The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott ... Notes & life of the author.

|V N VtNS'O 7V. THE LADY OF THE LAKEE..ee, here, all vantageless I stand,
Armed like thyself, with single brand
I'or this is Coilantogle ford,
And thou must keep thee with thy.sm -s d."
XIII.
The Saxon paused:-"I ne'er delayed,.WVhen foeman bade me draw my blade;
Nay more, brave Chief, I voW'd thy death;
Yet sure thy fair and generous faith,
And my deep debt for life preserved,.A better meed have well deserved:Can nought but blood our feud atone?
Are there no means? "-"No, Stranger, non, i
And hear-to fire thy flagging zeal —
The Saxon cause rests on thy steel;
For thus spoke Fate by prophet bred
Between the living and-the dead:'Vho spills the foremost foemari's life,{
H is party.conquers in the strife."' Then, by my word," the Saxon said,
4" The riddle is already read.'Seek yonder brake beneath the cliff-.o
There lies Red Murdoch, stark and stiff.'Thus Fate has solved her prophecy,
Then yield to Fate, and not to me.'To James, at Stirling, let us go,;When, if thou wilt be still his foe,
Or if the King shall not agree
To grant thee grace and favour free,
I plight mine honour, oath, and word,
Ti hat, to thy native strengths restored,'With each advantage shalt thou stand,
That aids thee now to -guard thy land."' Dark lightning Hashed from Roderick's eye —
"Soars thy presumption, then, so high,'Because a wretched kern ye slew,
] lomage to name to Roderick Dhu?
lie yields not, he, to man nor Fatel
T hou add'st but fuel to my hatei'y clansman's blood demands revenge.
Not yet prepared? By heaven, I change
M i thought, and hold thy valour light. that of some vain carpet-knight,