son-in-law, Francis Russel son to the Earl of Bedford, Cuthbert Colinwood, James Ogle, Henry Fenwick, and several others were taken prisoners. Being carried to Morton, at Dalkeith, they were treated with the greatest humanity; but he detained them a few days, in order to give time for their resentment to subside, which might in its first fury have been the occasion of greater mischiefs. He also required them to subscribe engagements to make their appearance in Scotland at a certain day, and then dismissed them with great expressions of regard." The Ballad has recorded the day of the month, the year was, 1575. JOHNIE ARMSTRANG. SUM speiks of lords, sum speiks of lairds, Sumetime cal'd Laird of Gilnockie. The King he wrytes a luving letter And he hath sent it to Johnie Armstrang, The Elliots and Armstrangs did convene; Make kinnen and capon ready then, They ran their horse on the Langum Hawn, Quhen Johnie came before the king, With all his men sae brave to see, He weind he was a king as well as he. May I find grace, my sovereign Liége, Away, away, thou traytour strang, And now I'll not begin with thee. Grant me my lyfe, my Liege, my King, I'll gie thee all these milk-whyt steids, As four of their braid backs dow beir. Away, away, thou traytour strang, Out of my sicht thou mayst sune be, Grant me my life, my Liege, my King, These four-and-twenty mills complete, Away, away, thou traytour strang, Grant me my lyfe, my Liege, my King, Sall for thee fecht tho' a' sould flee. Away, away, thou traytour strang, And now I'll not begin with thee. Grant me my lyfe, my Liege, my King, Away, away, thou traytour strang, Ze lied, ze lied now, King, he says, But a fat horse and a fair woman, Scho suld haif fund me meal and malt, flie. To seik het water beneath cauld yce, I haif asked grace at a graceless face, But had I kend or I cam frae hame, In spyte of all thy force and thee. Wist Ingland's king that I was tane, O gin a blyth man wad he be; For ance I slew his sister's son, And on his briest-bane brak a trie. John wore a girdle about his middle, Ther hang nine targats at Johnie's hat, O quhar got thou these targats, Johnie, Quher, cruel King, thou durst not be. Had I my horse and my harness gude, It suld haif bene tald this hundred zeir, God be wi' thee, Kirsty, my brither, And God be wi' thee, Kirsty, my son, Farwell, my bonny Gilnockhall, Quhair on Esk syde thou standest stout: John murdred was at Carlinrigg, Because they sav'd their country deir Nane of them durst com neir his hald. In the year, 1529, James V. made an expedition against the Border thieves, forty-eight of whom he hanged at once upon growing trees, among whom was the subject of this Ballad. "He was the most redoubted Chiftain" says Pitscottie, "that had been, for a long, on the borders, either of Scotland or England. He rode ever with twenty-four able gentlemen well horsed: yet he never molested any Scottishman. But it is said, that from the borders to Newcastle, every man, of whatsomever estate, paid him tribute to be free of his trouble. He came before the king, with his foresaid number richly apparelled, trusting that, in respect of his free offer of his person, he should obtain the king's favour. But the king, seeing him and his men so gorgeous in their apparel, with so many brave men under a tyrant's commandment, frowardly turning him about, he bade take the tyrant out of his sight, saying, 'what wants that knave that a king should have?' But John Armstrong made great offers to the king, that he should sustain himself with forty gentlemen, ever ready at his service, on their own cost, without wronging any Scottishman. Secondly, that there was not a subject in England, duke, earl, or baron, but within a certain day, he should bring him to his majesty, either quick or dead. At length, he seeing no hope of favour, said very proudly, It is folly to seek grace at a graceless face: But (said he) had I known this, I should have lived on the borders in despite of you both; for I know King Harry would down-weigh my best horse with gold, to know that I were condemned to die this day." Tradition records that one of his attendants, by the strength and swiftness of his horse, forced his way through the thousands that surrounded them, and carried the unhappy news to Gilnockie castle, which stood upon a rock, encompassed by the water of Esk, at a place now known by the name of the Hollows, a few miles below Longholm. Tradition likewise records that, in token of the king's injustice, the trees, upon which these thieves were hanged, immediately withered away! So much for Border ideas of justice. |