Attour the rock the lave (1) ran with great din. Then Wallace leuch, said: 'I forgive you all; Our true barons when that they hangit there.' Some of the incidents in Harry's narrative are so palpably absurd (such as the siege of York, the visit of the queen of England to Wallace's camp with her offer of £3,000 in gold, and the combats of Wallace with the French champions and the lion), that they could never have been intended to be received as matters of real history. That Wallace was in France, however, has been confirmed by the discovery of authentic evidence. All the editors conclude that as Harry could not himself, from his blindness, have written out the work, it may have suffered greatly from amanuenses or transcribers; but they have not attended to dates. The only manuscript of the work which exists is dated 1488, and was written by that careful but obscure scribe, John Ramsay, who also transcribed Barbour's Bruce' The blind minstrel was in existence four years after the date of Ramsay's manuscript, as we know from the treasurer's books of the reign of James IV; and Ramsay had most likely the benefit of the author's revision-perhaps took it down from his recitation. Few copies would be made of a poem extending to 11,858 lines, and this fact shews how enthusiastic and gifted must have been the blind bard who could compose and retain in his memory a poem of such length, and so various in its incidents and descriptions. The poem is in ten-syllable lines, the epic verse of a later age, and it is not deficient in poetical effect or elevated sentiment. A vulgar paraphrase of it into modern Scotch, by William Hamilton of Gilbertfield, has long been a favourite volume amongst the Scottish peasantry: it was the study of this book which had so great an effect in kindling the patriotic ardour and genius of Burns. As a specimen of the original orthography, we subjoin a few of the opening lines of the poem: Our antecessouris, that we suld of reide, 1 The rest, the remainder. 2 Many (Ang -Sax, feala), Adventure of Wallace while Fishing in Irvine Water. Wallace, near the commencement of his career, is living in hiding with his uncle, Sir Ranald Wallace of Riccarton, near Kilmarnock. To amuse himself, he goes to fish in the river Irvine, when the following adventure takes place: So on a time he desired to play. To lead his net a child furth with him yede; (1) But he, or (2) noon, was in a felon dread. His swerd he left, so did he never again; It did him gude, suppose he suffered pain. Happy he was, took fish abundantly. Or of the day ten hours o'er couth pass.. Ridand there came, near by where Wallace was, The Lord Percy, was captain then of Ayr; Frae then' he turned, and couth to Glasgow fare. (3) Till him rade five, clad into ganand green, And said soon: "Scot, Martin's fish we wald have!' 'It were reason, think, ye should have part, Waith (4) should be dealt, in all place, with free heart.' Ane other on the arm he hit so hardily, While hand and swerd baith in the field can lie. He stickit him was last upon the plain. 1 Went. 2 Ere. 5 Neck. 3 He was on his way from Ayr to Glasgow. 4 Spoil taken in sport 6 Rest. Three slew he there, twa fled with all their might And cryit: Lord, abide; your men are martyred down Five of our court here at the water bade, (2) The lord speirit: (3) How mony might they be?' Then leugh (4) he loud, and said: Foul mot you fall! Wha meins it maist the devil of hell him drown. And, be it known, thou may tak scaith therefore." His eme'. sons he wald not with im tak. This gude knight id: Dear cousin, pray I thee, When thou wants gude, come fetch eneuch frae me.' Wallace inclines, and gudely took his leave. The Ghost of Fawdoun. One of Wallace's followers, Fawdoun, was of broken reputation, and held in suspicion; and while the Scots were pursued by a formidable party of English, led by a blood-hound, Wallace slew Fawdoun, an à retreated to Gask Hall with a small party of thirteen men. In the Gask Hall their lodging have they ta'en; 1 Ere they would stop. Nearly went mad. 2 Tarried. 3 Inquired. 6 Equipped, made ready 4 Laughed. At Wallace in the head he swaket there; (1) Right weel he trowed that was no sprite of man He wist no weel there langer for to bide, Up through the hall thus wight Wallace gau glide Again he bien. (5) what 'pearance he saw there; A great rafter he had intill his hand. To clerks I will let all sic matters be. HOLLAND-HENRYSON. Among the minor yet popular poets about the middle of the fifteenth century, was HOLLAND, author of 'The Buke of the Howlat' (owl), an allegorical poem, containing an exhibition of the feathered tribes under a great variety of civil and ecclesiastical characters, to which is added a digression on the arms and exploits of the Douglases. Nothing is known of the author-not even his Christian name; but Mr. David Laing, editor of the 'Howlat,' supposes the poet to have been Sir Richard Holland, a priest, one of the followers of the exiled family of Douglas. The poem appears to have been written about 1453 at Ternoway (now Darnaway), on the banks of the Findhorn, the sent of the Earls of Moray; and it was composed to please the Countess of Moray, dowit, or wedded, to a Douglas. The story is taken from the fable of the jackdaw with borrowed feathers. It is but a very mediocre alliterative production. There are other alliterative Scottish poems of the beginning and middle of the fifteenth century-as the Tale of Rauf Coilzear,' alluded to by Dunbar and Gavin Douglas; the 'Awntyrs of Arthure, Orfeo and Heurodis,' &c. A selection of these early pieces, twenty 1 Cast forcibly there. 2 Hint, hunt, or hent. laid hold of. 41, or immes, a dwelling (Aug-Sax.) Barbour has army on the field. 5 Glanced. 6 In the original, 3 In twain. asunder. signifying the tents of an hugly, sir.' 7 Very, denoting degree. five in number, all from sources anterior to the close of the sixteenth century, was published by Mr. Laing in 1822, with the title of 'Select Remains of Ancient Popular Poetry of Scotland.' But far surpassing these early and obscure worshippers of the native Muse, was Master ROBERT HENRYSON, a moral poet, in character not unlike the English poet Daniel-gentle, meditative, and observant. Of Henryson there are no personal memorials, except that he was chief schoolmaster at Dunfermline-perhaps, as Lord Hailes suggests, preceptor in the Benedictine convent there-and that he was admitted a member of the university of Glasgow in 1462, being described as the 'Venerable Master Robert Henrysone, lic itiate in arts, and bac.elor in decrees.' Mr. Laing, who has edited he works of Henryson (Edinburgh, 1865), places the time of his decease towards the close of the century, when he was probably about sev ty years of age. The principal works of Henryson are: Moral Fables of Esop,' thirteen in number, with two prologues; Robene and Makyne,' a pastoral; 'Orpheus and Eurydice,' and 'The Testament of Cresseide,' being a sequel to Chaucer's Troilus and Cressida.' The last of these poems is the most important, but the pastoral of' Robene and Makyne' is believed to be the earliest production of the kind in our national poetry. It is a simple love dialogue between a shepherd and shepherdess. The old stock properties of the pastoral-the pipe and crook, the hanging grapes, spreading beech, and celestial purity of the golden age-find no place in the northern pastoral. Henryson's Robin sits on a good green hill keeping his flock, and is most ungallantly insensible to the advances of Makyne: Robin sat on gude green hill, Robin, thou rue on me; I have thee lovit loud and still Thir years two or three; My dule in dern but gif thou dill, (2) Robin answered: By the Rood, Na thing of love I knaw, But keepis my sheep under yon wude, Or what is love, or to be lo'ed, Makyne explained and pleaded, but her advocacy was out of tune: Robin grew sick as Makyne The tables, however, are soon turned. grew well, and then she had the malicious satisfaction of rejecting 1 Sheep. 2 My grief in secret unless thou share. Chaucer has derne love (Ang.-Sax. dyrn, secret). 3 Range in a row. |