfth century. This is the original of Fairport, and we found all of -the scenery of the novel in the immediate neighbourhood. In the midst -of a shower which threatened destruction to all photographic attempts, -we made our first visit to the ruins of the Abbey of St. Thomas, the -original of St. Ruth's. It was a disappointment to find this ruin in -the heart of the city, instead of a 'wild, sequestered spot,' where a -'pure and profound lake' discharged itself into a 'huddling and -tumultuous brook.' But the Wizard always reserved the right to -transplant his ruined castles and abbeys to suit his taste, and he was -quite justified {152} in transferring St. Ruth's to more romantic -surroundings, particularly as there is a deep ravine known as Seaton -Den, on the coast north of Arbroath, which answers every requirement. - -Thanks to the British Government, which took charge of the abbey in -1815, there is still left enough of the walls to make a picturesque -ruin of considerable extent. For two centuries previously the people -of the village freely used the stones for building purposes. It is -necessary to go back six centuries to find the church in its full -perfection, when it was one of the richest and most sumptuously -furnished establishments in Scotland. In the year 1320, a parliament -was held in the abbey by King Robert the Bruce, and a letter, regarded -as one of the most remarkable documents in early British history, was -sent to the Pope, appealing for a recognition of Scottish independence. - -The original abbey was founded in the year 1178 by William the Lion, a -Scottish monarch whose name is associated with nearly all of the -principal buildings which form the scenes of 'The Antiquary.' It was -dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, the famous Thomas à Becket, whom -William had met at the court of the English King, Henry II, when a -young man. From ancient documents it would seem that the monastery was -maintained in a state of great opulence and that it was open to all -comers, rich and poor alike. - -The predominating feature of the ruin, as it stands to-day, is the -south wall, containing what the people of Arbroath call the 'Roond O,' -a window twelve feet in diameter, immediately over the altar of St. -Catharine. Beneath this opening is a gallery with seven arches of -{153} carved stone, suggesting the scene in 'The Antiquary' where the -impostor, Dousterswivel, and Sir Arthur Wardour are digging for -treasure in the ruins, while Lovel and Edie Ochiltree watch the -performance from just such a place of concealment. We could almost -smell the fumes of the 'suffumigation' and hear the violent sneezes of -old Edie and the terrified ejaculation of Dousterswivel, 'Alle guten -Geistern, loben den Herrn!' - -Monkbarns, the home of Jonathan Oldbuck, is closely associated with the -history of the abbey. When the fame of that establishment had spread -throughout Scotland and England, there were many pilgrimages to the -shrine of St. Thomas à Becket. Many of these pilgrims arrived sick and -exhausted. To provide for them, a rude hospital was ordered built, -about two miles away from the abbey, on lands now occupied by a -handsome building known as Hospitalfield. In Scott's day this house -was very much less pretentious and might well have corresponded with -his description of an 'irregular and old-fashioned building, some part -of which had belonged to a grange, or solitary farmhouse, inhabited by -the bailiff, or steward of the monastery, when the place was in -possession of the monks. It was here that the community stored up the -grain which they received as ground-rent from their vassals; ... and -hence, as the present proprietor loved to tell, came the name of -Monkbarns.' Readers of 'The Antiquary' will remember the altercation -between Oldbuck and his sister when the latter was requested to make a -bed ready for Mr. Lovel. '"A bed? The Lord preserve us!" ejaculated -Grizel. "Why, what's the matter now? Are there not beds and rooms -enough in the house? Was it not an ancient _hospitium_ {154} in which, -I am warranted to say, beds were nightly made down for a score of -pilgrims?"' - -The property has a beautiful situation and is otherwise so desirable -that it passed from the monks into private hands centuries ago. It -finally came into the possession of Patrick Allan-Fraser, who made such -extensive additions that whatever is left of the original building -owned by the monks is completely covered up. This public-spirited -gentleman, who died in 1890, left the estate in trust for the benefit -and encouragement of young men who desired to study painting, -sculpture, wood-carving, architecture, or engraving, and the house is -now occupied by teachers and students. It has an art gallery -containing some valuable paintings, sculptures, and wood-carvings, and -a library of old documents and rare folios that would delight the soul -of Jonathan Oldbuck himself. - -It was the most natural thing in the world for us, after visiting -Monkbarns, to seek the residence of his Tory friend and fellow -antiquarian, Sir Arthur Wardour, although we did not find it within -easy walking distance as might have been inferred. Ethie Castle has -been generally fixed upon by local writers as the original of -Knockwinnock. The present building is one of the country-seats of the -Earl of Northesk. It is a red-stone structure of considerable -antiquity and irregular design, which nevertheless made a pleasing -picture when seen at a distance of several hundred yards from the -front. A tiny brook crossed by a wooden bridge and flanked by huge -rhododendrons in full bloom made a charming foreground. Beyond was a -sloping field of tall grass, which had been mown only enough to make a -broad path in {155} the midst of which were countless thousands of -dainty pink-and-white daisies. On either side were ample groves of -well-foliaged trees, making a vista in which the old red mansion -appeared to excellent advantage. - -Ethie Castle was part of the endowment which William the Lion granted -to the Abbey of Aberbrothock. It therefore dates back to the year -1178. In the sixteenth century it was the residence of Cardinal -Beaton, who seems to have bequeathed to it the 'Cardinal's Chapel,' by -which name a room in the house is still known and 'the tramp of the -Cardinal's leg,' a weird, ghostly sound of footsteps on the old stone -stairs, with which the castle is haunted. After the death of the -Cardinal, a natural daughter laid claim to the estate. Thus, as with -Knockwinnock, the 'bar-sinister' appears on the escutcheon of the -family. - -Directly east of Ethie Castle and not far distant are the cliffs of Red -Head. The coast for some miles north of Arbroath is a series of huge -cliffs, with many strange caverns and curious rock formations. Almost -any of them, but Red Head perhaps better than the others, would serve -as the scene of the thrilling incident in 'The Antiquary,' in which Sir -Arthur Wardour and his daughter are overtaken by the tide and rescued -with great difficulty by Saunders Mucklebackit, ably assisted by Lovel -and Edie Ochiltree. Two huge rocks rise almost perpendicularly from -the shore. It is easily conceivable that any attempt to walk around -them, in the face of a swiftly rising tide, would be fraught with -dangerous, if not fatal, consequences. - -The village of Auchmithie, the home of the Mucklebackits, is situated -on one of the cliffs south of Red {156} Head. This is the most -realistic of all the scenes of 'The Antiquary.' The village, with the -exception of a new hotel, is practically as it was when Scott was a -visitor in 1814. There is but one street, and that has no name; but -the houses are numbered, city-fashion. The post-office address of an -inhabitant would, therefore, give the number of the house and the name -of the town, omitting any mention of a street; thus the old fisherman, -who posed for me and to whom I mailed a photograph, lives at Number 58, -Auchmithie, Scotland. This old fellow is a type of the neighbours of -Saunders Mucklebackit. The habits of life of the people, their dress, -their occupations, their houses, their furniture, even their names, are -the same as they were a hundred years ago. I asked the old man how old -his house was. He replied, 'Ou, I dinna ken hoo auld. I'se -seventy-two mysel' and I was born here and my grandfeyther, too.' -Several others of whom I asked the same question gave substantially the -same answer. - -[Illustration: AUCHMITHIE] - -The post-office was in one of these ancient cottages, with a new front, -but otherwise unchanged. Its occupant was quite communicative. He -said it was the original Cargill Cottage, and that George Cargill, who -occupied it a century ago, was the original Mucklebackit. 'When Walter -Scott came to Auchmithie,' said he, 'he came by boat. There was n't -any way to land except through the breakers and he could n't do that -without getting his feet wet. So Cargill had to carry him ashore on -his back. When he set him down on dry land, Scott clapped him on the -back and said, '"What a muckle backed fellow you are, Geordie, to be -sure!" Muckle, you see, sir, means "much" or "big," and George had a -{157} great big broad back, so that's how Walter Scott got the name, -Mucklebackit.' He let me take a photograph of the interior of the -cottage, where a single room served for bedroom, breakfast-room, -kitchen, and numerous other purposes. I suppose the cottage of -Saunders Mucklebackit must have presented much the same appearance to -Monkbarns when he walked in to attend the funeral of young Steenie -Mucklebackit and won the hearts of all by performing the office of -chief mourner, according the family the rare honour of having the laird -'carry the head of the deceased to the grave.' - -I found a very pleasant family group in front of the next cottage, and -after a few moment's conversation asked permission to take their -picture. Not hearing a dissenting voice, I understood my request would -be granted and began to set up my camera in the street. Before I had -half made ready, the entire group had disappeared. The police -department of the town then marched up to me,--one man strong,--and for -a moment I felt afraid I had been violating some law. But he was only -curious, and told me that the people had a strange aversion to being -photographed. I left my camera all focused and ready in the street and -sauntered with the constable to the side of the road. In a few minutes -a picturesque old fishwife, carrying two large empty pails in each -hand, came out of her house, all unconscious of the awful presence of a -loaded camera and I quickly stepped out and pressed the bulb. 'That's -Coffee Betz you got then,' laughed the constable. 'She would n't let -you take her picture, but she's one of the Cargills.' In this way I -came as near as possible to getting a photograph of the original Luckie -Mucklebackit {158} with whom Monkbarns haggled over the price of a -bannock-fluke and a cock-padle. For the fishwives of to-day are the -same as those of a century ago,--'they keep the man, and keep the -house, and keep the siller, too.' The men consider their own work -ended when the boat is pulled up on the beach. It is the wife who must -market the fish, which she does by carrying them on her back to the -nearest town, where she must 'scauld and ban wi' ilka wife that will -scauld and ban wi' her' until the fish are sold. 'Them that sell the -goods guide the purse--them that guide the purse rule the house,' and -therefore by common consent in these communities, the wife is the head -of the family. - -Back from Auchmithie is the mansion house of Kinblethmont, surrounded -by some fine old woods. It will be remembered that Edie Ochiltree was -passing this place on his return from the Earl of Glenallan's castle -when he was arrested on a charge of assaulting Dousterswivel. Colonel -Lindsay, of Kinblethmont, and the Laird of Hospitalfield were the -leaders who took the direction of affairs when a French privateer named -the 'Dreadnought' threatened the town of Arbroath in very much the same -way as Fairport was menaced in 'The Antiquary.' The same scenes of -excitement so vividly described in the novel were there enacted. - -Scott, however, had passed through a similar experience himself, which -enabled him to write the dramatic event with greater ease. For several -years, in the early part of the nineteenth century, the people of -England and Scotland were kept in a state of nervous dread by the -expectation of an invasion by the French. Beacons were erected all -along the coast ready to give instant {159} alarm, and militia -organizations were everywhere kept in a state of readiness. A false -alarm on February 2, 1804, brought out the volunteers of Berwickshire, -Roxburghshire, and Selkirkshire with surprising rapidity. Scott had -gone with his wife for a visit to Gilsland, the scene of their -courtship. He was then a member of the Edinburgh Volunteers. When the -alarm came he promptly mounted his horse and rode with all speed to -Dalkeith, a distance of one hundred miles, within twenty-four hours. -The alarm had subsided when he reached his destination, and after a few -jolly evenings with his fellow volunteers he returned to the south. It -was on this hurried trip that he composed a poem, entitled, 'The Bard's -Incantation.' - -'The Antiquary' thus closes as it began, with a leaf out of the -author's personal experience. I have no doubt that he heartily enjoyed -its composition. It must have been an exquisite pleasure to one so -appreciative of genuine humour to caricature his own antiquarian -foibles; to weave into the pages of romance the many tales he had heard -in his youth of a character so interesting as the old 'gaberlunzie'; -and to make the people of his fancy walk the streets of the ancient -seaport town, visit the old abbey, saunter along the cliffs of the -seashore, or roam about over the adjacent country, where he had spent -many pleasant hours in the company of well-loved friends. - -Although Scott's own opinion at first was that 'The Antiquary' lacked -the romance of 'Waverley' and the adventure of 'Guy Mannering,' yet in -subsequent years he came to regard it as his favourite among all the -Waverley Novels. - - - - -{160} - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BLACK DWARF - -Late in the afternoon of a beautiful May day, while on one of our -drives from Melrose, we turned off the main road a few miles west of -Peebles, and, crossing the Tweed, entered the vale of Manor Water. -This secluded valley, peaceful and charming, would make an ideal -retreat for any one who wished to escape the noise and confusion of a -busy world. The distinguished philosopher and historian, Dr. Adam -Ferguson, found it so, when in old age he took up his residence at -Hallyards, where his young friend, Walter Scott, paid him a visit in -the memorable summer of 1797. - -It was not a desire to retire from worldly activities, however, or to -visit the house of Dr. Ferguson, that led us into the quiet valley. -Our purpose was to see the former home of one of the strangest human -beings who ever lived; one who found the seclusion of the beautiful -vale well adapted to shield him from the unwelcome observation of the -curious-minded. David Ritchie, or 'Bow'd Davie o' the Wud'use,'[1] as -he was called, was for many years a familiar figure to the few farmers -of the valley. He was born about 1735, and lived to be seventy-six -years of age. He had been horribly deformed from birth. His shoulders -were broad and muscular, and his arms unusually long and powerful, -though he could not lift them higher than his breast. But Nature -seemed {161} to have omitted providing him with legs and thighs. The -upper part of his body, with proportions seemingly intended for a -giant, was set upon short fin-like legs, so small that when he stood -erect they were almost invisible. His height was scarcely three feet -and a half. His feet were badly adapted for walking and were kept -wrapped in masses of rags as though they were the particular feature of -which their owner was most ashamed. So completely did he depend upon -the strength of his arms and chest that, unable to use his feet in the -ordinary way in digging his garden, he contrived a peculiar spade which -he could force into the soil with his breast. With his great arms he -had been known to tear a tree up by the roots, which had defied the -strength of two ordinary men. - -His head was unusually large, particularly behind the ears. He had a -long nose, a wide, ugly mouth, and a protruding chin covered with a -grisly black beard. He had eyes of piercing black which in moments of -excitement gleamed with wild and awe-inspiring brightness. His voice -was shrill, harsh, and discordant, more like that of a screech-owl than -a human being, and his laugh was said to be horrible. - -His mind corresponded in deformity with his body. He was eccentric, -irritable, jealous, and strangely superstitious. He was sensitive -beyond all reason and could not endure even the glance of his curious -fellow men. He read insult and scorn in faces where neither was -intended. He thoroughly despised all children and most strangers. His -whole nature seemed to have been poisoned with bitterness of spirit -because he was not like other men. Scott was introduced to this -singular {162} individual by Dr. Ferguson, who had taken a great -interest in him. Nineteen years later, and five years after the death -of David Ritchie, he made the recluse of Manor Valley known to the -world as 'The Black Dwarf,' in the first of the 'Tales of My Landlord.' - -We found the cottage a little off the road and not far from the river, -nestling under the brow of a hill. I should, perhaps, say two -cottages, joined together and nearly of the same size. The one on the -left is of comparatively recent date and has a weather-stained bust of -Sir Walter over the door. The older cottage is divided by a partition. -On the right is a door and window of ordinary size. On the left is a -door three and a half feet high and a very small window. There is no -means of communication between the two apartments. The left side was -occupied by David Ritchie and the right by his half-crazed sister, -Agnes. There was never any affection between these two unfortunates, -but on the contrary, and in spite of the loneliness of their lives, -there was an almost complete estrangement. - -[Illustration: THE BLACK DWARF'S COTTAGE] - -The cottage has a stone over the dwarf's door inscribed 'D. R. 1802.' -This commemorates the date when it was built, by the charity of Sir -James Nasmyth, the owner of the land. It replaces a hut built by David -himself in very much the same manner as described in the novel. With -his own hands the dwarf rolled the heavy stones down from the hill, and -with what seemed to be almost superhuman strength, lifted them into -position. He enlisted the aid of passers-by, however, to help lift the -weightiest ones, which added to the wonderment of the next comers, who -could not know how much he had been assisted. Scott says he settled on -the land {163} without asking or receiving permission, but was allowed -to remain when discovered by the good-natured laird. William Chambers, -however, who gave considerable study to the subject, says that the -owner not only gave him possession of the ground rent-free, but -instructed his servants to render such assistance as might be required. - -The immediate occasion of building a house in this sequestered -neighbourhood was the fact that Ritchie's painful sensitiveness about -his ungainly appearance made it intolerable for him to remain in -Edinburgh, whither he had gone to learn the trade of brush-making. -Whatever instinct guided him to Manor Water, he could scarcely have -found anywhere in Scotland a location better adapted to his -requirements. - -Here the good part of his nature asserted itself--for there is good in -every human being, if only the key can be discovered that unlocks the -secret chambers. The poor misshapen dwarf found his in the cultivation -of a little garden, shut out from an unsympathetic world by a stone -wall of his own construction. Within this sacred enclosure a profusion -of flowers rankly unfolded their beauties to his eyes and shrank not -from his touch. He had contrived to obtain some rare exotics and to -learn their scientific names. He planted fruit trees in his garden and -surrounded his little house with willows and mountain ashes, until he -had converted it into a fairy bower. He found pleasure and profit in -the raising of vegetables, and even cultivated certain medicinal herbs -which he sold or gave to the neighbours. He also supplied some of the -gentlemen of the vicinity with honey and took great delight in the care -of his bees. A {164} cat, a dog, and a goat completed the roll of his -best-loved companions. - -Besides the pleasure he took in the contemplation of his own garden, -Ritchie was an ardent admirer of the natural beauty of the country -which he had chosen for his home. 'The soft sweep of the green hill, -the bubbling of a clear fountain or the complexities of a wild thicket, -were scenes on which he often gazed for hours and, as he said, with -inexpressible delight.' He felt that sense of rest and refreshment -from the contemplation of nature which Bryant has so finely expressed:-- - - To him who in the love of Nature holds - Communion with her visible forms, she speaks - A various language: for his gayer hours - She has a voice of gladness, and a smile - And eloquence of beauty, and she glides - Into his darker musings, with a mild - And healing sympathy, that steals away - Their sharpness, ere he is aware. - -To this great comfort, the poor misanthrope added another--the reading -of good books. He was fond of the history of Wallace, Bruce, and other -Scottish heroes, and he also had a love of poetry. Scott speaks of his -familiarity with 'Paradise Lost' and says he has heard 'his most -unmusical voice repeat the celebrated description of Paradise, which he -seemed fully to appreciate.' Though not a man of orthodox religious -beliefs, he would occasionally speak of the future life with great -earnestness and on such occasions would sometimes burst into tears. He -had chosen a wild and beautiful spot on a neighbouring hillside for the -place of his burial. It was covered with green ferns and enclosed with -a circle of his favourite rowan or mountain ash, planted with his {165} -own hands, partly because of their beauty, but largely on account of -their potency in guarding the grave against evil spirits. He haughtily -expressed great abhorrence of being interred in the parish churchyard -with what he contemptuously called the 'common brush,' but in the last -moments his heart became softened towards his fellow men, his -antipathies relaxed, and his final wish was that he might be buried -with his fathers. - -The writing of a novel based upon a character so grotesque and -repellent was not well suited to a man of Scott's wholesome and genial -temperament. He soon tired of it, and indeed the only satisfaction he -got out of it was in presenting the better side of the Black Dwarf's -nature. He came in time to agree with the criticism of the publisher, -William Blackwood, to which at first he had strenuously objected, and -the novel, originally intended to be in two volumes, was crowded into -one and hurried to an end, thereby producing a narrative, as the author -facetiously remarked in later years, 'as much disproportioned and -distorted as the Black Dwarf, who is its subject.' - - - -[1] Or Bowed Davie of the Woodhouse Farm. - - - - -{166} - -CHAPTER XII - -OLD MORTALITY - -In the grounds of the Observatory at Maxwelltown, across the river from -Dumfries, is a small pavilion, enclosing two sculptured figures. One -represents an old Scotchman, half reclining on a tombstone, a chisel in -his left hand and a mallet resting by his side; the other is a pony, -apparently waiting for his master to arise. The sculptures were the -work of a local artist. They were disposed of by lottery to a young -man, who died by accident the next day, and they are here deposited as -a curious 'memorial to departed worth.' - -The figures, thus used as a monument to the man who chanced to own -them, were intended to represent a very different person. 'Old -Mortality' and his pony were familiar to the people of Dumfriesshire -and other parts of Scotland for more than forty years. His real name, -as is well known, was Robert Paterson. He was a mason or stone-cutter -by trade, who operated a small quarry. In middle life he became so -thoroughly imbued with the religious enthusiasm of the Cameronians, of -which austere sect he was a zealous member, that he felt impelled to -desert his wife and five children, in order that he might perform the -duty which, he conceived, had devolved upon him. This was to travel -about the country and repair the gravestones of the martyred -Covenanters. He would clear off the moss from the old stones and recut -the half-defaced inscriptions, doing this often in {167} remote and -almost inaccessible recesses of the mountains and moors. Scarcely a -churchyard in Ayr, Galloway, or Dumfriesshire is without some evidences -of his work. - -In spite of his eccentricity there was a fine sincerity of purpose in -the old man's devotion to his self-appointed task. He believed that -each grave should serve as a warning to posterity to defend their -religious faith, and he purposed to make every one, however obscure, a -beacon light, so to speak, to proclaim to all the world the sufferings -and devotion of the Covenanters, and thus to perpetuate the ideals for -which they strove. However mistaken he may have been as to the wisdom -of his methods, his calling was apparently as real to himself and as -sincere as that of any minister of the Gospel. He was found dying on -the highway one day in his eighty-sixth year, the little old white pony -standing patiently by his side. Thus he wore out his life in the -service of his religion, as truly devoted to it as any of the martyrs -who perished on battle-field or scaffold. His grave is marked by an -appropriate stone in the churchyard of Caerlaverock, south of Dumfries. - -Scott, who once met the old man in the churchyard of Dunottar and saw -him actually engaged in his usual task, sought an interview, but in -spite of a good dinner and some liquid refreshments, which were quite -acceptable, was unable to induce him to speak of his experiences. This -was when the novelist was a young lawyer and long before he had thought -of looking for materials for a novel. - -'Old Mortality,' which many, including Lord Tennyson, have regarded as -the greatest of Scott's novels, was {168} introduced to the public in a -curious way. The real author, as usual, concealed his identity. The -ostensible writer is Jedediah Cleishbotham, a schoolmaster, who in turn -denies the actual authorship of the story, but claims to be merely the -possessor of some posthumous papers of his late pupil, Peter Pattieson, -who has only transcribed some tales he had heard from the landlord of -Wallace Inn. Even the landlord was not original, for he received his -information from the lips of 'Old Mortality.' Thus, by a circuitous -route, the novelist derives this lengthy but extremely interesting tale -from old Robert Paterson, whom he never saw but once, and then failed -to make him talk! - -After the Introduction and the first chapter, in which 'Old Mortality' -is briefly presented, we hear no more of him. In this respect the -novel irresistibly reminds me of the celebrated American humourist, who -advertised his lecture on 'Milk.' When his usual large audience had -assembled, he would step to the front of the platform and pour out, -from a pitcher conveniently provided for the purpose, a glass of milk, -which he would drink with great deliberation before uttering a word. -The lecture then followed in which he kept his hearers convulsed with -laughter, but there was never a word about milk. - -Three events, all within the space of two months, form the historical -basis of 'Old Mortality.' These are the murder of Archbishop Sharp on -May 3, 1679, the skirmish at Drumclog on June 1, and the battle of -Bothwell Bridge, June 22. It was during the era of the persecution, in -the reign of Charles II, of the Scottish Covenanters, who persistently -resisted the 'Conventicle Act' forbidding the gathering of more than -five persons for {169} religious worship, except in accordance with the -Established Church. James Sharp, Archbishop of St. Andrews, had -incurred the hatred of the Covenanters by selfishly betraying the -Scottish Kirk. An attempt upon his life was made in 1668 by Robert -Mitchell, who was not arrested until six years later. He confessed -under Sharp's personal promise of pardon, but was sent to Bass Island, -where he remained a prisoner without trial for four years. Sharp then -denied his promise, though it was proved by the court records, and -demanded Mitchell's death. His base action met with speedy revenge. -While driving with his daughter he was set upon by a party of nine men -and put to death with the most atrocious cruelty. - -The real leader in this murder was John Balfour of Burley, one of the -fiercest and most fanatical of the proscribed sect. Though he -professed the utmost religious fervour, Burley was more noted for the -violence and zeal with which he undertook the most desperate -enterprises and for his courage and skill with the sword. The murder -of Sharp aroused the Government to new activities and no less -stimulated the zeal of the Covenanters. Burley and a handful of his -followers openly defied their enemies. On the anniversary of the -Restoration, May 29, they interrupted the holiday, which they -considered 'presumptuous and unholy.' They rode into the town of -Rutherglen, extinguished the bonfires in honour of the day, burned the -acts of Parliament for the suppression of the conventicles and other -obnoxious laws, and concluded their 'solemn testimony' with prayer and -psalms. - -Three days later a conventicle was held near Loudon {170} Hill, at -which no doubt sermons like those of Gabriel Kettledrummle and Habakkuk -Mucklewrath were preached with fiery vehemence. The Covenanters seemed -to depend upon their religious enthusiasm, for they were poorly armed -and badly organized. Men and women who had no arms marched out to -battle, relying upon 'the spirit given forth from the Lord.' They did -not wait to be attacked, but advanced eastward about two miles from -Loudon Hill to the farm of Drumclog, singing psalms all the way. -Whether by accident or design they made their stand on peculiarly -favourable ground behind a marsh too soft to support the weight of -cavalry. As it was covered with green herbage and only a few yards in -width, the attacking party, led by John Grahame of Claverhouse, did not -know of its existence. - -'No quarter' was the word passed along on both sides. Claverhouse and -his dragoons, despising their foe, dashed down the declivity. The -horses' feet were entangled in the marsh and the ranks thrown into -confusion. The Covenanters, seizing the opportunity for which they had -waited, made a spirited attack and completely routed the cavalry, -Claverhouse himself having a narrow escape. Thirty-six dragoons were -killed, while the victors lost only three. The successful skirmish -aroused tremendous enthusiasm among the Covenanters, and had they been -able to maintain harmony in their own ranks, might have led to a -serious rebellion. - -It did lead to the battle of Bothwell Bridge which took place on the -22d of the same month, June, 1679. The Government leader was the Duke -of Monmouth, who was anxious to preserve peace and avoid bloodshed. -{171} The more moderate of the insurgents sent a message offering terms -upon which they would surrender. The Duke offered to interpose with -the King on their behalf, provided they would first lay down their -arms. The Cameronians violently opposed the moderate policy and -favoured a fierce and even desperate resistance. While they were -debating the question, the sound of the enemy's guns broke in upon -them. In their disorganized condition, the cause of the Covenanters -was hopeless and the Government gained an easy victory. Claverhouse -rode at the head of his own troop, who were thus able to avenge the -disgraceful defeat at Drumclog. - -It was the portrait of John Grahame of Claverhouse, hanging in the -library of Abbotsford, which, according to Lockhart, first suggested -the idea of the novel. Joseph Train had called to present the purse of -Rob Roy and 'a fresh heap of traditionary gleanings, which he had -gathered among the tale-tellers of his district.' Noticing the -handsome features revealed by the portrait of a man whom most Scotchmen -regarded as 'a ruffian desperado, who rode a goblin horse, was proof -against shot, and in league with the Devil,' Train expressed his -surprise. After Scott had defended his hero's character, Train, always -alive to the possibilities of a new story, asked whether he might not -'be made, in good hands, the hero of a national romance, as interesting -as any about either Wallace or Prince Charlie.' Upon receiving the -novelist's conditional assent, Train resumed: 'And what if the story -were to be delivered as if from the mouth of "Old Mortality?"' Train -then told what he knew of old Paterson, offering to learn more and -report later. Though Scott did not mention it at the time, the {172} -conversation recalled his earlier meeting with Paterson, and led to the -immediate writing of the novel. - -The scenery of 'Old Mortality' required us to explore the course of the -river Clyde for almost its entire length. This picturesque stream -rises in the high country near Moffat. An old rhyme, as repeated to us -by a native of Moffat, runs thus:-- - - Evan, Annan, Tweed and Clyde - All flow out from ae hillside. - - -In its short course of less than seventy-five miles to the Firth of -Clyde at Dumbarton, it descends toward the sea by leaps and bounds, -forming a series of beautiful cataracts. The highest and most famous -of these is Corra Linn where Wordsworth composed a poem, inspired by -the sight of Wallace's Tower. Here the river takes a triple plunge -over the rocks for a distance of eighty-four feet. Not less imposing -is Stonebyres Linn, below the city of Lanark, where the fall is -seventy-six feet. - -Following the downward course of the stream we came to the ruins of -Craignethan Castle, at the juncture of the Nethan with the Clyde. 'A -crag above the river Nethan' is the literal meaning of the name. This -is Tillietudlem, the castle which Scott made the residence of Lady -Bellenden and her granddaughter, Edith. A ravine under the old castle -of Lanark, near by, known as Gillytudlem, no doubt suggested the name. - -[Illustration: CRAIGNETHAN CASTLE (TILLIETUDLEM)] - -In the autumn of 1799, while on a visit to Lord Douglas at Bothwell -Castle, on the Clyde, Scott made an excursion to Craignethan and, as he -afterwards said, immediately fell in love with it so much that he -wanted to live there. Lord Douglas offered him the use for life {173} -of a very good house at one corner of the court. It was built in 1665 -and we found it still in excellent repair. Scott did not at once -decline the offer, but circumstances made it impossible to accept. -That he made a very careful examination of the ruin, however, is shown -by the unusually accurate descriptions. - -The castle stands on a high rock, reached by a long road through the -woods, by the side of a deep glen. I climbed some stairways through a -corner of the building which still remains intact, and stood on the -ruined battlement from which Major Bellenden valiantly defended the -castle. Here I had a fine view over the tree-tops and could see the -village of Braidwood, two miles away; but the road over which Lady -Bellenden saw the troops approaching was not visible to my eyes. - -From this point also I had a good view of the court, which I could -fancy almost filled with a motley crowd of soldiers, domestic servants, -and retainers, including the bluff and stout-hearted Sergeant Bothwell, -who died 'hoping nothing, believing nothing--and fearing nothing'; the -intrepid Tam Halliday; the infamous Inglis; the old drunken cavaliering -butler, John Gudyill; the faithful ploughman, Cuddie Headrigg, with his -sweetheart, Jenny Dennison; and even poor little half-witted Goose -Gibbie, muffled in a big buff coat, 'girded rather _to_ than _with_ the -sword of a full-grown man,' his feeble legs 'plunged into jack-boots' -and a steel cap on his head so big as completely to extinguish him. In -the centre of the court is the entrance gate, formerly the chapel; on -the right a watch-tower and stable, and on the left the very -substantial house now occupied by the keeper's family, to which I have -referred. - -{174} - -The keeper next conducted me to the rear of the castle, where he -pointed out a well-preserved square tower below which the ground slopes -at a sharp angle to the river's edge. The lower part was used as a -dungeon, where we may suppose Henry Morton to have been confined. It -was once occupied by a nobleman of real life, who, not so fortunate as -the hero of the novel, was led away to execution. Above the dungeon -was the kitchen and pantry, with windows perhaps twenty feet above the -ground. At the corner there was once an old yew, the stump of which -may still be seen. - -Readers of 'Old Mortality' will recall that during the siege of the -castle, Cuddie Headrigg, though an old servant, found himself with the -opposing army. With five or six companions he found his way to the -rear, where there was less danger, and proceeded to attempt to capture -the stronghold by climbing the tree and gaining access through the -window of the pantry. All might have gone well had it not been for the -fact that Jenny Dennison had chosen the pantry as the safest place of -retreat. When, therefore, Cuddie's figure appeared at the window, clad -in the steel cap and buff coat which had belonged to Sergeant Bothwell, -Jenny not only failed to recognize her lover, but was terribly -frightened. With an hysteric scream she rushed to the kitchen, where -she had hung on the fire a pot of kail-brose (a kind of vegetable -stew), having promised to prepare Tam Halliday his breakfast. Seizing -the pot and still screaming, she jumped to the window and poured the -whole scalding contents upon the head and shoulders of the unfortunate -Cuddie, thus 'conferring upon one admirer's outward man the viands -which her fair hands {175} had so lately been in the act of preparing -for the stomach of another.' - -I had great difficulty in photographing this tower. The declivity was -so steep that it was almost impossible either to place the tripod in -proper position or to find a footing from which to look into the -camera. While in the midst of my preparations the keeper informed me -casually that a man had fallen down the slope three weeks before and -broken his neck. With this encouragement, I persevered and was finally -able to obtain what I believe to be one of the best evidences of the -accuracy with which Scott often made his investigations and subsequent -descriptions. - -On one of our excursions from Melrose, we followed the course of the -Yarrow, from its junction with the Ettrick to its source in St. Mary's -Loch; then continuing to the southwest, we traced the course of Moffat -Water, which forms the outlet of the Loch of the Lowes, to a point just -above the place where the stream meets the Evan and the Annan; then -turning westward and passing through the town of Moffat, we followed -the course of the Tweed northward and eastward from its source to our -starting-place. For a large part of this drive, we were in wild, -desolate regions, which presented to us, we were well assured, exactly -the same aspect as they did to Sir Walter Scott, and to the Covenanters -a century or more before his time. From St. Mary's Loch to Moffat and -from the latter northward for at least fifteen or twenty miles, we were -in the very region where the Covenanters were wont to find a safe -retreat from persecution. - -Scott was fond of riding through these wild mountain {176} passes, and -often did so with his friend, Skene, of Rubislaw, who has left an -entertaining account of one of these expeditions:-- - - -One of our earliest expeditions was to visit the wild scenery of the -mountainous tract above Moffat, including the cascade of the Grey -Mare's Tail and the dark tarn called Loch Skene. In our ascent to the -lake we got completely bewildered in the thick fog which generally -envelops the rugged features of that lovely region; and as we were -groping through the maze of bogs, the ground gave way, and down went -horse and horsemen pell-mell into a slough of peaty mud and black -water, out of which, entangled as we were with our plaids and -floundering nags, it was no easy matter to get extricated. Indeed, -unless we had prudently left our gallant steeds at a farmhouse below -and borrowed hill-ponies for the occasion, the result might have been -worse than laughable. As it was, we rose like the spirits of the bogs, -covered _cap-à-pie_ with slime, to free themselves from which our wily -ponies took to rolling about on the heather, and we had nothing for it -but following their example. At length, as we approached the gloomy -loch, a huge eagle heaved himself from the margin and rose right over -us, screaming his scorn of the intruders; and altogether it would be -impossible to picture anything more desolately savage than the scene -which opened, as if raised by enchantment on purpose to gratify the -poet's eye, thick clouds of fog rolling incessantly over the face of -the inky waters, but rent asunder, now in one direction and then in -another--so as to afford us a glimpse of some projecting rock or naked -point of land, or island bearing a few scraggy stumps of pine--and then -closing again in universal darkness upon the cheerless waste. Much of -the scenery of 'Old Mortality' was drawn from that day's ride. - - -James Hogg, who conducted the party on that day, says:-- - - -I conducted them through that wild region by a path, which if not rode -by Clavers, as reported, never was rode by {177} another gentleman.... -Sir Walter, in the very worst paths, never dismounted save at Loch -Skene to take some dinner. We went to Moffat that night, where we met -with Lady Scott and Sophia and such a day and night of glee I never -witnessed. Our very perils were to him matters of infinite merriment. - - -The Grey Mare's Tail is a waterfall three or four hundred feet in -height, forming the outlet of Loch Skene. It is a narrow stream and -the water comes boiling and bubbling in foamy whiteness over the -ruggedest of rocks and through the wildest of ravines. - -I am inclined to think that Scott, in striving to find a retreat for -Balfour, or Burley, poetically in keeping with the stern, fierce, and -dangerous character of that terrible individual, combined the awesome -features of the Grey Mare's Tail with the wild beauty of another ravine -which he had visited. The latter is the deep gulch known as Crichope -Linn, near the village of Closeburn, north of Dumfries. A narrow -stream, flowing through a thick wood, has cut a deep chasm in the solid -rock, through which the water has carved many curious channels. One of -these is called 'Hell's Cauldron,' where the water has worn a deep -round hole, through which it rushes with terrific force. Near by is -the Soutar's Seat, so called from the legend that a 'soutar' or cobbler -used to conceal himself there to mend the shoes of the Covenanters. - -I had the pleasure of walking up the stream to the falls through the -wet woods, in a rainstorm, without a guide. The loneliness of my -situation,--for I did not encounter a soul on the journey,--added to -the mist in the atmosphere, gave an impression, which I might {178} not -otherwise have had, of the absolute security of such a hiding-place. I -tried to fancy old Burley appearing at some opening in the rocks and -myself leaping across the chasm, as did Henry Morton, to get out of his -way. I was not obliged to attempt any such feat. But I felt that a -visit to this strange locality had given me a better idea of the -closing scenes of the novel than I had ever had before. - -[Illustration: CRICHOPE LINN] - -'Old Mortality' will always be remembered for its animated picture of -the Covenanters and the conditions under which they lived. It was an -era of perverted sentiment in politics and religion. The times were -'out of joint' more truly than in the days of Hamlet. A powerful and -tyrannical Government was exhibiting cowardly fear of a small minority -of determined people, who demanded only the rights that had been -previously guaranteed. A policy of intolerant persecution prevailed. -The bullies of the Government laughed to scorn the more statesmanlike -propositions of moderation and fair dealing. Under these conditions a -helpless and miserable people found their strength in an underlying -perception of the truth and justice of their cause. They were -exhibiting that quality which, from Magna Charta to the present time, -has come to the front at every crisis in the history of Britain and -America and is at the root of the power of the Anglo-Saxon race--the -quality of earnest and sincere faith in the right of man to civil -liberty and religious freedom. If, in the excess of their enthusiasm, -these people became bigoted and intolerant, and if their frenzied -reading of the Scriptures enabled them to find texts to justify every -sort of deed of violence and cruelty, the harsh measures of a corrupt, -{179} selfish, and incompetent Government would at least explain the -unhappy conditions. - -Scott's marvellous imagination enabled him to reanimate the people of -this excited period. In Habakkuk Mucklewrath we have the extreme of -crazy religious fervor and in Balfour of Burley the perfect embodiment -of that brute force which was so strangely blended with pious ideals. -Henry Morton, the hero of the tale, whose lot is cast with the -Covenanters, is out of place in the picture, but he sufficiently -typifies that class who were opposed to the extreme measures of the -Cameronians. - -On the Government side, Claverhouse, to whom Scott endeavours to do -justice, General Dalzell, the Duke of Monmouth, and the Duke of -Lauderdale are pictured, fairly enough, in the colours of history. - -Scott's treatment of the Covenanters aroused great controversy, some of -their admirers taking him to task in severe terms for his alleged lack -of fairness. Whatever may be said on this point, there is no doubt -that he touches the true sublimity of their faith in his account of the -torture and death of the Reverend Ephraim Macbriar. The dauntless -preacher was brought before the Privy Council and interrogated by the -Duke of Lauderdale. Refusing to reply to an important question, he was -dramatically confronted with the ghastly apparition of the public -executioner and his horrible implements of torture. - - -'Do you know who that man is?' said Lauderdale in a low, stern voice, -almost sinking into a whisper. - -'He is, I suppose,' replied Macbriar, 'the infamous executioner of your -bloodthirsty commands upon the persons of God's people. He and you are -equally beneath my regard; {180} and, I bless God, I no more fear what -he can inflict than what you can command. Flesh and blood may shrink -under the sufferings you can doom me to, and poor frail nature may shed -tears, or send forth cries; but I trust my soul is anchored firmly on -the rock of ages.' - - -By the Duke's command the executioner then advanced and placed before -the prisoner an iron case called the Scottish boot, so constructed that -it would enclose the leg and knee of the victim with a tight fit. An -iron wedge and a mallet completed the equipment. This wedge, when -placed between the knee and the unyielding iron frame, and struck a -sharp blow with the mallet, was calculated to inflict the most -excruciating pain. - -Macbriar faced the implement without flinching, while the executioner -asked in harsh, discordant tones which leg he should take first. - - -'Since you leave it to me,' said the prisoner, stretching forth his -right leg, 'take the best--I willingly bestow it in the cause for which -I suffer.' - - -Here Scott makes use of the actual words of James Mitchell, who -suffered similar torture for his attempt on the life of Archbishop -Sharp. - -When Macbriar was led to his execution, he thanked the Council for his -sentence and forgave them, saying:-- - - -And why should I not?--Ye send me to a happy exchange--to the company -of angels and spirits of the just, for that of frail dust and -ashes.--Ye send me from darkness into day--from mortality to -immortality--and in a word, from earth to heaven! If the thanks -therefore, and pardon of a dying man can do you good, take them at my -hand, and may your last moments be as happy as mine! - - -{181} And thus, 'his countenance radiant with joy and triumph,' he was -led to his execution, 'dying with the same enthusiastic firmness which -his whole life had evinced.' - -The book which contains this superb presentation of a thrilling epoch -of Scottish history is justly termed, by Lockhart, the Marmion of the -Waverley Novels. - - - - -{182} - -CHAPTER XIII - -ROB ROY - -An old flintlock gun of extreme length, with silver plate containing -the initials R.M.C.; a fine Highland broadsword, with the highly prized -Andrea Ferrara mark on the blade; a dirk two feet long, with carved -handle and silver-mounted sheath; a _skene dhu_, or black knife, a -short thick weapon of the kind used in the Highlands for dispatching -game or other servile purposes for which it would be a profanation to -use the dirk; a well-worn brown leather purse; and a _sporran_, with -semicircular clasp and secret lock, which for a century has defied the -ingenuity of all who have attempted to open it, are among the treasures -of Abbotsford. They were all once the property of Robert MacGregor -Campbell, or Rob Roy, the famous 'Robin Hood of the Highlands.' - -When I was permitted to take the long old-fashioned gun into my own -hands and to test its weight by carrying the butt to my shoulder and -casting my eye over the long octagonal barrel, I could not help feeling -that Rob Roy was a far less mythical person than his prototype of the -Forest of Sherwood. - -Rob Roy was, indeed, a very real person, as the Duke of Montrose knew -to his sorrow, but the stories of his exploits are so strange, and at -the same time so fascinating, that it is difficult to determine where -biography ends and pure fiction begins. The MacGregor clan to which he -belonged had been for three hundred years the victims {183} of gross -injustice. David II, the son of Robert Bruce, began the oppression by -wrongfully bestowing their lands upon the rival clan of the Campbells. -The MacGregors were forced to a struggle for self-preservation, and -manfully fought to maintain their rights, exhibiting extraordinary -courage and endurance. But their acts of heroism and self-defence were -construed at court as evidences of lawlessness and rebellion. -Strenuous efforts were made to suppress them, but all such attempts -were met with fiery vindictiveness. Each act of violence led to one of -vengeance. The clan came to be regarded as a fierce and untameable -race of outlaws. Rendered savage and cruel by a treatment which left -no lawful means of obtaining a livelihood, pursued with fire and sword -by the leaders of powerful neighbouring clans, whose subjects were -forbidden to give them food or shelter, the MacGregors were driven to -desperation. Violent deeds of retaliation occurred which no amount of -provocation would justify. Murders, outrages, and bloody skirmishes -were of frequent occurrence. These conflicts reached a terrible crisis -in the battle of Glenfruin, fought on the shores of Loch Lomond with -the powerful clan of Colquhoun, of whom two hundred or three hundred -were slaughtered, many of them being killed without reason after the -battle was over. - -One of the leaders of the MacGregors, who was accused, perhaps -unjustly, of murdering a party of clerical students who had merely -stopped to witness the fight, was Dugald Ciar Mohr, the 'great -mouse-coloured man,' so called from the colour of his face and hair. -He was a man of ferocious character and enormous strength, and was one -of the ancestors of Rob Roy. - -{184} - -This event led to various Acts of Council, proscribing the MacGregors -as outlaws, prohibiting them from carrying weapons, and forbidding them -even to meet together in groups of more than four. The very name of -the clan was abolished, and any one who should call himself either -Gregor or MacGregor was made liable to suffer the penalty of death. - -Rob Roy was the product of these long years of relentless persecution -and retaliation. His family occupied the mountain ranges between Loch -Lomond and Loch Katrine, where they possessed considerable property. -The date of his birth is uncertain, but it was probably 1660 or 1661. -In the latter year, through the orders of King Charles II, the acts -against the MacGregors were annulled and their name restored. The -king, however, could not annul the effects of three centuries of civil -warfare and vengeful retribution, nor prevent Rob Roy from inheriting -some of the traits of his 'mouse-coloured' ancestor. Rob is described -as a man of medium height, but of extraordinary strength. His powers -of endurance were greater than those of any other member of his clan. -His arms were said to be seven inches longer than those of the average -man. This gave him a great advantage with the broadsword, which he -could wield with uncommon skill and effectiveness. His head was -covered with a shock of thick, curly red hair, from which fact he -derived his name, Rob Roy, or Rob the Red. He had keen, flashing, grey -eyes and a firm mouth, which betokened a man with whom it would be -dangerous to trifle, but these features could be frank, cheerful, and -full of kindness when among his friends. He had none of the ferocity -or cruelty of that ancestor whose {185} great powers he seemed to have -inherited. On the contrary, though bold in the execution of his -purposes, he avoided unnecessary bloodshed. Though driven by fate to -the life of an outlaw, he was a man of humane instincts and under -happier circumstances might have been a public benefactor. - -This is the explanation of his extraordinary success in eluding -pursuit. His kindliness of disposition and friendly helpfulness had -raised up friends in every part of the country. In this respect he was -like Robin Hood. He struck at the rich and powerful when they molested -him, but to the poor he was generous and helpful. He was a kind and -gentle robber, who carried a sense of humour into his boldest outrages, -and contrived to take the property of his rich enemy without molesting -the latter's poor tenants, usually managing to make the victim -ridiculous in the eyes of his associates. - -Again and again the Duke of Montrose sent expeditions after him, but -invariably some friend of Rob's carried the news to him well in advance -or sent the Duke's people off in a wrong direction, so that they were -always either disgracefully defeated or hopelessly bewildered. -Meanwhile, Rob would be pretty sure to appear unexpectedly at some -point on the Duke's estate and sweep away everything in sight. Each -new failure brought added wrath to the Duke, which the satirical -remarks of his companions did not tend to soften. - -When Montrose deprived MacGregor of his lands of Craigroyston, along -the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, Rob had no redress in the courts, but -he managed to square accounts pretty well by driving off annually large -numbers of the Duke's cattle, and collecting rents, {186} for which he -invariably gave receipts. He made Craigroyston unbearable for any one -who attempted to live there, until finally a Mr. Graham of Killearn, -the Duke's factor, took possession. This was exactly what Rob Roy -wanted, for Graham was the man who, in MacGregor's absence, had burned -the house of the latter at Balquhidder and brutally thrust his wife out -of doors in a cold winter night. Rob ever after regarded him with -fierce vindictiveness. Graham's cattle mysteriously disappeared time -after time until Craigroyston became unbearable for him also. - -Rob had a queer way of appearing suddenly in places where he was least -expected. One day when Graham was drinking at a tavern and angrily -relating his troubles to a chance acquaintance, he exclaimed, 'Gin God -or the de'il wad gie me a meeting wi' that thievin' loon, Rob Roy -MacGregor, I'd pay aff my score wi' him. But the villain aye keeps oot -o' my road.' 