Marmion

white or bright harness. They wore white hats, i.e. bright steel caps, without crest or visor. By an act of James IV their weapon-schawings are appointed to be held four times a year, under the aldermen or bailiffs.’-SCOTT.

lines 40-48. Corslet, a light cuirass protecting the front of the body; brigantine, a jacket quilted with iron (also spelt ‘brigandine’); gorget, a metal covering for the throat; mace, a heavy club, plain or spiked, designed to bruise armour.

‘Bows and quivers were in vain recommended to the peasantry of Scotland, by repeated statutes; spears and axes seem universally to have been used instead of them. The defensive armour was the plate-jack, hauberk, or brigantine; and their missile weapons crossbows and culverins. All wore swords of excellent temper, according to Patten; and a voluminous handkerchief round their neck, “not for cold, but for cutting.” The mace also was much used in the Scottish army! The old poem on the battle of Flodden mentions a band-

     “Who manfully did meet their foes, 
      With leaden mauls, and lances long.”

‘When the feudal array of the kingdom was called forth, each man was obliged to appear with forty days’ provision. When this was expended, which took place before the battle of Flodden, the army melted away of course. Almost all the Scottish forces, except a few knights, men-at-arms, and the Border-prickers, who formed excellent light-cavalry, acted upon foot.’-SCOTT.

Stanza III. line 48. swarthy, because of the dark leather of which it was constructed.

line 54. See above, Introd. to II. line 48.

line 56. Cheer, countenance, as below, line 244. Cp. Chaucer, ‘Knightes Tale,’ line 55:-

     ‘The eldeste lady of hem alle spak 
      When sche hadde swowned with a dedly chere.’

Stanza IV. line 73. slogan, the war-cry. Cp. Aytoun’s ‘Burial March of Dundee’:-

     ‘Sound the fife and cry the slogan.’

line 96. The Euse and the Liddell flow into the Esk. For some miles the Liddell is the boundary between England and Scotland.

line 100. Brown Maudlin, dark or bronzed Magdalene. pied, variegated, as in Shakespeare’s ‘daisies pied.’ kirtle = short skirt, and so applied to a gown or a petticoat.

Stanza V. For unrivalled illustration of what Celtic chiefs and clansmen were, see ‘Waverley’ and ‘Rob Roy.’

lines 130-5 Cp. opening of Chapman’s Homer’s Iliad III.:-

               ‘The Trojans would have frayed 
      The Greeks with noises, crying out, in coming rudely on 
      At all parts, like the cranes that fill with harsh confusion 
      Of brutish clanges all the air. ‘

Stanza VI. lines 143-157. Cp. Dryden’s ‘Palamon and Arcite,’ iii. 1719-1739:-

     ‘The neighing of the generous horse was heard, 
      For battle by the busy groom prepar’d: 
      Rustling of harness, rattling of the shield, 
      Clattering of armour furbish’d for the field,’ &c.