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Now Liddesdale has layen lang in,
There is na ryding there at a';
The horses are a grown sae lither fat,
They downa stir out o' the sta'.
Fair Johnie Armstrong to Willie did say-
"Billie, a riding we will gae;
England and us have been lang at feid;

Ablins we'll light on some bootie."-
Then they are come on to Hatton Ha';
They rade that proper place about,
But the laird he was the wiser man,
For he had left nae gear without.

For he had left nae gear to steal,

Except sax sheep upon a lea:
Quo' Johnie-" I'd rather in England die,

Ere thir sax sheep gae to Liddesdale wi' me.

"But how ca' they the man we last met, Billie, as we cam owre the know?""That same he is an innocent fule,

And men they call him Dick o' the Cow.""That fule has three as good kye o' his ain, As there are in a' Cumberland, billie," quo' he: "Betide me life, betide me death,

These kye shall go to Liddesdale wi' me."

Then they have come to the pure fule's house,
And they hae broken his wa's sae wide;
They have loosed out Dick o' the Cow's three kye,
And ta'en three co'erlets frae his wife's bed.

Then on the morn when the day was light,
The shouts and cries raise loud and hie:

"O haud thy tongue, my wife," he says,
"And o' thy crying let me be !

"O haud thy tongue, my wife," he says,
"And o' thy crying let me be;
And aye where thou hast lost ae cow,

In gude suith I shall bring thee three."-
Now Dickie's gane to the gude Lord Scroope,
And I wat a dreirie fule was he;
"Now haud thy tongue, my fule," he says,

"For I may not stand to jest wi' thee.""Shame fa' your jesting, my lord!" quo' Dickie, "For nae sic jesting grees wi' me; Liddesdale's been in my house last night,

And they hae awa my three kye frae me.

"But I may nae langer in Cumberland dwell,
To be your puir fule and your leal,
Unless you gie me leave, my lord,

To gae to Liddesdale and steal."—

"I gie thee leave, my fule!" he says;

"Thou speakest against my honour and me, Unless thou gie me thy trowth and thy hand, Thou'lt steal frae nane but whae sta' frae thee.""There is my trowth, and my right hand! My head shall hang on Hairibee;

I'll near cross Carlisle sands again,

If I steal frae a man but whae sta' frae me."-
Dickie's ta'en leave o' lord and master;
I wat a merry fule was he!

He's bought a bridle and a pair o' new spurs,
And packed them up in his breek thie.'

The side pocket of his breeches.

Then Dickie's come on to Pudding-burn house, ' E'en as fast as he might dree;'

Then Dickie's come on to Pudding-burn,

Where there were thirty Armstrangs and three. "O what's this come o' me now?" quo' Dickie; "What mickle wae is this?" quo' he; "For here is but ae innocent fule,

And there are thirty Armstrangs and three !"Yet he has come up to the fair ha' board, Sae weil he's become his courtesie! "Weil may ye be, my gude Laird's Jock! But the deil bless a' your cumpanie. "I'm come to plain o' your man, fair Johnie ArmAnd syne o' his billie Willie," quo' he; "How they've been in my house last night,

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-"Na," quo' Willie, "we'll him slae.”— Then up and spak another young Armstrang, "We'll gae him his batts, and let him gae.”3—

But up and spak the gude Laird's Jock,
The best falla in a' the cumpanie,

"Sit down thy ways a little while, Dickie,

And a piece o' thy ain cow's hough I'll gie ye.”— But Dickie's heart it grew sae grit,

That the ne'er a bit o't he dought to eatThen he was aware of an auld peat-house,

Where a' the night he thought for to sleep.
Then Dickie was aware of an auld peat-house,
Where a' the night he thought for to lye-
And a' the prayers the puir fule pray'd, [kye!"
Were, "I wish I had amends for my gude three

It was then the use of Pudding-burn house,
And the house of Mangerton, all hail,

Them that cam na at the first ca',

Gat nae mair meat till the neist meal.

