The Fair Maid of Perth
Encyclopedia
The Fair Maid of Perth is a novel
by Sir Walter Scott
. Inspired by the strange story of the Battle of the North Inch
, it is set in Perth
and other parts of Scotland
around 1400.
The book had been intended to include two other stories in the same volume: "My Aunt Margaret's Mirror" and "Death of the Laird's Jock", and was to have been titled St. Valentine's Eve.
. But Catharine has caught the eye of the Duke of Rothsay
, and when Gow interrupts an attempted abduction, the armourer is drawn simultaneously into royal intrigue and highland feud.
Meanwhile the king, who occupied apartments in the convent, had confessed to the prior, and was consulting with his brother, when the Earl of March
arrived to intimate his withdrawal to the English Border, followed into the courtyard by Louise, and afterwards by the Duke of Rothsay, whose dalliance with the maiden was interrupted by the Earl of Douglas
ordering his followers to seize and scourge her. Henry Gow, however, was at hand, and the prince, having committed her to his protection, attended his father's council, at which it was determined that the hostile Clans Chattan and Quhele ("Kay") should be invited to settle their feud by a combat between an equal number of their bravest men in the royal presence, and a commission was issued for the suppression of heresy. The old monarch, having learnt that his son was one of those who had attempted to force their way into the glover's house, insisted that he should dismiss his master of the horse, who encouraged all his follies; and while Catharine, who had listened to the Lollard teaching of Father Clement, was being urged by him to favour the secret suit of the prince, her other lover, Conachar, who had rejoined his clan, appeared to carry off her councillor from arrest as an apostate reformer.
The armourer had maimed the prince's master of the horse, Sir John Ramorny, whose desire for revenge was encouraged by the apothecary, Dwining. An assassin named Bonthron undertook to waylay and murder Henry Gow. On Shrovetide evening old Simon was visited by a party of morrice-dancers
, headed by Proudfute, who lingered behind to confirm a rumour that Henry Gow had been seen escorting a merry maiden to his house, and then proceeded thither to apologise for having divulged the secret. On his way home in the armourer's coat and cap, as a protection against other revellers, he received a blow from behind and fell dead on the spot. About the same time Sir John was roused from the effects of a narcotic by the arrival of the prince, who made light of his sufferings, and whom he horrified by suggesting that he should cause the death of his uncle, and seize his father's throne.
The fate of Proudfute, whose body was at first mistaken for that of the armourer, excited general commotion in the city; while Catharine, on hearing the news, rushed to her lover's house and was folded in his arms. Her father then accompanied him to the town council, where he was chosen as the widow's champion, and the provost repaired to the king's presence to demand a full inquiry. At a council held the following day, trial by ordeal of bier-right, or by combat, was ordered; and suspicion having fallen on Ramorny's household, each of his servants was required to pass before the corpse, in the belief that the wounds would bleed afresh as the culprit approached. Bonthron, however, chose the alternative of combat, and, having been struck down by Gow, was led away to be hanged. But Dwining had arranged that he should be suspended so that he could breathe, and during the night he and Sir John's page Eviot cut him down and carried him off.
Catharine had learnt that she and her father were both suspected by the commission; and the provost having offered to place her under the care of The Douglas's daughter, the deserted wife of the prince, the old glover sought the protection of his former apprentice, who was now the chieftain of his clan. Having returned from his father's funeral, Conachar pleaded for the hand of Catharine, without which he felt he should disgrace himself in the approaching combat with the Clan Chattan. Simon, however, reminded him that she was betrothed to the armourer, and his foster father promised to screen him in the conflict. At the instigation of his uncle, the prince had been committed to the custody of the Earl of Errol; but, with the duke's connivance, he was enticed by Ramorny and the apothecary to escape to the castle of Falkland
, and, with the help of Bonthron, starved to death there. Catharine and Louise, however, discovered his fate, and communicated with The Douglas, who overpowered the garrison, and hung the murderers.
The meeting of the hostile champions had been arranged with great pomp, and Henry Gow, having consented to supply Eachin (Conachar) with a suit of armour, volunteered to take the place of one of the Clan Chattan who failed to appear, A terrible conflict ensued, during which Torquil and his eight sons all fell defending their chief, who at last fled from the battle-ground unwounded and dishonoured. On hearing of Rothsay's death, Robert III
resigned his sceptre to his wily and ambitious brother, and died broken-hearted when his younger son James
was captured by the English king. Albany transferred the regency to his son; but, nineteen years afterwards, the rightful heir returned, and the usurper expiated his own and his father's guilt on the scaffold. The warrants against Simon and his daughter, and Father Clement, were cancelled by the intervention of the Earl of Douglas, and the Church was conciliated with Dwining's ill-gotten wealth. Conachar either became a hermit, or was spirited away by the fairies; and Scotland boasts of many distinguished descendants from Henry Gow and his spouse the Fair Maid of Perth.
