“After hee had filled my man with drinke, and putt him to bed, hee, and some halfe a score with him, gott to horse, and came into England to a little village.  There hee broke up a house, and tooke out a poore fellow, who (hee pretended) had done him some wrong, and before the doore cruelly murthered him, and so came quietly home, and went to bed.  The next morning hee delivered my man a letter in answer to mine, and retourned him to mee.  It pleased mee well at the reading of his kinde letter; but when I heard what a brave hee had put upon mee, I quickly resolved what to do, which was, never to have to do with him, till I was righted for the greate wrong hee had done mee.  Upon this resolution, the day I should have mett with him I tooke post, and with all the haste I could, rode to London, leaving him to attend my coming to him as was appointed.  There hee stayed from one till five, but heard no news of mee.  Finding by this that I had neglected him, hee retourned home to his house, and so things rested (with greate dislike the one of the other) till I came back, which was with all the speede I could, my businesse being ended.  The first thing I did after my retourne, was to ask justice for the wrong hee had done mee; but I could gett none.  The borderers, seeing our disagreement, they thought the time wished for of them was come.  The winter being beganne, their was roades made out of Scotland into the east march, and goods were taken three or foure times a weeke.  I had no other meanes left to quiet them, but still sent out of the garrison horsemen of Berwick, to watch in the fittest places for them, and it was their good hap many times to light upon them, with the stolen goods driving before them.  They were no sooner brought before mee, but a jury went upon them, and, being found guilty, they were frequently hanged:  a course which hath been seldom used, but I had no way to keep the country quiet but to do so; for, when the Scotch theeves found what a sharp course I tooke with them, that were found with the bloody hand, I had in a short time the country more quiet.  All this while wee were but in jest as it were, but now beganne the greate quarrell betweene us.

“There was a favorite of his, a greate theife, called Geordie Bourne.  This gallant, with some of his associates would, in a bravery, come and take goods in the east march.  I had that night some of the garrison abroad.  They met with this Geordie and his fellowes, driving of cattle before them.  The garrison set upon them, and with a shott killed Geordie Bourne’s unckle, and hee himselfe bravely resisting till he was sore hurt in the head, was taken.  After hee was taken, his pride was such, as hee asked, who it was that durst avow that nightes worke? but when hee heard it was the garrison, he was then more quiet.  But so powerfull and awfull was this Sir Robert Kerr, and his favourites, as there was not a gentleman in all the east march that durst offend them.  Presently after hee was taken, I had most