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

CANTO VI,] THE LORD OF THE ISLES. 269
And, least of all, what'vails the world should
know,
That one poor garland, twined to deck thy hailr,
Is hung upon thy hearse, to droop and wither
there 1
1 [The Edinbztryh Reviewer (Mr. Jeffrey) says, "' The story
of the Lord of the Isles, in so far as it is fictitious, is palpably
deficient both in interest and probability; and, in so far as it
is founded on historical truth, seems to us to be objectionable, both for want of incident, and want of variety and connection in the incidents that occur. There is a romantic
grandeur, however, in the scenery, and a sort of savage
greatness and rude antiquity in many of the characters and
events, which relieves the insipidity of the narrative, and
atones for many defects in the execution."
After giving copious citations from what he considers as
"' the better parts of the poem," the critic says, " to give a
complete and impartial idea of it, we ought to subjoin some
from its more faulty passages. But this is but an irksome
task at all times, and, with such an author as Mr. Scott, is
both invidious and unnecessary. His faults are nearly as
notorious as his beauties; and we have announced in the
outset, that they are equally conspicuous in this as in his
other productions. There are innumerable harsh lines and
uncouth expressions,-passages of a coarse and heavy diction,-and details of uninteresting minuteness and oppressive
explanation. It is needless, after this, to quote such couplets'A damsel tired of midnight bark,
Or wanderers of a moulding stark,'-'Tis a kind youth, but fanciful,
Unfit against the tide to pull;'or to recite the many weary pages which contain the colloquies of Isabel and Edith, and set forth the unintelligible