made her; but then, beguiled while he left her, to final words upbraiding her for breaking—as he, most sadly mistaken, believed - the vow she had made, praying God that she might "not become a world's wonder for this act of wilful and deliberate perjury." While we remain - -as we may be supposed yet to remain - by the crumbling walls of Fast Castle, we can imagine the last Ravenswood, with the portentous words of the Rhymer's prophecy haunting him, closing the tragic story of the romantic and intense affection that, even to her sad death, bound Lucy Ashton to him. And there, too, we can imagine, mingled with the wild, deep bass of the rolling surge below, the sorrowful tones of those plaintive harmonies that Donizetti has given to her in "Presso alla tomba io sono ;" and Edgar's words, "Tomba degli avi miei, l' ultimo avanzo d' un stirpe infelice, deh! raccogliete voi ;" and those thrilling notes expressing his strong, true passion, "Tu, che a Dio spiegasti l' ali, O bell' alma innamorata." Nor can we there refuse to remember the aged and faithful steward, who, when his master had gone for ever, lingered around the deserted castle "with a fidelity sometimes displayed by the canine race, but seldom by human beings," and wore out the short remnant of his life sorrowing over the fate of the race for which he had lived. And ever where the winds sweep resounding across the great hills of East Lothian, or the broader expanse of the German Sea; where they rustle through the upland heather, or fan the grass on the cliffs under the walls of Fast Castle, will they tell the mournful and touching story, and breathe the plaintive requiem, of "The Bride of Lammermoor." TH XXXVII. FROM SCOTLAND TO ENGLAND. HOSE who follow the route sketched on these pages are supposed to leave Scotland now, after visits to nearly all the scenery and objects in that country associated with the creations of Sir Walter Scott, or celebrated for remains of its ancient art, or interesting for their suggestions of domestic life in its times past, or fascinating with charins imparted them by its abounding historic, poetic, and romantic literature. This route, again entering England, and prolonged through nearly its entire extent, conducts to scenes equally, and not infrequently more, celebrated by their associations with the same classes of attractions. The North British railway, that carries travellers from the vicinity of Fast Castle, described in the last chapter, leads to Berwick and the frontier. To the left of the road are often picturesque views along the coast, and, here and there, directly down rough crags, upon the surging sea that beats against their base. At Berwick, the line passes directly over much of the site of the ancient castle that was, during generations, an object of contention between the powers of the South and of the North. The Tweed, there "broad and deep" indeed, will be crossed by a long and lofty bridge, — happily and graphically named "the last Act of the Union between England and Scotland," that commands a wide view over river, city, and country, and, close beneath, the celebrated old bridge,an important link between the two countries in its earlier days, narrow and low though it thence appears. From town quarters in Berwick, or country quarters at the "Blue Bell" in Belford not far beyond, several pleasant visits, already mentioned, can be made. From Berwick is easy access to Halidon Hill, scene of Scott's drama named from it (chapter xlix). From Belford travellers can go about half a dozen miles to Chillingham Castle, a reputed original of Osbaldistone Hall in "Rob Roy" (page 165), and thence perhaps three miles to Horton Castle, said to be the "Inglewood Place" in the same story (page 165). Whether these places are really or not to be associated with Diana Vernon, a ride to them will give a pleasant prospect of the interesting border lands of Northumberland. From either Berwick or Belford is, westward, easy access to Norham Castle (page 35) and Flodden Field (page 51), scenes of the opening and closing of "Marmion;" and, eastward, to Holy Island, with its monastic relics, locality of such tragic episode in the same poem. In this direction, also, is the grand, seaside castle of Bamborough (page 39). About thirty-five miles by rail southward from Berwick is Alnwick, with the stately castle and noble park of the dukes of Northumberland, and six miles farther south, the imposing and well-kept remains of Warkworth Castle, belonging to the same a lords, and, like Alnwick, once a stronghold of the famous Percys. About half a mile from Warkworth is the Hermitage, associated with the story of Bishop Percy's ballad, "The Hermit of Warkworth." Indeed, this whole region, like nearly all England, is full of noticeable objects and places. Farther south is Newcastle, great, smoky, busy town, yet with picturesque interest. Twenty miles beyond it, and in the same direction, is the ancient city of Durham, that deserves more visits than it receives from Americans. Its castle, and its grand, stern cathedral, towering nobly above the river Wear, and their associations with "Harold the Dauntless," are described in the fifteenth chapter. From Durham is railway communication with Barnard Castle (page 80). There, and at Rokeby Park (pages 83-5), about three miles distant, are the picturesque localities of the poem named from the latter place. Thence a pleasant excursion (page 82) can be made across the Yorkshire hills to Richmond, where one of the grandest "keeps" in Britain can be seen. Thence the railway leads, rather circuitously, to Ripon, the recently "restored" cathedral at which is well worth a visit. From this place is the usual departure (by carriage) to the ruins of Fountains Abbey, situated at a distance of about three