第 42 节
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曾氏六合网 更新:2021-02-27 01:39 字数:9322
e Rebellion)。〃
762。 The hardened flesh of mountain deer。 〃The Scottish Highlanders; in former times; had a concise mode of cooking their venison; or rather of dispensing with cooking it; which appears greatly to have surprised the French; whom chance made acquainted with it。 The Vidame of Chartres; when a hostage in England; during the reign of Edward VI。; was permitted to travel into Scotland; and penetrated as far as to the remote Highlands (au fin fond des Sauvages)。 After a great hunting…party; at which a most wonderful quantity of game was destroyed; he saw these Scottish savages devour a part of their venison raw; without any farther preparation than compressing it between two batons of wood; so as to force out the blood; and render it extremely hard。 This they reckoned a great delicacy; and when the Vidame partook of it; his compliance with their taste rendered him extremely popular。 This curious trait of manners was communicated by Mons。 de Montmorency; a great friend of the Vidame; to Brantome; by whom it is recorded in Vies des Hommes Illustres; lxxxix。 14。 。。。 After all; it may be doubted whether la chaire nostree; for so the French called the venison thus summarily prepared; was anything more than a mere rude kind of deer ham〃 (Scott)。
772。 A mighty augury。 That of the Taghairm。
777。 Not for clan。 The 1st ed。 has 〃nor for clan。〃
785。 Stock and stone。 Cf。 i。 130 above。
787。 Coilantogle's ford。 On the Teith just below its exit from Loch Vennachar。
791。 The bittern's cry。 See on i。 642 above。
797。 And slept; etc。 The MS。 has 〃streak〃 and 〃lake〃 for beam and stream。
Canto Fifth。
1。 Fair as the earliest beam; etc。 〃This introductory stanza is well worked in with the story。 The morning beam 'lights the fearful path on mountain side' which the two heroes of the poem are to traverse; and the comparison which it suggest enlists our sympathy for Roderick; who is to be the victim of defeat〃 (Taylor)。
5。 And lights; etc。 The MS。 has 〃And lights the fearful way along its side。〃
10。 Sheen。 See on i。 208。
14。 The dappled sky。 Cf。 Milton; L'Allegro; 44: 〃Till the dappled dawn doth rise;〃 and Shakespeare; Much Ado; v。 3。 25:
〃and look; the gentle day; Before the wheels of Phoebus; round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray。〃
15。 By。 The word is used for the rhyme; but perhaps gives the idea of a hurrymuttered off the prayers。
16。 Steal。 The word here is expressive of haste。
18。 Gael。 〃The Scottish Highlander calls himself; Gael; or Gaul; and terms the Lowlanders Sassenach; or Saxons〃 (Scott)。
22。 Wildering。 Bewildering。 See on i。 274 above。 For winded; see on i。 500。
32。 Bursting through。 That is; as it burst through〃a piece of loose writing〃 (Taylor)。
36。 At length; etc。 The MS。 reads:
〃At length they paced the mountain's side; And saw beneath the waters wide。〃
44。 The rugged mountain's scanty cloak; etc。 The MS。 reads:
〃The rugged mountain's stunted screen Was dwarfish | shrubs | with cliffs between。〃 | copse |
46。 Shingles。 Gravel or pebbles。 See on iii。 171 above。
Taylor says: 〃Note how the details of this description are used in stanza ix。shingles; bracken; broom。〃
51。 Dank。 Damp; moist。 Cf。 Shakespeare; R。 and J。 ii。 3。 6: 〃and night's dank dew;〃 Milton; Sonnet to Mr。 Lawrence: 〃Now that the fields are dank; and ways are mire;〃 etc。
64。 Sooth to tell。 To tell the truth。 See on i。 476 above。 Sooth to say; to say sooth; in sooth; in good sooth; etc。; are common in old writers。 Cf。 the Lay; introd。 57: 〃the sooth to speak。〃
65。 To claim its aid。 The MS。 has 〃to draw my blade。〃
78。 Enough。 Suffice it that。
81。 A knight's free footsteps; etc。 The MS。 reads:
〃My errant footsteps | far and wide。〃 A Knight's bold wanderings |
86。 I urge thee not。 The MS。 has 〃I ask it not;〃 and in 95 〃hall〃 for Doune。
106。 Outlawed。 The 1st ed。 has 〃exiled。〃
108。 In the Regent's court; etc。 Cf。 ii。 221 above。
124。 Albany。 The Regent of 108 above。 He was the son of a younger brother of James III。; who had been driven into exile by his brother's attempts on his life。 He took refuge in France; where his son was made Lord High Admiral。 On the death of James IV。 he was called home by the Scottish nobles to assume the regency。
