The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott, with memoir of the author.

CANTO III.] THE LAST MINSTREL. 103
Would strike below the knee: 1
His slacken'd bow was in his hand,
And the leash, that was his bloodhound's band.
1 Imitated from Drayton's account of Robin Hood and his
followers: -
" A hundred valiant men had this brave Robin Hood,
Still ready at his call, that bowmen were right good:
All clad in Lincoln green, with caps of red and blue,
His fellow's winded horn not one of them but knew.
When setting to their lips their bugles shrill,
The warbling echoes waked from every dale and hill;,Their bauldrics set with studs athwart their shoulders cast,
To which under their arms their sheafs were buckled fast,
A short sword at their belt, a buckler scarce a span,
Who struck below the knee not counted then a man.
All made of Spanish yew, their bows were wondrous strong,
They not an arrow drew but was a clothyard long.
Of archery they had the very perfect craft,
With broad arrow, or but, or prick, or roving shaft."
Poly- Olbion, Song 26.
To wound an antagonist in the thigh, or leg, was reckoned
contrary to the law of arms. In a tilt betwixt Gawain Michael, an English squire, and Joachim Cathore, a Frenchman,'" they met at the speare poyntes rudely: the French squyer
justed right pleasantly; the Englishman ran too lowe, for he
strak the Frenchman depe into the thigh. Wherewith the
Erle of Buckingham was right sore displeased, and so were
all the other lords, and sayde how it was shamefully done."
-FROISSART, vol. i. chap. 366.-Upon a similar occasion, " the
two knyghts came a fote eche against other rudely, with their
speares low couched, to stryke eche other within the foure
quarters. Johan of Castell-Morant strake the English squyer
on the brest in such wyse, that Syr Wyllyam Fermetone
stombled and bowed, for his fote a lyttel fayled him. He
helde his speare lowe with both his handes, and coude nat
amende it, and strake Syr Johan of the Castell-Morant in the