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The Three Perils of Man
The Three Perils of Man; or, War, Women, and Witchcraft. A Border Romance is an 1822 novel by James Hogg set in the Scottish Borders during the reign of Robert II, King of Scots (1371–1390).
The first surviving reference to the composition of The Three Perils of Man dates from November 1819, when Hogg indicated he had completed a little over one volume. He seems not to have made much progress in the next nine months, and it was not until the spring of 1821 that he claimed the novel was complete, albeit in need of further revision. He worked on proofs at the end of the year.
For the story of a nobleman holding a castle at his lady's behest Hogg was drawing on accounts of the defence of Castle Douglas by Sir John Webiton, or Walton, against Sir James Douglas. The tale was originally told by John Barbour (d. 1395) in The Brus and then by David Hume of Godscroft in The History of the Houses of Douglas and Angus (1644). In Hogg's own time it appears in a note to The Lord of the Isles (1815) by Walter Scott, and in the same author's essay on 'Chivalry' in the 1818 supplement of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Hogg also draws on The Brus for an episode actually involving Roxburgh castle, in attacking which Sir James Douglas and his men are taken for cattle.
The only edition of the complete novel in Hogg's lifetime appeared in London in three volumes in June 1822, the publishers being Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. Lacking confidence in the work as a whole, Hogg extracted certain sections for separate publication: poems from the novel appeared in a number of journals; 'The Laird of Peatstacknowe's Tale' was retitled 'Marion's Jock' for Altrive Tales in 1832; 'The Poet's Tale' became 'The Three Sisters' in Fraser's Magazine for May 1835, but as a poem; and most extensively the Roxburgh material became 'The Siege of Roxburgh' in the posthumous final volume of Tales and Sketches (1837).
The standard modern critical edition of the novel, by Judy King and Graham Tulloch, was published in 2012 by Edinburgh University Press as Volume 27 of the Stirling/South Carolina Research Edition of The Collected Works of James Hogg.
During the reign of Robert II, King of Scots (1371–1390), the English Sir Philip Musgrave captures Roxburgh castle and is committed to hold it for a specified period to satisfy his mistress Lady Jane Howard. James, Earl of Douglas, takes up a challenge by Robert's daughter Princess Margaret to recapture it within the same period. Sir Walter Scott of Rankleburn assists Douglas indirectly by harassing the English supply chain, to his own advantage. Both Jane and Margaret assume male disguise in order to keep an eye on their respective lovers. After Margaret has recognised Jane and arranged for her to be delivered up to Douglas, she (disguised as her own page) is captured by the English garrison at Roxburgh and executed. A monk conveys instructions to Douglas from her spirit to take revenge. The central part of the novel focusses on a delegation dispatched by Sir Walter Scott to ascertain the future fortunes of his family from the wizard Michael Scott at his castle of Aikwood. It consists of the bard Colley Carol, Thomas Craik (the Deil's Tam), Gibby Jordan of Peatstacknowe, and a friar, with Charlie Scott as leader and a girl and a boy (Delany Hall and Elias) as presents. They encounter a hostile reception. After a series of supernatural events, egress from the castle having become impossible, the wizard arranges a story-telling competition. More supernatural events follow. Back at Roxburgh, faced with the execution of his captured brother and defilement of Jane, Sir Philip takes his own life. In exchange for two baronies Sir Walter Scott takes direct action, capturing the castle by disguising his men as cattle. Margaret tests Douglas's commitment to herself by a further adoption of a disguise, and the couple marry. After a competition among the knights for ladies' favours, the friar unites Jane in marriage with Charlie, and Delany with Colley. The novel ends with an account by Gibby of Michael Scott's death in combat with a diabolical rival.
Central characters in bold
Ch.1: The English Sir Philip Musgrave has taken Roxburgh castle and is committed to hold it until the end of the Christmas holidays to satisfy his mistress Lady Jane Howard. James, Earl of Douglas, takes up a challenge by Princess Margaret to retake the castle by the same date. Sir Walter Scott of Rankleburn refuses to join Douglas directly: he is assured by an old man of the future success of the Scott family.
