and defend her majesty's subjects therein; Thomas Musgrave hath neglected his duty, for that her majesty's castle of Bewcastle was by him made a den of thieves, and an harbour and receipt for murderers, felons, and all sorts of misdemeanors. The precedent was Quinten Whitehead and Runion Blackburne.

"3. He chargeth him, that his office of Bewcastle is open for the Scotch to ride in and through, and small resistance made by him to the contrary.

"Thomas Musgrave doth deny all this charge; and saith, that he will prove that Lancelot Carleton doth falsely bely him, and will prove the same by way of combat, according to this indenture. Lancelot Carleton hath entertained the challenge; and so, by God's permission, will prove it true as before, and hath set his hand to the same.

(Signed) THOMAS MUSGRAVE.

LANCELOT CARLETON."

Note XXII.

He, the jovial Harper.—P. 134.

The person, here alluded to, is one of our ancient Border minstrels, called Rattling Roaring Willie. This soubriquet was probably derived from his bullying disposition; being, it would seem, such a roaring boy, as is frequently mentioned in old plays. While drinking at Newmill, upon Teviot, about five miles above Hawick, Willie chanced to quarrel with one of his own profession, who was usually distinguished by the odd name

of Sweet Milk, from a place on Rule water so called. They retired to a meadow, on the opposite side of the Teviot, to decide the contest with their swords, and Sweet Milk was killed on the spot. A thorn-tree marks the scene of the murder, which is still called Sweet Milk Thorn. Willie was taken and executed at Jedburgh, bequeathing his name to the beautiful Scotch air, called "Rattling Roaring Willie." Ramsay, who set no value on traditionary lore, published a few verses of this song in the Tea Table Miscellany, carefully suppressing all which had any connection with the history of the author, and origin of the piece. In this case, however, honest Allan is in some degree justified, by the extreme worthlessness of the poetry. A verse or two may be taken, as illustrative of the history of Roaring Willie, alluded to in the text.

Now Willie's gane to Jeddart,
And he's for the rood-day; *
But Stobs and young Falnash, +
They followed him a' the way;
They followed him a' the way,

They sought him up and down,
In the links of Ousenam water,
They fand him sleeping sound.

Stobs lighted aff his horse,

And never a word he spak,
Till he tied Willie's hands

Fu' fast behind his back;

* The day of the Rood-fair at Jedburgh.

+ Sir Gilbert Elliot of Stobs, and Scott of Falnash.

Fu' fast behind his back,

And down beneath his knee,
And drink will be dear to Willie,
When sweet milk * gars him die.

Ah wae light on ye, Stobs!

An ill death mot ye die!

Ye're the first and foremost man
That e'er laid hands on me;
That e'er laid hands on me,

And took my mare me frae;

Wae to you, Sir Gilbert Elliot !
Ye are my mortal fae!

The lasses of Ousenam water

Are rugging and riving their hair,

And a' for the sake of Willie,

His beauty was so fair :

His beauty was so fair,

And comely for to see,

And drink will be dear to Willie,
When sweet milk gars him die.

Note XXIII.

Black Lord Archibald's battle laws,

In the old Douglas' day.—P. 134.

The title to the most ancient collection of Border regulations runs thus:

"Be it remembered, that, on the 18th day of December, 1468, Earl William Douglas assembled the whole lords, freeholders, and eldest Borderers, that best knowledge had, at the

* A wretched pun on his antagonist's name.

college of Linclouden; and there he caused those lords and Borderers bodily to be sworn, the Holy Gospel touched, that they, justly and truly, after their cunning, should decrete, decern, deliver, and put in order and writing, the statutes, ordinances, and uses of marche, that were ordained in Black Archibald of Douglas's days, and Archibald his son's days, in time of warfare; and they came again to him advisedly with these statutes and ordinances, which were in time of warfare before. The said Earl William, seeing the statutes in writing decreed and delivered by the said lords and Borderers, thought them right speedful and profitable to the Borders; the which statutes, ordinances, and points of warfare, he took, and the whole lords and Borderers he caused bodily to be sworn, that they should maintain and supply him at their goodly power, to do the law upon those that should break the statutes underwritten. Also, the said Earl William, and lords, and eldest Borderers, made certain points to be treason in time of warfare to be used, which were no treason before his time, but to be treason in his time, and in all time coming."

NOTES TO CANTO V.

Note I.

The Bloody Heart blazed in the van,

Announcing Douglas, dreaded name.-P. 144.

The chief of this potent race of heroes, about the date of the poem, was Archibald Douglas, seventh Earl of Angus, a man of great courage and activity. The Bloody Heart was the well-known cognizance of the house of Douglas, assumed from the time of good Lord James, to whose care Robert Bruce committed his heart, to be carried to the Holy Land.

Note II.

-The Seven Spears of Wedderburne.-P. 144.

Sir David Home of Wedderburn, who was slain in the fatal battle of Flodden, left seven sons by his wife, Isabel, daughter of Hoppringle of Galashiels (now Pringle of Whitebank.) They were called the Seven Spears of Wedderburne.