For he had himself been a warrior bold, And fought in Spain and Italy. And he thought on the days that were long since by, When his limbs were strong, and his courage was high: Now, slow and faint, he led the way, The pillar'd arches were over their head, And beneath their feet were the bones of the dead 1 VIII. Spreading herbs, and flowerets bright, Nor herb, nor floweret, glisten'd there, But was carved in the cloister-arches as fair. Then into the night he looked forth; The youth in glittering squadrons start; 2 And hurl the unexpected dart. He knew, by the streamers that shot so bright, That spirits were riding the northern light. 1 The cloisters were frequently used as places of sepulture. An instance occurs in Dryburgh Abbey, where the cloister has an inscription bearing, Hic jacet frater Archibaldus. 2 See Appendix, Note M. IX. By a steel-clenched postern door, On pillars lofty and light and small: X Full many a scutcheon and banner riven, O gallant Chief of Otterburne ! 3 1 Corbells, the projections from which the arches spring, usually cut in a fantastic face, or mask. 2 With plinth and with capital flourish'd around. - First Edition. The famous and desperate battle of Otterburne was fought 15th August, 1388, betwixt Henry Percy, called Hotspur, and James, Earl of Douglas. Both these renowned champions were at the head of a chosen body of troops, and they were rivals in military fame; so that Froissart affirms: "Of all the battayles and encounteryngs that I have made mencion of here before in all this hystory, great or smalle, this battayle that I treat of nowe was one of the sorest and best foughten, without cowardes or faynte hertes: for there was neyther knyghte nor And thine, dark Knight of Liddesdale ! 1 O fading honours of the dead! O high ambition, lowly laid I XI. The moon on the east oriel shone2 By foliaged tracery combined; Thou would'st have thought some fairy's hand squyer but that dyde his devoyre, and foughte hande to hande. This battayle was lyke the battayle of Becherell, the which was valiauntly fought and endured." The issue of the conflict is well known: Percy was made prisoner, and the Scots won the day, dearly purchased by the death of their gallant general, the Earl of Douglas, who was slain in the action. He was buried at Melrose, beneath the high altar. "His obsequye was done reverently, and on his bodye layde a tombe of stone, and his baner hangyng over hym." - Froissart, vol. ii. p. 165. 1 See Appendix, Note N. 2 It is impossible to conceive a more beautiful specimen of the lightness and elegance of Gothic architecture, when in its purity, than the eastern window of Melrose Abbey. Sir James Hall of Dunglas, Bart., has, with great ingenuity and plausibility, traced the Gothic order through its various forms and seemingly eccentric ornaments to an architectural imitation of wicker work; of which, as we learn from some of the legends, the earliest Christian churches were constructed. In such an edifice, the original of the clustered pillars is traced to a set of round posts, begirt with slender rods of willow, whose loose summits were brought to meet from all quarters, and bound together artificially, so as to produce the framework of the roof and the tracery of our Gothic windows is displayed in the meeting and interlacing of rods and hoops, affording an inexhaustible variety of beautiful forms of open work. This ingenious system is alluded to in the romance. Sir James Hall's "Essay on Gothic Architecture" is published in The Edinburgh Philosophical Transactions. "Twixt poplars straight the ozier wand, In many a freakish knot, had twined; And trampled the Apostate's pride. XII. They sate them down on a marble stone,1 Now, strange to my eyes thine arms appear, XIII. "In these far climes it was my lot To meet the wondrous Michael Scott; 2 1 A large marble stone, in the chancel of Melrose, is pointed out as the monument of Alexander II., one of the greatest of our early kings; others say it is the resting-place of Waldeve, one of the early abbots, who died in the odour of sanctity. 2 See Appendix, Note O. A wizard, of such dreaded fame, That when, in Salamanca's cave,1 Him listed his magic wand to wave, The bells would ring in Notre Dame!2 Some of his skill he taught to me; And, Warrior, I could say to thee The words that cleft Eildon hills in three,3 And bridled the Tweed with a curb of stone: But to speak them were a deadly sin; And for having but thought them my heart within, A treble penance must be done. XIV. "When Michael lay on his dying bed, He bethought him of his sinful deed, 1 See Appendix, Note P. 2 Ibid. Note Q. 8 Michael Scott was, once upon a time, much embarrassed by a spirit, for whom he was under the necessity of finding constant employment. He commanded him to build a cauld, or dam-head, across the Tweed at Kelso; it was accomplished in one night, and still does honour to the infernal architect. Michael next ordered that Eildon hill, which was then a uniform cone, should be divided into three. Another night was sufficient to part its summit into the three picturesque peaks which it now bears. At length the enchanter conquered this indefatigible demon, by employing him in the hopeless and endless task of making ropes out of sea-sand. |