第 32 节
作者:曾氏六合网      更新:2021-02-27 01:39      字数:9322
  584。  Peril aught。  Incur any peril。  Milton uses the verb intransitively in Reason of Church Government; ii。 3: 〃it may peril to stain itself。〃
  587。  Not in action。  The 1st ed。 has 〃nor in action。〃
  594。  News。  Now generally used as a singular; but in old writers both as singular and as plural。  Cf。 Shakespeare; K。 John; iii。 4。 164: 〃at that news he dies;〃 and Id。 v。 7。 65: 〃these dead news;〃 etc。
  601。  As。  As if。  See on 56 above。
  606。  Glozing。  That glosses over the truth; not plain and outspoken。  Sometimes it means to flatter; or deceive with smooth words; as in Spenser; F。 Q。 iii。 8。 14:
  〃For he could well his glozing speeches frame      To such vaine uses that him best became;〃
  Smith; Sermons (A。 D。 1609): 〃Every smooth tale is not to be believed; and every glosing tongue is not to be trusted;〃 Milton; P。 L。 iii。 93: 〃his glozing lies;〃 Id。 ix。 549: 〃So glozed the Tempter;〃 Comus; 161: 〃well…placed words of glozing courtesy;〃 etc。
  615。  The King's vindictive pride; etc。  Scott says here: 〃In 1529; James made a convention at Edinburgh; for the purpose of considering the best mode of quelling the Border robbers; who; during the license of his minority; and the troubles which followed; had committed many exorbitances。  Accordingly he assembled a flying army of ten thousand men; consisting of his principal nobility and their followers; who were directed to bring their hawks and dogs with them; that the monarch might refresh himself with sport during the intervals of military execution。  With this array he swept through Ettrick Forest; where he hanged over the gate of his own castle Piers Cockburn of Henderland; who had prepared; according to tradition; a feast for his reception。  He caused Adam Scott of Tushiclaw also to be executed; who was distinguished by the title of King of the Border。  But the most noted victim of justice during that expedition was John Armstrong of Gilnockie; famous in Scottish song; who; confiding in his own supposed innocence; met the King; with a retinue of thirty…six persons; all of whom were hanged at Carlenrig; near the source of the Teviot。  The effect of this severity was such; that; as the vulgar expressed it; 'the rush… bush kept the cow;' and 'thereafter was great peace and rest a long time; wherethrough the King had great profit; for he had ten thousand sheep going in the Ettrick Forest in keeping by Andrew Bell; who made the king as good count of them as they had gone in the bounds of Fife' (Pitscottie's History; p。 153)。〃
  623。  Meggat's mead。  The Meggat; or Megget; is a mountain stream flowing into the Yarrow; a branch of the Etrrick; which is itself a branch of the Tweed。  The Teviot is also a branch of the Tweed。
  627。  The dales; etc。  The MS。 has 〃The dales where clans were wont to bide。〃
  634。  By fate of Border chivalry。  Scott says: 〃James was; in fact; equally attentive to restrain rapine and feudal oppression in every part of his dominions。  'The King past to the isles; and there held justice courts; and punished both thief and traitor according to their demerit。  And also he caused great men to show their holdings; wherethrough he found many of the said lands in non…entry; the which he confiscate and brought home to his own use; and afterwards annexed them to the crown; as ye shall hear。  Syne brought many of the great men of the isles captive with him; such as Mudyart; M'Connel; M'Loyd of the Lewes; M'Neil; M'Lane; M'Intosh; John Mudyart; M'Kay; M'Kenzie; with many other that I cannot rehearse at this time。  Some of them he put in ward and some in court; and some he took pledges for good rule in time coming。  So he brought the isles; both north and south; in good rule and peace; wherefore he had great profit; service; and obedience of people a long time hereafter; and as long as he had the heads of the country in subjection; they lived in great peace and rest; and there was great riches and policy by the King's justice' (Pitscottie; p。 152)。〃
  638。  Your counsel。  That is; give me your counsel。  Streight = strait。
  659。  The Bleeding Heart。  See on 200 above。
  662。  Quarry。  See on i。 127 above。
  672。  To wife。  For wife。  Cf。 Shakespeare; Temp。 ii。 1。 75: 〃such a paragon to their queen;〃 Rich。 II。 iv。 1。 306: 〃I have a king here to my flatterer;〃 etc。  See also Matt。 iii。 9; Luke; iii。 8; etc。
  674。  Enow。  The old plural of enough; as in Shakespeare; Hen。 V。 iv。 1。 240: 〃we have French quarrels enow;〃 etc。
  678。  The Links of Forth。  The windings of the Forth between Stirling and Alloa。