The lads, that hungry and weary were,
Abune the door-head they threw the key;
Dickie he took gude notice o' that,

Says "There will be a bootie for me."
Then Dickie has into the stable gane,
Where there stood thirty horses and three :
He has tied them a' wi' St. Mary's knot,
A' these horses but barely three."
He has tied them a' wi' St. Mary's knot,
A' these horses but barely three;
He's loupen on ane, ta'en another in hand,
And away as fast as he can hie!

But on the morn, when the day grew light,

The shouts and cries raise loud and hie"Ah! whae has done this?" quo' the gude Laird's "Tell me the truth and the verity!"- [Jock, "Whae has done this deed?" quo' the gude Laird's "See that to me ye dinna lie!" [Jock; Dickie has been in the stable last night, [me."And has ta'en my brother's horse and mine frae "Ye wad ne'er be tauld," quo' the gude Laird's Jock; "Have ye not found my tales fu' leil? Ye ne'er wad out o' England bide,

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A twa-handed sword to hang by his thie; He has ta'en a steil cap on his head,

And galloped on to follow Dickie. Dickie was na a mile frae aff the town, I wat a mile but barely three, When he was o'erta'en by fair Johnie Armstrong, Hand for hand, on Cannobie lee. "

"Abide, abide, thou traitour thiefe!

The day is come that thou maun die."Then Dickie look't ower his left shoulder, Said "Johnie, hast thou nae mae in companie? "There is a preacher in our chapell,

And a' the live-lang day teaches he; When day is gane and night is come,

There's ne'er a word I mark but three. The first and second is-Faith and Conscience; The third-Ne'er let a traitour free : But, Johnie, what faith and conscience was thine, When thou took awa my three kye frae me? "And when thou had ta'en awa my three kye, Thou thought in thy heart thou wast not weil sped,

Till thou sent thy billie Willie ower the know,

To tak three coverlets off my wife's bed!"— Then Johnie let a spear fa' laigh by his thie, Thought weel to hae slain the innocent, I trow ; But the powers above were mair than he,

For he ran but the pure fule's jerkin through.

This was a house of strength held by the Armstrongs. The ruins at present form a sheep-fold on the farm of Reidsmoss, belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch.

2 Dree-i. e. Endure.

3 Gie him his balts and let him gae.-Dismiss him with a beating. 4 The Laird of Mangerton was chief of the clan Armstrong. 5 Hamstringing a horse is termed, in the Border dialect, tying

him with St. Mary's knot. Dickie used this cruel expedient to prevent a pursuit. It appears from the narration, that the horses left unhurt, belonged to fair Johnie Armstrang, his brother Willie, and the Laird's Jock-of which Dickie carried off two, and left that of the Laird's Jock, probably out of gratitude for the protection be had afforded him on his arrival.

6. A rising-ground on Cannobie, on the borders of Liddesdale.

Together they ran, or ever they blan; '

This was Dickie the fule and he! [sword, Dickie could na win at him wi' the blade o' the But fell'd him wi' the plummet under the ee. Thus Dickie has fell'd fair Johnie Armstrong, The prettiest man in the south country"Gramercy!" then 'gan Dickie say,

"I had but twa horse, thou hast made me three!"

He's ta'en the steil jack aff Johnie's back,

The twa-handed sword that hung low by his thie; He's ta'en the steil cap aff his head—

"Johnie, I'll tell my master I met wi' thee."— When Johnie wakened out o' his dream,

I wat a dreirie man was he: "And is thou gane? Now, Dickie, than The shame and dule is left wi' me. "And is thou gane? Now, Dickie, than The deil gae in thy companie! For if I should live these hundred years,

I ne'er shall fight wi' a fule after thee." Then Dickie's come hame to the gude Lord Scroope, E'en as fast as he might hie;

"Now, Dickie, I'll neither eat nor drink, Till hie hanged thou shalt be."—

[horse?

"The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' Dickie; "This was na the promise ye made to me! For I'd ne'er gang to Liddesdale to steal, Had I not got my leave frae thee.""But what garr'd thee steal the Laird's Jock's And, limmer, what garr'd ye steal him?” quo' he; "For lang thou mightst in Cumberland dwelt, Ere the Laird's Jock had stown frae thee."1—

"Indeed I wat ye lied, my lord!

