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most　clamant　cases　of　oppression。　　The　Council　declined　interference

with　the　course　of　the　ordinary　justice　of　the　county；

（which　was　completely　under　the　said　Earl　of　Cassilis'　control；）

and　only　enacted；　that　he　should　forbear　molestation　of

the　unfortunate　Comendator；　under　the　surety　of　two　thousand

pounds　Scots。　　The　Earl　was　appointed　also　to　keep　the

peace　towards　the　celebrated　George　Buchanan；　who　had　a　pension

out　of　the　same　Abbacy；　to　a　similar　extent；　and　under　the

like　penalty。



The　consequences　are　thus　described　by　the　Journalist　already

quoted。



‘‘The　said　Laird　of　Bargany　perceiving　that　the　ordiner

justice　could　neither　help　the　oppressed；　nor　yet　the　afflicted；

applied　his　mind　to　the　next　remedy；　and　in　the　end；　by　his　servants；

took　the　house　of　Denure；　where　the　poor　Abbot　was

kept　prisoner。　　The　bruit　flew　fra　Carrick　to　Galloway；　and　so

suddenly　assembled　herd　and　hyre…man　that　pertained　to　the

band　of　the　Kennedies；　and　so　within　a　few　hours　was　the　house

of　Denure　environed　again。　　The　master　of　Cassilis　was　the

frackast　＇_i。e。_　the　readiest　or　boldest）　and　would　not　stay；　but

in　his　heat　would　lay　fire　to　the　dungeon；　with　no　small　boasting

that　all　enemies　within　the　house　should　die。



‘‘He　was　required　and　admonished　by　those　that　were　within

to　be　more　moderate；　and　not　to　hazard　himself　so　foolishly。　　But

no　admonition　would　help；　till　that　the　wind　of　an　hacquebute

blasted　his　shoulder；　and　then　ceased　he　from　further　pursuit

in　fury。　　The　Laird　of　Bargany　had　before　purchest　＇obtained＇

of　the　authorities；　letters；　charging　all　faithfull　subjects　to　the

King's　Majesty；　to　assist　him　against　that　cruel　tyrant　and

mansworn　traitor；　the　Earl　of　Cassilis；　which　letters；　with　his

private　writings；　he　published；　and　shortly　found　sic　concurrence

of　Kyle　and　Cunyngbame　with　his　other　friends；　that

the　Carrick　company　drew　back　fra　the　house：　and　so　the　other

approached；　furnished　the　house　with　more　men；　delivered　the

said　Mr　Allan；　and　carried　him　to　Ayr；　where；　publicly　at　the

market　cross　of　the　said　town；　he　declared　how　cruelly　he　was

entreated；　and　how　the　murdered　King　suffered　not　sic　torment

as　he　did；　excepting　only　he　escaped　the　death：　and；　therefore；

publickly　did　revoke　all　things　that　were　done　in　that　extremity；

and　especially　he　revoked　the　subscription　of　the　three　writings；

to　wit；　of　a　fyve　yeir　tack　and　nineteen　year　tack；　and　of　a

charter　of　feu。　　And　so　the　house　remained；　and　remains　（till

this　day；　the　7th　of　February；　1571；）　in　the　custody　of　the　said

Laird　of　Bargany　and　of　his　servants。　　And　so　cruelty　was　disappointed

of　proffeit　present；　and　shall　be　eternallie　punished；　unless

he　earnestly　repent。　　And　this　far　for　the　cruelty　committed；

to　give　occasion　unto　others；　and　to　such　as　hate　the　monstrous

dealing　of　degenerate　nobility；　to　look　more　diligently　upon　their

behaviuours；　and　to　paint　them　forth　unto　the　world；　that　they

themselves　may　be　ashamed　of　their　own　beastliness；　and　that

the　world　may　be　advertised　and　admonished　to　abhor；　detest；

and　avoid　the　company　of　all　sic　tyrants；　who　are　not　worthy　of

the　society　of　men；　but　ought　to　be　sent　suddenly　to　the　devil；

with　whom　they　must　burn　without　end；　for　their　contempt　of

God；　and　cruelty　committed　against　his　creatures。　　Let　Cassilis

and　his　brother　be　　the　　first　　to　　be　　the　　example　　unto　　others。

Amen。　　Amen。''*



*　Bannatyne's　Journal。



This　extract　has　been　somewhat　amended　or　modernized　in

orthography；　to　render　it　more　intelligible　to　the　general　reader。　　

I　have　to　add；　that　the　Kennedies　of　Bargany；　who　interfered

in　behalf　of　the　oppressed　Abbot；　were　themselves　a　younger

branch　of　the　Cassilis　family；　but　held　different　politics；　and

were　powerful　enough　in　this；　and　other　instances；　to　bid　them

defiance。



The　ultimate　issue　of　this　affair　does　not　appear；　but　as　the

house　of　Cassilis　are　still　in　possession　of　the　greater　part　of　the

feus　and　leases　which　belonged　to　Crossraguel　Abbey；　it　is

probable　the　talons　of　the　King　of　Carrick　were　strong　enough；

in　those　disorderly　times；　to　retain　the　prey　which　they　had　so

mercilessly　fixed　upon。



I　may　also　add；　that　it　appears　by　some　papers　in　my　possession；

that　the　officers　or　Country　Keepers　on　the　border；　were

accustomed　to　torment　their　prisoners　by　binding　them　to　the

iron　bars　of　their　chimneys；　to　extort　confession。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XXXI



