470 REVIEWS ROMANTIC SCOTTISH BALLADS. 



It is necessary to present a few brief extracts from this poem. In the opening, 

 the Scottish king, Alexander III, is represented as receiving notice of the Norwe- 

 gian invasion : 



The king of Norse, in summer pride, 



Puffed up with power and micht, 

 Landed in fair Scotland, the isle, 



With mony a hardy koicht. 

 The tidings to our gude Scots king 



Came aa he sat at dine, 

 With noble chiefs in brave array, 

 Drinking the blude-red wine. 



' To horse, to horse, my royal liege ; 



Your faes stand on the strand ; 

 Full twenty thousand glittering spears 



The king of Norse commands.' 



* Bring me my steed, page, dapple-gray,' 



Our good king rose and cried ; 

 ' A trustier beast in a' the land 

 A Scots king never tried.' 



Hardyknute, summoned to the king's assistance, leaves his wife and daughter. 

 Fairly fair,' under the care of his youngest son. As to the former lady — 



first she wet her comely cheeks, 



And then her bodice green, 

 Her silken cords of twirtle twist, 



Well plet with silver sheen ; 

 And apron, set with mony a dice 



Of needle-wark sae rare, 

 W ove by nae hand, as ye may guess, 



But that of Fairly fair. 



In his journey, Hardyknute falls in with a wounded and deserted knight, to 

 whom he makes an offer of assistance : 



With smileless look and visage wan, 



The wounded knight replied : 

 ' Kind chieftain, your intent pursue, 

 . For here I maun abide. 



• To me nae after day nor nieht 



Can e'er be sweet or fair ; 

 But soon beneath some drapping tree, 

 Oauld death shall end my care.' 



A field of battle is thus described : 



In thraws of death, with wallowit cheek, 

 All panting on the plain, 



