The Captain was run through the thick of the thigh, of the day, which was employed as usual in redress

And the Laird's Wat, that worthie man,*
Brought in that sirname weil beseen:†
The Armestranges, that aye hae been
A hardy house, but not a hail,

The Elliots' honours to maintaine,
Brought down the lave§ o' Liddesdale.
Then Tividale came to wi' spied;

The Sheriffe brought the Douglas down,
Wi' Cranstane, Gladstain, good at need, T
Baith Rewle water, and Hawick town.
Beanjeddart bauldly made him boun,
Wi' a' the Trumbills, stronge and stout;
The Rutherfoords, with grit renown,
Convoy'd the town of Jedbrugh out.**
Of other clans I cannot tell,

Because our warning was not wide-
Be this our folks hae ta'en the fell,

And planted down palliones, † there to bide,
We looked down the other side,

And saw come breasting ower the brae,

Wi' Sir John Forster for their guyde,‡‡

Full fifteen hundred men and mae.

It grieved him sair that day, I trow,

Wi' Sir George Hearoune of Schipsydehouse ;$$
Because we were not men enow,

They counted us not worth a louse.
Sir George was gentle, meek, and douse,
But he was hail, and het as fire;

And yet, for all his cracking crouse,

He rewd the raid o' the Reidswire.

To deal with proud men is but pain;
For either must ye fight or flee,

Or else no answer make again,

But play the beast, and let them be.

Pecket," saith Birrel in his Diary, “was ane of the most notalrie thieffes that ever raid," he calls his name Steill, which appears, from the record, to be a mistake. Four years afterwards, an Armstrong, called Sandy of Rowanburn, and several others of that tribe, were executed for this and other excesses.-Books of Adjournal of these dates.

It was na wonder he was hie,
Had Tindaill, Reedsdaill. TT at his hand,
Wi' Cukdaill, Gladsdaill on the lee,
And Hebsrime,*** and Northumberland.

Yett was our meeting meek eneugh,
Begun wi' merriment and mowes,
And at the brae, aboon the heugh,

The clark sat down to call the rowes.tit
And some for kyne, and some for ewes,
Call'd in of Dandrie,‡‡‡ Hob, and Jock-

We saw, come marching ower the knows,
Five hundred Fennicks§§§ in a flock,-

With jack and speir, and bows all bent,
And warlike weapons at their will:
Although we were na weel content,
Yet, by my troth, we fear'd no ill.
Some gaed to drink, and some stude still,
And some to cards and dice them sped;
Till on ane Farnstein they fyled a bill,'
And he was fugitive and fled.

Carmichaell bade them speik out plainlie,
And cloke no cause for ill nor good;
The other, answering him as vainlie,
Began to reckon kin and blood:

He raise, and raxed him where he stood,
And bade him match him with his marrows;
Then Tindaill heard them reasun rude,
And they loot off a flight of arrows.¶¶¶
Then was there nought but bow and speir,
And every man pulled out a brand;
"A Schafton and a Fenwick" thare:
Gude Symington was slain frae hand.
The Scotsmen cried on other to stand,
Frae time they saw John Robson slain-

civil wars attached to the Queen's faction. The following frag
ment of an old ballad is quoted in a letter from an aged gentleman
of this name, residing at New York, to a friend in Scotland:
"Bauld Rutherfurd, he was fou stout,
Wi' a' his nine sons him round about;
He led the town o' Jedburgh out,
All bravely fought that day."

+ Paillones-Tents.

