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End　Notes





　　　　　　NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　I。



Note　A。…The　Ranger　or　the　Forest；　that　cuts　the

foreclaws　off　our　dogs。



A　most　sensible　grievance　of　those　aggrieved　times　were　the

Forest　Laws。　　These　oppressive　enactments　were　the　produce　of

the　Norman　Conquest；　for　the　Saxon　laws　of　the　chase　were

mild　and　humane；　while　those　of　William；　enthusiastically　attached

to　the　exercise　and　its　rights；　were　to　the　last　degree

tyrannical。　The　formation　of　the　New　Forest；　bears　evidence

to　his　passion　for　hunting；　where　he　reduced　many　a　happy　village

to　the　condition　of　that　one　commemorated　by　my　friend；

Mr　William　Stewart　Rose：



‘‘Amongst　the　ruins　of　the　church

The　midnight　raven　found　a　perch；

　　A　melancholy　place；

The　ruthless　Conqueror　cast　down；

Woe　worth　the　deed；　that　little　town；

　　To　lengthen　out　his　chase。''



The　disabling　dogs；　which　might　be　necessary　for　keeping

flocks　and　herds；　from　running　at　the　deer；　was　called　_lawing_；

and　was　in　general　use。　　The　Charter　of　the　Forest　designed　to

lessen　those　evils；　declares　that　inquisition；　or　view；　for　lawing

dogs；　shall　be　made　every　third　year；　and　shall　be　then　done　by

the　view　and　testimony　of　lawful　men；　not　otherwise；　and　they

whose　dogs　shall　be　then　found　unlawed；　shall　give　three　shillings

for　mercy；　and　for　the　future　no　man's　ox　shall　be　taken

for　lawing。　　Such　lawing　also　shall　be　done　by　the　assize　commonly

used；　and　which　is；　that　three　claws　shall　be　cut　off　without

the　ball　of　the　right　foot。　　See　on　this　subject　the　Historical

Essay　on　the　Magna　Charta　of　King　John；　（a　most　beautiful

volume）；　by　Richard　Thomson。





　　　　　　NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　II。



Note　B。…Negro　Slaves。



The　severe　accuracy　of　some　critics　has　objected　to　the　complexion

of　the　slaves　of　Brian　de　Bois…Guilbert；　as　being　totally

out　of　costume　and　propriety。　　I　remember　the　same　objection

being　made　to　a　set　of　sable　functionaries；　whom　my　friend；　Mat

Lewis；　introduced　as　the　guards　and　mischief…doing　satellites　of

the　wicked　Baron；　in　his　Castle　Spectre。　Mat　treated　the　objection

with　great　contempt；　and　averred　in　reply；　that　he　made

the　slaves　black　in　order　to　obtain　a　striking　effect　of　contrast；

and　that；　could　he　have　derived　a　similar　advantage　from　making

his　heroine　blue；　blue　she　should　have　been。



I　do　not　pretend　to　plead　the　immunities　of　my　order　so　highly

as　this；　but　neither　will　I　allow　that　the　author　of　a　modern

antique　romance　is　obliged　to　confine　himself　to　the　introduction

of　those　manners　only　which　can　be　proved　to　have　absolutely　existed

in　the　times　he　is　depicting；　so　that　he　restrain　himself　to

such　as　are　plausible　and　natural；　and　contain　no　obvious　anachronism。

In　this　point　of　view；　what　can　be　more　natural；　than

that　the　Templars；　who；　we　know；　copied　closely　the　luxuries　of

the　Asiatic　warriors　with　whom　they　fought；　should　use　the

service　of　the　enslaved　Africans；　whom　the　fate　of　war　transferred

to　new　masters？　I　am　sure；　if　there　are　no　precise　proofs

of　their　having　done　so；　there　is　nothing；　on　the　other　hand；

that　can　entitle　us　positively　to　conclude　that　they　never　did。　　

Besides；　there　is　an　instance　in　romance。



John　of　Rampayne；　an　excellent　juggler　and　minstrel；　undertook

to　effect　the　escape　of　one　Audulf　de　Bracy；　by　presenting

himself　in　disguise　at　the　court　of　the　king；　where　he　was　confined。

For　this　purpose；　‘‘he　stained　his　hair　and　his　whole

body　entirely　as　black　as　jet；　so　that　nothing　was　white　but　his

teeth；''　and　succeeded　in　imposing　himself　on　the　king；　as　an

Ethiopian　minstrel。　　He　effected；　by　stratagem；　the　escape　of

the　prisoner。　　Negroes；　therefore；　must　have　been　known　in

England　in　the　dark　ages。*



*　　　Dissertation　on　Romance　and　Minstrelsy；　prefixed　to　Ritson's　Ancient

*　　　Metrical　Romances；　p。　clxxxvii。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XVII。



Note；　C。…Minstrelsy。



The　realm　of　France；　it　is　well　known；　was　divided　betwixt

the　Norman　and　Teutonic　race；　who　spoke　the　language　in

which　the　word　Yes　is　pronounced　as　_oui_；　and　the　inhabitants

of　the　southern　regions；　whose　speech　bearing　some　affinity　to

the　Italian；　pronounced　the　same　word　_oc_。　　The　poets　of　the　former

race　were　called　_Minstrels_；　and　their　poems　_Lays_：　those　of

the　latter　were　termed　_Troubadours_；　and　their　compositions

called　_sirventes_；　and　other　names。　　Richard；　a　professed　admirer

of　the　joyous　science　in　all　its　branches；　could　imitate　either

the　minstrel　or　troubadour。　It　is　less　likely　that　he　should　have

been　able　to　compose　or　sing　an　English　ballad；　yet　so　much　do

we　wish　to　assimilate　Him　of　the　Lion　Heart　to　the　band　of

warriors　whom　he　led；　that　the　anachronism；　if　there　be　one

may　readily　be　forgiven。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XXI。