And e'en sae loud as I hear ye lie!

I wan the horse frae fair Johnie Armstrang,
Hand to hand, on Cannobie lee.

"There is the jack was on his back ;

This twa-handed sword hung laigh by his thie, And there's the steil cap was on his head;

I brought a' these tokens to let thee see."

"If that be true thou to me tells,

(And I think thou dares na tell a lie.) I'll gie thee fifteen punds for the horse, Weil tauld on thy cloak lap shall be. "I'll gie thee ane o' my best milk kye, To maintain thy wife and children three; And that may be as gude, I think,

As ony twa o' thine wad be."

"The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' Dickie; Trow ye aye to make a fule o' me?

I'll either hae twenty punds for the gude horse,
Or he's gae to Mortan fair wi' me.”—
He's gi'en him twenty punds for the gude horse,
A' in goud and gude monie ;

He's gi'en him ane o' his best milk kye,

To maintain his wife and children three.
Then Dickie's come down thro' Carlisle toun,
E'en as fast as he could drie:
The first o' men that he met wi'.

Was my Lord's brother, Baillif Glozenburrie. "Weil be ye met, my gude Ralph Scroope!"— Welcome, my brother's fule!" quo' he; [horse?" "Where didst thou get fair Johnie Armstrang's

"Where did I get him, but steal him," quo' he. "But wilt thou sell me the bonny horse?

And, billie, wilt thou sell him to me?" quo' he:"Ay; if thou'lt tell me the monie on my cloak lap : For there's never ae peuny I'll trust thee.”— "I'll gie thee ten punds for the gude horse,

Weil tauld on thy cloak lap they shall be ; And I'll gie thee ane o' the best milk kye,

To maintain thy wife and children three.""The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' Dickie; "Trow ye aye to make a fule o' me!

I'll either hae twenty punds for the gude horse,
Or he's gae to Mortan fair wi' me."-

He's gi'en him twenty punds for the gude horse,
Baith in goud and gude monie ;

He's gi'en him ane o' his milk kye,

To maintain his wife and children three.

Blan-i. e. blew-breathed.

:

The commendation of the Laird's Jock's honesty seems but indifferently founded; for, in July, 1586, a bill was fouled against him, Dick of Dryup, and others, by the deputy of Bewcastle, at a warden-meeting, for 400 head of cattle taken in open foray from the Drysike in Bewcastle and in September, 1587, another complaint appears at the instance of one Andrew Rutiege of the Nook, against the Laird's Jock, and his accomplices, for 50 kine and oxen, besides furniture, to the amount of 400 merks sterling. See Bell's MSS., as quoted in the History of Cumberland and westmoreland. In Sir Richard Maitland's poem against the thieves of Liddesdale, he thus commemorates the Laird's Jock :

"They spuilye puir men of their pakis,
They leif them nocht on bed nor bakis;

Baith hen and cok,

With feil and rok,

The Lairdis Jock

All with him takis."

Those who plundered Dick had been bred up under an expert

teacher. Tradition reports that the Laird's Jock survived to extreme old age, when he died in the following extraordinary manner. A challenge had been given by an Englishman, named Forster, to any Scottish Borderer, to fight him at a place called Kershopefoot, exactly upon the Borders. The Laird's Jock's only son accepted the defiance, and was armed by his father with his own twohanded sword. The old champion himself, though bed-ridden, insisted upon being present at the battle. He was borne to the place appointed, wrapped, it is said, in blankets, and placed upon a very high stone to witness the conflict. In the duel his son fell, treacherously slain, as the Scotch tradition affirms. The old man gave a lond yell of terror and despair when he saw his son slain and his noble weapon won by an Englishman, and died as they bore him home. A venerable Border poet (though of these latter days) has composed a poem on this romantic incident. The stone on which the Laird's Jock sat to behold the duel, was in existence till wantonly destroyed a year or two since. It was always called THɛ LAIRD'S JOCK'S STONE. 1802. [The reader will find Sir Walter Scott recurring to the fate of the Laird's Jock, in 1828. See Waverley Novels, vol. xli. p. 377 ]

Then Dickie lap a loup fu' hie,

And I wat a loud laugh laughed he"I wish the neck o' the third horse was broken, If ony of the twa were better than he !"Then Dickie's come hame to his wife again; Judge ye how the puir fule had sped! He has given her twa score English punds,

For the three auld coverlets ta'en aff her bed.

