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ANTIQUARIAN REPERTORY.

GRANT OF THE LANDS OF KYRKENES

To the Culdees of Lochleven, by Macbeth son of Finlach, and Gruoch daughter of Bodhe, King and Queen of Scotland.

[This ancient document, which we have extracted from the chartulary of St Andrews, may be regarded as a curiosity not only as relating to the history of the Culdees and the far-famed Macbeth, but also on account of the savage story of the "Saxum Hiberniensium."]

Qualiter Machbet filius Finlach et Gruoch dederunt Sancto Servano Kyrkenes.

MACHBET filius Finlach contulit pro suffragiis orationum, et Gruoch fifia Bodhe, Rex et Regina Scotorum, Kyrkenes, Deo Omnipotenti et Keledeis prefate insule Lochleuine, cum suis finibus et terminis. Hii enim sunt fines et termini de Kyrkenes, et uillule que dicitur Porthmokanne: de loco Moneloccodhan usque ad amnem qui dicitur Leuine; et hoc in latitudine: Item, a publica strata que ducit apud Hinhirkethy, usque ad Saxum Hiberniensium; et hoc in longitudine.

Et dicitur Saxum Hiberniensium, quia Malcolmus Rex, filius Duncani, concessit eis salinagium quod scotice dicitur Chonnane. Et venerunt Hibernienses ad Kyrkenes, ad domum cujusdam viri nomine Mochan, qui tunc fuit absens, et solummodo mulieres erant in domo, quas oppresserunt violenter Hibernienses; non tamen sine rubore et verecundia : rei etiam eventu ad aures prefati Mochan pervento, iter quam citius domi festinauit, et inuenit ibi Hibernienses in eadem domo cum matre sua. Exhortatione etenim matri sue sepius facta ut extra domum ueniret, (que nullatenus uoluit, sed Hibernienses uoluit protegere, et eis pacem dare); quos omnes prefatus air, in ultione tanti facinoris, ut oppressores mulierum et barbaros et sacrilegos, in medio flamme ignis, vnacum matre sua, uiriliter combussit ; et ex hac causa dicitur locus ille Saxum Hiberniensium.

Ex Registro Prioratus Sancti Andrew, fol. 51, a.)

VOL. I.

WRIT OF PRIVY SEAL

In favour of Johnne Faw, Lord and Erle of Litill Egipt,' granted by King James the Fifth, Feb. 15th 1540. (Referred to at page 45.)

JAMES be the grace of God, King of Scottis: To oure Shereffis of Edinburgh principall and within the constabularie of Hadingtoun, Berwick, Roxburgh, &c. &c. provestis, aldermen, and baillies of our burrowis and cieteis of Edinburgh, &c. &c. greting: -Forsamekill as it is humilie menit and schewin to Ws, be oure louit Johnne Faw, Lord and Erle of Litill Egipt, That quhair he obtenit oure lettres vnder our grete seile, direct to yow all and sindry oure saidis shereffis, stewartis, baillies, prouestis, aldermen, and baillies of burrois; and to all and sindry vthiris havand autorite within oure realme, to assist to him in executioun of justice vpoun his cumpany and folkis conforme to the lawis of Egipt, and in punissing of all thaim that rebellis aganis him: Neuirtheles, as we ar informyt, Sebastiane Lalow, Egiptiane, ane of the said Johnis cumpany, with his complices and part takaris vndir writtin, that is to say, Anteane Donea, Satona Fingo, Nona Finco, Phillip Hatseyggaw, Towla Bailyow, Grasta Neyn, Geleyr Baillyow, Bernard Beige, Demeo Matskalla (or Macskalla), Notfaw Lawlowr, Martyn Femine, rebellis and conspiris aganis the said Johnne Faw, and hes removit thame alluterly out of his company, and takin fra him diuerse soumes of money, jowellis, claithis, and vtheris gudis, to the quantite of ane grete soume of money; and on na wyse will pass hame with him, howbeit he hes biddin and remanit of lang tyme vpoun