The Chief who led out the sirname of Scott upon this occasion was (saith Satchells) Walter Scott of Ancrum, a natural son of Walter of Buccleuch. The Laird of Buccleuch was then a Sir John Forster, or, more properly, Forrester, of Balmborough minor. The ballad seems to have been popular in Satchells' days, Abbey, Warden of the Middle Marches in 1561, was deputy-gofor he quotes it literally. He must, however, have been mistaken, vernor of Berwick, and governor of Balmborough Castle. He in this particular; for the family of Scott of Ancrum, in all our made a great figure on the Borders, and is said, on his monument books of genealogy, deduce their descent from the Scotts of Balat Balmborough church, to have possessed the office of Warden wearie, in Fife, whom they represent. The first of this family, of the Mid Marches for thirty-seven years; indeed, if we can trust settled in Roxburghshire, is stated in Douglas' Baronage to have his successor, Carey, he retained the situation until he became been Patrick Scott, who purchased the lands of Ancrum in the rather unfit for its active duties. His family ended in the unfortureign of James VI. He therefore could not be the Laird's Wat nate Thomas Forster, one of the generals of the Northumbrian inof the ballad; indeed, from the list of Border families in 1597, Kerr | surgents in 1715; and the estate, being forfeited, was purchased appears to have been proprietor of Ancrum at the date of the bal-by his uncle, Lord Crewe, and devised for the support of his magkid. It is plainly written in the MS. the Laird's Wat, i. e. the nificent charity. Laird's son Wat; notwithstanding which, it has always hitherto been printed the Laird Wat. If Douglas be accurate in his genealogy, the person meant must be the young laird of Buccleuch, afterwards distinguished for the surprise of Carlisle Castle.-See Kinmont Willie. I am the more confirmed in this opinion, because Kerr of Ancrum was at this time a fugitive, for slaying one of the Rutherfords, and the tower of Ancrum given in keeping to the Turnbulls, his hereditary enemies. His mother, however, a daughter of Home of Wedderburn, contrived to turn out the Turn-ty bulls, and possess herself of the place by surprise.-GODSCROFT, vol. ii. p. 250.

Weil beseen-Well appointed. The word occurs in Morte Arthur: "And when Sir Percival saw this, he hied him thither, and found the ship covered with silke, more blacker than any beare; and therein was a gentlewoman, of great beautie, and she was richly beseene, that none might be better."

$5 George Heron Miles of Chipchase Castle, probably the same who was slain at the Reidswire, was Sheriff of Northumberland, 13th Elizabeth.

Cracking crouse-Talking big.

TT These are districts, or dales, on the English Border. *** Mr. George Ellis suggests, with great probability, that this is a mistake, not for Hebburne, as the Editor stated in an earlier edition, but for Hexham, which, with its territory, formed a counindependent of Northumberland, with which it is here ranked. 11 Rowes-Rolls.

11 [Dandrie, Dandy, and Dand, are corruptions of Andrew, familiar in the south of Scotland.]

555 The Fenwicks; a powerful and numerous Northumberland clan. -The original seat of this ancient family was at Fenwick tower, long since ruinous; but, from the time of Henry IV., their principal mansion was Wallington. Sir John Fenwick, attainted This clan are here mentioned as not being hail, or whole, be- and executed for treason in the reign of William III., represented cause they were outlawed or broken men. Indeed, many of them the chieftain of this clan. had become Englishmen, as the phrase then went. Accordingly Raise--Rose. Rared him-Stretched himself up. Marwe find, from Patten, that forty of them, under the Laird of Man- roce-Equals. gertonn, joined Somerset, upon his expedition into Scotland.-- TTT (I have often thought, a fine subject for a Border painting PATTEN, in Dalyell's Fragments, p. 1. There was an old alli-occurs in the old ballad, called the Raid of the Reidswire, where ance betwixt the Eiliotts and Armstrongs, here alluded to. For the Wardens on either side having met on a day of truce, their the enterprise of the Armstrongs, against their native country, armed followers, and the various tribes, mingled in a friendly manwhen under English assurance, see MURDIN's State Papers, vol. i. ner on each side, till, from some accidental dispute, words grew From which it appears, that, by command of Sir Ralph Evers, high between the Wardens. Mutual insult followed. The Eng this clan ravaged almost the whole West Border of Scotland. lish chief addressing the ScottishLave Remainder.

Douglas of Cavers, hereditary sheriff of Teviotdale, descended from Black Archibald, who carried the standard of his father, the Earl of Douglas, at the battle of Otterbourne.-See the Ballad of

that name.

