What has so far been said does not, it must be allowed, apply very directly to one of the papers contained in the present collection. It cannot be claimed for the "Longtail" myth, of which the story is here given, that it is essentially Scottish. It may, however, be urged in support of its right to appear here, that it was French at a time when, as regards antipathy against England, the agreement between France and Scotland was a very close one. And, if further justification be needed, it may be found in the fact that some of the Scottish chroniclers are amongst those who supply the most valuable information concerning both the prevalence and the alleged origin of the quaint medieval belief that Englishmen had tails inflicted on them in punishment of the impiety of some of their pagan forefathers.
In connection with this paper the author has the pleasant duty of expressing his thanks to Dr. George Neilson, to whom he is indebted for several illustrative passages; and also to Mr. Barwick, of the British Museum, without whose ready help a number of others would have remained inaccessible.
Some of the papers have appeared, mostly in a condensed form, in the Glasgow Herald and the Evening Times, and thankful acknowledgment is made of the permission readily granted to make further use of them.
Responsibility is admitted, at the same time that indulgence is craved, for the translations of old French poetry and medieval Latin verse which occur in some of the sketches.
In the case of the latter, more particularly, it has not always proved an easy task to supply English versions of the monkish doggerel. It is hoped, however, that if the letter has been freely dealt with, the spirit has been preserved.
Contents
————
| Page | |
| Mary, Queen of Scots | [ 1] |
| The Four Marys | [ 25] |
| Mary Fleming | [ 35] |
| Mary Livingston | [ 49] |
| Mary Beton | [ 61] |
| Mary Seton | [ 69] |
| The Song of Mary Stuart | [ 79] |
| Maister Randolphe's Fantasie | [ 91] |
| The First "Stuart" Tragedy and its Author | [129] |
| Loretto | [141] |
| The Isle of May | [153] |
| Edinburgh and Her Patron Saint | [191] |
| The Rock of Dumbarton | [199] |
| James VI as Statesman and Poet | [209] |
| The Invasion of Ailsa Craig | [225] |
| The Story of a Ballad—"Kinmont Willie" | [237] |
| A Raid on the Wee Cumbrae | [247] |
| Riotous Glasgow | [253] |
| The Old Scottish Army | [267] |
| The Story of the "Long-tail" Myth | [291] |
| Index | [361] |