We had a stirring time leave, the blood that should be spilt that day would lie of it; and few days past over my head but I was on very hard upon my conscience. And therefore I dehorseback, either to prevent mischief, or take inale-sired them, for my sake, to forbear; and, if the Scots

apace;

folke within; and gone doune to trie, he was redily re- Scotland, this abomynable act not only to be done by ceyved with a hakebut or two. He left them not yet, dyverse of the Mershe, but also the afore named pertill he had knowen wheyther thei would be content to sons of Tyvidaill, and consented to, as by appearance, yeld and come out; which they fondly refusing, he by the Erle of Murey, upon Friday at nighte last, let went to my lorde's grace, and upon utterance of the slyp c of the best horsemen of Glendaill, with a parte thynge, gat lisense to deale with them as he coulde; and of your highnes' subjects of Berwyke, together with so returned to them, with a skore or two of pioners. George Dowglas, whoo came into Ingland agayne, in Three ventes had their cave, that we wear ware of, the dawning of the day; but afore theyre retorne, they whereof he first stopt up on; another he fill'd full of dyd mar the Earl of Murrei's provisions at Coldingham; strawe, and set it a fyer, whereat they within cast water for they did not only burne the said towne of Coldingbut it was so well maynteyned without, that the ham, with all the corne thereunto belonging, which is fyer prevayled, and thei within fayn to get them belyke esteemed wurthe cii marke sterling; but alsoo burned into anoother parler. Then devysed we (for I hapt to twa townes nye adjoining thereunto, called Branerbe with him) to stop the same up, whereby we should dergest and Black Hill, and toke xxiii persoas, Ix eyther smoother them, or fynd out their vents, if thei horse, with cc hed of cattaill, which nowe as I am hadde any moe: as this was done at another issue, about informed, hathe not only been a staye of the said Erle xii score of, we moughte see the fume of their smoke of Murrei's not coming to the Bordure as yet, but alsoo, to come out; the which continued with so great a force, that none inlaude man will adventure theyre selfs uppon and so long a while, that we could not but thinke they the marches. And as for the tax that shulde have been must needs get them out, or smoother within: and for- grauntyd for finding of the said iii hundred men, is asmuch as we found not that they dyd the tone, we utterly denyed. Upon which the king of Scotland dethought it for certain thei wear sure of the toother.»-parted from Edynburgh to Stirling, and as yet there PATTEN'S Account of Somerset's Expedition into Scot- doth remayn. And also I, by the advice of my brother land, apud DALZELL'S Fragments.

Note 3. Stanza iii.
--southern ravage.

From the following fragment of a letter from the Earl of Northumberland to King Henry VIII, preserved among the Cotton MSS. Calig. B. vii, 179, the reader may estimate the nature of the dreadful war which was occasionally waged upon the Borders, sharpened by mutual cruelties, and the personal hatred of the wardens, or leaders.

Some Scottish barons, says the earl, had threatened to come within three miles of my pore house of Werkworth, where I lye, and gif me light to put on my clothes at mydnyght; and alsoo the said Marke Carr said there opynly, that, seying they had a governor on the marches of Scotland, as well as they had in Ingland, he shulde keep your highness' instructions, gyffyn unto your garyson, for making of any day-forrey; for he and his friends wolde burne enough on the nyght, lettyng your counsail here defyne a notable acte at theyre pleasures. Upon whiche, in your highnes' name, I comaundet dewe watche to be kepte on your marchies, for comyng in of any Scotts.-Neutheless, upon Thursday at night last, came thyrty light horsemen into a litil village of myne, called Whitell, having not past sex houses, lying towards Ryddisdaill, upon Shilbotell more, and there wold have fyred the said howses, but ther was noo fyre to get there, and they forgate to brynge any withe theyme; and toke a wyf, being great with childe, in the said towne, and said to hyr, Wher we can not gyve the laird lyght yet we shall doo this in spyte of him; and gyve her iii mortall wounds upon the heid, and another in the right side, with a dagger: wheruppon the said wyf is deede, and the childe in her bely is loste. Beseeching your most gracious highnes to reduce into your gracious memory thys wylful and shameful murder, done within this your highnes' realme, notwithstanding all the inhabitants thereabout rose unto the said fray, and gave warnynge by becons into the countrey afore theyme, and yet the Scottsmen dyde escape. And uppon certeyne kuowledge to my brother Clyfforthe and me, had by credable persons of

