Excerpt from The Lay of the Last Minstrel The Minstrel gazed with wistful eye N o humbler resting-place was nigh. With hesitating step, at last. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem A wandering Harper, scorned and poor, He begged his bread from door to door; And tuned, to please a peasant's ear. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Excerpt from The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem, in Six Cantos The map gives the principal localities mentioned in the poem, with their relation to the more important cities, such as Edinburgh and Carlisle, and the adjacent counties of England. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Lay the Last Minstrel: A Poem The Poem, now oll'ered to the Public, is intended toillustrate the customs and manners, which anciently prevailed on the Borders of England and Scotland. The inhabitants, living in a state partly pastoral and partly warlike, and combining habits of constant de predation with the influence of a rude spirit of chi valry, were often engaged in scenes, highly suscepti ble of poetical ornament. As the description of scenery and manners was more the object of the author, than a combined and regular narrative, the plan of the ancient Metrical Romance was adopted, which allows greater latitude, in this respect, than would be con sistent with the dignity of a regular Poem. The same model otl'ered other facilities, as it permits an occasional alteration of measure, which, in some de gree, authorizes the change of rhythm in the text. The machinery also, adopted from popular belief, would have seemed puerile in a poem, which did not partake of the rudeness of the old Ballad, or Metri cal Romance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Lay of the Last Minstrel: With Biographical Notice, Critical Introduction, Map of Scott-Land, and Notes How shall English literature be taught is one of the most important questions now under the consideration of educationists. Although to such a question there can be no final answer, still there is a marked approach towards unanimity among those who have revolted from the almost profitless methods of the past, and who are seeking to exalt English literature to its proper place as a branch of knowledge and as a means of culture. Instead of regarding the masterpieces of our language as a fine field for grammatical and philological exercitation, the new vogue regards them as the outpourings of genius and the expressions of art, and directs attention, firstly and chiefly, to the author's message; secondly, to the striking features and devices of the artistic medium that conveys the message; and thirdly, to the remote and the immediate causes that developed or influenced the authors literary genius, thus affecting the cast and the coloring of his message. What the author has to say to us is, of course, the main thing for consideration; but how he speaks to us, and why he speaks to us are questions of vital importance, if we wish to enjoy the full effects of his message. This edition of Scott's "Lay," it will be seen, follows the new line of literary study which has been prescribed by the University of Toronto and adopted by the other Universities and the Education Department of the Province. Different masters will no doubt use the book in different ways, but whatever modes of treatment may be adopted, all, as far as our schools are concerned, must tend to die object defined in the Syllabus of the University. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Scott: Lay of the Last Minstrel Sir Walter Scott made a great reputation by his metrical romances before he began to write romances in prose, and 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel, ' published in 1805, when the author was in his thirty-fourth year, was the first of his metrical romances. It became more immediately and widely popular than any poem ever published before. It came upon the ear of the world like a strain from a long-forgotten instrument suddenly taken up by a natural master, and played with surpassing skill and spontaneous unaffected rapture. It was as if men had all of a sudden, while they were bent soberly over their every-day work, heard a flourish of trumpets and looked up in amazement to see before them a procession of strange and dazzling figures out of the past centuries, - mail-clad knights, courteous squires, hardy yeomen, fair ladies, bowmen, bloodhounds, impish dwarfs and wizards. The novel metre of the 'Lay' added to the charm of the novel matter. It was quick, lively, varied - a contrast to the solemn, majestic, monotonous measures used in the serious poetry of the eighteenth century. To complete the influence of the new poet, it so happened that his countrymen were in circumstances peculiarly disposing them to listen to him. England was then in a heroic mood. Napoleon was thundering at the gates. We were in the heat of a struggle for existence. Branksome Hall, with its warriors keeping watch day and night in complete mail, was a picturesque image of the England of 1805. Circumstances were thus favourable to the Minstrel's advent; but, indeed, a poem so full of fresh and vigorous action, and universally intelligible feeling, must have been popular in any age and any circumstances. Commentary on a poem so simple, hearty, and energetic is not likely to be read, but, for the sake of the student, one may put together a few notes on its history and disputable points connected with its structure and relations to other literature. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.