'Here we are, then,' was the reply, 'whether it's God or -the de'il has brocht us thegether. Nae time like the noo, sir, for if -ye're Graham o' Killearn, I'm Rob Roy MacGregor.' Graham did not stand -on the order of his going, but made his exit by leaps and bounds until -three long miles were put between him and 'that devil of a MacGregor.' - -On one occasion Graham had called the tenants of a certain district to -meet at a small house, according to custom, to pay their rent. Rob -Rob, with a single attendant, whom he called 'the Bailie,' reached the -house after dark, and looking through the window, saw Killearn with a -bag of money in his hand and heard him say he would cheerfully give it -all for Rob Roy's head. Rob instantly gave orders in a loud voice to -place two {187} men at each window, two at each corner and four at each -of the doors, as if he had twenty men. He and his attendant then -walked boldly in, each with broadsword in his right hand and a pistol -in his left, and a goodly display of dirks and pistols in their belts. -He then coolly ordered Killearn to put the money on the table and count -it, and to draw a proper receipt showing that he, Rob Roy, had received -the money from the Duke of Montrose on account. Then, finding that -some of the tenants had not been given receipts for their rent, he -caused these to be drawn so that no poor man should suffer, after which -he ordered supper for all present, for which he paid. When they had -eaten their meal and drunk together for several hours, he called upon -'the Bailie' to produce his dirk and take the solemn oath of the factor -that he would not move nor direct any one else to move out of the house -for at least one hour. Pointing to the dirk to signify what the agent -might expect if he broke his oath, Rob calmly walked away with the bag -of money, which he considered rightfully his own, and was soon beyond -pursuit. On another occasion MacGregor not only took possession of the -rents which this same gentleman had collected, but also carried him -away to a small island in the west end of Loch Katrine, where, after -entertaining him five or six days, he dismissed his guest (or -prisoner), returning all the books and papers, but taking good care to -keep the cash. - -The escape of Rob Roy from the Duke of Montrose was based upon an -actual occurrence. He was surprised by Montrose and taken prisoner in -the Braes of Balquhidder. He was then mounted behind a soldier named -{188} James Stewart and secured by a horse-girth. In crossing a -stream, probably the Forth at the Fords of Frew, MacGregor induced -Stewart to give him a chance 'for auld acquaintance' sake.' Stewart, -moved by compassion or possibly fear, slipped the girth-buckle and Rob, -dropping off the horse, dived, swam below the surface, and finally -escaped. - -The novelist's acquaintance with the country of Rob Roy began in his -sixteenth year, when with a military escort of a sergeant and six men, -he first entered the Highlands. He was then a lawyer's clerk, and his -object was to obtain possession of a certain small farm in the Braes of -Balquhidder, known as Invernenty, to secure some debts due from the -owner, Stewart of Appin. The farm had been a part of the property -claimed by Rob Roy, and in the late years of the cateran's life there -had been a great dispute over it with the Stewarts. The quarrel was -finally adjusted and a family of MacLarens took possession as tenants -of Stewart. After the death of Rob Roy, his son, Robin Oig, probably -instigated by his mother, declared that if he could get possession of a -certain gun of his father's, he would shoot MacLaren. He kept his -word, using the weapon to which I have referred at the beginning of -this chapter. The descendants of MacLaren remained on the farm and -refused to leave. So long as they were there, the property could not -be sold. It chanced that one of Scott's earliest legal undertakings -was to secure the eviction of these undesirable tenants. When he -arrived the house was empty, the MacLarens not caring to make any -serious opposition. - -The Kirk of Balquhidder, where Rob Roy made his {189} settlement with -the Stewarts, stands at the foot of Loch Voil, a few miles off the main -road from Callander to Lochearnhead. It is a small ivy-covered chapel, -standing beneath the shadow of two large trees. In front is an iron -railing, of recent construction, enclosing the graves of Rob Roy, his -wife, Helen MacGregor, whose real name was Mary, and two of his sons. -He died a natural death in 1734, at an age which has been variously -stated as between seventy and eighty years. - -The first appearance of Rob Roy in the novel is when under the name of -Campbell (his mother's name, which he assumed, probably for prudential -reasons), he makes the acquaintance of Mr. Frank Osbaldistone at the -Black Bear of Darlington. Frank, it will be remembered, is on the way -to his uncle's estate in Northumberland. There is little by which -Osbaldistone Hall can be identified, but if geographical considerations -count for anything, it is not improbable that Scott may have had in -mind Chillingham Castle, the seat of the Earl of Tankerville. This is -one of the places to which he refers in a letter written in the summer -of 1791, as 'within the compass of a forenoon's ride,' from the farm in -the Cheviot Hills, south-west of Wooler, where he was then staying. -During that vacation excursion he became very familiar with all the -surrounding country, an experience which doubtless had something to do -with choosing Northumberland as the scene of an important part of the -novel. Chillingham Castle is a fine type of the old baronial -residence. It was designed by Inigo Jones, the famous architect of the -seventeenth century, though portions of the building are still -preserved which were built as early as the thirteenth century. It -stands in a magnificent park of {190} fifteen hundred acres, about two -thirds of which is set apart for the accommodation of deer and wild -cattle. The latter, almost the only descendants of the herds of savage -wild cattle which once roamed the Caledonian forests, are famous -throughout England and Scotland. Sir Walter refers to them in the -'Bride of Lammermoor' and again in a note to 'Castle Dangerous.' The -present castle is a large square structure enclosing the walls of the -older building. Entering the inner court, which is paved with stone, -we came to what was once the front of the ancient structure, looking -something like 'the inside of a convent or of one of the older and less -splendid colleges of Oxford,' to quote from the description of -Osbaldistone Hall. We were shown a large banqueting-room, now used as -a library, which extends across the entire width of the building. Its -walls were decorated, after the fashion of Osbaldistone, with many -trophies of the chase, such as the heads of deer, elk, buffalo, and -other animals, all shot by the present earl. But in this splendid -apartment with its luxurious furnishings, there was little else to -suggest the dingy old hall, with its stone floor and massive range of -oaken tables, where the bluff old Sir Hildebrand and 'the happy -compound of sot, gamekeeper, bully, horse-jockey, and fool,' which, -with the addition of a highly educated villain, constituted his family, -daily consumed huge quantities of meat and 'cups, flagons, bottles, -yea, barrels of liquor.' - -[Illustration: CHILLINGHAM CASTLE] - -Frank Osbaldistone had nearly reached the entrance to his uncle's house -when he met the beautiful Diana Vernon. Miss Cranstoun, afterwards the -Countess of Purgstall, one of Scott's early friends in the social -circles of Edinburgh, was thought by many to be the original {191} of -Diana,--a belief which she herself shared, chiefly because she was an -expert horsewoman. Others have said that Scott's first love was the -real Diana. But Miss Vernon is totally unlike either Margaret of -Branksome or Matilda of Rokeby, both of whom were, to some extent, -portraits of Miss Williamina Stuart. Moreover, in the unexpected -meeting of a charming young woman on horseback, her long black hair -streaming in the breeze, her animated face glowing with the exercise, -and her costume attractively arranged in the most striking fashion, -there is a strong suggestion of the circumstances to which I have -previously referred,[1] under which the poet first met the future Lady -Scott. - -The next day after our visit to Chillingham we followed the footsteps -of Frank Osbaldistone to Glasgow, where we soon found the cathedral to -which Frank was conducted by Andrew Fairservice. It well justifies the -old gardener's encomium: 'Ah! it's a brave kirk--none o' yere -whigmaleeries and curliewurlies and open steek hems about it!--a' -solid, weel-jointed mason-wark, that will stand as lang as the warld, -keep hands and gunpowther aff it.' A part of the present building was -erected in 1175. It has been the scene of some important events in -Scottish history. At Christmas of 1301, Edward I of England, on his -campaign against Scotland, made offerings at the high altar. Five -years later, Robert Bruce stood before the same altar and was there -absolved for the murder of his rival, the Red Comyn, at Dumfries. - -The cathedral is supported by sixty-five pillars, some of them eighteen -feet in circumference. The effect of {192} these huge masses is to -throw the crypt into almost total darkness except in the parts near the -narrow stained-glass windows. To make my photograph I set up the -camera, opened the shutter, and left a workman to keep watch while I -went to luncheon. Returning in an hour I shut off the exposure and -realized later that two hours would have been better. - -In this dark crypt it was formerly the custom to hold services. While -standing in front of one of the huge pillars, listening to the sermon, -Frank Osbaldistone heard the mysterious voice of Rob Roy, warning him -that his life was in danger. Turning quickly he could see no one. I -could never understand this scene until I saw the crypt. The large -size of the pillars and the dense shadows which they cast would make it -easy for one to disappear in the darkness as Rob Roy was supposed to do. - -On High Street, Glasgow, we found an old tower, which was a part of the -Tolbooth, where Rob Roy had his curious interview with Bailie Nicol -Jarvie. The old Salt Market has changed greatly since the days of the -good Bailie and his father, the deacon, and it is no longer necessary -at night to be escorted along the city streets by a young maidservant -with a lantern. - -Rob Roy's parting injunction to Frank was 'forget not the clachan of -Aberfoyle.' We therefore made it our business to find that interesting -spot, combining it, as did Scott, with our investigation of the scenery -of 'The Lady of the Lake.' The portion of the Scottish Highlands -generally included in the so-called Rob Roy country comprises all that -part of central Perthshire from Loch Ard and the river Forth on the -south to Strath Fillan and Glen Dochart on the north, and from Loch -{193} Lubnaig on the east to Loch Lomond on the west. This region, so -easily accessible to us by means of carriages and automobiles, was in -the time of Rob Roy not only difficult to approach, but exceedingly -dangerous. The only highways of travel were narrow defiles through the -mountains, easy enough, perhaps, for the experienced and hardy -clansman, who knew every twist and turn of the paths, but as impassable -to the unguided Lowlander or 'Sassenach' as the tablelands of Tibet. - -Frank Osbaldistone and Bailie Nicol Jarvie, guided by the officious and -rascally, but always laughable, Andrew Fairservice, are supposed to -enter the hamlet of Aberfoyle by crossing an old stone bridge over the -Forth. It is the bridge which Scott doubtless crossed when he visited -the place, and is still standing, but it had not been built in the time -of Rob Roy. That, however, was one of those details which never -interested Sir Walter to any great extent. - -We approached from the opposite direction, driving over the hills from -the Trossachs and pausing just above the village to view the splendid -valley to the westward, the termination of which was the mountain peak -of Ben Lomond. Arriving at Aberfoyle, we were fortunately spared the -necessity of stopping at an inn such as the novelist describes, where -the worthy Bailie valiantly defended himself against a too aggressive -Highlander, by wielding a red-hot poker so vigorously as to burn a hole -in his opponent's plaid. But the enterprising landlord of the modern -hotel near the bridge capitalizes the incident by exhibiting the -_identical poker_, which he has attached to the limb of a tree, thereby -recalling Scott's story of the keeper of a museum who showed the very -{194} sword with which Balaam was about to kill his ass. A visitor -interrupted him with the remark that Balaam did not possess a sword; he -only wished for one. 'True, sir,' was the ready reply, 'but this is -the very sword he wished for.' - -There are two groups of old cottages in Aberfoyle, corresponding -closely with those described in the novel. - - -The miserable little bourocks (or heap of rocks) as the Bailie termed -them, of which about a dozen formed the village called the clachan of -Aberfoyle, were composed of loose stones, cemented by clay instead of -mortar, and thatched by tufts, laid rudely upon rafters formed of -native and unhewn birches and oaks from the woods around. The roofs -approached the ground so nearly, that Andrew Fairservice observed, we -might have ridden over the village the night before, and never found -out we were near it, unless our horses' feet had 'gane through the -riggin'.' - - -About half a mile from the bridge, which is the exact distance referred -to in the novel, we found the largest of these clachans, which bore a -very striking resemblance to the one described by Scott, even to the -squalor of its surroundings, for it is still inhabited at one end, -though the other is in ruins. But by way of compensation, the -miserable hovel, with the high bleak hills in the background, made a -strikingly picturesque view, not differing greatly from that which met -the eyes of Rob Roy himself, whenever his 'business' brought him to -that locality. - -Following the road to the westward, we came to some cliffs on the north -shore of Loch Ard, near the foot of the lake, which are pointed out as -the place where Bailie Nicol Jarvie found himself suspended by the -coat-tails {195} from the projecting branches of a thorn-tree, dangling -in mid-air 'not unlike the sign of the Golden Fleece over the door of a -mercer in the Trongate of his native city.' - -The beauty of the lake as it appears from this road, and particularly -from the point where Ben Lomond looms high in the distance, fully -justifies the novelist's enthusiasm. The 'huge grey rocks and shaggy -banks' are neither so high nor so wild as they are described, nor did -we find an elevation from which Helen MacGregor might have pitched the -miserable Morris headlong into the lake. Indeed, had we been able to -look backward through the mists of two centuries and see the famous -Helen herself, we should doubtless have discovered that she, too, was -much less 'wild' than she has been painted. Scott represents her as a -virago, fiercely inspiring her husband and sons to deeds of bloody -vengeance. The real name of Rob Roy's wife was Mary. Mr. A. H. -Miller, in his 'History of Rob Roy,' thinks she has been sadly -misrepresented. 'Mary MacGregor,' says he, 'was of a gentle and -amiable disposition, one who never meddled in the political schemes of -her husband, and whose virtues were of the domestic order.' - -Scott's fondness for the little waterfall of Lediard, north of Loch -Ard, to which I have already referred in connection with 'Waverley,' -led him to introduce it again in 'Rob Roy.' It was the place chosen by -Rob's wife and followers as 'a scene well calculated to impress -strangers with some feelings of awe,' and here Helen MacGregor -presented to Frank Osbaldistone the ring of Diana Vernon as the -love-token of one from whom he believed himself separated forever. - -{196} - -The two sections of the Rob Roy country which the cateran most -frequented, were the eastern shores of Loch Lomond and the valley where -Loch Voil nestles calmly among the hills, known as the Braes of -Balquhidder. After Rob was driven away from Craigroyston, on the -margin of Loch Lomond, he made his headquarters for many years at Fort -Inversnaid, on the high land, about two miles east of the lake. - -The story of how Rob Roy took possession of this place stamps him as a -modern Ulysses as well as a Robin Hood. The Government authorized the -building of the fort on Rob's own land, as a means of guarding the -district from his depredations. The crafty cateran, learning from some -of his numerous spies all about the plans well in advance, took good -care to see that none of his clansmen interfered in the least, so that -all the material for the fort, including ample supplies, guns, and -ammunition, were brought up without molestation. The contractor, happy -in the thought that the peaceful state of the country had enabled him -to complete his task promptly, dismissed most of his men and prepared -to turn the property over to the Duke of Montrose. One evening, in the -midst of a heavy snowstorm, a knocking was heard at the gate. In -response to inquiry, a voice said that a poor pedlar had lost his way -in the snow. The gate was opened, and Rob Roy at the head of a strong -force, rushed in and took possession. The fort made an excellent -vantage-ground from which he harried his enemies for many years. - -[Illustration: LOCH LOMOND FROM INVERSNAID] - -Just below the fort, the little river which forms the outlet of Loch -Arklet joins the Snaid, and finally tumbles over the cliff in a -beautiful little cascade, known as {197} Inversnaid Falls. About two -miles to the north, well hidden among the rocks, is a cave which Rob -Roy was sometimes compelled to use as a hiding-place. It was visited -by Walter Scott and introduced in the story of 'Waverley' as the cave -of Donald Bean Lean, but he refrained from mentioning it in 'Rob Roy.' - -Scott never felt quite satisfied with this novel, although he did -remark in a letter to John Richardson, 'I really think I may so far do -some good by giving striking and, to the best of my information and -abilities, correct likenesses of characters long since passed away.' As -a presentation of the real character of one of the most picturesque and -interesting of all Highlanders, as well as a superb word-painting of -the conditions under which men lived in the country and the time of Rob -Roy, the novel possesses a genuine value. Scott's discontent with it -arose from the hard conditions under which it was written. In a letter -to Daniel Terry, dated March 29, 1817, he says, referring to it, 'I -have made some progress in ye ken what, but not to my satisfaction; it -smells of the cramp, and I must get it into better order before sending -it to you.' After the book was published, he used the same expression -in a letter to Morritt. Lady Louisa Stuart, one of Scott's most valued -friends, who wrote to him with perfect freedom, thought the end of the -story indicated that the author was 'tired, and wanted to get rid of -his personages as fast as he could, knocking them on the head without -mercy.' There is certainly some justification in this when we consider -that the old Baronet and five of his worthless sons are disposed of -within three or four pages, while the last and worst of the lot, the -traitorous Rashleigh, is put {198} out of the way two chapters later. -On the other hand, the Squire and his family were always treated -collectively, and as they were in the way it was just as well to get -rid of them by wholesale. Of course, no good could come from letting -the villain live. If this is a defect, or if there are any other -faults in the novel, they are all redeemed by the happy picture of -Bailie Nicol Jarvie, one of the most original as well as delightful of -all the company of actors in the Waverley Novels,--'a carefu' man, as -is weel kend, and industrious as the hale town can testify; and I can -win my crowns, and keep my crowns, and count my crowns wi' ony body in -the Saut-Market, or it may be in the Gallowgate. And I'm a prudent -man, as my father the deacon was before me.' The poor bailie never -could (and neither can the reader) forget how he must have looked when -he hung head down from the thorn tree in the Pass of Aberfoyle: 'And -abune a', though I am a decent, sponsible man, when I am on my right -end, I canna but think I maun hae made a queer figure without my hat -and my periwig, hinging by the middle like bawdrons, or a cloak flung -over a cloak-pin. Bailie Graham wad hae an unco hair in my neck and he -got that tale by the end.' - -Charles Mackay, the famous actor, made the hit of his career in his -rendition of Bailie Nicol Jarvie, and the dramatization of the novel -enjoyed a remarkable popularity for many years. - - - -[1] Chapter 1, page 17. - - - - -{199} - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN - -'Dis-is-de-heart-of-Midlothian-Jeanie-Deans-walked-t'- -Lunnon-t'-save-her-sister-fr'm-hangin!' This sentence, uttered rapidly -in a monotone, as though it were all a single word, long-drawn-out, -startled us as we were standing in Parliament Square, Edinburgh, -looking up at the stately crown which forms the distinguishing mark of -the old Cathedral of St. Giles. Our eyes quickly dropped, to meet the -wistful, upturned face of a small urchin, very ragged and very dirty. -'What is that you say?' said I, looking down into his expectant eyes. -'Dis-is-de-heart-of-Midlothian-Jeanie-Deans-walked-to-Lunnon, sir,' was -the reply, in the same quick accents, running the words all together. -'Why did she do that?' I asked, hoping to draw him out. 'To save her -sister from hangin', sir,' was the ready reply. 'But who was Jeanie -Deans and how did she save her sister?' To this double inquiry the boy -only shook his head. 'Where did you hear that story?' Another shake. -'Did you ever hear of Sir Walter Scott?' Another slow movement of a -downcast head indicated that the little lad was hopelessly out of his -depth, so I gave him his penny and let him go. He had evidently -learned his lesson by heart from some one whom instinct had taught that -this reference to one of the most popular novels of Edinburgh's most -famous citizen would be likely to prove the readiest means of -interesting the casual tourist and thereby extracting an {200} honest -penny. All the other objects of interest,--the fine old Cathedral, the -Parliament House, the Market Cross, the grave of John Knox--were as -nothing compared to the figure of a heart, outlined in the pavement, -designed to mark the site of the old Tolbooth, but more strongly -reminding the visitor, not of an ancient prison, but of a great novel, -and impressing him with the feeling that, wherever one may go in -Edinburgh, the spirit of Sir Walter Scott seems to permeate the very -atmosphere. - -The square in which we were standing was for centuries the civic centre -of Edinburgh. The southwest corner is occupied by the House of -Parliament, where the Scottish Parliaments met in a room, a hundred and -twenty-two feet long and forty-nine feet wide, with an arched oaken -roof. This large hall is now adorned with numerous portraits and -statues of eminent judges, and its floor, when the courts are in -session, is filled with a throng of advocates, their wigs and gowns -suggesting something of the ceremonials of olden times. Since the -union of England and Scotland under the name of Great Britain, in 1707, -and the consequent dissolution of the Scottish Parliament, the building -has been used by the Court of Session. In the rooms of the First -Division, on the left of the lobby, Sir Walter Scott, as one of the -Principal Clerks, performed his official duties for twenty-five years. -His attendance averaged from four to six hours daily during the -sessions of the court, which usually occupied two months in the late -spring and early summer, and four in the winter. His letter of -resignation, in the last year but one of his life, is one of the valued -treasures of the Advocates' Library. - -In the first half of the eighteenth century, the period {201} of 'The -Heart of Midlothian,' Parliament Close, as it was then called, did not -present the clean, open appearance of to-day. Almost the entire space -between St. Giles on the east and the County Hall on the west was -occupied by the Tolbooth, leaving only a narrow and partly covered -passage at the northwest corner of the square. The prison projected -into the middle of High Street, seeming to form 'the termination of a -huge pile of buildings called the Luckenbooths,' which had been 'jammed -into the midst of the principal street,' and little booths or shops -were plastered against the buttresses of the old Gothic cathedral. The -headquarters of the 'City Guard' were in 'a long, low, ugly building, -which to a fanciful imagination might have suggested the idea of a long -black snail crawling up the middle of the High Street and deforming its -beautiful esplanade.' In this way, what was intended to be and is now -a broad street was at that time so encumbered as to be converted into a -series of narrow, crooked lanes, which were kept in anything but tidy -condition. South of High Street the Cowgate was reached by descending -the steep incline through various narrow lanes, and the two parallel -thoroughfares were connected, a little to the east, by a crooked but -famous street, called West Bow. At the foot of the latter was a wide, -open space known as the Grassmarket, where the public executions took -place. These were the streets through which the rioters of the -Porteous Mob made their way in the exciting days of September, 1736. - -The Tolbooth, considered two centuries ago to be one of the largest and -most sombre buildings in the kingdom, was built by the citizens of -Edinburgh in 1561, {202} originally for a Town Hall, but later devoted -to the use of Parliament and the courts of justice. With the -completion of the Parliament House in 1640, its original usage ceased, -and from that time until its demolition in 1817, it was devoted -exclusively to the imprisonment of debtors and criminals. No -distinction was made between the lowest of the criminal classes and the -poor persons whose only offence was the inability to pay some small -debt. The latter were shut up for months in cells too loathsome for -the most vicious of criminals. There were no areas for exercise nor -any ways of affording the captives a breath of fresh air. The narrow -windows were half-blocked to the light by massive bars of iron. - -The exterior was not less horrible, for on its highest pinnacle were -displayed the heads of prisoners of state who had been executed, and it -was seldom lacking in such tokens. The Regent Morton, accused of the -murder of Darnley; the Duke of Montrose, and later his great enemy, the -Duke of Argyle, were among the most distinguished of these victims; but -there were many others. - -The Church of St. Giles almost touched elbows, so to speak, with the -prison. The central portion was set apart for religious services under -the name of the 'Old Church,' the worshippers of those days having a -strong aversion to the use of the name of a saint. They seemed to have -no objection to attaching to their sacred edifice the designation of -the temporary abode of sinners, for the southwest quarter was called -the 'Tolbooth Church,' from its proximity to the prison. On the -morning of the 11th of April, 1736, according to the account of Robert -Chambers, Wilson and Robertson were conducted to the Tolbooth Church, -to listen to their last sermon, their {203} execution having been -planned for the following Wednesday. Very much as described in the -novel, except that the incident took place almost instantly after they -had seated themselves in the pew, instead of after the sermon as Scott -says, Wilson seized three of the guards and shouted to Robertson to -run. The latter tripped up the fourth soldier and quickly escaped, -aided by the sympathetic church-goers, who contrived to block up the -passages so that pursuit was impossible. Three days later, Wilson was -executed in the Grassmarket. The sympathy of all Edinburgh was with -him, for several reasons. First, his crime was only the robbery of a -revenue officer, in reprisal for the seizure of his own goods on a -charge of smuggling. In those days (and even now, it may be feared) -the crime of cheating the Government out of its revenues was not -considered an enormous one. If a poor smuggler happened to be caught, -there was no reason why he should n't 'get even' with the officers if -he had a good chance. At least, so Wilson argued, and many sympathized -with his view. Second, the Scots were not yet entirely reconciled to -the union, and the exhibition of too much authority at London was -likely to be resented. Third, Wilson had acted the part of a generous -friend and courageous man in sacrificing his own chances to secure the -escape of Robertson. - -Some stones were thrown at the captain of the City Guard, John -Porteous, and that officer, beside himself with rage, snatched a gun -from a soldier and, setting the example himself, commanded his party to -fire. The result was the loss of six lives and the wounding of eleven -persons, many of the victims being innocent spectators {204} who were -watching the affair from neighbouring windows. For this offence -Porteous was tried and convicted, his execution being set for the 8th -of September. Before the prisoner could be executed, a pardon reached -Edinburgh, signed by Queen Caroline, acting as Regent. Robert Chambers -says that it came on the 2d of September, giving the mob five days for -preparation instead of a single afternoon, as described by Scott. It -is a matter of history that the 'mob' acted with remarkable moderation, -harming no one except their intended victim. Ladies of the upper -classes, travelling in their chairs to meet evening engagements, were -quietly turned back. The shopkeeper in the West Bow, whose place was -broken into for a coil of rope, found himself reimbursed with a guinea. -The town guard was disarmed and the city gates closed without -confusion, showing that cool heads were in the lead. The jail was -stormed and, as the door would not yield, it was set on fire. When -this finally became effective, the fire was extinguished. All the -prisoners were set free except Porteous, who was taken to the -Grassmarket and hanged on a post near the scene of his own crime. - -The event caused great excitement, not only in Edinburgh, but in -London. The House of Lords proposed a severe punishment, including the -imprisonment of the Lord Provost, but finally compromised with a fine -upon the city of £2000 for the benefit of Porteous's widow, thus -throwing the punishment upon those who had nothing to do with the -affair and could not have prevented it. - -When the discreditable old Tolbooth was finally demolished, Scott was -presented with the door and its {205} frame, which are now built into -the outer walls of the mansion at Abbotsford and the keys of the prison -are among the treasures of his museum. In 1816, he wrote to Terry, 'I -expect to get some decorations from the old Tolbooth of Edinburgh, -particularly the copestones of the doorway, or lintels, as we call -them, and a _niche_ or two--one very handsome, indeed! Better a niche -_from_ the Tolbooth than a niche _in_ it, to which such building -operations are apt to bring the projectors!' - -The first part of the novel is a skilful blending of the history of the -Porteous Mob, with the true story of an unfortunate girl and her noble -sister, who lived in another part of Scotland. The author represents -Effie Deans as having been incarcerated in the old Tolbooth and places -her trial in one of the buildings of Parliament Close. The real Effie -was imprisoned in the jail at Dumfries and her trial occurred in an -upper room of a curious old building of that city, known as the -Mid-Steeple, a structure, now over two centuries old, which stands in -the middle of the High Street and gives a picturesque effect to that -thoroughfare. On the south front, above a stairway which ascends -across the face of the building, is a sculptured figure of St. Michael -treading on a serpent, the arms of the burgh, and above this are the -royal arms of Scotland, also carved in stone. The space in front is -given a pleasant bit of colour by the display of flowers and -vegetables, here offered for sale. - -The story of Helen Walker, the original of Jeanie Deans, is well -remembered in Dumfries. A stone or two may still be discovered, by -those who care to search for the remnant of her little cottage, near -the banks of the river Cluden. She lived to be seventy or eighty years -{206} old, supporting herself by working stocking-feet and raising -chickens, besides occasionally teaching a few children to read. In -early life she had been left an orphan, charged with the support of a -younger sister, named Isabella, or 'Tibby,' to whom she devoted herself -with many evidences of genuine affection. It was a great shock to her, -therefore, when she learned that the young girl had been accused of -child-murder and that she herself would be called upon as the principal -witness against her. Under the law, as her counsel explained, if she -could testify that her sister had made the slightest preparation or had -even confided to her an intimation on the subject, such a declaration -would save her sister's life. The temptation to tell a plausible lie, -which no one could dispute, was undeniably strong. But Helen was a -woman of finer mould, and not even the purest sisterly love could -induce her to violate her conscience. She swore to the truth and -Isabella was condemned. As she left the court, the latter was heard to -exclaim, 'Oh, Nelly! ye've been the cause of my death!' - -The same moral courage which gave resolution to Helen Walker to stand -for the truth, now impelled her to a remarkable exercise of the power -of an indomitable will. The difficulties seemed insurmountable. There -was no hope except in the royal pardon. There was no one to intercede -with the King and London was many miles away. But Helen did not waste -a moment. A petition was hastily drawn, setting forth the facts in the -case, and on the very night of the conviction, the dauntless Scotch -lassie set out on foot for London, clad in her simple country dress and -tartan plaid, without letters of introduction or recommendation, with -little money in her {207} purse, and scarcely a chance of success -except a sublime faith in Providence and reliance upon her own stout -heart. - -There was one nobleman in London to whom the heart of any of his Scotch -countrymen would instinctively turn in such an emergency. This was -John, Duke of Argyle, who had stoutly resisted the efforts to inflict -an undeserved punishment on the people of Edinburgh for their part in -the Porteous affair. To him Helen Walker presented herself, after -watching three days at his door, just as he was about to enter his -carriage. Her unpretentious dress, her honest face, and the pathos of -her story won the heart of the generous nobleman, who procured the -pardon and forwarded it to Dumfries. Helen returned on foot as she had -come, and had the satisfaction of witnessing the release of her sister. -Isabella married the man who had wronged her and lived many years, -always acknowledging in the most affectionate terms the high nobility -of her sister's character. - -Helen died in poverty and was buried in the picturesque churchyard of -Kirkpatrick Irongray, northwest of Dumfries, where her grave might have -been forgotten but for the generosity of Sir Walter and the interest of -Mrs. Goldie, who told him the story. This good lady requested the -novelist to write an inscription, saying that if he would do so, she -would be able to raise the necessary funds for a monument. Scott, -however, insisted upon supplying both the inscription and the stone. -We made it our first care on the afternoon of our arrival in Dumfries -to drive to the old Kirk where, in spite of the inconvenience of an -unexpected shower, we {208} photographed the memorial and afterwards -stood under an umbrella copying the following inscription:-- - - This Stone was erected - By the author of Waverley - To the memory - - of - - HELEN WALKER - - Who died in the year of God, 1791. - This humble individual - Practised in real life - The virtues - With which fiction has invested - The imaginary character of - - JEANIE DEANS - - Refusing the slightest departure - From veracity - Even to save the life of a sister, - She nevertheless shewed her - Kindness and fortitude - In rescuing her - From the severity of the law, - At the Expense of personal exertions. - Which the times rendered as difficult - As the motive was laudable. - - Respect the grave of poverty - When combined with love of truth - And dear affection. - - -One day during our stay in Edinburgh we hired a conveyance to take us -to the suburban scenes of 'The Heart of Midlothian.' Our driver was -recommended as 'one {209} of the best guides in Edinburgh,' and so he -proved to be. In spite of orders to drive direct to the King's Park, -he insisted upon going by way of High Street and the Canongate, when, -every few rods it seemed, he would bring his horse to a walk, then turn -in his seat until he faced us and point with his long whip to some -window 'where the famous Adam Smith lived' or 'where Dugald Stewart had -his rooms.' Perhaps he was only following the example of Sir Walter, -of whom Lockhart said, 'No funeral hearse crept more leisurely than did -his landau up the Canongate; and not a queer tottering gable but -recalled to him some long-buried memory of splendour or bloodshed, -which, by a few words, he set before his hearers in the reality of -life.' All of this was interesting enough, or would have been, had I -not wished to reach my objective point before sundown, but Jehu was -like the burro I once rode in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado, which -beast responded to the spur by two convulsive steps, then settled down -to his previous pace, which neither coaxing nor threatening, caressing -nor spurring, soft words nor sharp ones, would induce him to change for -the space of more than a minute at a time. So with our 'best guide.' I -finally concluded to let him have his own way, as I had been obliged to -do with his obstinate relative, the burro, and so finally got through -the Canongate after listening to a rehearsal of the entire catalogue of -Edinburgh worthies for several centuries. When the King's Park was -reached, after passing Holyrood Palace, the guide found himself 'out of -bounds' and kindly permitted me to direct the further proceedings. - -Here the city seems to come to a sudden end, and {210} looking toward -the southwest we saw only a mass of steep cliffs backed by a rugged -mountain. This was a favorite resort with Sir Walter, when a boy. In -later years, the Radical Road, which winds around the edge of the -Salisbury Crags in a broad pathway, was laid out at his suggestion, to -give employment to idle men. - -In writing 'The Heart of Midlothian,' Scott was therefore more at home -than with any other of his novels. Muschat's Cairn and St. Anthony's -Chapel, where Jeanie had her midnight interview with the betrayer of -her sister, were familiar sights of the author's boyhood. On a dark -night they would be lonely enough even now. - -Near the park gate we passed some boulders known as Muschat's Cairn, -but as they were carefully enclosed and surrounded by a well-kept plot -of grass, they gave no suggestion of the weird and desecrated ground -where evil spirits had power to make themselves visible to human eyes. -The original cairn was made by passing travellers, each throwing a -stone upon the spot, to express his detestation of the horrible murder -committed in 1720 by Nicol Muchet or Muschat, who killed his wife under -circumstances of great cruelty. In the ordinary course of -improvements, the cairn was swept away, but the novel created a new -interest in its story, which led to its restoration. - -[Illustration: ST. ANTHONY'S CHAPEL] - -St. Anthony's Chapel, on the rugged hillside overlooking St. Margaret's -Loch, gives more of the impression of Scott's tale. The scene on any -moonlight night even now would be the same as it was on that night when -Jeanie met George Robertson at the cairn and was followed by Ratcliffe -and Sharpitlaw, guided by Madge Wildfire. The ruined chapel, where the -jailer and the {211} lawyer succeeded only in capturing each other -instead of the fugitive, is still as lonely and difficult of access as -it was then, the only difference being that some of the walls have -fallen. We drove as near to the base of the hill as it was possible to -go. I then left the carriage and began the ascent, stopping a moment -at St. Anthony's Well, where Madge Wildfire wanted to meet the ghost of -the murdered Ailie Muschat to wash the blood out of her clothes 'by the -beams of the bonny Lady Moon.' Arriving at the chapel after a hard -climb, I was studying the composition of a picture when I was accosted -by a policeman, who had toiled after me all the way up that steep -incline. He informed me that I was welcome to photograph the ruins, -but I must n't take any group pictures. As there was nobody in sight -but the policeman and myself, and as I did not wish to make a 'group' -of him, I wondered why he had taken so much trouble. Perhaps he felt -the proud satisfaction of the hero, who, in the language of an admiring -rustic friend, 'seen his duty and done it noble.' - -The chapel of St. Anthony, of which now only a fragment remains, was -once a Gothic structure, with a tower forty feet high, in which a light -was kept for the guidance of mariners. A hermitage, of which scarcely -a trace remains, was partly formed of one of the sheltering crags near -by. The lofty site, commanding an extensive prospect of sea and sky -was supposed to be favourable for pious meditations. The sight of the -palace below was expected to make an impression in the minds of the -monks of the 'striking contrast between the court, so frequently -assaulted by an unprincipled rabble, and their own tranquil situation -in which they {212} were gladly preparing for the regions of -everlasting repose.' Although overlooking a populous city, the -residents of the hermitage had all the 'advantages' of life in a -wilderness, as secluded and peaceful as a Highland desert. - -On the opposite side of the intervening valley we visited St. Leonard's -Crags at the southwest edge of the King's Park. A neat cottage, with a -little garden on the slope below, passes as the house of David Deans. -Whether Scott had in mind this particular building is immaterial. It -is in the exact locality described in the novel, and we thought it -pleasant to stand on the side of the hill overlooking the same -extensive sheep pasture, and the same crags and mountain beyond, that -met the eyes of Jeanie Deans when she stood at the cottage door -anxiously looking along the various tracks which led to their dwelling, -'to see if she could descry the nymph-like form of her sister.' - -A house known as 'Dumbiedykes,' so called because in Scott's time it -was used as a private school for the deaf and dumb, is not far distant. -The novelist borrowed only the name, which he seems to have transferred -to an old farm called Peffermill, in the vicinity of Liberton. - -'Douce David Deans' is an original creation, the result of Scott's -absorption of the descriptions of character in Patrick Walker's -biographical accounts of the Covenanters. In acknowledging his -indebtedness to this authority, Scott says, 'It is from such tracts as -these, written in the sense, feeling, and spirit of the sect, and not -from the sophisticated narratives of a later period, that the real -character of the persecuted class is {213} to be gathered.' 'David' is -just a touch of the same kind of which we have seen so much in 'Old -Mortality.' His lecture to his daughters on the evil of dancing is -taken from Patrick Walker's Life of Cameron:-- - - -Dance?--dance, said ye? I daur ye, limmers that ye are, to name sic' a -word at my door-cheek! It's a dissolute, profane pastime, practiced by -the Israelites only at their base and brutal worship of the Golden Calf -at Bethel, and by the unhappy lass who danced off the head of John the -Baptist, upon whilk chapter I will exercise this night for your further -instruction, since ye need it sae muckle, nothing doubting that she has -cause to rue the day, lang or this time, that e'er she suld hae shook a -limb on sic' an errand. Better for her to hae been born a cripple, and -carried frae door to door, like auld Bessie Bowie, begging bawbees, -than to be a king's daughter, fiddling and flinging the gate she -did.... And now, if I hear ye, quean lassies, sae muckle as name -dancing, or think there's sic' a thing in this warld as flinging to -fiddle's sounds and piper's springs, as sure as my father's spirit is -with the just, ye shall be no more either charge or concern of mine! - - -What a treat it would be to hear Douce David express an opinion of the -elaborate present-day performances of 'Salome'! - -Madge Wildfire, or Murdockson, was drawn from a crazy woman, called -Feckless Fannie, who travelled over Scotland and England at the head of -a flock of sheep. They were remarkable animals, who recognized their -names as bestowed by their mistress, and responded promptly to her -commands. She slept in the fields in the midst of her flock, and one -very polite old ram, named Charlie, always claimed the honour of -assisting her to rise. He would push the others out of the way, {214} -then bend down his head, and when Madge had taken a firm grasp upon his -large horns, he would raise his head and gently lift his mistress to -her feet. This and numerous other stories of Feckless Fannie were -furnished the novelist by his indefatigable friend, Joseph Train. - -The great popularity of 'The Heart of Midlothian' may be judged from a -letter of Lady Louisa Stuart, who said, 'I am in a house where -everybody is tearing it out of each other's hands and talking of -nothing else,' and from Lockhart's testimony, that he had never seen -such 'all-engrossing enthusiasm' in Edinburgh 'on the appearance of any -other literary novelty.' Andrew Lang only voices the feeling of other -Scotchmen when he declares that it is 'second to none' of the Waverley -Novels and that 'no number of formal histories can convey nearly so -full and true a picture of Scottish life about 1730-40 as 'The Heart of -Midlothian.' - -Lockhart, as usual, sets forth the true secret of the author's success -and does it in a single paragraph. 'Never before,' he says, 'had he -seized such really noble features of the national character as were -canonized in the person of his homely heroine; no art had ever devised -a happier running contrast than that of her and her sister, or -interwoven a portraiture of lowly manners and simple virtues, with more -graceful delineations of polished life or with bolder shadows of -terror, guilt, crime, remorse, madness, and all the agony of passions.' - - - - -{215} - -CHAPTER XV - -THE BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR - -Ralph Waldo Emerson, who frequently showed his familiarity with the -Waverley Novels, regarded 'The Bride of Lammermoor' as Scott's highest -achievement. He declared that it 'almost goes back to Æschylus for a -counterpart, as a painting of Fate--leaving on every reader the -impression of the highest and purest tragedy.' The dramatic close of -the story is based upon a calamity which marred the private life of -James Dalrymple, the first Lord Stair, a great lawyer, legal writer, -and judge, who was the ancestor of a long line of distinguished -advocates, judges, and public men. - -This gentleman was born in Ayrshire in 1619. He was carefully -educated, and when a young man lectured in the University of Glasgow on -mathematics, logic, ethics, and politics. At twenty-nine he began the -practice of law at Edinburgh, winning great fame in his profession, -because of extensive legal attainments. His great work on 'The -Institutions of the Law of Scotland' is still held in high esteem by -Scottish lawyers, although the feudal law which it elucidated has -become antiquated. It is considered, however, that something of its -spirit still survives. He became a judge, was appointed President of -the Court of Session, served as a member of the Scottish Parliament, -and took a prominent part in various political and diplomatic -undertakings. Unfortunately incurring the enmity of the Duke of York, -he {216} lost his influence at court and was deprived of office. -Fearing prosecution for treason, he retired to Holland, returning, -however, a year later in the suite of William of Orange. He lived to -the age of seventy-six, his latest years saddened by the bitter attacks -of his enemies. This is the man whom Scott introduces as Sir William -Ashton, though without meaning to impute to Lord Stair the tricky and -mean-spirited qualities of the fictitious character. - -James Dalrymple was married in 1644 to Margaret Ross, the heiress of a -large estate in Galloway. She was a woman of great ability and strong -character, who seems to have exerted a powerful influence in promoting -her husband's prosperity and political ambition. She shared his -fortunes, whether good or bad, for nearly half a century, always -exerting an imperious will, which even he did not dare to contradict, -but ever faithful in advancing his interests. Following her husband's -downfall, when the number of his enemies had greatly increased and his -life was in danger, Lady Stair was accused of attending conventicles -and of harbouring 'silenced preachers' in her house. Others went -farther and accused her of witchcraft, maintaining that the great -prosperity of her family was attributable solely to the lady's -partnership with His Satanic Majesty. Whatever may have been the -slanders directed against her good name, the Lady Stair of history was -clearly the prototype of Lady Ashton. - -The lord and lady of real life had a daughter Janet, who was betrothed, -without the consent of her parents, to Lord Rutherford. Lady Stair's -will asserted itself in opposition, and without consideration of her -daughter's {217} feelings, the mother proceeded to annul the -engagement, notifying the lover that his fiancée had retracted her -unlawful vow. After a stormy interview, in which Lord Rutherford -argued his case with the determined mother in the presence of the -younger woman, the latter, who had feebly remained silent and -motionless, at last obeyed with sad reluctance her mother's command and -gave back to her lover the half of a broken coin, which had been the -symbol of their mutual pledge. In a burst of passion Lord Rutherford -left the room and soon after went abroad never to return. - -The marriage desired by Lady Stair now took place, the bridegroom being -David Dunbar, the heir of an estate in Wigtownshire, the lady's native -county. On the night of the wedding some tragic event took place which -resulted in the death of Janet two weeks later. Either the bride -stabbed the husband or the husband stabbed the bride. The family seem -to have thrown a veil of secrecy over the whole affair and the exact -truth was never positively known. According to one account, when the -door of the chamber was opened, the young bridegroom lay upon the floor -badly wounded, while the wife was found in a state of frenzy, screaming -as the door opened, 'Tak' up your bonnie bridegroom.' Another story is -that the mother, inspired by Satan, attempted the murder, the marriage -having been contracted against her will, and that the bridegroom went -crazy. A third rendition is that the disappointed lover concealed -himself in the apartment and committed the crime. - -Scott adopts the most plausible view, namely, that the young lady, -forced to marry against her will, simply lost her reason and in a mad -delirium assaulted her {218} husband. That young gentleman recovered -from his wounds. Thirteen years later, he was killed by a fall from -his horse, a catastrophe which the novelist transfers to the -disappointed suitor. - -The scenery of the drama which led to such a tragic event is placed by -the author in the Lammermuir Hills, a stretch of mountainous country -lying along the borders of Haddington and Berwick, in the southeastern -corner of Scotland. At the extreme eastern limits of this elevated -section, the land drops abruptly into the North Sea, forming a line of -precipitous cliffs, rising three or four hundred feet above the ocean. -To gain some idea of the character of the region, we drove as far as -the motor-car could carry us and came to a stop at the end of the road -on the northern edge of the village of Northfield. A long walk, -leading at first through an open field in which cattle were grazing, -then along a narrow path by a brook, where numerous sheep were -pasturing, thence by a winding road to the summit of a hill, brought me -at last to the lighthouse of St. Abbs Head. Vast masses of rocks rise -directly out of the ocean to enormous heights and stretch along the -coast as far as the eye can see. Except for the lighthouse, there was -no sign of life save the sea-fowl, which flew wildly in every -direction, screaming in one incessant chorus of shrill complaint. A -lowering sky added to the weird loneliness of the scene. I was gone so -long that my wife, who wisely remained in the car, began to feel -certain that I had tumbled over the rocks into the sea, and busied -herself for an hour in unpleasant thoughts of how she should manage to -get my remains home. But after nearly two hours, the remains came -walking back without even the {219} excitement of being chased by a -wild bull. Thus do most of our worries melt away if we give them time -enough. - -Somewhere on this rugged shore was the castle of Wolf's Crag, the last -remnant of the property of the Master of Ravenswood and the scene of -Caleb Balderstone's wonderful expedients to maintain the honour of his -house. Caleb, by the way, who would make a first-class performer in a -farce comedy, and who served a useful purpose in relieving the strain -of a sombre narrative, was not without a prototype in real life. His -exploit in carrying off the roast goose and the brace of wild ducks -from the kitchen of the cooper, to make a dinner for his master's -guests, was based upon a story told to Scott by a nobleman of his -acquaintance. A certain gentleman in reduced circumstances had a -servant named John, whose resourcefulness was much like Caleb's. A -party of four or five friends once sought to surprise this gentleman by -unexpectedly presenting themselves for dinner, suspecting there would -be no provision in the house for such an entertainment. But promptly -as the village clock struck the hour for the noonday meal, John placed -on the table 'a stately rump of boiled beef, with a proper -accompaniment of greens, amply sufficient to dine the whole party.' He -had simply appropriated the 'kail-pot' of a neighbour, leaving the -latter and his friends to dine on bread and cheese, which, John said, -was 'good enough for them.' - -Caleb's trick of magniloquently referring to scores of imaginary -servants and detailing the particulars of fictitious banquets, all to -maintain the honour of the house, had a parallel in the antics of a -Scotch innkeeper of the Border country, who, on the arrival of a person -of {220} importance, would call Hostler No. 10 down from Hayloft No. 15 -to conduct the gentleman's horse to one of the best stalls in Stable -No. 20, and do it in such an eloquent style as to convey the impression -of accommodations on a scale of magnificent proportions.