Clyfforth, have devysed, that within this iii nyghts, God
willing, Kelsey, in lyke case, shall be brent, with all the
corne in the said town; and then they shall have noo
place to lye any garyson in nygh unto the Borders.
And as I shall atteigne further knowledge, I shall not
fail to satisfye your highnes, according to my most
bounden dutie. And for this burnynge of Kelsey is
devysed to be done secretly, by Tyndaill and Ryd-
disdale. And thus the holy Trynite and ***
your most
royal estate, with long lyf, and as much increase of
honour as your most noble heart can desire. At Werk-
worth, the xxiid day of October.» (1522).

Note 4. Stanza iv.
Watt Tinlinn.

This person was, in my younger days, the theme of many a fireside tale. He was a retainer of the Buecleuch family, and held for his Border service a small tower on the frontiers of Liddesdale. Watt was, by profession, a sutor, but, by inclination and practice, an archer and warrior. Upon one occasion, the captain of Bewcastle, military governor of that wild district of Cumberland, is said to have made an incursion into Scotland, in which he was defeated, and forced to fly. Watt Tinlinn pursued him closely through a dangerous morass; the captain, however, gained the firm ground; and seeing Tiniinn dismounted, and floundering in the bog, used these words of insult: «Sutor Watt, ye cannot sew your boots; the heels risp, and the seams rive.»-« If I cannot sew,»-retorted Tinlinn, discharging a shaft, which nailed the captain's thigh to his saddle,—« If I cannot sew, I can yerk.n2

Note 5. Stanza v.
Bilhope stag.

There is an old rhyme, which thus celebrates the places in Liddesdale remarkable for game.

Bilhope braes for bucks and raes,

And Carit haugh for swine,

And Tarras for the good bull-trout,

If be be ta'en in time.

Risp, creak,-Rive, tear.

2 Yerk, to twitch, as shoemakers do, in securing the stitches of their work.

The bucks and roes, as well as the old swine, are now extinct; but the good bull-trout are still famous. Note 6. Stanza v.

Of silver broach and bracelet proud.

As the Borderers were indifferent about the furniture of their habitations, so much exposed to be burnt and plundered, they were proportionally anxious to display splendour in decorating and ornamenting their females. -See LESLY, de Moribus Limitaneorum.

Note 7. Stanza vi.

Belted Will Howard.

27th September, 1549, the Duke of Somerset, Lord
Protector, writes to the Lord Dacre, warden of the
West Marches: «The Almains, in number two thou-
sand, very valiant soldiers, shall be sent to you shortly
from Newcastle, together with Sir Thomas Holcroft,
and with the force of
your wardenry (which we would
were advanced to the most strength of horsemen that
might be), shall make the attempt to Loughmaben,
being of no such strength but that it may be skailed
with ladders, whereof, beforehand, we would you caused
secretly some number to be provided; or else under-
mined with the pyke-axe, and so taken: either to be
kept for the king's majesty, or otherwise to be defaced,
and taken from the profits of the

