From the following ballad, and from the family traditions referred to in the Maitland MSS., Auld Maitland appears to have had three sons; but we learn, from the latter authority, that only one survived him, who was thence surnamed Burd alane, which signifies either unequalled, or solitary.  A Consolation, addressed to Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, a poet and scholar who flourished about the middle of the sixteenth century, and who gives name to the Maitland MSS., draws the following parallel betwixt his domestic misfortunes and those of the first Sir Richard, his great ancestor: 

  Sic destanie and derfe devoring deid
  Oft his own hous in hazard put of auld;
  Bot your forbeiris, frovard fortounes steid
  And bitter blastes, ay buir with breistis bauld;
  Luit wanweirdis work and walter ay they wald,
  Thair hardie hairtis hawtie and heroik,
  For fortounes feid or force wald never fauld;
  Bot stormis withstand with stomak stoat and stoik.

  Renowned Richert of your race record,
  Quhais prais and prowis cannot be exprest;
  Mair lustie lynyage nevir haid ane lord,
  For he begat the bauldest bairnis and best,
  Maist manful men, and madinis maist modest,
  That ever wes syn Pyramus tym of Troy,
  But piteouslie thai peirles perles apest. 
  Bereft him all hot Buird-allane, a boy.

Himselfe was aiget, his hous hang be a har, Duill and distres almaist to deid him draife; Yet Burd-allane, his only son and air, As wretched, vyiss, and valient, as the laive, His hous uphail’d, quhilk ye with honor haive.  So nature that the lyk invyand name, [85]In kindlie cair dois kindly courage craif, To follow him in fortoune and in fame.

  Richerd he wes, Richerd ye are also,
  And Maitland als, and magnanime as he;
  In als great age, als wrappit are in wo,
  Sewin sons[86] ye haid might contravaill his thrie,
  Bot Burd-allane ye haive behind as he: 
  The lord his linage so inlarge in lyne,
  And mony hundreith nepotis grie and grie[87]
  Sen Richert wes as hundreth yeiris are hyne.

An Consolator Ballad to the Richt Honorabill Sir Richert Maitland of Lethingtoune.—­Maitland MSS. in Library of Edinburgh University.

[Footnote 85:  i.e. Similar family distress demands the same family courage.]

[Footnote 86:  Sewin sons—­This must include sons-in-law; for the last Sir Richard, like his predecessor, had only three sons, namely, I. William, the famous secretary of Queen Mary; II.  Sir John, who alone survived him, and is the Burd-allane of the consolation; III.  Thomas, a youth of great hopes, who died in Italy.  But he had four daughters, married to gentlemen of fortune.—­Pinkerton’s List of Scottish Poets, p. 114.]

[Footnote 87:  Grie and grie—­In regular descent; from gre, French.]