Let him know we will be satisfied, or else" - Some of James's ancestors would have bid her

"Choke in thy threat. We can say or as loud."

But James judged it more safe to pacify her by surrendering his officers to England, where, however, they were not long detained.

It was not, therefore, until the union of the crowns, that any material alteration took place in the manners and customs of the Borders. Upon that great event, the forces of both countries acting with more uniform good understanding, as now the servants of the same master, suppressed every disorder of consequence. The most untractable Borderers were formed into a body of troops, which Buccleuch conducted to the Belgic wars. The Border counties were disarmed, excepting such weapons as were retained by gentlemen of rank and repute.* And the moss-troopers, who continued to exercise their former profession, experienced in great numbers the unsparing and severe justice of the Earl of Dunbar.

But though the evil was remedied for the present, the root remained ready to sprout upon the least encouragement. In the civil wars of Charles I., the Borderers resumed their licentious habits, particularly after the war had been transferred to Scotland, and the exploits of the moss-troopers flourish in the diaries and military reports of the time. In the reign of Charles II. we learn their existence still endured, by the statutes directed against them. And it is said that non-conforming presbyterian preachers were the first who brought this rude generation to any sense of the benefits of religion.* However this may be, there seems little doubt that, until the union of the crowns, the manners of these districts retained a tincture of their former rudeness, and would have relapsed, had occasion offered, into their former ferocity. Since that fortunate era, all that concerns the military habits, customs, and manners, of what were once the frontier counties, falls under the province into which these details may serve to introduce the reader-the study, namely, of BORDER ANTIQUITIES.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

Account of the Attack and Defence of Two Border Strongholds, extracted from Patton's Account of Somerset's Expedition to Scotland in 1544. Dalzell's Fragments of Scottish History, p. 36.

In the way we should go, a mile and a half from Dunglas northward, there are two pyles or holds, Thornton and Anderwike, set both on craggy foundation, and divided a stone's cast asunder, by a deep gut, wherein ran a little river. Thornton belonged to the Lord Hume, and was kept by one Tom Trotter, wherennto my lord's grace over night, for summons, sent Somerset, his herald, toward whom four or five of this captain's prickers with their gaddes (ie. lances) ready charged did right hastily direct their course; but Trotter both honestly defended the herald and sharply rebuked his men, and said, for the summons, he would come speak with my lord's grace himself; notwithstanding he came not, but straight locked up about 16 poore souls like the soldiers of Dunglas fast within the house, took the keys with him, and commanding them they should defend the house and tarry within (as they could not get out) till his return, which should be on the morrow, with munition and relief, he with his prickers prickt quite his ways. Anderwick pertained to the Lord of Hamilton, and was kept by his son and heir (whom by custom they call the Master of Hamilton), and an 8 more with him, gentlemen (for the most part, as we heard say. My lord's grace, at his coming nigh. sent unto both these piles, which upon summons refusing to render, were straight assailed; Thornton by battery of four of our great pieces of ordinance, and certain of Sir Peter Mewtus' hackbutters to watch the loop holes and windows on all sides, and Anderwick by a sort of the same hakbutters alone, who so well besturred them, that when these keepers had rammed up their outer doors, clayed and stopped up their stairs within, and kept themselves aloft for defence of their house about the battlements, the hakbutters got in and fired them underneath, whereby being greatly troubled with smoke and smother, and brought in desperation of defence, they called pitifully over their walls to my lord's grace for mercy; who, notwithstanding their great obstinacy, and the sample other of the enemies might have had by their punishment. of his noble generositie, and by these words making half excuse for them (men may sometimes do that hastily in a jeer, whereof after they may soon repent them), did take them to grace, and therefore sent one straight to them. But ere the messenger came the hackbutters had gotten up to them, and killed eight of them aloft; one leaped over the walls, and running more than a fuilong after, was slain without in a water. All this while at Thornton, our assault and their defence was stoutly continued, but well perceiving how on the one side they were battered, mined on the other, kept in with the hakbutters round about, and some of our men within also occupying all the house under them (for they had likewise stopped up themselves in the highest of their house), and so to do nothing inward or outward, neither by shooting of base (whereof they had but one or two) nor tumbling of stones (the things of their chief annoyance), whereby they might be able any while to resist our power or save themselves, they plucked in a banner that afore they had set out in defiance, and put out over the walls a white linnen cloth tied on a stick's end, crying all with one tune for mercy; but having answer by the whole voice of the assailants, they were traitors, and it was too late, they plucked in their stick and stuck up the banner of defiance again, shot of, hurled stones, and did what else they could, with great courage of their side, and little hurt of ours. Yet then after being assured of our ernesty, that we had vowed the winning of their hold, before our departure, and then, that their obstinacy could deserve no less than death, pluckt in their banner once again, and cried upon mercie; and being generally answered, Nay, nay, never look for it, for ye are errant traitors, then made they petition that if they must needs die, yet that my lord's grace would be so good to them as they might be hanged, whereby they might somewhat reconcile themselves to Godward, and not to dye in malice with so great danger of their souls; a policy sure in my mind, though but of gross heads, yet of fine device. Sir Miles Partridge being nigh about this pile at that time, and spying one in a red doublet, did guess he should be an Englishman, and therefore came and furthered this petition to my lord's grace the rather, which then took effect: They came and humbled themselves to his grace, whereupon, without more hurt, they were but commanded to the provost-marshal. It is somewhat here to consider, I know not whether the destiny or hap of man's life; the more worthy men. the less offenders, and more in the judge's grace, were slain; and the beggars, the obstinate rebells, that deserved nought but cruelty, were saved. To say on now, the house was soon after so blown up with powder, that more than one half fell straight down to rubbish and dust, the rest stood all to be shaken with rifts and chinks. Anderwick was burned, and all the houses of office and stacks of corn about them both.

