rom the lake is peculiarly grand and impressive.

530. The sickening pang, etc. Cf. The Lord of the Isles, vi. 1: "The
heartsick faintness of the hope delayed." See Prov. xiii. 12.

531. And memory, etc. The MS. reads:

"And memory brought the torturing train
Of all his morning visions vain;
But mingled with impatience came
The manly love of martial fame."

541. Brae. The brow or side of a hill.

545. The heath, etc. The metre of the song is the same as that of the
poem, the only variation being in the order of the rhymes.

546. Bracken. Fern; "the Pteris aquilina" (Taylor).

553. Fancy now. The MS. has "image now."

561. A time will come, etc. The MS. reads:

"A time will come for love and faith,
For should thy bridegroom yield his breath,
'T will cheer him in the hour of death,
The boasted right to thee, Mary."

570. Balquidder. A village near the eastern end of Loch Voil, the
burial-place of Rob Roy and the scene of many of his exploits. The Braes
extend along the north side of the lake and of the Balvaig which flows
into it.

Scott says here: "It may be necessary to inform the Southern reader that
the heath on the Scottish moorlands is often set fire to, that the sheep
may have the advantage of the young herbage produced, in room of the
tough old heather plants. This custom (execrated by sportsmen) produces
occasionally the most beautiful nocturnal appearances, similar almost to
the discharge of a volcano. This simile is not new to poetry. The charge
of a warrior, in the fine ballad of Hardyknute, is said to be 'like fire
to heather set.'"

575. Nor faster speeds it, etc. "The eager fidelity with which this
fatal signal is hurried on and obeyed, is represented with great spirit
and felicity" (Jeffrey).

577. Coil. Turmoil. Cf. Shakespeare, Temp. i. 2. 207:

"Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil
Would not infect his reason?"

C. of E. iii. 1. 48: "What a coil is there, Dromio?" etc.

579. Loch Doine. A lakelet just above Loch Voil, and almost forming a
part of it. The epithets sullen and still are peculiarly appropriate to
this valley. "Few places in Scotland have such an air of solitude and
remoteness from the haunts of men" (Black).

582. Strath-Gartney. The north side of the basin of Loch Katrine.

583. Each man might claim. That is, WHO could claim. See on i. 528
above.

600. No law but Roderick Dhu's