Cranstoun of that ilk, ancestor to Lord Cranstoun; and Gladstain of Gladstains. ** These were ancient and powerful clans, residing chiefly upon the river Jed. Hence, they naturally convoyed the town of Jedburgh out. Although notorious freebooters, they were specially patronized by Morton, who, by their means, endeavoured to counterpoise the power of Buccleuch and Ferniherst, during the

Raise and rax'd him where he stood,
And bid him match him with his marrOWS.
Then Tynedale heard them reason rude,
And they let fly a flight of arrows.'

The two angry chieftains, especially Forster, drawing himself up
in his pride and scorn, would make a good group, backed by the
Tynedale men, bending and drawing their bows; on the sides you
might have a group busied in their game, whom the alarm had not
yet reached; another half disturbed; another, where they were
mounting their horses, and taking to their weapons, with the wild
character peculiar to the country."-Letter of Sir Walter Scott,
December, 1811.1

What should they cry? the King's command Could cause no cowards turn again.

Up rose the laird to red the cumber,*

Which would not be for all his boast;-
What could we doe with sic a number-
Fyve thousand men into a host?
Then Henry Purdie proved his cost,t
And very narrowlie had mischief'd him,
And there we had our warden lost,
Wert not the grit God he relieved him.
Another throw the breiks him bair,

ye,

Whill flathies to the ground he fell :
Than thought I weel we had lost him there,
Into my stomack it struck a knell!
Yet up he raise, the treuth to tell
And laid about him dints full dour;'
His horsemen they raid sturdily,"
And stude about him in the stoure.
Then raise the slogan with ane shout-
"Fy, Tindaill, to it! Jedburgh's here!"
I trow he was not half sae stout,

But anis his stomach was asteir.§
With gun and genzie, bow and speir,
Men might see mony a cracked crown!
But up amang the merchant geir,
They were as busy as we were down.
The swallow taill frae tackles flew, T
Five hundredth flain** into a flight.
But we had pestelets enew,

And shot among them as we might.
With help of God the game gaed right,
Fra time the foremost of them fell;

Then ower the know, without goodnight,
They ran with mony a shout and yell.
But after they had turned backs,

Yet Tindail men they turn'd again,

* Red the cumber-Quell the tumult.

↑ Cost-Signifies loss or risk.

And had not been the merchant packs,
There had been mae of Scotland slain.
But, Jesu! if the folks were fain
To put the bussing on their thies;
And so they fled, wi' a' their main,
Down ower the brae, like clogged bees.

Sir Francis Russell ta'en was there,
And hurt, as we hear men rehearse;
Proud Wallinton§§ was wounded sair,
Albeit he be a Fennick fierce.
But if ye wald a souldier search,
Among them a' were ta'en that night,
Was nane sae wordie to put in verse,
As Collingwood, that courteous knight.
Young Henry Schafton, TT he is hurt;
A souldier shot him wi' a bow;
Scotland has cause to mak great sturt,
For laiming of the Laird of Mow.***
The Laird's Wat did weel indeed;
His friends stood stoutlie by himsell,

With little Gladstain, gude in need,
For Greteint++ kend na gude be ill.

The Sheriffe wanted not gude will,

Howbeit he might not fight so fast;
Beanjeddart, Hundlie, and Hunthill,‡‡‡
Three, on they laid weel at the last.
Except the horsemen of the guard,
If I could put men to availe,

None stoutlier stood out for their laird,
Nor did the lads of Liddisdail.

But little harness had we there;
But auld Badreulesss had on a jack,
And did right weel, I you declare,
With all his Trumbills at his back.
Gude Edderstane was not to lack,

a Border meeting between the same Sir John Forster (father-in-
law to Russell) and Thomas Ker of Fairmihurst, A. D. 1585.
$$ Fenwick of Wallington, a powerful Northumbrian chief.