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thame, and is bundin and oblist to bring hame with him all thame of his cumpany that ar on live, and ane testimoniale of thame that ar deid; And als the said Johnne hes the said Sebastianis obligatioun, maid in Dunfermling befor oure Maister Houssald, that he and his cumpany suld remane with him, and on na wyse depart fra him, as the samyn beris; In contrar the tenour of the quhilk, the said Sebastiane, be sinister and wrang informatioun, fals relatioun, and circumventioun of ws, hes purchest our writingis, dischargeing him, and the remanent of the personis abone written, his complicis and part takeris of the said Johnis cumpany, and with his gudis takin be thame fra him, causis certane our liegis assist to thame and thair opinionis, and to fortify and tak thair part aganis the said Johnne, thair lord and maister; Sua that he on na wyse can apprehend nor get thame, to haue thame hame agane within thair awin cuntre, eftir the tenour of his said band, to his hevy dampnage and skaith, and in grete perrell of tynsell of his heretage, and expres aganis justice: OURE will is heirfor, and we charge yow straitlie, and commandis, that incontynent, thir our lettres sene, ye, and ilkane of yow, within the boundis of your offices, command and charge all our liegis, that nane of thame tak upon hand to resset, assist, fortify, supplie, manteine, defend, or tak part with the said Sebastiane and his complices abone written, for na buddis, nor uthir way, aganis the said Johnne Faw, thair lord and maister; Bot that thai, and ye, in likwyse, tak and lay handis upoun thame quhaireuir thay may be apprehendit, and bring thaim to him, to be punist for thair demeritis, conforme to his lawis; and help and fortify him to puniss and do justice upoun thame for thair trespasses; and to that effect, len to him youre presonis, stokis, fetteris, and all uther thingis necessar thereto, as ye and ilk ane of yow, and all utheris owre liegis, will ansuer to ws thairupoun, and under all hieast pane and charge that efter may follow; Sua that the said Johnne haue na caus of complaynt heirupoun in tyme cuming, nor to resort agane to us to that effect, notwithstanding ony our writingis, sinisterly purchest, or to be purchest, be the said Sebastiane in the contrar; And als charge all oure liegis, that nane of thaim molest, vex, in

quiet, or trouble the said Johnne Faw and his cumpany, in doing of thair lefull besynes, or utherwayes, within oure realme, and in thair passing, remanyng, or away-ganging furth of the samyn, under the pane abone written; And siclike, that ye command and charge all skipparis, maisteris, and marinaris, of all schippis within our realme, at all portis and havynnis quhair the said Johnne and his cumpany sall happen to resort and cum, to ressave him and thame thairin, upoun thair expensis, for furing of thame furth of oure realme to the partis beyon sey; as yow, and ilk ane of thame siclike, will ansuer to ws thairupoun, and under the pane forsaid. scriuit with oure hand, and under oure privie seile, at Falkland, the fivetene day of Februar, and of oure regne the xxviii yeir.

Sub

Subscript. per Regem.

(Ex Registro Secreti Sigilli, vol. xiv. fol. 59.)

ACT OF PRIVY COUNCIL

'Arent some Egyptianis.'
(Referred to at page 48.)

Apud Ed. 10 Novembris 1636. FORSAMEIKLE as Sir Arthure Douglas of Quhittinghame haveing latelie tane and apprehendit some of the vagabound and counterfut theives and limmars, callit the Egyptians, he presentit and delyverit thame to the Shireff principall of the shirefdome of Edinburgh, within the constabularie of Hadinton, quhair they have remained this month or thereby; And quhairas the keeping of thame longer, within the said tolbuith, is troublesome, and burdenable to the toune of Hadinton, and fosters the saids theives in ane opinion of impunitie, to the incourageing of the rest of that infamous byke of lawles limmars to continow in thair theivish trade; Thairfore the Lords of Secret Counsell ordans the Shireff of Hadinton or his deputs-to pronunce doome and sentence of death aganis so manie of thir counterfoot theives as are men, and aganis so manie of the weomen as wants children; Ordaning the men to be hangit, and the weomen to be drowned; and that suche of the weomen as hes children to be scourgit throw the burgh of Hadinton, and brunt in the cheeke; and ordans and commands the provest and baillies of Hadinton to caus this doome be execute vpon the saids persons accordinglie.

