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much regard to it, that he resolved to return by the same gate through which he had entered, and to fetch a compass round the town. But, as the crowd about the gate was great, and he himself unacquainted with fear, he proceeded directly along the street; and the throng of people obliging him to move very slowly, gave the assassin time to take so true an aim, that he shot him, with a single bullet, through the lower part of his belly, and killed the horse of a gentleman, who rode on his other side. His followers instantly endeavoured to break into the house whence the blow had come; but they found the door strongly barricaded, aud, before it could be forced open, Hamilton had mounted a fleet horse,' which stood ready for him at a

during the reign of the unfortunate Mary, to whose during the night, in a house not far distant. Some incause the house of Hamilton devoted themselves with a distinct information of the danger which threatened generous zeal, which occasioned their temporary ob-him had been conveyed to the regent, and he paid so scurity, and, very nearly, their total ruin. The situation of the ruins, embosomed in wood, darkened by ivy and creeping shrubs, and overhanging the brawling torrent, is romantic in the highest degree. In the immediate vicinity of Cadyow is a grove of immense oaks, the remains of the Caledonian Forest, which anciently extended through the south of Scotland, from the Eastern to the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these trees measure twenty-five feet, and upwards, in circumference, and the state of decay, in which they now appear, shows, that they may have witnessed the rites of the druids. The whole scenery is included in the magnificent and extensive park of the Duke of HamilThere was long preserved in this forest the breed of the Scottish wild cattle, until their ferocity occasion-back-passage, and was got far beyond their reach. The ed their being extirpated, about forty years ago. Their regent died the same night of his wound.»-History of appearance was beautiful, being milk-white, with black Scotland, book v. muzzles, horus, and hoofs. The bulls are described by ancient authors, as having white manes; but those of latter days had lost that peculiarity, perhaps by inter-in Clydesdale, which had been burned by Murray's mixture with the tame breed.'

ton.

In detailing the death of the Regent Murray, which is made the subject of the following ballad, it would be injustice to my reader to use other words than those of Dr Robertson, whose account of that memorable event forms a beautiful piece of historical painting.

Bothwellhaugh rode straight to Hamilton, where he was received in triumph; for the ashes of the houses

army, were yet smoking; and party prejudice, the ha-
bits of the age, and the enormity of the provocation,
seemed to his kinsmen to justify his deed. After a
short abode at Hamilton, this fierce and determined
man left Scotland, and served in France, under the pa-
tronage of the family of Guise, to whom he was doubt-
less recommended by having avenged the cause of their
niece, Queen Mary, upon her ungrateful brother.
Thou has recorded, that an attempt was made to en-
gage him to assassinate Gaspar de Coligni, the famous
admiral of France, and the buckler of the Huguenot
But the character of Bothwellhaugh was mis-
cause.
He was no mercenary trader in blood, and re-

taken.

De

« Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh was the person who committed this barbarous action. He had been condemned to death soon after the battle of Langside, as we have already related, and owed his life to the regent's clemency. But part of his estate had been bestowed upon one of the regent's favourites, who seized his house, and turned out his wife, naked, in a cold night, into the open fields. where, before next morning, shejected the offer with contempt and indignation. Ile became furiously mad. This injury made a deeper had no authority, he said, from Scotland, to commit impression ou him than the benefit he had received, murders in France; he had avenged his own just quarand from that moment he vowed to be revenged of the rel, but he would neither, for price nor prayer, avenge regent. Party rage strengthened and inflamed his pri- that of another man - Thuanus, cap. 46. vate resentment. His kinsmen, the Hamiltons, applauded The regent's death happened 23d January, 1569. It the enterprise. The maxims of that age justified the is applauded, or stigmatized, by contemporary histomost desperate course he could take to obtain ven-rians, according to their religious or party prejudices. geance. He followed the regent for some time, and The triumph of Black wood is unbounded. He not only watched for an opportunity to strike the blow. He resolved, at last, to wait till his enemy should arrive at Linlithgow, through which he was to pass, in his way from Stirling to Edinburgh. He took his stand in a wooden gallery, which had a window towards the street; spread a feather-bed on the floor, to hinder the noise of his feet from being heard; hung up a black cloth behind him, that his shadow might not be observed from without; and, after all this preparation, calmly expected the regent's approach, who had lodged,

1 They were formerly kept in the park at Drumlanrig, and are still to be seen at Ch llingham Castle in Northumberland. For their nature and ferocity, see Notes.

2 This was Sir James Ballenden, Lord-justice-clerk, whose shameful and inbuman rapacity occasioned the catastrophe in the text.Spottiswoode.

