“Or did’st thou quarrel with a maid, Who loved thee all the time, And seek a hermitage’s shade? Far in a foreign clime; “And did the maiden seek thee out, Dress’d like a pilgrim-boy? And, having found thee safe and sound, Die, there and then, for joy?” Fire flash’d from that Blue Brother’s eye; “’Tis well,” he cried, “for you, That I’m a Friar, else in mine ire Some mischief might I do! “Why should I tell to such as thou The story of my youth? My patience is exhausted now, Denying each untruth. “You’re right, so far, if you suppose I’ve seen some woes and cares, But, mark you well, I never tell To strangers my affairs.” The vesper-bell rang thro’ the dell; Abrupt he sped away, And not another syllable Did to this minstrel say. And tho’ upon Maxwelton’s braes Since then I’ve often been, I know not why, but never I Have that Blue Brother seen. VI. The Abbot praised the Minstrel’s skill, And gave him siller――better still; What wonder that such vagrant men, Encouraged thus, should come agen? For Fillan’s heart was warm and large, He never gave these folks in charge, And tho’ the bagpipe made him groan, He let his torturer alone. Well used, I wot, were one and all Within St. Fillan’s Abbey-wall; Even the cats were fed on cream―― Such was the custom of Pittenweem. * * * * * ―――― Another imitation of _The Lay of the Last Minstrel_ was “_The Lay of the Scottish Fiddle_,” a poem in Five Cantos (with notes in galore) supposed to be written by W――――. S――――., Esq., London, 1814. This parody was at first attributed to the pen of Washington Irving, but is now generally ascribed to his brother-in-law, James Kirke Paulding, a voluminous author, well-known on the other side of the Atlantic. The parody appears to have been first published in the United States, and then re-produced in London. The author, for the purpose of his burlesque, describes the unhappy war then raging between Great Britain and his own country, as predatory, and treats of the British officers as border chieftains and freebooters. Such poetical license, especially on the part of an avowed foe, seems quite excusable, yet the Editor of the English Edition, in his preface, is very severe both on the poem and the notes which accompany it. These notes are voluminous, occupying nearly as many pages as the parody itself, and they are partly humorous and satirical, but principally descriptive of events alluded to in the poem, which had occurred during the war. There were some imitations of Scott’s _Lay_ in _Truth_, January 18, 1877, and also in the Christmas number of _Truth_ for 1877.