[1] Wolf's -Crag, according to the novel, is between St. Abbs Head and the village -of Eyemouth. There is no such castle on that part of the coast, but in -the opposite direction, only a few miles from St. Abbs Head, on a high -rock overlooking the sea, is Fast Castle, which answers very well to -the description. This much Scott himself acknowledged, but in his -usual cautious way, asserting that he never saw the castle except from -the sea.[2] An interesting painting of Fast Castle, presented to Sir -Walter by the artist, the Rev. John Thomson of Duddingston, adorns the -drawing-room at Abbotsford. - - -Viewed from the sea, Fast Castle is more like the nest of some gigantic -Roc or Condor, than a dwelling for human beings; being so completely -allied in colour and rugged appearance with the huge cliffs, amongst -which it seems to be jammed, that it is difficult to discover what is -rock and what is building. To the land side the only access is by a -rocky path of a very few feet wide, bordered on either hand by a -tremendous precipice. This leads to the castle, a donjon tower of -moderate size, surrounded by flanking walls, as usual, which, rising -without interval and abruptly from the verge of the precipice must in -ancient times have rendered the place nearly impregnable.[3] - - -{221} Fast Castle gained some notoriety from the attempt, in 1600, of -an infamous character, Logan of Restalrig, in conspiracy with the Earl -of Gowrie and his brother, to kidnap King James VI, the intent being to -imprison him there, and to collect their reward from Queen Elizabeth. -Fortunately for James, the plot failed. - -The original of Ravenswood Castle is uncertain. Constable, who -published a volume of 'illustrations to the Waverley Novels' in 1821, -two years after the appearance of 'The Bride of Lammermoor' included an -engraving of Crichton Castle, with a quotation referring to Ravenswood: -'on the gorge of a pass or mountain glen, ascending from the fertile -plains of East Lothian, there stood in former times an extensive -castle, of which only the ruins are now visible.' Crichton is at the -western extremity of the high country of which the Lammermuir Hills -constitute the greatest portion. Scott's fondness for it is well -known, as readers of 'Marmion' will remember. Others have supposed -Wintoun House, a fine old mansion farther to the north, to have been -the original. Scott could hardly have had this in mind, however, for -he distinctly refers to the place as now in ruins. Bearing in mind -that Scott paid little attention to geographical requirements, it seems -probable that he really referred to the ruins of Crichton. This is -further confirmed by the fact that the picture to which I have referred -was painted by Alexander Nasmyth, who was a friend of Scott's and the -father-in-law of the author's frequent correspondent, Daniel Terry. If -Crichton Castle is Ravenswood, the Crichton Kirk may be considered as -the place where the wedding of Lucy Ashton and Bucklaw took place. It -is a curious-shaped building, with {222} square tower and walls, partly -covered with ivy, standing in the midst of a well-kept churchyard. - -The novel opens with the dramatic burial-scene of the father of the -young Master of Ravenswood. The chapel where this took place may be -supposed to be Coldingham Priory, the oldest nunnery in Scotland, a -quaint little structure, partly in ruins, but partly used for religious -worship. In the chapter on 'Marmion' I have already referred to this -chapel as the place where the body of a nun was found immured in the -walls. - -The village of Eyemouth, a quaint old fishing settlement at the mouth -of the river Eye, will serve as an 'original' of Wolf's Hope. On the -links or sand knolls, north of here, were the quicksands called the -'Kelpie's Flow.' While in the village I made diligent inquiries, but -could get no information except from one man, who thought that the -sandy beach of Coldingham Bay might be the locality which Scott meant, -but he had never heard of the quicksands, and said if any had ever -existed in the vicinity they must have disappeared long since. - -[Illustration: CRICHTON CASTLE] - -It will be remembered that the Kelpie's Flow was the culminating scene -of the tragedy. The prophecies of Thomas the Rhymer, so Scott would -have us believe, were always fulfilled, and one of them was hanging -over the head of the Master of Ravenswood, to the great trepidation of -the faithful Caleb. The lines were these:-- - - When the last Laird of Ravenswood to Ravenswood shall ride, - And woo a dead maiden to be his bride, - He shall stable his steed in the Kelpie's flow - And his name shall be lost for evermoe. - -{223} After the tragedy in the Castle, young Ravenswood rode out to -meet the bride's brother, Colonel Ashton, to fight a duel on the sands -of Wolf's Hope. In the agitated state of his mind, he neglected the -precaution of keeping on the firm sands near the rocks, and took a -shorter and more dangerous course. Horse and man disappeared in the -deadly quicksands, and thus was the prophecy fulfilled. Only a large -sable feather was found as a sign of the young man's dreadful fate. -Old Caleb took it up, dried it, and put it in his bosom. Thus ended -the tale which Lockhart considered 'the most pure and powerful of all -the tragedies that Scott ever penned.' - - - -[1] From Robert Chambers's _Illustrations of the Author of Waverley_. - -[2] In a note to the introduction to the _Chronicles of the Canongate_, -Scott says, 'I would particularly intimate the Kaim of Uric, on the -eastern coast of Scotland, as having suggested an idea for the tower -called Wolf's Crag, which the public more generally identified with the -ancient tower of Fast Castle.' - -[3] From _Provincial Antiquities of Scotland_. - - - - -{224} - -CHAPTER XVI - -A LEGEND OF MONTROSE - -Dalgetty--Dugald Dalgetty; Ritt-master Dugald Dalgetty of Drumthwacket; -learned graduate of the Mareschal College, Aberdeen; stalwart soldier; -cavalier of fortune; lieutenant under that invincible monarch, the -bulwark of the Protestant faith, the Lion of the North, the terror of -Austria, Gustavus Adolphus; Captain Dalgetty; and finally Sir Dugald -Dalgetty--stalks with egregious effrontery through the pages of this -novel, from start to finish, dragging his good horse Gustavus along -with him. He is a bore,--undeniably so. Yet we can laugh at his -eccentricities in spite of their tediousness, especially when reading -the novel a second time after the desire to know the outcome of the -story has been satisfied. As an original character he stands by the -side of Bailie Nicol Jarvie, although he does not arouse the same -subtle feeling of delightful satisfaction. The Bailie is always -welcome, but Dalgetty is everlastingly in the way. And yet we could -not possibly get along without him. We can forgive his pedantry and -overlook his interminable lectures on military strategy in view of the -loyalty and courage with which he faces Argyle in the dungeon, compels -that nobleman to furnish a means of escape and rescues Ranald of the -Mist. Nor can we help admiring the very effrontery of the man, when he -uses it to such excellent advantage in cajoling the Presbyterian -chaplain, thereby causing {225} that worthy man to furnish the one -thing needed to facilitate his safe retreat. The story might well have -been called, as it is in the Italian and Portuguese versions, 'A -Soldier of Fortune,' for Dalgetty, rather than Montrose, is the real -hero. In this connection it is curious to note that, in so far as its -chief incidents concern Montrose, the tale is not a legend, but -history. The two important words of the title are both, therefore, -slightly misleading. - -The journey into the Highlands of the Marquis of Montrose, in disguise -and attended by only two gentlemen, is a matter of history. It was in -1644, during the Civil War, when the forces of Charles I were being -menaced by an army of twenty thousand men under the Scotch Covenanter, -General Leslie. Montrose urged Charles to make a counter-demonstration -in the North and to draw Leslie back to the defence of Scotland by -uniting the Highlanders with a strong force of ten thousand Irish -Catholics. At length, armed with extraordinary powers, as the -representative of the King, he was permitted to set out with a small -army of about one thousand men. These became dissatisfied, however, -and most of them deserted. In despair Montrose now resolved upon the -bold stroke which proved to be the beginning of his brilliant military -record. Disguised as a groom and attended only by Sir William Rollo -and Colonel Sibbald, he made his way to the Perthshire Highlands, where -he was joined by Lord Kilpont, son of the Earl of Airth and Menteith, -with about five hundred men. The Irish troops, after being in danger -of complete extermination by the Marquis of Argyle, finally arrived, -but mustered only twelve hundred men instead of ten thousand. They -were ordered to march {226} to Blair Atholl, where Montrose met the -Highland chiefs and sent out the call to arms. The 'fiery cross,' no -doubt very much as described in 'The Lady of the Lake,' went out from -house to house and from clan to clan, and Montrose soon had an army of -three thousand men. He marched toward Perth, and at Tippermuir, four -miles west of that city, defeated the Covenanters on the 1st day of -September, 1644. Marching rapidly towards Aberdeen, he won another -victory at the Bridge of Dee on the 12th of the same month. - -With the swift movements which characterized his generalship, Montrose -won many a battle. Meanwhile the Marquis of Argyle, whom most of the -clans hated for his unscrupulous aggressions, was gathering a strong -force on the shores of Loch Linnhe. In midwinter, with snow upon the -ground, Montrose crossed the mountains with his army, a feat hitherto -regarded as impossible, but quite within the compass of that leader's -remarkable genius. He met Argyle at Inverlochy and defeated him with a -loss of fifteen hundred men, his own losses being only one officer and -three privates. Argyle's forces scattered in every direction and were -pursued for many miles. The Marquis himself, regarding discretion as -the better part of valour, turned over the command of his forces to his -cousin and watched the battle from his ship--an act that was severely -condemned as cowardice, even by his own friends. In extenuation it can -only be said that Argyle, while an able politician and statesman, was -never a soldier. - -While Scott based his story upon these historical events, he departed -from the facts in some of the less important details, to serve the -purposes of his romance. {227} The most conspicuous of these -variations is in the part played by Lord Kilpont, as the Earl of -Menteith. According to the novel, the Earl is a young man who falls in -love with Annot Lyle, a pretty little maiden living in the household of -the McAulays and supposed to be a rescued waif of the hated and greatly -feared tribe, known as the 'Children of the Mist.' Annot is also -beloved by the half-crazy Highlander, Allan McAulay. Lord Menteith, so -long as the girl's antecedents are supposed to be so lowly, can -entertain no thought of marriage and so informs Allan. When it is -discovered, however, that she is really the daughter of Sir Duncan -Campbell, and the heiress of Ardenvohr, a family as honourable as his -own, Menteith no longer hesitates, and as Annot has long reciprocated -his affection, the marriage is easily arranged. Allan does not consent -so readily, but hastily encounters the Earl and fiercely challenges -him. Convinced that the man is insane, the Earl hesitates a moment, -when Allan suddenly draws his dirk and with terrific force plunges it -into the Earl's bosom. A steel corslet saves the latter's life, though -a severe wound is inflicted, and in a few weeks he is well enough to be -married and the ceremony takes place in Sir Duncan's castle. Allan -meanwhile appears suddenly before the Marquis of Argyle at Inverary, -throws a bloody dirk upon the table, makes a brief explanation, and -disappears forever. The novel closes in the conventional way. The -Earl of Menteith, adding his bride's large estate to his own, 'lived -long, happy alike in public regard and in domestic affection, and died -at a good old age.' - -The Earl, Lord Kilpont, was not so fortunate. He was {228} suddenly -stabbed by James Stewart of Ardvoirlich, a supposed friend with whom he -was on terms of the closest intimacy. This event, which was -immediately fatal, took place a few days after the battle of Tippermuir -and not after Inverlochy. There was no question of jealous rivalry in -love. Kilpont had been married about twelve years and left a family of -several children. The most probable explanation is that Stewart, who -had a streak of insanity owing to the frightful circumstances of his -birth,[1] quarrelled with his friend at a time when he was heated with -drink and killed him under some sudden mad impulse. He immediately -deserted Montrose and was subsequently made a major in one of the -regiments of Argyle, a fact which gave colour to the suspicion that he -had sought Lord Kilpont's assistance in a conspiracy to assassinate -Montrose, for which Argyle would have paid a rich reward, but upon -meeting with an indignant refusal, struck his friend with a dirk as the -readiest means of avoiding the betrayal of his plans. - -Stewart, like McAulay, is described as 'uncommonly tall, strong, and -active, with such power in the grasp of his hand as could force the -blood from beneath the nails of the persons who contended with him in -this feat of strength. His temper was moody, fierce, and irascible.' -There was good reason for this savage disposition and for his -implacable hostility toward the 'Children of the Mist,' his father and -mother having been the victims of one of the most fiendish outrages -which ever disgraced the history of the Highlanders. - -The scenery of 'A Legend of Montrose' brings us back {229} to the -people and the country which Scott described with so much enthusiasm in -'The Lady of the Lake' and again in 'Waverley' and 'Rob Roy.' To catch -something of the spirit of it we drove westward from Callander and -paused for a short time at the beautiful Falls of Leny, where the river -of that name forms the outlet of Loch Lubnaig and the head waters of -the river Teith. Here we may suppose Lord Menteith and 'Anderson,' the -disguised earl, to be passing on their way to the north when they fell -in with the garrulous Captain Dalgetty. Darnlinvarich, where the clans -gathered, is wholly fictitious, the real meeting having taken place -near Blair Atholl. One of the incidents which happened there is, -however, based upon fact. - -An Englishman, Sir Miles Musgrave, it will be remembered, had made a -wager with Angus McAulay which threatened to embarrass that gentleman. -When on a visit to the house of the former, Angus had seen six solid -silver candlesticks put on the table. The Englishman rallied Angus a -little, knowing that the sight was a novelty to the Scotchman, and the -latter promptly swore that he had more and better candlesticks in his -own castle. A wager was immediately offered and accepted that the -Scotch laird could not produce them, the amount being so large that its -payment would have embarrassed either party, but more particularly the -Scotchman. The Englishman appeared with a friend at Darnlinvarich, -just at the time of the arrival of the Earl of Menteith and his party, -and there was great anxiety over the apparently certain loss of the -wager. But Allan, the brother of Angus, was equal to the emergency. -Dinner was announced and the company marched in. A large {230} oaken -table, spread with substantial joints of meat, was set for eight -guests, and behind each chair stood a gigantic Highlander, in full -native costume, holding in his right hand a drawn broadsword, the point -turned downward, and in his left a blazing pine torch. Then Allan -stepped forth, and pointing to the torch-bearers, said in a deep and -stern voice: 'Behold, gentlemen cavaliers, the chandeliers of my -brother's house, the ancient fashion of our ancient name; not one of -these men knows any law but their Chief's command. Would you dare to -compare to _them_ in value the richest ore that ever was dug out of the -mine? How say you, cavaliers?--is your wager won or lost?' 'Lost, -lost,' said Musgrave, gaily; 'my own silver candlesticks are all melted -and riding on horseback by this time, and I wish the fellows that -enlisted were half as trusty as these.' - -The meeting of the clans was interrupted by an unwelcome guest, Sir -Duncan Campbell, who came with a message from Argyle. Captain Dalgetty -was appointed to return with him, under a flag of truce, and together -they journeyed to the Castle of Ardenvohr, the residence of Sir Duncan. - -[Illustration: LOCH LUBNAIG] - -The ancient Celtic fortress here described is the ruined castle of -Dunstaffnage, reached by a short drive north from Oban. Its origin is -unknown. According to one tradition, it was founded by a Pictish -monarch, contemporary with Julius Cæsar. In its present shape the -building probably dates from about 1250. It fell into the hands of -Robert Bruce in 1308. The castle is a heavy structure of stone, -standing on a solid rock, and protected by the waters of Loch Linnhe on -three sides. It was originally accessible only by a drawbridge. It is -{231} about one hundred and forty feet long and one hundred feet wide. -The walls are ten feet thick and sixty feet high. - -This ancient castle is the place where the Scottish princes were once -crowned. They sat on the same stone that was used at the recent -coronation of King George V, and of a long line of his -predecessors,--the famous Stone of Scone. This ancient relic was -carried from Ireland to the Island of Iona, and thence to Dunstaffnage, -where it remained many years. Kenneth MacAlpine, in the ninth century, -removed it to the palace of Scone, near Perth, where it remained five -centuries. It was finally seized by Edward I and carried to London, -where it has remained for the last six centuries. - -A knoll on the south of the castle curiously suggests the Drumsnab of -the novel, which Dalgetty insisted should be fortified according to his -own military ideas. The castle of Inverary, on the shore of Loch Fyne, -has been replaced by a magnificent modern mansion, the seat of the -present Duke of Argyle. The secret passage to the dungeon, under the -old castle, through which the novelist supposes the Marquis to have -visited his prisoners, was suggested by a similar arrangement in the -castle of Naworth, to which I have previously referred.[2] A private -stairway leads from the apartment of Lord William Howard to the -dungeon, by which the experiment of Argyle might have been and -doubtless was practised. - -A sail of less than four hours, from Oban, north through the -picturesque channels of Loch Linnhe, brought us to Fort William. From -this point we walked about two miles to the battle-field of Inverlochy -and the {232} ruins of the old castle of that name, which we found to -be in a sadly neglected state, far different from its neighbour, -Dunstaffnage. The four walls of the enclosure may still be seen, but -everything is in a ruinous condition. An antiquated horse with large -protruding hip-bones was grazing in what was once the moat, and before -taking a picture I was about to ask a boy to chase him away. But on -second thought I let him stay, because he harmonized so perfectly with -the surroundings. - -The courtyard is about one hundred feet square. The walls are nine -feet thick and of varying height. Like Dunstaffnage the castle is so -old that its early history is shrouded in mystery. Tradition ascribes -its origin to the Comyns, near the end of the thirteenth century. The -view in every direction is charming. Across the river Lochy, a small -stream which joins the Caledonian Canal to the waters of Loch Linnhe, -may be seen the town of Banavie, and in the distance the highlands of -Inverness-shire. In the opposite direction we could barely see the -peaks of Ben Nevis, peeping through the mists that hung over the -mountains. To the north are the heights of Lochaber over which the -Marquis of Montrose made his famous march of thirty miles by an -unfrequented route, during a heavy fall of snow, and suddenly -confronted his enemy in the night, when they supposed him to be far -away in another part of the country. - -I think this novel must have been inspired by Scott's admiration of the -'Great Marquis,' whose brief but brilliant campaign in the Highlands -appealed to his imagination just as the longer career of Rob Roy had -done. It took him back among the picturesque people whom he loved to -describe, and amidst scenery where {233} he had roamed with -never-failing delight. The one possession in the remarkable -antiquarian collection at Abbotsford which Scott cherished more than -any other--more even than Rob Roy's gun--was the sword of Montrose, -presented to the Marquis by Charles I and formerly the property of the -monarch's father, King James. Sir Walter thought a dialogue between -this sword and Rob Roy's gun might be composed with good effect. It -seems a pity he did not undertake it. The sword bears on both sides -the royal arms of Great Britain. The blade is handsomely ornamented, -the hilt is finished in open scrollwork of silver gilt, and the grip is -bound with chains of silver, alternating with bands of gold. - -Scott did not follow the fortunes of his hero beyond the battle of -Inverlochy, where he left him in triumph. Montrose continued his -success until, on the 15th of August, 1645, he reached his climax in -the decisive victory of Kilsyth. He was now the master of Scotland, -but, unfortunately, fate deprived him of the fruits of his genius. -Summoned to England to meet the exigencies which threatened the King, -and unable to hold his Highlanders for an invasion of the South, he was -attacked at Philiphaugh by Leslie, who easily overcame the small -opposing force. Montrose escaped to the Highlands, but was never again -able to organize an army. After spending the next few years abroad, he -returned to Scotland in 1650, where, after failing again to summon the -clans, he was betrayed and carried a prisoner to the Tolbooth in -Edinburgh. On the 21st of May, when only thirty-eight years old, he -was hanged in the Grassmarket and bravely met his death. - - - -[1] The story is related at length in the Introduction to _A Legend of -Montrose_. - -[2] Pages 20 and 43. - - - - -{234} - -CHAPTER XVII - -IVANHOE - -From 'Bonnie Scotland' to 'Merrie England' was not a long step for Sir -Walter, for he had already peeped into Yorkshire at Barnard Castle for -his poem, 'Rokeby.' The principal scenes of 'Ivanhoe' are laid in the -opposite end of the same county, between Sheffield and Doncaster. They -extend, however, as far south as Ashby de la Zouch, and northward to -the ancient city of York. As we rode through this populous country, -humming with the industry of thousands of busy mills, its crowded -cities showing street after street of substantial business houses, its -more open spaces dotted with neat cottages surrounded by well-kept -gardens, its streams crossed by bridges of stone and steel, its roads -in excellent repair, and its entire aspect betokening the peace and -prosperity of a great civilization, it was difficult to picture it in -fancy as the great forest roamed by Robin Hood and his merry men; as a -land in which King Richard and Wilfred of Ivanhoe performed their feats -of chivalry and daring; as the region in which Cedric the Saxon still -resented the intrusion of the Normans, and Front-de-Boeuf maintained a -feudal castle concealing horrors too frightful to mention. - -[Illustration: Map of England] - -We succeeded, however, in finding a bit of the original forest, in -identifying the ruins of two castles which figure prominently in the -story, and several others which doubtless served as types of the -prevailing Norman style {235} of architecture, besides other -interesting places more remotely associated with the tale. - -The town of Ashby de la Zouch, to which all the people of the story -wend their way in the early chapters, is on the western edge of -Leicestershire, about midway between Birmingham and Nottingham. The -ancient castle derives its name from the fact that it was formerly -owned by the Zouch family, who seem to have had possession until 1399. -Scott was slightly in error in stating that at this time (1194) 'the -castle and town of Ashby belonged to Roger de Quincey, Earl of -Winchester,' who was then absent in the Holy Land. It is not -inconceivable, however, that Prince John might have taken temporary -possession, and, after all, that is the main point of the story. - -The castle was a ruin in Scott's day, presenting an appearance very -much the same as now. It suggested the scene of Prince John's banquet, -but the novelist well knew that it was not the original castle which -stood on the spot in 1194. Of the old castle we found only a single -wall. The date of its foundation is uncertain, but it was probably -built in the earlier part of the same century. Its successor, -represented by the ruins now visible, was built in 1474, nearly three -hundred years after the period of the novel. The reigning king was -Edward IV, and one of his prime favourites was William, Lord Hastings, -who was not only loaded with wealth by his sovereign, but given almost -unlimited authority to enclose for private use whatever land he wished -and to build wherever he pleased. Accordingly Hastings took possession -of three thousand acres of land at Ashby and erected a huge castle, -despoiling the {236} neighbouring castle of Belvoir of much lead, with -which he covered his towers. The strong fortress and splendid castle -thus erected stood intact for less than two centuries. During the -Civil War it was besieged and captured by the Parliamentary Army, and -in 1648 was deliberately made untenable by a Committee of the House of -Commons, who had been appointed to determine what castles and other -fortified places were to be retained and which ones were to be -destroyed. Ashby, unfortunately, was condemned and huge sections of -its walls and towers were undermined and pulled down. - -The ruin consists of two large towers, connected by an underground -passage, the great hall, the chapel, and the room of Mary Queen of -Scots. The kitchen tower was of great strength, having walls in some -places ten feet thick, and the remains of a huge kitchen fireplace may -still be seen. The most imposing part of the ruin is the keep. This -was a tower eighty feet high, fitted up in great magnificence as the -Earl's apartment. - -[Illustration: CASTLE OF ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH] - -The great tournament was supposed to be held in a field a mile or two -from the tower. After the tournament and the banquet in the castle -which followed, Cedric the Saxon and his kinsman, Athelstane of -Coningsburgh, with the Lady Rowena and their servants and retainers, -set out for Rotherwood, the house of Cedric, presumably in the -neighbourhood of, or possibly a fictitious substitute for, the present -city of Rotherham. Their way led through a great forest, some remnants -of which may still be seen. In King Richard's time the entire country -between Ashby and Rotherham may have been thickly wooded. The famous -Sherwood Forest occupied the western portion of Nottinghamshire, -extending north {237} and south about twenty-five miles, with a width -varying from six to eight miles. In this extensive woodland, Robin -Hood, with the jolly Friar Tuck and the minstrel Allan-a-Dale, and all -the rest of the 'merry men,' hunted the king's deer, robbed the rich -and bestowed charity upon the poor, worshipped the Virgin and pillaged -the ecclesiastical establishments, supported themselves by means of -their marvellous archery, played practical jokes and indulged in no end -of fun, and lived a free, open, adventurous, brave, and generous life, -in spite of their outlawry. Robin Hood was undoubtedly an historical -character, who may have had an existence as early as the time of King -Richard, but whose deeds have been so much enveloped in fiction and -poetry that his real exploits cannot be determined. The legends that -have been woven about him are like the tales of King Arthur--mythical -but probably evolved from some hidden germ of truth. From 1377, when -the oldest known mention of him was made in an edition of 'Piers the -Ploughman,' down to the Elizabethan era, his popularity is evinced by -the great volume of ballad poetry recording his performances. - -That such a personage should have made a strong appeal to Sir Walter -Scott was inevitable, and he seems to have woven the characteristic -exploits of Robin Hood into the tale of 'Ivanhoe' with the same zest -which he displayed in 'The Lady of the Lake,' 'Waverley,' 'Rob Roy,' -and 'A Legend of Montrose,' where he so delighted to picture the -Scottish Highlanders in their native country. - -North of Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, a beautiful part of the Forest -of Sherwood may still be seen. For {238} many miles we drove through -endless glades and avenues, the rugged oaks intertwining their branches -over our heads, now and then forming those 'long sweeping vistas' which -Scott describes so well, 'in the intricacy of which the eye delights to -lose itself, while imagination considers them as the paths to yet -wilder scenes of silvan solitude.' Here and there we could see herds -of deer, coming boldly into view, knowing well that the arrows of Robin -Hood's men are things of the past. All this region is now well cared -for. There are splendid palaces with lakes, fountains, and flowers, -transforming the old forest into a veritable fairy-land. Thoresby -House with its beautiful park is the property of Earl Manvers; Clumber, -on the border of the Carburton Lakes, is the stately seat of the Duke -of Newcastle, and Welbeck Abbey, with gardens covering thirty-two -acres, lakes of one hundred and fifty-nine acres, and a deer park of -sixteen hundred and forty acres, is the magnificent domain of the Duke -of Portland. All this section, which has been dubbed 'the Dukeries,' -while preserving something of the appearance of a forest, can only -present a striking contrast to the wild tangle of the woods, with their -narrow and devious paths, through which the Saxon party passed on their -way to Rotherwood. - -[Illustration: THE BUCK-GATE. ENTRANCE TO THE DUKE OF PORTLAND'S -ESTATE, SHERWOOD FOREST] - -Cedric, it will be remembered, soon overtook Isaac of York, the rich -Jew, and his lovely daughter, Rebecca, who had been deserted by their -cowardly escort. They were carrying, in a litter, 'a sick friend,' -under which designation they concealed the identity of Ivanhoe. The -whole party was later surprised and captured by some of the Norman -nobles of Prince John's party, {239} disguised as outlaws, by whom they -were carried to Torquilstone, the castle of Front-de-Boeuf. This -imaginary feudal edifice may be supposed to be in the vicinity of -Harthill, a village nine miles south of Rotherham. - -The dramatic incidents that occurred here are familiar to every one: -how De Bracy made his futile attempt to woo the Lady Rowena, trusting -to his handsome face and foppish clothes; how the Templar tried his -blandishments upon Rebecca and was defeated by her courage in -threatening to leap from the battlements, should he advance a single -step; how Front-de-Boeuf sought to extort a fortune from Isaac the Jew -by the most cruel torture; and how the villainy of all three was -interrupted by a bugle blast, announcing an attack upon the castle by a -band of outlaws, headed by the gallant Robin Hood, who was ably -supported by the powerful battle-axe of the Black Knight and the wit of -Wamba the Jester. - -After the fall of the castle it will be remembered that the victors -assembled under a huge oak to divide the spoils, and that Isaac of York -and the rich Prior Aymer were compelled to sentence each other to the -payment of a heavy ransom--a clever scheme well calculated to furnish -not only amusement but substantial profit to the outlaws. - -There are several large oaks of Sherwood Forest still in existence, any -one of which might have been in the mind of Sir Walter. We found an -excellent type, which was perhaps known to him, near Edwinstowe, -northeast of Mansfield. It is called the 'Major Oak' and was a monarch -of the forest in Robin Hood's time. It is said to be fourteen hundred -years old. Its circumference, just {240} above the ground, is sixty -feet, and there is room inside the hollow trunk for a round dozen of -average-sized men. Unlike many other ancient oaks, its huge limbs are -well preserved and remarkably symmetrical, its foliage forming a huge -ellipsoid, seventy-five feet in length. - -Although Torquilstone was imaginary, Sir Walter was not without types -of the old Norman castles. He refers to Middleham as the seat of the -brother of Prior Aymer, and the ruins of this castle may still be seen -in the village of that name, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The -interior or keep is in the distinctive Norman style of architecture, -but the outer walls belong to a later period. This castle was founded -by Robert Fitz-Ralph or Ranulph, a nephew of King William Rufus, about -1190. Its walls are plain and massive, suggesting great strength, but -no beauty. In the interior of the keep may be seen the remains of what -was once a huge and magnificent banqueting-hall, with high arched -windows on the side. For centuries Middleham was the residence of -powerful barons and at times of royalty. In the fifteenth century it -came into the possession of the famous Earl of Warwick, 'the -Kingmaker,' and later of his infamous son-in-law, the Duke of -Gloucester, afterward King Richard III. Edward, Prince of Wales, the -only legitimate son of Richard, was born here. It was to secure the -succession of this prince to the throne that Richard caused the murder -of his two nephews to be perpetrated in the Tower of London. - -[Illustration: THE AVENUE OF LIMES, SHERWOOD FOREST] - -Edward IV was a prisoner here, and made his escape as told by -Shakespeare in 'King Henry VI.'[1] After the battle of Bosworth, Henry -VII took possession of {241} Middleham. In the Civil Wars the forces -of Cromwell destroyed the castle. From that time until 1884, when it -came into possession of the present owner, the ruins have been a stone -quarry for the neighbourhood and a large part of the castle has been -carried away piecemeal. The enclosure became a dumping-ground for all -kinds of trash and a free pig-pen and cow-stable. In 1884, it was -cleaned out and is now in charge of a keeper. This famous castle, -occupied as it was at times by men of all the ferocious and -conscienceless qualities of Front-de-Boeuf, might well have served as a -suggestion for Torquilstone. - -Richmond Castle, lying a few miles north of Middleham, is of even -greater antiquity and a far nobler specimen of the Norman architecture. -It was founded in 1071 by Alan Rufus, to whom William the Conqueror -granted the land of Richmondshire. Alan selected a rock on the bank of -the river Swale and here he constructed a fortress that was well-nigh -impregnable. The great 'keep' was built in 1146, and still stands -proudly erect, in spite of its nearly eight hundred years' resistance -to wind and weather as well as the storms of war, looking as if -conscious of its power to stand the assaults of eight centuries more. -We went to Richmond expecting to see a ruin; we were astonished to -find, instead, a fine tower one hundred and eight feet high, fifty-four -feet long, and forty-eight feet wide, used as an armoury by a modern -regiment of soldiers. Its walls are of extraordinary thickness and the -masonry looks as fresh and clean as that of many a building of half a -century's duration. - -Aside from the remarkable keep, the castle is really a ruin. Its -walls, which originally enclosed a triangular {242} space of five -acres, have crumbled away, but enough remains to identify various -halls, chapels, dungeons, and underground passages. - -The castle was seized by Richard Coeur-de-Lion and held by him and his -successor King John for several years. For five centuries thereafter -it passed from royalty to nobility and back again, time after time, as -a reward for services or the spoils of war, until in 1674 it was -granted by Charles II to the ancestor of the present Duke of Richmond. - -Torquilstone is described as 'a fortress of no great size, consisting -of a donjon, or large and high square tower, surrounded by buildings of -inferior height, which were encircled by an inner courtyard.' It had -'towers upon the outward wall so as to flank it at every angle.' It -would appear from this that the castle of Front-de-Boeuf might have -been a miniature copy of Richmond Castle. - -South of Richmond and about three miles from Middleham are the ruins of -Jorvaulx Abbey, the seat of the Prior Aymer, 'a free and jovial priest, -who loves the wine-cup and the bugle-horn better than bell and book.' -The monks of Jorvaulx were famous for their love of feasting and the -excellence of their wines. The Abbey church was originally an -extensive structure, two hundred and seventy feet long, with transepts -one hundred and thirteen feet wide. It was roughly treated and nearly -demolished during the Reformation and neglected in the succeeding years -until about a century ago, when the accumulated rubbish was cleared -away. It now presents a picturesque appearance because of the ivy, -moss, and shrubbery with which nature has softened {243} the aspect of -its rudely broken walls and the fragments of stone which once were -heavy columns supporting a lofty nave. - -Still farther south are the imposing ruins of Fountains Abbey, which -must not be overlooked in any survey of the scenery of 'Ivanhoe,' for -here was the alleged abode of that delightful character, the jolly -Clerk of Copmanhurst, Friar Tuck, whose all-night carousal with King -Richard in the forest 'Chapel of St. Dunstan' will be ever memorable as -one of Scott's choicest bits of humour. This celebrated 'churchman' -was the type of a class of so-called 'hedge-priests' who flourished in -the period preceding the Reformation, when every great house maintained -a confessor to say masses and grant absolution. The bands of outlaws, -with equal superstition, felt the need of the same services, and -maintained their own priests accordingly. Many of these performed -their holy offices in ragged and dirty attire and with improper forms -of ritual, for the benefit of thieves and murderers in out-of-the-way -ruins and other hiding places, thereby incurring the wrath of the -dignitaries of the Church. Not infrequently, no doubt, their -uncanonical performances were no better than those of Friar Tuck. - -Fountains Abbey is, next to Melrose, the most beautiful ruin of the -kind in Great Britain--at least so far as I have been able to observe. -In beauty of situation, it far surpasses Melrose. The latter is in the -midst of a town with nothing to make a picturesque setting except its -own churchyard and the garden of an adjoining estate. Fountains is -reached by walking nearly a mile through the beautiful park of Studley -Royal, first by the {244} side of a canal, bordered by trees of -luxuriant foliage, through which, at intervals, are various 'peeps,' -revealing carefully studied scenes, with temples, statuary, rustic -bridges, towers, lakes, and woods; then by a path of more natural -beauty, beside the little rivulet called the Skell, until the extensive -ruins are reached. The foundation of Fountains Abbey has been traced -to the year 1132, according to the narrative of a monk which was -committed to writing in 1205. In the winter of 1132-33, a small -company of Benedictine monks from St. Mary's Abbey at York, becoming -dissatisfied with the laxity of discipline there, felt impelled to -withdraw. They retired to a wild and uncultivated valley, covered with -stones and briars, and better suited for wild beasts and reptiles than -for humanity, and built a monastery beside the brook Skell. From this -humble beginning, Fountains Abbey grew until the establishment became -one of the richest in England, comprising sixty-four thousand acres of -valuable lands and its buildings, covering an area of twelve acres, -were among the most magnificent. In 1539, King Henry VIII confiscated -the entire property, and rendered the monastery unfit for further use. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF FOUNTAINS ABBEY] - -The ruins are more complete than those of any other similar structure, -and give an excellent idea of the extent and arrangement of an -important monastery. From the Chapel of the Nine Altars to the west -doorway, which was the chief entrance, is a distance of three hundred -and sixty-nine feet. It is an impressive architectural vista, the eye -sweeping over the choir and transepts and down through the narrow nave, -where the walls are supported by eleven obtuse pointed arches, -springing {245} from massive columns, each sixteen feet in -circumference and twenty-three feet high. The Chapel of the Nine -Altars, considered to have been the most magnificent architectural -feature of the structure, is divided into three parts by a series of -very high pointed arches, supported by slender octagonal pillars -scarcely two feet in diameter. A great east window, sixty feet high -and twenty-three feet wide, completed the dignity and beauty of the -chapel. From the exterior, the most striking feature is the tower, -rising one hundred and sixty-eight feet high, with walls nearly thirty -feet square, and projecting buttresses, adding an effect of great -solidity. - -The connection of Friar Tuck with this fine abbey is derived from the -ancient ballad of 'Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar.' The outlaws were -indulging in an exhibition of their wonderful archery when an unusually -fine shot caused Robin Hood to exclaim:-- - - I would ride my horse an hundred miles - To finde one could match with thee. - -This brought a laugh from Will Scarlet, who declared:-- - - There lives a curtal frier in Fountains Abby - Will beat both him and thee. - -Robin Hood could not rest until he found the friar, walking by the -waterside near the abbey. A conflict followed in which the friar threw -Robin into the stream. After Robin had shot all his arrows at the -friar without effect,-- - - They took their swords and steel bucklers - And fought with might and maine; - - From ten oth' clock that day, - Till four ith' afternoon. - -{246} Then Robin blew three blasts of his horn and called half a -hundred yeomen. The friar whistled with fist in his mouth and half a -hundred ban-dogs answered. The end of the battle proved the stout -friar well qualified to join the band of merry men. - - This curtal frier had kept Fountains Dale - Seven long years or more; - There was neither knight, lord, nor earl - Could make him yield before. - -An arched recess, of stone, well covered with foliage, by the side of -the path along the river, marks the traditional site of this famous -combat, and is known as 'Robin Hood's Well.' The following lines were -written by Sir Walter while a guest at Studley Royal, and the -manuscript is now in the possession of the Marquess of Ripon:-- - - Beside this crystal font of old, - Cooled his flushed brow an outlaw bold, - His bow was slackened while he drank, - His quiver rested on the bank, - Giving brief pause of doubt and fear - To feudal lords and forest deer. - - Long runs the tale, but village sires - Still sing his feats by Christmas fires; - And still old England's free-born blood - Stirs at the name of Robin Hood. - - -After the fall of Torquilstone and the almost miraculous deliverance of -all the prisoners, Cedric and his company journeyed to the Castle of -Coningsburgh, the seat of Athelstane, to perform the funeral rites of -that noble warrior, who had fallen a victim to the Templar's -battle-axe. Athelstane interrupts the proceedings, somewhat {247} -unnecessarily it would seem, by coming to life again. A visit to this -castle takes us back to the valley of the Don, where the story began. -Conisborough, as the village is now called, is situated about midway -between Rotherham and Doncaster. There is nothing fanciful in Scott's -description here. He introduced the castle because it interested him, -and made it the seat of Athelstane for convenience. In a letter to his -friend Morritt in 1811 Scott inquires, 'Do you know anything of a -striking ancient castle ... called Coningsburgh? ... I once flew past -it in a mail-coach when its round tower and flying buttresses had a -most romantic effect in the morning dawn.' - -It was characteristic of Scott, not only that every old ruined castle -appealed to his imagination, but that his curiosity, once aroused, -usually had to be satisfied by a personal inspection. It was so with -Coningsburgh. He went to the village and spent two nights at the -Sprotbrough Boathouse, a near-by inn, that he might have leisure to -examine the ruins of the castle. The result of his study and the -further reading of such antiquarian authorities as were available, -convinced him that the round tower was an ancient Saxon castle. He -found satisfaction in comparing it with the rude towers, or burghs, -built by the Saxons or Northmen, of which one of the most striking -examples is the Castle of Mousa[2] in the Shetland Islands. These were -built of rough stone, without cement. They were roofless, and had -small apartments constructed within the circular walls themselves. In -this last respect Coningsburgh somewhat resembles these ancient burghs, -and Scott conceived {248} that the former was an evolution from the -latter, and therefore Saxon. He says, 'the outer walls have probably -been added by the Normans, but the inner keep bears token of very great -antiquity.' He also says: 'When Coeur-de-Lion and his retinue -approached this rude yet stately building, it was not, as at present, -surrounded by external fortifications. The Saxon architect had -exhausted his art in rendering the main keep defensible, and there was -no other circumvallation than a rude barrier of palisades.' - -The facts, as indicated by more recent investigation, seem to be that -the Saxons selected the hill of hard limestone as a suitable place for -a stronghold, excavated a ditch around it and erected some outworks. -There is no doubt that Harold, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, -either purchased or inherited the property, and there is mention of a -certain 'lord of Coningesboro,' who possessed part of the domain as -early as the year 1000 A.D. - -William the Conqueror, shortly after his accession to the English -throne, granted the estate to an adherent, William de Warrenne, who was -created Earl of Surrey. A great-granddaughter of this earl married -Hameline Plantagenet, a half-brother of Henry II, and he was one of the -soldiers and faithful attendants of Richard I. It is this earl who is -supposed to have built the tower, or keep, at least a century after his -Norman predecessors had erected the outer walls of the castle. This, -it will be noted, is exactly the reverse of Scott's supposition. - -[Illustration: CONINGSBURGH CASTLE] - -The Saxon founders selected a steep hill, or knoll, rising one hundred -and seventy-five feet above the river--an ideal site for a fortress in -those days. - -{249} - -Earl Warren, who came into possession about 1068, found the place -already well fortified. His son and grandson were the ones who, it is -supposed, constructed the outer walls, with their various buildings for -domestic purposes, comprising a hall, kitchen, chapel, etc. These -cover a large area, but present no features of extraordinary interest. -The inner tower, or keep, however, is one of the most remarkable -structures in England. It is a huge cylindrical tower built of grey -limestone on a base of solid natural rock. It formerly rose to a -height of one hundred and twenty feet, and is now about ninety feet -high. It is sixty-six feet in diameter at the base, and is supported -by six massive buttresses, each fifteen and one half feet broad and -extending outward about nine feet. The walls themselves are nearly -fifteen feet in thickness. The only entrance is a door, twenty feet -above the ground, originally reached by an outside stair connecting -with a small drawbridge. - -The rooms beneath the main floor were used for the storage of -provisions and in the centre was a well, said to have been one hundred -and five feet deep. There was then ample provision to resist a siege, -lack of food and water being the only danger to be feared, inasmuch as -the catapults and other engines of war of that period would be -powerless against the massiveness of such a castle. The upper rooms -are built within the walls and reached by narrow stairways. The main -floor was probably used by the lord of the castle with his family and -guests; the rooms above were occupied by the ladies of the household, -and on the same floor was a small oratory or chapel, hexagonal in shape -and about eight feet wide. The top floor contained the kitchen and the -{250} sleeping-rooms of the garrison. The six buttresses projected -above the level of the parapet, forming turrets, convenient for -defence. These have now disappeared. The parapet floor is still -accessible, and from it a fine view is obtained of the surrounding -country. - -The Castle of York, where Prince John is supposed to have feasted the -nobles and leaders after the exciting scenes of Torquilstone, and where -De Bracy announced to him that Richard was really in England, was the -Norman fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1068, some portions -of which are now incorporated in the building known as Clifford's -Tower. A substantial rectangular structure stands between two ancient -and ruined turrets, which lean outward, looking as though the stronger -building were trying to usurp the hill on which they stand and push his -feebler brethren out of the way. This castle was the scene in 1190 of -a terrible massacre of the Jews. Two rich Jewish bankers, Joses and -Benedict, attended the coronation of Richard I. In a general attack -upon the Jews, Benedict was killed, but Joses got back to York. The -house of Benedict in York was plundered and his wife and children -murdered. Joses rallied the other Jews, who took refuge, with their -property, in the castle. The governor ordered an assault, and the -Jews, finding themselves unable to hold the citadel, set fire to the -buildings, put to death all their relatives, and killed themselves, -over five hundred lives being sacrificed. This incident throws some -light upon the state of mind of the wealthy Isaac, who was a resident -of the city of York. - -'Ivanhoe' closes with the wedding of Wilfred and Rowena, 'celebrated in -the most august of temples, the {251} noble minster of York.' The -cathedral as it stands to-day is, indeed, noble. Perhaps it cannot -properly be called the largest in England; Winchester Cathedral is -longer, and Lincoln's towers are higher; but in the length of its choir -and nave, the breadth of its transepts, the height of the great pointed -arches supporting the roof, and the massive grandeur and dignity of the -whole, whether viewed from the exterior or the interior, it is -unsurpassed by any other cathedral in England and by few on the -continent. - -It was not in this magnificent temple, however, that the wedding took -place, and perhaps if we could see a picture of the old Norman church -which stood on the site in 1194, we might not think of it as 'a noble -minster.' The church of that period was the structure built by the -first Norman Archbishop of York, with the addition of the choir, -erected a century later. In the crypt of the present cathedral some -bits of the walls of these early buildings are still preserved. They -replaced the first stone church, built about 633, which had superseded -the original wooden church, built by Eadwine, King of Northumbria, then -the most powerful monarch in England. The minster was, therefore, more -than five centuries old even in the period of 'Ivanhoe.' - -Of the characters in the novel, King Richard and his brother John were -of course historical. Cedric and Athelstane were types of the Saxon -nobles who still resented the intrusion of the Normans. Front-de-Boeuf -represents a class of Norman noblemen who did not hesitate at any deed -of villainy to accomplish their selfish purposes. Brian de -Bois-Guilbert typifies the chivalry which professed great zeal for the -Christian {252} religion, but used it as a cloak to cover motives of -vengeance or other base purposes. Prior Aymer stands for the wealthy -churchman and Isaac of York for the Jewish banker, upon whom all -classes, kings, barons, and churchmen, were obliged to depend for the -accomplishment of their various plans. Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, and the -men in Lincoln Green were borrowed from the ballad poetry of the Middle -Ages. All of these were introduced to perfect the picture of the -conditions of social and political life in the reign of King Richard. - -One character only found a place in the novel for another reason. The -story of Rebecca reveals an interesting incident in the life of -Washington Irving. When the American author visited Sir Walter at -Abbotsford a feeling of mutual respect and admiration quickly sprang up -between them and developed into a friendly intimacy. In the course of -their conversations, Irving told Sir Walter something of the character -of Rebecca Gratz, a young woman of Jewish family, living in the city of -Philadelphia. One of this lady's brothers was a warm personal friend -of Irving's, who was always a welcome guest at their home. One of -Rebecca's dearest friends was Matilda Hoffman, Irving's first and only -love. This estimable young woman died at the early age of eighteen, -tenderly nursed to the end by her friend Rebecca, in whose arms she -expired. - -Rebecca Gratz is described as a very beautiful girl. 'Her eyes were of -exquisite shape, large, black, and lustrous; her figure was graceful -and her carriage was marked by a quiet dignity,--attractions which were -heightened by elegant and winning manners. Gentle, benevolent, with -instinctive refinement and innate {253} purity, she inspired affection -among all who met her.'[3] Although a Jewess, Rebecca Gratz found many -companions among the Christians by whom she was held in high esteem. -She was interested in all kinds of benevolent work, founded an orphan -asylum and a mission Sabbath-School for Hebrew children, and -contributed to many charities. - -A Christian gentleman of wealth and high social position fell in love -with her and his feelings were reciprocated. But Rebecca conceived -that duty demanded loyalty to her religion, and her lofty -conscientiousness and remarkable moral courage enabled her to maintain -her resolution. She refused to marry, in spite of the pain to herself -and the bitter disappointment to her lover which the self-denial -involved. Her life was devoted to 'a long chain of golden deeds,' -until the end came at the good old age of eighty-eight. - -Such a story could not fail to capture the sympathetic heart of Sir -Walter, and as usual when anything appealed strongly to him, he wove it -into a novel at the earliest opportunity, later writing to Irving, 'How -do you like your Rebecca? Does the picture I have painted compare well -with the pattern given?' - -'Ivanhoe' marks the high-tide of Scott's literary success. The book -instantly caught the attention of thousands to whom the Scottish -romances had not appealed. It sold better than its predecessors, and -from the day of its publication has been easily the most popular of the -Waverley Novels. Lockhart, who, in common with most Scotchmen, could -not help {254} preferring the tales of his native land and thought -'Waverley,' 'Guy Mannering,' and 'The Heart of Midlothian' superior as -'works of genius,' nevertheless gave 'Ivanhoe' the first place among -all Scott's writings, whether in prose or verse, as a 'work of art.' -Its historical value is perhaps greater than that of any of the others, -and certainly no other author has ever given a picture, so graphic and -yet so comprehensible, of 'merrie England' in the days of chivalry. - - - -[1] Part iii, act iv, scene v. - -[2] See Chapter xxi, 'The Pirate,' p. 300. - -[3] From an article by Grata van Rensselaer, in the _Century Magazine_, -September, 1882. - - - - -{255} - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE MONASTERY - -Scott had some strange ways of seeking relaxation from the strain of -his work. On Christmas Day, 1814, he wrote Constable that he was -'setting out for Abbotsford to refresh the machine.' During the year -he had written his first great novel, 'Waverley'; one of his longer -poems, 'The Lord of the Isles'; nearly the whole of his 'Life of -Swift'; two essays for an encyclopædia; a two-volume family memoir for -a friend; and kept up a voluminous personal correspondence,--an amount -of industry which is best described by Dominie Sampson's word, -_prodigious_. Surely the 'machine' needed 'refreshment,' and it -consisted in producing, in six weeks' time, another great novel, 'Guy -Mannering'! In the same way, while dictating 'Ivanhoe,' in spite of -severe bodily pain which prevented the use of his pen, he sought -refreshment by starting another novel, 'The Monastery.' 'It was a -relief,' he said, 'to interlay the scenery most familiar to me with the -strange world for which I had to draw so much on imagination.' - -'The Monastery' was the first of Scott's novels in which the scenery is -confined to the immediate vicinity of his own home. It is all within -walking distance of Abbotsford and much of it had been familiar to the -author from childhood. Melrose, or Kennaquhair, is only about two -miles away. This little village is as ancient as the abbey from which -it takes its name, and {256} that splendid ruin dates from 1136, when -the pious Scottish king, known as St. David, founded the monastery and -granted extensive lands to the Cistercian Order of Monks for its -maintenance. The village has followed the fortunes of the -abbey--prospering when the monks prospered, and suffering the blight of -war whenever the English kings descended upon it. Its present -prosperity, so far as it has any, is the gift of Sir Walter Scott. -Hawthorne, who rambled through the country in 1856, noted in his -journal that 'Scotland--cold, cloudy, barren little bit of earth that -it is--owes all the interest that the world feels in it to him.' I -cannot endorse this view of Scotland, for it left quite the opposite -impression upon my mind, but the last part of the remark is certainly -true of Melrose. It bears about the same relation to Scotland that -Stratford does to England. Thousands go there every year to see the -work of art, glorious even in ruins, which represents the highest -development of the Gothic architecture and to marvel at the rich -carvings in stone which, after the lapse of nearly six hundred years, -still remain as a monument to the patience, skill, and devotion of the -monks of St. Mary's. But they go because the great Wizard of the North -has thrown the glamour of his genius over the whole of the Border -country, of which Melrose is the natural centre. And when they arrive, -they find the abbey interpreted in the words of 'The Lay of the Last -Minstrel,' which the custodians of the ruin, for fourscore years, have -never tired of quoting. - -In the novel, no attempt is made to describe the beauty of the ruin. -The poem had already done that to perfection. But the monks spring -into life again, the {257} venerable ruin is transformed into a church, -the monastic buildings resume their former shape, and the palace of -their ruler is refurnished in all its original magnificence. A fire of -glowing logs gives warmth to the apartments. An oaken stand, with a -roasted capon and 'a goodly stoup of Bourdeaux of excellent flavour,' -suggests the truth of the old rhyme:-- - - The monks of Melrose made fat kail - On Fridays when they fasted, - Nor wanted they gude beef and ale - So lang's their neighbours' lasted. - - -In a richly carved chair before the fire sits a portly abbot, with -round face, rosy cheeks, and good-natured, laughing eyes, the product -of a long life of good feeding and indolent ease. By his side stands -the sub-prior, a cadaverous, sharp-faced little man, with piercing grey -eyes bespeaking a high order of intellect, his emaciated features -testifying to rigid fastings and relentless self-abasement. The abuse -of the monastic privileges, common enough at the time, is thus -contrasted with the conscientious observance of all the rules of the -order. In and out of the cloisters, the refectory, and the palace, -monks in black gowns and white scapularies are continually passing. -The old ruin has been restored by the genius of the novelist to the -life and activity of the sixteenth century. - -The earliest date referred to in the story is 1547, the year of the -battle of Pinkie, when the Scottish forces met with a disaster exceeded -only by Flodden Field. In this battle Simon Glendinning, a soldier -fighting for the 'Halidome' of St. Mary's, met his death. His son -Halbert was then nine or ten years old. The story comes {258} to a -close when he is nineteen, which would be 1557. The hostility of Henry -VIII had caused great anxiety to the abbots of Melrose long before this -time and the persecution reached a climax in 1545. Sir Ralph Ewers and -Sir Brian Latoun systematically ravaged the Scottish Border, burning -hundreds of towns, castles, and churches, slaughtering and imprisoning -the people by the thousands and driving off their cattle and horses. -In the course of their raids, they reached Melrose with a force of five -thousand men and vented their spite on the beautiful old abbey. The -Scots took prompt vengeance. They quickly raised an army, and under -the leadership of Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch, met the English and -defeated them with heavy losses. Both Ewers and Latoun were among the -slain, and the monks of Melrose buried them in the abbey with great -satisfaction. 'The Monastery' does not refer to this event, but its -graphic picture of the unsettled state of the country and the -consequent anxiety of the monks constitutes its chief value. - -North of the abbey and across the Tweed is a green hillside, at the -base of which is a weir or dam. This is the place where the sacristan -of St. Mary's was pitched out of his saddle into the stream by the -'White Lady of Avenel,' who dipped him in the water two or three times -to make sure that 'every part of him had its share of wetting.' - -The old bridge, which the sacristan was prevented from crossing by the -perversity of old Peter, the bridge-tender, was about a mile and a half -up the stream. Such a bridge once existed, though now there are no -traces visible. Scott used to see the foundations {259} occasionally -when drifting down the river at night in pursuit of one of his -favourite pastimes, spearing salmon by torchlight. There were three -towers in the water. A keeper lived in the middle one and controlled -the traffic by raising or lowering the draws at his pleasure. Those -who refused to pay his price, or whom he did not wish to accommodate, -might ford the stream, but at some stages of the water this was a -perilous operation. - -The river Allan flows into the Tweed near the site of this bridge. It -is a little mountain brook that flows, in serpentine course, through -the valley of Glendearg. A mile or so up the rivulet there is a -picturesque and shady glen called Fairy Dean. After a flood, little -pieces of curious stones, in fantastic shapes, are often found, the -play of the waters having transformed the fragments of rock into fairy -cups and saucers, guns, boats, cradles, or whatever a childish -imagination might suggest. This was the abode of the fairies where the -little elfin folk held their nightly carnivals, and who knows but Queen -Titania herself might have held her moonlight revels upon this very -spot? At any rate, the neighbouring people, for centuries, by common -consent, recognized the feudal rights of the fairy race to this little -dell, and left them undisturbed. It must have been the abode of the -White Lady, and no doubt stood in the author's mind for the secluded -glen which he calls, in Celtic, _Corrie nan Shian_, meaning 'Hollow of -the Fairies,' where Halbert Glendinning found the huge rock, the wild -holly tree, and the spring beneath its branches. Here, doubtless, for -no more appropriate spot can be found, Halbert summoned the mystic -maiden with the words:-- - -{260} - - Thrice to the holly brake-- - Thrice to the well:-- - I bid thee awake, - White Maid of Avenel! - - Noon gleams in the Lake-- - Noon glows on the Fell-- - Wake thee, O wake, - White Maid of Avenel! - - -At the head of the glen there are three ruined peel-houses or Border -towers, known as Hillslap, Colmslie, and Langshaw. The first of these -may fairly stand for the original of Glendearg, the home of the -Glendinnings. This old tower has a sculptured date on the lintel of -the entrance which seems to indicate that it was built in 1585--a -little too late for the story, to be sure, but trifles like that never -worried Sir Walter. He wanted to place the Widow Glendinning and her -two children in a tower suited to the ancient family connexions of her -husband who might have been able to defend his secluded retreat against -all comers for many years, had not the necessities of the time required -his service in the wars for the defence of his country. Hillslap -offered an excellent type of such a Border fortalice, and its situation -at the head of the glen, well protected by the surrounding mountains -and isolated by its remoteness from the ordinary lines of travel, made -it suitable for the purposes of the tale. - -Referring to the castle of Julian Avenel, Scott, in a footnote, remarks -that it is vain to search near Melrose for any such castle, but adds -that in Yetholm Loch, a small sheet of water southeast of Kelso, there -is a small castle on an island, connected with the mainland by a {261} -causeway, but it is much smaller than Avenel. Of course we must take -the author's word for this, and yet, whether he did it with conscious -purpose or not, he succeeded in putting into his description some -features which irresistibly suggest a castle only seven miles from -Melrose, the tower of Smailholm, associated with the dearest memories -of his childhood. - -Smailholm is one of the most perfect examples of the old feudal keeps -to be found in Scotland. A very small pool lies on one side of the -tower, but it is suggestive of the loch which once surrounded the -entire castle, making it a retreat of great security. 'The surprise of -the spectator was chiefly excited by finding a piece of water situated -in that high and mountainous region, and the landscape around had -features which might rather be termed wild, than either romantic or -sublime.' It was a surprise to me to find even a small pool of water -in such a locality, and I cannot help thinking that at least some -recollections of the peculiar situation of Smailholm may have been in -the author's mind when he wrote this description. - -Scott has himself mentioned a prototype of the vulgar, brutal, and -licentious Julian Avenel in the person of the Laird of Black Ormiston, -a friend and confidant of Bothwell and one of the agents in the murder -of Darnley. - -The concluding scene of the novel represents a sorrowful procession of -monks, in long black gowns and cowls, marching solemnly to the -market-place of the town, where they formed a circle around 'an ancient -cross of curious workmanship, the gift of some former monarch of -Scotland.' This old Mercat Cross still stands {262} in the centre of -the market-place of Melrose. It is about twenty feet high and is -surmounted by the figure of the unicorn and the arms of Scotland. It -requires a vivid imagination to identify the unicorn, however, the -ravages of time giving it more the aspect of a walrus, rampant. - -'The Monastery,' following so soon after Scott's greatest success, -suffers severely by comparison with 'Ivanhoe,' and, perhaps for this -reason, was considered something of a failure. The cause, generally -assigned by the critics, was twofold, or rather, may be attributed to -two characters, which did not appeal to the public as Scott had -expected. One of these was the 'White Lady of Avenel' and the other, -Sir Piercie Shafton. - -Scott had always manifested a fondness for ghosts, goblins, witches, -and the supernatural. The goblin-page made a nuisance of himself in -'The Lay of the Last Minstrel' and came near spoiling the poem; Marmion -had to fight a phantom knight, and so did Bertram Risingham, but in -both cases a rational explanation dispelled the mystery; the Baron of -Triermain visited a phantom castle in the Valley of St. John; Bruce -landed on the shores of Carrick, guided by a weird supernatural light; -Fergus MacIvor was dismayed by the Bodach Glas, a cheerful sort of -family ghost which always appeared when disaster was impending; the -guest of the Antiquary was compelled to sleep in a haunted chamber; a -mysterious fountain had a fatal influence upon the life of the Bride of -Lammermoor; and so throughout the pages of Scott's poems and novels we -find these strange incidents and phantom appearances. The real -orthodox ghost only peeps in at you occasionally and quickly vanishes. -{263} Although you may be frightened a little, you delight, -nevertheless, in the mystery. But there is something too substantial -about a female ghost who climbs up behind a man on horseback, guides -him into a stream of deep water, and ducks him three times, meanwhile -reciting long stanzas of poetry. And when the same ghost appears again -and again, as though the whole plot depended upon her personal -exertions, the constant exposure to the limelight causes the illusion -to melt away. This, I fancy, is the reason the Maid of Avenel failed -to appeal to Scott's readers. - -Sir Piercie Shafton, the Euphuist, seems in like manner to have been -overdone. A suggestion of the foppery and absurdities of the coxcombs -of Queen Elizabeth's court might have been interesting, but Sir Piercie -remains on the stage too long and becomes a bore. The pedantic Baron -of Bradwardine in 'Waverley' is a bore, but we like him. The garrulous -Dalgetty is tiresome, but we could not do without him. Sir Piercie, on -the contrary, has no redeeming traits. - -Aside from the failure of these two characters to please the public, -the novel lacks the interest that attaches to all its predecessors. -There is no Dandie Dinmont, nor Meg Merrilies, nor Dominie Sampson; no -Jonathan Oldbuck nor Edie Ochiltree; no historical personage of -interest like Rob Roy or King Richard; no Jeanie Deans; no Flora -MacIvor; no Die Vernon; no Rebecca. - -On the other hand, it has some fine pictures of the sturdy Scotch -character, it gives a glimpse of monastic life in the sixteenth -century, and has an historical value in its presentation of the -conflict of cross-currents of {264} thought and feeling, as they -affected the people who lived amid the furious contentions of the -Reformation. Father Eustace is a fine type of the able, intelligent, -and devoted Catholic priest, and Henry Warden of the brave, -unflinching, determined apostle of the reformed doctrines. - - - - -{265} - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE ABBOT - -Scott was quick to realize the mistake in 'The Monastery,' and promptly -redeemed his popularity by the bold stroke of writing a sequel. The -White Maiden was banished along with Sir Piercie, and in their place -came a train of new characters, well calculated to win the sympathetic -approval of the public. Mary Queen of Scots was the chief of these, -and the novelist's skilful portrayal of her character made a success of -'The Abbot.' Roland Graeme, who proved to be one of the best of -Scott's heroes, and Catherine Seyton, a young woman of charming -vivacity, added not a little to the popularity of the novel. - -The scenery, at first, remains the same. The story opens at the Castle -of Avenel, of which Sir Halbert Glendinning is now the knight and Mary -Avenel the lady. Henry Warden is established there as chaplain. The -monks are still permitted to linger in the cloisters of St. Mary's, and -among them is Edward Glendinning, known as Father Ambrose, who, later, -becomes the abbot. - -The beautiful abbey is pictured at the beginning of its decay. The -niches have been stripped of their sculptured images, on the inside as -well as the outside of the building. The tombs of warriors and of -princes have been demolished. The church is strewn with confused heaps -of broken stone, the remnants of beautifully {266} carved statues of -saints and angels, with lances and swords torn from above the tombs of -famous knights of earlier days, and sacred relics brought by pious -pilgrims. The disheartened monks are seen conducting their ceremonials -in the midst of all the rubbish, scarcely daring to clear it away. In -keeping with this picture of decay and ruin is the vivid presentation -of the invasion of the sacred abbey by the irreverent mob of -masqueraders in grotesque costumes, led by 'the venerable Father -Howleglas, the learned Monk of Misrule and the Right Reverend Abbot of -Unreason.' - -The tale now leads to Edinburgh, where young Roland Graeme is struck -with surprise as he comes, for the first time, into the Canongate. -'The extreme height of the houses, and the variety of Gothic gables, -and battlements, and balconies' are still surprising. Graeme gets -involved in a street scrimmage, common enough in the Edinburgh of those -days, and, without knowing it, renders service to Lord Seyton, one of -the most faithful adherents of Queen Mary. A few minutes later he -catches sight of Catherine Seyton as that pretty damsel is about to -'dive under one of the arched passages which afforded an outlet to the -Canongate from the houses beneath.' Many of these arched passages may -still be seen in the Canongate. The house of Lord Seyton into which -Roland followed the maiden was about opposite Queensbury House, near -the eastern end of the street. - -Holyrood Palace comes into the story as the place where Roland was -presented to the Regent Murray, an introduction into which Scott is -believed to have woven some recollections of his own presentation to -the Duke {267} of Wellington. Although the palace has stood for many -centuries and has been the abode of many kings, its real interest -centres about the fortunes of Mary Queen of Scots. Visitors are shown -the audience chamber in which the Queen received John Knox, and found -that the great Reformer, unlike other men, was proof against the -loveliness of her countenance, the charm of her manner, and the -softness of her speech. Knox found, too, that Mary was proof against -the bitterness of his arraignment and the violence of his denunciation. -Opening out of the audience chamber is Queen Mary's bedroom, where a -bed, said to be Mary's own, is carefully preserved, its dingy and -tattered hangings conveying little suggestion of the former richness of -the crimson damask, with its fringe and tassels of green. A narrow -door leads to a small dressing-closet, and another to the supper-room, -where Mary sat with David Rizzio and other friends on the fatal night -of February 13, 1565. Darnley, in a state of intoxication, burst into -the room with a party of brutal conspirators, put his arms around Mary -in seeming endearment, while the others dragged Rizzio into the -audience chamber and stabbed him to death with their daggers. - -The introduction of Loch Leven Castle gives a new scene to the novel -and one of great beauty and interest. It was partly Scott's -association with the Blair Adam Club that led to the use of this scene -and the historical incident associated with it. A visit of Scott and -his life-long friends, William Clerk and Adam Ferguson, to the Right -Honourable William Adam, in 1816, led to the formation of the Blair -Adam Club, at the meetings of which Scott was a constant attendant for -fifteen years. {268} Mr. Adam, who held the distinguished office of -Lord Chief Commissioner of the Jury Court in Scotland, was, says -Lockhart, 'the only man I ever knew that rivalled Sir Walter Scott in -uniform graciousness of bonhomie and gentleness of humour.' In a book -privately printed for the benefit of his own family and friends, the -judge says:-- - - -The Castle of Loch Leven is seen at every turn from the northern side -of Blair Adam. This castle, renowned and attractive above all others -in my neighbourhood, became an object of much increased attention and a -theme of constant conversation, after the author of 'Waverley' had, by -his inimitable power of delineating character, by his creative poetic -fancy in representing scenes of varied interest, and by the splendour -of his romantic descriptions, infused a more diversified and a deeper -tone of feeling into the history of Queen Mary's captivity and escape. - - -Many little allusions to localities on the estate of Blair Adam and -references to the virtues and manners of its occupants, were woven into -the story, which, while they escape the attention of the casual reader, -did not fail to please the genial owner. - -The castle stands on an island in Loch Leven, a pretty sheet of water, -about three or four miles long, on the western border of which lies the -town of Kinross. Two sturdy fishermen rowed us out to the island where -we found the ruin of a square building. The tower is in good repair, -but the remaining walls are quite ruinous. In one corner the room -where Queen Mary was imprisoned was pointed out by the guides. It is -very small, but has windows overlooking the lake, and there is room on -the island for a pleasant garden. Except for {269} the loss of her -liberty, Queen Mary might have found the castle a pleasant abode. - -Loch Leven Castle was the property of Sir William Douglas, whose wife -was the mother of the Earl of Murray, the illegitimate son of James V. -The Lady Douglas could be supposed to have little sympathy for the -legitimate daughter of the king to whom she pretended to have been -married. In placing Mary in the hands of such a custodian, the lords -who opposed her felt reasonably secure. - -Scott gives a wonderfully dramatic picture of the visit of Lord -Lindsay, Lord Ruthven, and Sir Robert Melville to the castle, and the -method by which they extorted Mary's signature to deeds abdicating the -throne in favour of her infant son and creating the Earl of Murray -regent, and although the scene is purely fictitious, the facts of -history are not distorted. Roland Graeme is represented as unsheathing -his sword and discovering a hidden parchment rolled around the blade. -It proved to be a secret message from Lord Seyton, advising Mary to -yield to the necessity of the situation. The incident is based upon -the fact that Sir Robert Melville was sent to accompany the ruffianly -Lindsay, and his no less harsh associate Ruthven, to prevent violence -to the Queen, and to carry, concealed in the scabbard of his sword, a -message from her friends advising submission and carrying the assurance -that deeds signed under such compulsion would not be legally binding -when she regained her liberty. - -The escape of the Queen is told in substantial accordance with the -facts, though with a variation of details which the license of the -novelist would easily permit. {270} George Douglas, a younger brother -of the lord of Loch Leven, was much impressed by the beauty of the -Queen, and captivated by her pleasant manners and fair promises. He -devised a plan of escape, but this was discovered and George was -expelled from the castle by his brother. Another attempt was more -successful. An inmate of the castle, called 'the Little Douglas,' had -also felt a sympathy for the Queen. He was a lad of seventeen or -eighteen and really played the part which Scott assigned to Roland -Graeme. He stole the keys and set the prisoner at liberty in the -night. Placing her in a boat, he paused long enough to lock the iron -gates of the tower from the outside so that pursuit would be -impossible, then, throwing the keys into the lake, rowed his passenger -ashore. George Douglas, Lord Seyton, and other friends were waiting to -receive her and conveyed her in triumph to Hamilton. - -An army of six thousand men was quickly assembled, the plan being to -place the Queen safely in the fortress of Dumbarton, and then give -battle to the Regent Murray. The latter was too quick for the allies, -however. He was then at Glasgow and marched at once, though with an -inferior force, to intercept the advancing army. They met at Langside, -now a suburb of Glasgow, and after a fierce struggle the Queen's forces -were scattered. Mary herself continued her flight, until she reached -the Abbey of Dundrennan, in the County of Kirkcudbright, where she -spent her last night in Scotland. - -[Illustration: CATHCART CASTLE] - -The novelist represents Queen Mary as viewing the battle from the -Castle of Crookston, and the unfortunate lady dramatically exclaims, -'O, I must forget much ere I can look with steady eyes on these -well-known {271} scenes! I must forget the days which I spent here as -the bride of the lost--the murdered'--Here Mary Fleming interrupts to -explain to the Abbot that in this castle 'the Queen held her first -court after she was married to Darnley.' - -Mary could not have witnessed the battle of Langside from Crookston, -unless, indeed, she had had, in the language of Sam Weller, instead of -eyes, 'a pair o' patent double million magnifyin' gas microscopes of -hextra power,' for Langside is at least four miles away and the contour -of the country would make such a view impossible. She really watched -it from a knoll near the old Castle of Cathcart, which has since been -known as Court Knowe. Scott admitted the error, but did not much -regret it, as Crookston seemed the place best suited to the dramatic -requirements of the tale, because of Mary's former association with the -castle. Here again the facts are against him. Crookston was the -property of the Earl of Lennox, Darnley's father, but Darnley himself -never lived there, except possibly as a boy, before he went to France -at the age of sixteen. It seems to be certain to those who have -investigated the facts that after his return he had no opportunity of -going there and that he and Queen Mary could not have visited the place -together, either before or after their marriage. - -Nevertheless, Scott was wise to let the incident remain as he wrote it, -for 'The Abbot' is not a work of history, but a romance. - - - - -{272} - -CHAPTER XX - -KENILWORTH - -The successful introduction of Mary Queen of Scots as the central -figure of 'The Abbot' resulted, not only in repairing the reputation -which had been somewhat damaged by its predecessor, but in suggesting -the theme of a new novel which was to achieve a popularity second only -to 'Ivanhoe.' The desire to portray, in the form of romance, the great -rival of Queen Mary, was perhaps irresistible, particularly in view of -the fact that it meant a new opportunity to reach that English audience -which had given to 'Ivanhoe' so cordial a reception. Constable, the -publisher, was of course delighted to have a new English novel and -particularly one in which Queen Elizabeth was to be an important -figure. With characteristic presumptuousness he argued that it should -be a story of the Armada. Scott, however, had been enchanted in his -youth by a ballad of the Scotch poet, Mickle, entitled 'Cumnor Hall,' -and particularly by its first stanza:-- - - The dews of summer night did fall; - The moon, sweet regent of the sky, - Silver'd the walls of Cumnor Hall, - And many an oak that grew thereby. - -He insisted, therefore, in spite of his adviser, upon taking the theme -of the ballad for his subject and would even have called the novel -'Cumnor Hall.' In deference to Constable, however, he accepted the -title, 'Kenilworth,' {273} although John Ballantyne growled a little at -a name which he thought suggested 'something worthy of a kennel.' - -Here, then, were the determining points of the new novel, namely, a -favourite poem concerning the marriage of the Earl of Leicester to a -lady whom he kept concealed at Cumnor Hall, the desire to sketch, in a -romantic way, the character of Queen Elizabeth, and the opportunity to -secure a dramatic climax by confronting the Queen with the wife of her -favourite courtier, in the splendid castle of the latter at Kenilworth. - -Cumnor is one of those lovely little villages in the Midlands of -England where Father Time employs his talents as an artist, softening -the outlines of the stone walls and fences with graceful mantles of -dark green ivy and imparting richer and deeper shades of brown to the -old thatched roofs of the cottages. - -We saw few evidences of activity on the part of the inhabitants, and -reached the conclusion that Cumnor, in Walter Scott's time, and even in -the days of the Earl of Leicester, could not have been very different -from its present aspect. - -We did not ruin our reputation as travellers by failing to 'wet a cup -at the bonny Black Bear,' for that 'excellent inn of the old stamp,' if -indeed it ever existed, has disappeared as effectually as its famous -landlord, Giles Gosling. Its prototype, bearing the sign of the 'Bear -and Ragged Staff,' formerly stood opposite the church, but its bar-room -became objectionable to the vicar and, by what a local writer calls 'an -impious act of vandalism,' the inn was destroyed. - -Cumnor Place has likewise disappeared. The site {274} where it stood -appears to be a comparatively small piece of land, near the street, but -well covered with large trees. It was not an extensive park with -formal walks and avenues, nor was the house itself so large or high as -the structure described in the novel. It was a single-story building -or series of buildings, forming an enclosure about seventy feet long -and fifty feet wide. It was built about 1350 as a country residence -for the Abbot of Abingdon and as a sanitarium for the monks. After two -centuries its use by the monastery ceased and Cumnor Place passed into -the hands of the Court physician, George Owen, who leased it to Anthony -Foster. As the servant of Lord Robert Dudley, Foster received into his -house the ill-fated Amy Robsart, whom that gentleman had married in -1550. The marriage was not secret, but was celebrated in the presence -of the young King, Edward VI, and his Court. It had been arranged by -Dudley's father, John, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland, who -seems to have had a fondness for match-making, of the kind which -promised a profit. He managed to marry his fourth son, Guildford -Dudley, to Lady Jane Grey, a great-granddaughter of Henry VII. In the -last two years of the reign of Edward VI, Northumberland was virtually -the ruler of England. He induced the King to execute a will, -disinheriting his two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, who were the legal -heirs to the crown, and naming Lady Jane Grey as his successor. The -reign of this unfortunate lady, who never desired the throne, lasted -but nine days. The rightful Queen, Mary, was restored by the people, -and Northumberland, like his father before him, was beheaded in the -Tower. His son, Guildford, with Jane {275} Grey, his wife, suffered -the same penalty a year later, as the result of another revolt, in -which the lady, at least, had no share. - -[Illustration: LEICESTER'S BUILDINGS, KENILWORTH] - -Robert Dudley came near falling a victim to the same fate as his father -and grandfather. He took up arms against Queen Mary, was sent to the -Tower and condemned to death. But the Queen pardoned him and made him -Master of the Ordnance. On the accession of Elizabeth he became Master -of the Horse, and thereafter rose rapidly in the royal favour. -Elizabeth made him a Knight of the Garter, bestowed upon him the Castle -of Kenilworth, the lordship of Denbigh and other rich lands in -Warwickshire and Wales. In 1564 the Queen made him Earl of Leicester, -and recommended him (perhaps not seriously) as a possible husband of -Mary Queen of Scots. The University of Oxford made him their -chancellor and the King of France conferred upon him the order of St. -Michael. He reached the culmination of the high honours which -Elizabeth and others crowded upon him, in the appointment as -Lieutenant-General of the army mustered to meet the Spanish invasion, -in the year of the great Armada, 1588. - -This was the outward show, and it was brilliant enough; but the Earl -was like a worm-eaten apple--fair enough to look upon, but rotten to -the core--and his private life was thoroughly contemptible. The -marriage to Amy Robsart in 1550 was not a happy one. She was never a -countess, for Dudley did not become Earl of Leicester until four years -after her death. After the favours of Elizabeth began to be showered -upon him, Dudley had good reason for concealing this marriage, for the -Queen soon began to show a longing to make him {276} her royal husband. -In 1560, two years after the accession of Elizabeth, the dead body of -Amy was found at the foot of the stairs at Cumnor. All the servants -had gone to a neighbouring fair and apparently Anthony Foster was the -only person besides Amy at home on that day. It was given out that Amy -had accidentally fallen downstairs and broken her neck. She was -ostentatiously buried in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford, -though Lord Dudley was not present at the funeral nor did he again -visit Cumnor. - -More than twenty years later a pamphlet was published, anonymously, -under the title 'Leicester's Commonwealth,' in which the Earl was -bitterly attacked as an atheist and a traitor as well as a man of -infamous character. He was openly accused of the murder of his wife, -and there were not wanting many evidences seeming to corroborate this -view. It was alleged that efforts to poison her were made, by -direction of the Earl. That Leicester was not incapable of such an act -is indicated by the circumstances of his own death. The tradition is -that he gave his wife (the third one) a bottle of medicine to be used -for faintness. The lady kept it, unused, and later, not knowing it to -be poison, administered a dose to her husband, with a fatal result. -This lady was the widow of Walter, Earl of Essex, with whom the Earl of -Leicester was carrying on an intrigue before her husband's death. -There was a quarrel and Essex died suddenly, under some suspicion of -poison. Leicester's secret marriage with the widow led to serious -accusations against him. According to the author of 'Leicester's -Commonwealth,' when the Earl fell in love with Lady Douglas Sheffield -(who became his second wife), {277} her husband suddenly died under -mysterious circumstances. Leicester had in his employ an Italian -physician who was a skilful compounder of poisons. It was said that -his cunning and skill enabled him to cause a person to die with the -symptoms of any disease he might choose, or to administer a poison so -that the victim would expire at whatever hour he might appoint. These -weird tales no doubt suggested something of the character of the -fraudulent alchemist and astrologer, Alasco. - -The stair at the foot of which Amy Robsart's body was found was a -narrow winding flight, something like a corkscrew. It has been pointed -out that Amy would have had considerable difficulty in hurling herself -headlong around the twists and turns of such a staircase with enough -force to break her neck. Without definite knowledge of the facts, the -most reasonable supposition is that Lord Dudley, having a motive for -the crime and being a man of unscrupulous character, would not hesitate -to order it committed. His grandfather had been the agent of Henry VII -in the infamous extortions which gave that sovereign an enormous -fortune; his father had not hesitated to risk the lives of his son and -an innocent lady to accomplish his own treasonable purposes, besides -directly causing the death of the Duke of Somerset, and indirectly -bringing about the execution of the Duke's brother, Lord Seymour. It -is therefore not unreasonable to suppose that the scion of this -ambitious family, who was himself cherishing no less bold a project -than his own marriage with the Queen, should willingly give orders to -remove the one great obstacle in his path. - -The great festivities at Kenilworth occurred in 1575. Amy Robsart had -been dead fifteen years. The Earl of {278} Leicester was none the less -entangled, however, for he was at the time married to Lady Sheffield, -who strongly maintained the validity of the marriage, though it was -denied by the Earl and concealed from the Queen. At the same time, -also, the intrigue with the Countess of Essex was in progress. From -this it will be seen that although Scott departed from the facts of -history in bringing poor Amy to Kenilworth, he nevertheless gave a true -picture of the Earl of Leicester's embarrassment in the presence of his -Queen. Scott softens the black-hearted villainy of the Earl, by making -him an unwilling victim of his own ambition, duped into deeds of infamy -by the determination of the conscienceless Richard Varney. He admits -that he preferred to make the Earl 'rather the dupe of villains than -the unprincipled author of their atrocities,' because in the latter -capacity, he would have been a character too disgustingly wicked for -the purposes of fiction. - -[Illustration: CÆSAR'S TOWER, KENILWORTH] - -According to Scott's account, the unfortunate Amy, after falling -completely into the toils of Varney, was carried back to Cumnor Place, -and lodged in a tower room at the top of the building. A gallery, -arranged by a secret contrivance to be used as a drawbridge, which, -when dropped, would cut off all access to the chamber, was the only -means of entrance or exit. After Amy had entered the chamber, Varney -and Foster withdrew the supports of the bridge in such manner that the -slightest weight would cause it to fall. Varney then reached the -consummation of his villainy by imitating the whistle of Leicester. -Amy, deceived by the signal and eager to meet her Lord, rushed upon the -bridge and fell to the deepest vault of the castle. The method of the -real {279} Amy's death is not definitely known, but it was probably by -no such elaborate invention. She was doubtless strangled in her room -and her body carried to the foot of the stairs to suggest an accidental -death. - -Anthony Foster lies buried in Cumnor Church, which stands on land -adjoining the site of Cumnor Place, near the entrance to the village on -the road from Oxford. It is one of those stone churches, with square, -substantial towers and ivy-clad walls, which add to the charm of the -landscape throughout the length and breadth of England, as though she -intended thereby to express both the beauty and the solidity of her -religion. - -The Foster tomb is an elaborate monument of grey marble, within the -altar rail, and is easily the most noteworthy feature of the interior -of the church. Two engraved brass plates represent the family at -prayers, and beneath is a long inscription in Latin, indicating that -Anthony Foster was a distinguished gentleman of good birth, skilled in -the arts of music and horticulture, a good linguist and renowned for -charity, benevolence, and religious fidelity. Looking upon this -elaborate memorial, one cannot escape the conviction that Tony Foster -was either a greatly maligned saint or the parent of a family of -hypocrites. If the intention of those who composed the inscription was -to convince the world of his innocence, they could not have been -expected to foresee that, for every person who should read and -understand the epitaph, ten thousand would be led to a perception of -Foster's real character through the pen of a Scottish novelist, but for -whom few of us would ever have known the sad story of the Lady of -Cumnor Hall. - -{280} - -As for the Earl of Leicester, a more truthful epitaph exists, not -indeed carved upon stone, but preserved in the Collections of Drummond -of Hawthornden. It reads:-- - - Here lies a valiant warrior, - Who never drew a sword; - Here lies a noble courtier, - Who never kept his word; - Here lies the Erle of Leister, - Who govern'd the estates; - Whom the earth could never living love, - And the just Heaven now hates. - -The escape of Amy Robsart from Cumnor Place was achieved through the -aid of Wayland Smith, a blacksmith, pedler, and strolling juggler, who -had picked up from a former master some knowledge of medicine which he -employed to good advantage. There was a legend current in Berkshire of -a mysterious smith, who lived among the rocks and replaced lost -horseshoes for a fee of sixpence, feeling offended if more were -offered. Scott used this tale as the basis of his story of Wayland -Smith. The idea of having his smithy in a cave may have been suggested -by just such a place in Gilmerton, a village on the outskirts of -Edinburgh, with which Scott must have been familiar. I had no -difficulty in finding it. It is an artificial cavern, with many -ramifications, and as the light can enter only from the door at the -head of a stone stairway, its farther corners are extremely dark. Near -the entrance is a blacksmith's forge. In a small and dark alcove -opposite is an oblong stone, evidently intended as a dining-table. A -rough shelf or ledge, cut out of the stone partition, served as a bench -at meal-times. Any of the dark corners could be {281} used as -sleeping-rooms. The cave was probably used by thieves or smugglers as -a convenient hiding-place. - -Amy's journey from Cumnor Village, four miles west of Oxford, to -Kenilworth, in the centre of Warwickshire, was a ride of about fifty -miles. Perhaps the Countess's mental condition would not permit her to -enjoy it and doubtless the country then was wild and the roads rough; -but the route to-day would be a delightful one, especially that part of -it which passes through Warwickshire with its 'hedgerows of -unmarketable beauty.' - -As they approached the old town of Warwick, travelling by circuitous -paths to avoid the crowds then journeying to witness the festivities at -Kenilworth, Amy and her humble guide, the blacksmith, passed through -some of the most beautiful country in England. But they were obliged -to avoid what to-day forms the grand climax of interest to the tourist, -the magnificent Castle of Warwick. This was the resting-place of Queen -Elizabeth on the day preceding her triumphal progress to Kenilworth. -In those days it was the seat of Ambrose Dudley, a brother to the Earl -of Leicester and the third son of the notorious John Dudley. - -There was never a time, say the local antiquaries, back as far as the -reign of the celebrated King Arthur, when Warwick did not have its -Earls. The most renowned of these was Guy, a great warrior supposed to -stand nine feet high, among whose exploits were the killing of 'a -Saracen giant, a wild boar, a dun cow, and a green dragon.' After a -life devoted to these pleasant diversions, he retired to Guy's Cliffe, -a retreat near Warwick, famed for its natural beauty, where he lived as -a hermit until his death. The real building of the {282} castle began -when the Normans took possession, William the Conqueror granting the -vast estate, including the castle and the town, to Henry de Newburgh, -the first Earl of Warwick. In the fifteenth century it came into the -possession of Richard Neville, the famous 'King-Maker.' Since that -time many improvements have been made, especially in the spacious -grounds, which now make a splendid park, with well-kept lawns and -paths, stately trees, formal gardens with yews fantastically trimmed, -and a profusion of flowers. - -[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO WARWICK CASTLE] - -The entrance road, cut through solid rock, looks as if carved out of -soft moss, so thickly does the ivy cling to the walls. Trees of varied -foliage overarch the path, and near the entrance the edges are bordered -by narrow lines of flowers. At the end of this delightful avenue a -sharp turn to the left brought us in front of the great Castle. On the -right is Guy's Tower, rising one hundred and twenty-eight feet high and -having walls ten feet thick. On the left is Cæsar's Tower, built by -the Normans eight hundred years ago and still firm as the rock upon -which it stands. The two are joined by an ivy-covered wall in the -centre of which is a great gate between two towers. Passing through -this gateway we entered the spacious court. Directly opposite is the -mound, or keep, almost completely covered from base to summit with -trees and shrubs, over the tops of which the towers and battlements -peep out. On the right are two unfinished towers, one of them begun by -Richard III, the whole side of the quadrangle forming a massive line of -ramparts and embattled walls. On the left is the great mansion, -occupied for centuries by the Earls of Warwick. The square formed by -these huge stone buildings {283} is beautiful in its simplicity--a wide -expanse of lawn, its rich velvet green broken only by the white gravel -walks. To see the interior of the castle we were compelled to join a -party of tourists, and march in solemn procession through the rooms of -state, while our guide, an old soldier with a Cockney accent, -loquaciously explained that his 'hobject' in telling us about the -'hearls' in this room was to prepare us to appreciate the 'hearls' in -the next! This agony over, we departed by the road which leads across -the Avon, where we were rewarded by a superb view of the castle from -the bridge. - -The next day we were at Kenilworth. It requires the exercise of a -vivid imagination to walk among the ruins and trace the progress of -Scott's story, but we found it a delightful study. We entered by the -little wicket gate, next to the mansion known as the Gatehouse, erected -by Dudley in 1570 as the chief entrance to the castle. Walking south, -across the outer court, we came to the ancient entrance in the -southeast angle known as Mortimer's Tower. From this point an -embankment stretched to the southeast for about one hundred and fifty -yards. It was eighteen yards wide and twenty feet high. Besides -serving its original purpose of a dam, to hold back the waters of a -great lake covering one hundred and eleven acres, this bank of earth -made an admirable tilt-yard. At the extreme end of the embankment was -the Gallery Tower, containing a spacious room from which the ladies -could witness the tournaments. A wall eight feet high and eighty-five -feet long is all that remains of this structure. It was built by Henry -III in the thirteenth century and reconstructed {284} by the Earl of -Leicester in preparation for the great festivities. - -Here Amy presented herself under strange circumstances. As the wife of -the great Earl of Leicester, the magnificent castle was her own and all -its army of servants, and the vast crowd of sight-seers, could they -have recognized their countess, would have bowed in humble reverence -and have delighted to execute her slightest wish. But she came unknown -and unrespected, not as the honoured Countess, but as 'the bale of -woman's gear' belonging to a blacksmith, disguised as a juggler. At -the Gallery Tower the two strange companions were halted by a giant -porter, and gained admission only by the intercession of the -mischievous little imp called Flibbertigibbet. They traversed the -length of the tilt-yard, and passing through Mortimer's Tower, came in -front of the splendid buildings, all with doors and gates wide open as -a sign of unlimited hospitality. - -On their right stood the stately Cæsar's Tower, a fine specimen of the -military architecture of the Normans, built about 1170 to 1180, and -still the best-preserved portion of the ruins. On their left was the -great 'Leicester's Building,' erected in honour of the occasion for the -accommodation of the Queen. It reached a height of ninety-three feet -and was ninety feet long and fifty feet wide. The walls are thin, -however, and although the most recent in date of all the important -parts of the castle, this structure has crumbled into ruins to such an -extent that it can be preserved only by constant attention. - -Between Cæsar's Tower and Leicester's Building, and joining the two, -Amy and her guide saw a stately edifice, {285} then known as King Henry -VIII's Lodgings, because it was used by that monarch on the occasion of -his visits to the castle. The portion on the left, immediately -adjoining Leicester's Building, was called Dudley's Lobby. No vestige -of these structures, which originally formed the eastern side of a -magnificent quadrangle, can now be seen. - -Passing through an open gateway between Cæsar's Tower and King Henry's -Lodgings, the Countess entered the Inner Court. On the right, and in -the rear of Cæsar's Tower, she could see the great kitchens, then a -busy part of the establishment, but now showing little more than the -remains of a huge fireplace and a thick wall from which project a -broken arch or two. On the left were the White Hall, now entirely -destroyed, and next to it the Presence Chamber, which had a fine oriel -window looking into the court. Directly in front Amy could see the -'Great Hall' in which her princely husband had made lavish preparations -to entertain the Queen with unprecedented extravagance. It was built -in the fourteenth century by John of Gaunt, son of Edward III, who took -up his residence at the castle on the death of his father, and spent -the remainder of his life in adding to its magnificence. The hall was -ninety feet long and forty-five feet wide. The floor has disappeared, -but the remains of the pillars and arches which once supported it may -still be seen. The Great Hall was lighted by large and very high -windows, set in deep recesses, the outlines of which are still well -preserved. The remains of two large fireplaces, one on each side, may -still be seen. At the southern end was a dais, upon which was the -Throne of State, with crimson canopy of {286} richly embroidered -velvet. At the opposite end was a minstrel gallery for the musicians. -From the centre of the roof hung a chandelier of brass, shaped like an -eagle, its spreading wings supporting six human figures, each of which -carried a pair of branches containing huge candles. The tables, -chairs, cushions, carpets, and silken tapestries were all of the -costliest workmanship. It is stated that the Earl of Leicester spent -£60,000 upon this lavish entertainment, a sum which, to-day, would be -better represented by half a million. - -[Illustration: MERVYN'S TOWER, KENILWORTH] - -Amy and her escort were not at liberty to view this regal magnificence. -They proceeded across the court to a tower at the northwestern angle, -which was doubtless intended for a prison, judging from the thickness -of the walls and the small size of the rooms. It was called, for this -reason, the Strong Tower, though Scott's name for it is Mervyn's Tower. -During the Elizabethan festivities it was used for the accommodation of -guests. Here we must leave Amy for the present and go back to trace -the movements of Elizabeth. - -The Queen approached by way of the Gallery Tower, heralded by the roll -of drums, the blare of trumpets, the roar of cannon, and the