The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

THE ANTIQUARY. 229
IHer voice rose and became more animated as she recited the warlike
counsel of her ancestor"' Were I Glenallan's Earl this tide, "'If they hae twenty thousand blades,
And ye were Roland Cheyne, And we twice ten times ten,
The spur should be in my horse's side, Yet they hae but their tartan plaids,
And the bridle upons his mane. And we are mail-clad men.
"' My horse shall ride through ranks sae rude,
As through the moorland fern,
Then ne'er let the gentle Norman blude
Grow cauld for Highland kerne.'"
"Do you hear that, nephew?" said Oldbuck; -"you observe your
Gaelic ancestors were not held in high repute formerly by the Lowland
warriors."
"I hear," said Hector, " a silly old woman sing a silly old song. I am
surprised, sir, that you, who will not listen to Ossian's songs of Selma, can
be pleased with such trash. I vow, I have not seen or heard a worse halfpenny ballad; I don't believe you could match it in any pedlar's pack in
the country. I should be ashamed to think that the honour of the Highlands
could be affected by such doggrel."-And, tossing up his head, he snuffed
the air indignantly.
Apparently the old woman beard the sound of their voices; for, ceasing
her song, she called out, " Come in, sirs, come in-good-will never halted at
the door-stane."
They entered, and found to their surprise Elspeth alone, sitting " ghastly
on the hearth," like the personification of Old Age in the Hunter's song of
the Owl,* "wrinkled, tattered, vile, dim-eyed, discoloured, torpid."
" They're i' out," she said, as they entered; "but an ye will sit a blink,
somebody will be in. If ye hae business wi' my gude-daughter, or my son,
they'll be in belyve, —I never speak on business mysell. Bairns, gie them
seats-the bairns are a' gane out, I trow,"-looking around her;-" I was
crooning to keep them quiet a wee while since; but they hae cruppen out
some gate. Sit down, sirs, they'll be in belyve;" and she dismissed her
spindle from her hand to twirl upon the floor, and soon seemed exclusively
occupied in regulating its motion, as unconscious of the presence of the
strangers as she appeared indifferent to their rank or business there.
"I wish," said Oldbuck, " she would resume that canticle, or legendary
fragment. I always suspected there was a skirmish of cavalry before the
main battle of the Harlaw." t
"If your honour pleases," said Edie, "had ye not better proceed to the
business that brought us a' here? I'se engage to get ye the sang ony
time."
" I believe you are right, Edie -Do manus —I submit. But how shall
we manage? She sits there, the very image of dotage. Speak to her,
Edie —try if you can make her recollect having sent you to GlenallanHouse."
Edie rose accordingly, and, crossing the floor, placed himself in the same
position which he had occupied during his former conversation with her.
"' I'm fain to see ye looking sae weel, cummer; the mair, that the black ox
has tramped on ye since I was aneath your roof-tree."
"Ay," said Elspeth; but rather from a general idea of misfortune, than
any exact recollection of what had happened,- " there has been distress
amang us of late-I wonder how younger folk bide it-I bide it ill. I canna
D See Mrs. Grant on the Highland Superstitions, vol. ii. p. 260, for this fine translation from the Gaelic.
t The great battle of Harlaw, here and formerly referred to, might be said to determine whether the Gaelic
or the Saxon race should be predominant in Scotland. Donald, Lord of the Isles, who had at that period the
power of an independent sovereign, laid claim to the Earldom of Ross during the Regency of Robert, Duke
of Albany. To enforce his supposed right, he ravaged the north with a large army of Highlanders and Islemen. He was encountered at Harlaw, in the Garioch, by Alexander, Earl of Mar, at the head of the northern
nobility and gentry of Saxon and Norman descent. The battle was bloody and indecisive; but the invader
was obliged to retire, in consequence of the loss he sustained, and afterwards was compelled to make submission to the Regent, and renounce his pretensions to Ross; so that all the advantages of the field were
gained by the Saxons. The battle of Harlaw was fought 24th July, 111.
U