  679。  Stirling's porch。  The gate of Stirling Castle。
  683。  Blench。  Start; shrink。
  685。  Heat。  Misprinted 〃heart〃 in many eds。
  690。  From pathless glen。  The MS。 has 〃from hill and glen。〃
  692。  There are who have。  For the ellipsis; cf。 Shakespeare; Temp。 ii。 1。 262: 〃There be that can rule Naples;〃 etc。  See also iii。 10 below。
  694。  That beetled o'er。  Cf。 Hamlet; i。 4。 71:
  〃the dreadful summit of the cliff    That beetles o'er his base into the sea。〃
  696。  Their dangerous dream。  The MS。 has 〃their desperate dream。〃
  702。  Battled。  Battlemented; as in vi。 7 below。
  703。  It waved。  That it waved; an ellipsis very common in Elizabethan and earlier English。  Cf。 789 below。
  708。  Astound。  Astounded。  This contraction of the participle (here used for the sake of the rhyme) was formerly not uncommon in verbs ending in d and t。  Thus in Shakespeare we find the participles bloat (Ham。 iii。 4。 182); enshield (M。 for M。 ii。 4。 80); taint (1 Hen。 VI。 v。 3。 183); etc。
  710。  Crossing。  Conflicting。
  716。  Ere。  The 1st ed。 misprints 〃e'er。〃
  731。  Level。  Aim; formerly a technical term。  Cf。 2 Hen。 IV。 iii。 2。 286: 〃The foeman may with as great aim level at the edge of a penknife;〃 etc。
  747。  Nighted。  Benighted。  It is to be regarded as a contraction of that word; like lated for belated in Macbeth; iii。 3。 6; etc。 Nighted (= dark; black) in Hamlet; i。 2。 68 (〃thy nighted colour〃) is an adjective formed from the noun night。
  757。  Checkered shroud。  Tartain plaid。  The original meaning of shroud (see Wb。) was garment。
  763。  Parting。  Departing。  See on 94 above。
  768。  So deep; etc。  According to Lockhart; the MS。 reads:
  〃The deep…toned anguish of despair      Flushed; in fierce jealousy; to air;〃
  but we suspect that 〃Flushed〃 should be 〃Flashed。〃
  774。  So lately。  At the 〃Beltane game〃 (319 above)。
  781。  Thus as they strove; etc。  The MS。 reads:
  〃Thus; as they strove; each better hand      Grasped for the dagger or the brand。〃
  786。  I hold; etc。  Scott has the following note on the last page of the 1st ed。: 〃The author has to apologize for the inadvertent appropriation of a whole line from the tragedy of Douglas: 'I hold the first who strikes my foe。'〃
  789。  His daughter's hand; etc。  For the ellipsis of that; see on 703 above。  Deemed is often misprinted 〃doomed。〃
  791。  Sullen and slowly; etc。  The MS。 reads:
  〃Sullen and slow the rivals bold      Loosed at his hest their desperate hold;      But either still on other glared;〃 etc。
  795。  Brands。  A pet word with Scott。  Note how often it has been used already in the poem。
  798。  As faltered。  See on 601 above。
  801。  Pity 't were; etc。  Scott says here: 〃Hardihood was in every respect so essential to the character of a Highlander; that the reproach of effeminacy was the most bitter which could be thrown upon him。  Yet it was sometimes hazarded on what we might presume to think slight grounds。  It is reported of old Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel; when upwards of seventy; that he was surprised by night on a hunting or military expedition。  He wrapped him in his plaid; and lay contentedly down upon the snow; with which the ground happened to be covered。  Among his attendants; who were preparing to take their rest in the same manner; he observed that one of his grandsons; for his better accommodation; had rolled a large snow…ball; and placed it below his head。  The wrath of the ancient chief was awakened by a symptom of what he conceived to be degenerate luxury。  'Out upon thee;' said he; kicking the frozen bolster from the head which it supported; 'art thou so effeminate as to need a pillow?'  The officer of engineers; whose curious Letters from the Highlands have been more than once quoted; tells a similar story of Macdonald of Keppoch; and subjoins the following remarks: 'This and many other stories are romantick; but there is one thing; that at first thought might seem very romantick; of which I have been credibly assured; that when the Highlanders are constrained to lie among the hills; in cold dry weather; they sometimes soak the plaid in some river or burn (i。e。 brook); and then holding up a corner of it a little above their heads; they turn themselves round and round; till they are enveloped by the whole mantle。  They then lay themselves down on the heath; upon the leeward side of some hill; where the wet and the warmth of their bodies make a steam; like that of a boiling kettle。  The wet; they say; keeps them warm by thickening the stuff; and keeping the wind from penetrating。 I must confess I should have been apt to question