Lady Of The Lake (1949)

[Music] among the authors of Romantic literature none  is more famous than Sir Walter Scott his highly idealized and imaginative writing earned for  him the name the great romantic one of the most widely read of his poems is the Lady of the  lake an exciting story of 16th century Scotland to enjoy the poem fully we should keep in mind the  background of the story the Scottish people and places which the author described so vividly  Sir Walter lived at abbotsford his beautiful home which can still be seen in the wooded hills  of Selkirk County Scotland it is in the border country between England and Scotland a little  farther north is Edinburgh the royal heart of Scotland and north of that in the highland country  is the truss --ax the setting of the Lady of the lake at abbotsford Sir Walter lived for 20 years  writing novels and poems about Scottish characters and places his love of history of the ideals of  chivalry and knighthood these are a part of his home which looks like a feudal manor house of  old here in his library the master of romantic literature we created the Scottish heroes and  the exciting episodes we read about Sir Walter sometimes called the Lord of Abbotsford could look  up in his writing to gaze out over the historic countryside he was fond to of walking here in his  garden from abbotsford he could see the beautiful Golden Hills another one of his favorite haunts  Scott often said I can stand on the England Hill and point out forty three places famous in war  and verse from this border region Scot through much of his inspiration the city of Edinburgh  where Scot also lived was another source of historic material dominating the study is the  ancient castle on Castle Rock Edinburgh Castle was a place of refuge for Scotland's rulers in  the early days of the wars with England war that provided a stirring theme for literature romance  and history live again at Holyrood house home of Scotland's royalty this part of the palace  was built by James fit the same king we meet in the Lady of the lake in the poem we also  read of Sir Roderick Zhu and how in Holyrood a knight he slew Scot who lived in this house in  Edinburgh was familiar with the turbulent history of the royal city he was equally familiar with  the classics region in the highlands and it is here in this wild and picturesque country  that most of the action of the Lady of the lake is staged here we can still see every lake  or lock and every mountain or been described in the poem today the high ridge of Ben Leedy stands  as it did when the stag hunters thundered past it nearby is beautiful la coneja where the hunters  with clanging hoof and horn swept on in the chase the startled stag you remember stretching forward  free and far sawed the wild Heath of OM bar here on the heath of OM var the noble stag was pausing  now upon the mountains southern brow in reading the poem aloud as her water himself like to do we  sensed the strong rhythm that gives movement to the story as we follow the course of the hunt we  see next the cops would gray that waved and wept and lacA cray in mingled with the pine trees blue  on the bold cliffs of benvenuto near Ben Bhanu on the north is Ben and then Ann and Ben vanilla  two mountains that form the pass the deep wild nook that is called the classics and just beyond  lies the lake for which the poem is named block captain we see it just as the stag hunter Fitz  James saw it in all her lengths far winding lay with promontory Creek and Bay seeing the rugged  beauty of the tropics as Fitz James first saw it we can understand why raptured and amazed he  cried what a scene were here if we look closer we can find details of the landscape here is  the purple Heather described in the poem and here the blue hair Belle while anchored in the  rifted rock is the blue pine pitch James first saw the Lady of the lake Ellen Douglas as she  stood in her boat near the shore the beautiful Ellen you remember invited Fitz James to share  the hospitality of the Douglas Lodge on Ellen's Isle this is the island where Ellen's father  met Malcolm Graham and Rodrick do perhaps it was in this very sylvan bar on the island that  young malcolm and grim sir Roderick almost came to blows over fair ellen gr2 on the island Sir  Roderick received the news that King James had laid waste for border country and was coming  north quickly Roderick sent the traditional signal to gather the clan this modern messenger  in historic costume shows how the burning cross might have been carried the fiery cross should  circle or Dale Glen and valley down and more we read how every hut and Hamlet rose in arms and  as the men responded to the summons the fishermen forsook the Strand the mower blithe left in the  half cuts while his scythe the herds without a keeper strayed and the plow was in mid furrow  stayed instant the time Sir Roderick had said the muster place VLAN Rick Mead on the mead or meadow  Roderick scram gathered today Scottish clan still gather on certain occasions not to make war but  to enjoy the traditional games and dances proud of the historic names they bear these men still  keep alive the romantic spirit of the clans to which they belong each man according to the poem  was strongly bound to his leader owning no tie but to his clan no owed but by his chieftains  hand something of this deep sense of loyalty still keeps the clans together just as the clans  in the poem and carried their ancient crests so today the clans are still identified by their  banners the clans are also distinguished by the colors and patterns of their Titans remember sir  Roderick's waving of his Titans broad and Malcolm grams tartan hose tartan patterns have remained  unchanged and are still called by their famous clan names the weapons we read about in the poem  are the heavy broadsword that sir Roderick carried the short Wynyard that Fitzjames used the heavy  battle axe that hung with the hunting spear in the Douglas Lodge and the tar or shield that hung  in Duncan's Hall the tasseled horn or bugle was used both in hunting and in war the battle in the  poem took place here in the rude truss acts dread defile the marshal din of Rodricks warriors and  King James men echoed against grave and the new here at : toga Ford Roderick Jew and the King  you remember fought hand-to-hand for this is covalent ogle Ford and thou must keep thee with  thy sword Rodricks challenge ended with victory for the king here near Loughran aha the Highland  Chief Roderick received his mortal wound and then the poem moves to its conclusion at Stirling  Castle bulwark of the north gray Stirling with her towers and town to this famous royal stronghold  the King returned to take part in the games and tournament within the castle dungeon Roderick do  a prisoner died as he listened to the account of the traffix battle and it was within Stirling  Castle to that fair Ellen and young Nakamura United here they received a blessing from the  king the same Fitz James they had met in the highlands from Stirling's walls we can look  north to the truss --ax the stirring events the Highland chieftains the deeds of love and war  that Scot retold all these have passed away but in knowing this background of the story we can  still bring to life the poem we read half of the North farewell the hills grow dark on purple  peaks our deeper shade descending and now the mountain breezes scarcely bring a wondering which  note of the distant spell and now tis silent all