“O hold your hand,” then Monmouth cry’d,
    “If ony thing you’ll do for me;
  “Hold up your hand, you cursed Graeme,
    “Else a rebel to our king ye’ll be.”

  Then wicked Claver’se turn’d about,
    I wot an angry man was he;
  And he has lifted up his hat,
    And cry’d, “God bless his majesty!”

  Then he’s awa to London town,
    Ay e’en as fast as he can dree;
  Fause witnesses he has wi’ him ta’en. 
    An’ ta’en Monmouth’s head f’rae his body.

  Alang the brae, beyond the brig,
    Mony brave man lies cauld and still;
  But lang we’ll mind, and sair we’ll rue,
    The bloody battle of Bothwell Hill.

[Footnote A:  Waly! an interjection.]

[Footnote B:  Stell’d—­Planted.]

[Footnote C:  How—­Hollow.]

[Footnote D:  Know—­Knoll.]

NOTES ON THE BATTLE OF BOTHWELL-BRIDGE.

  Then he set up the flag of red,
    A’ set about wi’ bonnie blue.—­P. 91. v. 1.

Blue was the favourite colour of the Covenanters; hence the vulgar phrase of a true blue whig.  Spalding informs us, that when the first army of Covenanters entered Aberdeen, few or none “wanted a blue ribband; the lord Gordon, and some others of the marquis (of Huntley’s) family had a ribband, when they were dwelling in the town, of a red fresh colour, which they wore in their hats, and called it the royal ribband, as a sign of their love and loyalty to the king.  In despite and derision thereof, this blue ribband was worn, and called the Covenanter’s ribband, by the hail soldiers of the army, who would not hear of the royal ribband, such was their pride and malice.”—­Vol.  I. p. 123.  After the departure of this first army, the town was occupied by the barons of the royal party, till they were once more expelled by the Covenanters, who plundered the burgh and country adjacent; “no fowl, cock, or hen, left unkilled, the hail house-dogs, messens (i.e. lap-dogs), and whelps, within Aberdeen, killed upon the streets; so that neither hound, messen, nor other dog, was left alive that they could see:  the reason was this,—­when the first army came here, ilk captain and soldier had a blue ribband about his craig (i.e. neck); in despite and derision whereof, when they removed from Aberdeen, some women of Aberdeen, as was alleged, knit blue ribbands about their messens’ craigs, whereat their soldiers took offence, and killed all their dogs for this very cause.”—­P. 160.

I have seen one of the ancient banners of the Covenanters:  it was divided into four copartments, inscribed with the words, Christ—­Covenant—­King—­Kingdom.  Similar standards are mentioned in Spalding’s curious and minute narrative, Vol.  II. pp. 182, 245.

  Hold up your hand, ye cursed Graeme,
    Else a rebel to our king ye’ll be.—­P, 91. v. 5.