This projecting gallery is still shown. The house to which it was attached was the property of the Archbishop of St Andrews, a natural rother of the Duke of Chatelherault, and uncle to Bothwellbau;h. This, among many other circumstances, seems to evince the aid which Bothwellhaugh received from his clan in effecting his purpose.

extols the pious feat of Bothwe lhaugh, « who,»> he observes, a satisfied, with a single ounce of lead, him, whose sacrilegious avarice had stripped the metropolitan church of Saint Andrews of its covering:» but he ascribes it to immediate divine inspiration, and the escape of Hamilton to little less than the miraculous interference of the Deity.-Jebb, vol. ii, p. 263. With equal injustice it was, by others, made the ground of a general national reflection; for, when Mather urged Beruey to assassinate Burleigh, and quoted the examples of Poltrot and Bothwellhaugh, the other conspirator answered, « that neither Poltrot nor Hambleton did attempt their enterpryse, without some reason or consideration to lead them to it: as the one, by hyre, and promise of preferment or rewarde; the other, upon desperate mind of revenge, for a lytle wrong done unto him, as the report goethe, accordinge to the vyle trayterous disposysyon of the hoole natyon of the Scottes.>> -MURDIN'S State Papers, vol. i, p. 197.

The gift of Lord John Hamilton, commendator of Arbroath.

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« With hackbut bent, my secret stand, (7)
Dark as the purposed deed, I chose,
And mark'd, where, mingling in his band,
Troop'd Scottish pikes and English bows.
«Dark Morton, girt with many a spear, (S)
Murder's foul minion, led the van;
And clash'd their broadswords in the rear,
The wild Macfarlane's plaided clan. (9)

<< Glencairn and stout Parkhead were nigh,
Obsequious at their regent's rein, (10)
And haggard Lindsay's iron eye,
That saw fair Mary weep in vain. (11)

« Mid pennon'd spears, a steely grove,
Proud Murray's plumage floated high;
Scarce could his trampling charger move,
So close the minions crowded nigh. (12)

« From the raised vizor's shade, his eye,
Dark-rolling, glanced the ranks along,
And his steel truncheon, waved on high,
Seem'd marshalling the iron throng.

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Note 1. Stanza xii.

First of his troop, the chief rode on.

The head of the family of Hamilton, at this period, was James, Earl of Arran, Duke of Chatelherauit in

♦ Selle-Saddle. A word used by Spencer, and other ancient France, and first peer of the Scottish realm. In 1569,

Authors.

1 Hackbut bent-Gun cocked.

he was appointed by Queen Mary, her lieutenant-gene

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

father.

Note 2. Stanza xv.

The mountain bull comes thundering on.

« In Caledonia olim frequens erat sylvestris quidam bos, nunc vero rarior, qui colore candidissimo, jubam

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

densam et demissam instar leonis gestat, truculentus ac to the Borders; which is thus commemorated by the ferus, ab humano genere abhorrens, ut quæcunque 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 Kincarniæ.»-Leslæus, Scotia 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.

So having stablischt all thing in this sort,

To Liddisdaill again he did resort,

Throw Ewisdail, Eskdail, and all the daills rode he.
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 backbut 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 valiance 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 uped her death, are still to be seen, in a hollow glen be- on the flankes of the queene's people, that he was a side the river. Popular report tenants them with the great cause of the disordering of them. This Macfar restless 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 service now at this batayle.» Calderwood's account is present Woodhouselee, she has deemed it a part of her less favourable to the Macfarlanes. He states, that privilege to haunt that house also; and, even of very << Macfarlane, with his Highlandmen, fled from the late years, has excited considerable disturbance and ter- wing where they were set. The Lord Lindesay, who ror among the domestics. This is a more remarkable stood nearest to them in the regent's battle, said, 'Let vindication of the rights of ghosts, as the present them go! I shall fill their places better:' and so stepWoodhouselee, which gives his title to the honourable ping forward with a company of fresh men, charged Alexander Fraser Tytler, a senator of the College of Jus- the enemy, whose spears were now spent, with long tice, is situated on the slope of the Pentland hills, dis-weapons, so that they were driven back by force, being tant at least four miles from her proper abode. She before almost overthrown by the avant-guard and haralways appears in white, and with a child in her quebusiers, and so were turned to flight.»-Calder

arms.

Note 5. Stanza xxviii.

Whose bloody poniard's frantic stroke,
Drives to the leap his jaded steed.

Birrel informs us, that Bothwellhaugh, being closely pursued, «<after that spur and wand had failed him, he drew forth his dagger, and strocke his horse behind, whilk caused the horse to leap a very brode stank (i. e.

wood's MS. apud Keith, p. 48o. 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 ro. Stanza xxxvii.
Glencairn and Stout Parkhead were nigh,
Obsequious at their regent's rein.

The Earl of Glencairn was a steady adherent of the

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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 tiality of friendship, is entitled to deference, the author has preferred inserting these verses, as a fragment, to his intention of entirely suppressing them.

par

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 the reign of Charles II. and his successor, James. This persecuted teachers of the sect of Cameronians, during 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 through their proscription, deepened upon their minds the gloom of superstition, so general in that age.

After he

« 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. 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 Newbottle, 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 Eldin, author of an Essay upon Naval Tactics; who will be rememThis tradition was communicated to me by John Clerk, Esq. of house, of Gilmerton Grange or Barndale. He formed a bered by posterity, as having taught the Genius of Britain to conresolution of bloody vengeance, undeterred by the sup-centrate her thunders, and to launch them against her foes with an posed sanctity of the clerical character, or by the unerring aim.

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

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