Note　F。…Ulrica's　Death　song。



It　will　readily　occur　to　the　antiquary；　that　these　verses　are

intended　to　imitate　the　antique　poetry　of　the　Scalds…the　minstrels

of　the　old　Scandinavians…the　race；　as　the　Laureate　so　happily

terms　them；



‘‘Stern　to　inflict；　and　stubborn　to　endure；

Who　smiled　in　death。''



The　poetry　of　the　Anglo…Saxons；　after　their　civilisation　and

conversion；　was　of　a　different　and　softer　character；　but　in　the

circumstances　of　Ulrica；　she　may　be　not　unnaturally　supposed

to　return　to　the　wild　strains　which　animated　her　forefathers

during　the　time　of　Paganism　and　untamed　ferocity。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XXXII

Note　G。…Richard　Cur…de…Lion。



The　interchange　of　a　cuff　with　the　jolly　priest　is　not　entirely

out　of　character　with　Richard　I。；　if　romances　read　him　aright。　　

In　the　very　curious　romance　on　the　subject　of　his　adventures

in　the　Holy　Land；　and　his　return　from　thence；　it　is　recorded

how　he　exchanged　a　pugilistic　favour　of　this　nature；　while　a

prisoner　in　Germany。　　His　opponent　was　the　son　of　his　principal

warder；　and　was　so　imprudent　as　to　give　the　challenge　to

this　barter　of　buffets。　　The　King　stood　forth　like　a　true　man；

and　received　a　blow　which　staggered　him。　　In　requital；　having

previously　waxed　his　hand；　a　practice　unknown；　I　believe；　to

the　gentlemen　of　the　modern　fancy；　he　returned　the　box　on　the

ear　with　such　interest　as　to　kill　his　antagonist　on　the　spot。…_See；

in　Ellis's　Specimens　of　English　Romance；　that　of　Cur…de…Lion_。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XXXIII



Note　H。…Hedge…Priests。



It　is　curious　to　observe；　that　in　every　state　of　society；　some

sort　of　ghostly　consolation　is　provided　for　the　members　of　the

community；　though　assembled　for　purposes　diametrically　opposite

to　religion。　　A　gang　of　beggars　have　their　Patrico；　and

the　banditti　of　the　Apennines　have　among　them　persons　acting

as　monks　and　priests；　by　whom　they　are　confessed；　and　who

perform　mass　before　them。　　Unquestionably；　such　reverend

persons；　in　such　a　society；　must　accommodate　their　manners

and　their　morals　to　the　community　in　which　they　live；　and　if

they　can　occasionally　obtain　a　degree　of　reverence　for　their　supposed

spiritual　gifts；　are；　on　most　occasions；　loaded　with　unmerciful

ridicule；　as　possessing　a　character　inconsistent　with　all

around　them。



Hence　the　fighting　parson　in　the　old　play　of　Sir　John　Oldcastle；

and　the　famous　friar　of　Robin　Hood's　band。　　Nor　were

such　characters　ideal。　　There　exists　a　monition　of　the　Bishop

of　Durham　against　irregular　churchmen　of　this　class；　who　associated

themselves　with　Border　robbers；　and　desecrated　the

holiest　offices　of　the　priestly　function；　by　celebrating　them　for

the　benefit　of　thieves；　robbers；　and　murderers；　amongst　ruins

and　in　caverns　of　the　earth；　without　regard　to　canonical　form；

and　with　torn　and　dirty　attire；　and　maimed　rites；　altogether

improper　for　the　occasion。





NOTE　TO　CHAPTER　XLI。



Note　I。…Castle　of　Coningsburgh。



When　I　last　saw　this　interesting　ruin　of　ancient　days；　one

of　the　very　few　remaining　examples　of　Saxon　fortification；　I

was　strongly　impressed　with　the　desire　of　tracing　out　a　sort　of

theory　on　the　subject；　which；　from　some　recent　acquaintance

with　the　architecture　of　the　ancient　Scandinavians；　seemed　to

me　peculiarly　interesting。　　I　was；　however；　obliged　by　circumstances

to　proceed　on　my　journey；　without　leisure　to　take　more

than　a　transient　view　of　Coningsburgh。　　Yet　the　idea　dwells　so

strongly　in　my　mind；　that　I　feel　considerably　tempted　to　write

a　page　or　two　in　detailing　at　least　the　outline　of　my　hypothesis；

leaving　better　antiquaries　to　correct　or　refute　conclusions

which　are　perhaps　too　hastily　drawn。



Those　who　have　visited　the　Zetland　Islands；　are　familiar　with

the　description　of　castles　called　by　the　inhabitants　Burghs；　and　by

the　Highlanders…for　they　are　also　to　be　found　both　in　the　Western

Isles　and　on　the　mainland…Duns。　　Pennant　has　engraved

a　view　of　the　famous　Dun…Dornadilla　in　Glenelg；　and　there　are

many　others；　all　of　them　built　after　a　peculiar　mode　of　architecture；

which　argues　a　people　in　the　most　primitive　state　of　society。　　

The　most　perfect　specimen　is　that　upon　the　island　of　Mousa；

near　to　the　mainland　of　Zetland；　which　is　probably　in　the

same　state　as　when　inhabited。



It　is　a　single　round　tower；　the　wall　curving　in　slightly；　and

then　turning　outward　again　in　the　form　of　a　dice…box；　so　that

the　defenders　on　the