And who is Norval in Glenalvon's eyes? Glenalvon. A peasant's son, a wandering beggar boy ; At best no more; even if he speaks the truth. Douglas. Perhaps I should revile; but as I am, I have no tongue to rail. The humble Norval Is of a race who strive not but with deeds. Did I not fear to freeze thy shallow valour, And make thee sink too soon beneath my sword, I'd tell thee-what thou art. I know thee well. Glenalvon. Dost thou not know Glenalvon, born to command False as thou art, dost thou suspect my Ten thousand slaves like thee?— truth? Glenalvon. Thy truth! thou'rt all a lie; and false as hell Douglas. Villain, no more! Draw, and defend thy life. I did design Is the vain-glorious tale thou told'st to To have defied thee in another cause; But Heaven accelerates its vengeance on thee. Randolph. Douglas. If I were chain'd, unarm'd, and bed-rid Now for my own and Lady Randolph's old, wrongs! ANONYMOUS POETRY. GIL MORICE. [The origin of this very popular ballad is involved in mystery. It first appeared in print about the time (1756) that Home's tragedy of Douglas, of which it forms the germ, was first acted in an Edinburgh theatre; and the fact of its relation to Douglas was stated in the title of the copy then hawked about the country. The heroine, Lady Barnard, was the original name of Home's Lady Randolph. Motherwell, who has gone at some length into the question of its production, says that, "If any reliance is to be placed on the traditions of that part of the country where the scene of the ballad is laid, we shall be enforced to believe that it is founded on facts which occurred at some remote period of Scottish history. The "greenwood" of the ballad was the ancient forest of Dundaff, in Stirlingshire; and Lord Barnard's castle is said to have occupied a precipitous cliff overhanging the water of Carron, on the lands of Halbertshire." Whether the ballad ever had any traditional kernel or not, none of the authorities consider its present form to be much older than Douglas. It has a strong family likeness to Hardvknute.] |