532. On heaven and on thy lady call. This is said gayly, or sportively, as keeping up the idea of a knight-errant. Cf. 475 above.
542. Careless. See on 490 above.
546. Target. Buckler; the targe of iii. 445, etc. See Scott’s note on v. 380 below.
548. Store. Stored, laid up; an obsolete adjective. Cf. iii. 3 below, and see also on vi. 124.
551. And there the wild-cat’s, etc. The Ms. reads:
“There hung the wild-cat’s
brindled hide,
Above the elk’s
branched brow and skull,
And frontlet of the
forest bull.”
559. Garnish forth. Cf. furnish forth in 442 above.
566. Brook. Bear, endure; now seldom used except with reference to what is endured against one’s will or inclination. It seems to be a favorite word with Scott.
573. Ferragus or Ascabart. “These two sons of Anak flourished in romantic fable. The first is well known to the admirers of Ariosto by the name of Ferrau. He was an antagonist of Orlando, and was at length slain by him in single combat. ... Ascapart, or Ascabart, makes a very material figure in the History of Bevis of Hampton, by whom he was conquered. His effigies may be seen guarding one side of the gate at Southampton, while the other is occupied by Bevis himself” (Scott).
580. To whom, though more than kindred knew. The Ms. reads:
“To whom, though
more remote her claim,
Young Ellen gave
a mother’s name.”
She was the maternal aunt of Ellen, but was loved as a mother by her, or more than (such) kindred (usually) knew (in way of affection).
585. Though all unasked, etc. “The Highlanders, who carried hospitality to a punctilious excess, are said to have considered it as churlish to ask a stranger his name or lineage before he had taken refreshment. Feuds were so frequent among them, that a contrary rule would in many cases have produced the discovery of some circumstance which might have excluded the guest from the benefit of the assistance he stood in need of” (Scott).
591. Snowdoun. An old name of Stirling Castle. See vi. 789 below.
592. Lord of a barren heritage. “By the misfortunes of the earlier Jameses, and the internal feuds of the Scottish chiefs, the kingly power had become little more than a name. Each chief was a petty king in his own district, and gave just so much obedience to the king’s authority as suited his convenience” (Taylor).
596. Wot. Knows; the present of the obsolete wit (the infinitive to wit is still use in legal forms), not of weet, as generally stated. See Matzner, Eng. Gram. i. 382. Cf. Shakespeare, Rich. III. ii. 3. 18: “No, no, good friends, God wot.” He also uses wots (as in Hen. V. iv. 1. 299) and a participle wotting (in W. T. iii. 2. 77).
602. Require. Request, ask; as in Elizanethan English. Cf. Shakespeare, Hen. VIII. ii. 4. 144: “In humblest manner I require your highness,” etc.