HE scene of the following ballad is traditionally said to have been the castle of Newark, upon Yarrow. There the outlaw is said to have lived, wasting the country for many

miles round; until he was at length slain by Buccleuch, at a little mount, covered with fir trees, adjoining the castle. In the hollow below this mount, which is called "Slain-mens-lee," a number of human bones have recently been found.

Another tradition points out the place of his death at a spot farther from the castle, and according to this, the fatal arrow is said to have been shot by Scott of Haining, from the ruins of a cottage on the opposite side of Yarrow.

But Sir Walter Scott was assured, that the insignia mentioned in the ballad—

"Twa unicorns sae braw to see,

And the picture of a knight and a lady bright
With the grene holline abune their bree.-"

were anciently existing in the old Tower of Hanging-shaw, the seat of the family of Murray of Philiphaugh; this tower has long been in ruins; it stood in a lonely spot on the banks of the Yarrow. "And,” observes Sir Walter, "when the mountains around it were covered with the wild copse which constituted a Scottish forest, a more secure stronghold for an outlawed baron can scarcely be imagined."

No historical record of the subject of the ballad has been preserved; but from internal evidence, it must have been composed about the reign of James V.

THE SANG OF THE OUTLAW

MURRAY.

TTRICKE Foreste is a fair forest

ET

In it grows manie a semelie trie;
There's hart and hynde, and dae and rae,
And of a' wilde bestis grete plentie.

There's a feir castelle, bigged wi' lyme and stane,
O! gin it stands not pleasauntlie!
In the fore front o' that castelle feir,

Twa unicorns are bra' to see;

There's the picture of a knight, and a ladye bright,
And the grene hollin abune their brie.1

There an outlaw kepis five hundred men,
He keepis a royalle companie!
His merryemen are a' in ae liverye clad,
O' the Lincome grene sae gaye to see,
He and his ladye in purple clad,
O! gin they lived not royallie!

Word is gane to our nobil King,

In Edinburgh where that he lay,

That there was an outlaw in Ettricke Foreste, Counted him nought, nor a' his courtrie gay.

1 Brow.

.

"I make a vowe," then the gude King said,
"Unto the man that deir bought me,
I'se either be King of Ettricke Foreste,

Or king of Scotlande that outlaw sall be!"

Then spake the Lord hight Hamilton,

66

And to the nobil King said he,

My sovereign prince, sum counsell take,
Fust at your nobilis, syne at me.

"I redd ye, send yon braw outlaw till,
And see gif your man cum will he,
Desyre him cum and be your man,
And hald of you yon Forest frie.

"Gif he refuses to do that,

We'll conquess baith his landis and he;
Or else, we'll throw his castelle down,
And make a widowe o' his gaye ladye!"

The king then call'd a gentleman,

James Boyd (the Earle of Arran his brother was he)

When James he cam before the King,

He knelit befor him on his kné.

"Welcum, James Boyd!" said our nobil King,

"A message ye maun gang for me, Ye maun hye to Ettricke Foreste, To yon Outlaw, where bydeth he;

'Ask him of whom he haldis his landis,
Or man, wha may his master be,
And desyre him cum, and be my man
And hald of me yon Foreste frie.

"To Edinburgh to cum and gang, His safe warrant I sall gie,

And gif he refuses to do that,

We'll conquess baith his landis and he.

"Thou mayst vow I'll cast his castell down,
And mak a widowe o' his gaye ladye,
I'll hang his merryemen, payr by payr,
In ony frith where I may them see.".

James Boyd tuck his leave o' the nobil King,
To Ettricke Foreste feir cam he,

Down Birkendale Brae1 when that he cam,
He sawe the feir Forest wi' his ee.

Baith dae and rae, and harte and hinde,
And of a' wilde bestis great plentie,
He heard the blows that bauldly ring,
And arrows whidderan' hym near bi.

1 "Birkendale Brae, now commonly called Birkendailly, is a steep descent on the south side of Minch Moor, which separates Tweed-dale from Ettrick forest; and from the top of which we have the first view of the woods of Hangingshaw, the Castle of Newark, and the romantic dale of Yarrow."-Sir Walter Scott.