第 46 节
作者:
曾氏六合网 更新:2021-02-27 01:39 字数:9322
and trotted a good round pace up the hill。 Kilspindie followed; and though he wore on him a secret; or shirt of mail; for his particular enemies; was as soon at the Castle gate as the King。 There he sat him down upon a stone without; and entreated some of the King's servants for a cup of drink; being weary and thirsty; but they; fearing the King's displeasure; durst gave him none。 When the King was set at his dinner; he asked what he had done; what he had said; and whither he had gone? It was told him that he had desired a cup of drink; and had gotten none。 The King reproved them very sharply for their discourtesy; and told them that if he had not taken an oath that no Douglas should ever serve him; he would have received him into his service; for he had seen him sometime a man of great ability。 Then he sent him word to go to Leith; and expect his further pleasure。 Then some kinsman of David Falconer; the cannonier; that was slain at Tantallon; began to quarrel with Archibald about the matter; wherewith the King showed himself not well pleased when he heard of it。 Then he commanded him to go to France for a certain space; till he heard further from him。 And so he did; and died shortly after。 This gave occasion to the King of England (Henry VIII。) to blame his nephew; alleging the old saying; That a king's face should give grace。 For this Archibald (whatsoever were Angus's or Sir George's fault) had not been principal actor of anything; nor no counsellor nor stirrer up; but only a follower of his friends; and that noways cruelly disposed' (Hume of Godscroft; ii。 107)。〃
637。 Larbert is a town about ten miles to the south of Stirling; and Alloa another seven miles to the east on the north side of the Forth。
641。 To Douglas gave a golden ring。 Scott says: 〃The usual prize of a wrestling was a ram and a ring; but the animal would have embarrassed my story。 Thus; in the Cokes Tale of Gamelyn; ascribed to Chaucer:
'There happed to be there beside Tryed a wrestling; And therefore there was y…setten A ram and als a ring。〃
Again; the Litil Geste of Robin Hood:
'By a bridge was a wrestling; And there taryed was he And there was all the best yemen Of all the west countrey。 A full fayre game there was set up; A white bull up y…pight; A great courser with saddle and brydle; With gold burnished full bryght; A payre of gloves; a red golde ringe; A pipe of wine; good day; What man bereth him best; I wis; The prise shall bear away。'〃
648。 To hurl the massive bar。 Cf。 iv。 559 above。
658。 Scottish strength。 The MS。 has 〃mortal strength。〃
660。 The Ladies' Rock。 A point in the 〃valley〃 between the Castle and the Greyfriars Church。 It was formerly the chief place for viewing the games; which were held in this 〃valley;〃 or depression in the hill on which the Castle stands。 It must not be confounded with the Ladies' Lookout; a favorite point of view on the Castle walls。
662。 Well filled。 The MS。 has 〃weighed down;〃 and in 664; 〃Scattered the gold among the crowd。〃
674。 Ere Douglas; etc。 The MS。 has 〃Ere James of Douglas' stalwart hand;〃 and in 677; 〃worn〃 for wrecked。
681。 Murmurs。 Some eds。 have 〃murmur。〃
685。 The banished man。 The MS。 has 〃his stately form。〃
724。 Needs but a buffet。 Only a single blow is needed。
728。 Then clamored; etc。 The MS。 and 1st ed。 have 〃Clamored his comrades of the train;〃 and in 730 the MS。 has 〃warrior's〃 for Baron's。
735。 Atone。 See on iv。 421 above。
744。 But shall a Monarch's presence; etc。 The MS。 reads:
〃But in my court injurious blow; And bearded thus; and thus out…dared? What; ho!〃 etc。
747。 Ward。 Guarding; confinement under guard。 Cf。 Gen。 xl。 3。
752。 Misarray。 Disorder; confusion。 Neither Wb。 nor Worc。 gives the word。
754。 Pricked。 Spurred; rode。 See on 486 above。
755。 Repelled; etc。 The MS。 has 〃Their threats repelled by insult loud。〃
768。 Hyndford。 A village on the Clyde; a few miles above Lanark。
790。 Widow's mate expires。 An instance of prolepsis; or 〃anticipation〃 in the use of a word。 He must expire before she can be a widow。 Cf。 Macbeth; iii。 4。 76:
〃Blood hath been shed ere now; i' the olden time; Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal;〃
that is; purged it and made it gentle。
794。 Ward。 Ward off; avert。
796。 The crowd's wild fury; etc。 The MS。 reads:
〃The crowd's wild fury ebbed amain In tears; as tempests sink in rain。〃