tumultuous -shouts of a vast multitude. Two hundred thick waxen torches, each -borne by a horseman, cast a glare of light upon the cavalcade. The -Queen, mounted upon a milk-white horse and clad in gorgeous raiment, -blazing with jewels, was accompanied by the Earl of Leicester, -'glittering like a golden image with jewels and cloth of gold.' He -rode a jet-black horse, renowned as one of the most splendid chargers -in Europe. Both horse and rider seemed perfectly formed to grace an -occasion so glorious. {287} A great procession of the most -distinguished noblemen, the ablest statesmen, and the proudest knights -of England followed the Queen, together with the ladies of the Court, -famed for splendour and beauty and arrayed in garments only a little -less magnificent than those of the Queen herself. Passing upon the -bridge or dam which stretched between the gallery and Mortimer's Tower, -the royal procession paused to witness a gorgeous spectacular -performance on the lake. Then, entering the Base Court, they moved -through various pageants to the Inner Court, and came at length to the -Great Hall, where the Queen was handed to the Throne by the Earl of -Leicester. - -The Pleasance was an irregular-shaped enclosure, visible to the west -from Mervyn's Tower and connecting with a rectangular section on the -north known as the garden. The latter had a terrace along the castle -wall, ten feet high and twelve feet wide, covered with grass and -decorated with obelisks, spheres, and stone bears. At each end was an -arbour of trees and fragrant flowers. The garden was intersected by -walks or alleys, each of which had, in the middle, a square pilaster, -fifteen feet high, surmounted by an orb. In the centre of the garden -was a fountain of white marble, its pedestal carved with allegorical -subjects and surmounted by two Atlantes, back to back, holding a ball, -from which streams of water poured into the basin. At the side of the -terrace was a large aviary, well filled with birds. - -This was the scene of the dramatic climax toward which the novel -trends, where Queen Elizabeth finally confronts Amy Robsart and begins -to unravel the whole story of Leicester's duplicity. - -{288} - -Aside from their associations with the novel, the ruins of Kenilworth -seem to exert a strong fascination. It is as though Nature were -reasserting herself. A thousand years ago the domain was untouched by -the hand of man. Then came kings and conquerors, who replaced the -pristine beauty with artificial structures. Stately halls and palaces -sprang into existence. Their inner walls were hung with the costliest -of silks. Their floors were covered with the richest carpets from the -looms of the Orient. Chairs, stools, tables, and bedsteads of -elaborate workmanship, gorgeously covered with lace and embroidered -with cloth of gold; paintings; musical instruments; curiously wrought -plate, of silver and mother-of-pearl; everything, indeed, that the -handicraft of the times could fashion and the wealth of its owners -could buy, was brought to the castle in mute testimonial of man's -conception of beauty. But these things passed. Kings and queens no -longer made the castle their home, nor honoured it with even a brief -visit. The people seized the government and, jealous lest royalty -should again find shelter there, demolished the costly buildings. For -the sake of a few pounds of lead, the roofs were torn away and sold. -The artificial dam which backed up the waters of the great lake was cut -and the waters flowed once more in their natural channels. Nature -again assumed control. The formal gardens became a green pasture. The -spacious courts which had been worn hard by the iron hoofs of countless -steeds became soft again with a covering of deep and velvety grass. -The proud war-horses vanished and in their place the gentle sheep -appeared. The frightful scars on the face of the ruined buildings were -concealed {289} beneath a rich cloak of deep-green ivy. Wall-flowers -sprang out of the broken crevices below the arches. - -All is peaceful, all is still. Nature has brought to the castle her -own conception of beauty, and once more reigns supreme. - - - - -{290} - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE PIRATE - -The Shetland and Orkney Islands, seen from an aeroplane at great height -on a calm day, would resemble, I fancy, two handfuls of gravel thrown -upon a horizontal sheet of window-glass. When I was a boy they meant -little to me except a few black specks at the top of the map of Great -Britain. Upon examining a larger map, an active lad might fancy that -it would be great fun to skip from one island to another, or to play -tag, leaping over the numerous indentations in the coast. The Shetland -group is broken into about one hundred islands, stretching north and -south for seventy miles, but the total land surface is only five -hundred and fifty-one square miles, or less than half the area of the -State of Rhode Island. The Orkney group, lying fifty miles farther -south, is even smaller, its fifty-six islands containing only three -hundred and seventy-five square miles. - -Upon closer acquaintance, however, the islands do not seem so -diminutive. Great rugged cliffs tower perpendicularly to enormous -heights above the sea-level. Huge broken fragments of rock form -gigantic towers, or stacks, rising out of the sea to a height of -hundreds of feet. One of the most picturesque of these, the Old Man of -Hoy, would tower above the dome of St. Peter's in Rome. Our small boy, -standing on the edge of one of these cliffs, looking down upon the -ocean, boiling and seething through strange caverns and natural arches, -{291} five hundred feet below, would quickly forget his desire to leap -to the nearest island. The wildness of the scene is accentuated by the -screaming of thousands of cormorants, guillemots, and gulls, mingling -with the roar of the sea and the mournful soughing of the wind. - -We sailed into the Sound of Bressay, the harbour of Lerwick, at twelve -o'clock on a Saturday night in June. It was still light enough to see -plainly, for in these regions the summer sun has to rise so early in -the morning that he does not think it worth while to go to bed. -Expecting to land at the wharf of some quiet little seaport town, we -were astonished at the sight which the twilight revealed. A forest of -masts crowded the sound, which is here a mile wide. It was at the -height of the herring-fishing, and nearly a thousand vessels had -arrived to land their fish and enable their crews to spend Sunday on -shore, for these fishermen observe the Sabbath, piously or otherwise, -as a day of rest. All the remainder of that night and all day Sunday -the stone pavements of Lerwick resounded to the clatter of wooden shoes -worn by the Dutch fishermen. These Dutchmen are largely responsible -for the importance of Lerwick, having discovered many years ago that it -would be a convenient centre for the curing and shipping of herring. -Other nations are also represented, particularly Norway, Sweden, -Germany, and France, while the native Shetlanders still retain a -portion of the trade, though relatively a small one. Besides filling -the harbour, the vessels were crowded along the quays, five or six -deep, so that the crews of late arrivals could reach the shore only by -crossing the decks of several other ships. As soon as possible after a -boat arrives, its cargo is auctioned off at {292} the Fishmarket, after -which it proceeds to one of the curing stations. Nearly all the -vessels were 'steam-drifters,' which have superseded the old -sailing-boats. These drifters usually carry a crew of ten men. Their -engines are capable of ten knots an hour, sometimes more. As it often -happens that profitable shoals of fish cannot be found without -travelling at least a hundred miles, the advantage over the old -sailing-ships is apparent. - -Crowds of people flock to Lerwick in the season to look for employment -in the curing establishments. On the little steamer which conveyed us -thither, we noticed, in various out-of-the-way corners of the deck, -what seemed to be piles of black and brown rags. They were there when -we came on board at Aberdeen, and remained nearly all the next day. -They turned out to be women, huddling together to keep warm, and -covered only by their thick dresses and a few old shawls. They -belonged to a class known by the not very pleasing, but thoroughly -descriptive, name of gutters, and were making their annual trip to -Lerwick to spend the season in the great curing establishments. These -sturdy women become very expert. Each fish is eviscerated with two -quick motions of the knife, assisted by the thumb and fingers, the -process continuing for long hours, at the rate of about two dozen of -herring a minute. - -[Illustration: LERWICK, SHETLAND] - -Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands, is a town of picturesque -appearance. When it was built there were no carts in the islands, and -no occasion for any, for there were no roads. A long zigzag street -runs the length of the town, near the shore, and is the main business -thoroughfare. A century ago it would have been impossible to drive an -ordinary wagon through its narrow and awkward {293} turnings. Now the -buildings are sufficiently altered to admit the passage of teams, but -in many places, when a vehicle passes, the pedestrians must step into -the nearest doorways. The town is built on a hillside, so that the -cross-streets are steep lanes, alternating with short flights of -stairs. They have rough pavements, and usually a rail is placed along -the buildings for the safety of the pedestrians in icy weather. The -main thoroughfare, varying in width from ten to twenty-five feet, is -paved with flagging and its stone buildings, though small and of many -different shapes, have a substantial look. Strolling through the -streets of Lerwick, one might estimate the population at about five -thousand; looking out over the harbour on Sunday morning he would be -inclined to change the figure to twenty times that number; but again -looking seaward on Monday afternoon, when the fishing fleet has -disappeared, he would doubtless revert to his original estimate. - -The men of the islands are nearly all fishermen. They work hard in the -season, which lasts from June to September, and spend their money, -during the long dark days of winter, in various amusements. Some -maintain small farms of five or ten acres each, known as crofts, where -they raise a few cattle and sheep. Only about one sixth of the land is -under cultivation, and of this about three fourths is pasture land. -The soil and climate of the Shetlands is decidedly unfavourable to -agriculture. The women look after the cattle, till the soil in their -small kail-yards, or gardens, bring in the winter supply of peat, and -attend to all the duties of housekeeping. In the intervals of their -busy lives, they knit shawls and other garments, out of wool which they -card and spin {294} themselves. Indeed, they knit nearly all the time. -It is not uncommon to see them walking along the roads or across the -moors, with heavy baskets of peat on their backs, the knitting-needles -clicking busily, as if every woman had been born with these implements -in her hands. - -On the morning after our arrival we set out to discover the scenes of -'The Pirate.' Not knowing what changes had occurred since Scott's -visit to the islands in 1814, I was not sure whether I should be -obliged to catch a Shetland pony upon which to travel or make up my -mind to walk the twenty-seven miles between Lerwick and Sumburgh Head, -over a roadless country of rocks and mountains, morasses, and -quagmires. It was a delight, therefore, to learn not only that there -was a good road all the way, but that Lerwick now boasted the -possession of an automobile, the only one on the islands. I lost no -time in hiring the car, with a chauffeur who said he 'knew the road,' -though he afterwards confessed he had never been over it. When he -reached the mountainous regions, where the road dodges in and out -around a bewildering succession of short curves, along the edges of -cliffs from which we could look down upon rugged rocks or into the -lakes and voes a hundred feet below, speeding the machine as though he -were on level ground and familiar with every foot of it, he gave us a -thrill or two at every turn. - -[Illustration: A CROFTER'S COTTAGE, ORKNEY] - -We started out in the general direction taken by Mordaunt Mertoun, when -he left the comfortable home of Magnus Troil and his two pretty -daughters, Minna and Brenda, to return to the forlorn habitation of his -father at Jarlshof. There was just enough strong wind, with occasional -dashes of rain, to suggest the storm which {295} Mordaunt faced. But -he had to find his way around the edges of the numerous inland lakes -and voes by a kind of instinct, having no path to follow. We -travelled, on the contrary, over a good hard road, one of the -improvements of the last half-century. Most of the people whom we -passed had never seen an automobile. They not only hastily gave us the -road, but usually climbed high up on the adjacent banks, sometimes -dragging their pony-carts after them. One old man, when he saw us -coming, hastily took his horse out of the shafts, and rushed up the -side of the hill with the animal, to a safe distance of a hundred yards -before he dared look back. The horse gazed upon us in mild-eyed -curiosity, but the man's expression of terror suggested that he might -have seen old Norna of the Fitful Head herself and her leering, -sneering, grinning, and goggling dwarf, Nick Strumpfer, flying along in -a vehicle of the Devil's own invention. Though not particularly -grateful for the implied compliment, we were obliged to accept some -such explanation of the fact, which became more and more apparent, that -the men and women feared us far more than did their horses. - -At one point we stopped to watch some women gathering peat. Only the -wealthy can afford to import coal and there is no wood on the islands, -because the fierce winds and rocky soil prevent the growth of trees. -The universal fuel for the poor is therefore peat, which seems to have -been providentially provided. For a fee of half-a-crown a year, or in -some cases a little more, paid to some large landowner, each family may -take a winter's supply. Every crofter's cottage has its peat-stack -near the door. Peat is simply decayed moss, the most common variety of -which is called _Sphagnum_. It is a small plant with {296} thin, scaly -leaves. In the light it has a hue of vivid green, changing in the -lower and darker places to a sickly yellow, and finally in the lowest -and dampest places, where it is thoroughly decayed, to a deep black. -This decayed portion is the peat, which, when well dried, burns with a -smouldering fire, of greater heat than an equal weight of wood, but -with far greater volume of smoke. The peat-banks resemble miniature -terraces, each about a foot high. The cutting is done with a curious -spade, with long narrow blade, called a _twiscar_ or _tuskar_. The top -layer, consisting of coarse dry grasses and the roots of heather and -other plants, is of no value. The second layer is a thick, moist, -spongy substance of a dark brown or black colour, while the third is -still more compressed, and, but for the moisture, looks somewhat like -coal. Each spadeful resembles a big, blackened brick, of unusual -length. They are laid in rows to dry and finally carried away to the -crofter's cottages, generally in baskets. The women swing their heavy -loads upon their backs and trudge long distances. Occasionally the -peat is loaded upon small sledges drawn by ponies. We saw an old -woman, with a very pretty granddaughter, loading their fuel upon one of -these sledges, which was drawn by a little 'Sheltie' with furry coat of -pure white. The old woman kindly allowed me to take her picture, a -favour which two other women declined to grant, because they did n't -have on their best clothes! - -Burgh-Westra, the home of Magnus Troil and his daughters, is purely -fictitious. It was supposed to be twenty miles from Sumburgh Head, -which would make it seven miles south of Lerwick. We passed numerous -voes, as the long arms of the sea are called, any of which {297} would -have answered the description of the one upon which the Udaller's -residence was situated, and we could have found many sheltered places -among the rocks, corresponding to that in which Mordaunt Mertoun -secretly met Brenda, or to the beach of white sand beneath a precipice, -where Minna offered to pledge her hand to the pirate, Cleveland, by the -mysterious 'promise of Odin.' - -Ten miles below Burgh-Westra was Stourburgh, where Triptolemus -Yellowley and Mistress Baby took up their residence. This, too, is -fictitious. Sumburgh Head, on the contrary, is very real. It is a -rocky promontory, three hundred feet high, at the southern extremity of -the Mainland, as the largest of the Shetland Islands is called. -Conflicting tides, sweeping around the rugged headland from two oceans, -make a dangerous current, called the Roost of Sumburgh, from the -Icelandic word, _röst_, signifying a strong tide. It has been a menace -to navigation for centuries and the scene of countless shipwrecks. The -novelist, quite naturally, therefore, made it the scene of the wreck -and rescue of Cleveland. Such a place would appeal strongly to Scott, -whose visit to the islands was made on a lighthouse yacht, the business -of which was to inspect just such points of danger. He climbed the -grassy slope to the top of the head, where he could look down from the -loftiest crag upon a wild mass of rocks below, and said it would have -been a fine situation in which to compose an ode to the Genius of -Sumburgh Head or an elegy upon a cormorant or to have written and -spoken madness of any kind. Instead of doing this he gave vent to his -enthusiasm by sitting down on the grass and sliding a few hundred feet -down to the beach! {298} Whether the performance was voluntary or -involuntary, he did not see fit to inform us. - -A short distance north of Sumburgh Head, and in full view of it, we -found the ruins of Jarlshof, the abode of Basil Mertoun and his son. -It was a poorly built house of rough, unhewn stone, and even at its -best must have been desolate enough. Its age and history are not -definitely known. Robert Stewart, a son of James V, who received the -earldom of the Orkney and Shetland Islands from Mary Queen of Scots in -1565, may have been the builder. He is known to have dwelt in the -house, as did his son, Patrick, who abandoned Jarlshof after building -the Castle of Scalloway. - -When Scott visited Sumburgh he saw nothing in Jarlshof more interesting -than a ruined dwelling-house, partly buried by the sand, and once the -residence of one of the Orkney earls. But directly beneath his feet, -though he knew it not, was an object that would have delighted his -antiquarian instincts more than anything else in the islands. He gave -great attention to the old Pictish castles or brocks, especially to a -small one on the shores of a lake near Lerwick, called by him -Cleik-him-in (Clickimin), and later to the larger tower on the island -of Mousa. Here at Jarlshof, though the fact was unknown to the -inhabitants at the time of Scott's visit, there was once a series of -brocks, as old as Mousa or Clickimin, and far more extensive. - -[Illustration: SUMBURGH HEAD, SHETLAND] - -This interesting discovery was made in 1897. Mr. John Bruce, the -principal landowner in the parish of Kinrossness, upon whose property -the ruin of Jarlshof stands, noticing the encroachments of the sea -after a storm, began to suspect the existence of masonry beneath {299} -the old castle. Two friends who were visiting him saw what seemed to -be jutting ends of walls. They threw off their coats and began to -excavate, continuing with enthusiasm until they discovered, to their -great surprise, evidences of a far more extensive building than they -had suspected. Mr. Bruce then engaged labourers and continued the work -of excavation for five years. - -The Castle of Jarlshof was erected on top of an older structure, the -existence of which was evidently entirely unknown to the builder. The -excavations reveal a circular tower sixty-three feet in diameter, -similar in design to the other Shetland brochs, but larger at the base. -Its main wall is pierced with a passage three feet wide, evidently -leading to a staircase, and it has, within its thickness several -chambers. Half of the broch has been swept away by the sea. On the -west are portions of three smaller buildings, resembling beehives in -form, the largest of which is oval in shape with a length of -thirty-four feet and a width of nineteen. Outside of this structure -was a great wall, varying from ten to twenty feet thick. It has been -uncovered for a distance of seventy feet. Its shape suggests that it -may have been part of a great circular wall surrounding the whole group -of buildings, of which the central tower was the strongest and most -important. Away back in the eighth or ninth century, some Pictish -ruler may have constructed this immense fortress at the southern end of -the islands, to repel attacks by sea, and to afford a refuge to the -inhabitants in case of danger. Had Walter Scott known of its -existence, he would have fairly revelled in the discovery, and perhaps -the plot of 'The Pirate' might have been different. - -{300} - -Standing on the sands at Jarlshof, we could see, toward the northwest, -the towering promontory of the Fitful Head, rising nine hundred and -twenty-eight feet above the sea. This seemed a little puzzling at -first, for Scott places the residence of Norna of the Fitful Head at -the extreme northwestern edge of the Mainland. The Pictish burgh, or -broch, which Norna is supposed to have inhabited, is on the island of -Mousa,[1] off the eastern coast about ten miles north of Sumburgh Head. -The Wizard, for a very good reason, set the old tower on the top of a -great headland, ten miles to the south-west, and then moved the -combination fifty miles to the north. - -[Illustration: CROSS-SECTION OF THE BROCH OF MOUSA] - -The dwelling of Norna, therefore, which to the casual reader seems so -weird, was a very real thing. It represents {301} one of the earliest -forms of architecture, a rude attempt to construct a dwelling of loose -stones, without cement or timber, and with very slight knowledge of the -art of building. The Norsemen did not come to the Shetland Islands -until late in the eighth century and they found many of these brochs -already in existence. The most perfect of them all is the one on the -island of Mousa. It measures fifty-three feet in diameter at the base -and thirty-eight feet at the top. It is forty-two feet high. The -interior of what appears, externally, to be a rather large building, is -less than twenty feet in diameter owing to the peculiar construction of -the walls, which are really double. They are seventeen feet wide at -the base. Inside the walls is a kind of rude stair, or inclined plane, -winding around the building, and a series of very narrow galleries or -chambers. These receive air through openings in the inner wall, but, -excepting the door, there is no aperture in the outer wall. - -This is the real building which Scott made the residence of Norna -because of his profound interest in it as a structure of unknown -antiquity. But standing in full view, firmly planted on a solid and -easily accessible rock, its situation was too commonplace for the -requirements of the story. He knew well how to create quite a -different impression, by supposing the same kind of house situated in a -wild and remote locality, on a ragged piece of rock split off from the -main plateau and leaning outward over the sea as though the slightest -weight would tumble the whole structure, rock and all, into the ocean. -Then, to supply the needed air of mystery, he fancied it occupied by a -crazy old witch, claiming sovereignty over the winds and the seas; her -servant an ugly, big-mouthed, {302} tongueless dwarf, with malignant -features and a horrible, discordant laugh; her favourite pet an uncouth -and uncanny trained seal; her companions the unseen demons of the air; -and her occupations the utterance of sibylline prophecies and the -incantation of weird spells. Clearly, all this would have been -impossible on the island of Mousa, so the author simply adjusted the -geography of the country to the requirements of his romance. - -[Illustration: SCALLOWAY, SHETLAND] - -Although Lerwick is now the only town of importance in the Shetlands, -the village of Scalloway, directly across the Mainland on the eastern -coast, once held that distinction. It is picturesquely situated on an -arm of the sea. Approaching from the east, we paused at the top of the -hill to look down upon it. Just below was one of those long narrow -voes, so common in these islands. The whale-hunt described in 'The -Pirate' came instantly to mind. It was easy to understand how one of -these monsters might come in at high tide and find himself stranded at -the ebb. At the mouth of this voe and circling around a small bay of -its own lies the quaint little village. At the extremity of a point of -land between the voe and the bay, rising higher than any of the -surrounding buildings, stands the ruined Castle of Scalloway. It was -built in 1600 by Patrick Stewart, the Earl of Orkney to whom I have -previously referred. He was the 'Pate Stewart' whose name is still a -synonym on the islands for all that is cruel and oppressive. He -compelled the people to do his bidding. They were obliged to work in -the quarries, drag the stone to the town, build the house as best they -could without proper appliances, and perform any kind of menial service -he might exact. For this they received a penny a day if the Earl felt -{303} good-natured. Otherwise they received nothing. If they -displeased him they were thrown into dungeons and not infrequently -hanged. A huge iron ring near the top of the castle, which was used -for this purpose, still bears witness to Pate Stewart's cruelty. He is -said to have boasted that the ring seldom lacked a tassel. As -mentioned in 'The Pirate,' the inhabitants only remembered one thing to -his credit, and that was a law which accorded well with Patrick's own -ideas of the rights of people to possess their own property. This was -the law, so dear to boyish hearts, of 'finders keepers.' Property -washed up from wrecks at sea belonged to those who found it. There was -a prevalent superstition that to save a drowning person was unlucky, -and no doubt this was one of the results of Pate Stewart's ruling. If -a man was not rescued he could claim no rights of property. It was -this superstition, so prevalent on the islands, that Scott wove into -his plot, making the rescue of Cleveland and the saving of his chest an -extremely unlucky occurrence for Mordaunt Mertoun. - -We left Lerwick at midnight and stood on deck for an hour enjoying the -scenery by twilight. The little steamer was loaded to the gunwales -with barrels of fish, piled upon the decks in every nook and corner, so -that there was scarcely room to stand, making us feel like two very -insignificant bits of merchandise in the midst of such a valuable cargo -of good salt herring. In the morning we reached the port of Kirkwall, -the capital and chief city of the Orkneys. - -Instead of a long busy quay, lined with hundreds of steam-drifters as -at Lerwick, we saw an almost empty harbour and a dock, which, but for -the arrival of our {304} own vessel, would have been deserted. The -permanent population of the two towns is about the same, Kirkwall -having the advantage of the better agricultural facilities of the -Orkneys. Its streets are narrow like those in Lerwick. Bridge Street, -up which the pirates marched so insolently to meet the city -magistrates, and down which they swaggered again, dragging the -terrified Triptolemus Yellowley, is one of the narrowest of -thoroughfares. It is commonly said that here, 'two wheelbarrows -tremble as they meet.' At the end, or 'top' of this street we turned -to the right and found ourselves in Albert Street, one striking feature -of which is a solitary tree. It was said, enviously, in Lerwick, that -the people of Kirkwall were so proud of this wonderful vegetation that -they took it in every night and set it out again in the morning. - -Kirkwall is far more interesting than Lerwick because of its historical -associations, most of which centre about the Cathedral of St. Magnus. -The ancient building looks almost modern as you approach the wide plaza -opening out from Broad Street. Although older than Melrose, Dryburgh, -Holyrood, and Dunfermline abbeys, all of which are now in ruins, and in -spite of the fact that it is built of the soft red and yellow -sandstone, it still stands, complete and proudly erect. When Melrose -was rebuilt, through the munificence of Robert Bruce in the fourteenth -century, the central portions of St. Magnus had been standing for two -centuries. In the sixteenth century, when an English king was -battering down the fine old Gothic churches of Scotland, the people of -Kirkwall not only protected their cathedral, but witnessed the addition -of some of its finest features, notably the west doorway. In earlier -times it had a spire, which, judging {305} from the massive columns -upon which it rested, must have been an imposing one. The steeple was -burned in 1671, and never replaced, except by a stumpy little tower -which completely spoils the effect of an otherwise impressive building. - -The story of the founding of St. Magnus is one of the most interesting -of the sagas of the Orkneys. Hakon and Magnus, both grandsons of the -great Earl Thorfinn, were joint rulers of the islands. Hakon was -ambitious and treacherous; Magnus was virtuous, kind-hearted, and -well-beloved. By a wicked conspiracy of Hakon and his associates, the -saintly Magnus was murdered in the island of Egilsay in 1115, bravely -meeting his death as a noble martyr. Hakon died soon after, and his -son Paul inherited the earldom. Another claimant appeared in the -person of Rognvald, a nephew of Earl Magnus, now called 'Saint' Magnus, -a bold and skilful warrior and a born leader of men. Before proceeding -against Paul, Rognvald accepted the advice of his father, who told him -not to trust to his own strength, but to make a vow, that if, by the -grace of St. Magnus, he should succeed in gaining his inheritance, he -would build and dedicate to him a minster in Kirkwall, more magnificent -in size and splendour than any other in the North. With the powerful -but mysterious assistance of Sweyn Asleifson, 'the last of the -Vikings,' who seized Earl Paul and carried him away bodily, Earl -Rognvald became the sole ruler of the earldom. He set to work at once -to fulfil his vow, and began work upon the cathedral in the year 1137. - -The massiveness of the building is best realized by looking into the -nave from the west doorway. The roof {306} is supported by immense -round pillars of red sandstone, seven on each side. On the north and -south of these pillars are long aisles, the walls of which are covered -with ancient tombstones, taken up from the floor and set on end. In -the north aisle is a mort-brod, or death-board, inscribed with the name -of a departed Orcadian, whose picture is shown, sitting on the ground -in his grave-clothes, a spade over his shoulder, an hour-glass in his -lap, and a joyful grin on his face. On the reverse is the following:-- - - Below - Doeth lye - If ye wold trye - Come read upon - This brod - The Corps of on Robert - Nicholsone whos souls above - With God. - He being 70 years of age ended - This mortal life and 50 of that he - Was married to Jeane Davidson - His wife. Betwixt them 2 - 12 children had, whereof - 5 left behind the - other 7 with him 's - In Heaven, who's - Joy's shall - never - end - -In the south aisle are some curious tombstones, most of them having -carved representations of the skull and crossbones. The death's heads -are all much enlarged on the left side, the Orcadian idea being that -the soul escapes at death through the left ear. - -{307} - -The pirate, Cleveland, it will be remembered, was kept a prisoner in -these aisles, and was walking about disconsolately when Minna Troil -entered. Concealed from the guards at the door by the huge pillars, -they planned an escape. Suddenly Norna of the Fitful Head mysteriously -appeared, and warning Minna that her plan would lead to certain -discovery, sent the young woman away. Norna then led Cleveland through -a secret passage out of the church to a place of safety. In the south -aisle there is a low arch which formerly led, so it is said, through a -secret underground passage to the Bishop's Palace across the street. -This fact doubtless suggested to the novelist the means by which Norna -might spirit away the captive pirate. - -Across the street which runs by the south side of the cathedral are the -ruins of two large mansions. The Bishop's Palace, which is not -mentioned in 'The Pirate,' is chiefly interesting from the fact that -Hakon Hakonson, the last of the great sea-kings of Norway, after his -splendid fleet had been driven on the rocks by the fury of a great -storm and there almost annihilated by the fierce onset of the Scottish -warriors, sought refuge within its walls, only to die a few days later. -This was in 1263. How much older the palace is, nobody knows. - -The Earl's Palace, with its grounds, occupies the opposite corner, a -narrow street intervening between the two ruins. The enclosure is -filled with sycamores and other trees, thus refuting the slander of the -envious Shetlanders. In fact, when we came to look for them, we found -more than one enclosure in Kirkwall which could boast of fairly -good-sized trees. The castle is, or was, a very substantial building, -with fine broad {308} stairways and many turrets. Seen from the south, -across the bowling-green, it might be taken for the ruin of some large -church. It was built by the notorious Patrick Stewart, the same earl -who abandoned Jarlshof, and compelled the people to build him a larger -castle at Scalloway. By the same methods, he constructed the palace at -Kirkwall, forcing the people to quarry the stone and do all his work -without pay. An example of his tyranny was related to me by a resident -of Kirkwall. According to this tale, the Earl coveted a piece of land -adjoining the palace, with which the owner refused to part. Patrick, -not accustomed to be thwarted in his plans, was quick to apply the -remedy. He secretly caused some casks of brandy to be buried in the -desired tract. In due time he began to complain that somebody was -stealing his liquor and finally charged his neighbour with the offence. -The casks were then triumphantly 'discovered' as proof positive. -Inasmuch as the Earl was his own judge, jury, and court of appeals, the -poor innocent landowner was quickly condemned, hanged, and his property -confiscated. Many a man made over a part of his land to the Earl on -demand, having no alternative. - -We noticed many portholes under the windows, showing that the castle -was intended to serve as a fortress as well as a mansion. This was the -secret of the Earl's final downfall. The authorities of Edinburgh -could go to sleep when the Earl of the far-distant islands merely -oppressed his own people, but to fortify a castle against the King was -an act of treason. When Patrick Stewart and his son Robert prepared to -maintain their independence by fortifying not only the castle but the -cathedral, Scotland woke up. The Earl of Caithness {309} was sent -against the rebels. Robert, who was in command, withstood the siege -for one month, when he was overcome, carried to Edinburgh, and hanged. -Patrick took refuge in the Castle of Scalloway and for a time baffled -his pursuers by hiding in a secret chamber. He could not resist the -consolation of tobacco and took a few surreptitious pulls at his pipe, -while the searchers were in the house. The smoke, or the smell, -betrayed him. He was speedily taken to Edinburgh, where he paid the -penalty on the gallows of a long career of tyranny, cruelty, extortion, -confiscation, robbery, and murder. - -The most interesting room in the Earl's castle is the banqueting-hall, -which had a high roof or ceiling and was lighted on the south by three -tall but narrow arched windows. On one side is a huge fireplace with -two arches, the lower one flat. Supporting this curious combination -are two pillars, on which are carved the initials P.E.O., meaning -Patrick, Earl of Orkney, the letters being still legible. In this room -Cleveland is supposed to have met Jack Bunce upon his return to -Kirkwall. - -The two pirates, after leaving the castle, walked to Wideford Hill, two -miles from the town, where the Fair of St. Olla was being held. The -annual Lammas Market or Fair at this place is still one of the -institutions of Kirkwall, although no longer so important as in the -time of 'The Pirate.' - -If Scott took liberties with the geography of Shetland, he was -scrupulously exact in his treatment of the Orkneys. Every movement of -the brig of Magnus Troil, as well as those of the pirate ship, can be -traced on the map. The latter, it will be recalled, sailed around to -{310} Stromness, where she dropped anchor. Two inland lakes, known as -the Loch of Stennis and the Loch of Harray, now favourite resorts for -anglers, lie northeast of the town. They are separated by a narrow -causeway called the Bridge of Brogar. This is the place where the -pirates landed their boat on the night of the final tragedy of the -story. We found the locality one of the most interesting in the -islands. - -At the entrance of the bridge stands a huge, rough-hewn stone, eighteen -feet high, known as the 'watch-stone' or 'sentinel.' This is the -largest of the 'stones of Stennis,' a collection of ancient monoliths -comparable in Great Britain only to those of Stonehenge. At the -farther end of the bridge is the so-called 'Circle of the Sun,' a ring -about one hundred and twenty yards in diameter, surrounded by a trench -about six feet deep. The stones composing this circle are from eight -to sixteen feet high and of irregular shape. One of them is at least -five or six feet wide. There were about forty stones originally, but -now only fifteen remain standing. A smaller group, known as the -'Circle of the Moon,' but composed of larger stones, stands in a field -near the eastern end of the bridge. A horizontal stone, laid on top of -these vertical ones, makes a rude table or altar. This may have been a -place of druidical sacrifices, if the most prevalent belief is to be -accepted, or possibly the work of Scandinavian hands. It was by this -table of stone that Minna stood, to meet and bid farewell to her lover, -looking like a druidical priestess, or, if the Scandinavian theory be -accepted, 'she might have seemed a descended vision of Freya, the -spouse of the Thundering Deity, before whom some bold sea-king or -champion bent with an awe {311} which no mere mortal terror could have -inflicted upon him.' - -[Illustration: THE STANDING STONES OF STENNIS] - -The Stone of Odin formerly stood on the east side of this circle. -Minna had offered to pledge her faith to Cleveland by the 'promise of -Odin' and Norna of the Fitful Head had married her lover by the same -rite. This stone differed from the others only in the fact that it had -a round hole near the base. Lovers who found it inconvenient to be -married by a priest, or who wished to plight their troth by some -unusually solemn vow, resorted to this stone, and a promise here given -was regarded as sacred and never to be broken. The marriage ceremony -was peculiar. The couple first visited the Circle of the Moon, where -the woman, in the presence of the man, knelt and prayed to the god -Woden, or Odin, that he would enable her to perform all her obligations -and promises. They next went to the Circle of the Sun, where the man -in like manner made his prayers. Then they returned to the Stone of -Odin, where, the man standing on one side and the woman on the other, -they joined hands through the hole and took upon themselves the solemn -vows of matrimony. Such a marriage could never be broken. - -Scott visited the Stones of Stennis in 1814. Had he arrived a year -later he would not have seen the Stone of Odin, for some irreverent -Orcadian broke it up, probably to help build the foundation of his -cottage. - -Leaving, with some reluctance, these relics of a civilization more than -a thousand years old, we resumed our journey toward Stromness. The -town lies on the slope of a hill, resembling Lerwick in this respect -and in the closeness of the houses to the sea. Some of the buildings -{312} stand so near the water that parts of the bay look like a -miniature Venice. Our motor-car frequently occupied the entire width -of the street, sidewalks and all, as we twisted our tortuous course for -a mile along the main thoroughfare. From the high ground behind the -town, we had a fine view of the sea, and across the sound, the great -towering island of Hoy, the highest and most impressive of all the -Orkney group. On the western side a long line of precipitous cliffs, -rising a thousand feet above the sea, opposes an unbroken front to the -full force of the Atlantic. At the western end as we saw it from above -Stromness, the rocks form the profile of a man's face, not so stern as -that in the Franconia Notch of the White Mountains, but having rather a -more genial look. It is said to resemble Sir Walter Scott, a likeness -which, I confess, I could see only when I shut my eyes and thought of -Chantrey's bust. - -The island of Hoy plays an important part in 'The Pirate.' It was the -original home of Norna when the old witch was a handsome young girl. -The Dwarfie Stone, where she met the demon Trolld, and bartered her -life's happiness for the power to control the tempests and the waves of -the sea, is on the southwest slope of Ward Hill, the highest peak of -which rises to a height of over fifteen hundred feet. It is in a -desolate peat-bog, two miles from the nearest human habitation. The -stone is about thirty feet long and half as wide. Hollowed out of the -interior is a chamber, with two beds, one of them a little over five -feet long. It is difficult to conceive why any human being should have -taken the trouble to cut out the rock for a hermitage or place of -refuge, or why any one should seek so desolate an abode. {313} -Tradition therefore affirmed that the rock was fashioned by spirit -hands and was the dwelling of the elfin dwarf, Trolld. It was to this -island that Norna conducted Mordaunt after he had received a wound at -the hands of Cleveland. - -It was at Stromness that Scott, in 1814, made the acquaintance of -Bessie Millie, an aged dame who made her living by selling favourable -winds to mariners at the reasonable price of sixpence each. The touch -of insanity, and the strong influence she possessed over the natives of -the island, who feared her power, were strongly suggestive of Norna. -This old sibyl related to Scott the story of John Gow, whose boyhood -was spent in Stromness. This daring individual had gone to sea at an -early age and returned to the home of his youth, a pirate, commanding a -former English galley of two hundred tons which he had captured and -renamed the 'Revenge.' He boldly came ashore and mingled with the -people, giving dancing-parties in the village of Stromness. Before his -real character was known he became engaged to a young woman, and the -two plighted their troth at the Stone of Odin. The houses of his -former neighbours were plundered and many acts of insolence and -violence committed. At length, through the exertions of a former -schoolmate, Gow was captured with his entire crew and speedily executed -at London. The young woman journeyed to London, too, for the purpose -of touching her former lover's dead body. In that way only, according -to the superstition of her country, could she obtain a release from her -vow and avoid a visit from the pirate's ghost, in case she should ever -marry. Gow's brief career furnished an excellent model for Cleveland, -{314} though the author endowed his 'pirate' with some very commendable -qualities which the prototype probably did not possess. - -Bessie Millie, the old hag of Stromness, needed, in addition to her own -eccentricities, only a few touches of the gipsy nature, to make her a -good 'original' for Norna. A local preacher in the parish of Tingwall, -whom Scott met on his visit to Shetland, is said to have suggested -Triptolemus Yellowley. Three or four families, in whose homes the -novelist was a welcome visitor, have laid claim to the honour of -supplying the 'originals' of Minna and Brenda Troil. These two -delightful characters, however, were no doubt intended merely to embody -the ideal of perfect sisterly affection, and external resemblances to -real people, though such might easily be fancied, were probably far -from the author's purpose. - -[Illustration: STROMNESS, ORKNEY] - -For the rest, the great charm of 'The Pirate' lies in the expression of -the novelist's enthusiasm for the fresh and fascinating scenery of a -wild country, where strange weird tales are wafted on every breeze, -where the quaint customs of past ages are still retained, where Nature -reveals herself in a constant succession of new and ever captivating -forms, where the rush of the wind and the roar of the sea impart fresh -joys to the senses and fill one's soul with renewed veneration for the -Power that rules the elements. - -As we sailed away for Aberdeen, it was with very much the same feeling -which Scott expressed at the close of his diary of the vacation of -1814.[2] He said he had taken {315} as much pleasure in the excursion -as in any six weeks of his life. 'The Pirate' was not written until -seven years later, but it carries as much freshness and enthusiasm as -though it had been composed on the return voyage. - - - -[1] CROSS-SECTION OF THE BROCH OF MOUSA. - _a, a._ Rooms in Circular Wall, connected by a rude spiral stair. - _b, b._ Windows opening into inner court. - -[2] The diary, containing a full account of the visit of 1814, in a -lighthouse yacht, to the Shetland and Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, and -the northern coasts of Scotland and Ireland, is printed in full in -Lockhart's _Life of Scott_. - - - - -{316} - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL - -Hitherto our exploration of the Scott country had revealed a -never-ending succession of ruined castles, palaces, and abbeys; of -picturesque rivers, lakes, cataracts, and quiet pools; of seashores -where thunderous waves dashed against precipitous cliffs; of quaint -villages and queer-looking dwelling-houses; of weird caverns and -strange monuments suggesting the superstitions and fantasies of bygone -ages; of pleasant meadows, wild moors, rounded hilltops, and rugged -mountains; of a thousand tangible objects of interest which had in some -way suggested to Sir Walter the theme for a poem or story. But when we -reached Scott's London, the camera, which had faithfully recorded all -the other scenes, refused to perform its function. The tangibleness of -the subjects had ceased. My lenses have excellent physical eyes but no -historical insight. They insist upon seeing things as they are and -will not record them as they once existed. The London of Nigel -Olifaunt has completely disappeared and in its place a new London has -arisen. To photograph the city of to-day as the scenes of Nigel's -adventures, would be like painting the 'Purchase of Manhattan Island -from the Indians' with a background of fifty-story 'sky-scrapers.' From -such a task my faithful camera shrank, and I was obliged to lay it -aside, to turn over, for several days, the pages of {317} some huge -piles of books on Old London in the British Museum. - -Lockhart, who places 'The Fortunes of Nigel' in the first class of -Scott's romances, says that his historical portrait of King James I -'stands forth preëminent and almost alone.' This, indeed, is the whole -object of the book,--to picture the London of King James and the -personal peculiarities of that monarch. Scott was thoroughly -saturated--so to speak--with the history and literature of that period, -and especially with the dramas of Ben Jonson and his contemporaries; -and this enabled him to picture the manners of the time almost as if -they were within his personal recollection. - -It is an amusing portrait of a pompous, strutting, and absurd monarch -who yet possessed enough learning, as well as ready wit, to gain the -title of 'the wisest fool in Christendom.' Through his famous tutor at -Stirling Castle, George Buchanan, who freely boxed the royal ears and -administered spankings the same as to other boys, the King had early -acquired a certain taste for learning. He evinced a fondness for the -classics and yearned to become a poet. He wrote in verse a paraphrase -of the Revelation of St. John and a version of the Psalms, besides -prose disquisitions on every conceivable subject. His conversation, as -described by Scott, was a curious compound of Latin, Greek, English, -and the broad Scotch dialect. His tastes, as well as character, were -suggested by the appearance of a table in the palace, which, says the -novelist, 'was loaded with huge folios, amongst which lay light books -of jest and ribaldry; and, amongst notes of unmercifully long orations, -and essays on kingcraft, were mingled miserable roundels {318} and -ballads by the Royal 'Prentice, as he styled himself, in the art of -poetry, and schemes for the general pacification of Europe, with a list -of the names of the King's hounds, and remedies against canine madness.' - -A man of medium height and somewhat corpulent, James managed to make -his figure seem absurdly fat and clumsy, by having his green velvet -dress quilted, so as to be dagger-proof, for he was both timid and -cowardly. The ungainly protuberance thus artificially acquired was -accentuated by a pair of weak legs, which caused him to roll about -rather than walk, and to lean on other men's shoulders when standing. -'He was fond of his dignity while he was perpetually degrading it by -undue familiarity; capable of much public labour, yet often neglecting -it for the meanest amusement; a wit, though a pedant; and a scholar, -though fond of the conversation of the ignorant and uneducated.' - -[Illustration: Sketch Map of London] - -Contrasting strongly with this weak and ludicrous character, Scott -introduced the sterling qualities of a noble Scotchman, George Heriot, -to whom Edinburgh is indebted for one of her most splendid benevolent -institutions, Heriot's Hospital, where for nearly three centuries the -poor fatherless boys of the city have been transformed into eminent and -useful citizens, honoured and respected in many parts of the world. -George Heriot, nicknamed by the King 'Jingling Geordie,' was the son of -an Edinburgh goldsmith, to whose business he succeeded. At thirty-six -years of age he had the good fortune to be appointed goldsmith to Queen -Anne, and shortly after, goldsmith and jeweller to her husband, then -James VI of Scotland. On his accession to the English throne as James -I, in 1603, Heriot followed the King {319} to London. In those times, -and until the eighteenth century, goldsmiths commonly acted as bankers. -Heriot made full use of his unusual opportunity and laid the foundation -of a large fortune. Disheartened by the loss of his young and -beautiful wife, who died at the age of twenty-one, Heriot made a will -leaving his entire property, amounting to £23,625, for the -establishment of the hospital. His picture is thus described in a -quotation copied by Scott in one of his notes: 'His fair hair, which -overshades the thoughtful brow and calm, calculating eye, with the cast -of humour on the lower part of the countenance, are all indicative of -the genuine Scottish character, and well distinguish a person fitted to -move steadily and wisely through the world, with a strength of -resolution to ensure success and a disposition to enjoy it.' - -The weakness of James is still further accentuated in the novel by the -introduction of his imperious favourite, George Villiers, the first -Duke of Buckingham, whom the King called 'Steenie,' from his fancied -resemblance to the portrait of the martyr, Stephen, as painted by the -Italian artists. 'James endured his domination rather from habit, -timidity, and a dread of encountering his stormy passions, than from -any heartfelt continuation of regard towards him.' The King's favour, -nevertheless, made Buckingham the richest nobleman in England (with -possibly a single exception) and the virtual ruler of the kingdom. The -constant companion of the Duke was Baby Charles, as James insisted upon -calling his son, afterward King Charles I, for whose ruin and death on -the scaffold James was himself, all unconsciously, rapidly paving the -way. David Ramsay, the whimsical {320} and absent-minded watchmaker, -who kept shop in Fleet Street, near Temple Bar, was a real character, -who held the post of 'watchmaker and horologer' to James I. His most -famous performance was a search for hidden treasure in the cloister of -Westminster Abbey, by the use of Mosaic rods, or divining rods, which, -according to the current account, failed solely because of the presence -of too many people. The irreverent laughter of these persons caused a -fierce wind to spring up so suddenly that 'the demons had to be -dismissed' for fear the church would fall in on them. - -These are the real characters of the story. To identify the scenes a -good map of Old London, will accomplish more than a personal visit. -Such a map need only follow the windings of the Thames, which for -centuries was the great silent highway of London,--a distinction which -it did not lose until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Over -the highway passed the royal barge of Elizabeth, as described in -'Kenilworth,' and it was by this same method of travelling that George -Heriot conducted his young friend, Nigel, to the presence of the King -at Whitehall. For the streets of the city were narrow and crowded, and -rioting, as the result of debauchery and licentiousness, was not -infrequent, so that few cared to ride on horseback, and carriages, -except for the high nobility, were entirely unknown. So the Thames was -the one great artery through which flowed both the business and social -life of the city. - -When King George and Queen Mary, at the recent coronation, passing -through the Admiralty Arch in Trafalgar Square, turned into Whitehall -on their way to Westminster Abbey, their route lay between great {321} -rows of government buildings, lined with thousands of cheering -subjects. Had conditions remained as they were in King James's time, -this part of the triumphal procession would have been entirely within -the limits of their own royal palace. - -Whitehall Palace, originally built in 1240, was for three centuries -called York House, or York Place, taking its name from the fact that it -was the London residence of the Archbishop of York. Under Cardinal -Wolsey it was rebuilt and refurnished in a style of magnificence -excelling anything ever before known in England and equal in splendour -to the best in the palaces of the kings. With the fall of Wolsey in -1529 the mansion became the property of King Henry VIII, who changed -the name to Whitehall, and proceeded to enlarge and improve both the -palace and the grounds. A plan published in 1680 shows that the -buildings, with their courtyards and areas, then covered twenty-three -acres. It included a cock-pit and a tennis-court, on the site of the -present Treasury buildings, and the Horse-Guards Parade was then a -tilt-yard. These arrangements sufficiently suggest some of the -favourite amusements of royalty. Henry VIII took great delight in -cock-fighting and James I amused himself with it regularly twice a -week. Queen Elizabeth found pleasure in tournaments and pageants, and -it is recorded that in the sixty-seventh year of her age she 'commanded -the bear, the bull, and the ape to be bayted in the Tilt-yard.'