them by the chieftain with very inferior
numbers, they were almost all cut to pieces. The skirmish is detailed
in a curious memoir of Sir Ewan's life, printed in the Appendix of
Pennant's Scottish Tour (vol. i. p. 375):

'In this engagement Lochiel himself had several wonderful escapes. In
the retreat of the English, one of the strongest and bravest of the
officers retired behind a bush, when he observed Lochiel pursuing, and
seeing him unaccompanied with any, he leapt out and thought him his
prey. They met one another with equal fury. The combat was long and
doubtful: the English gentleman had by far the advantage in strength and
size; but Lochiel, exceeding him in nimbleness and agility, in the end
tript the sword out of his hand; they closed and wrestled, till both
fell to the ground in each other's arms. The English officer got
above Lochiel, and pressed him hard, but stretching forth his neck, by
attempting to disengage himself, Lochiel, who by this time had his hands
at liberty, with his left hand seized him by the collar, and jumping at
his extended throat, he bit it with his teeth quite through, and kept
such a hold of his grasp, that he brought away his mouthful; this, he
said, was the sweetest bit he ever had in his lifetime.'"

435. Unwounded, etc. The MS. reads:

"Panting and breathless on the sands,
But all unwounded, now he stands;"

and just below:

"Redeemed, unhoped, from deadly strife:
Next on his foe his look he | cast,
| threw,
Whose every breath appeared his last."

447. Unbonneted. Past tense, not participle.

449. Then faint afar. The MS. has "Faint and afar."

452. Lincoln green. See on i. 464 above.

462. We destined, etc. Cf. iv. 411 above.

465. Weed. Dress. See on iv. 506 above.

466. Boune. Ready. See on iv. 36 above.

479. Steel. Spur. Cf. i. 115 above.

485. Carhonie's hill. About a mile from the lower end of Loch Vennachar.

486. Pricked. Spurred. It came to mean ride; as in F. Q. i. 1. 1: "A
gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine," etc. Cf. 754 below.

490. Torry and Lendrick. These places, like Deanstown, Doune (see on iv.
19 above), Blair-Drummond, Ochtertyre, and Kier, are all on the banks
of the Teith, between Callander and Stirling. Lockhart says: "It may be
worth noting that the poet marks the progress of the King by naming
in succession places familiar and dear to his own early
reco