And in like
enemy.
manner the house of Carlaverock to be used.»> Re-

Lord William Howard, third son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk, succeeded to Naworth Castle, and a large domain annexed to it, in right of his wife Elizabeth, sister of George Lord Dacre, who died without heirs male, in peated mention occurs of the Almains, in the subsethe 11th of Queen Elizabeth. By a poetical anachro-quent correspondence; and the enterprise seems finally nism, he is introduced into the romance a few to have been abandoned, from the difficulty of providyears ing these strangers with the necessary victuals and earlier than he actually flourished. He was warden of the Western Marches; and, from the rigour with which History of Cumberland, vol. I, Introd. p. Ixi. From the carriages in so poor a country as Dumfries-shire. » he repressed the Border excesses, the name of Belted Will Howard is still famous in our traditions. battle-pieces of the ancient Flemish painters we learn, In the castle of Naworth, his apartments, containing a bedthat the Low-country and German soldiers marched to an assault with their right knees bared. And we may room, oratory, and a library, are still shown. They impress us with an unpleasing idea of the life of a lord also observe, in such pictures, the extravagance to warden of the marches. Three or four strong doors, which they carried the fashion of ornamenting their separating these rooms from the rest of the castle, indicate apprehensions of treachery from his garrison; and the secret winding passages, through which he could privately descend into the guard-room, or even into the dungeons, imply the necessity of no small degree of secret superintendance on the part of the governor. As the ancient books and furniture have remained undisturbed, the venerable appearance of these apartments, and the armour, scattered around the chamber, almost lead us to expect the arrival of the warden in person. Naworth Castle is situated near Brampton, in Cumberland. Lord William Howard is ancestor of the

Earls of Carlisle.

Note 8. Stanza vi.

--Lord Dacre.

The well-known name of Dacre is derived from the exploits of one of their ancestors at the siege of Acre, or Ptolemais, under Richard Coeur-de-Lion. There were two powerful branches of that name. The first family, called Lord Dacres of the South, held the castle of the same name, and are ancestors to the present Lord Dacre. The other family, descended from the same stock, were called Lord Dacres of the North, and were barons of Gilsland and Graystock. A chieftain of the latter branch was warden of the West Marches during the reign of Edward VI. He was a man of a hot and obstinate character, as appears from some particulars of Lord Surrey's letter to Henry VIII, giving an account of his behaviour at the siege and storm of Jedburgh. It is printed in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Appendix to the Introduction.

Note 9. Stanza vi.

-the German hackbut-men.

In the wars with Scotland, Henry VIII and his successors employed numerous bands of mercenary troops. At the battle of Pinky, there were in the English army six hundred hack butters on foot, and two hundred on horseback, composed chiefly of foreigners. On the

dress with knots of riband. This custom of the Ger-
mans is alluded to in the Mirrour for Magistrates,
P. 121.

Their pleited garments therewith well accord,
All jagde and frouust, with divers colours deckt.

Note 10. Stanza viii.

His ready lances Thirlestane brave

Array'd beneath a banner bright.

Sir John Scott of Thirlestane flourished in the reign of James V, and possessed the estates of Thirlestane, Gamescleuch, etc. lying upon the river Ettrick, and extending to St Mary's Loch, at the head of Yarrow. It appears, that when James had assembled his nobility and their feudal followers, at Fala, with the purpose of invading England, and was, as is well known, disappointed by the obstinate refusal of his peers, this baron alone declared himself ready to follow the king whereever he should lead. In memory of his fidelity, James granted to his family a charter of arms, entitling them to bear a border of fleurs-de-luce, similar to the tressure in the royal arms, with a bundle of spears for the crest, motto, Ready, aye ready. The charter itself is printed by Nisbet; but his work being scarce, I insert the following accurate transcript from the original, in the possession of the Right Honourable Lord Napier, the representative of John of Thirlestane.

JAMES REX.

