NOTES TO CANTO IV.

Note 1.

Great Dundee.-St II. p. 100.

The Viscount of Dundee, 'slain in the battle of Killicrankie.

Note II.

For pathless marsh, and mountain cell,

The peasant left his lowly shed.-St. III. p. 101. The morasses were the usual refuge of the Border herdsmen, on the approach of an English army.-(Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, vol. I. p. 49.) Caves, hewed in the most dangerous and inaccessible places, also afforded an occcasional retreat. Such caverns may be seen in the precipitous banks of the Teviot at Sunlaws, upon the Ale at Ancram, upon the Jed at Hundalee, and in many other places upon the Border. The banks of the Eske, at Gorton and Hawthornden, are hollowed into similar recesses. But even these dreary dens were not always secure places of concealment. "In the way as we

86 came, not far from this place (Long Niddry,) George Fer

cr

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res, a gentleman of my Lord Protector's...... happened upon a cave in the grounde, the mouth whereof was so "worne with the fresh printe of steps, that he seemed to be

certayne thear wear some folke within ; and gone doune to "trie, he was redily receyved with a hakebut or two. He left "them not yet, till he had known wheyther thei wold be con"tent to yield and come out; which they fondly refusing, "he went to my lorde's grace, and upon utterance of the

thynge, gat licence to deale with them as he coulde; and so "returned to them, with a skore or two of pioners. Three "ventes had their cave, that we wear ware of, whereof he "first stopt up on ; anoother he fill'd full of strawe, and set it

a fyer, whereat they within cast water apace; but it was so "wel maynteyned without, that the fyer prevayled, and thei " within fayn to get them belyke into anoother parler. Then "devysed we (for I hapt to be with him) to stop the same (6 up, whereby we should eyther smoother them, or fynd out "their ventes, if thei hadde any moe: as this was done at "another issue, about xii score of, we moughte see the fume "of their smoke to come out the which continued with so "great a force, and so long a while, that we could not but "thinke they must needs get them out, or smoother within : "and forasmuch as we found not that they dyd the tone, we

thought it for certain thei wear sure of the toother."PATTEN'S Account of Somerset's Expedition into Scotland, apud DALYELL's Fragments.

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, seyng "they had a governor on the Marches of Scotland, as well as

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they had in Ingland, he shulde kepe your highness instruc"tions, gyffyn unto your garyson, for making of any day-for

rey; for he and his friends wolde burne enough on the "nyght, lettyng your counsaill here defyne a notable acte at

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theyre pleasures. Upon whiche, in your highnes' name, I "comaundet dewe watche to be kepte on your Marchies, for comyng in of any Scotts.-Neuertheles, 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 no fyre to get "there, and they forgate to brynge any withe theyme; and "took a wyf being great with chylde, in the said towne, and "said to hyr, Wher we can not gyve the lard lyght, yet we

"shall doo this in spyte of hym; and gyve her iii mortall "wounds upon the heid, and another in the right side, with "a dagger: whereupon the said wyf is deede, and the childe "in her bely is loste. Beseeching your most gracious high"ness to reduce unto your gracious memory this wylful and "shamefull 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 knowledge to my brother Clyfforthe and me, "had by credible persons of Scotland, this abomynable act "not only to be done by dyverse of the Mershe, but also the "afore named persons of Tyvidaill, and consented to, as by

appearance, by the Erle of Murey, upon Friday at night “ last, let slyp C of the best horsemen of Glendaill, with a "parte of your highnes' subjects of Berwyke, together with "George Dowglas, whoo came into Ingland agayne, in the "dawning of the day; but afore theyre retorne, they dyd 66 mar the Earl of Murrei's provisions at Coldingham; for they did not only burne the said town of Coldingham, with "all the corne thereunto belonging, which is esteemed wurthe "cii marke sterling; but alsoo burned twa townes nye ad"joining thereunto, called Branerdergest and the Black Hill, "and toke xxiii persons, lx horse, with cc hed of cataill, "which, nowe, as I am informed, hathe not only been a staye " of the said Erle of Murrei's not coming to the Bordure as "yet, but alsoo, that none inlande man will adventure theyr "self uppon the Marches. And as for the tax that shulde