Sir Cuthbert Collingwood of Esslington, Sheriff of Northum berland, the 10th and 20th of Elizabeth. [The late gallant Admiral Lord Collingwood was of this family.] Besides these gentlemen, James Ogle, and many other Northumbrians of note, were made prisoners. Sir Geogre Heron, of Chipchase and Ford, was slain, to the great regret of both parties, being a man highly esteemed by the Scots as well as the English. When the prisoners were brought to Morton, at Dalkeith, and among other presents, received from him some Scottish falcons, one of his train observed, that the English were nobly treated, since they got live hawks for dead herons.-GODSCROFT.

: The gathering word peculiar to a certain name, or set of people, was terined slogan or slushorn, and was always repeated at an onset, as well as on many other occasions, as appears from the following passage of an old author, whom this custom seems to have offer led-for he complains "That, whereas, alweys, both in al tounes of war, and in al campes of armies, quietnes and stilnes without nois is principally in the night, after the watch is set, observed. (I need not reason why.) Yet, our northern prikkers, the Borderers, not withstanding, with great enormitie, (as thought me) and not unlyke (to be playn) unto a masterless hounde houyling in a hie wey, when he hath lost him he wayted upon, sum boopying, sum whistelyng, and most with crying, a Bertryke! a Bercyke! a Fenryke! a Fenoyke! a Bulmer! a Bulmer! or so otherwise as their captein's names wear, never linnde those troablons and dangerous noyses all the night long. They sayd they did it to fynd out their captein and fellowes; but if the soldiours of our gother countries and sheres had used the same *** An ancient family on the Borders. The lands of Mowe are maner, in that case we shoold have oftymes had the state of our situated upon the river Bowmont, in Roxburghshire. The family cape more lyke the outrage of a dissolute huntyng, than the is now represented by William Molle, Esq. of Mains, who has requet of a wel ordred army."-PATTEN'S Account of Somerset's stored the ancient spelling of the name. The Laird of Mowe here Expedition, p. 76.-Apud DALYELL'S Fragments. Honest Pat-mentioned, was the only gentleman of note killed in the skirmish

ten proceeds, with great prolixity, to prove, that this was a cus-
tom more honoured in the breach than in the observance; and,
Eke Fuellen, declares, “that such idle pribble-prabbles were con-
trary to all the good customs and disciplines of war." Neverthe,
less, the custom of crying the slogan, or ensenzie, is often alluded
ts in all our ancient histories and poems. It was usually the
name of the clan, or place of rendezvous, or leader. In 1335, the
English, led by Thomas of Rosslyne, and William Moubray, as-
saulted Aberdeen. The former was mortally wounded in the
onset; and, as his followers were pressing forward, shouting
Roslyne! Rosslyne!" Cry Moubray," said the expiring
chieftain: Rosslyne is gone!' The Highland clans had also
their appropriate slogans. The Macdonalds cried Frich, (heather:)
the Macphersons, Craig Ubh; the Grants, Craig-Elachie; and
the Macfarlanes, Loch-Sloy.

But, &c.-Till once his anger was set up.
Genzie-Engine of war.

The Scots, on this occasion, seem to have had chiefly firearms; the English retaining still their partiality for their ancient weapon, the longbow. It also appears, by a letter from the Duke of Norfolk to Cecil, that the English Borderers were unskilful in fire arms, or, as he says, "our countrymen be not so commyng with shots as I woolde wishe."-See MURDIN's State Papers, vol. i. p. 319.

** Plain-Arrows; hitherto absurdly printed slain.

It

The ballad maker here ascribes the victory to the real cause; for the English Borderers dispersing to plunder the merchandise, gave the opposite party time to recover from their surprise. seems to have been usual for travelling merchants to attend Border meetings, although one would have thought the kind of company usually assembled there might have deterred them.

This gentleman was son to the Earl of Bedford, and Warden of the East Marches. He was, at this time, chamberlain of Berwick. He was afterwards killed in a fray of a similar nature, at

TT The Shaftoes are an ancient family settled at Bavington, in Northumberland, since the time of Edward L.; of which Sir Cuth bert Shaftoe, Sherifl' of Northumberland in 1795, is the present representative.

on the Scottish side.