We James, be the grace of God, king of Scottis, considerand the ffaith and guid servis of of of right traist friend John Scott of Thirlestane, quba cummand to our hoste at Soutra-edge, with three score and ten launcieres on horseback of his friends and followers, and beand willing to gang with ws into England, when all our nobles and others refuised, he was readdy to stake all at our bidding; ffor the yuhilk cause, it is our will, and we doe straitlie command and charg our lion herauld, and his deputies for the time beand, to give

Sic in orig.

and to graunt to the said John Scott, ane Border of
ffleure de lises about his coatte of armes, sik as is on
our royal banner, and alsua ane bundell of launces
above his helmet, with thir words, Readdy, ay Readdy,
that he and all his aftercummers may bruik the sa-
mine as a pledge and taiken of our guid will and
kindness for his true worthines; and thir our letters
seen, ye nae wayes failzie to doe. Given at Ffalla
Muire, under our haud and privy cashet, the xxvii day
of July, me and xxxii zieres. By the King's graces
speciail ordinance.
Jo. ARSKINE.>>

On the back of the charter, is written,

<«< Edin. 14. January, 1713. Registred, conform to the act of parliament made anent probative writs, per M'Kaile, pror. and produced by Alexander Borthwick, servant to Sir William Scott of Thirlestane.

Note 11. Stanza ix.

An aged knight, to danger steel'd,

With many a moss-trooper, came on:

And azure in a golden field,

The stars and crescent graced his shield,
Without the bend of Murdieston.

M. L. J..

The family of Harden are descended from a younger son of the laird of Buccleuch, who flourished before the estate of Murdieston was acquired by the marriage of one of those chieftains with the heiress, in 1296. Hence they bear the cognizance of the Scotts upon the field; whereas those of the Buccleuch are disposed upon a bend dexter, assumed in consequence of that marriage. See GLADSTAINE of Whitelawe's MSS. and ScOTT of Stokoe's Pedigree, Newcastle, 1783.

A hardy race, who never shrunk from war,
The Scott, to rival realms a mighty bar,
Here fix'd his mountain-bome;-a wide domain,
And rich the soil, had purple heath been grain;
But, what the niggard ground of wealth denied,
From fields more bless'd his fearless arm supplied.

The waning harvest-moon shone cold and bright;
The warder's horn was heard at dead of night;
And, as the massy portals wide were flung,
With stamping hoofs the rocky pavement rung.
What fair, balf-veil'd, leans from ber latticed hall,
Where red the wavering gleams of torch-light fall?
'Tis Yarrow's fairest Flower, who, through the gloom,
Looks, wistful, for her lover's dancing plume.
Amid the piles of spoil, that strew'd the ground,
Her ear, all anxious, caught a wailing sound;
With trembling haste the youthful matron flew,
And from the hurried heaps an infant drew.

Scared at the light, his little bands he flung
Around her neck, and to her bosom clung;
While beauteous Mary soothed, in accents mild,
His fluttering soul, and clasp'd her foster-child.
Of milder mooi the gentle captive grew,

Nor loved the scenes that scared his infant view;
In vales remote, from camps and castles far,
He shunn'd the fearful shuddering joy of war;
Content the loves of simple swains to sing,
Or wake to fame the harp's heroic string.

His are the strains, whose wandering echoes thrill
The shepherd, lingering on the twilight hill,
When evening brings the merry folding hours,
And sun-eyed daisies close their winking flowers.
He lived, o'er Yarrow's Flower to shed the tear;
To strew the holy leaves o'er Harden's bier;
But none was found above the minstrel's tomb,
Emblem of peace, to bid the daisy bloom:
He, nameless as the race from which he sprung.
Saved other names, and left his own unsung.

Note 12. Stanza x.

Scotts of Eskdale, a stalwart band.

himself the title of Earl of Morton. The descendants of Beattison of Woodkerricke, who aided the earl to escape from is disobedient vassals, continued to hold these lands within the memory of man, and were the only Beattisons who had property in the dale. The old people give locality to the story, by showing the Galliard's Haugh, the place where Buccleuch's men were concealed, etc.