"And tak thee these twa as gude kye,

I trow, as a' thy three might be ; And yet here is a white-footed nagie, I trow he'll carry baith thee and me. "But I may nae langer in Cumberland bide; The Armstrangs they would hang me hie." So Dickie's ta'en leave at lord and master, And at Burgh under Stanmuir there dwells he.

JOCK O' THE SIDE.

The subject of this ballad being a common event in those troublesome and disorderly times, became a favourite theme of the ballad-makers. There are, in this collection, no fewer than three poems on the rescue of prisoners, the incidents in which nearly resemble each other; though the poetical description is so different, that the Editor did not think himself at liberty to reject any one of them, as borrowed from the others. As, however, there are several verses, which, in recitation, are common to all these three songs, the Editor, to prevent unnecessary and disagreeable repetition, has used the freedom of appropriating them to that in which they seem to have the best poetic

effect.

The reality of this story rests solely upon the foundation of tradition. Jock o' the Side seems to have been nephew to the Laird of Mangertoun, cousin to the Laird's Jock, one of his deliverers, and probably brother to Christie of the Side, mentioned in the list of Border clans, 1597. Like the Laird's Jock, he also is commemorated by Sir Richard Maitland.— See the Introduction :

"He his weil kend, Johne of the Syde, A greater thief did never ryde;

He nevir tyris,

For to brek byris,

Our muir and myris

Ouir gude ane guide," etc.

Jock o' the Side appears to have assisted the Earl of Westmoreland in his escape after his unfortunate insurrection with the Earl of Northumberland, in the twelfth year of Elizabeth. "The two rebellious rebels went into Liddesdale in Scotland, yesternight, where Martin Ellwood [Elliot] and others, that have given pledges to the regent of Scotland, did raise their forces against them; being conducted by black Or

meston, an outlaw of Scotland, that was a principal murtherer of the King of Scots, [Darnley] where the fight was offered, and both parties alighted from their horses; and, in the end, Ellwood said to Ormeston, he would be sorry to enter deadly feud with him by bloodshed; but he would charge him and the rest before the regent for keeping of the rebels; and if he did not put them out of the country, the next day, he would doe his worst again them; whereupon the two Earls were driven to leave Liddesdale, and to fly to one of the Armstrongs, a Scot upon the batable [debateable] land on the Borders between Liddesdale and England. The same day the Liddesdale men stole the horses of the Countess of Northumberland, and of her two women, and ten others of their company; so as, the earls being gone, the lady of Northumberland was left there on foot, at John of the Side's house, a cottage not to be compared to many a dog-kennel in England. At their departing from her, they went not above fifty horse, and the Earl of Westmoreland, to be the more unknown, changed his coat of plate and sword with John of the Side, and departed like a Scottish Borderer."-Advertisements from Hexham, 22d December, 1569, in the Cabala, p. 160.

JOCK O' THE SIDE.

Now Liddesdale has ridden a raid,

But I wat they had better hae staid at hame; For Michael o' Winfield he is dead,

And Jock o' the Side is prisoner ta'en. For Mangerton house Lady Downie has gane, And down the water wi' speed she rins, Her coats she has kilted up to her knee;

While tears in spaits' fa' fast frae her ee. Then up and spoke her gude auld lord

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"What news, what news, sister Downie, to me?"-Bad news, bad news, my Lord Mangerton; Michael is killed, and they hae ta'en my son Johnie." "Ne'er fear, sister Downie," quo' Mangerton; "I have yokes of ousen, eighty and three; My barns, my byres, and my faulds, a' weil fill'd, I'll part wi' them a' ere Johnie shall die. "Three men I'll send to set him free, A' harneist wi' the best o' steil; The English louns may hear, and drie

The weight o' their braid-swords to feel.
"The Laird's Jock ane, the Laird's Wat twa,
O Hobbie Noble, thou ane maun be!
Thy coat is blue, thou hast been true,
Since England banished thee, to me."-
Now Hobbie was an English man,

In Bewcastle-dale was bred and born;
But his misdeeds they were sae great,
They banished him ne'er to return.

