While thronged the citizens with terror dumb, Or whispering with white lips-"The foe! They come ! they come !" And wild and high the "Camerons' gathering" rose; And Evan's, Donald's3 fame, rings in each clansman's ears. Over the unreturning brave-alas! Ere evening to be trodden like the grass, Which now beneath them, but above shall grow Of living valour, rolling on the foe And burning with high hope, shall moulder cold and low. Last noon beheld them full of lusty life, The midnight brought the signal sound of strife, The thunder-clouds close o'er it, which, when rent, Byron. (1) Albyn—an ancient name of the Scottish Highlands. (3) Sir Evan Cameron and his descendant Donald, who were conspicuous in the rebellion of the year 1745. (4) Ardennes-put here for the wood of Soignies, which was thought to have anciently formed part of the Sylva Arduenna, afterwards called the Forest of Ardennes. (5) "Childe Harold, though he shuns to celebrate the victory of Waterloo, gives us here a most beautiful description of the evening which preceded the battle of Quatre Bras, the alarm which called out the troops, and the hurry and confusion which preceded their march. I am not sure that any verses in our language surpass, in vigour and in feeling, this most beautiful description."-Sir Walter Scott. CHRISTMAS. HEAP on more wood!-the wind is chill; We'll keep our Christmas merry still. While round, in brutal jest, were thrown While Scalds yelled out the joys of fight. And well our Christian sires of old Domestic and religious rite Gave honour to the holy night: On Christmas-eve the bells were rung On Christmas-eve the mass was sung: (1) Iol, or Jul-hence our Fule, the old word for Christmas. It is a Scandinavian word, and means time of festivity, and specially of the festivities in honour of the god Frey, or the sun. (2) Scalds-bards, poets. (3) Odin-the Jupiter of the North, called Woden by the Anglo-Saxons. We have traces of the name in Wednesday, Wednesbury, Wanborough, &c. See Dr. Leo's treatise "On Anglo-Saxon Names," p. 4. That only night in all the year, Then opened wide the Baron's hall 995 The fire, with well-dried logs supplied, Then the grim boar's head frowned on high, Well can the green-garbed ranger tell, And all the baiting of the boar. (1) Donned her kirtle sheen-put on her gay holiday gown. Kirtle, from the Anglo-Saxon cyrtel, is connected with gird, and denotes a flowing garment for man or woman, requiring to be restrained by a belt or girdle. (2) Vassal-tenant-serf—A vassal is a dependent upon a superior lord, and owes service; a tenant holds land or houses of another, and owes rent; a serf is a slave, and owes himself and all he has. (3) Roses in his shoes-The roses were decorations made of ribbon, like what are now called rosettes. (4) Underogating-without derogating from, or lessening, his dignity. (5) Post and pair-a game at cards, common in early times. The wassail' round, in good brown bowls, It was a hearty note, and strong. White shirts supplied the masquerade, The poor man's heart through half the year. Walter Scott. THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD. THOU art, O God! the life and light Of all this wondrous world we see; Are but reflections caught from thee: And all things fair and bright are thine. (1) Wassail-acccording to Webster, from the Anglo-Saxon was hæl, healthliquor a beverage formerly much used at feasts. (2) Trowls-or trolls-moves about, goes round. (3) Mumming-from the German mumme, a mask-masking, or performing in masks. (4) Ancient mystery-A mystery was a sort of dramatic performance, on some religious subject, common in the middle ages. (5) Visor-from the Latin visus, through the French visière-a mask to protect the face, forming part of the helmet: also the upper part of the same, which was perforated to see through-hence the name. (6) Dight-from the Anglo-Saxon gediht, set in order-dressed, decked. When day, with farewell beam, delays Moore. GRONGAR HILL.2 SILENT Nymph!3 with curious eye, Charms the forest with her tale; (1) Vista-from the Italian vistà, a sight-a view or prospect seen through an opening. (2) Grongar Hill claims a high place among descriptive poems. It is vivid, clear, and picturesque; which qualities may in part be due to the writer's profession, which was, in early youth, that of a painter. Dr. Johnson says of this popular poem:-"The scenes which it displays are so pleasing, the images which they raise so welcome to the mind, and the reflections of the writer so consonant to the general sense and experience of mankind, that when it is once read, it will be read again." (3) Silent nymph!-The poet here calls in painting to aid poetry-her "sister muse"-in depicting the landscape. It may be, however, remarked that there is no classical muse of Painting. (4) The grammar halts here; it should be "liest" to be consistent with the phrase "thy various hues" which follows. |