*** Graden, a family of Kers.

viot.

11: Douglas of Beanjeddart, an ancient branch of the house of Cavers, possessing property near the junction of the Jed and Te Hundlie-Rutherford of Hundlie, or Hundalee, situated on the Jed above Jedburgh. Hunthill-The old tower of Hunthill was situated about a mile above Jedburgh. It was the patrimony of an ancient family of Rutherfords. I suppose the person, here meant, to be the same who is renowned in tradition by the name of the Cock of Hunthill. His sons were executed for March treason, or Border-theft, along with the Lairds of Corbet, Greenhead, and Overton, A. D. 1588.-JOHNSTONE'S History. p. 129. $$$ Sir Andrew Turnbull of Bedrule, upon Rule Water. This old laird was so notorious a thief, that the principal gentlemen of the clans of Hume and Kerr refused to sign a bond of alliance, to which he, with the Turnbulls and Rutherfords, was a party; alleging that their proposed allies had stolen Hume of Wedderburn's cattle. The authority of Morton, however, compelled them to digest the affront. The debate (and a curious one it is) may be seen at length in GODSCROFT, vol. i. p. 221. The Rutherfords became more lawless after having been deprived of the countenance of the court, for slaying the nephew of Forman, Archbishop of St. Andrews, who had attempted to carry off the heiress of Rutherford. This lady was afterwards married to James Stuart of Traquair, son to James, Earl of Puchan, according to a papal bull, dated 9th November, 1504. By this lady a great estate in Teviotdale fell to the family of Traquair, which was sold by James, Earl of Traquair, Lord High-Treasurer of Scotland, in consequence of the pecuniary difficulties to which he was reduced, by his loyal exertions in favour of Charles I.

FP An ancient family of Rutherfords; I believe, indeed, the most ancient now extant. The family is represented by John Rutherford, Esq. of Edgerstane. His seat is about three miles distant from the field of battle.

Nor Kirktoun, Newton, noble men!*
Thir's all the specials I of speake,
By others that I could not ken.t

Who did invent that day of play,

We need not fear to find him soon;
For Sir John Forster, I dare well say,
Made us this noisome afternoon.
Not that I speak preceislie out,
That he supposed it would be perril;
But pride, and breaking out of feuid,
Garr'd Tindaill lads begin the quarrel.

KINMONT WILLIE.

In the following rude strains, our forefathers commemorated one of the last and most gallant achievements performed upon the Border. The Editor, in place of the extract from Bishop Spottiswoode's History of the Church, is enabled, from a manuscript of the period, the property of Mr. Campbell, of Shawfield, to give a more minute detail of this celebrated exploit. The MS. contains many curious articles relating to the Highlands and Borders, arranged in a miscellaneous order. They appear to have been a collection made for the purpose of assisting Archbishop Spottiswoode in compiling his work.