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The Three Perils of Man
The Three Perils of Man; or, War, Women, and Witchcraft. A Border Romance is an 1822 novel by James Hogg set in the Scottish Borders during the reign of Robert II, King of Scots (1371–1390).
The first surviving reference to the composition of The Three Perils of Man dates from November 1819, when Hogg indicated he had completed a little over one volume. He seems not to have made much progress in the next nine months, and it was not until the spring of 1821 that he claimed the novel was complete, albeit in need of further revision. He worked on proofs at the end of the year.
For the story of a nobleman holding a castle at his lady's behest Hogg was drawing on accounts of the defence of Castle Douglas by Sir John Webiton, or Walton, against Sir James Douglas. The tale was originally told by John Barbour (d. 1395) in The Brus and then by David Hume of Godscroft in The History of the Houses of Douglas and Angus (1644). In Hogg's own time it appears in a note to The Lord of the Isles (1815) by Walter Scott, and in the same author's essay on 'Chivalry' in the 1818 supplement of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Hogg also draws on The Brus for an episode actually involving Roxburgh castle, in attacking which Sir James Douglas and his men are taken for cattle.
The only edition of the complete novel in Hogg's lifetime appeared in London in three volumes in June 1822, the publishers being Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. Lacking confidence in the work as a whole, Hogg extracted certain sections for separate publication: poems from the novel appeared in a number of journals; 'The Laird of Peatstacknowe's Tale' was retitled 'Marion's Jock' for Altrive Tales in 1832; 'The Poet's Tale' became 'The Three Sisters' in Fraser's Magazine for May 1835, but as a poem; and most extensively the Roxburgh material became 'The Siege of Roxburgh' in the posthumous final volume of Tales and Sketches (1837).
The standard modern critical edition of the novel, by Judy King and Graham Tulloch, was published in 2012 by Edinburgh University Press as Volume 27 of the Stirling/South Carolina Research Edition of The Collected Works of James Hogg.
During the reign of Robert II, King of Scots (1371–1390), the English Sir Philip Musgrave captures Roxburgh castle and is committed to hold it for a specified period to satisfy his mistress Lady Jane Howard. James, Earl of Douglas, takes up a challenge by Robert's daughter Princess Margaret to recapture it within the same period. Sir Walter Scott of Rankleburn assists Douglas indirectly by harassing the English supply chain, to his own advantage. Both Jane and Margaret assume male disguise in order to keep an eye on their respective lovers. After Margaret has recognised Jane and arranged for her to be delivered up to Douglas, she (disguised as her own page) is captured by the English garrison at Roxburgh and executed. A monk conveys instructions to Douglas from her spirit to take revenge. The central part of the novel focusses on a delegation dispatched by Sir Walter Scott to ascertain the future fortunes of his family from the wizard Michael Scott at his castle of Aikwood. It consists of the bard Colley Carol, Thomas Craik (the Deil's Tam), Gibby Jordan of Peatstacknowe, and a friar, with Charlie Scott as leader and a girl and a boy (Delany Hall and Elias) as presents. They encounter a hostile reception. After a series of supernatural events, egress from the castle having become impossible, the wizard arranges a story-telling competition. More supernatural events follow. Back at Roxburgh, faced with the execution of his captured brother and defilement of Jane, Sir Philip takes his own life. In exchange for two baronies Sir Walter Scott takes direct action, capturing the castle by disguising his men as cattle. Margaret tests Douglas's commitment to herself by a further adoption of a disguise, and the couple marry. After a competition among the knights for ladies' favours, the friar unites Jane in marriage with Charlie, and Delany with Colley. The novel ends with an account by Gibby of Michael Scott's death in combat with a diabolical rival.
Central characters in bold
Ch.1: The English Sir Philip Musgrave has taken Roxburgh castle and is committed to hold it until the end of the Christmas holidays to satisfy his mistress Lady Jane Howard. James, Earl of Douglas, takes up a challenge by Princess Margaret to retake the castle by the same date. Sir Walter Scott of Rankleburn refuses to join Douglas directly: he is assured by an old man of the future success of the Scott family.