Walter Scott of Harden, who flourished during the reign of Queen Mary, was a renowned Border freebooter, concerning whom tradition has preserved a In this, and the following stanza, some account is given variety of anecdotes, some of which have been pub- of the mode in which the property of the valley of Esk lished in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, others was transferred from the Beattisons, its ancient possesin LEYDEN'S Scenes of Infancy, and others, more lately, sors, to the name of Scott. It is needless to repeat the in The Mountain Bard, a collection of Border ballads circumstances, which are given in the poem literally as by Mr James Hogg. The bugle-horn, said to have been they have been preserved by tradition. Lord Maxwell, used by this formidable leader, is preserved by his de-in the latter part of the sixteenth century, took upon scendant, the present Mr Scott of Harden.-His castle was situate upon the very brink of a dark and precipitous dell, through which a scanty rivulet steals to meet the Borthwick. In the recess of this glen he is said to have kept his spoil, which served for the daily maintenance of his retainers, until the production of a pair of clean spurs,, in a covered dish, announced to the hungry band, that they must ride for a supply of provisions. He was married to Mary Scott, daughter of Philip Scott of Dryhope, and called in song the Flower of Yarrow. He possessed a very extensive estate, which was divided among his five sons. There are numerous descendants of this old marauding baron. The following beautiful passage of LEYDEN'S Scenes of Infancy, is founded on a tradition respecting an infant captive, whom Walter of Harden carried off in a predatory incursion, and who is said to have become the author of some of our most beautiful pastoral songs:

Where Bortha hoarse, that loads the meads with sand,
Rolls her red tide to Teviot's western strand,
Through slaty hills, whose sides are shagg'd with thorn,
Where springs, in scatter'd tufts, the dark-green corn,
Towers wood-girt Harden, far above the vale,
And clouds of ravens o'er the turrets sail.

Note 13. Stanza xiii.

Their gathering word was Bellenden.

Bellenden is situate near the head of Borthwick water, and, being in the centre of the possessions of the Scouts, was frequently used as their place of rendezvous and gathering word.-Survey of Selkirkshire, in MACFARLANE'S MSS. Advocates' Library. Hence Satchells calls one part of his genealogical account of the families of that clan, his Bellenden.

Note 14. Stanza xviii.

The camp their home, their law the sword,
They knew no country, own'd no lord.

The mercenary adventurers, whom, in 1380, the Earl of Cambridge carried to the assistance of the King of

Portugal against the Spaniards, mutinied for want of regular pay. At an assembly of their leaders, Sir John Soltier, a natural son of Edward the Black Prince, thus addressed them: 'I counsayle, let us be alle of one alliance, and of one accorde, and let us among ourselves reyse up the baner of St George, and let us be frendes to God, and enemyes to alle the worlde; for without we make ourselfe to be feared, we gette nothing.

By my fayth, quod Sir William Helmon, ' ye saye right weel, and so let us do.' They all agreed with one voyee, and so regarded among them who shulde be their eapitayne. Then they advysed in the case how they coude nat have a better capitayne than Sir John Soltier. For they sulde than have good leyser to do yvell, and they thought he was more metelyer thereto than any other. Than they raised up the penon of St George, and cried, 'A Soltier! a Soltier! the valyaunt bastarde! frendes to God, and enemies to all the Worlde!-FROISSART, vol. I, ch. 393.

Note 15. Stanza xxi.

-a gauntlet on a spear.

A glove upon a lance was the emblem of faith among the ancient Borderers, who were wont, when any one broke his word, to expose this emblem, and proclaim him a faithless villain at the first Border meeting. This ceremony was much dreaded.-See LESLY.

Note 16. Stanza xxiv.

himself possessed it, upon any squire who, after due probation, was found to merit the honour of chivalry. Latterly, this power was confined to generals, who were wont to create knights bannerets after or before an engagement. Even so late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Essex highly offended his jealous sovereign by the indiscriminate exertion of this privilege. Amongst others, he knighted the witty Sir John Harrington, whose favour at court was by no means enhanced by his new honours.-See the Nuge Antique, edited by Mr Park. But probably the latest instance of knighthood, conferred by a subject, was in the case of Thomas Ker, knighted by the Earl of Huntley, after the defeat of the Earl of Argyle in the battle of Belrinnes. The fact is attested, both by a poetical and prose account of the engagement contained in an ancient MS. in the Advocates' Library, and lately edited by Mr Dalyell, in Godly Sangs and Ballets, Edinb. 1802.

