Page:The Lay of the Last Minstrel - Scott (1805).djvu/244

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where he died. Satchells, wishing to give some authority for his account of the origin of the name of Scott, pretends, that, in 1629, he chanced to be at Burgh, under Bowness, in Cumberland, where a person, named Lancelot Scott, shewed him an extract from Michael Scott's works, containing that story.

"He said the book which he gave me,
Was of Sir Michael Scot's historie;
Which historie was never yet read through,
Nor never will, for no man dare it do.
Young scholars have pick'd out something
From the contents, that dare not read within.
He carried me along into the castle then,
And shew'd his written book hanging on an iron pin.
His writing pen did seem to me to be
Of harden'd metal, like steel, or accumie;
The volume of it did seem so large to me,
As the book of martyrs and Turks historie.
Then in the church he let me see
A stone where Mr Michael Scot did lie;
I asked at him how that could appear,
Mr Michael had been dead above five hundred year?
*********
He shew'd me none durst bury under that stone,
More than he had been dead a few years agone;
For Mr Micheel's name does terrifie each one."
History of the Right Honourable name of Scot.

Salamanca's cave.—St. XIII. p. 44.

Spain, from the reliques, doubtless, of Arabian learning and superstition, was accounted a favourite residence of magicians.