(Ex Registro Secreti Concilii.)

THE WYFE OF AUCHTERMUCHTIE.

[This poem (as Lord Hailes remarks) is" a favourite among the Scots." It affords a very good specimen of the naïve and rustic humour, with which our grave forefathers loved to relax the usual austerity of their deportment. It has been well preserved both by writing and tradition. ` In Fife and some other parts of the country it is still current as a popular ballad; and it has been twice edited from the Bannatyne MS., first by Allan Ramsay in his Evergreen, and afterwards by Lord Hailes. The former published it, according to his usual practice, with additions and alterations of his own; the latter adhered correctly to his original. The present edition is taken from the same MS. but collated with another, and, apparently, an older copy, in the Advocates' Library, from which several alterations, and the whole of the 11th stanza, have been supplied.]

1

IN Auchtermuchtie thair wond ane man,
A rach husband, as I hard tauld,
Quha weill could tippill out a cann,
And naithir luvit hungir nor cauld:
Quhill ance it fell upon a day,
He yokkit his pleuch vpon the plaine;
Gif it be trew, as I heard say,
The day was foull for wind and raine.
2

He lousit the pleuch at the landis end,
And draife his oxin hame at evin ;
Quhen he came in he lukit ben,
And saw the wif baith dry and clene
Sittand at ane fyre beik and bauld,
With ane fat sowp, as I hard say:
The man being verry weit and cauld,
Betwein thay twa it was na play.

3
Quoth he, Quhair is my horsis corne?
My ox hes naithir hay nor stray;
Dame, ye maun to the pleuch the morn,
I sall be hussy, gif I may.
Gudeman, quoth scho, content am I
To take the pleuch my day about,
Sa ye will rewll baith calvis and ky,
And all the house baith in and out.

4

Bot sen that ye will hussyskep ken,
First ye maun sift and syne maun kned;
And ay as ye gang but and ben,
Luk that the bairnis fyle not the bed;
And ay as ye gang furth and in,
Keip weill the gaizlines fra the gled ;
And lay ane saft wysp to the kill;
We haif ane deir ferme on our heid.
5

The wyfe scho sat vp late at evin,
(I pray God gif hir evill to fare),
Scho kirnd the kirne, and skumd it clene,
And left the gudeman but the bledoch baire:
Than in the morning vp scho gat,
And on hir hairt laid hir disjune,

And preind als meikle in hir lap
Micht serve thrie honest men at nune.
6

Says Jok, will thou be maister of wark,
And thou sall haud, and I sall kall;
I'se promise thé ane gude new sark,
Scho lowsit the oxin aucht or nine,
Outhir of round claith or of small.
And hynt ane gad-staff in hir hand:
Vp the gudeman raise aftir syne,
And saw the wyf had done command.
He cawd the gaizlines furth to feid,
Thair wes bot sevensum of them aw;
And by thair cumis the greedie gled,
And cleikit vp fyve, left him bot twa:
Than out he ran in all his mane,
Sune as he hard the gaizles cry;
The calfes brak louse and soukit the ky.
Bot than, or he came in againe,

7

8

The calfes and ky met in the lone,
The man ran with ane rung to red;
Than thair comes ane ill-willie kow
And brodit his buttok quhill that it bled.
Than up he tuik ane rok of tow,
And he satt down to sey the spinning;
I trow he loutit owre neir the lowe;
Quo he, this wark hes an ill beginning.