Note　D。…Battle　of　Stamford。



A　great　topographical　blunder　occurred　here　in　former　editions。

The　bloody　battle　alluded　to　in　the　text；　fought　and　won

by　King　Harold；　over　his　brother　the　rebellious　Tosti；　and　an

auxiliary　force　of　Danes　or　Norsemen；　was　said；　in　the　text；　and

a　corresponding　note；　to　have　taken　place　at　Stamford；　in　Leicestershire；

and　upon　the　river　Welland。　　This　is　a　mistake；　into

which　the　author　has　been　led　by　trusting　to　his　memory；

and　so　confounding　two　places　of　the　same　name。　　The　Stamford；

Strangford；　or　Staneford；　at　which　the　battle　really　was

fought；　is　a　ford　upon　the　river　Derwent；　at　the　distance　of

about　seven　miles　from　York；　and　situated　in　that　large　and

opulent　county。　　A　long　wooden　bridge　over　the　Derwent；　the

site　of　which；　with　one　remaining　buttress；　is　still　shown　to　the

curious　traveller；　was　furiously　contested。　　One　Norwegian

long　defended　it　by　his　single　arm；　and　was　at　length　pierced

with　a　spear　thrust　through　the　planks　of　the　bridge　from　a　boat

beneath。



The　neighbourhood　of　Stamford；　on　the　Derwent；　contains

some　memorials　of　the　battle。　　Horseshoes；　swords；　and　the

heads　of　halberds；　or　bills；　are　often　found　there　；　one　place　is

called　the　‘‘Danes'　well；''　another　the　‘‘Battle　flats。''　From　a

tradition　that　the　weapon　with　which　the　Norwegian　champion

was　slain；　resembled　a　pear；　or；　as　others　say；　that　the

trough　or　boat　in　which　the　soldier　floated　under　the　bridge　to

strike　the　blow；　had　such　a　shape；　the　country　people　usually

begin　a　great　market；　which　is　held　at　Stamford；　with　an

entertainment　called　the　Pear…pie　feast；　which　after　all　may　be

a　corruption　of　the　Spear…pie　feast。　　For　more　particulars；

Drake's　History　of　York　may　be　referred　　to。　The　author's　mistake

was　pointed　out　to　him；　in　the　most　obliging　manner；　by

Robert　Belt；　Esq。　of　Bossal　House。　　The　battle　was　fought　in

1066。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XXII。



Note　E。…The　range　of　iron　bars　above　that　glowing

charcoal。



This　horrid　species　of　torture　may　remind　the　reader　of　that

to　which　the　Spaniards　subjected　Guatimozin；　in　order　to　extort

a　discovery　of　his　concealed　wealth。　　But；　in　fact；　an　instance

of　similar　barbarity　is　to　be　found　nearer　home；　and　occurs

in　the　annals　of　Queen　Mary's　time；　containing　so　many

other　examples　of　atrocity。　　Every　reader　must　recollect；　that

after　the　fall　of　the　Catholic　Church；　and　the　Presbyterian

Church　Government　had　been　established　by　law；　the　rank；　and

especially　the　wealth；　of　the　Bishops；　Abbots；　Priors；　and　so

forth；　were　no　longer　vested　in　ecclesiastics；　but　in　lay　impropriators

of　the　church　revenues；　or；　as　the　Scottish　lawyers　called

them；　titulars　of　the　temporalities　of　the　benefice；　though

having　no　claim　to　the　spiritual　character　of　their　predecessors

in　office。



Of　these　laymen；　who　were　thus　invested　with　ecclesiastical

revenues；　some　were　men　of　high　birth　and　rank；　like　the　famous

Lord　James　Stewart；　the　Prior　of　St　Andrews；　who　did

not　fail　to　keep　for　their　own　use　the　rents；　lands；　and　revenues

of　the　church。　　But　if；　on　the　other　hand；　the　titulars　were　men

of　inferior　importance；　who　had　been　inducted　into　the　office

by　the　interest　of　some　powerful　person；　it　was　generally　understood

that　the　new　Abbot　should　grant　for　his　patron's　benefit

such　leases　and　conveyances　of　the　church　lands　and　tithes　as

might　afford　their　protector　the　lion's　share　of　the　booty。　　This

was　the　origin　of　those　who　were　wittily　termed　Tulchan*



*　　　A　_Tulchan_　is　a　calfs　skin　stuffed；　and　placed　before　a　cow　who　has

*　　　lost　its　calf；　to　induce　the　animal　to　part　with　her　milk。　The　resemblance

*　　　between　such　a　Tulchan　and　a　Bishop　named　to　transmit　the　temporalities

*　　　of　a　benefice　to　some　powerful　patron；　is　easily　understood。



Bishops；　being　a　sort　of　imaginary　prelate；　whose　image　was　set

up　to　enable　his　patron　　and　　principal　　to　　plunder　　the　　benefice

under　his　name。



There　were　other　cases；　however；　in　which　men　who　had　got

grants　of　these　secularised　benefices；　were　desirous　of　retaining

them　for　their　own　use；　without　having　the　i