ページの画像
PDF
ePub

syred licence of me to invade the realme of Scotland, for the annoysaunce of your highnes enemys, where they thought best exploit by theyme might be done, and to haue to concur withe theyme the inhabitants of Northumberland, suche as was towards me according to theyre assembly, and as by theyre discrecions v ppone the same they shulde thinke most convenient; and soo they dyde meet vppon Monday, before nyght, being the iii day of this instant monethe, at Wawhope, uppon northe Tyne water, above Tyndaill, where they were to the number of xv e men, and so invadet Scotland, at the hour of viii of the clok at nyght, at a place called Whele Causay; and befor: xi of the clok dyd send forth a forrey of Tyndaill and Ryddisdail and laide all the resydewe in a bushment, and actyvely dyd set vpon a towne called Branxholm, where the lord of Buclough dwellythe, and purpesed theymeselves with a trayne for hym lyke to his accustomed manner, inrysynge to all frayes; albeit, that knyght he was not at home, and soo they brynt the said Branxholm, and other townes, as to say Whichestre, Whichestre-helme, and Whelley, and haid ordered theymeself, soo that sundry of the said Lord Buclough's servants, who dyd issue fourthe of his gates was takyn prisoners. They dyd not leve one house, one stak of corne,nor one shyef, without the gate of the said Lord Buclough vnbrynt; and thus scrymaged and frayed, supposing the Lord of Buclough to be within iii or iiii myles to have trayned him to the bushment; and soo in the breyking of the day dyd the forrey and the bushment mete, and reculed homeward, making theyr way westward from theyre invasion to be over Lyddersdaill,as intending yf the fray frome theyre furst entry by the Scotts waiches, or otherwyse by warnyng,shulde haue bene gyven to Gedworth and the countrey of Scotland they reabouts of theyre invasion; whiche Gedworth is from the Wheles Causay vi myles, that thereby the Scots shulde have comen further vnto they me, and more owte of ordre ; and soo upon sundry good consideracons, before they entered Lyddersdaill, as well accompting the inhabitants of the same to be to

wards your highness, and to enforce theyme the more therby,as alsoo to put an occasion of suspect to the kinge of Scotts and his counsaill, to be taken anenst theyme, amonges theymselves,maid proclamacions,commanding, vpon payne of dethe, assurance to be for the said inhabitants of Lyddersdaill,without any prejudice or hurt to be done by any Inglysman vnto theyme, and soo in good or dre a bowte the howre of ten of the clok before none, vppone Tewisday, dyd pas through the said Lyddersdaill, when dyd come diverse of the said inhabitants there to my servauntes, under the said assurance, offering theymeselfs with any service they couthe make; and thus, thanks be to Godde, your highnes' subjects, abowte the howre of xii of the clok at none the sam ⚫daye, came into this youre bighness realme, bringing wt theyme above xl Scottsmen prisoners, one of theyme named Scot, of the surname and kyn of the said Lord of Buclough, and of his howsehold; they brought also ecc nowte, and above Ix horse and mares. keping in savetie frome losse or hurte, all your said highnes subjects. There was alsoo a towne called Newbiggins, by diverse fotmen of Tyndaill and Ryddersdaill, takyn vp of the night, and spoyled, when was slayne ii Scottsmen of the said towne, and many Scotts there hurte; your highnes subjects was xiii myles within the ground of Scotlande, and is frome my house at Werkworthe, above Ix of the most evill passage, where great snawes dothe lye; heretofore the same townes now brynt hath not at any time in the mynd of man in any warrs been enterprised unto nowe; your subjects were therto more encouraged for the better advancement of your highnes service, the said Lord of Buclough beyng always a mortall enemy to this your graces realme, and he dyd say, within xiii days before, he would see who durst lye near hym; wt many other cruell words, the knowledge whereof was certainly haid to my said servaunts, before theyre enterpric maid vppon him;most humbly beseeching your majesty, that your highnes thanks may concur vnto theyme, whose names be here inclosed, and to have in your most gracious memory, the paynfull and

diligent service of my pare servaunt Wharton, and thus, as I am most bounden, shall dispose wt them that be under me f...... annoysaunce of your highnes enemys." In resentment of this foray, Buccleuch, with other Border chiefs, assembled an army of 3000 riders, with which they penetrated into Northumberland, and laid waste the country as far as the banks of Bramish. They baffled, or defeated, the English forces opposed to them, and returned loaded with prey.-Pinkerton's History, Vol. II. p. 318.

NOTE V.

Bards long shall tell,

How Lord Walter fell.-P. 13.