Note 19. Stanza xxvi.

When English blood swell'd Ancram ford.

The battle of Ancram Moor, or Peniel-heuch, was fought A. D. 1545. The English, commanded by Sir and both their leaders slain in the action. The Scottish Ralph Evers, and Sir Brian Latoun, were totally routed, army was commanded by Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, assisted by the Laird of Buccleuch and Norman Lesly.

Note 20. Stanza xxx.
-the blanche lion.

We claim from thee William of Deloraine, That he may suffer march-treason pain. Several species of offences, peculiar to the Border, constituted what was called march-treason. Among others, was the crime of riding, or causing to ride, against the opposite country, during the time of truce. Thus, in an indenture made at the water of Eske, beside Salom, the 25th day of March, 1334, betwixt noble lords and mighty, Sirs Henry Percy, Earl of Northumber-written by Roy, commonly, but erroneously, imputed to Dr Bull, the Duke of Buckingham is called the land, and Archibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway, a truce Beautiful Swan, and the Duke of Norfolk, or Earl of is agreed upon until the 1st day of July; and it is expressly accorded, Gif ony stellis, authir on the ta part, Surrey, the White Lion. As the book is extremely rare. or on the tothyr, that he shall be henget or heofdit; interpretation of heraldry, it shall be here given at and the whole passage relates to the emblematical and gif ony cumpany stellis any gudes within the length. trieux beforesayd, ane of that company sall be henget or heofdit, and the remnant sall restore the gudys stolen in the dubble.-History of Westmoreland and Cumberland, Introd. p. xxxix.

This was the cognizance of the noble house of Howard in all its branches. The crest or bearing of a warrior was often used as a nom de guerre. Thus Richard III acquired his well-known epithet, The Boar In the violent satire on Cardinal Wolsey, of York.

Note 17. Stanza xxvi.

-William of Deloraine

Will cleanse him, by oath, of march-treason stain. In dubious cases, the innocence of Border criminals was occasionally referred to their own oath. The form of excusing bills, or indictinents, by Border-oath, ran thus: You shall swear by heaven above you, hell beDeath you, by your part of Paradise, by all that God made in six days and seven nights, and by God himself, you are whart out sackless of art, part, way, witting, ridd, kenning, having, or recetting of any of the goods and cattels named in this bill. So help you God.history of Cumberland, Introd. p. xxv.

Note 18. Stanza xxvi.

Knighthood he took of Douglas' sword.

The dignity of knighthood, according to the original institution, had this peculiarity, that it did not flow from the monarch, but could be conferred by one who

The Description of the Armes.

Of the proud Cardinal this is the shelde,
Borne up betwene two angels of Satban;
The sixe blondy axes in a bare felde,
Sheweth the crueltie of the red man,
Which hath devoured the Beautiful Swan,
Mortal enemy unto the Whyte Lion,
Carter of Yorke, the vyle Bucher's sonne.
The sixe bulles heddes in a felde blacke,
Betokeneth his sturdy furiousness,
Wherefore, the godly light to put abacke,
He bryngeth in his dyvlish darcnes;
The bandog in the meddes doth expresse
The mastiffe curre bred in Ypswich towne,
Gnawynge with his teth a kinges crowne.
The cloubbe signifieth playne his tiranny,
Covered over with a Cardinal's hatt,
Wherein shall be fulfilled the prophecy,
Aryse up, Jacke, and put on thy salatt,
For the tyme is come of hagge and walatt.
The temporall chevalry thus thrown doune,
Wherfor, prest, take hede, and beware thy crowne.

There were two copies of this very scarce satire in the library of the late John, Duke of Roxburgh. See an account of it also in Sir Egerton Brydges's curious Miscellany, the Censura Literaria.