THE CENTENARY GARLAND
Being Pictorial Illustrations of the Novels of Sir Walter Scott,
in Their Order of Publication.
By George Cruikshank, and Other Artists of Eminence.
With Descriptions, Memoir, Etc.
Edinburgh:
William P. Nimmo.
1871.
Who comes, alone, with soul of fire,
And in his hand the Border lyre?
He sweeps the strings, and in his strain
Old times and manners live again;
'Tis Scott! great Master of his art,
He fires, subdues, or storms the heart!
Rapt by the magic of his rhymes,
I seem to live in feudal times;
I hear the swelling bugle's call,
And see the warder on the wall;
And many a squire, and many a knight,
In mail and gloves of steel bedight,
Impatient for the fiery fight.
Captain Charles Gray.
The land was charm'd to list his lays;
It knew the harp of ancient days.
The Border chiefs, that long had been
In sepulchres unhearsed and green,
Passed f rom their mouldy vaults away,
In armour red and stern array,
And by their moonlight halls were seen,
In visor helm, and habergean.
Even fairies sought our land again,
So powerful was the magic strain.
The Ettrick Shepherd.
