respective companies; that they were to answer to their names when the host was arrayed; that all were to fight on foot, except such as got special leave from their chief to be on horseback; that it regulated the conditions of ransom, and prescribed the penalties incurred by desertion and other offences. The eleventh clause runs thus: "Whatever he be that brings a traytor to the warden or his deputy, he shall have his reward, a hundred shillings; and he that puts him away fraudfully shall underlie the pain of death, like as the traitor should have done." The thirteenth clause is in the following terms: "Whoever he bean host of Englishmen arriving in the country, the bales being burned-that follows not the host on horse or on foot, ever till the Englishmen be passed off Scotland, and that they have sufficient witnesses thereof, all their goods shall be escheat, and their bodies at the warden's will, unless they have lawful excuse for them." Before departing, the presiding Earl, we are told, made all present swear upon the Gospels that they would, within their respective jurisdictions, observe, and cause to be obeyed, all these ordinances, and assist him in carrying them into effect.

At this important conference, also, the system of signalling the approach of an enemy by balefires was brought to a perfection unknown before. It was enacted that nine beacons should be erected in Nithsdale on the following eminences, and fired in time of need: Wardlaw, Rachochtoun, Barloch, Pittara, Malow, Corsincon, Corswel, Dowlback, and Watchfell; and that other eleven should be kept ready in Annandale-on Gallowhill, Kinnelknock, Blois, Browanhill, Barrow Skenton, Dryfesdale, Quitsoun, Cowdens, Balehill, Penchathill, and Trailtrow. It was also arranged that on the Sheriff of Nithsdale, and the Stewards of Annandale and Kirkcudbright, should devolve the responsibility of employing proper persons to erect, maintain, and fire the beacons.* When the whole of them, in a winter's night, threw their ruddy glare on high, the effect must have

Introduction to Nicholson and Burns's History of Westmoreland and Cumberland, p. 59.

The names are incorrectly given in the book from which we have quoted. We should probably read Tynron-Doon for Rachochtoun; Brownmuirhill and Barr (in Hoddam) for Browanhill and Barrow; Quhytwind, or Whitewoollen, (at Lockerbie) for Quitsoun; and Pendiclehill (in Tinwald) for Penchathill.

been grand as well as startling; and hundreds of households must have been protected from pillage, and thousands of lives been saved, by the timely alarm thus communicated. No doubt, Dumfries sometimes owed its safety to the arousing flame seen streaming up from Wardlaw hill on the Solway, and responded to by the friendly light on Corsincon.

It is whilst thus employed, as a local legislator, that we like best to look upon the eighth Earl of Douglas. Pity it is that we can rarely view him so beneficially employed. Had he attended more to such matters, and less to the promptings of lawless ambition, he would not have provoked the violent and premature death that awaited him, and his memory would have been held in more honour by his countrymen.

CHAPTER XV.

CUMBERLAND RAVAGED BY THE SCOTS- THE DOUGLAS RAID- THE ENGLISH PREPARE ΤΟ MAKE REPRISALS -A LARGE SOUTHERN ARMY ENTERS DUMFRIESSHIRE, AND ENCAMPS ON THE BANKS OF THE SARK — BATTLE OF THE SARK, AND UTTER ROUT OF THE ENGLISH-INCREASING AUDACITY OF DOUGLAS HIS IMPOSING JOURNEY TO ROME-OPPRESSIVE CONDUCT OF HIS SUBORDINATES-A FINE LEVIED ON HIS CHIEF REPRESENTATIVETHE ROYAL COMMISSIONER TRIES TO EXACT THE FINE IN NITHSDALE BY FORCE, AND IS COMPELLED TO RETREAT-KING JAMES ENFORCES HIS AUTHORITY IN THE DISTRICT DOUGLAS, IN RETURNING HOMEWARDS, HEARS OF THE ROYAL VISIT TO HIS DOMAINS, VOWS VENGEANCE, BUT POLITICALLY SMOTHERS HIS RESENTMENT -HE RECEIVES THE KING'S

FORGIVENESS

ENTERS INTO A TREASONABLE ALLIANCE WITH OTHER LORDS INSTANCES OF THE EARL'S CRUELTY AND TYRANNY-- HE IS DECOYED TO STIRLING CASTLE, CARESSED AND FETED BY KING JAMES, AND THEN BASELY STABBED BY THE ENRAGED MONARCH, BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO BREAK THE REBELLIOUS BOND INTO WHICH HE HAD ENTERED -JAMES, NINTH EARL OF DOUGLAS, REBELS AGAINST THE KING-SOME OF THE DUMFRIESSHIRE BARONS TAKE ARMS AGAINST DOUGLAS HIS THOROUGH DEFEAT AT THE BATTLE OF ARKINHOLM HE AND ALBANY ENTER INTO AN ALLIANCE WITH KING HENRY OF ENGLAND, AND INVADE DUMFRIESSHIRE AT THE HEAD OF AN ENGLISH ARMY THE INVADERS ARE ROUTED AT LOCHMABEN, AND DOUGLAS IS MADE PRISONER FALL OF THE HOUSE OF DOUGLAS.