No. II.

Account of the Borderers, translated from Leslaus, de Origine, Moribus, et Rebus

gestis Scotorum.

AMONG all the provinces of Scotland, those which are situated next to England assume to themselves the greatest habits of license, in which they frequently indulge with impunity. For as, in the time of war. they are readily reduced to extreme poverty by the almost daily in roads of the enemy, so, on the restoration of peace, they entirely neglect to cultivate their lands, though fertile, from the fear of the fruits of their labour being immediately destroyed by a new war. Whence it happens that they seek their subsistence by robberies, or rather by plundering and rapine (for they are particularly averse to shedding of blood); nor do they much concern theniselves whether it be from Scots or English that they rob or plunder, and carry off by stealth their booty of horses, cattle, and sheep. They live chiefly on flesh, milk, and boiled barley. Their use of bread is very limited, as well as of good beer and wine, in neither of which they take much delight, even when they obtain them. Their residences consist of huts and cottages, about the burning of which they are nowise concerned. The chiefs construct for themselves a pyramidical kind of towers, which they call peels, made entirely of stone, and which cannot be demolished by fire, nor thrown down without great force and labour.

There are, however, among them, chiefs of noble rank, some of whom, although they commit no depredations openly themselves, do, notwithstanding, lest they should give offence to their own tribe, connive at those done by others, even though they do not participate in the plunder. Of this they are highly careful, lest, if they should behave harshly to their own people in time of peace, they should find them less obedient at the approach of war. And although there may be some few men of influence, who are sincerely earnest about justice and civil affairs, yet they cannot resist the multitude, who are so hardened by their inveterate habits, that they have become as it were a second nature.

Besides, if the chief men should require auxiliary forces from the king against those robbers, as has been often attempted, they only lose their labour. Indeed, these plunderers are so well protected by the nature of the ground, that should they be forced out from their thickest woods, they instantly betake themselves to the rugged mountains; if again they are expelled from these, they take their flight towards the banks of rivers and the marshes. If they shall still find it necessary to remove quarters, they next, with perfect safety to themselves, entice their pursuers into some of the most intricate parts of the marshes, which, though to appearance they are green meadows, and as solid as the ground, are nevertheless seen, upon a person's entering upon them, to give way, and in a moment to swallow him up into the deep abyss. Not only do the robbers themselves pass over these gulfs with wonderful agility and lightness of foot, but even they accustom their horses to cross mary places with their knees bent, and to get over where our footmen could scarcely dare to follow; and chiefly on this account, they seldom shoe their horses. They reckon it a great disgrace, and the part of a mean person, for any one to make a journey on foot, whence it follows that they are mostly all horsemen. If, therefore, they be possessed of nimble horses, and have sufficient wherewith to ornament their own persons and those of their wives, they are by no means anxious about other pieces of household furniture.

What some have said of the Scots being in the practice of living on human flesh, cannot be ascribed to any others than these Borderers, and not to them all, but only to those of Annandale; indeed, our writers do say, that only the Ordovici, who inhabited the modern Annandale, were wont to feed upon the flesh of their captives, whom they also distinguish for a farther piece of cruelty, that the women, namely, should with their own hand kill their husbands who had been vanquished in war, on their return home, as if the fact of being defeated was sufficient indication of cowardice, which they looked upon as the high. est crime in a man. But the ferocious habit of a small tribe, which is long since disused, ought not to be ascribed to the whole nation of the Scots; much less that which is quoted from D. Hieronymus, that one of the Scots themselves was seen in Gaul to eat human flesh, although some were of opinion that he was a Scythian. They might as reasonably also be pleased to affirm, upon the evidence of a single instance, that all the Scots at this day live upon raw salmon, even when newly taken out of the rivers, without salt or bread; for there is an instance quite familiar to us, of a man very noted among ourselves, called Monanus Hogg, who had been condemned to exile in his youth, and, unknown to any, had concealed himself for some time near a certain river, where he could find no meat at all, and perceiving that he could easily catch salmon upon the sandy shallows, by an art which he had learnt before, he forthwith caught and ate them raw, and became at length so inured to that sort of food, that when an old man, he was often seen to eat freely, and without the least disgust, as much raw salmon, as many others could do of the best fish boiled, and that in the presence of several who would not believe it; a wonderful instance how pressing a thing want is, in cases of adversity, and how powerful is custom, that second nature.*