, and events continue to Palm Sunday
. In the novel, the Battle of the North Inch
and the death of David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
take place within those few months. Implied to be followed in short order by first the capture of James
, younger son of the king, and then the death of Robert III.
Actually, the events depicted took place in different years. The Battle took place in September, 1396. The murder of Rothesay occurred in March, 1402. James was captured by the English in March, 1406. Robert III died in April, 1406. Scott manipulates the historic record for dramatic effect. Concentrating events of a full decade in the span of six weeks.
The Earl of Douglas
depicted in the novel is Archibald the Grim, who actually died in 1400 and was not involved in the death of Rothesay. Scott assigns to him the role played by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, his son and heir.
They included (in approximate chronological order):
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. Inspired by the strange story of the Battle of the North Inch
Battle of the North Inch
The Battle of the North Inch was a staged battle between the Chattan Confederation and the "Clan Kay" in September 1396...
, it is set in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and other parts of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
around 1400.
The book had been intended to include two other stories in the same volume: "My Aunt Margaret's Mirror" and "Death of the Laird's Jock", and was to have been titled St. Valentine's Eve.
Plot introduction
The fair maid of the title is Catharine Glover, daughter of a glovemaker in Perth, who kisses Henry Gow/Smith, the armourer, while he is sleeping, on Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
. But Catharine has caught the eye of the Duke of Rothsay
David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart was the heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He also held the titles of Earl of Atholl and Earl of Carrick...
, and when Gow interrupts an attempted abduction, the armourer is drawn simultaneously into royal intrigue and highland feud.
Plot summary
The armourer, Henry Smith, had excited the jealousy of the apprentice Conachar by spending the evening with the glover and his daughter, and was returning to their house at dawn, that he might be the first person she saw on St Valentine's morning, when he encountered a party of courtiers in the act of placing a ladder against her window. Having cut off the hand of one, and seized another, who, however, managed to escape, he left the neighbours to pursue the rest, and was saluted by Catharine as her lover. The citizens waited on the provost, who, having heard their grievance, issued a challenge of defiance to the offenders.Meanwhile the king, who occupied apartments in the convent, had confessed to the prior, and was consulting with his brother, when the Earl of March
Earl of March
The title The Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland , and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border...
arrived to intimate his withdrawal to the English Border, followed into the courtyard by Louise, and afterwards by the Duke of Rothsay, whose dalliance with the maiden was interrupted by the Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
ordering his followers to seize and scourge her. Henry Gow, however, was at hand, and the prince, having committed her to his protection, attended his father's council, at which it was determined that the hostile Clans Chattan and Quhele ("Kay") should be invited to settle their feud by a combat between an equal number of their bravest men in the royal presence, and a commission was issued for the suppression of heresy. The old monarch, having learnt that his son was one of those who had attempted to force their way into the glover's house, insisted that he should dismiss his master of the horse, who encouraged all his follies; and while Catharine, who had listened to the Lollard teaching of Father Clement, was being urged by him to favour the secret suit of the prince, her other lover, Conachar, who had rejoined his clan, appeared to carry off her councillor from arrest as an apostate reformer.
The armourer had maimed the prince's master of the horse, Sir John Ramorny, whose desire for revenge was encouraged by the apothecary, Dwining. An assassin named Bonthron undertook to waylay and murder Henry Gow. On Shrovetide evening old Simon was visited by a party of morrice-dancers
Morris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
, headed by Proudfute, who lingered behind to confirm a rumour that Henry Gow had been seen escorting a merry maiden to his house, and then proceeded thither to apologise for having divulged the secret. On his way home in the armourer's coat and cap, as a protection against other revellers, he received a blow from behind and fell dead on the spot. About the same time Sir John was roused from the effects of a narcotic by the arrival of the prince, who made light of his sufferings, and whom he horrified by suggesting that he should cause the death of his uncle, and seize his father's throne.
The fate of Proudfute, whose body was at first mistaken for that of the armourer, excited general commotion in the city; while Catharine, on hearing the news, rushed to her lover's house and was folded in his arms. Her father then accompanied him to the town council, where he was chosen as the widow's champion, and the provost repaired to the king's presence to demand a full inquiry. At a council held the following day, trial by ordeal of bier-right, or by combat, was ordered; and suspicion having fallen on Ramorny's household, each of his servants was required to pass before the corpse, in the belief that the wounds would bleed afresh as the culprit approached. Bonthron, however, chose the alternative of combat, and, having been struck down by Gow, was led away to be hanged. But Dwining had arranged that he should be suspended so that he could breathe, and during the night he and Sir John's page Eviot cut him down and carried him off.