1 Spaits-Torrents.

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The first strong door that they cam at,

They loosed it without a key;
The next chain'd door that they cam at,
They garr'd it a' to flinders flee.
The prisoner now upon his back

The Laird's Jock has gotten up fu' hie; And down the stairs, him, airns and a', Wi' nae sma' speed and joy brings he. "Now, Jock, my man," quo' Hobbie Noble, "Some o' his weight ye may lay on me.”— "I wat weel no!" quo' the Laird's ain Jock, "I count him lighter than a flee.”—

Sae out at the gates they a' are gane,

The prisoner's set on horseback hie; And now wi' speed they've ta'en the gate, While ilk ane jokes fu' wantonlie:

"O Jock! sae winsomely ye ride,

Wi' baith your feet upon ae side;

Sae weel ye're harneist, and sae trig,
In troth ye sit like ony bride!"—

"There's naething for't; the gates we maun force." The night, tho' wat, they did na mind,

-But when they cam the gate until,

A. proud porter withstood baith men and horse.

His neck in twa the Armstrangs wrang;
Wi' fute or hand he ne'er play'd pa!

His life and his keys at anes they hae ta'en,
And cast the body ahint the wa'.

Now sune they reach Newcastle jail,

And to the prisoner thus they call;
"Sleeps thou, wakes thou, Jock o' the Side,
Or art thou weary of thy thrall?”
Jock answers thus, wi' dolefu' tone;

“Aft, aft I wake—I seldom sleep :
But whae's this kens my name sae weel,
And thus to mese 4 my waes does seek?”.
Then out and spak the gude Laird's Jock,

"Now fear ye na, my billie," quo' he;

"For here are the Laird's Jock, the Laird's Wat, And Hobbie Noble, come to set thee free.""Now haud thy tongue, my gude Laird's Jock, For ever, alas! this canna be; For if a' Liddesdale were here the night, The morn's the day that I maun die. "Full fifteen stane o' Spanish iron,

They hae laid a' right sair on me;

Wi' locks and keys I am fast bound
Into this dungeon dark and dreirie."-

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But hied them on fu' merrilie,
Until they cam to Cholerford brae,
Where the water ran like mountains hie.

But when they cam to Cholerford,
There they met with an auld man;
Says "Honest man, will the water ride?
Tell us in haste, if that ye can."-

"I wat weel no," quo' the gude auld man;

"I hae lived here thretty years and three, And I ne'er yet saw the Tyne sae big,

Nor running anes sae like a sea."Then out and spoke the Laird's saft Wat,

The greatest coward in the cumpanie, "Now halt! now halt! we need na try't The day is come we a' maun die!""Puir faint-hearted thief!” cried the Laird's ain Jock, "There'll nae man die but him that's fie; 5 I'll guide ye a' right safely thro';

Lift ye the pris'ner on ahint me.'

Wi' that the water they hae ta'en,

By ane's and twa's they a' swam thro';
"Here are we a' safe," quo' the Laird's Jock,
"And, puir faint Wat, what think ye now?".

They scarce the other brae had won,
When twenty men they saw pursue;
Frae Newcastle toun they had been sent,
A' English lads baith stout and true.

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Caugers-Carriers.- Branks and Brecham-Halter and

cart-collar.

3 Cholerford is a ford on the Tyne, above Hexham.

4 Mese-Soothe.

5 Fie-Predestined.

6 The land-sergeant (mentioned also in Hobbie Noble) was an

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