CHAPTER VIII 



" Of Scotland well, the friers of Faill, 



The limmery lang hes lastit ; 

 The monks of Melros' made gude kaill 

 On Fridays when they fastit." 



Spec. Godly Songs, page 87. 



IN rambling by Tweedside one never loses 

 sight of the Eildon hills within many miles 

 of Melrose, which, together with the river 

 and abbey, are the dominant features of the 

 country. 



Of the legend touching them there are two ver- 

 sions ; the poetical one given us in " the Lay of the 

 Last Minstrel/' 



" And, warrior, I could say to thee 

 The words that clove Eildon hills in three," 



comes, as all the world knows, from a very high 

 authority ; and, besides being extremely probable 

 in itself, has good classical conformity to the magician 

 in Ariosto, who produced marvellous visions in the 

 air, which astounded the beholder ; but he having 

 a glass given him by a more powerful enchanter, 

 which enabled him to see things in their true sem- 

 blance, saw only the magician sitting on a cloud, 

 reading his book ; thus in both these cases wonder- 

 ful things were done by cabalistical words, which 

 art is called Glamour. 



192 



