“Our men shall search our doublets,
George,
“And see if one of us do lie;
“Then will we prove, wi’ weapons
sharp,
“Ourselves true gallants for
to be.”
Then they threw off their doublets both,
And stood up in their sarks o’
lawn;
“Now, take my counsel,” said
Sir James,
“Wharton, to thee I’ll
make it knawn:
“So as we stand, so will we fight;
“Thus naked in our sarks,”
said he;
“Fy no! fy no!” George Wharton
says;
“That is the thing that must
not be.
“We’re neither drinkers, quarrellers,
“Nor men that cares na for
oursel;
“Nor minds na what we’re gaun
about,
“Or if we’re gaun to
heav’n or hell.
“Let us to God bequeath our souls,
“Our bodies to the dust and
clay!”
With that he drew his deadly sword,
The first was drawn on field that
day.
Se’en bouts and turns these heroes
had,
Or e’er a drop o’ blood
was drawn;
Our Scotch lord, wond’ring, quickly
cry’d,
“Stout Wharton! thou still
hauds thy awn!”
The first stroke that George Wharton gae,
He struck him thro’ the shoulder-bane;
The neist was thro’ the thick o’
the thigh;
He thought our Scotch lord had been
slain.
“Oh! ever alak!” George Wharton
cry’d,
“Art thou a living man, tell
me?
“If there’s a surgeon living
can,
“He’se cure thy wounds
right speedily.”
“No more of that!” James Stuart
said;
“Speak not of curing wounds
to me!
“For one of us must yield our breath,
“Ere off the field one foot
we flee.”
They looked oure their shoulders both,
To see what company was there;
They both had grievous marks of death,
But frae the other nane wad steer.
George Wharton was the first that fell;
Our Scotch lord fell immediately:
They both did cry to Him above,
To save their souls, for they boud
die.
THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER WIDOW.
This fragment, obtained from recitation in the Forest of Ettrick, is said to relate to the execution of Cokburne of Henderland, a border freebooter, hanged over the gate of his own tower by James V., in the course of that memorable expedition, in 1529, which was fatal to Johnie Armstrang, Adam Scott of Tushielaw, and many other marauders. The vestiges of the castle of Henderland are still to be traced upon the farm of that name, belonging to Mr Murray of Henderland. They are situated near the mouth of the river Meggat, which falls into the lake of St Mary, in Selkirkshire. The adjacent country, which now hardly bears a single tree, is celebrated by Lesly, as, in his time, affording shelter to the largest stags in Scotland. A mountain torrent, called Henderland Burn, rushes impetuously from the hills, through a rocky chasm, named the Dow-glen, and passes near the site of the tower. To the recesses of this glen the wife of Cokburne is said