46

persone that came thair might be returned to thair houses; for other wayes, where at theiff meitings ther war usuallie manie pairties that war under feid and quarrall ane with another, the strongest syde might have taken advantage of the weakness of the other, if the grudge had beine betuixt the wardanes; or the strongest of the particular pairties of ether syde might, seing the weiknes of the other there, in his returne homewards towards his hous, fra the great troupe had sunderit, upon any intelligence, have taken the occasioun of revenge by putting himself in his way. Now this treuce, being thus wayes parted, and the busines done by the deputies that they met for, there was one called Williame Armstronge, of Kyninmonth, Scottisman, and a Borderer, in companie with the Scottish deputie, whom against some of the English had quarell, as was alledgeit, who, being sunderit from that deputie, and ryding homewards, his way coming down Liddisdaill, the which was at that pairt dyvidit from England by a river easilie passable, called Liddell, and the Inglish deputie halding his way down the Inglish syde, and within a myle of the utheris way, those who had the quarrell against hym, (as afterwards the deputie of England for his excuse did pretend,) seeing him ryding on his ways bot with three or four in companie, and lyming for na harme as that day fell, they brake a chace of more than 200 men out of the English trayne, chases the said Relation of the Maner of Surprizeing of the Cas- Wm. of Kininmonth more than 3 or 4 myles, comes tell of Cairlell, by the Lord of Buccleugh, in the the deputie, thinking to do good service by the seizto him, and takes him prisoner, brings him back to later end of Q. Elizabeth's Reigne. (Anno 1596.) ing of such an offendar, causit brek the truce, him"THAIR was for the tyme Warden of the West self carried him away with him prisoner to the casMarches of England, for the Queene, the Lord tell of Cairlell. Whereupon, seing the samyne was Scroope; and for the King, the Lord of Buccleugh done to the plaine breache of the trewes, the Lord of had the charge of Liddisdail; the deputies of these Buccleugh, as the Kingis officer, did wreat unto two officers having met at a day at trewis, as the Mr. Salkeld, the deputie of England, immediatlie custome was, (when either the Wardens, in regard in absence of the Lord Scroop, for the redress of their princes service, or thair ain private dis- thairof. Mr. Salkeld by his anser did excuise himtractionnes, could not meitt thameselffis, or the selfe, and refer the maitter to the Lord Scroop, warmatteris to be redressit was bot ordinarie,) the place den, who for the tyme was at a hous of his owin in of thair meiting was at the Dayholme of Kershoup, the country. The Lord Scroop thereupon was quhair a burne divides England from Scotland, and written unto in the saymne sence by the Lord of Liddisdaill from Bewcastle. Thair met for the Lord Buccleugh, to wit, for the setting the prisoner at liof Buccleugh, Robert Scott, of Hanyng; and for bertie without condition or bond, seing he was unthe Lord Scroope, Mr. Salkeld, a gentleman of that lawfullie taken, and consequentlie to the tuitch of west wardanrie, that was his deputie for the tyme. the king. It was ansered, that he could do nothing Thair was mutuall truce taken, and intimation be ther anent, seing it was so hapned, and be reason sound of trumpett, and proclamation in thair Ma- that the prisoner was such a malefactor, without jesties names, to the trouppes on both sydes, befoir the privitie of the Quene and counsall of England: thair meiting, as the custome was wherefore the so as his anser tending to the delay of the matter, meitings war called dayes of trewis, seeing thair- the Lord Buccleugh being loath to informe the throw pairties on baith sydes, that otherwise were Kinge of the maitter least the samyn might have under deidlie feid and quarrell, did usuallie, in peace bred some mistaking between the princes, he made and assurance, meit and doe thair busines, one be- tryell for Mr. Robert Bowis, then resident ambassyde another, and conversed mutuallie and in assu-sador for the Queen in Scotland; who, upon his rance with such as they had occasion withall; upon desire and informatioun, wrote furiouslie unto the the truce taken, the officers or deputies keipt thair Lord Scroope for the redress of the maitter, and meitting, made mutuall redress of such wrongs as that the maitter sould come to no farther hearing. had occurred before that tyme, and sunderit in verie Nothing was done nor anserit till a purpose nevergood termes, ether partie returning homewards. Betheless, nether upon the Kingis his masters awin the way it is to be remembered, that the tenor of instance towards the warden, by the ambassador of such trewis as usuallie were taken betuixt the war- England first, and afterwards to the Queen of Engdaines or thair deputies in the princes names buir, land by his Majesties selfe. Whereupon the Lord That upon paine of death presently to be executed, of Buccleugh, being the Kings officer, and finding all persones whatsoever that came to these meitings, his Majesties honour tuitched so apparentlie to the sould be saife fra any proceiding or present occa- world, he did resolve himselfe to seik the reliefe of sioun, from the tyme of meiting of the wardens or the prisoner by the means whereby it was performthair deputies, till the nixt day at the sun rysing; eit, and that with such foirsight and regaird as within such space it wes presupposed that every could be, that through any rigorous circumstance of the actioun, in regaird of the place quhairn he was keipit, the samyne sould breid no greater jarr betuixt the princes then mearlie that which was to lie taken. And for such purpose the Lord of Bucgrow from the simple reliefe of a prisoner unlawfulcleugh, upon intelligence that the Castle of Cairleill, where the prisoner was keept, was surpriseable, and of the meanes, by sending some persons of trust to view a postern gaitt, and to measure the height of the wall very closely, he did immediately draw togither 200 horse, assured the place of meet

* Kirktown. The parish of Kirktoun belonged, I believe, about this time, to a branch of the Cavers family; but Kirkton of Stew artfield is mentioned in the list of Border clans in 1597. Newton.

