Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Lay the Last Minstrel: A Poem
The Poem, now oll'ered to the Public, is intended toillustrate the customs and manners, which anciently prevailed on the Borders of England and Scotland. The inhabitants, living in a state partly pastoral and partly warlike, and combining habits of constant de predation with the in?uence of a rude spirit of chi valry, were often engaged in scenes, highly suscepti ble of poetical ornament. As the description of scenery and manners was more the object of the author, than a combined and regular narrative, the plan of the ancient Metrical Romance was adopted, which allows greater latitude, in this respect, than would be con sistent with the dignity of a regular Poem. The same model otl'ered other facilities, as it permits an occasional alteration of measure, which, in some de gree, authorizes the change of rhythm in the text. The machinery also, adopted from popular belief, would have seemed puerile in a poem, which did not partake of the rudeness of the old Ballad, or Metri cal Romance.
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