Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Volume I Part 7

To sic grit stouth quha eir wald trow it, Bot gif some great man it allowit Rycht sair I trow Thocht it be rew: Thair is sa few That dar avow it.

Of sum great men they have sic gait, That redy are thame to debait, And will up weir Thair stolen geir; That nane dare steir Thame air nor late.

Quhat causis theifis us ourgang, Bot want of justice us amang?

Nane takis cair, Thocht all for fear; Na man will spair Now to do wrang.

Of stouth thocht now thay come gude speid, That nother of men nor G.o.d has dreid; Yet, or I die, Sum sail thame sie, Hing on a trie Quhill thay be deid--

_Quo_' Sir R.M. _of_ Lethington, _knicht_.

[Footnote 69: Owing to the marchmen being divided into large clans, bearing the same sirname, individuals were usually distinguished by some epithet, derived from their place of residence, personal qualities, or descent. Thus, every distinguished moss-trooper had, what is here called, a _to-name_, or _nom de guerre_, in addition to his family name.]

APPENDIX, No. IV.

BOND OF ALLIANCE, OR FEUD STAUNCHING, BETWIXT THE CLANS OF SCOTT AND KER.

The battle of Melrose (see Introduction, p. xvii.) occasioned a deadly feud betwixt the name of Scott and Ker. The following indenture was designed to reconcile their quarrel. But the alliance, if it ever took effect, was not of long duration; for the feud again broke out about 1553, when Sir Walter Scott was slain by the Kers, in the streets of Edinburgh.

"Thir indentures, made at Ancrum the 16th of March, 1529 years, contains, proports, and bears leil and suithfast witnessing. That it is appointed, agreed, and finally accorded betwixt honourable men; that is to say, Walter Ker of Cessford, Andrew Ker of Fairnieherst, Mark Ker of Dolphinston, George Kerr, tutor of Cessford, and Andrew Ker of Primesideloch, for themselves, kin, friends, mentenants, a.s.sisters, allies, adherents, and partakers, on the one part; and Walter Scot of Branxholm, knight, Robert Scot of Allanhaugh, Robert Scot, tutor of Howpaisly, John Scot of Roberton, and Walter Scot of Stirkshaws, for themselves, their kin, friends, mentenants, servants, a.s.sisters, and adherents, on the other part; in manner, form, and effect, as after follows: For staunching all discord and variance betwixt them, and for furth-bearing of the king's authority, and punis.h.i.+ng trespa.s.ses, and for amending all slaughters, heritages, and steedings, and all other pleas concerning thereto, either of these parties to others, and for unite, friends.h.i.+p, and concord, to be had in time coming 'twixt them, of our sovereign lord's special command: that is to say, either of the said parties, be the tenor hereof, remits and forgives to others the rancour, hatred, and malice of their hearts; and the said Walter Scot of Branxholm shall gang, or cause gang, at the will of the party, to the four head pilgrimages of Scotland, and shall say a ma.s.s for the souls of umquhile Andrew Ker of Cessford, and them that were slain in his company, in the field of Melrose; and, upon his expence, shall cause a chaplain say a ma.s.s daily, when he is disposed, in what place the said Walter Ker and his friends pleases, for the well of the said souls, for the s.p.a.ce of five years next to come.--Mark Ker of Dolphinston, Andrew Kerr of Graden, shall gang, at the will of the party, to the four head pilgrimages of Scotland, and shall gar say a ma.s.s for the souls of umquhile James Scot of Eskirk, and other Scots, their friends, slain in the field of Melrose; and, upon their expence, shall gar a chaplain say a ma.s.s daily, when he is disposed, for the heal of their souls, where the said Walter Scot and his friends pleases, for the s.p.a.ce of three years next to come: and the said Walter Scot of Branxholm shall marry his son and heir upon one of the said Walter Ker his sisters; he paying, therefor, a competent portion to the said Walter Ker and his heir, at the sight of the friends of baith parties. And also, baith the saids parties bind and oblige them, be the faith and truth of their bodies, that they abide at the decreet and deliverance of the six men chosen arbiters, anent all other matters, quarrels, actiones, and debates, whilk either of them likes to propone against others betwixt the saids parties: and also the six arbiters are bound and obliged to decreet and deliver, and give forth their deliverance thereuntil, within year and day after the date hereof.--And attour, either of the saids parties bind and oblige them, be the faith and truth of their bodies, ilk ane to others, that they shall be leil and true to others, and neither of them will another's skaith, but they shall let it at their power, and give to others their best counsel, and it be asked; and shall take leil and aeffald part ilk ane with others, with their kin, friends, servants, allies, and partakers, in all and sundry their actions, quarrels, and debates, against all that live and die (may the allegiance of our sovereign lord the king allenarly be excepted).--And for the obliging and keeping all thir premises above written, baith the saids parties are bound and obliged, ilk ane to others, be the faith and truth of their bodies, but fraud or guile, under the pain of perjury, men-swearing, defalcation, and breaking of the bond of deadly. And, in witness of the whilk, ilk ane to the procuratory of this indenture remain with the said Walter Scot and his friends, the said Walter Ker of Cessford has affixed his proper seal, with his subscription manual, and with the subscription of the said Andrew Ker of Fairnieherst, Mark Ker of Dolphinston, George Ker, tutor of Cessford, and Andrew Ker of Primesideloch, before these witnesses, Mr.

