Description:
The poem deals with a sixteenth-century Border feud. The story is told, over a century and a half later, by an aging minstrel who receives hospitality at Newark Castle from Ann, Duchess of Buccleuch. In return, he recites a tale concerning the Duchess's family. He sings of her ancestor, the widowed Lady of Branksome Hall, whose husband has been killed in a quarrel with a party that included Lord Cranstoun. Fiercely opposed to the love affair that develops between Cranstoun and her daughter, Margaret, she resorts to sorcery in an effort to prevent their marriage. She sends one of her retainers, Sir William Deloraine, to Melrose A
The poem deals with a sixteenth-century Border feud. The story is told, over a century and a half later, by an aging minstrel who receives hospitality at Newark Castle from Ann, Duchess of Buccleuch. In return, he recites a tale concerning the Duchess's family. He sings of her ancestor, the widowed Lady of Branksome Hall, whose husband has been killed in a quarrel with a party that included Lord Cranstoun. Fiercely opposed to the love affair that develops between Cranstoun and her daughter, Margaret, she resorts to sorcery in an effort to prevent their marriage. She sends one of her retainers, Sir William Deloraine, to Melrose Abbey to recover a magic book from the tomb of the wizard Michael Scott. On his way back, Deloraine meets and fights with Cranstoun and is wounded by him. Cranstoun bids his page, a goblin-like figure who has mysteriously attached himself to him, to take Deloraine to Branksome Hall. The goblin page discovers Michael Scott's book on Deloraine's person and, in a spirit of pure mischief, uses it to lure Lady Branksome's infant son into the woods. Here the boy is captured by his mother's English enemy, Lord Dacre. Lord Dacre has gathered together a force to punish Deloraine for breaking a truce and plundering the lands of Sir Richard Musgrave. They lay siege to Branksome and demand that the Lady hand over her wounded retainer. She proposes instead that Deloraine defend himself against the charge in single combat with Musgrave. As a Scottish force is rapidly approaching, Dacre reluctantly accepts, promising that, should Deloraine prove victorious, he will return the Lady's son. With the help of his goblin page, Cranstoun assumes the form of the wounded Deloraine and defeats Musgrave. The child is restored, and the grateful Lady agrees to the marriage of Cranstoun and Margaret. At the wedding feast the ghost of Michael Scott appears and reclaims the goblin-page as his own servant.
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Manufacturer: Fredonia Books
Release date: 28 May 2002
ISBN-10 : 1589638026 |
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