126。 Mewed。 Shut up。 The word seems originally to have meant to moult; or shed the feathers; and as a noun; 〃the place; whether it be abroad or in the house; in which the hawk is put during the time she casts; or doth change her feathers〃 (R。 Holmes's Academy of Armory; etc。)。 Spenser has both noun and verb; as in F。 Q。 i。 5。 20: 〃forth comming from her darksome mew;〃 and Id。 ii。 3。 34: 〃In which vaine Braggadocchio was mewd。〃 Milton uses the verb in the grand description of Liberty in Of Unlicensed Printing: 〃Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth; and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam。〃 In England the noun is still used in the plural to denote a stable for horses。 Pennant says that the royal stables in London were called mews from the fact that the buildings were formerly used for keeping the king's falcons。
Scott says here: 〃There is scarcely a more disorderly period of Scottish history than that which succeeded the battle of Flodden; and occupied the minority of James V。 Feuds of ancient standing broke out like old wounds; and every quarrel among the independent nobility; which occurred daily; and almost hourly; gave rise to fresh bloodshed。 'There arose;' said Pitscottie; 'great trouble and deadly feuds in many parts of Scotland; both in the north and west parts。 The Master of Forbes; in the north; slew the Laird of Meldrum; under tryst' (that is; at an agreed and secure meeting)。 'Likewise; the Laird of Drummelzier slew the Lord Fleming at the hawking; and; likewise; there was slaughter among many other great lords。' Nor was the matter much mended under the government of the Earl of Angus; for though he caused the King to ride through all Scotland; 'under the pretence and color of justice; to punish thief and traitor; none were found greater than were in their own company。 And none at that time durst strive with a Douglas; nor yet a Douglas's man; for if they would; they got the worst。 Therefore none durst plainzie of no extortion; theft; reiff; nor slaughter done to them by the Douglases or their men; in that cause they were not heard so long as the Douglas had the court in guiding。〃
150。 Shingles。 Cf。 46 above。
152。 As to your sires。 The target and claymore were the weapons of the Ancient Britons。 Taylor quotes Tacitus; Agricola: 〃ingentibus gladiis et brevibus cetris。〃
161。 Rears。 Raises。 The word was formerly less restricted in its application than at present。 Cf。 Shakespeare's 〃rear my hand〃 (Temp。 ii。 1。 295; J。 C。 iii。 1。 30); 〃rear the higher our opinion〃 (A。 and C。 ii。 1。 35); etc。; Milton's 〃he rear'd me;〃 that is; lifted me up (P。 L。 viii。 316); 〃rear'd her lank head〃 (Comus; 836); etc。 Spenser uses it in the sense of take away (like the cant lift = steal); as in F。 Q。 iii。 10。 12:
〃She to his closet went; where all his wealth Lay hid; thereof she countlesse summes did reare;〃
and Id。 iii。 10。 53:
〃like as a Beare; That creeping close among the hives to reare An hony…combe;〃 etc。
Wb。 does not give this sense; which we believe is found only in Spenser。
165。 Shall with strong hand; etc。 Scott has the following note here: 〃The ancient Highlanders verified in their practice the lines of Gray (Fragment on the Alliance of Education and Government):
'An iron race the mountain cliffs maintain; Foes to the gentler genius of the plain; For where unwearied sinews must be found; With side…long plough to quell the flinty ground; To turn the torrent's swift descending flood; To tame the savage rushing from the wood; What wonder if; to patient valor train'd; They guard with spirit what by strength they gain'd; And while their rocky ramparts round they see The rough abode of want and liberty (As lawless force from confidence will grow); Insult the plenty of the vales below?'
〃So far; indeed; was a Creagh; or foray; from being held disgraceful; that a young chief was always expected to show his talents for command so soon as he assumed it; by leading his clan on a successful enterprise of this nature; either against a neighboring sept; for which constant feuds usually furnished an apology; or against the Sassencach; Saxons; or Lowlanders; for which no apology was necessary。 The Gael; great traditional historians; never forgot that the Lowlands had; at some remote period; been the property of their Celtic forefathers; which furnished an ample vindication of all the ravages that they could make on the unfortunate districts which lay within their reach。 Sir James Grant of Grant is in possession of a letter of apology from Cameron of Lochiel; whose men had committed some depredation upon a farm called Moine