Andrew Drurie, abbot of Melrose, and George Douglas of Boonjedward, John Riddel of that ilk, and William Stewart.

_Sic Subscribitur_,

WALTER KER of Cessford.

ANDREW KER of Fairnieherst.

MARK KER.

GEORGE KER.

ANDREW KER of Primesideloch."

N.B. The four pilgrimages are Sc.o.o.n, Dundee, Paisley, and Melrose.

APPENDIX, No. V.

ANE INTERLUDE OF THE LAYING OF A GAIST.

This burlesque poem is preserved in the Bannatyne MSS. It is in the same strain with the verses concerning the _Gyre Carline_ (Vol. II.) As the mention of _Bettokis Bowr_ occurs in both pieces, and as the scene of both is laid in East Lothian, they are perhaps composed by the same author. The humour of these fragments seems to have been directed against the superst.i.tions of Rome; but it is now become very obscure. Nevertheless, the verses are worthy of preservation, for the sake of the ancient language and allusions.

Listen lordis, I sall you tell, Off ane very grit marvell, Off Lord Fergussis gaist, How meikle Sir Andro it chest, Unto Beittokis bour, The silly sawle to succour: And he hes writtin unto me, Auld storeis for to se, Gif it appinis him to meit, How he sall conjure the spreit: And I haif red mony quars, Bath the Donet, and Dominus que pars, Ryme maid, and als redene, Baith Inglis and Latene: And ane story haif I to reid, Pa.s.ses Bonitatem in the creid.

To conjure the litill gaist he mon haif Of tod's tails ten thraif, And kast the grit holy water With pater noster, pitter patter; And ye man sit in a compas, And cry, Harbert tuthless, Drag thow, and ye's draw, And sit thair quhill c.o.k craw.

The compas mon hallowit be With aspergis me Domine; The haly writ schawis als Thair man be hung about your bals p.r.i.c.ket in ane woll poik Of neis powder ane grit loik.

Thir thingis mon ye beir, Brynt in ane doggis eir, Ane pluck, ane pindill, and ane palme cors, Thre tuskis of ane awld hors, And of ane yallow wob the warp, The boddome of ane awld herp, The held of ane cutt.i.t reill, The band of an awld quheill, The taill of ane yeild sow, And ane bait of blew wow, Ane botene, and ane brechame, And ane quhorle made of lame, To luke out at the litill boir, And cry, Crystis crosse, you befoir: And quhen ye see the litill gaist, c.u.mand to you in all haist, Cry loud, Cryste eleisone, And speir quhat law it levis on?

And gif it sayis on G.o.dis ley, Than to the litill gaist ye say, With braid benedicite; --"Litill gaist, I conjure the, With lierie and larie, Bayth fra G.o.d, and Sanct Marie, First with ane fischis mouth, And syne with ane sowlis towth, With ten pertane tais, And nyne knokis of windil strais, With thre heidis of curle doddy."-- And bid the gaist turn in a boddy.

Then efter this conjuratioun, The litill gaist will fall in soun, And thair efter down ly, Cryand mercy petously; Than with your left heil sane, And it will nevir c.u.m agane, As meikle as a mige amaist.[70]

He had a litill we leg, And it wes cant as any cleg, It wes wynd in ane wynden schet, Baythe the handis and the feit: Suppose this gaist wes litill Yit it stal G.o.dis quhitell; It stal fra peteous Abrahame, Ane quhorle and ane quhim quhame; It stal fra ye carle of ye mone Ane payr of awld yin schone; It rane to Pencatelane, And wirreit ane awld chaplane; This litill gaist did na mair ill Bot clok lyk a corn mill; And it wald play and hop, About the heid ane stre strop; And it wald sing and it wald dance, Oure fute, and Orliance.

Quha conjurit the litill gaist say ye?

Nane bot the litill Spenzie fle, That with hir wit and her ingyne, Gart the gaist leif agane; And sune mareit the gaist the fle, And croun'd him King of Kandelie; And they gat them betwene, Orpheus king, and Elpha quene.[71]

To reid quha will this gentill geist, Ye hard it not at c.o.c.kilby's feist.[72]

[Footnote 70: Apparently some lines are here omitted.]

[Footnote 71: This seems to allude to the old romance of _Orfeo and Heurodis_, from which the reader will find some extracts, Vol. II.

The wife of _Orpheus_ is here called _Elpha_, probably from her having been extracted by the elves, or fairies.]

[Footnote 72: Alluding to a strange unintelligible poem in the Bannatyne MSS., called _c.o.c.kelby's sow_.]

APPENDIX, No. VI.

SUPPLEMENTAL STANZAS TO COLLINS'S ODE ON THE SUPERSt.i.tIONS OF THE HIGHLANDS.

BY

WILLIAM ERSKINE, ESQ.

ADVOCATE.

The editor embraces this opportunity of presenting the reader with the following stanzas, intended to commemorate some striking Scottish superst.i.tions, omitted by Collins in his ode upon that subject; and which, if the editor can judge with impartiality of the production of a valued friend, will be found worthy of the sublime original.

The reader must observe, that these verses form a continuation of the address, by Collins, to the author of _Douglas_, exhorting him to celebrate the traditions of Scotland. They were first published in the _Edinburgh Magazine_, for April, 1788.

Thy muse may tell, how, when at evening's close, To meet her love beneath the twilight shade, O'er many a broom-clad brae and heathy glade, In merry mood the village maiden goes; There, on a streamlet's margin as she lies, Chaunting some carol till her swain appears, With visage deadly pale, in pensive guise, Beneath a wither'd fir his form he rears![73]

Shrieking and sad, she bends her irie flight, When, mid dire heaths, where flits the taper blue, The whilst the moon sheds dim a sickly light, The airy funeral meets her blasted view!

When, trembling, weak, she gains her cottage low, Where magpies scatter notes of presage wide, Some one shall tell, while tears in torrents flow, That, just when twilight dimm'd the green hill's side, Far in his lonely sheil her hapless shepherd died.

[Footnote 73: The _wraith_, or spectral appearance, of a person shortly to die, is a firm article in the creed of Scottish superst.i.tion. Nor is it unknown in our sister kingdom. See the story of the beautiful lady Diana Rich.--_Aubrey's Miscellanies_, p, 89.]

Let these sad strains to lighter sounds give place!