Rokeby (1813) is a narrative poem in six cantos with voluminous antiquarian notes by Walter Scott. It is set in Teesdale during the English Civil War.
Background
The first hint of Rokeby is found in a letter of 11 January 1811 from Scott to Lady Abercorn in which he says that although he is not currently engaged on a new poem he has 'sometimes thought of laying the scene during the great civil war in 1643'. In June he was offered 3000 guineas for the poem, which had not yet been begun. By 10 December he is thinking of setting the new work 'near Barnard Castle', and on the 20th he writes to his friend J. B. S. Morritt, owner of Rokeby Park, that he has in mind 'a fourth romance in verse, the theme during the English civil wars of Charles I. and the scene your own domain of Rokeby', and asking for detailed local information. The proceeds of the poem will help finance building work at his new home, Abbotsford. Composition seems to have started in the spring of 1812, but the first canto ran into problems. On 2 March he told Morritt that he had destroyed it 'after I had written it fair out because it did not quite please me'. In the later spring he was at work again, now accompanied by the sound of the builders extending the cottage at Abbotsford. In the middle of July he sent the new Canto 1 for comment by James Ballantyne and William Erskine, but their verdict was unfavourable, sapping his confidence. He decided to burn what he had written, having 'corrected the spirit out of it', but by 2 September he had 'resumed the pen in [his] old Cossack manner' and 'succeeded rather more to [his] own mind'. Thereafter composition proceeded briskly, though at one stage Scott contemplated reducing the length to five cantos to enable publication for the Christmas market. He paid Rokeby a visit in late September and early October to gather local colour. The work was completed on the last day of 1812.
Editions
Rokeby was published by John Ballantyne and Co. at Edinburgh on 11 January 1813, and at London on 15 January by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. The price was two guineas (£2 2s or £2.10), and about 3000 copies were printed. Four further editions followed in the same year. In 1830 Scott provided the poem with a new Introduction in Volume 8 of the 11-volume set of The Poetical Works.
A critical edition is due to be published as Volume 4 of The Edinburgh Edition of Walter Scott's Poetry by Edinburgh University Press.
Characters
Oswald Wycliffe, an officer in the Parliamentary army who plans to murder his ex-accomplice Philip Mortham Wilfrid Wycliffe, son of Oswald, in love with Matilda Rokeby Lord Rokeby, a Royalist officer now held prisoner by Oswald Wycliffe Philip Mortham, a former associate of Oswald Wycliffe, now returned from a life of piracy in the Caribbean Matilda Rokeby, daughter of Lord Rokeby niece of Philip Mortham Bertram Risingham, a villain in the pay of Oswald Wycliffe Redmond O'Neale, page of Lord Rokeby Guy Denzil, a disaffected follower of Lord Rokeby Edmund of Winston, one of Guy's band, a minstrel
Synopsis
At Oswald's instigation Bertram makes an attempt on the life of Philip, which he mistakenly thinks has succeeded, and an attack on Rokeby Castle, in which the castle is set on fire. Wilfrid and Matilda, through the efforts of Redmond, are able to escape the blaze. It emerges that Redmond, now in Oswald's hands, is the long-lost son of Philip, and that Philip has survived the assassination attempt. Oswald tries to force Lord Rokeby to accept a marriage between Wilfrid and Matilda, but this is prevented by Wilfrid's death. Bertram kills his master Oswald to avoid further bloodshed, but is killed in his turn. Philip is reunited with his son, and the young lovers marry.
Canto summary
Canto 1: Bertram Risingham arrives at Barnard Castle, and after informing Oswald Wycliffe that he has killed Philip Mortham, as agreed, while Philip and he were both fighting for the Parliament at Marston Moor, claims Philip's accumulated treasure as his reward. Oswald instructs his son Wilfrid, a soft lad in love with Matilda Rokeby, to accompany Bertram to Mortham Castle to secure the treasure.