[1] - -King James I found the palace in bad repair and determined to rebuild -it on a vast and magnificent scale. {322} Inigo Jones, one of the most -famous architects of his time, was employed and made plans for a -building, which, if completed, would have covered an area of -twenty-four acres. Judging from drawings now in the British Museum, it -seems a pity that this admirable project was never fully executed. -Only the banqueting-hall was finished, and this still remains as the -sole survivor of the Palace of Whitehall. Its chief historical -interest lies in the fact that, from one of its windows, Charles I -stepped out upon the scaffold where he was beheaded. - -If we were to follow ancient custom and use the Thames for our highway, -as did two hundred peers and peeresses at the late coronation, we -should now row down the river and land at Charing Cross Pier, where we -should find the remnant of the sumptuous palace built by 'Steenie,' the -Duke of Buckingham. This is the York Water Gate, formerly the entrance -to the Duke's mansion from the Thames, but now high above the water, -overlooking the garden of the Victoria Embankment. - -Continuing down the river, we should stop at Temple Pier, and visit the -Temple Gardens, where Nigel walked in despair, after his encounter with -Lord Dalgarno in St. James's Park, and where, it will be remembered, he -fell in with the friendly Templar, Reginald Lowestoffe. The Temple -property was granted in 1609 by James I to the benchers of the Inner -and Middle Temple for the education of students and professors of the -law. Oliver Goldsmith lived in Middle Temple Lane, and in the same -house, Sir William Blackstone, the great English jurist, and William -Makepeace Thackeray, also had chambers. {323} Dr. Johnson lived in -Inner Temple Lane, as did Charles Lamb, who was born within the Temple. - -Coming out into Fleet Street, we should stand before the figure of a -griffin on a high pedestal, which marks the site of Temple Bar. In -Scott's time it was an arch crossing the street, and in the time of -King James, merely a barricade of posts and chains. When the -coronation procession passed this point, King George V, according to -ancient custom, paused to receive permission from the Lord Mayor to -enter the City of London. The civic sword was presented to the King -and immediately returned to the Lord Mayor, after which the procession -resumed its march. - -Within Temple Bar and on the north side of Fleet Street, between Fetter -Lane and Chancery Lane, is St. Dunstan's Church, built in 1832 on the -site of an older church building. A few yards to the eastward, -according to Scott, was the shop of David Ramsay, the watch-maker, -before which the two 'stout-bodied and strong-voiced' apprentices kept -up the shouts of 'What d'ye lack? what d' ye lack?'--very much after -the fashion of a modern 'barker.' This was the opening scene of the -novel, though not suggested in the slightest by the Fleet Street of -to-day. - -On the opposite side a narrow lane, called Bouverie Street, leads down -toward the river along the eastern boundary of The Temple, into -'Whitefriars,' or Alsatia, where Nigel was compelled to take refuge for -a time in the house of the old miser, Trapbois. The 'Friars of the -Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel,' otherwise known as the 'White Friars,' -established their London house in 1241, between Fleet Street and the -Thames, on land {324} granted by Edward I. This carried with it the -privileges of sanctuary or immunity from arrest, which were allowed to -the inhabitants long after the dissolution of the religious houses. -Indeed, before the suppression of the monastery, the persons of bad -repute, who had flocked to the district in great numbers, were wont to -make so much disturbance with their continual clamours and outcries, -that the friars complained that they could not conduct divine service. -The privilege was confirmed by James I, and in his time, as a -consequence, 'Alsatia,' as the district came to be called, was one of -the worst quarters in London. It was the common habitation of thieves, -gamblers, swindlers, murderers, bullies, and drunken, dissipated -reprobates of both sexes. Its atmosphere, thick with the fogs of the -river, fairly reeked with the smell of alehouses of the lowest order, -which outnumbered all the other houses. The shouts of rioters, the -profane songs and boisterous laughter of the revellers, mingled with -the wailing of children and the screaming of women. The men were -'shaggy, uncombed ruffians whose enormous mustaches were turned back -over their ears,' and they swaggered through the dirty streets, -quarrelling, brawling, fighting, swearing, and 'smoking like moving -volcanoes.' They waged a ceaseless warfare against their proud and -noisy, but not so disreputable, neighbours of The Temple. - -Coming back to our imaginary trip by river (for we really visited these -sites either on foot or by taxi-cab), we continue down the river, -passing under Blackfriars Bridge, and stop for a moment at Paul's -Wharf, near where Nigel found quarters in the house of John Christie, -the honest ship-chandler. Journeying {325} onward, we pass under -London Bridge, which in James's time was the only means of crossing the -river, other than by boat. It was then overloaded with a great weight -of huge buildings, many stories high, under which passed a narrow -roadway. At the southern entrance was a gate, the top of which was -decorated with the heads of traitors. All the buildings were finally -cleared away in 1757 and 1758. - -Passing under London Bridge we soon come to the Tower of London, which -the unfortunate Nigel entered through the Traitor's Gate. From the -time of William the Conqueror, by whom its foundations were begun, -until the reign of Charles II, the Tower of London was used as a palace -by the kings of England. It has been said that the 'strong monarchs -employed the Tower as a prison, the weak ones as a fortress.' It was -as a prison that the Tower achieved its unenviable fame in history as - - London's lasting shame; - With many a foul and midnight murder fed. - -In its dark precincts many of the noblest of England's men and women -found themselves prisoners, the majority of them perishing upon the -block. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, wives of Henry VIII; Lady -Jane Grey and her husband Guildford Dudley; the father[2] and the -grandfather[3] of Dudley; and Sir Walter Raleigh were among the most -famous of these victims. Nigel was confined in the Beauchamp Tower, -where many distinguished persons were imprisoned. The inscriptions to -which Scott refers may still be seen, including that {326} of Lady Jane -Grey, though it is probable that this was written by her husband or by -his brother, who is supposed to have carved the device of the bear and -ragged staff, 'the emblem of the proud Dudleys,' which is an elaborate -piece of sculpture on the right of the fireplace. - -To complete our survey of the scenery of 'The Fortunes of Nigel,' we -have to continue our journey down the Thames until we land in Greenwich -Hospital and the Royal Naval College, which occupy the site of the old -royal palace, formerly called Placentia or Pleasaunce. It was a -favourite royal palace as early as 1300, though it passed into the -hands of the nobility and came back to the Crown in 1433 on the death -of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. It was the birthplace of King Henry -VIII and of Mary and Elizabeth. The building was enlarged by Henry -VIII, James I, and Charles I. Charles II caused it to be pulled down, -intending to carry out some ambitious plan, but succeeded in erecting -only the building which is now the west wing of the hospital. Back of -the palace is an extensive park of one hundred and ninety acres. This -is where Nigel unexpectedly encountered the King, at the very climax of -a stag-hunt, frightening him nearly to death; and here he was -unceremoniously arrested and hurried off to the Tower. The park still -has herds of deer, though they are no longer hunted, and a row of fine -old chestnuts, originally planted by command of Charles II, who laid -out the enclosure. In the centre is a hill, surmounted by the famous -Royal Greenwich Observatory, from whose meridian longitude is reckoned -and whose clock determines the standard of time for all England. - -Just as 'The Heart of Midlothian' had produced {327} a vivid picture of -life in Edinburgh during the reign of George II, so 'The Fortunes of -Nigel' reproduced the life of London in the time of King James. For -this brilliant study, not only of the curious monarch, but of the -strange manners and customs as well as the lawlessness of the city, -which the King's folly did so much to create, the novel has been -generally accorded a very high rank among Scott's productions. - - - -[1] Quoted from Sydney's 'State Papers,' in _The Old Royal Palace of -Whitehall_, by Edgar Sheppard, D.D. - -[2] John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. - -[3] Edmund Dudley, the notorious agent of King Henry VII. - - - - -{328} - -CHAPTER XXIII - -PEVERIL OF THE PEAK - -'Old Peveril' was one of the pet nicknames with which Scott was dubbed -by some of his young legal friends in Parliament House, and he carried -the sobriquet for the remainder of his life, taking great delight in -it. He did not, however, take much pleasure from the composition of -the novel, finding it a tiresome task from which he could only find -relief by planning its successor. It marks the beginning of a malady -which ultimately proved fatal. Scott concealed the symptoms from his -family, but confided to a friend that he feared Peveril 'will smell of -the apoplexy.' It proved a heavy undertaking, covering a period of -twenty years of exciting history and three distinct, but widely -differing, localities, namely, Derbyshire, the Isle of Man, and London -in the time of Charles II. - -In the high Peak country of Derbyshire, about fifteen miles west of -Sheffield, lies the village of Castleton, nestling snugly at the foot -of a somewhat precipitous hill. Away back in the time of William the -Conqueror, a son of that monarch received a grant of large estates in -Derbyshire, and selected the very summit of this steep and almost -inaccessible rock as the site of his castle. His name was William -Peveril and the bit of a ruin which still remains, high in the air -above the village, is called Peveril Castle. We reached it after a -very hard climb, by a steep path running zigzag across the face of a -long {329} grassy slope. It was scarcely worth the effort, for the -'castle' is now only a small square tower, of no interest whatever, -except from the fact that it gave the name to one of the Waverley -Novels. - -The domain of this William Peveril seems to have extended far to the -south of Castleton, and included in it was the site of Haddon Hall, a -fine mediæval mansion, picturesquely situated on the river Wye, between -Bakewell and Rowsley, and still in wonderfully good repair. The -Peverils held the property for about a century, when they were deprived -of the lands by King Henry II. In 1195, Haddon came into the -possession of the Vernon family, who continued to reside there for -nearly four centuries. The last of the name was Sir George Vernon, who -became celebrated as the 'King of the Peak.' His large possessions -passed into the hands of his youngest daughter, Dorothy, whose -elopement and marriage with John Manners, youngest son of the Earl of -Rutland, threw about the old mansion that atmosphere of poetry and -romance which has ever since been associated with it. To me, the most -pleasing part of the old hall is the terrace and lawn, back of the -house. A flight of broad stairs, with stone balustrades, leads to -Dorothy Vernon's Walk, which is shaded by the thick foliage of oaks, -limes, sycamores, and other forest trees, for which the park was once -famous. Grassy mounds mark the boundaries of the lawn, and the castle -walls, with their wide windows and luxurious mantle of deep green ivy, -add a delightful charm to the picture. This is further enhanced by the -romantic associations of the place. Traditions say that John Manners, -who, for some reason, was forbidden the opportunity to {330} visit the -fair Dorothy openly, hovered about these terraces disguised as a -forester, seeking brief interviews in secret. On the night of a ball -in celebration of her sister's wedding, Dorothy slipped into the -garden, and passing through the terrace made her way across the Wye -over a quaint little bridge, built just large enough for a single -pack-horse, and now known as the 'Pack-Horse Bridge.' On the other -side, John waited with horses, and the two rode away to be married. -Whatever may have been the objection to the marriage, events soon -adjusted the affair and Dorothy Vernon became the sole owner of the -mansion. It has remained ever since in the possession of the Manners -family, the Earls and Dukes of Rutland. - -In his description of Martindale Castle, the seat of Sir Geoffrey -Peveril, Scott doubtless had in mind, to some extent at least, this -more pretentious mansion on the original property of the Peverils, -rather than the uninteresting tower at Castleton. He refers to Haddon -Hall in one of his notes as having suggested a certain arrangement of -rooms, and in his account of Lady Peveril's dinner to the Cavaliers and -Roundheads, in honour of the restoration of King Charles II, he makes -use of two large dining-rooms, which Haddon Hall could readily supply, -but which might be difficult to find in any ordinary mansion of the -period. - -[Illustration: THE PACK-HORSE BRIDGE, HADDON HALL] - -Lady Peveril, it will be remembered, in spite of the 'good fellowship' -and 'reconciliation' which the banquet was to celebrate, dared not -permit the rival factions to dine together, so she adopted the unique -expedient of placing the jovial Cavaliers in the hall, while the strict -Puritans occupied the large parlour. The great hall of {331} Haddon is -about thirty-five feet long and twenty-five feet wide. At one end is -an ancient table, many centuries old, and at the other is a minstrel's -gallery, with carved panellings and ornamented by stag's heads. A -great open fireplace gives a suggestion of good cheer, even to the bare -room. Back of this is another large dining-room on the oaken walls of -which are some fine old carvings. It also has a large open fireplace, -above which is the motto - - _Drede God and Honor the Kyng._ - -The room was formerly larger than now and may have been in the author's -mind as the scene of the Puritan part of the banquet. Haddon Hall, -however, although it doubtless furnished some few suggestions, must not -be taken as an 'original' of Martindale Castle. The novelist never -felt the necessity of an exact model, but freely used the places with -which he was familiar for such suggestions as they might chance to -furnish. In his later work he often described localities which he had -never visited, frequently doing so with an exactness suggesting the -most intimate personal knowledge. - -This was true of the Isle of Man, which Scott had never seen, but which -he describes in 'Peveril of the Peak' with great accuracy, relying for -his information upon Waldron's 'Description of the Isle of Man,' -published in 1731. - -After an interval of several years following the events in Derbyshire, -Julian Peveril appears as a visitor at Castle Rushen, in the southern -end of the Isle of Man. Tradition says that this ancient castle was -founded in the tenth century by Guttred, the son of a Norwegian {332} -chief named Orry, who took possession and with his sons and successors -reigned for many years as kings of the Isle of Man. Later the Earls of -Derby ruled as monarchs of the island and Castle Rushen was their royal -residence. - -The traditional castle of the Norwegians was replaced in the thirteenth -century by a strong fortress of limestone. This was partly destroyed -by Robert Bruce in 1313 and remained in ruins for three centuries. It -was then rebuilt by the Earls of Derby in its present form. The -central keep is a strong tower with walls twenty-two feet thick at the -base and about seventy feet high. It is surrounded by an embattled -wall twenty-five feet high and nine feet thick. On the tower facing -the market square is a clock presented in 1597 by Queen Elizabeth. - -In 1627, James Stanley, celebrated as 'the great Earl of Derby,' became -lord of the island. This nobleman was executed in 1651, charged with -the crime of assisting Charles II before the battle of Worcester. -During his absence in England the Castle Rushen was heroically defended -by his wife, the brave Charlotte de la Tremouille, Countess of Derby. -William Christian, popularly known as William Dhône, or 'the -fair-haired William,' had been entrusted by the Earl with the care of -his wife and children. Whatever may have been his motive, the -Receiver-General, by which title Christian was known, surrendered the -island without resistance, on the appearance of the Parliamentary army, -and the Countess was imprisoned in the castle. After the Restoration -of Charles II, the Countess accused Christian of treachery to herself -and brought about his execution in 1662. - -{333} - -These were the main facts which, coming to the novelist's attention -through his brother, Thomas Scott, who for several seasons resided in -the Isle of Man, attracted his fancy and suggested the writing of -'Peveril of the Peak.' - -Peel Castle, to which the action of the story is soon transferred, -stands on a rocky islet off the western coast of the island. It was -once a vast ecclesiastical establishment and now contains the ruins of -two churches, two chapels, two prisons, and two palaces. Of these the -best preserved and most interesting is the Cathedral of St. Germain, a -cruciform building, some parts of which were built in the thirteenth -century. In a crypt below was the ecclesiastical prison where many -remarkable captives were confined, the most notable of whom was Eleanor -Cobham, wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was accused of -witchcraft and of devising a wicked plot to kill the King and place her -husband upon the throne. - -Higher up on the rock are the remains of St. Patrick's Church, in the -walls of which are some good examples of the 'herring-bone' masonry -indicating great antiquity. The walls are thought by antiquarians to -date back to the fifth century. Behind this is the remarkable round -tower, about fifty feet high, which Mr. Hall Caine has introduced in -'The Christian.' - -The custodian, when he learned of our interest in Sir Walter Scott, -could scarcely restrain his anxiety to show us Fenella's Tower. This -is a bit of the surrounding wall, containing a small square turret. -Beneath is a narrow stairway, forming a sally-port, through which -entrance could be gained to a space between two {334} parallel outside -walls. In time of siege, soldiers could go out and fire at the enemy -from this place of concealment through openings in the walls. If -hard-pressed they could retire to the tower and pour scalding water or -hot lead upon an attacking body. In Scott's tale, Julian Peveril, -seeking to leave the castle by this stair, is intercepted by Fenella, -who is anxious to prevent his departure. Finally eluding her grasp, he -hastens down the stair only to be confronted again by the deaf-and-dumb -maiden, who has accomplished her purpose by leaping over the parapet. -We gazed down from the walls upon a ledge of rocks at least fifteen -feet below and concluded that, for a little girl, this was a pretty big -leap! - -[Illustration: THE SAXON TOWER, ISLE OF MAN] - -The keep and guard-house near the entrance was the scene of the Manx -legend of the Moddey Dhoo, a large black spaniel with shaggy hair, -which haunted Peel Castle. This dog is referred to in 'The Lay of the -Last Minstrel': - - For he was speechless, ghastly, wan, - Like him of whom the story ran - Who spoke the spectre-hound in Man. - - -The Moddey Dhoo was the terror of all the soldiers on the island, who -believed he was an evil spirit, only awaiting an opportunity to do them -harm. At length, a drunken soldier declared he would find out whether -the animal were dog or devil. He departed bravely, with much noise and -boasting, but none dared follow. When he returned the fellow was sober -and silent. He never spoke again, but three days later died in agony. - -The remaining scenery of 'Peveril of the Peak' is London in the time of -Charles II. The 'dark and shadowy' city had now attracted nearly all -the personages of {335} the story. In St. James's Park, adjoining the -Palace of Whitehall, Fenella danced with wondrous grace and agility -before the King. As in 'The Fortunes of Nigel,' the Thames is the -great highway of traffic, and Julian Peveril is carried by coach to the -river from old Newgate Prison, and thence by boat to the Tower, which, -like Nigel, he enters through the Traitor's Gate. - -The Savoy, a dilapidated old pile, where Julian unexpectedly meets -Fenella, was once a great palace. It was built by Simon de Montfort, -the great Earl of Leicester, in 1245. In the following century it was -almost demolished by a mob, but in 1509 King Henry VII restored and -rebuilt the palace and converted it into a hospital. Half a century -later, Queen Mary refounded and reëndowed the institution. In the time -of the story the building was probably not so antiquated and ruinous as -Scott describes it. Charles II, after the Restoration, used it as the -meeting-place of the Savoy conference for the revision of the Liturgy. -In Scott's time it was ruinous enough and since then has entirely -disappeared. Westminster Hall, where the trial of the Peverils was -held, is now the vestibule of the Houses of Parliament. It was -originally built by William Rufus, son of the Conqueror, in 1097, but -afterward destroyed by fire and rebuilt. In it some of the earliest -English Parliaments were held and it has been the scene of many -coronation festivals. - -The novel gives a graphic picture of the gay, dissipated, and -scandalous court of Charles II, and an excellent portrait of that -selfish, indolent, and sensual, but witty and good-natured monarch. -His chief favourite, George Villiers, the second Duke of Buckingham, is -painted in no more flattering colours. He was a statesman of fickle -{336} character who could not long be trusted by any one. He was a -writer of verses, farces, and comedies, a musician, and a man of great -talent and accomplishments; but he was a profligate, absolutely -insincere and without principle. - -'Peveril of the Peak' cannot be considered one of Scott's best novels. -It has never been popular. Scott himself tired of it, and even -Lockhart can find little to say in its praise. - -Lady Louisa Stuart, who was one of Scott's most valued friends, -summarized it all, at the end of a good-natured criticism, with the -remark: 'However, in all this I recognize the old habit of a friend of -mine, growing tired before any of his readers, huddling up a conclusion -anyhow, and so kicking the book out of his way; which is a provoking -trick, though one must bear it rather than not _have_ his book, with -all its faults on its head. The best amends he can make is to give us -another as soon as may be.' - - - - -{337} - -CHAPTER XXIV - -QUENTIN DURWARD - -The true 'Scott Country' is limited strictly to Scotland, England, and -Wales. So long as he remained upon the soil of his own native kingdom, -Sir Walter wrote of what he had seen and for the most part traversed -only familiar ground. In Scotland, he was equally at home in the -Lowlands or Highlands. He visited England often enough to know well -the inspiring mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland, the hills and -valleys of Northumberland, the broad expanse of Yorkshire, with its -delightful scenery and many historical associations, the moorlands of -Derby, the charming roads and pleasant villages of Nottingham, -Leicester, Warwick, and Oxford, and the highways and by-ways of the -ever-fascinating London. With the history, the legends and the poetry -of his own country he was as familiar as a child would be with the -environment of his own home. They were a part of the mental equipment -that had been developing steadily from the time he was three years old. - -When he stepped out of this familiar region, for the first time, there -came a remarkable change, and in January, 1823, when he began the -composition of 'Quentin Durward,' we find him floundering about in a -sea of gazetteers, atlases, histories, and geographies. On the 23d of -that month he wrote to Constable:--'It is a vile place, this village of -Plessis les Tours, that can baffle {338} both you and me. It is a -place famous in history ... yet I have not found it in any map, -provincial or general, which I have consulted.... Instead of -description holding the place of sense, I must try to make such sense -as I can find, hold the place of description.' - -Fortunately he had the assistance of his friend Skene, who about this -time returned from a tour in France, and placed at the disposal of the -author a great variety of sketches of landscapes and ancient buildings, -besides a journal full of accurate notes; for the novelist's -artist-friend knew from long companionship exactly what would be most -appreciated. - -Though a stranger in a strange land, Scott was not entirely alone, for -he took with him into the unknown country three good Scotchmen, namely, -Quentin Durward, whom he made an archer in the Scots Guard of King -Louis XI; the picturesque and interesting Le Balafré, Quentin's uncle, -already a guardsman; and Lord Crawford, the aged commander of the -guard, a Scotch nobleman, whose great ability and experience had won -the esteem and confidence even of the suspicious King. This was surely -a stroke of genius. The old Scotch friends of the novelist could not -help following with interest the thrilling adventures of their -countrymen in a foreign land, while, on the other hand, the tale raised -up a host of new admirers in France and throughout the Continent. The -Frenchmen saw with amazement King Louis XI and Charles the Bold -suddenly come to life and, under the skilful direction of the Scottish -Wizard, walk about again amidst some of the most stirring scenes of -European history. Not in all their literature had the French people -seen such striking {339} portraiture of these famous men nor such vivid -pictures of the ancient manners of their own people. - -A line, nearly straight, drawn diagonally across the map of France and -Belgium, representing a distance of perhaps three hundred and fifty -miles, will fairly suggest the geography of 'Quentin Durward.' Its -southwestern extremity would be Tours, about one hundred and forty-five -miles from Paris. It would pass through Péronne, in the north of -France directly east of Amiens; then dropping slightly to the south, -and across the border of Belgium would reach its northeastern -termination in the city of Liège. - -The town of Tours was much favoured in the fifteenth century by the -frequent visits of Charles VII, Louis XI, and Charles VIII, in -consequence of which it then reached its highest state of prosperity. -It was long famed for its silk industry, founded by Louis XI. Two -miles west of the town, on a low marshy plain between the rivers Loire -and Cher, and close by a hamlet of a few scattered cottages, is the -famous Castle of Plessis les Tours, where the action of the story -begins. Only a fragment of the original structure now remains, as part -of a modern château. - -The old castle looked more like a prison than a king's palace, and -seemed well adapted to be the den of the 'universal spider,' as Louis -came to be called, from which he could weave his dangerous web in every -direction and ensnare the feet of those whom he selected for his prey. -It was in this dismal place that Louis XI shut himself in the last days -of his life, weak from illness and pain and almost insane from -distrust. Here he died, in 1483, to the great joy of the kingdom. - -{340} - -Every year he had added new walls and ditches to his fortress. The -towers were covered with iron as a protection against arrows. Eighteen -hundred heavy planks bristling with nails were placed outside the -ditches to impede the approach of cavalry. Four hundred crossbowmen -manned the towers and the villainous Tristan l'Hermite had full -authority to seize and hang any innocent stranger whom he might choose -to suspect. - -As I write, I have before me two pictures:--one a contemporary print of -the ancient castle, the other a portrait of the King. The former, a -group of low, irregular buildings, with slanting roofs and small barred -windows, having a chapel attached to one end, contains nothing whatever -to suggest a royal palace. The latter shows the face of a sly, -cunning, unscrupulous plotter, full of cruelty, baseness, vulgarity, -and hypocrisy, yet terribly in earnest and revealing the features that -mark an irresistible will. I can almost fancy a resemblance between -the two pictures. The mean unpretentiousness of the castle and its -lack of symmetry suggest the unprepossessing appearance of the King, -whose whole aspect was vulgar, his clothing purposely plain and often -untidy and his manners completely devoid of dignity and common -courtesy. Its numerous defences, including turrets, battlements, -ditches, and drawbridges, suggest the constant fear of treachery in -which the King lived, never daring to regard his most intimate -companions with aught but jealous suspicion. The real strength of the -fortress, in spite of its ugliness and apparent insignificance are -typical of the tremendous power of this monarch, who pursued his -purposes without regard to truth, decency, honour, or human rights, -reducing the {341} people to a state of abject poverty and misery, yet -enlarging the borders of France to nearly their present extent, -reorganizing the army, centralizing the government, and laying the -foundations of the nation in its modern form. - -One might almost indulge the whimsical notion that the little chapel to -which I have referred, pointing heavenward with an attenuated spire of -absurdly slender proportions, symbolizes the King's own feeble efforts -to point in the same direction. His piety was manifested by a dozen -'paltry figures of saints stamped in lead' which he wore on the band of -his hat. He endeavoured to atone for the most atrocious acts of -selfishness and cruelty by gifts of money and outward penance, -continuing his wickedness all the while, but apologizing for it in his -prayers to the saints. But the crowning act of hypocritical piety, as -well as the most absurd, was his attempt to insure his ultimate -salvation by the unique expedient of creating the Virgin Mary a -countess and an honorary colonel of his guards. - -This was the strange, but intensely interesting, character, whom Scott, -making free use of the 'Memoirs of Philippe de Comines,' one of the -King's most intimate councillors, succeeded in portraying so vividly -that the tale of which he is the real hero has won universal -recognition as a novel of genuine historical value. - -A few miles southeast of Tours is the ruin of a castle still more -terrible in its suggestiveness than even Plessis, for here Louis XI -perpetrated deeds of secret cruelty, which he shrank from committing -within the walls of his own palace. It is the Castle of Loches, for -many years a royal residence. It is interesting to Scotchmen from -{342} the fact that it was the scene of the royal wedding of King James -V to the Princess Magdalene, in whose honour the Palace of Linlithgow -was remodelled and greatly embellished. - -The castle is now a pile of ruined buildings, standing on the summit of -a lofty rock, where it dominates the landscape. Its principal tower is -one hundred and twenty feet high, with walls eight feet thick. Its -date is said to be the twelfth century. A part of it is now the local -jail, and the building has been used as a prison for centuries. -Beneath were dungeons under dungeons, dimly lighted by narrow windows, -cut through small recesses in the walls, which are here ten or twelve -feet thick. In two of these were the iron cages invented by Cardinal -John de La Balue. He was a cobbler, some say a tailor, whom Louis -elevated to the highest rank and employed in his secret devices. The -cage was built of iron bars and was only eight feet square. The -Cardinal proved a traitor to his king and the latter's severity kept -him in the dungeon cells for eleven years, a part of which time, at -least, was spent in one of the cages of his own invention. The -governor and gaoler of this dreaded prison was Oliver le Daim, the -King's barber and prime minister. - -The events culminating in the murder of the Bishop of Liège were, of -course, purely fictitious. Scott did not hesitate to 'violate -history,' as he afterward expressed it, to meet the requirements of his -story. The actual murder of the Bishop occurred in 1482, fourteen -years after the period of the novel and five years after the death of -Charles the Bold. William de la Marck, called the 'Wild Boar of -Ardennes,' wishing to place the mitre {343} on the head of his own son, -entered into a conspiracy with some of the rebellious citizens of -Liège, against their Bishop, Louis de Bourbon. The latter was enticed -to the edge of the town, where he was met by the fierce and -bloodthirsty knight, who murdered him with his own hand and caused the -body to be exposed naked in St. Lambert's Place, before the cathedral. -Scott's version, never intended to be historically accurate, places the -scene of the murder in the fictitious Castle of Schonwaldt, outside the -city. - -The description of the meeting of Louis XI and Charles the Bold at the -town of Péronne and the King's imprisonment in the castle, while -somewhat amplified with fictitious details, is in the essential facts -quite in accord with history. Péronne is a small town of great -antiquity, ninety-four miles northeast of Paris, in the Department of -the Somme. Its castle still retains four conical-roofed towers in -fairly good repair. On the ground floor are many dark and dismal -dungeons. In one of these miserable cells Charles the Simple, in the -year 929, ended his days in agony. He was confined in the tower by the -treachery of Herbert, Count of Vermandois, and left there to starve to -death. Adjoining this room, in what is known as the Tour Herbert, is -the chamber said to have been occupied by Louis XI. - -Great was the surprise and alarm among the retainers of Louis when that -monarch, trusting to an exaggerated notion of his own wit and powers of -persuasion, proposed to visit his most formidable adversary, Charles of -Burgundy, at the town of Péronne. The latter granted the King's -request for a safe-conduct, and Louis set forth in October, 1482, -accompanied by a small {344} detachment of his Scots Guard and -men-at-arms, and two faithless councillors, the Constable de St. Pol -and the Cardinal de La Balue. The Duke met the King outside the town -and together they walked in apparent friendliness to the house of the -Chamberlain, Charles apologizing for not taking the King to the castle -because it was not in fit condition. Some portion of the Duke's army -arrived the same day and encamped outside the walls. Learning this, -the King became greatly frightened and demanded quarters in the -castle--a request which Charles granted with great, but secret, glee. -The next day brought forth nothing but ill-feeling and -misunderstanding, which was brought to a climax by the news from Liège. -It was reported that the emissaries of Louis had stirred up sedition -against the Duke, and had killed the Bishop of Liège, and the Lord of -Humbercourt. Charles was a man of tremendous passions and this news -threw him into a fury which he made little attempt to control. His -royal guest became his prisoner, the gates of the town and the castle -were closed, and for a time Louis was in danger of his life at the -hands of his enraged vassal. Louis, meanwhile, remained calm, making -full use of his native shrewdness, keenness of penetration, and unusual -cunning. By a liberal use of money, with which he had sagaciously -provided himself, the Duke's servants were corrupted wherever he could -hope to secure information or assistance. His craftiness, however, -proved unnecessary. Charles cooled off after a day or two and realized -that he could not well afford to violate his safe-conduct. Meanwhile -the news from Liège turned out more favourably. The Bishop had not -been slain and the revolt had been less serious than {345} supposed. -Charles, however, compelled the King to swear a new treaty, which Louis -did by taking from one of his boxes a piece of the 'true cross,' a -relic, formerly belonging, so it was said, to Charlemagne, which Louis -regarded with great veneration. The oath upon the cross duly made, -Louis accompanied his captor on an expedition against the town of -Liège, the particulars of which were not essentially different from the -version of Scott. - -The novel brings out to great advantage the striking contrast between -the King and the Duke. Charles was strong, vigorous, clear-sighted, -and in the words of Philippe de Comines, 'a great and honourable -prince, as much esteemed for a time amongst his neighbours as any -prince in Christendom.' The great fault of his character was that -expressed in the sobriquet, Charles the Rash; and this was the cause of -his downfall. That, however, is a tale which Scott reserved for a -later novel. - -Though received at first with apparent indifference, 'Quentin Durward' -came in time to be regarded as one of the best of the Waverley Novels, -dividing the honours, in the minds of the boys, at least, with -'Ivanhoe' and 'The Talisman.' - - - - -{346} - -CHAPTER XXV - -ST. RONAN'S WELL - -If, as I have said in the preceding chapter, the true Scott Country -comprises the United Kingdom, except Ireland, the inner circle of that -country, the _Sanctum Sanctorum_, so to speak, must be considered as -including that part of Scotland lying between the Firth of Forth and -the English border; or, more strictly, the counties of Edinburgh, -Peebles, Selkirk, and Roxburgh. This was Scott's home, his workshop, -and his playground. From the spring of 1806 to the early winter of -1830, a period of nearly twenty-five years, he performed the duties of -Clerk of the Court of Session. This required his presence in Edinburgh -usually from the 12th of May to the 12th of July and from the 12th of -November to the 12th of March, excepting an interval at Christmas. -This meant from four to six hours' work a day for four or five days -each week, extending over about six months of every year. During the -sessions of the court his residence was No. 39, North Castle Street, a -three-story stone dwelling-house, within sight of Edinburgh Castle. - -The day after the rising of the court usually found its distinguished -clerk ready to 'escape to the country.' For six years his retreat was -the little thatched cottage at Lasswade, in the vale of the Esk. The -next eight summers found him at Ashestiel, and after that Abbotsford -was the lodestone that drew him from the city. Scott loved the wide -sweep of the bare hills, especially {347} when tinged with the purple -hue of the heather. Their pure air was the tonic which had saved his -life, when as a child he rolled about on the rocks of Smailholm, a -companion of the sheep and lambs. Their streams gave him an -opportunity to lure the salmon from their hiding-places. Their rounded -summits gave him many a distant view of battle-fields, famed in the -Border warfare, which filled up centuries of Scottish and English -history. Their pleasant glens and thickets gave him delightful walks -in the woods. Their hospitable cottages extended him a never failing -welcome, and yielded up to him, from the lips of hundreds of old wives, -a treasure of Scottish ballads, songs, and tales of Border chivalry. -Their castles and mansions threw open their doors at his approach, -rivalling the humbler dwellings in the cordiality of their greeting. - -No wonder Scott loved the Border country. 'It may be partiality,' said -he to Washington Irving, 'but to my eye, these grey hills and all this -wild Border country have beauties peculiar to themselves. I like the -very nakedness of the land; it has something bold, and stern, and -solitary about it. When I have been for some time in the rich scenery -about Edinburgh, which is like ornamented garden land, I begin to wish -myself back again among my own honest grey hills; and if I did not see -the heather at least once a year, I think I should die!' - -It was while riding with Lockhart and Willie Laidlaw, along the brow of -the Eildon Hills, looking down upon Melrose, one fine afternoon in -July, 1823, that the suggestion came which led eventually to 'St. -Ronan's Well.' 'Quentin Durward' had recently appeared and Scott, -commenting upon its reception, remarked that he {348} could probably do -something better with a German subject. 'Na, na, sir,' protested -Laidlaw, 'take my word for it, you are always best, like Helen -MacGregor, when your foot is on your native heath; and I have often -thought that if you were to write a novel, and lay the scene here in -the very year you were writing it, you would exceed yourself.' 'Hame -'s hame,' smilingly assented Scott, 'be it ever sae hamely. There's -something in what you say, Willie.' Although Laidlaw insisted that his -friend should 'stick to Melrose in July, 1823,' Scott took a little -broader field and made the scene of 'St. Ronan's Well,' the valley of -the Tweed. - -This was the country which he had pictured in 'The Lay of the Last -Minstrel,' at the very beginning of his fame. He had come back to it -for a bit of the scenery of 'The Monastery' and 'The Abbot.' These, -however, were romances of an earlier period. He was now for the first -time to write of his own country in his own time. The tale was to -depict society life, not of the wholesome and genuine kind to which -Scott was personally accustomed, whether in Edinburgh or the country, -but of the type he had seen at various watering-places and summer -resorts which he had visited. - -[Illustration: THE TWEED AND EILDON HILLS] - -'St. Ronan's Well' may be considered a true picture of this society or -a caricature, according to one's own sympathies. Some of its readers -have been able to find among their own 'social set,' Lady Penelope -Penfeather, Sir Bingo and Lady Sinks, Mr. Winterblossom, Dr. -Quackleben, and even the 'man of peace,' Captain Mungo MacTurk, and -have praised or condemned the author's portraits according to their own -predilections toward such personages. - -{349} - -Scott saw something of this life at Gilsland in the memorable summer of -1797, the year when he met Miss Carpenter at the dance in Shaw's Hotel. -Below the hostelry is a deep and attractive glen, through which flows -the river Irthing, and just above the bridge spanning the river, is one -of those mineral springs, which have the strange power, whatever may be -their medicinal virtues, of drawing hundreds of people away from their -homes in the summer months. There is another of these springs at -Innerleithen, on the banks of the Tweed, and for this reason--for I can -see no other--the people of that town have laid claim to the honour of -residing in the original 'St. Ronan's.' - -Innerleithen, now a prosperous town of about three thousand -inhabitants, is situated amid the hills which border the Tweed in the -most picturesque part of its course. In Scott's time it was only a -small village. Traquair, on the contrary, a few miles to the south, -was of more importance in Scott's time than now, when it is a mere -hamlet, remarkable for nothing except the fine old feudal mansion to -which I have previously referred.[1] If we are to think of -Innerleithen, then, as the 'ancient and decayed village of St. Ronan's' -we must picture it, not as the thriving commercial town of to-day, but -more like its neighbour on the south. - -Of course I felt anxious to taste the waters of the real St. Ronan's -Well, and made a journey to Innerleithen for the purpose. I gained -nothing beyond the experience of exchanging a good shilling for a bad -drink. One taste was enough, and when the girl was n't looking I threw -the rest away. I found an old two-story house in the {350} town which -claims to be the original 'Cleikum Inn'--a claim which is disputed by a -public house in Peebles, 'The Cross Keys Hotel,' formerly a pretentious -seventeenth-century mansion. The latter was kept in Scott's time by a -maiden lady named Marian Ritchie, who seems to have possessed some of -the characteristics which the novelist exaggerated in his delightfully -humorous picture of Meg Dods. She found fault with the new 'hottle,' -and did not hesitate to vent her sarcasm upon those travellers who -ventured to stay there in preference to her own respectable inn. -Scott, according to local history, was occasionally one of her guests. -She ruled with a rod of iron, permitting no excesses, and did not -hesitate to send a young man 'hame to his mither' if she suspected him -to be imbibing too freely. Scott gave this model landlady the real -name of a hostess whom he had patronized when only seventeen years old. -It was on a fishing excursion to a loch near Howgate, in the Moorfoot -Hills, when Scott and three of his boon companions stopped at a little -public-house kept by Mrs. Margaret Dods. It was thirty-five years -later when, in writing 'St. Ronan's Well' the novelist adopted the name -of the real landlady for his fictitious character. - -So far as the rival claimants of the 'Cleikum Inn' honours are -concerned, I do not believe that Scott had any particular house in -mind, either for the 'inn,' or the 'hottle.' Nor can I find any -evidence of the existence of an 'original' for Shaw's Castle, the -family seat of the Mowbrays, though Raeburn House, near St. Boswell's -Green may be taken as a excellent type. The same doubt applies to the -village of St. Ronan's itself. Scott's {351} design seems to have been -merely to place the scene of his story, broadly speaking, in the valley -of the Tweed. - -This picturesque stream rises in the high lands near Moffat and flows -north through a country still wild and solitary. A score of miles or -less from its source, it makes a bend toward the east, above the town -of Peebles, and from this point, until it discharges its waters into -the North Sea at Berwick, there is scarcely a bend in the river or a -village or town on its banks that does not suggest memories of Sir -Walter Scott. - -From the high ground overlooking the river, just at the point where it -bends to the east, we had a view, through the trees, of surpassing -beauty. Below was the ancient Castle of Neidpath, once a scene of -stately splendour, when nobles and monarchs frequented its halls, and -richly attired ladies promenaded in the well-kept gardens, laden with -the perfume and brilliant with the hues of many flowers; when -well-ordered terraces lined the banks of the stream and orchards smiled -from the surrounding hillsides. Amid such scenes the 'Maid of -Neidpath' sat in the tower,-- - - To watch her love's returning-- - -and broke her heart when the lover came and passed with heedless gaze-- - - As o'er some stranger glancing.[2] - - -Time and Nature, working together as landscape artists, have converted -the castle into a picturesque ruin, and replaced the artificial gardens -and terraces with thick groves of fine old trees, clothing the -hillsides {352} with a richer and deeper verdure, and leaving only the -river as of yore, still brightening the scene with the sparkle of its -silvery tide. In the distance we could see the spires and chimneys of -Peebles. - -[Illustration: SCOTT'S TOMB, DRYBURGH] - -Following the river, we passed Innerleithen, six miles below Peebles, -and a short distance beyond we paused for a moment to look toward the -ruins of Elibank, high up on the hillside. This was Scott's favourite -objective point for a summer afternoon walk from Ashestiel, and the -scene of the famous legend of 'Muckle-Mouthed Meg.'[3] Two miles -farther on is Ashestiel, where Scott spent many happy summers. Keeping -the left bank we soon came to a place where we could see Abbotsford on -the opposite side of the river--and a charming view it makes. Then -comes Melrose with all its varied associations. Driving toward the -east, we ascended a hill near the summit of Bemerside Heights and -halted to enjoy 'Scott's favourite view.' Below was a bend of the -river marking the site of Old Melrose, the establishment which preceded -the more pretentious abbey in the village. Far away were the summits -of the Eildon Hills. On the day of Scott's funeral, the procession -climbed this hill on the way to Dryburgh Abbey, the hearse being drawn -by Sir Walter's own coach-horses. At the spot where we were standing, -it is said, the faithful animals halted of their own accord, not -knowing that their master could no longer enjoy his favourite view. - -We soon came to the beautiful ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, where Scott lies -buried. It is a place he was fond of visiting, so much so that in a -letter to Miss Carpenter, before they were married, he referred to it -{353} with enthusiasm, adding, 'When I die, Charlotte, you must cause -my bones to be laid there.' This brought a lively reply from the young -lady: 'What an idea of yours was that to mention where you wished to -have your _bones laid_. If you were married, I should think you were -tired of me. A very pretty compliment _before marriage_.... Take care -of yourself if you love me, as I have _no wish_ that you should _visit_ -that _beautiful_ and _romantic_ scene, the burying-place.' - -Still farther to the east lies Kelso, where Scott spent several summers -with a relative and attended the village school; while in the valley -below lie the principal scenes of 'Marmion.' In the hills to the -north, between Melrose and Kelso, is Sandy Knowe, the farm of the -poet's grandfather, where the fresh air of the Scottish hills gave a -new lease of life to the child of three years. Some recollections of -these early days found their way into 'St. Ronan's Well,' published -nearly half a century later. A frequent visitor at the fireside of -Sandy Knowe was the parish clergyman, Dr. Duncan, who perhaps failed to -appreciate the presence of a poet in embryo. Scott had early committed -to memory long passages from Ramsay's 'Tea-Table Miscellany' and one or -two other favourite volumes, which he would shout at the top of his -voice, regardless of the presence of the good minister, who would -testily exclaim, 'One may as well speak in the mouth of a cannon as -where that child is.' The old gentleman lived to be nearly ninety. -'He was,' says Scott, 'a most excellent and benevolent man, a gentleman -in every feeling, and altogether different from those of his order who -cringe at the tables of the gentry or domineer and riot at those of the -yeomanry.' There {354} seems to be no doubt that in the personage of -Mr. Josiah Cargill, the shy, absent-minded, but learned and -conscientious, and always lovable, clergyman of 'St. Ronan's Well,' -Scott drew a portrait of the excellent divine whom he had learned to -respect in his early days. - - - -[1] See _ante_, p. 106, Chapter viii, 'Waverley.' - -[2] _The Maid of Neidpath_, 1806. - -[3] See _ante_, Chapter 1, page 36. - - - - -{355} - -CHAPTER XXVI - -REDGAUNTLET - -I was standing, one afternoon, among some rugged rocks, half covered -with sand and seaweed, which lined the shores of the Solway Firth, when -my attention was suddenly attracted by a large black horse ridden by a -woman. They were far away from shore and the animal seemed to be -lightly cantering over the surface of the water. I suddenly realized -the peculiar characteristic of the Solway. The tide was going out and -what seemed to be the surface of a wide, inland sea was in reality a -broad stretch of glistening white sand, still wet enough to catch and -reflect the rays of the sun. - -In spite of the fact that the rider was a woman, I was reminded of the -thrilling incident that marks one of the earlier chapters of -'Redgauntlet.' Darsie Latimer had wandered out in the late afternoon -over the wet sands of the Solway, watching with great interest the -exertions of some horsemen, who were intent upon the sport of spearing -salmon. The ebb of the tide leaves numberless little pools, formed by -the inequality of the surface, and in these the fish dart about, making -frantic efforts to escape to deeper water. The horsemen chase the -salmon at full gallop, striking at them with their spears,--a form of -amusement requiring great skill and perfect horsemanship. The riders -had ceased their sport and were returning to the shore, while Darsie -lingered on the sands. Suddenly he heard an abrupt voice, calling out, -{356} 'Soho, brother! you are late for Bowness to-night'; and, turning, -recognized the most expert of the salmon fishers, a tall man riding a -powerful black horse. Darsie replied that he was a stranger and about -to return to the shore. 