This is probably Grinyslaw of Little Newton, mentioned in the

said roll of Border clans.

Thir's-These are. By-Besides. In addition to what has been said of the ferocity of the Reeds dale and Tynedale men, may be noticed a by-law of the incorporated Merchant-adventurers of Newcastle, in 1564, which, alleging evil repute of these districts for thefts and felonies, enacts, that no apprentices shall be taken proceeding from such leude and wicked progenitors." This law, though in desuetude, subThomas. Lord Scroope, of Bolton, was appointed Wardening ane hour before sunset at the toure of Mortoune, the which is ten miles from Cairleill, and upon the

sisted until 1771.

of these Marches in 1596.]

The consequences of the enterprise are thus mentioned by Spottiswoode :

water of Sark, in the Debateable Land, quhair he | Buccleughe, and the strict order that he gave, being had preparatioun of ledders for scaleing the cas- present himselfe, that he walde not have any cirtle wall, and other instruments of iron for brek- cumstance to fall out in that action, in sua farr as ing through the wall and foircing of gaites, if neid it could have bene eschewed, that could have given had beine. The troupe being assembled at the place, the least cause of offence either to the King his mashe marcheth forwards, and entreth English ground ter or to the late Queen. By which bringing furth within six miles of Cairleill, and passeth the water of the prisoner the toun and castell was in a great of Esk, quhair the Grahames did inhabite, at the fear and alarum, and was a putting of thameselffis faling of the night. Fra he entred English ground, in armes; drums war beatting, belles ringing, and the order was thus: ther was sent some few horse- bealles put on the top of the castell to warne the men before, all the way, to discover, and they were countrie. The day was brokin, and so the interseconded by 40 or 50 horse in case of any encounter; pryse having so weill succeidit, the Lord of Bucthere was nixt them the ledders carrying two and cleugh, after that these [that] went upon the castell, two upon a horse, and horses carying the other in- and the prisoner, were reteired and horsed, marched struments mentionate befoir; and, last of all, him- close by the Sarkage againe to the river at the Staselfe with the reste of the troupe. He marched on | niebank; where upon the alarum in the castell and in this order, and passeth the water of Eden about toune, some were assembled in the farre syde in the two hours before day, at the Stoniebank beneath passage; and so having to that tyme reteired him. Cairleil brig, the water being at the tyme, threugh selfe close and without any noise from the castell, raines that had fallen, weill thick; he comes to the he causit sound up his trumpet befoir he tuik the ri Sacray, a plaine place under the toune and castell, ver, it being both mistie and dark, though the day and halts upon the syde of a litle water or burne was brokin, to the end both to encourage his owne, that they call Caday. There he makes about 80 and to let thame that war abyding him upon the men to light from their horses, took the ledders to passage know that he luikit for and was [ready] to be set to the wall, and assayes, whilst the sentinels receave any charge that they sould offer him; warns the top of the wall above thame, looking quhairupon they made choyse to luik to him and over, and crying and speaking ane to another; but give him way, and not adventure upon so doubtfull that it happened to fall to be very dark in the ane event with him, wha behoved to reteire him bindnight and a litle mistie. The ledders proved homewards, and not living thaire, if he could too short thro' the error of thame quha had bene choyse, after such ane useage of his hoist. So sent to measure the wall, and could not reach the having past the river, the day began to grow light, top of the wall; and then order was given to make and he did reteire himselfe in order throw the tse of the other instruments that were caried, for Grahames of Esk and Levin, and came back to opening the wall a little, hard by the posterne, the Scottis ground at about two hours after sunrysing, wich being set in the way, the Lord of Buccleugh and so homewards." seing the mater was likelie to succeed well, and that mscoverie was, did retier himselfe for the suretie of thame that he had set on the castell against the forcing of the toun, and so pat himselfe and the horsemen betwixt the posterne of the castell and the nxt port of the toune, upon the plaine field, to assure the retreat of his awin from the castell againe, wha were sent also in such competent number as was knowne to be able to master thame that was within, upon their entrie; quha did thereupon also correspond upon the first sound of the trumpet, with a cry and noyse, the more to confirme his awne hat ware gone upon the castell, and to terrifie both castell and toune by ane imaginatioun of a greater force. They enter the castell, the first of thame single, by the overture that was made, and than brake oppen immediatelie the posterne with such instruments as was fitt to mak passage to the greater number. Thair did occur to theme at their firste entre, allannerlie the watchmen or sentinels, and some others after upon the alarm, with the weapons they had. Bot after they were put back and scattered, the rest that was within doors heiring the noyse of the trumpet within, and that the castell was entered, and the noyse of others without, both the Lord Scroope himselfe and his deputy Salkeld being thair with the garrisone and his awin retinew, did keip thamselffis close. The prisoner was taken out of the hous quhair he was keiped, the which was knowue to the Lord of Buccleugh, his sending a woman upon pretext the day befoir to visit the prisoner, quha reporting quhat place he was keiped in, ther lacked not persones enough thaire that knew all the rewmes thaire, and so went directlie after the rencounter with the watchmen, and sum other with them that came to the alarum to the place, and brought him furth, and so be the posterne gat away; some other prisoners were brought out that were taken in the rancounter, the which were presentlie returned into the castell againe by the Lord of Buccleugh, and any uther spoylle or butting also hindent, that not so much as any uther doore that was opin within the castell was entered but that quhair the prisoner was, the which was broken up; nor uther that was shut so much as knocket at, tho' they that enterit might have taken prisoners the warden and all the prisoners that was there, and made prey of the haill guids, seing they, war maisters of the castell; such was the reguard of the Lord of

