Arthurian romances; Lady of the Lake (Legendary character) -- Romances
'This John Buchanan of Auchmar and Arnpryor was afterwards termed King
of Kippen [a small district of Perthshire] upon the following account:
King James V., a very sociable, debonair prince, residing at Stirling,
in Buchanan of Arnpryor's time, carriers were very frequently passing
along the common road, being near Arnpryor's house, with necessaries
for the use of the King's family; and he, having some extraordinary
occasion, ordered one of these carriers to leave his load at his house,
and he would pay him for it; which the carrier refused to do, telling
him he was the King's carrier, and his load for his Majesty's use; to
which Arnpryor seemed to have small regard, compelling the carrier,
in the end, to leave his load; telling him, if King James was King of
Scotland, he was King of Kippen, so that it was reasonable he should
share with his neighbor king in some of these loads, so frequently
carried that road. The carrier representing these usage, and telling the
story as Arnpryor spoke it, to some of the King's servants, it came
at length to his majesty's ears, who shortly thereafter, with a few
attendants, came to visit his neighbor king, who was in the meantime at
dinner. King James, having sent a servant to demand access, was denied
the same by a tall fellow with a battle-axe, who stood porter at the
gate, telling there could be no access till dinner was over. This answer
not satisfying the King, he sent to demand access a second time; upon
which he was desired by the porter to desist, otherwise he would find
cause to repent his rudeness. His Majesty finding this method would
not do, desired the porter to tell his master that the Goodman of
Ballangeigh desired to speak with the King of Kippen. The porter telling
Arnpryor so much, he, in all humble manner, came and received the King,
and having entertained him with much sumptuousness and jollity, became
so agreeable to King James, that he allowed him to take so much of any
provision he found carrying that road as he had occasion for; and seeing
he made the first visit, desired Arnpryor in a few days to return him a
second to Stirling, which he performed, and continued in very much favor
with the King, always thereafter being termed King of Kippen while he
lived.'
"The readers of Ariosto must give credit for the amiable features with
which James is represented, since he is generally considered as the
prototype of Zerbino, the most interesting hero of the Orlando Furioso."
743. Glided from her stay. The MS. has "shrinking, quits her stay."
Ruskin asks us to "note the northern love of rocks" in this passage, and
adds: "Dante could not have thought of his 'cut rocks' as giving rest
even to snow. He must put it on the pine branches, if it is to be at
peace." Taylor quotes Holmes, Autocrat of Breakfast Table: "She melted
away from her seat like an image of snow."
780. Pry. Look pryingly or curiously. In prose on would not be used with
pry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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