It bore his wife and children twain;

A half-clothed serf1 was all their train:
His wife, stout, ruddy, and dark-brow'd,
Of silver brooch and bracelet proud,'
Laugh'd to her friends among the crowd.
He was of stature passing tall,
But sparely form'd, and lean withal;
A batter'd morion on his brow;
A leather jack, as fence enow,
On his broad shoulders loosely hung;
A border axe behind was slung;
His spear, six Scottish ells in length,
Seem'd newly dyed with gore;

His shafts and bow, of wondrous strength,
His hardy partner bore.

VI.

Thus to the Ladye did Tinlinn show
The tidings of the English foe:-

3

"Belted Will Howard is marching here, And hot Lord Dacre, with many a spear,

"Billhope braes for bucks and raes,

And Carit haugh for swine,

And Tarras for the good bull-trout,

If he be ta'en in time."

The bucks and roes, as well as the old swine, are now extinct; but the good bull-trout is still famous.

1 Bondsman.

As the Borderers were indifferent about the furniture of their habitations, so much exposed to be burned and plundered, they were proportionally anxious to display splendour in decorating and ornamenting their females.-See LESLEY de Moribus Limitaneorum.

* See Appendix, Note Z. VOL. I. 10

'See Appendix, Note A 2.

And all the German hackbut-men,'

Who have long lain at Askerten:
They cross'd the Liddel at curfew hour,
And burn'd my little lonely tower:
The fiend receive their souls therefor!
It had not been burnt this year and more.
Barn-yard and dwelling, blazing bright,
Served to guide me on my flight;

But I was chased the livelong night.

Black John of Akeshaw, and Fergus Græme,

Fast upon my traces came,

Until I turn'd at Priesthaugh Scrogg,

And shot their horses in the bog,
Slew Fergus with my lance outright-
I had him long at high despite :
He drove my cows last Fastern's night."

VII.

Now weary scouts from Liddesdale,
Fast hurrying in, confirm'd the tale;
As far as they could judge by ken,
Three hours would bring to Teviot's strand
Three thousand armed Englishmen

Meanwhile, full many a warlike band,
From Teviot, Aill, and Ettrick shade,
Came in, their Chief's defence to aid.
There was saddling and mounting in haste,
There was pricking o'er moor and lea;
He that was last at the trysting-place
Was but lightly held of his gay ladye.

1 Musketeers. See Appendix, Note B 2.

VIII.

From fair St. Mary's silver wave,

From dreary Gamescleugh's dusky height,
His ready lances Thirlestane brave.

Array'd beneath a banner bright.
The tressured fleur-de-luce he claims
To wreathe his shield, since Royal James,
Encamp'd by Fala's mossy wave,
The proud distinction grateful gave,
For faith 'mid feudal jars;
What time, save Thirlestane alone,
Of Scotland's stubborn barons none
Would march to southern wars;
And hence, in fair remembrance worn,
Yon sheaf of spears his crest has borne;
Hence his high motto shines reveal'd-
"Ready, aye ready," for the field.'

IX.

An aged Knight, to danger steel'd,
With many a moss-trooper, came on;
And azure in a golden field,

The stars and crescent graced his shield,
Without the bend of Murdieston.2
Wide lay his lands round Oakwood tower
And wide round haunted Castle-Ower;
High over Borthwick's mountain flood,
His wood-embosom'd mansion stood;
In the dark glen, so deep below,
The herds of plunder'd England low;

'See Appendix, Note C 2.

2 See Appendix, Note D 2.

His bold retainers' daily food,

And bought with danger, blows, and blood.
Marauding chief! his sole delight

The moonlight raid, the morning fight;
Not even the Flower of Yarrow's charms,
In youth, might tame his rage for arms;
And still, in age, he spurn'd at rest,
And still his brows the helmet press'd,
Albeit the blanched locks below
Were white as Dinlay's spotless snow;
Five stately warriors drew the sword
Before their father's band;

A braver knight than Harden's lord
Ne'er belted on a brand.

X.

Scotts of Eskdale, a stalwart band,'
Came trooping down the Todshawhill ;
By the sword they won their land,

And by the sword they hold it still.

1 In this, and the following stanzas, some account is given of the mode in which the property in the valley of Esk was trans ferred from the Beattisons, its ancient possessors, to the name of Scott. It is needless to repeat the circumstances, which are given in the poem, literally as they have been preserved by tradition. Lord Maxwell, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, took upon himself the title of Earl of Morton. The descendants of Beattison of Woodkerrick, who aided the Earl to escape from his disobedient vassals, continued to hold these lands within the memory of man, and were the only Beattisons who had property in the dale. The old people give locality to the story, by showing the Galliard's Haugh, the place where Buccleuch's men were concealed, &c.

Hearken, Ladye, to the tale,

How thy sires won fair Eskdale.—

Earl Morton was lord of that valley fair,
The Beattisons were his vassals there.
The Earl was gentle, and mild of mood,
The vassals were warlike, and fierce, and rude;
High of heart, and haughty of word,
Little they reck'd of a tame liege lord.
The Earl into fair Eskdale came,

Homage and seignory to claim:

Of Gilbert the Galliard a heriot1 he sought,
Saying, "Give thy best steed, as a vassal ought."
-"Dear to me is my bonny white steed,
Oft has he help'd me at pinch of need;
Lord and Earl though thou be, I trow,
I can rein Bucksfoot better than thou.”-
Word on word gave fuel to fire,
Till so highly blazed the Beattison's ire,
But that the Earl the flight had ta'en,
The vassals there their lord had slain.

Sore he plied both whip and spur,

As he urged his steed through Eskdale muir;
And it fell down a weary weight,

Just on the threshold of Branksome gate.

XI.

The Earl was a wrathful man to see,

Full fain avenged would he be.

In haste to Branksome's Lord he spoke,

Saying "Take these traitors to thy yoke;

'The feudal superior, in certain cases, was entitled to the

best horse of the vassal, in name of Heriot, or Herezeld.