"Angus, the first of Duncan's line,
Sprung forth and seized the fatal sign,
And then upon his kinsman's bier
Fell Malise's suspended tear.
In haste the stripling to his side
His father's targe and falchion tied."
439. Hest. Behest, bidding; used only in poetry. Cf. Shakespeare, Temp.
iii. 1. 37: "I have broke your hest to say so;" Id. iv. 1. 65: "at thy
hest," etc.
452. Benledi saw the Cross of Fire, etc. Scott says here: "Inspection
of the provincial map of Perthshire, or any large map of Scotland, will
trace the progress of the signal through the small district of lakes and
mountains, which, in exercise of my imaginary chieftain, and which, at
the period of my romance, was really occupied by a clan who claimed a
descent from Alpine,--a clan the most unfortunate and most persecuted,
but neither the least distinguished, least powerful, nor least brave of
the tribes of the Gael.
"The first stage of the Fiery Cross is to Duncraggan, a place near
the Brigg of Turk, where a short stream divides Loch Achray from Loch
Vennachar. From thence, it passes towards Callander, and then, turning
to the left up the pass of Leny, is consigned to Norman at the Chapel of
Saint Bride, which stood on a small and romantic knoll in the middle of
the valley, called Strath-Ire. Tombea and Arnandave, or Adrmandave,
are names of places in the vicinity. The alarm is then supposed to pass
along the Lake of Lubnaig, and through the various glens in the district
of Balquidder, including the neighboring tracts of Glenfinlas and
Strath-Gartney."
453. Strath-Ire. This valley connects Lochs Voil and Lubnaig. The
Chapel of Saint Bride is about half a mile from the southern end of Loch
Lubnaig, on the banks of the River Leny, a branch of the Teith (hence
"Teith's young waters"). The churchyard, with a few remains of the
chapel, are all that now mark the spot.