J

"This fell out the 13th of April, 1596. The Queen of England, having notice sent her of what was done, stormed not a little. One of her chief castles surprised, a prisoner taken forth of the hands of the warden, and carried away, so far within England, she esteemed a great affront. The lieger,* Mr. Bowes, in a frequent convention kept at Edinburgh, the 22d of May, did, as he was charged, in a long oration, aggravate the heinousness of the fact, concluding that peace could not longer continue betwixt the two realms, unless Bacleuch were delivered in England, to be punished at the Queen's pleasure. Bacleuch compearing, and charged with the fact, made answer, That he went not into England with intention to assault any of the Queen's houses, or to do wrong to any of her subjects, but only to relieve a subject of Scotland unlawfully taken, and more unlawfully detained; that, in the time of a general assurance, in a day of truce, he was taken prisoner against all order, neither did he attempt his relief till redress was refused; and that he had carried the business in such a moderate manner, as no hostility was committed, nor the least wrong offered to any within the castle; yet was he content, according to the ancient treaties observed betwixt the two realms, when as mutual injuries were alleged, to be tried by the commissioners that it should please their Majesties to appoint, and submit himself to that which they should decern.'-The convention, esteeming the answer reasonable, did acquaint the ambassador therewith, and offered to send commissioners to the Borders, with all diligence, to treat with such as the Queen should be pleased to appoint for her part.

"But she, not satisfied with the answer, refused to appoint any commissioners; whereupon the council of England did renew the complaint in July thereafter; and the business being of new agitated, it was resolved of as before, and that the same should be remitted to the trial of commissioners; the King protesting, that he might, with great reason, crave the delivery of Lord Scroope, for the injury committed by his deputy, it being less favourable to take a prisoner, than relieve him that is unlawfully taken; yet, for the continuing of peace, he would forbear to do it, and omit nothing, on his part, that

* Lieger-Ambassador.