Catharine had learnt that she and her father were both suspected by the commission; and the provost having offered to place her under the care of The Douglas's daughter, the deserted wife of the prince, the old glover sought the protection of his former apprentice, who was now the chieftain of his clan. Having returned from his father's funeral, Conachar pleaded for the hand of Catharine, without which he felt he should disgrace himself in the approaching combat with the Clan Chattan. Simon, however, reminded him that she was betrothed to the armourer, and his foster father promised to screen him in the conflict. At the instigation of his uncle, the prince had been committed to the custody of the Earl of Errol; but, with the duke's connivance, he was enticed by Ramorny and the apothecary to escape to the castle of Falkland
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a former royal palace of the Scottish Kings. Today it is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and serves as a tourist attraction.-Early years:...
, and, with the help of Bonthron, starved to death there. Catharine and Louise, however, discovered his fate, and communicated with The Douglas, who overpowered the garrison, and hung the murderers.
The meeting of the hostile champions had been arranged with great pomp, and Henry Gow, having consented to supply Eachin (Conachar) with a suit of armour, volunteered to take the place of one of the Clan Chattan who failed to appear, A terrible conflict ensued, during which Torquil and his eight sons all fell defending their chief, who at last fled from the battle-ground unwounded and dishonoured. On hearing of Rothsay's death, Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
resigned his sceptre to his wily and ambitious brother, and died broken-hearted when his younger son James
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
was captured by the English king. Albany transferred the regency to his son; but, nineteen years afterwards, the rightful heir returned, and the usurper expiated his own and his father's guilt on the scaffold. The warrants against Simon and his daughter, and Father Clement, were cancelled by the intervention of the Earl of Douglas, and the Church was conciliated with Dwining's ill-gotten wealth. Conachar either became a hermit, or was spirited away by the fairies; and Scotland boasts of many distinguished descendants from Henry Gow and his spouse the Fair Maid of Perth.
Characters
- Old Simon Glover, a glove-maker in the Couvrefeu, Perth
- Catharine Glover, his daughter
- Conachar, his apprentince, afterwards Eachin M'Ian, Chief of the Clan Quhele ("Kay")
- Henry Gow/Smith, an armourer and burgess of Perth
- Father Francis, a Dominican monk
- Father Clement, a Carthusian monk
- Oliver Proudfute, a bonnet-maker
- Bailie Craigdallie
- Henbane Dwining, an apothecary
- Sir Patrick Charteris, of Kinfauns, Provost of Perth
- Kit Henshaw, his servant
- The Devil's Dick, of Hellgaith, a follower of The Douglas
- Prior Anselm, of St Dominic's Convent
- King Robert III of ScotlandRobert III of ScotlandRobert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
- David, Duke of RothsayDavid Stewart, Duke of RothesayDavid Stewart was the heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He also held the titles of Earl of Atholl and Earl of Carrick...
(sic), his son - The Duke of Albany, the king's brother
- The Earl of March
- Louise, a minstrel from Provence
- Archibald, Earl of Douglas
- Sir John Ramorny, the duke's master of the horse
- Eviot, his page
- Anthony Bonthron, an assassin
- Sir Louis Lunden, town-clerk of Perth
- Lindsey, Earl of Crawford
- The Earl of Errol, Lord High Constable
- Torquil of the Oak, Eachin's foster father
- MacGillie Chattanach, Chief of the Clan Chattan
Historical inaccuracies
Walter Scott does not specify the year of the events depicted. A deliberate vagueness. The novel begins on 13 February, a day before Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, and events continue to Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
. In the novel, the Battle of the North Inch
Battle of the North Inch
The Battle of the North Inch was a staged battle between the Chattan Confederation and the "Clan Kay" in September 1396...
and the death of David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart was the heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He also held the titles of Earl of Atholl and Earl of Carrick...
take place within those few months. Implied to be followed in short order by first the capture of James
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
, younger son of the king, and then the death of Robert III.
Actually, the events depicted took place in different years. The Battle took place in September, 1396. The murder of Rothesay occurred in March, 1402. James was captured by the English in March, 1406. Robert III died in April, 1406. Scott manipulates the historic record for dramatic effect. Concentrating events of a full decade in the span of six weeks.
The Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
depicted in the novel is Archibald the Grim, who actually died in 1400 and was not involved in the death of Rothesay. Scott assigns to him the role played by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, his son and heir.