But I return to our Dalesmen, or Borderers, in whom, though some things are to be noticed to their dispraise, yet there are others to be greatly admired; for most of them, when determined upon seeking their supply from the plunder of the neighbouring districts, use the greatest possible caution not to shed the blood of those that oppose them; for they have a persuasion that all property is common by the law of nature, and is therefore liable to be appropriated by them in their necessity, but that murder and other injuries are prohibited by the Divine law. If, however, they do commit any voluntary slaughter, it is generally done in revenge of some injury, but more frequently of the death of some of their own relations, even though it be in consequence of the laws of the kingdom. Then arises a deadly hatred, not one against one, or a few against a few, but of them all, how numerous soever the tribe may be, against all of the opposite name, however innocent or ignorant of the alleged injury; which plague of deadly feud, though a general calamity through the kingdom, is chiefly proper to these people.

To their praise it may be added, that, having once pledged their faith, even to an enemy, they are very strict in observing it, insomuch, that they think nothing can be more heinous than violated fidelity. If, however, any one shall be found guilty of this crime among them, it is usual for him who has received the injury, or any one of his name, to suspend the culprit's glove upon the top of an elevated spear, and to ride about with it, exhibiting it in reproach of his violation of faith, which is done in their solemn conventions, as, for example, in those while the wardens of the marches of both kingdoms are sitting to make amends for injuries, according to custom. They think there cannot be a greater mark of disgrace than this, and esteem it a greater punishment even than an honourable death inflicted on the guilty person; and those of the same tribe frequently resent it in the same manner. Nor, indeed, have the Borderers, with such ready frenzy as many others of the country, joined the heretical succession from the common faith of the holy church. They take great pleasure in their own music, and in their rhythmical songs, which they compose upon the exploits of their ancestors, or in their own ingenious stratagems in plundering, or their artificial defences when taken. Besides, they think the art of plundering so very lawful, that they never say over their prayers more fervently, or have more devout recurrence to the beads of their rosaries, than when they have made an expedition, as they frequently do, of forty or fifty miles, for the sake of booty.

They leave their frontiers in the night time in troops, going through impassable places, and through many by-paths. In the day time they refresh their horses, and recruit their own strength, in hiding places prepared before hand, until the approach of night, when they advance to their place of destination. Having seized upon their booty, they in the same manner return by night, through circuits and by-ways, to their own habitations. The more expert each leader is in making his way through these dreary places, windings, and precipices, in the darkest night, he is so much the more accounted a person of superior ingenuity, and held in greater honour; and with such secrecy can they proceed, that they very rarely allow their prize to be recovered, unless they be sometimes tracked by their opponents, when discovered by keen-scented dogs, who always follow them in the right path. But if they are taken, their eloquence is so powerful, and the sweetness of their language so winning, that they even can move both judges and accusers, however severe before, if not to mercy, at least to admiration and compassion.

No. III.

Border Clans.

THE principle of clanship had been reluctantly acknowledged by the Scottish legislature, not as a system approved of, but as an inveterate evil, to cure which they were obliged to apply extraordinary remedies. By the statute 1581, chap. 112, it was declared, that the clans of thieves, keeping together by occasion of their surnames, or near neighbourhood, or society in theft, were not subjected to the ordinary course of justice; and therefore it was made lawful, that whatever true and obedient subject should suffer loss by them, might not only apprehend, slay, and arrest the persons of the offenders, but of any others being of the same clan. And thus the whole sept was rendered jointly answerable, and liable to be proceeded against, in the way of retaliation, for the delinquencies of each individual. But to render the recourse of the injured parties more effectual, an elaborate statute (1587, ch. 94, 97), made two years afterwards, proceeding on the same melancholy preamble of waste and depredation committed on the Borders and Highlands, directs that security shall be found by those landlords and bailies on whose grounds the offending clans

* In the curious account of the Tonga Islands, by Mr Mariner, it appears that he easily acquired the habit of eating raw fish among the South Sea Islanders,