Sir Walter Scott-of Buccleuch succeeded to his grand father, Sir David, in 1492. He was a brave and power ful baron and warden of the west marches of Scotland. His death was the consequence of a feud betwixt the Scotts and Kerrs, the history of which is necessary, to explain repeated allusions in the romance.

In the year 1526, in the words of Pitscottie, "The Earl of Angus, and the rest of the Douglasses, ruled all which they liked, and no man durst say the contrary; wherefore the king (James V. then a minor) was heavily displeased, and would fain have been out of their hands, if he might by any way; And, to that effect, wrote a quiet and secret letter with his own hand, and sent it to the laird of Buccleuch, beseeching him that he would come with his kin and friends, and all the force that he might be, and meet him at Melross, at his home-passing, and there to take him out of the DougPasses hands, and to put him to liberty, to use himself among the lave (rest) of his lords, as he thinks expedi

ent.

This letter was quietly directed, and sent by one of the king's own secret servants, which was received very thankfully by the laird of Buccleuch, who was very glad thereof, to be put to such charges and familiarity with his prince, and did great diligence to perform the

king's writing, and to bring the matter to pass as the king desired: And, to that effect, convened all his kin and friends, and all that would do for him, to ride with him to Melross when he knew of the king's homecoming. And so he brought with him six hundred spears, of Liddesdale, and Annandale, and countrymen, and clans thereabout, and held themselves quiet while that the king returned out of Jedburgh, and came to Melross to remain there all that night.

"But when the Lord Hume, Cessfoord, and Fernyhirst (the chiefs of the clan of Kerr,) took their leave of the king, and returned home, then appeared the Lord of Buckleuch in sight, and his company with him, in an arrayed battle, intending to have fulfilled the king's petition, and therefore came stoutly forward on the back side of Haliden hill. By that the Earl of Angus, with George Douglas his brother, and sundry other of his friends, seeing this army coming, they marvelled what the matter meant; while at the last they knew the laird of Buccleuch, with a certain company of the thieves of Annandale. With him they were less affeared, and made them manfully to the field contrary them, and said to the king in this manner, 'Sir, yon is Buckleuch, and thieves of Anandale with him, to unbeset your Grace from the gate (i, e, interrupt your passage.) I vow to God they shall either fight or flee; and ye shall tarry here on this know. and my brother George with you, with any other company you please; and I shall pass, and put yon thieves off the ground, and rid the gate unto your grace, or else die for it. The king tarried still as was devised; and George Douglas with him, and sundry other lords, such as the Earl of Lennox, and the Lord Erskine, and some of the king's own servants; but all the lave (rest) past with the Earl of Angus to the field against the laird of Buccleuch, who joyned and countered cruelly both the said parties in the field of Darnelinver, either against other, with uncertain vic

❤ Darnwick, near Melrose. The place of conflict is still called Skinner's Field, from a corruption of Skirmish Field.

tory. But at the last, Lord Hume, hearing word of that matter how it stood, returned again to the king in all possible haste, with him the lairds of Cessfoord and Fairnyhirst, to the number of fourscore spears, and set freshly on the lap and wing of the laird of Buccleuch's field, and shortly bare them backward to the ground; which caused the laird of Buccleuch, and the rest of his friends, to go back and flee, whom they followed and chased; and especially the lairds of Cessford and Fairnyhirst followed furiouslie, till at the foot of a path the laird of Cessfoord was slain by the stroke of a spear by an Elliot, who was then servant to the laird of Buc- cleuch. But when the laird of Cessfoord was slain, the chase ceased. The Earl of Angus returned again with great merriness and victory, and thanked God that he saved him from that chance, and passed with the king to Melross, where they remained all that night. On the morn they passed to Edinburgh with the king, who was very sad and dolorous of the slaughter of the laird of Cessfoord, and many other gentlemen and yeomen slain by the laird of Buccleuch, containing the number of fourscore and fifteen, which died in defence of the king, and at the command of his writing."

I am not the first who has attempted to celebrate in verse the renown of this ancient baron, and his hazardous attempt to procure his sovereign's freedom. In a Scottish Latin poet we find the following verses :— Valterius Scotus Balcluchius.

Egregio suscepto facinore libertate Regis, ac aliis rebus gestis clarus, sub Jacobo V. A°. Christi, 1526. Intentata aliis, nullique audita priorum

Audet, nec pavidum morsve, metusve quatit,
Libertatem aliis soliti transcribere Reges:
Subreptam hanc Regi restituisse paras,
Si vincis, quanta & succedunt præmia dextræ,
Sin victus, falsas spes jace, pone animam.
Hostica vis nocuit: stant altæ robora mentis
Atque decus. Vincet, Rege probante, fides.
Insita queis animis virtus, quosque acrior arddor
Obsidet, obscuris nox premat an tenebris?

« 前へ次へ »