The champions sink-the chamber melts away-
And Cuddy finds himself in open day-
Alive-uninjured-for his wound he feels,-
'Tis gone! he views the crags of Shewin' Shiels,
And recollects the tale of Arthur's knights,
And trembles as he thinks upon the sights
Just vanished in that fair and fairy hall,

The seven green sleepers and the magic call!
He crossed himself, and blessed the gracious hour
That snatched him timely from enchantment's power!

'Twas dawn before the battle's heat was done,
And now he sees the scarcely risen sun-
Sir Cuddy thought—but, judge of his surprise,
When to his wild and wonder-stricken eyes
Appeared the country new and very strange,
He wist not how to reconcile the change-
Corn fields, and gardens; houses, neat and strong,
No woods, no mosses—as he trudged along
Upon a road so beautiful and broad-

What could he think?-he felt his spirits awed!
The fairies had thrown glamour o'er his eyes,
And all he saw gave more and more surprise!
Men looked not like the men that he had seen,
They spake another language-and his mien
Appear'd to move their wonder.-On he came,
But still he found no single scene the same,
Nought as it was before-the rushing river
Indeed swept on as beautiful as ever,

The hills stood still-the valleys kept their places-
But glens and dales alike had changed their faces.
He crossed the Tyne by a superior bridge,
And saw a rail-way climb the mountain ridge;
He entered Hexham, passing Quatre Bras,
And grew the more amazed the more he saw.
He knew not on what point his thoughts to fix,
When Eighteen Hundred-lo! and twenty-six
Before his eyes in capitals appears!—

Why he had slept full seven long hundred years!

Well might he see a change in all things round! Well might this new-old world his brain confound! In his young days men strove to warm the heart, But now the head seem'd thought the better part. The laughing fair ones of our modern days,

He swore, indeed, were past all power of praise, But wish'd himself, whene'er he named the men, Asleep for seven long hundred years again!

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

NOTE 1, P. 130, L. 17, &c.

Dilston heard Beaufront wind his mellow horn, Aydon to rouse, and Halton tower to warn.

Dilston stands conspicuously on the south side of the Tyne; and it is said that the inhabitants of Dilston and Beaufront were wont to inform each other of any important news by the use of a speaking trumpet. This is more probable than the trumpet of the Roman wall.

Beaufront, long the seat of the Errington family, is an elegant mansion, standing in a commanding yet sheltered situation on the northern bank of Tyne, about two miles below Hexham. Few places make a finer appearance or enjoy a wider or more cultivated prospect than this.

Halton Tower, the seat of the Haltons, afterwards of the Carnabies, and lastly of the Blacketts. It is a strong old seat, with turrets at its four corners, and commands a good prospect. An ancient sword of the Carnabies, 64 inches long, is preserved at Halton, which is the site of the Roman station HUNNUM.

Aydon Castle stands on the west side of a deep dell, and appears to have been a place of great size and strength. The heiress of the last Aydon of Aydon was married by Edward I. to Peter de Wallis.

Note 2, p. 131, L. 5.

On Fallowfield or plain.

Fallowfield stands on an eminence between Wall and Acomb. Here is the "written crag," on which is inscribed in legible and deep letters " PETRA FLAVI CARANTINI,-the Crag of Flavus Carantinus.

THE LEGEND

OF

HOB O' THE STOB HILL.

(MORPETH.)

"An ancient story I'll tell you anon,

Of a notable prince that was called king John;
And he ruled England with main and with might,
For he did great wrong, and maintained little right."
King John and the Abbot of Canterbury.

Hob o' the Stob Hill is a tradition of Morpeth in the olden time, during the reign of king John, when the whole kingdom became a prey to disorder and convulsions of every kind. Neither life, property, nor freedom could be secured by law. The nobles were dreadfully oppressed, and made for a length of time little pretensions to any rights; and the vassals, having nothing to lose, adopted the compendious and "Simple plan,

That they should take, who have the power,

And they should keep, who can."

The Northumberland barons had recourse to Alexander II. king of Scotland, for protection against king John; and, in order to obtain it, they did homage to Alexander at Felton. King John, in resentment of the defection of the barons, advanced to the borders; and, amongst other places, reduced Wark, in Northumberland, to ashes. Camden states that Morpeth was set on fire by the inhabitants themselves, to prejudice John, who would have rested here in his infamous expedition.