The 1st ed。 reads as in the text; but that of 1821 has 〃sunk amain。〃
The figure here is a favorite one with Shakespeare。 Cf。 R。 of L。 1788:
〃This windy tempest; till it blow up rain; Held back his sorrow's tide; to make it more; At last it rains; and busy winds give o'er;〃
3 Hen。 VI。 i。 4。 146:
〃For raging wind blows up incessant showers; And; when the rage allays; the rain begins;〃
Id。 ii。 5。 85:
〃see; see; what showers arise; Blown with the windy tempest of my heart;〃
T。 and C。 iv。 4。 55: 〃Where are my tears? rain; to lay this wind; or my heart will be blown up by the root;〃 and Macbeth; i。 7。 25: 〃That tears shall down the wind。〃
808。 The rough soldier。 Sir John of Hyndford (768 above)。
811。 He led。 The 1st ed。 has 〃they led;〃 and 〃their〃 for his in 813。
812。 Verge。 Note the rhyme with charge; and see on iv。 83 above。
819。 This common fool。 Cf。 Shakespeare's 〃fool multitude〃 (M。 of V。 ii。 9。 26)。 Just below Lockhart quotes Coriolanus; i。 1。 180:
〃Who deserves greatness Deserves your hate; and your affections are A sick man's appetite; who desires most that Which would increase his evil。 He that depends Upon your favors swims with fins of lead And hews down oaks with rushes。 Hang ye! Trust ye? With every minute you do change a mind; And call him noble that was now your hate; Him vile that was your garland。〃
821。 Douglas。 The reading of the 1st ed。; as in 825 below; not 〃Douglas';〃 as in some recent eds。
830。 Vain as the leaf; etc。 The MS。 has 〃Vain as the sick man's idle dream。〃
838。 Cognizance。 〃The sable pale of Mar。〃 See on iv。 153 above。
853。 With scanty train; etc。 The MS。 has 〃On distant chase you will not ride。〃
856。 Lost it。 Forgot it。
858。 For spoiling of。 For fear of ruining。 Cf。 Shakespeare; Sonn。 52。 4:
〃The which he will not every hour survey; For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure;
T。 G。 of V。 i。 2。 136: 〃Yet here they shall not lie for catching cold;〃 Beaumont and Fletcher; Captain; iii。 5: 〃We'll have a bib for spoiling of thy doublet;〃 etc。
887。 Earl William。 The Douglas who was stabbed by James II。 See on 551 above。
Canto Sixth。
〃Lord Jeffrey has objected to the guard…room scene and its accompanying song as the greatest blemish in the whole poem。 The scene contrasts forcibly with the grace which characterizes the rest; but in a poem which rests its interest upon incident; such a criticism seems overstrained。 It gives us a vigorous picture of a class of men who played a very important part in the history of the time; especially across the Border; men who; many of them outlaws; and fighting; not for country or for king; but for him who paid them best; were humored with every license when they were not on strict military duty。 The requirements of the narrative might have been satisfied without these details; it is true; but the use which Sir Walter has made of themto show the power of beauty and innocence; and the chords of tenderness and goodness which lie ready to vibrate in the wildest naturesmay surely reconcile us to such a piece of realism。
〃The scene of Roderick's death harmonizes well with his character。 The minstrel's account of the battle the poet himself felt to be somewhat long; and yet it is difficult to see how it could be curtailed without spoiling it。 It is full of life and vigor; and our only cause of surprise is that the lay should only come to a sudden stand when it is really completed〃 (Taylor)。
6。 Scaring; etc。 The 1st ed。 reads: 〃And scaring prowling robbers to their den。〃
7。 Battled。 Battlemented; as in ii。 702 above。
9。 The kind nurse of men。 Cf。 2 Hen。 IV。 iii。 1。 5:
〃O sleep; O gentle sleep; Nature's soft nurse;〃 etc。
23。 Through narrow loop; etc。 The MS。 has 〃Through blackened arch;〃 etc。; and below:
〃The lights in strange alliance shone Beneath the arch of blackened stone。〃
25。 Struggling with。 Some recent eds。 misprint 〃struggling through。〃
47。 Adventurers they; etc。 Scott says: 〃The Scottish armies consisted chiefly of the nobility and barons; with their vassals; who held lands under them for military service by themselves and their tenants。 The patriarchal influence exercised by the heads of clans in the Highlands and Borders was of a different nature; and sometimes at variance with feudal principles。 It flowed from the Patria Potestas; exercised by the chieftain as representing the original father of the whole name; and was often obeyed in contradiction to the fe