their lands may be inhabited by others, of good and honest conversation.”  But, in the reign of Henry IV., the Graemes of the border still adhered to the Scottish allegiance, as appears from the tower of Graeme in Annandale, Graemes Walls in Tweeddale, and other castles within Scotland, to which they have given their name.  The reader is, however, at liberty to suppose, that the Graemes of the Lennox and Menteith, always ready to shed their blood in the cause of their country, on this occasion joined Douglas.

  With them the Lindsays light and gay.—­p. 64. v. 2.

The chief of this ancient family, at the date of the battle of Otterbourne, was David Liudissay, lord of Glenesk, afterwards created Earl of Crawford.  He was, after the manner of the times, a most accomplished knight.  He survived the battle of Otterbourne, and the succeeding carnage of Homildon.  In May, 1390, he went to England, to seek adventures of chivalry; and justed, upon London Bridge, against the lord of Wells, an English knight, with so much skill and success, as to excite, among the spectators, a suspicion that he was tied to his saddle; which he removed, by riding up to the royal chair, vaulting out of his saddle, and resuming his seat without assistance, although loaded with complete armour.  In 1392, Lindsay was nearly slain in a strange manner.  A band of Catterans, or wild Highlanders, had broken down from the Grampian Hills, and were engaged in plundering the county of Angus.  Walter Ogilvy, the sheriff, with Sir Patrick Gray, marched against them, and were joined by Sir David Lindsay.  Their whole retinue did not exceed sixty men, and the Highlanders were above three hundred.  Nevertheless, trusting to the superiority of arms and discipline, the knights rushed on the invaders, at Gasclune, in the Stormont.  The issue was unfortunate.  Ogilvy, his brother, and many of his kindred, were overpowered and slain.  Lindsay, armed at all points, made great slaughter among the naked Catterans; but, as he pinned one of them to the earth with his lance, the dying mountaineer writhed upwards and, collecting his force, fetched a blow with his broad-sword which cut through the knight’s stirrup-leather and steel-boot and nearly severed his leg.  The Highlander expired, and Lindsay was with difficulty borne out of the field by his followers—­Wyntown.  Lindsay is also noted for a retort, made to the famous Hotspur.  At a march-meeting, at Haldane-Stank, he happened to observe, that Percy was sheathed in complete armour.  “It is for fear of the English horsemen,” said Percy, in explanation; for he was already meditating the insurrection, immortalised by Shakespeare.  “Ah!  Sir Harry,” answered Lindsay, “I have seen you more sorely bestad by Scottish footmen than by English horse.”—­Wyntown.  Such was the leader of the “Lindsays light and guy.”