Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field in Six CantosScott, Walter
General
Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field in Six Cantos
Scott, Walter
Flodden, Battle of, England, 1513 -- Poetry
Stanza XI. line 302. The wimple was a covering for the neck, said to
have been introduced in the reign of Edward I. See Chaucer's
'Prologue,' 151:--
'Ful semely hire wympel i-pynched was.'
line 307. Cp. 2 Henry IV, iii. 2. 9, 'By yea and nay, sir.'
line 308. Cp. refrain of song, ''Twas within a mile o' Edinburgh
Town,' in Johnson's Museum :--
'The lassie blush'd, and frowning cried, "No, no, it will not
do;
I cannot, cannot, wonnot, wonnot, mannot buckle too."'
Stanza XII. The skilful application of the anapaest for the
production of the brilliant gallop of 'Lochinvar' has been equalled
only by Scott himself in his 'Bonnets o' Bonnie Dundee.' Cp. Lord
Tennyson's 'Northern Farmer' (specially New Style), and Mr.
Browning's 'How they brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix.' 'The
ballad of Lochinvar,' says Scott, 'is in a very slight degree
founded on a ballad called " Katharine Janfarie," which may be found
in the "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border," vol. ii. Mr. Charles
Gibbon's 'Laird o' Lamington' is based on the same legend.
line 332. 'See the novel of "Redgauntlet" for a detailed picture of
some of the extraordinary phenomena of the spring-tides in the
Solway Frith.'--LOCKHART.
line 344. galliard (Sp. gallarda, Fr. gaillarda), a lively dance.
Cp. Henry V, i. 2, 252, 'a nimble galliard,' and note on expression
in Clarendon Press ed.
line 353. scaur, cliff or river bank. Cp. Blackie's 'Ascent of
Cruachan' in 'Lays of the Highlands and Islands,' p. 98:--
'Scale the SCAUR that gleams so red.'
Stanza XIII. line 376. Cp. Dryden's 'Aurengzebe':-
'Love and a crown no rivalship can bear.'
line 382. Sir R. Kerr. See above, line 261.
line 383. Andrew Barton, High Admiral of Scotland, was one of a
family of seamen, to whom James IV granted letters of reprisal
against Portuguese traders for the violent death of their father.
Both the King and the Bartons profited much by their successes. At
length the Earl of Surrey, accusing Andrew Barton of attacking
English as well as Portuguese vessels, sent two powerful men-of-war
against him, and a sharp battle, fought in the Downs, resulted in
Barton's death and the capture of his vessels. See Chambers's
'Eminent Scotsmen,' vol. v.
line 386. James sent his herald to Henry before Terouenne, calling
upon him to desist from hostilities against Scotland's ally, the
king of France, and sternly reminding him of the various insults to
which Henry's supercilious policy had subjected him. Flodden had
been fought before the messenger returned with his answer. Barclay a
contemporary poet, had written about seven years earlier, in his
'Ship of Fooles':--
'If the Englishe Lion his wisedome and riches
Conjoyne with true love, peace, and fidelitie
With the Scottishe Unicornes might and hardines,
There is no doubt but all whole Christentie
Shall live in peace, wealth, and tranquilitie.'
But such a desirable consummation was to wait yet a while.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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