AFTER the burning of Alnwick, a truce for seven years was agreed upon between the two kingdoms; but, owing to the commotions in both, resulting from the weakness of their respective Governments, it was soon broken, the English in this instance being the aggressors. A large body of them, under the command of the younger Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland, made an incursion into Annandale, burning several villages, and carrying off all the goods they could lay hands upon. Luckily, Douglas was not far distant from the post of duty and danger. Falling upon the retiring Southrons, he made them accelerate their retreat, and yield up all the spoil with which they were burdened. So far, so well; but Douglas, for reasons of his own, wished to widen the area of the war-field,

in order to counteract the coalition formed against him by King James, now aged seventeen, the questionable Crichton, and Kennedy, the patriotic Bishop of St. Andrews. He therefore mustered a large army, and, under the plea of revenging a wrong for which he had already exacted a heavy penalty, entered Cumberland. Not contented with imposing upon it an ordinary amount of punishment, he acted with such merciless severity that it was reduced to the condition of a desert. Not only the barons on the English side of the Border, but the whole nation, felt aggrieved and indignant on account of this ferocious Douglas raid: forgetting how often Dumfriesshire had been gratuitously pillaged by them, and that for one complaint against the Scots, the latter could have preferred fifty against those who were loudly crying for vengeance, and busy preparing to exact it with all their might.

Early in 1449, an army, that has been variously estimated at from 14,000 to 40,000, entered the County by the ordinary passage, and encamped on the banks of the Sark-the little stream that, after forming the boundary line between the kingdoms for a few miles, flows into the Solway. The force, which probably did not exceed 20,000 men in number, was commanded by the Earl of Northumberland and his son, the latter anxious to wipe out the disgrace of his defeat in the preceding year. Not encountering any opposition, the invaders began forthwith to pillage and destroy. Whilst so employed, news was brought by their scouts that a Scottish army was advancing, as if for the purpose of giving them battleinformation which proved strictly correct, the force from the north being about 12,000 strong, under the leadership of Douglas's brother, George, Earl of Ormond. The conflict that ensued was, says Chalmers, "one of the greatest fought between two spirited nations, from the engagement at Homildon, in 1402, till the battle of Flodden, in 1513;"* and it certainly was the most important battle fought in Dumfriesshire since the formation of the Scottish monarchy.

As the Scots drew near, the English recalled their marauding parties, and prepared for the threatened encounter. They had the advantage of choosing their own ground; and, having selected

*Caledonia, vol. iii., p. 89.

what seemed to be a favourable spot, adjoining their tents, they calmly waited the coming onset. The centre was commanded by the two Percys; the right by one whose valour, bodily strength, and implacable hatred of the Scots, gained for him that distinction-a warrior whom the chroniclers of the period call Magnus Redbeard; while the left, composed chiefly of Welshmen, was entrusted to Sir John Pennington.* The centre of Ormond's force was directed by himself; Herbert, the first Lord Maxwell of Carlaverock,† and Sir Adam Johnstone of Lochwood, led the right wing, in opposition to Sir John Pennington; while Wallace of Craigie, a lineal descendant of the great patriot, conducted the left against the redoubtable Magnus.

Ormond, we are told, delivered a spirited address to his countrymen, based chiefly on the idea that "thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just." He prudently said nothing about his brother's excesses, but dwelt strongly on the fact that the guilt of first breaking the truce lay with their old enemies the English. Justice was on the side of his countrymen; and they might therefore, he said, expect victory to smile upon their efforts. They had their homes to protect, their country's honour to maintain-considerations which ought to stimulate their valour; and then, if success crowned their bravery, they would cover themselves with glory, and purchase a lengthened peace for the district and the nation. If the leader of the invaders said anything to them, the burden of it would doubtless be revenge for the cruel Douglas raid; but he either was silent, wishing to speak by deeds, and not by words, or there was no reporter in the camp to take down his eloquent address, or chronicler to put one into his mouth worthy of the occasion.

As usual, most of the Scots were armed with the national weapon-a pike or spear-the length of which was fixed by

* Pitscottie.

+ He was twice married: first to a daughter of Sir Herbert Herries of Terregles, by whom he had two sons, Robert, second Lord Maxwell, and Sir Edward Maxwell, from the latter of whom are descended the Maxwells of Linwood and Monteith; and secondly to a daughter of Sir William Seton of Seton, by whom he had, with other issue, George, ancestor of the Maxwells of Carnsalloch, and Adam, of the Maxwells of Southbar.