'Best make haste, then,' said the fisherman. -'He that dreams on the bed of the Solway, may wake in the next world. -The sky threatens a blast that will bring in the waves three feet -abreast.' The young man, not realizing the danger, had to be warned a -third time, and finally was pulled up on the horse behind his rescuer, -who was compelled to gallop to safety at full speed. - -At a later time, the tall fisherman, who proved to be Hugh Redgauntlet, -kidnapped young Latimer, whom he had recognized as his long-lost -nephew, and carried him in a cart across the Solway to England. While -lying on his back upon some sacks of straw, his arms and legs tightly -bound with cloth bandages, Darsie again heard the rush of the advancing -tide. He 'not only heard the roar of this dreadful torrent, but saw, -by the fitful moonlight, the foamy crests of the devouring waves, as -they advanced with the speed and fury of a pack of hungry wolves.' One -or two of the great waves of the 'howling and roaring sea' had reached -the cart, when he was again rescued by Redgauntlet in much the same -manner as before. - -The reality of these fearful tides exceeds even Scott's vivid -description. In a volume published more than eighty years ago[1] by a -local writer, I find this account:-- - - -During spring tides, and particularly when impelled by a strong -southwester, the Solway rises with prodigious {357} rapidity. A loud -booming noise indicates its approach, and is distinguishable at the -distance of several miles. At Caerlaverock and Glencaple, where it -enters the Nith, the scene is singularly grand and imposing; and it is -beautiful to see a mighty volume of water advancing, foam-crested, and -with a degree of rapidity which, were the race a long one, would -outmatch the speed of the swiftest horses. The tide-head, as it is -called, is often from four to six feet high, chafed into spray, with a -mighty trough of bluer water behind--swelling in some places into -little hills, and in others scooped into tiny valleys, which, when -sunlit, form a brilliant picture of themselves. From the tide-head -proceed two huge jets of water, which run roaring along, searching the -banks on either side--the antennæ, as it were, which the ocean puts -forth, and by which it feels its way when confined within narrow -limits. A large fire-engine discharging a strong stream of water bears -a close resemblance to this part of the phenomena of a strong spring -tide; but the sea-water is broken while the other is smooth, and runs -hissing, or rather gallops, along in a manner to which no language of -ours can do justice. - - -Between Bowness, the northernmost point of Cumberland, and Whinnyrig, -south of Annan in Dumfriesshire, the Solway is only two miles wide. It -is now safely crossed by a railroad bridge, but two generations ago the -Scottish farmers and dealers were in the habit of crossing the sands at -low tide to save a long and tedious detour of about thirty miles by way -of Carlisle. Many a belated traveller, missing his way in the darkness -or the fog, has been overtaken by the tide and lost. - -All the scenes of 'Redgauntlet,' except those in Edinburgh and -Dumfries, are laid near the shores of the Solway. Shepherd's Bush and -Brokenburn, imaginary places, of course, may be considered to be -somewhere on the Scottish side near Annan. Mount Sharon, the {358} -residence of the kind-hearted Joshua Geddes, supposed to be in the same -vicinity, was really modelled after some pleasant recollections of the -author's boyhood at Kelso. It was a place of quiet contentment, where -one might wander through fields and pastures and woodlands by -convenient paths amid scenes of peaceful beauty. Even the partridges -and the hares had learned the kindly nature of the good Quaker and his -amiable sister, and did not fear their approach. - -Scott drew the charming picture of the Quaker household from his early -friendship for the Waldie family in Kelso. Their son Robert was one of -his school-fellows. He spent many happy hours in their hospitable -home, where he was treated with the utmost kindness by Robert's mother, -universally known in the neighbourhood as Lady Waldie. A privilege -which Scott particularly appreciated was the permission to 'rummage at -pleasure' through the small but well-selected library which the good -lady's deceased husband had left her. - -On the English side of the Solway, the Wampool River, where the Jumping -Jenny landed Alan Fairford, along with a cargo of contraband goods, -including gunpowder for the use of the Jacobites, may be easily found -on the map. The English scenes were laid between here and Carlisle, -but the story of the visit to this region of Charles Edward, disguised -as Father Buonaventure, is pure fiction, and of course the localities -cannot be identified, except Burgh-upon-Sands, where there is a -monument to Edward I, to which Hugh Redgauntlet refers as the party is -passing by. - -The English residence of Hugh Redgauntlet to which Darsie was conducted -by his captor, described as ancient {359} and strong, with battlemented -roof and walls of great thickness, but otherwise resembling a -comfortable farmhouse, is purely fictitious. We visited, however, on -the Scottish side of the Solway, a splendid modern castle, which, -judged by an old painting of the place as it was in 1789, would -admirably fit the description. This is Hoddam Castle, five miles -southwest of the village of Ecclefechan, Carlyle's birthplace, where we -spent a night in one of the quaintest little inns in Scotland, a -survival of the time when Scottish inns offered few comforts to the -traveller, but made up for it in proffered sociability. - -Hoddam Castle is beautifully situated in the midst of a grove of fine -trees overlooking the river Annan. A battlemented tower, surmounted by -conical turrets, rises high above the extensive modern structure -surrounding it. This is the ancient building, for centuries occupied -by the Herries family. Scott originally intended to call his novel -'Herries' instead of 'Redgauntlet,' and was with much difficulty -persuaded by Constable to accept the latter title. The old castle was -built in the fifteenth century by John, Lord Herries, to whom was -granted an extensive tract of land, extending over three or four -counties. - -The Herries family, to which Hugh Redgauntlet is supposed to belong, -was always powerful. In their later years, like their fictitious -descendant, its members were ardent supporters of the Stuart family. -John Maxwell, who took the name of Lord Herries upon his marriage, was -a zealous defender of Mary Queen of Scots. He assisted her escape from -Loch Leven Castle, fought for her at Langside, escorted her, after the -battle, to his {360} own house in Galloway, and thence to Dundrennan -Abbey, and finally conducted her, in a small vessel, to England. His -descendant, William, the ninth Lord Herries and fifth Earl of -Nithsdale, participated in the Jacobite uprising of 1715. He was made -a prisoner at Preston and sent to the Tower, where he was tried and -condemned to death. His countess, with rare courage and -resourcefulness, first forced her way to an audience with the King in -St. James's Palace, and pleaded on her knees for her husband's life. -Finding this ineffectual, she paid a last farewell visit to her -husband, taking several lady friends with her. They succeeded in -disguising the Earl in feminine apparel and thus effected his escape. -When Darsie Latimer was obliged, at his uncle's command, to wear -petticoats as a means of concealing his identity, he was only following -the example of one of his ancestors. - -[Illustration: HODDAM CASTLE] - -In 1690 the castle and Barony of Hoddam passed from the Herries family -to John Sharpe, and remained in the hands of his heirs until very -recent times. One of these was Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Scott's -intimate friend, who helped collect the 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish -Border,' to which he contributed two ballads. Scott was a frequent -guest at his house, and he often dined with Scott's family in Edinburgh -or at Abbotsford. He was a man of distinction in letters and an artist -as well. Two well-known etchings by him, the 'Dish of Spurs' and -'Muckle-Mouthed Meg,' besides a caricature of Queen Elizabeth, adorn -the walls of Abbotsford. His ancestors, like the Herries family, were -ardent Jacobites. - -The Sharpes claimed relationship to the notorious {361} Grierson of -Lag, who was the original of Sir Robert Redgauntlet in 'Wandering -Willie's Tale.' Sir Robert Grierson, who was born in 1655 and died in -1733, was an infamous scoundrel who took fiendish delight in -persecuting the Covenanters. In his drunken revels he made them the -theme of scurrilous jests. In a vaulted chamber of his Castle of Lag, -now in ruins, he had an iron hook upon which he hanged his prisoners. -Often he would amuse himself by rolling his victims down a steep hill -in barrels filled with knives and iron spikes. He was an object of -terror and hatred through all the neighbouring country and for many -years after his death was represented in theatrical productions as a -hideous monster. Scott heard in his youth the wild tales of the -terrible Grierson, and made them the basis of the story told by -Wandering Willie. - -If by Redgauntlet Castle we mean the house of the blind fiddler's hero, -we must take for its original the ancient ruin of Lag Castle, built in -the fourteenth century; but if the seat of the Herries family is meant, -Hoddam Castle is of course the prototype, even though Scott places it -on the English side of the Solway. - -A bit of scenery worth recalling in connection with this novel is the -Marquis of Annandale's Beefstand, or as it is now called, the Devil's -Beef Tub, the place where the Laird of Summertrees had his wonderful -adventure, escaping from his captors by rolling, over and over, like a -barrel, down the steep incline that leads to the bottom of the hollow. -It is as lonely and desolate a spot as we saw anywhere in Scotland. -The hills circle about to form a huge bowl, in the rim of which there -is apparently no break, so that one wonders how the little brook at the -{362} bottom manages to find an outlet so as to remain a brook at all, -instead of accumulating its waters to form a great natural lake. The -old Border raiders used the hollow as a convenient place in which to -collect stolen cattle. From the road on the rim it seems to be a dark, -dismal hole, without sign of life except an occasional ring of earth -and stone, built for the protection of the sheep. Scott knew -personally a Jacobite gentleman, who escaped at this place in precisely -the same manner as 'Pate-in-Peril,' while being taken to Carlisle a -prisoner for participation in the 'affair of 1745.' - -'Redgauntlet' is autobiographical to a greater extent than any other of -Scott's novels. It is true that 'Waverley' gives a hint of his own -early love of reading, while 'The Antiquary' reflects his interest in -the relics of an older civilization. Indeed, bits of personal -reminiscence are woven into nearly all his tales. But 'Redgauntlet' -more directly reveals Scott himself and those nearest to him than any -or all of the others. - -The voluminous correspondence of Alan Fairford and Darsie Latimer is -full of recollections of school days in Edinburgh, when as a boy Scott -climbed the 'kittle nine stanes,' a difficult and dangerous passage -over the steep granite rock upon which the castle stands, or helped -'man the Cowgate Port,' an ancient gateway to the city from which the -youngsters in snowballing time annoyed the passers-by and defied the -town guard. One of his most intimate companions in the days when he -was reading law was William Clerk, whom he describes as a man of acute -'intellect and powerful apprehension,' but somewhat trammelled with -'the fetters of indolence.' There is no doubt that Scott himself was -the original of {363} Alan Fairford nor that William Clerk was the -model for Darsie Latimer. The fine portrait of Saunders Fairford, who -was so anxious to have his son 'attain the proudest of all -distinctions--the rank and fame of a well-employed lawyer,' was drawn -from Scott's own father, many years after the death of that worthy -gentleman. - - -Mr. Saunders Fairford, ... was a man of business of the old school, -moderate in his charges, economical and even niggardly in his -expenditure, strictly honest in conducting his own affairs and those of -his clients, but taught by long experience to be wary and suspicious in -observing the motions of others. Punctual as the clock of St. Giles -tolled nine, the neat dapper form of the little hale old gentleman was -seen at the threshold of the Court-hall ... trimly dressed in a -complete suit of snuff-coloured brown, with stockings of silk or -woolen, as suited the weather; a bob wig and a small cocked hat; shoes -blacked as Warren would have blacked them; silver shoe-buckles and a -gold stock-buckle. A nosegay in summer, and a sprig of holly in -winter, completed his well-known dress and appearance. - - -Even Peter Peebles, the poor old derelict, ruined by a lifetime of -perpetual litigation, was a real character, well known in Edinburgh, -and Scott himself, in common with most young lawyers, took his turn in -'practising' on this case. - -The re-introduction of Charles Edward, who was so fascinating as a -figure in 'Waverley,' was not so successful. In the earlier novel, his -movements are, in the main, historically accurate. His reappearance, -twenty years later, under circumstances purely fictitious, is by -comparison almost wholly lacking in interest. There is, however, a -certain attractiveness about the enthusiasm of his ardent supporter, -Hugh Redgauntlet, and the {364} book is not lacking in minor -characters, who are almost as fascinating as any of the novelist's -earlier creations. Wandering Willie is one of these--the blind fiddler -who holds communication with the captive Darsie, by the rendering of -appropriate tunes, the words of which the latter is quick to recall and -clever enough to interpret. Another is Nanty Ewart, the skipper of the -Jumping Jenny, who can read his Sallust like a scholar, and appeals to -one's sympathies in spite of his dissipation. - -Although 'Redgauntlet' was at first received somewhat coldly, it is -nevertheless true, in the words of Lady Louisa Stuart, that 'the -interest is so strong one cannot lay it down.' Its lack of value -historically is more than offset by the personal interest of its -characters and the many episodes of intense dramatic realism. - - - -[1] _Picture of Dumfries, with Historical and Descriptive Notices_, by -John McDiarmid, 1832. - - - - -{365} - -CHAPTER XXVII - -TALES OF THE CRUSADERS - -The two stories published simultaneously under this title are widely -different in character. In 'The Betrothed,' the reader gets no glimpse -of the Holy Land, though he is amply compensated by a view of some of -the most delightful portions of picturesque Wales. In 'The Talisman,' -on the contrary, not only is the whole of the stage-setting in -Palestine, but our old friend, Richard the Lion-Hearted, who made such -strong appeals to our sympathies in 'Ivanhoe,' appears once more on the -scene. Perhaps this fact accounts for the great popularity of 'The -Talisman,' which has always gone hand in hand with 'Ivanhoe,' in the -estimation of the younger readers, at least, and possibly the older -ones, especially in England and America, as among the most attractive -of Scott's novels. 'The Betrothed' is no more a tale of the Crusades -than is 'Ivanhoe.' In the former the Constable de Lacy is supposed to -be absent in the Holy Land a few years and returns in disguise. King -Richard does the same in 'Ivanhoe.' - -James Ballantyne, who was always a candid critic, found so much fault -with 'The Betrothed' that Scott, bitterly disappointed, decided to -cancel it altogether. The sheets were hung up in Ballantyne's -warehouse, while Scott started a new tale which should be really a -story of the Crusades. Ballantyne was as much pleased with 'The -Talisman' as he had been disappointed with {366} its predecessor. Both -author and printer hesitated to destroy the sheets of an entire edition -of the earlier production, and it was finally decided that 'The -Talisman' was such a masterpiece that it might be relied upon to 'take -the other under its wing.' The publication of the two volumes as the -'Tales of the Crusaders' seemed to justify Ballantyne's faith, for, -says Lockhart, 'The brightness of "The Talisman" dazzled the eyes of -the million as to the defects of the twin story.' Whether this opinion -would be endorsed by careful readers of to-day is doubtful, for 'The -Betrothed' has some excellent characters, notably Eveline Berenger, -Wilkin Flammock, and his daughter Rose, Hugo de Lacy, and his -high-minded nephew Damian. Moreover, Scott here adds to his 'country' -a bit of the United Kingdom, which he had not previously touched, and -does it with his usual charm. - -The novelist's information regarding Welsh history and antiquities was -derived largely from conversations with his friend, the Rev. John -Williams, Archdeacon of Cardigan, who had made a special study of the -subject. But he had always felt an interest in that region. 'There -are,' he writes to Joanna Bailie in 1814, 'few countries I long so much -to see as Wales. The first time I set out to see it I was caught by -the way and married. God help me! The next time, I went to London and -spent all my money there. What will be my third interruption, I do not -know, but the circumstances seem ominous.' Whether he actually saw the -country before writing the novel is doubtful. He did visit it, -however, in August of 1825, just after 'The Betrothed' was published, -and stopped at Llangollen, where he paid a visit to the {367} famous -'Ladies' of that place. These two old ladies, one seventy and the -other sixty-five when Scott saw them, had 'eloped' together from -Ireland, when they were young girls, one of them dressed as a footman -in buckskin breeches. Valuing their liberty above all the allurements -of matrimony, they made a secret journey to Wales, and for fifty years -lived a quiet and comfortable life in the beautiful vale of Llangollen. - -Local tradition assigns this lovely valley as the scene of 'The -Betrothed.' Although this may be doubted, it is nevertheless fairly -representative of what Scott evidently had in mind. The river Dee -winds among a maze of low, partially wooded, and well-rounded hilltops, -here and there finding its way through green meadows, set off by hedges -of full-grown trees, and at each turn glistening in the sun like a -broad ribbon of silver. - -I was induced to walk up a long sloping hillside for a distance of -about three miles from the village, and was rewarded at the summit by a -superb view of northern Wales, for many miles in every direction, and -at the same time saw the ruins of the ancient Castell Dinas Bran. -This, or something very like it, must have been the Garde Doloureuse of -the novel. It certainly had all the natural advantages claimed for -that ancient Welsh stronghold, for no army would have found it easy to -ascend that hill in the face of a determined garrison. The ruin has -the indications also of having been well fortified by the art of man, -its walls enclosing an area two hundred and ninety feet long by one -hundred and forty feet wide. - -The castle may have been built by the Britons before the Roman -invasion. A well-founded tradition fixes it {368} as the seat of -Eliseg, Prince of Powys, in the eighth century, and it figures in -actual history as early as 1200, when it was the residence of a -turbulent Welsh baron named Madog. - -At Welshpool, directly to the south and near the English border, we -visited the magnificent park and castle of the Earl of Powis. It -stands on the site of the ancient Castell Coch, or Red Castle, famous -as the seat of the great Welsh hero, Gwenwynwyn, who flourished in the -latter part of the twelfth and beginning of the thirteenth century. -That hero, whom Scott calls Gwenwyn, it will be remembered, upon seeing -for the first time the beautiful damsel of sixteen, Eveline Berenger, -the only child of his greatest rival and the heir of the strong -fortress which he coveted, promptly resolved to marry her, thus -starting the train of events which are recorded in the novel. - -[Illustration: POWIS CASTLE, WALES] - -The present Powis Castle Park is a magnificent demesne of nearly a -thousand acres. Its most important portion is a great deer-park, in -the midst of which stands the imposing modern palace. The herds of -deer quietly feeding on the lawn were kind enough to pose for me, when -I made a picture of the castle, and added greatly to its picturesque -aspect. On the south, the sloping ground has been cut into broad and -beautiful terraces, surmounted by huge yews, trimmed smoothly in -conical form. The stone walls are broken by a series of arches, above -which are balustrades and statuary in great variety. Clinging vines -and garden flowers of every description add colour to the beauty of the -arrangement. Below the terraces is a gentle slope, planted with fruit -trees, and then a level lawn, in the {369} midst of which is a stately -elm. The whole is a triumph of landscape gardening which would have -amazed the famous Gwenwynwyn. - -Following the course of the tale our next objective was the city of -Gloucester, the crowning glory of which is the great cathedral, founded -by the Saxon earl, Osric, in 680 A.D. The massive Norman nave was -commenced in 1088 and the fine choir was completed in the fourteenth -century. The great east window, measuring seventy-two feet in height, -thirty-eight feet in width, and containing two thousand seven hundred -and thirty-six square feet of glass, is the largest in England if not -in the world. Passing around the cathedral we found a house which -figures in the story,--the Deanery, as it is now called. It was -formerly the prior's lodge of the old Benedictine abbey, and is the -oldest house in Gloucester. Within its walls a meeting of Parliament -is said to have been held by Richard II. - -Of the scenery of 'The Talisman' it is difficult to say much beyond -what is generally known about the Holy Land. Scott never visited -Palestine and wrote only in general terms. He did contrive, however, -to inject a bit of Scottish scenery with which he was familiar, just as -he managed to begin the novel with the adventures of a Scottish knight, -and to find another countryman among the retainers of King Richard, in -the person of Sir Thomas de Multon, the Lord of Gilsland, whose 'love -and devotion to the King was like the vivid affection of the old -English mastiff to his master.' - -Readers of 'The Talisman' will recall, in the mansion of the hermit of -Engaddi, the beautiful miniature Gothic chapel, and will quickly note -the resemblance to Roslin {370} Chapel, near Edinburgh. The famous -feudal baron, William St. Clair, built the latter in a spirit of -penitence. An old manuscript informs us that 'to the end he might not -seem altogether unthankfull to God for the benefices received from Him, -it came in his minde to build a house for God's service of most curious -work, the which, that it might be done with greater glory and splendour -he caused artificers to be brought from other regions and forraigne -kingdoms and caused dayly to be abundance of all kinde of workemen -present.' - -The foundation was laid in 1446. It is called 'florid Gothic' for want -of a better name. There is no other architecture like it in the world. -It is a medley of all architectures, the Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, and -Saracenic being intermingled with all kinds of decorations and designs, -some exquisitely beautiful and others quaint and even grotesque. There -are thirteen different varieties of the arch. The owner possessed -wealth and wanted novelty. He secured the latter by engaging -architects and builders from all parts of Europe. The most striking -feature of an ulterior crowded with beautiful forms is the 'Prentice's -Pillar, a column with spiral wreaths of exquisitely carved foliage. - -It is curious to think of such a chapel as this concealed in a -mysterious mansion in the desert of Engaddi, but it is the only touch -of realistic description in the whole book, and Scott makes use of it -with his usual skill. - - - - -{371} - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -WOODSTOCK - -Between the completion of the 'Tales of the Crusaders' and the next -novel, 'Woodstock,' came the distressing change in Scott's affairs, -that set apart the remaining years of his life as a period of sadness, -disappointment, grief, and physical pain. They were years of almost -superhuman exertion, when the superb personal character of the man, -backed by an unconquerable will, triumphed over an accumulation of -afflictions that would have broken the heart of an ordinary person. -The victory cost him his life--but it was only after a battle of six -hard years, and even then it was the frail body and not the heart of -the man that succumbed. - -In the year 1825, when 'Woodstock' was commenced, the old, happy days, -when writing a story was a joyous pastime, came to an end forever, and -in their stead came a sense of toil and conscious effort. 'It was a -pleasant sight,' said Lockhart, 'when one happened to take a passing -peep into his den, to see the white head erect, and the smile of -conscious inspiration on his lips, while the pen, held boldly and at a -commanding distance, glanced steadily and gayly along a fast-blackening -page of "The Talisman." It now often made me sorry to catch a glimpse -of him, stooping and poring with his spectacles, amidst piles of -authorities, a little notebook ready in his left hand, that had always -used to be at liberty for patting Maida.' - -{372} - -Lockhart is here referring to the vast toil required in the preparation -of a 'Life of Napoleon,' which Scott had undertaken immediately after -returning from the tour through Ireland and Wales, made soon after the -completion of 'The Talisman.' It was the year when rumours of -financial troubles in London began to reach his ears, followed swiftly -by the failure of Constable and the Ballantynes, and later by the -sickness and death of Lady Scott and his own physical suffering. -Undaunted by misfortune he bravely continued his 'Napoleon,' and soon -conceived the idea of composing a work of imagination at the same time. -The first of three volumes of 'Woodstock' was, under these trying -circumstances, completed in fifteen days and the entire novel in three -months. - -The news of Scott's distress had spread throughout Scotland and England -and into many parts of Europe, and there was naturally a keen interest -in the story which he was known to be writing. The announcement that -Scott was the author of the Waverley Novels and that the man who had -accomplished this marvellous success had met with financial failure -came as a shock and a thrill. 'Scott ruined!' exclaimed the Earl of -Dudley; 'the author of "Waverley" ruined! Good God! Let every man to -whom he has given months of delight give him a sixpence, and he will -rise to-morrow morning richer than Rothschild!' The result of this -state of the public mind was that 'Woodstock' was successful beyond the -author's fondest dreams. - -The village of Woodstock, where practically the whole of the scene is -laid, lies about eight miles north-west of Oxford. The market-place -still has an ancient {373} look, though the houses are in fairly good -repair. To readers of the novel the chief place of interest in the -village is the old parish church where the Reverend Nehemiah Holdenough -was rudely crowded from his pulpit by the canting Independent soldier, -Trusty Tomkins, who proceeded to preach one of those weird sermons, -common enough at that time, in which the texts of Scripture were -perverted to apply to current events, with whatever significance the -orator might choose. A fine Norman doorway on the south side marks the -oldest part of the edifice, dating back probably as far as the twelfth -century. The north side is modern, having been built to replace the -older walls that were torn down. The tower was built in 1783. - -The real interest of Woodstock lies not in the church nor the village, -but in the vast park and palace, now called Blenheim, the property of -the Duke of Marlborough. As early as the reign of William the -Conqueror, Woodstock was a royal forest, and was so designated in the -Domesday Book. His son, Henry I, enclosed it with a wall six miles in -circumference (not so large as its present extent) and rebuilt the -house. It was here that Thomas à Becket in 1162 began the quarrel with -King Henry II, which led to his murder at Canterbury. King Henry added -to the old palace of Woodstock the famous tower and maze, where 'the -fair Rosamond' might be safely concealed from the jealous eyes of Queen -Eleanor. 'Rosamond's Well,' where Tomkins met his well-deserved death -at the hands of Joceline Joliffe, is the only remnant of the old palace -in existence. It is a spring, walled in and paved, and guarded by an -iron fence. We drank of its waters {374} and, following the -instructions of the old woman who acts as its keeper, threw what was -left in the glasses over our left shoulders 'for luck.' The well was -originally within the walls of the palace, so that its occupant could -obtain water without the risk of stepping outside. It may, therefore, -be considered as marking approximately the site of the old palace. - -Richard the Lion-Hearted and John were visitors to Woodstock. Henry -III made some improvements in the house. Edward III and Queen Philippa -were much attached to Woodstock and often made it their residence. It -was during their reign that the poet Chaucer, who was first a page and -later a royal 'esquire,' was frequently at Woodstock. He married one -of the Queen's maids of honour, and lived in a house in the village -which is still standing. As late as the time of James II, Woodstock -continued to be occupied, as a favourite country seat, by the English -sovereigns. During the great Civil War it was the scene of frequent -skirmishes and in the time of the Commonwealth was in the possession of -Cromwell. - -The fantastic performances by which the commissioners of the Long -Parliament were imposed upon and badly frightened when they visited -Woodstock, after the execution of Charles I, for the purpose of -destroying it, are fully explained in Scott's Introduction. - -[Illustration: GOLSTOW PRIORY (BURIAL-PLACE OF THE 'THE FAIR ROSAMOND')] - -In 1704, as a reward for his famous triumph in the battle of Blenheim, -the victorious commander, John Churchill, was created first Duke of -Marlborough, and presented with the vast estates of Woodstock. Queen -Anne and the Parliament bestowed upon him in addition the princely sum -of £240,000 with which to build a {375} mansion. Blenheim Palace is -the finest work of the most famous architect of his day, Sir John -Vanbrugh, who designed the building by command of the Queen. Its front -extends, from wing to wing, three hundred and forty-eight feet. The -style is Italo-Corinthian. Its spacious halls are filled with splendid -tapestries and many valuable paintings. There is a long ballroom, -equipped as a library at one end and with a great pipe-organ at the -other. The park comprises two thousand six hundred acres, with many -fine beeches, oaks, elms, cedars of Lebanon, and an avenue of lindens. -The river Glyme, which flowed through the estate of Woodstock, was -dammed by the landscape gardener of Blenheim and converted into a -picturesque lake, over which is an imposing bridge. In a remote corner -of the grounds we found the celebrated King's Oak, a fine old tree -supposed to be at least a thousand years old. - -Two characters of 'Woodstock' stepped into the tale, direct from -Scott's own household, thus giving a charming personal touch to this -novel in common with 'Redgauntlet' and several of the others. One of -these is the fine old hound, Bevis. It seems curious, in view of -Scott's fondness for his dogs, that not one of them should find a place -in any of his stories until so late a period of his life. Bevis, -however, made up for the previous omissions, and he is a splendid -picture of Sir Walter's favourite staghound Maida, 'the noblest dog -ever seen on the Border since Johnnie Armstrong's time.' So wrote -Scott to his friend Terry, adding, 'He is between the wolf and deer -greyhound, about six feet long from the tip of the nose to the tail, -and high and strong in proportion.... Tell Will Erskine he will eat -off his {376} plate without being at the trouble to put a paw on the -table or chair.' This noble animal, who for eight years enjoyed the -distinction of daily companionship with one of the most appreciative -masters who ever lived, came to his end in 1824, the year before -'Woodstock' was commenced. His image, sculptured in stone, had stood -for a year or more by the door of the main entrance to Abbotsford, as a -'leaping-on' stone, which Scott found convenient in mounting his horse. -Maida was buried beneath the stone, and an epitaph in Latin was carved -around its base, Scott's English version of which reads:-- - - Beneath the sculptured form which late you wore - Sleep soundly, Maida, at your master's door. - - -The other character from Scott's household was his daughter Anne--the -Alice Lee of the novel. The same loving care which Alice bestowed upon -her aged parent, Scott had felt at the hands of his youngest daughter. -When financial disaster began to weigh him down, and Lady Scott's -health began to fail, it was Anne who tenderly supported her beloved -father. In the sad days following the death of Lady Scott, she -accompanied him to London and Paris and was by his side when he -received his first paralytic stroke. Her health was shattered by the -long strain of her mother's illness and death, followed by that of her -father, and she survived her distinguished parent less than a year. - -Regarding the historical characters in the novel, the critics seem to -agree that the portraits of Cromwell and Charles II are far from -accurate and of course their part in the story is imaginary. When -Scott's enthusiasm for the Stuart family is considered, and his -sympathy for {377} royalty in general, as well as the habit among -Scotchmen of his time of regarding the great Protector as a hypocrite, -it must be admitted that his picture of Cromwell, while far from -flattering, is on the whole remarkably fair to that stern and powerful -leader. - -Although 'Woodstock' is not ranked among Scott's greatest novels, it is -noteworthy that many critics, including Lockhart and Andrew Lang, both -of whom usually preferred the Scottish romances, saw in it great merit. -In one respect it is the most wonderful of all novels--in the -self-control which enabled its author calmly to compose a -well-constructed story, full of incident and dramatic power, in the -face of afflictions which would have borne down a common mind to those -depths of despair in which the ordinary duties of life are forgotten. -Scott here proved to be not only a master of the art of story-telling, -but the master of himself. - - - - -{378} - -CHAPTER XXIX - -THE FAIR MAID OF PERTH - -Twoscore years elapsed between the day when Walter Scott, a lad of -fifteen, felt a thrill of rapture as he viewed the valley of the Tay -from the Wicks of Baiglie and the time when the same Walter, a worn-out -man, first used the beautiful scene as the setting of a novel. The -'inimitable landscape,' as he called it, took possession of his mind -and retained its influence during the greater part of his life. During -the sad years of discouragement, when the 'Canongate Chronicles' had -met with a cold reception, and his critical publishers were expressing -their views somewhat too sharply, Scott turned once more to his -well-loved Highlands for the theme of a story, and the picture which -had so aroused his 'childish wonder' came back again after more than -forty years. - -Naturally our first thought upon arriving at Perth was to find the -Wicks of Baiglie and enjoy the same sensation of wonder which Sir -Walter had so graphically described. We accordingly drove out over the -hills south of the town, on the Edinburgh road, till we came to the Inn -of Baiglie, but all to no purpose. A burly blacksmith, who looked as -if he might have been a descendant of Henry Gow himself, told us that -many people sought the view which Scott had described, but 'it did not -exist.' Changes in the road and the growth of foliage had completely -destroyed the prospect from the {379} Wicks of Baiglie. We were -compensated for our disappointment, however, by several glimpses of the -valley from Moncreiff Hill and by a superb view, which we enjoyed the -following day, from the summit of Kinnoull Hill, east of the city. At -the foot of this hill is the modern Castle of Kinfauns, replacing the -seat of Sir Patrick Charteris, to which the burghers of Perth made -their memorable journey. - -Perthshire is one of the largest counties in Scotland and excels all -the others in the beauty and variety of its scenery. Along its -southern border lies a region of moorlands, set with sparkling lochs -and rippling streams, in the midst of which are the famous Trossachs. -On the north are the rugged summits of the Grampian Mountains. In the -centre is Loch Tay, one of the loveliest of Highland lakes, fed by the -pure mountain streams that come down through the wild passes of Glen -Lochay and Glen Dochart. Its outlet is the pleasant river Tay, passing -down the eastern border through a valley of green meadows, waving -groves, fertile fields, and princely palaces. In a drive of one -hundred miles from Perth to Taymouth and back again by another route, -we saw not so much as half a mile of scenery that might be called -commonplace or uninteresting. - -North of the city is the Palace of Scone, which became the seat of -government in the eighth century, at which time the famous Stone of -Scone was brought from Dunstaffnage. Most of the Scottish kings were -crowned here, until Edward I, in the fourteenth century, carried the -stone to Westminster Abbey. Farther north, in the same valley, is a -bit of Shakespeare's scenery. We {380} passed through the Birnam Wood -of 'Macbeth,' though we saw no trees. Perhaps this was natural, for -according to Shakespeare they all went to Dunsinane Hill many years ago -and the bard does n't say that they ever came back. - -[Illustration: LOCH TAY] - -Perth is an ancient city, having received a charter from David I in the -early part of the twelfth century. For nearly three hundred years it -was the residence of the Scottish kings, who occupied during the -greater part of that time the monastery of the Dominicans or Black -Friars, formerly situated near the west end of the present bridge. -This is the church to which Simon Glover and his daughter were walking -when they were accosted by the frivolous young Duke of Rothsay, heir to -the throne of Scotland. It was founded in 1231. The city was well -provided with other religious houses, notably the Carthusian Monastery -founded in 1429, the Grey Friars in 1460, and the Carmelites or White -Friars, west of the town, dating from 1260. All of these have -disappeared, the result of a famous sermon preached by John Knox, in -1559, in the old Church of St. John, which aroused the populace to a -frenzy of excitement against the Church of Rome. St. John's Church was -itself despoiled of everything which the mob thought savoured of -popery, its altars, its images, and even its organ being destroyed. -The building itself remained unhurt. Old St. John's was established as -early as the fifth century. The transept and nave of the present -building were erected in the thirteenth century and the choir in the -fifteenth. At present the structure is divided into three churches, -the East, the Middle, and the West. The appeal to the direct judgment -{381} of Heaven, to determine the identity of the murderer of Oliver -Proudfute, which is described as taking place within this building, was -based upon a widespread belief that the corpse of a murdered person -would bleed upon the approach of the guilty person,--the same -superstition which Hawthorne used in 'The Marble Faun.' - -Scott gives the Black Friars' Monastery a conspicuous place in his -story, as the residence of King Robert III. That well-meaning but weak -monarch had three sons: the eldest, David, Duke of Rothsay, died at -Falkland Palace, under suspicious circumstances; the second, John, died -in infancy; while the third, known in history as James I, nominally -succeeded to the throne on the death of his father in 1406, but was -held a prisoner by the English and did not actually come into his -inheritance until 1424. One of his first acts was to throw Murdoch, -the son and successor of the Duke of Albany, into prison, and a little -later he punished the treachery of that nobleman by execution at -Stirling Castle. James I was a great contrast to his weak-minded -father and by the decisiveness of his character, the sagacity of his -statesmanship, and the brilliancy of his literary attainments gave -Scotland a memorable reign. It was due to his untimely death that -Perth lost her prestige as the seat of the Scottish kings. He was -suddenly surrounded by a band of three hundred Highlanders, who entered -his apartment at the Dominican Priory and stabbed him to death with -their daggers. The horror inspired by this assassination caused the -abrupt transfer of the Court to Edinburgh and the King's successor, -James II, was crowned at Holyrood Abbey instead of at Scone. - -{382} - -The house of the Fair Maid of Perth may still be seen in Curfew Street, -near the site of the old monastery. A comparison of its neat, -well-kept appearance with the pictures of the same house as it was -before the 'restoration' shows that it has improved with age as -wonderfully as Shakespeare's birthplace at Stratford-on-Avon. Not far -away, in a very narrow and squalid close, is another house celebrated -in the story--the veritable residence of Hal o' the Wynd. The rapid -multiplication of the Smith family may cause the sceptical to doubt the -authenticity of this landmark, but to the citizens of Perth it is the -original dwelling of the famous Henry Smith, or Henry Gow. - -The great public park and playground, north of the bridge, known as the -North Inch, was the scene of the famous Battle of the Clans which took -place in 1396. Thirty sturdy representatives of the Clan Chattan -fought to the death with an equal number of the Clan Kay, or as Scott -calls them, the Clan Quhele. When the conflict was about to commence, -it was discovered that the Clan Chattan numbered only twenty-nine, -whereupon a citizen of Perth, having no interest in the struggle, -volunteered, for the paltry sum of half a mark, to risk his life in the -frightful battle, and thus made up the required number. An ancient -chronicler sums up the result in these quaint words:-- - - -At last, the Clankayis war al slane except ane, that swam throw the -watter of Tay. Of Glenquhattannis, was left xi personis on live; bot -thay war sa hurt, that thay micht nocht hold thair swerdis in thair -handis. - - -There is a touch of contrition in Scott's portrayal of the cowardice of -Conachar. The novelist's brother, {383} Daniel, a man of dissipated -habits, had been employed in the island of Jamaica in some service -against a body of insurgent Negroes, and had shown a deficiency in -courage. He returned to Scotland a dishonoured man and Scott refused -to see him. A stern sense of duty impelled him to refuse even to -attend the funeral of the man who had disgraced his family. In later -years he bitterly repented this austerity and atoned for it by tenderly -caring for the unfortunate brother's child. - -Something of these feelings may have been in his mind when he wrote in -his Diary on December 5, 1827: 'The fellow that swam the Tay would be a -good ludicrous character. But I have a mind to try him in the serious -line of tragedy.... Suppose a man's nerves, supported by feelings of -honour, or say by the spur of jealousy, sustaining him against -constitutional timidity to a certain point, then suddenly giving way, I -think something tragic might be produced.... Well, I'll try my brave -coward or cowardly brave man.' - -Campsie Linn, where Conachar made his final appearance, and with a last -despairing shriek 'plunged down the precipice into the raging cataract -beneath,' is a pleasant little waterfall in the Tay, seen through a -small clearing in the woods. It is scarcely a cataract nor are the -precipices formidable. The religious house where Catharine took refuge -has completely disappeared. - -Falkland Castle, to which the Duke of Rothsay was carried, a prisoner, -is in Fifeshire, about fifteen miles southeast of Perth. The rooms in -which the Prince was quartered were probably in the old tower, which -has completely disappeared. Excavations made by the Marquis of Bute in -1892 show it to have been an {384} extensive building fifty feet in -diameter. The present castle, or the greater part of it, was built at -a period somewhat later than that of the story. As early as 1160, -Falkland was known as part of the property of the Earls of Fife, who -were descendants of Macduff, the famous Thane of Fife, who put an end -to the reign of Macbeth in 1057. On the death of Isabel, Countess of -Fife, the last of her race, Falkland came into the hands of the Duke of -Albany, the brother of King Robert III. Albany was intensely jealous -of his nephew, the Duke of Rothsay, who, after attaining his majority, -began to display traits of character more worthy than those ascribed to -him in the novel. He was entrusted by the King with affairs of some -importance and gave promise of developing into an active and vigorous -successor to his father. This was, of course, a menace to the plans of -Albany, who sought the crown for himself, and he therefore managed to -exaggerate the young man's faults to the King and to stir up suspicions -against him, until the feeble monarch consented to allow his son to be -imprisoned for a time as a cure for his profligacy. The Queen, who -might have interceded for the Prince, was dead, as was also the Bishop -of St. Andrew, who had often been a mediator in the royal quarrels. -Sir John de Ramorny, the young man's tutor, who had suggested to him -the assassination of Albany and had been indignantly repulsed, revenged -himself by false reports to his pupil's uncle, and was commissioned by -the latter to arrest his former charge. The Duke of Rothsay was -thereupon waylaid and carried to the Castle of Falkland. The common -report was that he was placed in a dungeon and starved to death. It -was said that a poor woman, who heard {385} his groans while she was -passing through the garden, kept him alive for a time by passing small -pieces of barley cake through the bars. Another woman fed him with her -own milk, which she conveyed through a small reed to the famished -prisoner. Another story is that the daughter of the governor of the -castle was the one who took compassion on the Prince, and that her -wicked father put her to death as a punishment for showing mercy. The -Duke of Albany and the Earl of Douglas were charged with the murder, -but maintained that the Prince had died from natural causes and the -Parliament unanimously acquitted them. Lord Bute, who gave much study -to the records of the case, was inclined to doubt the commission of an -actual murder, but admitted that the cause of the young Duke's death -must always remain uncertain. - -[Illustration: HOUSE OF THE FAIR MAID OF PERTH] - -James I and James II made important additions to Falkland, and James V, -who found it in a ruinous condition, made many extensive repairs and -additions. It was here that the latter king died of a broken heart, at -the early age of thirty-two. A few moments before his death, when -informed of the birth of his daughter, Mary, who became the Queen of -Scots, he exclaimed prophetically, referring to the crown, 'It cam' wi' -a lass and it'll gang wi' a lass.' Mary herself visited the castle -annually for five or six years, before her marriage with Darnley and -spent many happy days there. Her son, James VI, also made it his -residence and was living there at the time he was enticed away in the -'Gowrie Conspiracy.' The last king to visit the palace was Charles II, -who came for a stay of several days, after his coronation at Scone in -1651. Later the troops of Cromwell {386} occupied the place, and its -historical interest ceased soon afterward. - -'The Fair Maid of Perth' was finished in the spring of 1828. When the -author laid down his pen, it was to mark the real close of the Waverley -Novels. True, others were yet to be written, but they were the work of -a broken man, and failed to come up to Scott's high standard. It is -one of the marvels of literature that a novel so attractive and -interesting as 'The Fair Maid' could be produced under circumstances so -distracting and painful. No one places it in the same rank as 'Guy -Mannering' and 'Ivanhoe,' yet it was popular at the time of publication -and has always been regarded as entirely worthy of the reputation of -the 'Great Wizard.' The indomitable will of the master was still able -to hold his matchless imagination to its task, though the days of its -power were now numbered. - - - - -{387} - -CHAPTER XXX - -THE CHRONICLES OF THE CANONGATE AND OTHER TALES - -The remaining tales of the Waverley Novels require only brief mention. -There is but little in them of the 'Country of Sir Walter Scott,' and -scarcely more of the author himself. They are the final efforts of a -man whose extraordinary buoyancy of youthful spirit is at last -beginning to sink beneath a burden too great for human endurance. To -begin at fifty-five the uninspiring task of 'paying for dead horses' -the vast sum of £117,000, an amount which few men are able to earn by -honest labour in all the days of their lives, required a superb courage -which only Scott's high sense of honour could have sustained. Scarcely -had the resolve been made when a second crushing blow fell with a force -more stunning than the first. His beloved wife, the companion of -thirty years, was taken away at the hour of his greatest need. She who -could relieve the tedium of his toil by slipping quietly into the room -to see if the fire burned, or to ask some kind question, was no longer -present to comfort him. He felt a paralyzing sense of loneliness and -old age, which even the devotion of his daughter Anne could not -relieve. To continue the awful grind of writing for money--for -something which he could not enjoy nor save for any cherished purpose, -but must surrender at once to others--required an almost superhuman -exertion of will power. His health began to fail. Headaches and -insomnia, added to rheumatism, {388} caused him great distress. His -early lameness became intensified and made walking so painful that he -had to abandon what had been his favourite form of exercise. The once -vigorous frame had prematurely worn out under the strain imposed upon -it. Scott had become an aged man at less than threescore years. Yet -in these years of disappointment, grief, and physical pain he produced -an amount of work of which an ordinary man might well be proud had it -represented a lifetime of toil. From 1826, the year of Constable's -failure, to 1831, this man of iron will produced no less than forty[1] -volumes, besides fifteen important reviews, essays, etc., and in -addition supervised the publication of his complete prose writings and -the Waverley Novels, preparing for the latter a series of exhaustive -introductions and notes. - -I have anticipated a little by devoting a separate chapter to 'The Fair -Maid of Perth' which appeared as {389} the Second Series of the -'Chronicles of the Canongate' in 1828. The 'First Series' was -published in 1827 and comprised 'The Two Drovers,' 'The Highland -Widow,' and 'The Surgeon's Daughter.' To many the chief interest lies -in the Introduction. When the work was first projected, Scott thought -of preserving his incognito by conceiving the tales to be the work of -one Chrystal Croftangry, an elderly gentleman who had taken quarters -for a time within the Sanctuary, as the immediate vicinity of Holyrood -was called. Here, as in the famous Alsatia of London, debtors were -safe from arrest. Scott at one time feared that the importunities of a -certain relentless creditor might force him to take refuge in the -Sanctuary. On November 1, 1827, he made this entry in his Journal: 'I -waked in the night and lay two hours in feverish meditation ... I -suppose that I, the Chronicler of the Canongate, will have to take up -my residence in the Sanctuary, unless I prefer the more airy residence -of the Colton Jail, or a trip to the Isle of Man.' Fortunately this -creditor was silenced by Scott's generous friend, Sir William Forbes, -who privately paid the claim out of his own pocket.