miles, in the delightful park near Studley Royal. Travellers who can visit but one monastic relic in England should perhaps select this; for no other surpasses its combination of completeness, size, beauty of position, and architectural interest. In all Britain there is now probably no religious or benevolent institution, except the national hospital at Greenwich, that could compare in extent and grandeur with this abbey as it was during the days of its glory. Scarcely elsewhere can one so realize the magnificent comprehensiveness, endowment, and effect of those wonderful monastic creations of medieval piety, now mouldering into utter extinction; scarcely elsewhere can be better realized the surroundings and material evidences of monkish life, and reproductions of it by Scott. The abbey originally covered ten acres, and even now presents a great array of buildings. The church, very large and noble, is, except the roof, almost entire. The woodlands, lawns, and hills around it are remarkably beautiful. The institution was founded about the year 1204, and attained great magnificence until it passed into a condition of desecration and desolation during the reign of that model of virtue, piety, and reforming grace,—the first "Defender of the Faith." A few miles from Ripon is Harrowgate, a pretty, rather rural watering-place, with chalybeate and sulphurous springs. A few miles farther towards York, is Knaresborough, with a once important but now shattered castle, and the curious St. Robert's chapel and cave (the latter intimately associated with Bulwer's story relating Eugene Aram's crime). Every traveller in England visits, or ought to visit, the ancient city of York. It is not only large, busy, and historic, but one of the cathedral cities most deserving and repaying examination. Local guide-books describe its many attractions, only the chief of which can be mentioned here, the glorious minster church of St. Peter. Since the year 627 divine service has been perpetual on its site. The existing edifice was built chiefly in the thirteenth century. Like other similar edifices, this has its own peculiar characteristic features, while it has also the generic character common to all. Here are a remarkable crypt, a very stately and almost unique choir that nearly equals the vast nave in size, an unsurpassed group of five lancet windows (in the north transept), and, near them, a superb chapter-house. The great central tower, about two hundred feet high, commands a wide view worth gaining. The present excellent condition, the beauty and the majesty, of this sacred structure are delightful; and may the piety that has long preserved it render it through coming time a like joy and blessing! The route of this tour southward from York should be by the Great Northern line to the picturesque region in which is represented much of the action of Scott's most splendid prose romance, "Ivanhoe." The period of this action is so remote (1194), and some of the scenes associated with it are so scattered, that we can hardly expect to find them all; yet enough remain, or can be identified, to show what they once were, and also how pleasant they now are, and how appropriately they suggest very much of the rude but interesting times of Old England, and the attractive characters of history, and the charms of ancient as well as modern romance, abounding as they do in associations with the Lion-hearted Richard, knightly Ivanhoe, bold Robin Hood, and fair Maid Marian, Jelly Friar Tuck, and the Great Magician's Rebecca and Rowena, with tournaments, with Templar's pride and power, with "churchman's pomp" or license, with baronial might, and with free life "under the greenwood tree" at Sherwood, and indeed the whole brilliant spectacle presented to us in Scott's delightful creation. "AS XXXVIII. "IVANHOE." Tenth Novel of the Series; Written 1819; Published Dec. 18, 1819; S a work of art," wrote Lockhart, "Ivanhoe' is perhaps the first of all Scott's efforts, whether in prose or in verse." "It is a splendid poem," wrote Jeffrey, "and contains matter enough for six good tragedies." And these two opinions, of the very many elicited, describe this work. It was received "with clamorous delight" by contemporaneous readers, and its publication marked the most brilliant period of its author's history. The circumstances under which it was composed have been mentioned on page 333. Like most of "The Bride" it was written by amanuenses. Portions, however, of the manuscript are closely and firmly written, — "many pages together, without one alteration," -- in the handwriting of the author, who, we are told, considered about fifteen pages of the original edition a fair day's work. And we should remember that in no instance did he rewrite "prose before sending it to the press." This work appeared, in better style than its predecessors, in three post-octavo volumes, at ten shillings each, of which 12,000 copies were speedily sold. "The name of Ivanhoe," wrote Scott in 1830, "was suggested by an old rhyme . . . recording three names of the manors forfeited by the ancestor of the celebrated Hampden, for striking the Black Prince a blow with his racket, when they quarrelled at tennis, — Tring, Wing, and Ivanhoe, Hampden did forego, And glad he could escape so." "The period of the narrative adopted (wrote Scott) was the reign of Richard I., not only as abounding with characters whose very names were sure to attract general attention, but as affording a striking contrast betwixt the Saxons, by whom the soil was cultivated, and the Normans, who still reigned in it as conquerors, reluctant to mix with the vanquished, or acknowledge themselves of the same stock." Some, however, "of the ancient Saxon families possessed wealth and power, although they were exceptions." |