To old Iona’s holy fame,
That nature’s voice might seem to say,
‘Well hast thou done, frail child of clay!
Thy humble powers that stately shrine
Tasked high and hard—but witness mine!’”
In canto fifth the king returns to Scotland. He rallies his adherents, and the sixth canto closes with a graphic description of the battle of Bannockburn. The incidents are so stirring that we almost forget the fate of fair Edith and her brave Roland, but the last line of the poem assures us that they are at last happily wedded.
“The Lord of the Isles” does not possess the pleasing qualities of the “Lady of the Lake,” or the sustained vigor of “Marmion;” but it is a noble poem throughout, and abounds with passages revealing the deep reverence and exalted character of the author. The reader will note the heart-spoken prayer and God-speed of the priest as King Robert embarks upon his uncertain mission:
“O heaven! when swords for freedom shine
And monarch’s right, the cause is thine!
Edge doubly every patriot blow!