Sources for the novel
Walter Scott lists his sources for the period (14th and 15th century Scotland) in allusions within the novel and surviving notes.They included (in approximate chronological order):
- Chronica Gentis ScotorumChronica Gentis ScotorumThe Chronica Gentis Scotorum or Chronicles of the Scottish People was the first substantial work of Scottish history. It was written by the priest John of Fordun, starting in 1363 until his death in 1385....
by John of FordunJohn of FordunJohn of Fordun was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th century; and it is probable that he was a chaplain in the St Machar's Cathedral of...
. - The BrusThe BrusThe Brus is a long narrative poem of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas in the Scottish Wars of Independence during a period from the circumstances leading up the English...
by John Barbour. - The Original Chronicle of Scotland by Andrew of WyntounAndrew of WyntounAndrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun was a Scottish poet, a canon and prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's Inch and later, a canon of St...
. - ScotichroniconScotichroniconThe Scotichronicon is a 15th-century chronicle or legendary account, by the Scottish historian Walter Bower. It is a continuation of historian-priest John of Fordun's earlier work Chronica Gentis Scotorum beginning with the founding of Scotland of mediaeval legend, by Scota with Goídel...
by Walter BowerWalter BowerWalter Bower , Scottish chronicler, was born about 1385 at Haddington, East Lothian.He was abbot of Inchcolm Abbey from 1418, was one of the commissioners for the collection of the ransom of James I, King of Scots, in 1423 and 1424, and in 1433 one of the embassy to Paris on the business of the...
. - The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William WallaceThe Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William WallaceThe Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, also known as The Wallace, is a long "romantic biographical" poem by the fifteenth century Scottish makar of the name Blind Harry probably at some time in the decade before 1488...
by Blind HarryBlind HarryBlind Harry , also known as Harry, Hary or Henry the Minstrel, is renowned as the author of The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, also known as The Wallace...
. - Scotorum historiae by Hector BoeceHector BoeceHector Boece , known in Latin as Hector Boecius or Boethius, was a Scottish philosopher and first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen, a predecessor of the University of Aberdeen.-Biography:He was born in Dundee where he attended school...
and its translation by John BellendenJohn BellendenJohn Bellenden or Ballantyne of Moray was a Scottish writer of the 16th century.He was born towards the close of the 15th century, and educated at St. Andrews and Paris. At the request of James V he translated Hector Boece's Historia Gentis Scotorum...
. - History of the House and Race of Douglas and Angus by David Hume of GodscroftDavid Hume of GodscroftDavid Hume was a Scottish historian and political theorist, poet and controversialist, a major intellectual figure in Jacobean Scotland. He also spent a decade as pastor of a Protestant congregation in France.-Life:...
. - Muses Threnodie: of Mirthful Mournings on the death of Mr Gall by Henry AdamsonHenry AdamsonHenry Adamson , was a Scottish poet and historian.Henry was the son of James Adamson, Dean of the Merchant Guildry and Provost of Perth...
. Scott's main source for PerthPerth, ScotlandPerth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and its history. - The History of Perth by James Cant. An 18th century edition of Adamson's poem, accompanied with extensive and detailed commentary and notes.
- History of Scotland from the Accession of the House of Stuart to that of Mary by John PinkertonJohn PinkertonJohn Pinkerton was a Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, author, numismatist, historian, and early advocate of Germanic racial supremacy theory....
. Scott's main source for physical descriptions and characterizations of the royals and nobles depicted.
Adaptations
- La jolie fille de PerthLa jolie fille de PerthLa jolie fille de Perth is an opera in four acts by Georges Bizet , from a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jules Adenis, after the novel by Sir Walter Scott...
is an opera in four acts by Georges BizetGeorges BizetGeorges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
(1838–1875), from a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jules AdenisJules AdenisJules Adenis was a French dramatist and opera librettist. Some of his works include Un postillon en gage Sylvie , and La grand'tante .-Operas to librettos by Jules Adenis:...
, after the novel by Sir Walter Scott.
- Two silent films were made, the first a feature filmFeature filmIn the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
made in 1923 adaption by Eliot StannardEliot StannardEliot Stannard , was an English screenwriter. He wrote for 147 films between 1914 and 1933, including eight films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.-Selected filmography:* Hindle Wakes * Build Thy House...
, and the second a short film directed by Miles ManderMiles ManderMiles Mander , born Lionel Henry Mander , was a well-known and versatile English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist.-Early life:Miles Mander was the second son of Theodore Mander, builder of Wightwick Manor, of the prominent...
in the PhonofilmPhonofilmIn 1919, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patent on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofilm, which recorded sound directly onto film as parallel lines. These parallel lines photographically recorded electrical waveforms from a microphone, which were translated back...
process in 1926, and starring Louise Maurel.