among nations who never borrowed from each other any thing intrinsically worth learning.  Indeed the wide diffusion of popular factions may be compared to the facility with which straws and feathers are dispersed abroad by the wind, while valuable metals cannot be transported without trouble and labour.  There lives, I believe, only one gentleman whose unlimited acquaintance with this subject might enable him to do it justice,—­I mean my friend Mr. Francis Douce, of the British Museum, whose usual kindness will, I hope, pardon my mentioning his name while on a subject so closely connected with his extensive and curious researches” (Scott).

355.  Snatched away, etc.  “The subjects of Fairy-land were recruited from the regions of humanity by a sort of crimping system, which extended to adults as well as to infants.  Many of those who were in this world supposed to have discharged the debt of nature, had only become denizens of the ‘Londe of Faery’” (Scott).

357.  But wist I, etc.  But if I knew, etc.  Wist is the past tense of wit (Matzner).  See on i. 596 above.

371.  Dunfermline.  A town in Fifeshire, 17 miles northwest of Edinburgh.  It was long the residence of the Scottish kings, and the old abbey, which succeeded Iona as the place of royal sepulture, has been called “the Westminster of Scotland.”  Robert Bruce was the last sovereign buried here.

374.  Steepy.  Cf. iii. 304 above.

376.  Lincoln green.  See on i. 464 above.

386.  Morning-tide.  Cf. iii. 478 above.

387.  Bourne.  Bound, limit.  Cf. the quotation from Milton in note on iii. 344 above.

392.  Scathe.  Harm, mischief.  Spenser uses the word often; as in F. Q. i. 12, 34:  “To worke new woe and improvided scath,” etc.  Cf.  Shakespeare, K. John, ii. 1. 75:  “To do offence and scathe in Christendom;” Rich.  III. i. 3. 317:  “To pray for them that have done scathe to us,” etc.

393.  Kern.  See on 73 above.

395.  Conjure.  In prose we should have to write “conjure him.”

403.  Yet life I hold, etc.  Cf.  Julius Caesar, i. 2. 84: 

    “If it be aught toward the general good,
     Set honor in one eye and death i’ the other,
     And I will look on both indifferently;
     For let the gods so speed me as I love
     The name of honor more than I fear death.”

411.  Near Bochastle.  The Ms. has “By Cambusmore.”  See on i. 103 and 106 above.

413.  Bower.  Lodging, dwelling.  See on i. 217 above.

415.  Art.  Affectation.

417.  Before.  That is, at his visit to the Isle.  Cf. ii. 96 fol. above.

418.  Was idly soothed, etc.  The Ms. has “Was idly fond thy praise to hear.”

421.  Atone.  Atone for.  Shakespeare uses the verb transitively several times, but in the sense of reconcile; as in Rich.  II. i. 1. 202:  “Since we cannot atone you,” etc.  Cf. v. 735 below.