[2] - -There is much in Mr. Croftangry's lengthy biography to remind one of -Sir Walter himself. He finds pleasure in visiting the Portobello sands -to see the cavalry drill, suggesting at once the young quartermaster of -the Edinburgh Volunteers, who rode a black charger up and down the -sands while he composed some of the most spirited stanzas of 'Marmion.' -He delights to spend the wet mornings with his book and the pleasant -ones in strolling upon the Salisbury Crags--just as Walter, {390} the -high-school boy and college student loved to do. In Mrs. Bethune -Baliol, the genial old lady who assists Mr. Croftangry in his literary -speculations, we have a kindly reference to a dear friend of the -author--Mrs. Murray Keith, who died at eighty-two years of age, 'one of -the few persons whose spirits and cleanliness, and freshness of mind -and body made old age lovely and desirable.' - -The volume is still more interesting because it contains Scott's first -printed acknowledgment of the authorship of the Waverley Novels and -gives an insight into some of the original suggestions of both -characters and scenery. It also contains an account of the Theatrical -Fund Dinner held in Edinburgh in February, 1827, in which Scott was -publicly referred to as the author of the Waverley Novels and -acknowledged in the presence of three hundred gentlemen the secret -which he had hitherto confided to only twenty. - - -'The Highland Widow' is a story of that wild but beautiful portion of -Argyllshire of which Loch Awe is the chief attraction. Dumbarton -Castle, where the widow's unfortunate son bravely paid with his life -for the mistaken teachings and indiscretions of his mother, is a -conspicuous object on the right bank of the Clyde, a few miles below -Glasgow. It stands on a high rock, the circumference of which at the -base is fully a mile. It is still maintained as one of the defences of -Scotland, in accordance with the Treaty of Union. - - -'The Two Drovers' is an excellent short story picturing the life of -those men who drove their cattle from the {391} Highlands about Doune, -to the markets of Lincolnshire or elsewhere in England, making the -entire journey on foot, sleeping with their droves at night in all -kinds of weather and enduring many hardships. - - -'The Surgeon's Daughter,' though it opens in one of the midland -counties of Scotland, is chiefly a story of India, and the scenery is -therefore not a part of Scott's Country, for he never saw it. The good -old doctor, Gideon Grey, was, however, an old friend who lived in -Selkirk, Dr. Ebenezer Clarkson, one of those hard-working country -doctors who often combine, 'under a blunt exterior, professional skill -and enthusiasm, intelligence, humanity, courage, and science.' - - -'Anne of Geierstein,' though sharply criticized by James Ballantyne and -regarded by the author himself as a task which he hated, is -nevertheless a wonderful work of imagination, in which the old-time -genius is clearly manifest. Lockhart points out the power, which Scott -retained in advanced years, of depicting 'the feelings of youth with -all their original glow and purity,' and says that nowhere has the -author 'painted such feelings more deliciously' than in certain -passages of 'Anne of Geierstein.' He assigns as a reason the fact that -Scott always retained in memory the events of his own happy life, and -besides 'he was always living over again in his children, young at -heart whenever he looked on them.' - -Though admittedly erroneous in certain historical details, the volume -contains some wonderful descriptions of scenery. Scott never visited -Switzerland, where {392} the chief interest of the story lies, but -seemed to have an instinctive grasp of its charm, which he accounted -for by saying, 'Had I not the honour of an intimate personal -acquaintance with every pass in the Highlands; and if that were not -enough, had I not seen pictures and prints _galore_?' The story opens -at the village of Lucerne, and the Lake of the Four Cantons, beneath -the shadow of the awe-inspiring Mount Pilatus. Those who have -travelled from this point to Bâle, and thence down the Rhine to -Strasburg, should have a fairly good idea of the scenery of the -novel--better, perhaps, than the author himself. Charles of Burgundy, -whose character and career had made a strong impression upon Scott -through the pages of Philippe de Comines, appears once more, and the -novel closes with his defeat at Nancy and tragic death in a half-frozen -swamp, the victim of the traitorous Campo-basso. The story of King -René and the events at Aix in Provence was an afterthought, woven into -the tale at the suggestion of James Skene, who supplied the necessary -details. - - -'Count Robert of Paris' is a tale of Constantinople, a city which Scott -had not visited. The difficulties under which it was written may be -judged from such expressions in the Journal as these: 'My pen stammers -egregiously and I write horridly incorrect'; 'The task of pumping my -brain becomes inevitably harder'; 'My bodily strength is terribly gone; -perhaps my mental also.' The spirit which enabled him to persevere in -spite of Cadell and Ballantyne, who were again criticizing severely, -may be seen from these lines: 'But I will fight it out if I can. It -would argue too great an attachment {393} of consequence to my literary -labours to sink under critical clamour. Did I know how to begin, _I -would begin again this very day, although I knew I should sink at the -end._' - -In spite of the doctor's advice, he kept on with his dictation--for he -could no longer use the pen--and finished 'Count Robert' amidst a -frightful sea of troubles. He had suffered three or four strokes of -apoplexy or palsy, and had experienced daily tortures from cramp, -rheumatism, and increasing lameness. Yet in the midst of all this -affliction he thought of his creditors and said repeatedly to Lockhart, -'I am very anxious to be done, one way or another, with this "Count -Robert," and a little story about the "Castle Dangerous"'--thus to the -last continuing the old trick of starting a new story before its -predecessor was finished. He even resumed his youthful practice of -going in search of material, and actually undertook an excursion to -Douglas in Lanarkshire, where he examined attentively the old -ivy-covered fragment of the original castle, the ruins of the old -church, and the crypt of the Douglases, filled with leaden coffins. He -even talked with the people of the village, after his old-time fashion, -and gathered such legends as they could remember. He was now on -familiar ground and speedily finished the latest story, bringing 'Count -Robert' to a close about the same time. The two were published in -November, 1831, as the Fourth Series of 'Tales of My Landlord.' These -volumes completed the literary labours of Sir Walter, except that he -continued to work a little at his notes and introductions, but at last -he took the advice of his friends and agreed to do no more work of an -exacting {394} nature. A journey to the Continent followed, including -a visit to Malta, but in the following year he was glad to return to -his beloved Abbotsford. On the 21st of September, 1832, lying in the -dining-room of the mansion which his industry and courage had saved to -his family, and listening to the rippling of his beloved river Tweed, -the brave and honourable as well as honoured writer, breathed his last. -He had fought a good fight and died in the belief that he had won. And -so he had. For although the debt was not entirely paid, the subsequent -sale of copyrights realized enough to satisfy all claims. Scott's -sense of honour and superb courage had won a glorious victory. - - - -[1] The volumes were:-- - - Woodstock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 volumes - - Life of Napoleon Buonaparte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 - - Chronicles of the Canongate, First Series,--comprising - The Two Drovers, The Highland Widow, and The Surgeon's - Daughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - - Tales of a Grandfather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 - - Chronicles of the Canongate, Second Series--The Fair - Maid of Perth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 - - Anne of Geierstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 - - A History of Scotland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - - The Doom of Devorgoil and Auchindrane . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 - - Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 - - Tales of My Landlord, Fourth Series,--Count Robert of - Paris, and Castle Dangerous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - __ - 40 - -Three short stories, which Ballantyne objected to including in the -Canongate Chronicles, were printed in The Keepsake. These were 'My -Aunt Margaret's Mirror,' 'The Tapestried Chamber,' and the 'Death of -the Laird's Jock.' - -[2] See Chapter V, _Rokeby_, page 95. - - - - -{395} - -CHAPTER XXXI - -A SUCCESSFUL LIFE - -In travelling so many miles to view the scenery of Scott's work, I -think the strongest impression I have received is that of the -all-pervading personality of Scott himself. It was one of the joys of -the experience that so many places, not particularly attractive in -themselves, should suddenly become interesting when found to be -connected in some way with Scott's life or with something he had -written; and that scenes of great natural beauty should become invested -with a new fascination whenever they were found to suggest some line of -poetry or to recall some well-remembered incident. I am sure I should -never have given a second thought to the bit of an old wall which is -now the scant remnant of Triermain Castle, had I passed it without -knowledge of its identity; but it was worth going far out of the way to -see, if only for the sake of realizing how the merest fragment of an -old ruin could suggest a poem to Scott and how he could rebuild a -castle in all its early magnificence and people it with the children of -his fancy. - -I know of no more romantic place in all of beautiful Scotland than the -vale of the Esk, where the river flows between high cliffs, clothed -with thick shrubbery and overhanging vines; and one can stand by the -side of the stream, looking over the lacelike foliage of the tree-tops, -and catch glimpses now and then of some fascinating old ruin, peeping -down like a fairy castle, lodged in the {396} topmost branches. Yet -when I recall its charm, I cannot help remembering how it transformed -an Edinburgh lawyer of small reputation into a poet of world-wide fame. - -Wherever we went, whether driving through the Canongate of Edinburgh, -or looking across the Tweed toward the Eildon Hills, or listening to -the shrill screams of the sea-fowl as they dashed about the dizzy -heights of St. Abb's Head, or wandering quietly through the woods that -lend a wild and fairy-like enchantment to the Trossachs, there was -always the feeling that Scott had been there before and had so left the -impress of his personality that his spirit seemed to remain. - -It was a pleasant sensation, for there seemed to be in it an -indefinable consciousness of the presence of Scott's own genial nature, -that spirit of good-fellowship which so delighted Washington Irving -when he enjoyed the rare privilege of wandering over the hills and -valleys with Sir Walter, listening to countless anecdotes and ballads, -and sharing his boundless hospitality for several days. - -[Illustration: ABBOTSFORD] - -This feeling became more and more intense as we went about in the -Border Country, which must be regarded as Scott's real home, and it -reached its culmination when we came to Abbotsford. Here, thanks to -the courtesy of Mr. James Curie, the representative in Melrose of the -Honourable Mrs. Maxwell-Scott, a great-granddaughter of the poet and -the present owner of the estate, we were greeted with a kindness worthy -of Sir Walter's own ideas of hospitality. We seemed to meet the -original owner face to face--not the poet--not the novelist--but Walter -Scott, the man. - -The great mansion and the spacious, well-wooded estate which he took so -much joy in creating and {397} struggled so desperately to save, seemed -to typify all the success and all the failure of his career. The -garden with the arched screen, copied by his own desire from the -cloisters of Melrose Abbey; the pile of stones in the centre, that once -formed the base of the ancient Mercat Cross of his native city; the -stone image of the favourite old stag-hound Maida, placed just outside -the door, as a constant reminder of the faithful friend of many years; -the entrance itself, copied from the Palace of Linlithgow; the hall, -with its fine carved woodwork from the old Kirk of Dunfermline; the -museum with its collection of guns, swords, armour, and curious -articles of every description, suggesting the author's antiquarian -tastes and the loving interest which scores of friends took in -presenting him with the things they knew he would appreciate; the -library with its thousands of volumes representing the author's own -literary tastes; the study with his own desk and chair; the dining-room -with its highly prized ancestral portraits; and the bay-window through -which Sir Walter looked for the last time upon the rippling waters of -his beloved Tweed--all these seemed to bring his kindly personality -nearer to us. - -I believe it was this all-pervading personality, the spirit of -brotherly kindness, of generosity and of love, that made Scott's life a -success. It is reflected through page after page in the novels and -poems, and shines out brilliantly from the beginning to the end of -Lockhart's great biography. It is the very essence of that wholesome -quality which has been so often remarked as one of the most -distinguishing characteristics of the Waverley Novels. - -There were no signs on Scott's property warning {398} trespassers to -'keep out.' He felt that such things would be offensive to the -feelings of the people and if any of his neighbours could shorten a -journey by walking through his grounds, he wanted them to have the -advantage. There was one sign on his land, by a broad path through the -woods, reading 'The _Rod_ to Selkirk.' The spelling was Tom Purdie's, -but the implied invitation to take a 'short cut' through the private -estate was warmly endorsed by his master. It was a pleasure to him to -see children come up with a pocketful of nuts gathered from his trees, -rather than run away at sight of him, and he declared that no damage -had ever been done in consequence of the free access which all the -world had to his place. - -When he walked over his estate, talking familiarly with Maida, who -almost invariably accompanied him, he would stop for a friendly word -with every tenant. 'Sir Walter speaks to every man as if they were -blood relations,' said one of them. Happy the companion who could take -such a walk with him. 'Oh! Scott was a master spirit--as glorious in -his conversation as in his writings,' wrote Irving. 'He spoke from the -fulness of his mind, pouring out an incessant flow of anecdote and -story, with dashes of humour, and then never monopolizing, but always -ready to listen and appreciate what came from others. I never felt -such a consciousness of happiness as when under his roof.' - -The same kindliness, experienced by tenants and visitors, was extended -to the servants of the family, as Tom Purdie could heartily testify. -Tom was brought before Scott, as sheriff, charged with poaching. He -told his story with such pathos,--of a wife and many children {399} to -feed, of scarcity of work and abundance of grouse,--mingling with it so -much sly humour, that the 'Shirra's' kind heart was touched. He took -Tom into his own employment as shepherd, and no master ever had a more -faithful servant. When Purdie died, twenty-five years later, he was -laid to rest in the churchyard of Melrose Abbey, where his grave is -marked by a simple monument, inscribed by his master, 'in sorrow for a -humble but sincere friend.' Peter Mathieson, a brother-in-law of Tom, -who was employed as coachman about the same time, survived his master. -The portraits of both these servants occupy an honoured place on the -walls of the armoury at Abbotsford. - -No man was ever on more delightful terms with his family than Sir -Walter. Captain Basil Hall, who spent a Christmas fortnight at -Abbotsford, recorded that 'even the youngest of his nephews and nieces -can joke with him, and seem at all times perfectly at ease in his -presence--his coming into the room only increases the laugh and never -checks it--he either joins in what is going on, or passes.' When -writing in his study, if Lady Scott or the children entered, his train -of thought was not disturbed. He merely regarded the interruption as a -welcome diversion by which he felt refreshed. Sometimes he would lay -down his pen and, taking the children on his knee, tell them a story; -then kissing them, and telling them to run away till supper-time, he -would resume his work with a contented smile. He considered it 'the -highest duty and sweetest pleasure' of a parent to be a companion to -his children. They in turn reciprocated by sharing with 'papa' all -their little joys and sorrows and taking him into their hearts as their -{400} very best playfellow. No man ever took more pleasure in the -education of his children. On Sundays he would often go out with the -whole family, dogs included, for a long walk, and when the entire party -were grouped about him, by the side of some pleasant brook, he would -tell stories from the Bible, weaving into them all that picturesque -charm and richness which have made his written stories so delightful. -He taught his children to love the out-of-door life, and especially -insisted upon their attaining proficiency in horsemanship, that they -might become as fearless as himself. 'Without courage,' he said, -'there cannot be truth; and without truth, there can be no other -virtue.' - -What Scott taught his children, he impressed upon all, by the force of -example, throughout his life. Shortly before his death, in a few -simple words, he epitomized his creed--without intending to do so--in a -tender parting message to his son-in-law. 'Lockhart,' he said, 'I may -have but a minute to speak to you. My dear, be a good man--be -virtuous--be religious--be a good man. Nothing else will give you any -comfort when you come to lie here.' When Lockhart asked if he should -send for Sophia and Anne, he said, 'No, don't disturb them. Poor -souls! I know they were up all night--God bless you all.' - -This lifelong desire to 'be good' and to do good, without the slightest -affectation, prudery, or sanctimoniousness, was I believe the crowning -glory of Scott's life and the secret of his success. - -Yet in many ways Scott was not successful. Judged by that test which -is the only one allowed to many men, his life was distinctly a failure. -In the ordinary usage of {401} the term, a man is accounted successful -if he accomplishes his chief aim in life. Wealth is the aim of so many -that rich men are usually considered successful, and those who die poor -are commonly supposed to be failures. - -Scott aimed to write a popular kind of poetry, and in this he -succeeded. He then turned to fiction and here he was even more -successful. But this kind of success did not represent his supreme -desire. He sought to make it the means to an end, and the dream of his -life was, after all, wealth. Not riches for himself. He was never -mean enough for that, and selfishness did not enter into his nature. -It was wealth for his family that he desired. He was a man of great -pride and the old feudal system was full of attractiveness. He knew -every detail of the history of the Scott family for centuries. He -revered the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch as the head of his clan. As -his writings, year after year, brought him financial returns almost -fabulous in size, he began to cherish the desire to found a new branch -of the Scott Clan. The irresistible impulse to add new lands to -Abbotsford, regardless of cost, and to erect a great mansion, fit for -the residence of an earl, all sprang from this one motive. The -readiness with which he purchased a captaincy in the army for his -eldest son, at a cost of £3500, and the cheerfulness with which he -settled nearly the whole of Abbotsford upon young Walter and his -affianced bride, promising that if he should be spared ten years he -would give them as much more, are striking indications of his intense -longing to establish the Scotts of Abbotsford among the great families -of Scotland. - -In this, the greatest ambition of his life, Scott was {402} completely -thwarted. Though Abbotsford was saved from the wreck of his fortunes -by an almost superhuman effort, the estate which passed to his heirs -was not so large as he had expected, nor did his sons live long to -enjoy it. The eldest, Walter, died in 1847, and as he had no son, the -baronetcy expired with him. The younger son, Charles, had died in 1841. - -The failure of Scott's hopes was the result of a long chain of -circumstances. In early life he had undertaken the practice of law, -and continued for ten years without rising above the level of mere -drudgery, his earnings for the first five years averaging only eighty -pounds annually and probably not rising very much higher during the -subsequent years. Finding it necessary, at length, to give up the law -entirely, he arranged to secure an appointment as Clerk of the Court of -Session, to succeed an aged incumbent of that office. The agreement -was that Scott should do the work while his predecessor drew the pay, -in consideration of which he was to have the entire emolument after the -old gentleman's death. The office was worth eight hundred pounds a -year and offered a very fair substitute for the small earnings at the -bar. Unfortunately the gentleman was so inconsiderate as to prolong -his existence for six years after the bargain was made. - -Scott was already in possession of a private income of one thousand -pounds, to which the office of Sheriff of Selkirk added three hundred -pounds, and was beginning to receive large rewards for his literary -labour, 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel' bringing him £769 6_s._ for the -first and second editions. It might be supposed that such an income -would satisfy a young man not yet {403} thirty-four. Scott, however, -was ambitious, and feeling the need of the additional income which did -not at once materialize from the clerkship, sought to make up the -deficiency by investing nearly all his capital in a commercial venture. -He entered into a secret partnership with James Ballantyne in the -printing business, which proved, with one exception, to be the greatest -mistake of his life. The exception, which marked, in Lockhart's -phrase, 'the blackest day in his calendar,' was in connecting his -fortunes with John Ballantyne in the publishing business. - -James Ballantyne's greatest fault was a tendency to rely too much upon -Scott's judgment, and the latter was too much swayed by generous -motives to be a prudent business manager. He would favour the -publication of an unmarketable book rather than disappoint a friend. -Moreover, his own great interest in works of an historical or -antiquarian nature often led him astray. His judgment of good -literature was better than his knowledge of what the public was likely -to buy. The firm became loaded with unprofitable enterprises, which -they, in turn, unloaded, in part, upon Constable, thus contributing one -of the causes of the latter's downfall. Another weakness of James -Ballantyne, who was an excellent printer and in many ways an exemplary -man, was his distaste for figures and utter indifference to his -balance-sheets--a fatal error for a business man. - -John Ballantyne, a younger brother of James, was a light-headed, -happy-go-lucky, careless little fellow, who could amuse a company of -friends with comic songs and droll mimicry, who loved all kinds of -sports, drove a tandem down the Canongate, was fond of {404} -dissipation and gay company, and without the slightest capacity for -business or interest in it. Like his brother he was intensely fond of -Scott and loyal to him, but a reckless adventurer and spendthrift. -Scott nicknamed him 'Rigdumfunnidos' and was always amused by him, but -could scarcely have had respect for his business qualities. It must -always remain a mystery why he entrusted so large an interest in his -own fortunes to such a weakling. - -An alliance, and, what is worse, a secret one, with two such men, who -could not in any sense act as a brake upon Scott's own impulses nor -steady him with the business experience which he sadly lacked, was -mistake enough; but Scott himself committed a serious error in his own -affairs. He fell into the habit of selling his literary productions -before they were written, and carried this folly to such an extreme -that about the time of the issue of 'The Fortunes of Nigel,' he had -received payment, by notes, from the bookseller, for no less than four -works of fiction, which at that time had not even been planned. They -subsequently appeared as 'Peveril of the Peak,' 'Quentin Durward,' 'St. -Ronan's Well,' and 'Redgauntlet.' The proceeds were spent upon the -castle at Abbotsford before the books were even named. John Ballantyne -was rapidly spending money which his firm had not earned, and Scott, -who ought to have remonstrated against such rashness, was committing -the same fault on a larger scale. Under the circumstances the only -wonder is that the disaster was so long averted. When it came, Scott -found himself involved in the debts of the Ballantynes to the extent of -£117,000. - -[Illustration: SCOTT MONUMENT, EDINBURGH] - -With superb courage he rose to the emergency. {405} Assuming the -entire burden, and struggling against almost insuperable difficulties, -he succeeded in paying £63,000, or considerably more than half of the -indebtedness. Life insurance of £22,000 and £2000 in the hands of his -trustees reduced the debt to about £30,000, which sum was advanced by -Cadell, the publisher. All the creditors, except the latter, were then -paid in full, and in 1847, fifteen years after Scott's death, Cadell -was paid by a transfer of copyrights and the entire obligation was thus -finally extinguished. - -Had Scott died at the time of the Constable failure, leaving his -affairs to be settled by the ordinary process of the law, and the -Ballantyne creditors unpaid, the world would never have known whether -the unprecedented success of his literary labours was after all quite -sufficient to counterbalance the disastrous failure of his business -affairs. - -The catastrophe, however, brought out all the sterling qualities of his -character. How much courage he possessed, what a high sense of honour, -what patience, what endurance, even his closest friends had never -realized. Just as those kindly personal qualities had woven an -indescribable charm into the products of his fancy, such as no other -series of writings had ever before possessed, so the highest and -noblest traits of his character responded to the call of a great -emergency, and converted the failures of a lifetime into a final -triumph. - - - -THE END - - - - -{407} - -INDEX - - -ABBOT, THE, 4, 10, 265-271; 348. - -Abbotsford, 39, 46, 89, 90, 133, 146, 220, 233, 346, 352, 360, 376, -394, 396, 397, 398, 399, 401, 402. - -Abercorn, Lady, letter to, 22. - -Abercrombie, George, 119. - -Aberfoyle, 74; clachan of, 192, 193; 194; old bridge, 193. - -Adam, Rt. Hon. William, 267, 268. - -Albany, Duke of, 381, 384, 385. - -Allan-Fraser, Patrick, 154. - -Allan, the river, 259. - -Alsatia (Whitefriars), 323, 324. - -Amboglanna, 136. - -Annan, 357. - -Annan, the river, 359. - -ANNE OF GEIERSTEIN, 391, 392. - -Anne, Queen, 374. - -ANTIQUARY, THE, 145-159. - -Arbroath, 151-155; 158. - -Argyle, John, Duke of, 202, 207. - -Argyle, Marquis of, 225, 226, 227, 228, 231. - -Arthur's Seat, 8, 60. - -Ashby de la Zouch, 234, 235, 236. - -Ashestiel, 48, 62, 106, 346, 352. - -Auchmithie, 155, 158. - -Avon, the river, 283. - - - -Baiglie, the Wicks of, 10, 378. - -Bailie, Joanna, letter to, 366. - -Balfour, John, of Burley, 169, 177, 178, 179. - -Baliol, Barnard, founder of Barnard Castle, 88. - -Ballantyne, James, 5, 106, 365, 372, 391, 392, 403. - -Ballantyne, John, 5, 273, 372, 403, 404. - -Balmawhapple, 124. - -Balquhidder, Kirk of, 188, 189. - -Balue, Cardinal John de la, 234, 343. - -Bannockburn, 81, 104. - -Bard's Incantation, The, 159. - -Barnard Castle, 86-88, 92. - -Beaton, Cardinal, 155. - -Becket, Thomas à, 373. - -Bemerside Heights, 352. - -Ben An, 12, 76. - -Ben Ledi, 12, 73, 77. - -Ben Lomond, 12, 193. - -Ben Nevis, 233. - -Ben Venue, 12, 74, 76, 78. - -BETROTHED, THE, 365-369. - -Birnam Wood, 380. - -Bishop's Palace, the, Kirkwall, 307. - -Blackford Hill, 8, 57, 59. - -Black Ormiston, the Laird of, original of Julian Avenel, 261. - -Blackwood, William, criticism by, of _The Black Dwarf_, 165. - -Blair Adam Club, The, 267. - -BLACK DWARF, THE, 15, 160-165. - -Blenheim, battle of, 374. - -Blenheim Palace, 373-375. - -Bohun, Sir Henry de, 104. - -Border Minstrelsy, 52. - -Borthwick, the river, 35. - -Bothwell Bridge, 168, 170, 171. - -Bothwell Castle, 172. - -Bower, Johnny, guide at Melrose, 41. - -Bowhill, seat of the Duke of Buccleuch, 35. - -Bowness, 357. - -Bradwardine, Bears of, 107, 109. - -Bradwardine, Cosmo Comyne, 118, 123. - -Bradwardine, Rose, 113. - -Braes of Balquhidder, 11, 66, 78, 186, 187, 196. - -Branksome Hall, 37, 43. - -Branxton Hill, 7. - -BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN, THE, 16, 20, 21, 91, 96-99; 104. - -BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR, THE, 215-223; 190. - -Brignall Woods, 91, 92. - -Brig o' Turk, 71, 74, 77. - -Brogar, Bridge of, 310. - -Brown Square, 9. - -Bruce, John, discoveries of, in Kinrossness, Shetland, 208, 209. - -Bruce, Robert, 40, 80, 101, 102, 103, 124, 129, 152, 191, 230, 262, -304, 332. - -Bryant, William Cullen, quoted, 164. - -Buccleuch, Duchess of (Countess of Dalkeith), 31, 32, 34, 46. - -Buccleuch, Duke of, 32; 35; 46; 49. - -Buchanan, Francis, 120. - -Buchanan, John, 72, 120. - -Burgh-upon-Sands, 358. - -Burns, Robert, 126, 142. - -Byron, Lord, 104. - - - -Cadell, Robert, 392, 405. - -Cadyow Castle, 30; quotation, 31. - -Caerlaverock Castle, 127-129, 135, 357. - -Caerlaverock Churchyard, grave of Old Mortality, 167. - -Calton Hill, 60. - -Cambus Kenneth, 80. - -Cambusmore, 72, 120. - -Campbell, Robert MacGregor, original of Rob Roy, exploits of, 182-188; -death of, 189. - -Campsie Linn, 110, 383. - -Canongate, The, Edinburgh, 209. - -Cargill, George, original of Saunders Mucklebackit, 156. - -Carlisle, 21, 121, 357, 358, 362. - -Caroline, Queen, 204. - -Carpenter, Miss Charlotte Margaret. _See_ Lady Scott. - -Carrick, Margaret, original of Tib Mumps, 137. - -Castell Coch, Wales, 368. - -Castell Dinas Bran, 367. - -CASTLE DANGEROUS, 190, 393. - -Castle Street, Edinburgh, Number 39, Scott's residence, 346. - -Castleton, 328. - -Cat Castle rocks, 94. - -Cathcart Castle, 271. - -Chambers, Robert, quoted, 202, 204. - -Chambers, William, quoted, 163. - -Charles I, 90, 225, 233, 319, 322, 326, 374. - -Charles II, 184, 242, 325, 326, 330, 332, 334, 335, 376, 385. - -Charles of Burgundy, 338, 343, 344, 345, 392. - -Chaucer, 374. - -Chillingham Castle, 189-190, 191. - -Christian, William (William Dhône), 332. - -CHRONICLES OF THE CANONGATE, THE, 387-394. - -Churchill, John, Duke of Marlborough, 374. - -Clare, Lady, 61, 63. - -Claverhouse, John Grahame of, 170, 171, 179. - -Cleikum Inn, 350. - -Clerk, William, original of Darsie Latimer, 9, 110, 267. - -Clickimin (_Cleik-him-in_), Pictish broch, 298. - -Clifford Tower, 250. - -Cluden, the river, 126, 205. - -Clyde, the river, 172. - -Coldingham Abbey, 56. - -Coldingham Priory, 222. - -Coldstream, 7, 61. - -Colmslie, 260. - -Comines, Philippe de, 341, 345, 392. - -Coningsburgh, Castle of, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250. - -Constable, Archibald, 272, 372, 403, 404, 405. - -Constable, George, original of Monkbarns, 4, 147. - -Constance de Beverly, 54-56, 64. - -Corehouse, Lord, 42. - -Corra Linn, 172. - -COUNT ROBERT OF PARIS, 392. - -Cragg Force, 94. - -Craighall, 12, 110, 111, 112. - -Craignethan Castle, original of Tillietudlem, 172-175. - -Craigroyston, 185, 186. - -Cranstoun (Lord Corehouse), original of the Baron of Cranstoun, 42. - -Cranstoun, Miss (The Countess of Purgstall), 190. - -Crichope Linn, 177. - -Crichton Castle, 56-58, 221. - -Cromwell, Oliver, 241, 374, 376, 377, 385. - -Crookston Castle, 270, 271. - -Crosbie, Andrew, original of Paulas Pleydell, 141. - -Culloden, battle of, 116, 122, 123. - -Cumberland, 135, 136. - -Cumnor Church, 279. - -Cumnor Hall, 272, 273, 276, 277, 278. - -Cumnor, the village, 273, 281. - -Curle, James, 396. - - - -Dacre, Thomas, Lord, 20, 43. - -Daim, Oliver le, 342. - -Dalgetty, old soldier, 114. - -Dairymple, James, Lord Stair, original of Sir William Ashton, 215, 216. - -Dalzell, General, 179. - -Darnley, Henry, Lord, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, 267, 271. - -David I, 380. - -David II, son of Robert Bruce, 183. - -David Deans, house of, 212. - -Davidson, James, original of Dandie Dinmont, 137. - -Dee, river in Wales, 367. - -Deepdale, 94. - -Derby, Countess of (Charlotte de la Tremouille), 332. - -Derby, Earls of, 332. - -Derbyshire, 328. - -Devil's Beef Tub, 361. - -Dirk Hatteraick's cave, 131, 132. - -Dods, Mrs. Margaret, 350. - -Don, the river, 247. - -Douglas, George, 269, 270. - -Douglas, Lady, 269. - -Douglas, 'The Little,' original of Roland Graeme, 270. - -Douglas, Sir William, 269. - -Douglas, village of, 393. - -Doune Castle, 12, 80, 120. - -Driver, Counsellor Pleydell's clerk, 142. - -Drumclog, battle of, 170, 171. - -Dryburgh Abbey, 304, 352. - -Dryhope, 35. - -Dudley, Edmund, 325. - -Dudley, Guildford, 274, 325, 326. - -Dudley, John, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland, 274, 277, -281, 325. - -Dudley, Robert. _See_ Leicester. - -Dugald Ciar Mohr, ancestor of Rob Roy, 183. - -Dumbarton, 172, 270. - -Dumbiedykes, 212. - -Dumfries, 126, 127, 130, 131, 135, 191. - Maxwelltown observatory, 166; the -Mid Steeple, 205; Church of Kirkpatrick Irongray, 207. - -Duncan, Rev. Dr., 353. - -Duncraggin, 77. - -Dundrennan Abbey, 270, 360. - -Dunfermline, the Abbey, 40, 304. - -Dunottar, Scott's meeting with Old Mortality, 167. - -Dunstaffnage, 230, 231, 232, 379. - -Dwarfie Stone, the, 312. - - - -Earl's Palace, the, Kirkwall, 307. - -Edinburgh, 7, 8. - The Old Town, 9, 10; Brown Square, -9; High Street, 141; Parliament Square, 190-202; St. Giles, 60, -109-203; Tolbooth, 9, 200-205, 233; Advocates' Library, 200; -Grassmarket, 203, 204; King's Park, 209, 212; Canongate, 209, 266; -Salisbury Crags, 7, 8, 60, 210, 389; Queensbury House, 266; the Castle, -346; Castle St., 346; St. Cuthbert's Church, 114; St. Leonard's Crags, -8, 212; the Cowgate, 201; West Bow, 201; St. Anthony's Chapel, 8, 210, -211. - -Edward I, 129, 191, 231, 324, 358, 379. - -Edward III, 374. - -Edward IV, 235, 240. - -Edward VI, 274. - -Egliston Abbey, 92, 93. - -Eildon Hills, the, 38, 347, 352, 396. - -Elibank, 36, 49, 106, 139, 332. - -Elizabeth, Queen, 272, 273, 274, 275, 286, 287, 321, 326, 332. - -Ellen's Isle, 69, 76. - -Ellis, George, 32, 52, 96; quoted, 61, 64. - -Emerson, Ralph Waldo, opinion of _The Bride of Lammermoor_, quoted, 215. - -English Lakes, the, 15, 16, 96. - -Engaddi, 369, 370. - -Erskine, Rev. John, 10. - -Erskine, William, 51, 96, 375. - -Esk, vale of the. _See_ Roslin Glen. - -Etal Castle, 62. - -Ethie Castle, 154, 155. - -Ettrick Forest, 47. - -Ettrick, the river, 175. - -EVE OF ST. JOHN, THE, 3, 30. - -Eyemouth, 222. - - - -Faa, Gabriel (Tod Gabbie), 138. - -FAIR MAID OF PERTH, THE, 11, 378-386; house of, 382. - -Fairy Dean, 259. - -Falkland Castle, 383, 384, 385. - -Fast Castle, 220. - -Feckless Fannie, original of Madge Wildfire, 213. - -Ferguson, Dr. Adam, 15, 160, 162. - -Ferguson, Sir Adam, 15, 16, 81, 267. - -FIELD OF WATERLOO, THE, 104. - -Fitful Head, the, 300. - -Fitz James. _See_ James V. - -Flodden Field, 7, 53, 58, 61, 62, 64, 257. - -'Flower of Yarrow,' the, 35. - -Forbes, Sir William, 18, 95, 389. - -Ford Castle, 62. - -Forth, the river, 188, 192. - -FORTUNES OF NIGEL, THE, 316-327, 404. - -Fort William, 231. - -Foster, Anthony, 274, 276, 279. - -Fountains Abbey, 243, 244. - -Friar Tuck, 237, 243, 252. - - - -Gardiner, Colonel, 4, 116. - -Gauger's Loup, the, 131. - -Gemmels, Andrew, original of Edie Ochiltree, 6, 148. - -George II, 327. - -George V, 231, 320, 323. - -Gilmerton, 280. - -Gilsland, 16, 20, 97, 136, 159, 349. - -Glasgow-- - The Cathedral, 191, 192; the Tolbooth, -192; the Salt Market, 192; the Trongate, 195; Langside, 270. - -Glencaple, 127, 357. - -Glendearg, 259, 260. - -Glen Finglas, 74. - -GLENFINLAS, 30. - -Glenfruin, battle of, 183. - -Glengarry. _See_ MacDonnel. - -Gloucester, Cathedral of, 369. - -Goblin Cave, the, 78. - -Goldie, Mrs., 207. - -Gordon, Jean, original of Meg Merrilies, 6, 7, 138. - -Gordon, Madge, Queen of the Gipsies, 6, 138. - -Gow, John, original of Cleveland, 313. - -Gowrie Conspiracy, 221, 385. - -Grahame, John. _See_ Claverhouse. - -Graham of Killearn, 186-187. - -Grassmarket, Edinburgh, 203, 204. - -Gratz, Rebecca, original of Rebecca, 252. - -GRAY BROTHER, THE, 30. - -Gray, Daft Jock, original of Davie Gellatley, 118. - -Grandtully Castle, 13, 109, 111, 112. - -Greenwich Palace, called Placentia, 326. - -Greta, the river, 89, 91, 94. - -Grey, Lady Jane, 274, 325, 326. - -Grey Mare's Tail, 176, 177. - -Grierson of Lag, 361. - -GUY MANNERING, 126-144; scenes from, in Edinburgh, 10; Liddesdale, 15; -England, 16. - -Guy's Cliffe, 281. - -Gwenwynwyn, Welsh hero, 368, 369. - - - -Haddon Hall, 329, 330, 331. - -Hall, Captain Basil, 399. - -Kailyards, residence of Dr. Adam Ferguson, 160. - -Hal o' the Wynd, house of, 382. - -Harden, 35. - -Harden, Wat of, 106. - -HAROLD THE DAUNTLESS, 104. - -Harthill, site of Front-de-Boeuf's castle, 239. - -Hastings, William, Lord, 235. - -Hawthornden, 24. - -Hawthorne, Nathaniel, his opinion of Scotland, 256. - -HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN, THE, 8, 199-214, 326. - -Heber, Richard, 52. - -Henry I, 373. - -Henry II, 329, 373. - -Henry III, 374. - -Henry VII, 240, 274, 335. - -Henry VIII, 244, 258, 321, 325, 326. - -Heriot, George, 318, 319. - -Heron, Lady, 60, 63. - -Heron, Sir Hugh, 7, 53. - -Herries family, the, 359-360. - -HIGHLAND WIDOW, THE, 389, 390. - -High Street, Edinburgh, 9, 141. - -Hillslap, 260. - -Hoddam Castle, 359, 360, 361. - -Hogg, James, the Ettrick shepherd, 26, 139, 144, 176. - -Holyrood Abbey, 304, 381. - -Holyrood Palace, 10, 60, 112, 113, 209, 266, 267. - -Hospitalfield, Arbroath, 153. - -Howard, Lord William ('Belted Will'), 21, 43, 331. - -Hoy, Island of, 312. - -Hughes, Mrs., of Uffington, quoted, 124. - -Hutton, Richard H., quoted, 64. - - - -Innerleithen, 349. - -Inverary Castle, 227, 231. - -Inverlochy, battle of, 226, 231-233; Castle, 232. - -Inversnaid, 119; the fort, 196; the falls, 197. - -Iona, 103, 231. - -Irthing River, the, 20, 97, 349. - -Irving, John, 7. - -Irving, Washington, visit of, to Abbotsford, 252, 306; Scott's letter -to, 253; quoted, 41, 47, 145, 146, 347, 398. - -IVANHOE, 234-254, 345. - - - -James I of Scotland, 120, 129, 381, 385. - -James II of Scotland, 83, 120, 381, 385. - -James III, 58, 81, 120. - -James IV, 53, 58, 59, 60, 63, 81, 120. - -James V, 47, 58, 81; as Fitz James, 67, 75, 79, 80, 84; as 'Gudeman of -Ballangeich,' 82, 129, 342, 385. - -James VI of Scotland (James I of England), 36, 82, 221, 233, 317-321, -324-327, 385. - -James VIII, the 'Old Pretender,' 113. - -Jarlshof, Shetland Islands, 294, 298, 299, 300, 308. - -Jedburgh, 14. - -Jeffrey, Lord, 96; quoted, 64. - -Jervaulx Abbey, 242. - -John, King, 235, 242, 251, 374. - -Jones, Paul, 130. - - - -Keith, Mrs. Murray, original of Mrs. Bethune Baliol, 300. - -Keith, Sir Alexander, 109. - -Kelso, 5, 6, 7, 26, 150, 353, 358. - -KENILWORTH, 272-289. - -Kenilworth Castle, 273, 275, 277, 281, 283, 288, 289. - Mortimer's Tower, 283, 284, 287. - The Gallery Tower, 283, 284, 286. - Cæsar's Tower, 284. - Leicester's Building, 284. - Henry VIII's Lodgings, 285. - The White Hall, 285. - The Presence Chamber, 285. - The Great Hall, 285, 287. - Mervyn's Tower, 286, 287. - The Pleasance, 287. - -Kenneth MacAlpine, 231. - -Kilpont, Lord, original of the Earl of Menteith, 225-228. - -Kilsyth, battle of, 233. - -Kinblethmont, 158. - -Kinfauns, Castle of, 379. - -Kinross, 268. - -Kirkcudbright, 130, 131. - -Kirk Yetholm, 6, 138. - -Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney Islands, 303-309. - -Knox, John, 267, 380. - - - -LADY OF THE LAKE, THE, 12, 22, 23, 66-85. - -Lag, Castle of, 361. - -Laidlaw, William, 347, 348. - -Lammermuir Hills, 218, 221. - -Lanark, 172. - -Lanercost Priory, 20, 44, 97. - -Lang, Andrew, quoted, 64, 214, 377. - -Langshaw, 260. - -Langside, battle of, 270, 271. - -Lasswade Cottage, 22, 25, 45, 346. - -Lauderdale, Duke of, 179, 180. - -Lanrick Mead, 71, 77, 78. - -LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL, THE, 21, 28-46, 348; quotation from, 24. - -Lediard Falls, 121, 195. - -LEGEND OF MONTROSE, A, 4, 224-233. - -Leicester, Earl of (Lord Robert Dudley), 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, -280, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287. - -_Leicester's Commonwealth_, anonymous pamphlet, 276. - -Lennel, 7, 61. - -Leny, Falls of, 229. - -Lerwick, capital of the Shetland Islands, 291-293, 296, 303, 311. - -Leslie, General, 225, 233. - -Leyden, Dr. John, letter to, 48. - -Liddesdale, raids into, 1, 14, 26, 137. - -Liège, 319, 343, 344, 345. - -LIFE OF NAPOLEON, 372. - -Lincluden Abbey, 126, 127. - -Lindisfarne Abbey, 54-56. - -Lindsay, Sir David, 56, 58. - -Linlithgow, 58. - -Llangollen, Wales, 366, 367; the 'Ladies' of, 367. - -Loch Achray, 12, 74. - -Loch Ard, 74, 192, 194, 195. - -Loch Arklet, 196. - -Loch Corriskin, 100. - -Loch Doine, 78. - -Loch Fyne, 231. - -Loch of Harray, 310. - -Loch Katrine, 11, 12, 66, 71, 74, 76, 78, 101, 184, 187. - -Loch Leven Castle, 267, 268, 269, 359. - -Loch Linnhe, 226, 230, 231, 232. - -Loch Lomond, 12, 119, 120, 183-185, 196. - -Loch of the Lowes, 175. - -Loch Lubnaig, 77, 78, 193, 229. - -Loch Oich, 123. - -Loch Scavig, 102. - -Loch Skene, 176, 177. - -Loch of Sleapin, 102. - -Loch of Stennis, 310. - -Loch Tay, 379. - -Loch Vennachar, 12, 71. - -Loch Voil, 78, 189, 196. - -Loches, Castle of, 341, 342. - -Lockhart, John Gibson, 97, 347, 400; quoted, 48, 64, 214, 253, 317, -336, 366, 371, 372, 377, 391. - -London, 316, 317, 320, 327, 334, 335. - -London Bridge, 325. - -LORD OF THE ISLES, THE, 100-105. - -Louis XI of France, 338, 339, 340, 341, 343, 344, 345. - -Lyulph's Tower, 98. - - - -Macallister's Cave, 102. - -MacDonald, Flora, original of Flora MacIvor, 122. - -MacDonnel, Colonel Ronaldson, of Glengarry, 123. - -MacGregor, Clan, 182-184. - -MacGregor, Helen, Rob Roy's wife, 195. - -Mackay, Charles, 198. - -MacVicar, Minister of St. Cuthbert's, 114. - -Maida, Scott's favourite dog, 123, note; 371-375, 398. - -Major Oak, the, in Sherwood Forest, 239-240. - -'Making' of Sir Walter, the, 1-27. - -Malcolm Graeme, 68, 79, 84. - -Man, Isle of, 130, 331. - -Manor Water, vale of, 15, 160, 163. - -Marck, William de la, 342. - -Margaret, Lady, of Branksome Hall, 33, 37, 41, 44 45. - -MARMION, 7, 8, 20, 47-65, 353; quotations from, 3, 8. - -Marquis of Annandale's Beefstand, 361. - -Marriott, Rev. John, 50. - -Mary, Queen of England, 274, 275, 326, 335. - -Mary, Queen of Scots, 58, 81, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, -275, 359, 385. - -Mathieson, Peter, 399. - -Mayburgh, 98. - -Meg Merrilies, 131, 137, 138. - -'Meikle-mouthed Meg,' story of, 36. - -Melrose, 33, 38-42, 45, 106, 255, 258, 265, 266, 304, 347, 348, 352, -399. - -Menteith, Lake, 73. - -Mercat Cross, of Melrose, 261. - -Middleham Castle, 240, 241. - -Miller, A. H., quoted, 195. - -Millie, Bessie, original of Norna of the Fitful Head, 313, 314. - -MINSTRELSY OF THE SCOTTISH BORDER, 15, 25, 29, 31. - -Mitchell, Robert, 169, 180. - -Moddey Dhoo, legend of the, 334. - -Moffat, 172, 175, 176. - -Moffat Water, 175. - -MONASTERY, THE, 4, 255-264, 348. - -Monkbarns (Hospitalfield), 153. - -Monmouth, Duke of, 170, 171, 179. - -Montrose, Duke of, 182, 185, 187, 196, 202. - -Montrose, the Marquis of, 225, 226, 228, 232, 233; sword of, 233. - -Morritt, John B. S., 89, 90, 91, 134, 197. - -Mortham Castle, 89, 94. - -Morton, The Regent, 202. - -Mount Sharon, 5. - -Mousa, broch of, 247, 300, 301. - -Mucklebackit, Saunders, 155-157. - -Multon, Sir Thomas de, of Gilsland, 21, 369. - -Mump's Ha', 136, 137. - -Murdock, Duke of Albany, 129. - -Murray, Earl of, 10, 30. - -Murray, Sir Gideon, of Elibank, 36. - -Muschat's Cairn, Edinburgh, 210. - - - -Nasmyth, Sir James, 162. - -Naworth Castle, 20, 43, 44, 231. - -Neidpath Castle, 351. - -Nethan, the river, 172. - -Neville, Richard, Earl of Warwick, 282. - -Newark Castle, 35. - -Nith, the river, 126, 127, 357. - -Norham Castle, 7, 53, 56. - - - -Oakwood Tower, Stronghold of Wat of Harden, 35. - -Oban, 230, 231. - -Ochil Mountains, 59. - -Odin, Stone of, 311, 313. - -OLD MORTALITY, 166-181; Tennyson's opinion of, 167. - -ORIGINALS OF CHARACTERS-- - Alasco, an Italian physician employed - by the Earl of Leicester, 277. - Lucy Ashton, Janet Dalrymple, 216, 217. - Lady Ashton, Lady Stair, 216, 217. - Sir William Ashton, James Dalrymple, Lord Stair, 215, 216. - Julian Avenel, the Laird of Black Ormiston, 261. - Mrs. Bethune Baliol, Mrs. Murray Keith, 300. - Bevis, Maida, Scott's dog, 123, note; 371-375, 398. - The Black Dwarf, David Ritchie, 160. - Josiah Cargill, Rev. Dr. Duncan, 353. - Cleveland, John Gow, 313. - Baron Cranstoun, George Cranstoun, 42. - Effie Deans, Isabella Walker, 205-208. - Jeanie Deans, Helen Walker, 205-208. - Dandie Dinmont, James Davidson, - 137; Willie Elliott, 137; Mr. Laidlaw, 137. - Meg Dods, Marian Ritchie, 350. - Driver, a clerk of Andrew Crosbie's, 142-143. - Alan Fairford, Sir Walter Scott, 9, 362. - Saunders Fairford, Walter Scott, father of Sir Walter, 9, 363. - Rachel Geddes, 'Lady' Waldie, 5, 358. - Davie Gellatley, Daft Jock Gray, 118. - Roland Graeme, 'The Little Douglas,' 270. - Dr. Gideon Gray, Dr. Ebenezer Clarkson, 391. - Dirk Hatteraick, Yawkins, a Dutch skipper, 131. - Darsie Latimer, William Clerk, 9, 362. - Alice Lee, Anne Scott, 376. - Allan McAulay, James Stewart, 227, 228. - Flora MacIvor, Flora MacDonald, 122. - Colonel Mannering, Sir Walter Scott, 144. - Margaret of Branksome, Williamina Stuart, 43. - Matilda of Rokeby, Williamina Stuart, 95. - Earl of Menteith, Lord Kilpont, 227. - Meg Merrilies, Jean Gordon, 6, 138, 148-151. - Saunders Mucklebackit, George Cargill, 156. - Tib Mumps, Margaret Carrick, 137; Margaret Teasdale, 137. - Norna of the Fitful Head, Bessie Millie, 313. - Edie Ochiltree, Andrew Gemmels, 6. - Jonathan Oldbuck (Monkbarns), Sir - Walter Scott, 4, 146; George Constable, 4, 147 - Old Mortality, Robert Paterson, 166. - Paulus Pleydell, Andrew Crosbie, 141-142; Adam Rolland, 143. - Rebecca of York, Rebecca Gratz, 252, 253. - Sir Robert Redgauntlet, Grierson of Lag, 361. - Hugh Redgauntlet, one of the Herries family, 359. - Rob Roy, Robert MacGregor Campbell, 182. - Dominie Sampson, George Thomson, 140. - Diana Vernon, Miss Cranstoun, 190; - Miss Williamina Stuart, 191; Lady Scott, 191. - Edward Waverley, Sir Walter Scott, 125. - Madge Wildfire, Feckless Fannie, 213. - -Orkney Islands, Scott's visit to, in a light-house yacht, 100. - -Osbaldistone Hall (Chillingham Castle), 189-190. - -Oxford, University of, 275, 276. - - - -Paterson, Robert, original of Old Mortality, 166-168, 171. - -Peat, description of, 295-296. - -Peebles, 350, 331, 352. - -Peel Castle, Isle of Man, 333. - -Penrith, 98. - -Péronne, 319, 343, 344. - -Perth, 10, 109, 226, 231, 378-382. - -Peveril Castle, 328, 330. - -PEVERIL OF THE PEAK, 328-336, 404. - -Philiphaugh, 233. - -Pinkie, battle of, 257. - -PIRATE, THE, 290-315. - -Plessis les Tours, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341. - -Pleydell, Paulus, 135, 140-143. - -'Popping Stone,' the, 20. - -Porteous, John, 203-204. - -Porteous Mob, story of, 205. - -Powis Castle, Wales, 368. - -'Prentice's Pillar, the, 370. - -Prestonpans, 4, 114, 115, 116, 147. - -Purdie, Tom, 308, 399. - -Purgstall, Countess of, 42. - - - -Queen Margaret's Bower, 58. - -QUENTIN DURWARD, 337-346; 347, 404. - - - -Raby Castle, 93. - -Raeburn House, 350. - -Ramsay, David, 319, 320, 323. - -Red Comyn, the, 191. - -REDGAUNTLET, 5, 9, 355-364, 404. - -Red Head, Cliffs of, 155. - -REIVER'S WEDDING, THE, 37. - -René, King, 392. - -Richard I, 43, 234, 239, 242, 248, 251, 365, 369, 374. - -Richard II, 369. - -Richard III, 240, 282. - -Richmond Castle, 241, 242. - -Ritchie David, original of the Black Dwarf, 15, 160. - -Robert III, 381, 384. - -Robin Hood, 237, 239, 245, 246, 252. - -Robin Hood's Well, 246. - -Rob Roy, 11, 12, 182-198. - -Rob Roy's cave, 119, 197. - -Rob Roy's gun, 233. - -Robsart, Amy, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 280, 284, 287. - -Roderick Dhu, 67, 68, 76, 77, 78, 79. - -ROKEBY, 19, 86-95, 96, 104. - -Roman wall at Amboglanna, 136. - -Rosamond's Well, 373. - -Rosebank, 14. - -Rose, William Stewart, 50. - -Roslin Chapel, 369. - -Roslin Glen (vale of the Esk), 22, 23, 24, 30, 45, 89, 94. - -Rotherham, 236. - -Rothsay, Duke of, 381, 384. - -Rushen, Castle, Isle of Man, 331, 332. - - - -Saddleback, 135. - -St. Abbs Head, 218, 220. - -St. Anthony's Chapel, Edinburgh, 8, 210, 211. - -St. Bride, the chapel of, 77. - -St. Clair, William, 370. - -St. Cuthbert's Church, 114. - -St. Cuthbert's Holy Isle, 54-56. - -St. Giles Cathedral, 60, 199-203. - -St. John, Church of, Perth, 380. - -St. John, Valley of, 98. - -St. Leonard's Crags, Edinburgh, 8, 212. - -St. Magnus, Cathedral of, 304, 305, 306, 307. - -St. Margaret's Loch, Edinburgh, 210. - -St. Mary's Loch, 35, 175. - -ST. RONAN'S WELL, 346-354, 404. - -St. Thomas's Abbey (St. Ruth's), 151, 152. - -Salisbury Crags, the, Edinburgh, 7, 8, 60, 210, 389. - -Sandy Knowe, 2, 51, 353. - -Scalloway, Castle of, 298, 302, 303, 309. - -Scalloway, village in the Shetland Islands, 302. - -Scone, Palace of, 110, 231, 379, 381, 385. - -Scott Country, the, limits of, 337, 346, 366. - -Scott, Anne, daughter of Sir Walter, 48, 376, 400. - -Scott, Charles, son of Sir Walter, 48, 402. - -Scott, Daniel, brother of Sir Walter, 383. - -Scott, Miss Janet, aunt of Sir Walter, 2, 5. - -Scott, John, brother of Sir Walter, 15, 90. - -Scott, Lady (wife of Sir Walter), introduction of, to Sir Walter, 17, -329; courtship, 19, 20; marriage, 21; home at Lasswade, 22, 23; -reference to Dryburgh, 352, 353; sickness and death, 372, 376, 399. - -Scott, Michael, the wizard, 38, 41. - -Scott, Mrs. Maxwell-, granddaughter of Sir Walter, 396. - -Scott, Sophia, daughter of Sir Walter, 48, 400. - -Scott, Thomas, brother of Sir Walter, 333. - -Scott, Sir Walter-- - Liddesdale raids, 1; residence at -Sandy Knowe, 2; visit to Prestonpans, 4; his first pony, 4; at Kelso, -5; passes law examinations, 13; visit to English Lakes, 15; to -Gilsland, 16; meets Miss Carpenter, 17, 349; marriage, 21; -quartermaster of Edinburgh Volunteers, 25; his memory, 26; decides to -abandon the practice of law, 28-30; Sheriff of Selkirk, 29; early -poems, 30; Ashestiel, 48, 49; visit to Highlands, 72, 116; purchases -Abbotsford, 89; Clerk of Court of Session, 90; aided by Sir William -Forbes, 95; later Highland excursion, 119, 120; visit from Joseph -Train, 133; visit to Dumfries, 135; to English Lakes, 135; salmon -spearing incident, 139; at University of Edinburgh, 139; visited by -Irving, 145-146; experience as member of Edinburgh Volunteers, 158-159; -visit to Hallyards, 160; visit to Loch Skene, 175-177; visit to the -Braes of Balquhidder, 188; clerk of Court of Session, 200; driving -through Canongate, 209; suggests building the Radical Road, 210; guest -at Studley Royal, 246; visited by Washington Irving, 252; 'refreshing -the machine,' 255; presentation to the Duke of Wellington, 266; visit -to Shetland Islands, 294, 298, 311, 313, 314; familiarity with history -and literature of England, 317; duties as clerk of the Court of -Session, 346; residence in Edinburgh, 346; fondness for country life, -347; practices in case of Peter Peebles, 363; visit to Wales, 366; -distressing change in personal affairs, 371; announcement of authorship -of Waverley Novels, 372; visit to Wicks of Baiglie, Perth, 378; feeling -toward brother Daniel, 383; circumstances under which _The Fair Maid of -Perth_ was written, 386; paying off the debt, 387; writings of the last -five years, 388; importunities of a creditor, 389; Theatrical Fund -Dinner, 300; spirit of perseverance, 392; apoplexy and other ailments, -393; journey to the Continent, 394; death, 394; personality of, 395; -kindness, 397; generosity, 398; conversation, 398; relations with -family, 399, 400; creed, 400; ambition, 401; failure of hopes, 402; -relations with the Ballantynes, 403, 404; indiscretion, 404; courage -and final triumph, 405. - -Scott, Walter, 'Beardie,' great-grandfather of Sir Walter, 37. - -Scott, Walter, father of Sir Walter, original of Saunders Fairford, 9. - -Scott, Walter, son of Sir Walter, 48, 401, 402. - -Scott, Sir William, of Harden, 36. - -Scott, Sir William, of Buccleuch, 37. - -Seymour, Lord, 277. - -Sharp, James, Archbishop, 168-169, 180. - -Sharpe, Charles Kirkpatrick, 360. - -Sherwood Forest, 236, 237. - -Shetland Islands, visit to, in a lighthouse yacht, 100. - -Shortreed, Robert, 1, 14, 26,137. - -Skene, James of Rubislaw, 52, 338, 392; quoted, 25, 26, 62, 138, 139, -176. - -Skiddaw, 135. - -Skye, Island of, 100, 102. - -Smailholm, 2, 3, 4, 30, 261, 347. - -Smellie, William, 141. - -Solway Firth, 126, 127, 355, 356, 357. - -Somerset, the Duke of, 277. - -Staffa, 102. - -Stennis, stones of, 310, 311. - -Stewart, Alexander of Invernahyle, 116, 117, 118. - -Stewart, James, of Ardvoirlich, original of Allan McAulay, 188, 227, -228. - -Stewart, Patrick, Earl of Orkney, 298, 302, 308, 309. - -Stirling Castle, 66, 78, 80-84, 381. - -Stonebyres Linn, 172. - -Strathgartney, 78. - -Stromness, village in Orkney, 310, 311, 312, 313. - -Stuart, Charles Edward, 10, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 116, 120, 125, -358, 363. - -Stuart, Lady Louisa, 197, 214, 336, 364. - -Stuart, Miss Williamina (Lady Stuart-Forbes), Scott's first love, 17, -18, 23; original of Margaret of Branksome, 42; original of Matilda, 95. - -Studley Royal, 243, 246. - -Sumburgh Head, 294, 296, 297, 208, 300. - -SURGEON'S DAUGHTER, THE, 389, 390. - -Sweetheart Abbey, 126, 127, 135. - -SWIFT, LIFE OF, 91. - - - -TALES OF THE CRUSADERS, 365-370. - -TALISMAN, THE, 21, 345, 365, 369-372. - -Tantallon Castle, 60, 61. - -Tay, the river, 109, 110, 379. - -Teasdale, Margaret, original of Tib Mumps, 137. - -Tees, the river, 89, 92, 93, 94. - -Teith, the river, 229. - -Temple, the, London, 322, 323, 324. - -Terry, Daniel, 197, 375. - -Teviot, the river, 35. - -Thames, the, London, 320, 322. - -Thomas the Rhymer, 222. - -Thomson, George, original of Dominie Sampson, 140. - -Thomson, Rev. John, of Duddingston, 220. - -THORESBY HOUSE, 238. - -Thorsgill, the river, 92, 93. - -Tillietudlem. _See_ Craignethan. - -Tippermuir, battle of, 226. - -Tolbooth, Edinburgh, 9, 201-205, 233. - -Tours, 339, 341. - -Tower of London, 325. - -Train, Joseph, provides information used in _The Lord of the Isles_, -103; in _Guy Mannering_, 132-135; in _Old Mortality_, 171; in _The -Heart of Midlothian_, 214. - -Traquair, Earl of, 108, 109. - -Traquair House, 13, 107, 108, 109, 112, 329. - -Triermain Castle, 11, 97, 395. - -Triermain Castle Rock, 16, 98. - -Trossachs, the, 12, 66, 70, 71, 74, 75. - -Tully Veolan, 107-111. - -Turnberry Castle, 103. - -Tweed, the river, 258, 348-353, 396, 397. - -Twisel Bridge, 7. - -TWO DROVERS, THE, 389, 390, 391. - - - -Ullswater, 97. - - - -Vaux, Sir Roland de, 97. - -Vernon, Dorothy, of Haddon Hall, 329. - -Villiers, George, first Duke of Buckingham, called 'Steenie,' 319, 322. - -Villiers, George, second Duke of Buckingham, 335. - - - -Waldie family, the, of Kelso, 5, 358. - -Waldie, 'Lady,' original of Rachel Geddes, 5. - -Waldie, Robert, 5. - -Wales, 366, 367, 368. - -Walker, Helen, original of Jeanie Deans, 205-208. - -Walker, Isabella, original of Effie Deans, 205-208. - -Walker, Patrick, author of _Life of Cameron_, 213. - -Wallace, William, 81. - -Wampool River, the, 358. - -Wark Castle, 62. - -Warrender, Sir George, 109. - -Warwick Castle, 281, 282, 383. - -Warwick, Earl of, 240. - -Warwickshire, 281. - -Wat of Harden, 35. - -WAVERLEY, 8, 10, 106-125, 197. - -Welbeck Abbey, 238. - -Welshpool, 368. - -Westmoreland, 135. - -Whinnyrig, 357. - -Whitefoord, Colonel, 116, 117. - -Whitefriars (Alsatia), 323, 334. - -Whitehall, Palace of, 321, 322, 335. - -Wideford Hill, Kirkwall, 309. - -William the Conqueror, 241, 248, 250, 282, 328, 373. - -William the Lion, 152, 155. - -Williams, Rev. John, Archdeacon of Cardigan, 366. - -Wolf's Crag, 220. - -Wolf's Hope, 222. - -WOODSTOCK, 371-377. - -Woodstock, village of, 372; palace of, 373-375. - -Wordsworth, 16; letter to, 32; 35, 172. - -Wright, Guthrie, 57; quoted, 135. - -Wycliffe, Oswald, 88. - - - -Yarrow, the river, 175. - -Yawkins, Dutch skipper, original of Dirk Hatteraick, 131. - -Yetholm Loch, 260. - -York, Castle of, 250. - -York Minister, 251. - -York, city of, 234, 250. - -York Water Gate, 322. - - - -The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE * MASSACHUSETTS U.S.A. - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Country of Sir Walter Scott, by -Charles S. Olcott - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COUNTRY OF SIR WALTER SCOTT *** - -***** This file should be named 54980-8.txt or 54980-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/9/8/54980/ - -Produced by Al Haines -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |