ral in Scotland, under the singular title of her adopted ditch), by whilk means he escapit, and gat away from father. all the rest of the horses.»-BIRRELL'S Diary, p. 18.

Note 2. Stanza xv.

The mountain bull comes thundering on.

Note 6. Stanza xxxiii.

From the wild Border's humbled side

In haughty triumph marched he.

Murray's death took place shortly after an expedition to the Borders; which is thus commemorated by the

So having stablischt all thing in this sort,
To Liddisdaill again he did resort,

Throw Ewisdal, Eskdail, and all the daills rode he,

<< In Caledonia olim frequens erat sylvestris quidam bos, nunc vero rarior, qui colore candidissimo, jubam densam et demissam instar leonis gestat, truculentus ac ferus, ab humano genere abhorrens, ut qæucunque ho-author of his elegy: mines vel manibus contrectaverint, vel halitu perflaverint, ab iis multos post dies omnino abstinuerint. Ad hoc tanta audacia huic bovi indita erat, ut non solum irritatus equites furenter prosterneret, sed ne tantillum lacessitus omnes promiscue homines cornibus, ac ungulis peteret; ac canum, qui apud nos ferocissimi sunt, impetus plane contemneret. Ejus carnes cartilaginosæ sed saporis suavissimi. Erat is olim per illam vastissimam Caledoniæ sylvam frequens, sed humana ingluvie jam assumptus tribus tantum locis est reliquus, Strivilingii, Cumbernaldiæ, et Kincarnie.»-Leslæus, Scotiæ Descriptio, p. 13.

Note 3. Stanza xxi.

Stern Claud replied, with darkening face

(Gray Pasley's haughty lord was he). Lord Claud Hamilton, second son of the Duke of Chatelherault, and commendator of the abbey of Paisley, acted a distinguished part during the troubles 'of Queen Mary's reign, and remained unalterably attached to the cause of that unfortunate princess. He led the van of her army at the fatal battle of Langside, and was one of the commanders at the Raid of Stirling, which had so nearly given complete success to the queen's faction. He was ancestor to the present Marquis of Abercorn.

Note 4. Stanza xxii.

Few suns have set, since Woodhouselee.

And also lay three nights in Cannabie.
Whair na prince lay thir hundred yeiris before,
Nae thief durst stir, they did him feir so sair;
And, that they suld na mair thair thift alledge,
Threescore and twelf he brocht of thame in pledge,
Syne wardit thame, whilk made the rest keep ordour,
Than mycht the rasch-bus keep ky on the Bordour.
Scottish Poems, 16th century, p. 232.

Note 7. Stanza xxxv.

With hackbut bent, my secret stand.

The carabine, with which the regent was shot, is preserved at Hamilton Palace. It is a brass piece, of a middling length, very small in the bore, and, what is rather extraordinary, appears to have been rifled or indented in the barrel. It had a match-lock, for which a modern fire-lock has been injudiciously substituted.

Note 8. Stanza xxxvi.

Dark Morton, girt with many a spear.

Of this noted person it is enough to say, that he was active in the murder of David Rizzio, and at least privy to that of Darnley.

Note 9. Stanza xxxvi.

The wild Macfarlane's plaided clan.

This clan of Lennox Highlanders were attached to the Regent Murray. Hollinshed, speaking of the battle of Langside, says, « In this batayle the valiancie of an This barony, stretching along the banks of the Esk, Hieland gentleman, named Macfarlane, stood the renear Auchendinny, belonged to Bothwellhaugh, in right gent's part in great steede; for, in the hottest brunte of his wife. The ruins of the mansion, from whence of the fighte, he came up with two hundred of his she was expelled in the brutal manner which occasion-friendes and countrymen, and so manfully gave in upon the flankes of the queene's people, that he was a ed her death, are still to be seen, in a hollow glen beside the river. Popular report tenants them with the great cause of the disordering of them. This Macfarrestless ghost of the Lady Bothwellhaugh; whom, how-lane had been lately before, as I have heard, condemnever, it confounds with Lady Anne Bothwell, whose ed to die, for some outrage by him committed, and Lament is so popular. This spectre is so tenacious of obtayning pardon through suyt of the Countess of Murher rights, that, a part of the stones of the ancient edi-ray, he recompenced that clemencie by this piece of fice having been employed in building or repairing the present Woodhouselee, she has deemed it a part of her privilege to haunt that house also; and, even of very late years, has excited considerable disturbance and terror among the domestics. This is a more remarkable vindication of the rights of ghosts, as the present Woodhouselee, which gives his title to the honourable Alexander Fraser Tytler, a senator of the College of Justice, is situated on the slope of the Pentland hills, distant at least four miles from her proper abode. She always appears in white, and with a child in her

service now at this batayle.» Calderwood's account is
less favourable to the Macfarlanes. He states, that
<< Macfarlane, with his Highlandmen, fled from the
The Lord Lindesay, who
wing where they were set.
stood nearest to them in the regent's battle, said, 'Let
them go! I shall fill their places better and so step-
ping forward with a company of fresh men, charged
the enemy, whose spears were now spent, with long
weapons, so that they were driven back by force, being
before almost overthrown by the avant-guard and har-
quebusiers, and so were turned to flight.»-Calder-
wood's MS. apud Keith, p. 480. Melville mentions the
flight of the van-guard, but states it to have been com-
manded by Morton, and composed chiefly of common-
ers of the barony of Renfrew.

Note 10. Stanza xxxvii.
Glencairn and stout Parkhead were nigh,
Obsequious at their regent's rein.

The Earl of Glencairn was a steady adherent of the

regent. George Douglas, of Parkhead, was a natural brother of the Earl of Morton his horse was killed by the same ball by which Murray fell.

Note 11. Stanza xxxvii.

And haggard Lindsay's iron eye,

That saw fair Mary weep in vain. Lord Lindesay, of the Byres, was the most ferocious and brutal of the regent's faction; and, as such, was employed to extort Mary's signature to the deed of resignation, presented to her in Lochleven Castle. He discharged his commission with the most savage rigour; and it is even said, that when the weeping captive, in the act of signing, averted her eyes from the fatal deed, he pinched her arm with the grasp of his iron glove.

Note 12. Stanza xxxviii.

Scarce could his trampling charger move,

So close the minions crowded nigh.
Richard Bannatyne mentions in his journal, that
John Knox repeatedly warned Murray to avoid Lin-
lithgow.

Not only had the regent notice of the intended attempt upon his life, but even of the very house from which it was threatened.

With that infatuation, at which men wonder after such events have happened, he deemed it would be a sufficient precaution to ride briskly past the dangerous spot. But even this was prevented by the crowd: so that Bothwellhaugh had time to take a deliberate aim. -Spottiswoode, p. 233. Buchanan.

THE GRAY BROTHER.

A FRAGMENT.

THE imperfect state of this ballad, which was written several years ago, is not a circumstance affected for the purpose of giving it that peculiar interest, which is often found to arise from ungratified curiosity. On the contrary, it was the author's intention to have completed the tale, if he had found himself able to succeed to his own satisfaction. Yielding to the opinion of persons, whose judgment, if not biassed by the partiality of friendship, is entitled to deference, the author has preferred inserting these verses, as a fragment, to his intention of entirely suppressing them.

stronger claims of natural affection. Chusing, therefore, a dark and windy night, when the objects of his vengeance were engaged in a stolen interview, he set fire to a stack of dried thorns, and other combustibles, which he had caused to be piled against the house, and reduced to a pile of glowing ashes the dwelling, with all its inmates.

The scene, with which the ballad opens, was suggested by the following curious passage, extracted from the Life of Alexander Peden, one of the wandering and persecuted teachers of the sect of Cameronians, during the reign of Charles II and his successor, James. This person was supposed by his followers, and perhaps really believed himself, to be possessed of supernatural gifts; for the wild scenes, which they frequented, and the constant dangers, which were incurred though their proscription, deepened upon their minds the gloom of superstition, so general in that age.

<< About the same time he (Peden) came to Andrew Normand's house, in the parish of Alloway, in the shire of Ayr, being to preach at night in his barn. After he came in, he halted a little, leaning upon a chair-back, with his face covered; when he lifted up his head, he said, 'There are in this house that I have not one word of salvation unto;' he halted a little again, saying, 'This is strange, that the devil will not go out, that we may begin our work!' Then there was a woman went out, ill looked upon almost all her life, and to her dying hour, for a witch, with many presumptions of the same. It escaped me, in the former passages, that John Muirhead (whom I have often mentioned) told

me,

that when he came from Ireland to Galloway, he was at family-worship, and giving some notes upon the Scripture, when a very ill-looking man came, and sate down within the door, at the back of the hallan (partition of the cottage); immediately he halted, and said, 'There is some unhappy body just now come into this house. I charge him to go out, and not stop my mouth! The person went out, and he insisted (went on), yet he saw him neither come in nor go out.»— The Life and Prophecies of Mr Alexander Peden, late Minister of the Gospel at New Glenluce, in Galloway, part ii, section 26.

THE Pope he was saying the high, high mass,
All on Saint Peter's day,

With the power to him given, by the saints in heaven,
To wash men's sins away.

The Pope he was saying the blessed mass,

And the people kneel'd around;
And from each man's soul his sins did pass,
As he kiss'd the holy ground.

The tradition, upon which the tale is founded, regards a house, upon the barony of Gilmerton, near Lasswade, in Mid-Lothian. This building, now called Gilmerton Grange, was originally named Burndale, from the following tragic adventure. The barony of Gilmerton belonged of yore to a gentleman, named Heron, who had one beautiful daughter. This young lady was seduced by the abbot of Newbattle, a richlyendowed abbey, upon the banks of the South Esk, now a seat of the Marquis of Lothian. Heron came to the knowledge of this circumstance, and learned, also, that the lovers carried on their guilty intercourse by the connivance of the lady's nurse, who lived at this This tradition was communicated to me by John Clerk, Esq. of house, of Gilmerton Grange or Burndale. He formed a Eldin, author of an Essay upon Naval Tactics; who will be rememresolution of bloody vengeance, undeterred by the sup-centrate her thunders, and to launch them against her foes with an bered by posterity, as having taught the Genius of Britain to conposed sanctity of the clerical character, or by the

And all, among the crowded throng,
Was still, both limb and tongue,
While through vaulted roof, and aisles aloof,
The holy accents rung.

unerring aim.