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land, for the annoysaunce of your highnes enemyes, where they thought best exployt by theyme might be done, and to haue to concur withe theyme the inhabitants of Northumberland, suche as woas towards me. according to theyre assembly, and as by theyre discrecions vppone the same they shulde thinke most convenient; and soo they dyd mete vppon Monday, before nyght, being the iii day of this instant monethe, at Wawhop, vppon northe Tyne water, above Tyndaill, where they were to the nombre of xv c men, and so invadet Scotland, at the howre of viii of the clok at nyght, at a place called Whele Causay; and before xi of the clok dyd send forth a forrey of Tyndaill and Ryddisdaill, and laide all the reysdewe in a bushment, and actyvely dyd set vppon a towne called Branxhom, where the lord of Buclough dwellythe, and purpesed theymeselves with a trayne for him lyke to his accustomed manner, in rysynge, to all frayes; albeit, that nyght he was not at home, and soo they brynt the said Branxhome, and other townes, as to say Whichetre, Whichestrehelme, and Whelley, and haid ordered theymeself soo, that sundry of the said lord Buclough servants whoo dyd issue fourthe of his gates, was takyn prisoners. They dyd not leve one house, one stak of corne, nor one sheyf, without the gate of the said lord Buclough, vnbrynt; and thus scrymaged and frayed, supposing the lord

of Buclough to be within iii or iiii myles to have trayned hym to the bushment; and soo in the breyking of the day dyd the forrey and the bushment mete, and reculed homeward, making theyr way westward from theyre invasion to be over Lyddersdaill, as intending yf the fray frome theyre furste entry by the Scotts waiches, or otherwyse by warnyng shulde haue bene gyven to Gedworth and the coun trey of Scotland theyreabouts of theyre invasion; whiche Gedworthe is from the Wheles Causay, vi myles, that thereby the Scotts shulde have comen further vnto theyme, and more owte of ordre; and and soo vppon sundry good consideracons, before they entered Lyddersdaill, as well accompting the inhabitants of the same to be towards your highnes, and to inforce theyme the more therby, as alsoo to put an occasion of suspect to the kinge of Scotts and his counsaill, to be takyn anenst theyme amongs theymeselves, maid proclamcions commaunding vp pon payne of dethe, assurance to be for the said inhabitants of Lyddersdaill, without any prejudice or hurt to be done by any Inglyssman vnto theyme, and soo in good ordre abowte the howre of ten of the clok before none, vppon Tewsday, dyd pass through the said Lyddersdaill, when did come diverse of the said inhabitants there to my servauntes, under the said assurance, effering theymeselfs with any service

they couthe make; and thus, thanks be to Godde, your highnes subjects abowte the howre of xii of the clok at none the same day, came into this youre highnes realme, bryging wt theyme above xl Scottsmen prisoners, one of theyme named Scot, of the surname and kyn of ths said lord of Buclough, and of his howsehold; they brought alsoo ccc nowte, and above Ix horse and mares, keping in safetie frome losss or hurte all your said highnes subjects. There was alson a towne called Newbyggyns, by diverse fotmen of Tyndaill and Ryddersdaill takyn vp of the nyght, and spoyled, when was slayne ii Scottsmen of the said towne, and many Scotts there hurte: your highnes subjects was xiiii myles within the grounde of Scotland, and is from my house at Werkworthe, above lx myles of the most evill passage, where great snawes doth lye; heretofore the same townes nowe brynt haith not at any tyme in the mynd of man

in any warrs been enterprised unto nowe; your subjects were thereto more encouraged for the better advancement of your highnes service, the said lord of Buclough beyng always a mortal enemy to this your graces realme, and he dyd say within xiiii dayes before, he wolde see who durst lye near hym, wt many other cruell words, the knowledge whereof was certaynly haid to my said servaunts, before theyre enterprice maid vppon him; most humbly beseech

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ing youre maiesty that youre highnes thanks may concur vnto theyme whose names be here inclosed, and to have in your most gracious memory, the paynfull and diligent service of my pore servaunte Wharton, and thus, as I am most bounden, shall dispose wt them that be vnder me f........annoysaunce of your highnes enemys."

Bards long shall tell

How lord Walter fell....Verse 7, p. 18.

Sir Walter Scott, of Buccleuch, succeeded to his grandfather, Sir David, in 1492. He was a brave and powerful baron, and warden of the west marches of Scotland. His death was the consequence of a feud betwixt the Scotts and Kerrs, the history of which is necessary to explain repeated allusions in the romance.

In the year 1526, in the words of Pitscottie, "The earl of Angus and the rest of the Douglasses, ruled all which they liked, and no man durst say the con. trary: wherefore the king (James the V. then a minor) was heavily displeased, and would fain have been out of their hands, if he might by any way. And to that effect wrote a quiet and secret letter with his own hand, and sent it to the laird of Buccleuch, beseeching him that he would come with his kin and friends, and all the force that he might be, and meet

him at Melross, at his home-passing, and there to take him out of the Douglasses hands, and to put him to liberty, to use himself among the lave (rest) of his lords, as he thinks expedient.

"This letter was quietly directed, and sent by one of the king's own secret servants, which was received very thankfully by the laird of Buccleuch, who was very glad thereof, to be put to such charges and familiarity with his prince, and did great diligence to perform the king's writing, and to bring the matter to pass as the king desired; and to that effect convened all his kin and friends, and all that would do for him, to ride with him to Melross, when he knew of the king's home-coming. And so he brought with him his six hundred spears of Liddesdale, and Annandale, and countrymen, and clans thereabout, and held themselves quiet while that the king returned out of Jedburgh, and came to Melross, to remain there all that night.

"But when the lord Hume, Cessfoord, and Ferny-, hirst (the chiefs of the clan of Kerr) took their leave of the king, and returned home, then appeared the. laird of Buccleuch in sight, and his company with him, in an arrayed battle, intending to have fulfilled the king's petition, and therefore came stoutly for-. ward on the back side of Halidenhill. By that the earl of Angus, with George Douglas, his brother,

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