[922] blow of the fist.
[923] pulled.
[924] such wrath did move him.
[925] Great hurt was it to have frightened.
[926] chose an arrow.
[927] become.
[928] other.
[929] pierce.
[930] pierced.
[931] acre’s breadth.
[932] let fly.
[933] splinters.
[934] knew.
[935] enough.
[936] giddy fellow.
[937] skilful.
[938] Snatched.
[939] delay.
[940] enraged.
[941] did vary.
[942] escaped.
[943] designed.
[944] arrow did feather.
[945] offered, promised.
[946] to wager a wether.
[947] on the belly a knock.
[948] sounded.
[949] conceited.
[950] Loosed.
[951] aimed at the man.
[952] cowhouse.
[953] quiver.
[954] let (drive).
[955] kicked.
[956] stout fellows.
[957] roof beams.
[958] buffeted.
[959] Till they of men made bridges.
[960] uproar.
[961] spars.
[962] ridges, backs.
[963] my love lies.
[964] snarled and let drive with groans.
[965] vexed the other.
[966] pikes.
[967] dwellings.
[968] proved.
[969] unbruised bones.
[970] Where fighters were hurt.
[971] Tall.
[972] a hazel twig.
[973] separate.
[974] rumble.
[975] mowed.
[976] mice.
[977] inactive fellow.
[978] stout.
[979] With such wranglers to jumble.
[980] struck a slice.
[981] “A truce.”
[982] prevent.
[983] deemed.
[984] feud.
[985] distressed.
[986] debate, broil.
[987] shoemaker.
[988] swollen with rage.
[989] clotted, lit. broidered.
[990] delayed.
[991] till he was chased.
[992] jest.
[993] knocked he their crowns.
[994] The whole ambush.
[995] fought, rattled upon.
[996] ox-collars of bent willow.
[997] hams.
[998] crofters, country men.
[999] in warlike array.
[1000] their mouths were unclad, i.e. unguarded.
[1001] gums.
[1002] barked, clotted.
[1003] worried.
[1004] youngsters (perhaps Dutch jonker) engaged.
[1005] lightning.
[1006] stout fellows.
[1007] carls, men.
[1008] did each other quell.
[1009] belched.
[1010] bellowed.
[1011] firewood burnt in flames.
[1012] overpowered were with burdens.
[1013] these fatigued fools.
[1014] turfs cut for burning.
[1015] goals, stations.
[1016] struck.
[1017] numbers.
[1018] forthwith.
[1019] multitude, lit. waggon-load.
[1020] mean fellows, sneaks.
[1021] folly-mouth.
[1022] drubbing.
[1023] strike no other.
[1024] An ancient Scots name for a hawker, from gaber, a wallet, and lunyie, the loin. Literally, “The man who carries a wallet on the loin.” Throughout this poem, it will be observed, the consonant sound of “y” is represented by the letter “z.” This peculiarity is preserved to the present day in several Scottish proper names, such as Dalziel, Zair, Culzean.
[1025] sly, artful.
[1026] frail.
[1027] beyond.
[1028] cheerfully.
[1029] become weary.
[1030] lively.
[1031] her old mother know.
[1032] busy.
[1033] if.
[1034] go.
[1035] I’d clothe me gay.
[1036] a little.
[1037] open field.
[1038] enquire.
[1039] went.
[1040] goods.
[1041] chest.
[1042] stolen.
[1043] alone.
[1044] loyal, true.
[1045] churn.
[1046] Go to the outer apartment.
[1047] to the inner apartment.
[1048] did say.
[1049] O haste, cause to ride.
[1050] troublesome.
[1051] afoot.
[1052] mad, furious.
[1053] far hence, out over.
[1054] slice.
[1055] proving, tasting.
[1056] Ill-favouredly.
[1057] she’d never trust.
[1058] chalk and ruddle (for marking sheep).
[1059] small perforated stones used in spinning.
[1060] bend.
[1061] cloth, rag.
[1062] set forth.
[1063] country farm-steading.
[1064] behind.
[1065] cautiously.
[1066] talk.
[1067] my honey and my dove.
[1068] “They’ll tear all my meal bags, and do me great harm.” In rural districts of Scotland as late as a century ago beggars carried under each arm a wallet in which they collected the doles of the farmers’ wives. The expected gratuity, which was rarely withheld, was a “gowpen,” or double handful of oatmeal.
[1069] sorrow.
[1070] a silver coin worth 13⅓ d. Stg.
[1071] wet-nurse wage.
[1072] rags.
[1073] such.
[1074] The Bannatyne MS. furnished the greater part of the contents of that effective but unreliable publication, Ramsay’s Evergreen, in 1724, and a further selection from its pages, under the title of Ancient Scottish Poems, was printed by Lord Hailes in 1770. In 1829 the Bannatyne Club published the Memorials of George Bannatyne, by Sir Walter Scott, containing all the ascertained facts of the collector’s life; and this and the complete contents of the famous MS. were finally printed together by the Hunterian Club, 1878–1886.
[1075] An entry in the Chartulary of Dryburgh bears that this ancestor, also a Sir Richard Maitland, disponed certain of his lands to that abbey in 1249.
[1076] During the reign of Robert III., in the year 1400, according to Wyntoun, Sir Robert Maitland took the castle of Dunbar by strategy from his mother’s brother, the Earl of March.
[1077] The letter of James VI. dated 1st July, 1584, respecting Maitland’s retirement from the bench, states that the latter had served the king’s “grandsire, goodsire, goodame, mother, and himself.”
[1078] Sadler’s State Papers, vol. i., p. 70.
[1079] Printed in the appendix to the Maitland Club volume of Sir Richard’s works.
[1080] Seen both in town and country.
[1081] fair.
[1082] causeway.
[1083] The hospitality of the religious houses was from time to time greatly abused by the nobles. Upon one occasion an Earl of Douglas compelled the Abbot of Aberbrothock to entertain him and a thousand of his followers for a considerable time.
[1084] The performance of these mediæval masquerades, containing traces of the ancient miracle-plays and allusions to the exploits of the Knights Templar, is still a favourite pastime in rural districts on Hallowe’en.
[1085] Churchmen made no scruple of appearing armed, like lay barons, on the battlefield. Thus two bishops and two abbots fell among the Scottish nobles at Flodden.
[1086] choir.
[1087] learn.
[1088] formerly.
[1089] love.
[1090] Easter.
[1091] cause.
[1092] plenty.
[1093] known.
[1094] ancestors.
[1095] truss, caparison. Fr. trousse.
[1096] long forms, settles.
[1097] For our prodigality some blame plays.
[1098] go.
[1099] Till.
[1100] cumber.
[1101] trespass upon.
[1102] knowledge.
[1103] This was a common abuse of the time. The Earl of Bothwell, when called to answer for the murder of Darnley, appeared in Edinburgh with a following of five thousand men.