has "The loveliest Lowland fair to spy;"
and the 1st ed. reads "The step of parting fair to spy."
109. The Graeme. Scott has the following note here: "The ancient and
powerful family of Graham (which, for metrical reasons, is here smelled
after the Scottish pronunciation) held extensive possessions in the
counties of Dumbarton and Stirling. Few families can boast of more
historical renown, having claim to three of the most remarkable
characters in the Scottish annals. Sir John the Graeme, the faithful and
undaunted partaker of the labors and patriotic warfare of Wallace, fell
in the unfortunate field of Falkirk, in 1298. The celebrated Marquis of
Montrose, in whom De Retz saw realized his abstract idea of the heroes
of antiquity, was the second of these worthies. And, not withstanding
the severity of his temper, and the rigor with which he executed the
oppressive mandates of the princes whom he served, I do not hesitate
to name as the third, John Graeme, of Claverhouse, Viscount of Dundee,
whose heroic death, in the arms of victory, may be allowed to cancel
the memory of his cruelty to the non-conformists, during the reigns of
Charles II. and James II."
112. Bower. The word meant a chamber (see on i. 217 above), and was
often used of the ladies' apartments in a house. In hall and bower =
among men and women. The words are often thus associated. Cf. Spenser,
Astrophel, 28: "Merily masking both in bowre and hall," etc.
115. Arose. The 1st ed. misprints "Across;" not noted in the Errata.
126. And the proud march. See on i. 73 above.
131. Saint Modan. A Scotch abbot of the 7th century. Scott says here: "I
am not prepared to show that Saint Modan was a performer on the harp. It
was, however, no unsaintly accomplishment; for Saint Dunstan certainly
did play upon that instrument, which retaining, as was natural, a
portion of the sanctity attached to its master's character, announced
future events by its spontaneous sound. 'But labouring once in these
mechanic arts for a devout matrone that had sett him on work, his violl,
that hung by him on the wall, of its own accord, without anie man's
helpe, distinctly sounded this anthime: Gaudent in coelis animae
sanctorum qui Christi vestigia sunt secuti; et quia pro eius amore
sanguinem suum fuderunt, ideo cum Christo gaudent aeternum. Whereat all
the companie being much astonished, turned their eyes from beholding him
working, to looke on that strange accident....
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