9

Than to the kirn he nixt did stoure,
And jumlit at it quhill he swat:
Quhen he had rumblit a full lang hour,
The sorrow scrap of butter he gatt.
Albeit na butter he could gett,
Yit he wes cummerit with the kirne;
And syne he het the milk owre het,
And sorrow a drap of it wald yirne.
10

Then ben thair cam ane greidie sow,
I trow he kund hir littill thank,
For in scho schot hir ill-fard mow,
And ay scho winkit and ay scho drank.
He cleikit vp ane crukit club,

And thocht to hitt hir on the snout;
The twa gazlines the glaidis had left,
That straik dang baith thair harnis out.
11

He set his foot vpon the spyre,
To have gotten the fleshe doun to the pat,
Bot he fell backward into the fyre,
And clourd his croun on the keming stock.
He hang the meikle pat on the cruik,
And with twa canns ran to the spout,
Or he wan back againe (alaik)
The fyre brunt all the boddom out.

12

Than he laid kindling to the kill,
Bot scho start all vp in ane low;
Quhat evir he heard, quhat evir he saw,
That day he had na will to wow.
Than he gaid to take vp the bairnis,

Thocht to haif fund thame fair and clene;
The first that he gat in his armis
Was all bedirtin to the eyne.
13
The first that he gat in his armis,
It was all dirt up to the eyne;

The de'il cut aff thair hands, quo he,
That filld yow all sa fow yestrein.
He traillit the foull sheetis down the gait,
Thocht to haif wascht thame on ane stane;
The burne was risin grit of spait,
Away fra him the sheetis hes tane.

14

Than up he gat on ane know head,
On the gudewyfe to cry and schout;
Scho hard him as scho hard him nocht,
Bot stoutuie steird the stottis about.
Scho draif the day unto the nicht,
Scho lowsit the pleuch and syne cam hame;
Scho fand all wrang that sould bene richt,
I trow the man thocht richt grit schame.
15

Quoth he, My office I forsaik,
For all the dayis of my lyfe ;
For I wald put ane house to wraik
Gin I war twentie dayis gudewyfe.
Quoth scho, Weill not ye bruke your place,
For trewlie I sall neir accept it;
Quoth he, Feind fall the lyaris face,
Bot yit ye may be blyth to gett it.
16

Than up scho gat ane meikle rung,
And the gudeman maid to the doir;
Quoth he, Deme, I sall hald my tung,
For an we fecht I'll gett the waur.
Quoth he, quhan I forsuik my pleuch,
I trow I bot forsuik my seill,
Sa I will to my pleuch agane,

For this house and I will nevir do weill.

ACCOUNT OF THE HIGHLAND HOST.

[IN the beginning of the year 1678, (about eighteen months before the breaking out of

the memorable insurrection which led to

the battles of Drumclog and BothwellBridge,) ten thousand Highlanders were brought down from their mountains and quartered upon the Western Counties, for the purpose of suppressing the field meetings and conventicles of the presbyterians. This Highland Host, as it was called, after committing many disorders, and eat ing up' the disaffected, was ordered home again by the government,-the undisciplined Gael being found too ignorant and rapacious to observe on all occasions the proper distinction between the loyal and lovable' supporters of prelacy, and the contumacious and uncourtly covenanters. The following account is extracted from the Woodrow

MSS. in the Advocate's library: It appears to have been written by an eye-witness, but has no signature.]

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we less surprized to finde them so peaceable and submissive. At Stirling and about it, our Highlanders were somewhat disorderly in their quarters, particularly by raising fire in two or three places. Vpon our way hither such of them as went with us took their free quarters liberally; and the rest who took another way to Kilpatrick, have been yet ruder in killing sheep and other cattel, and also in robing any loose thing they found in their way. We are now all quartered in and about this town, the Highlanders only in free quarters. It would be truely a pleasant sight, were it at an ordmary weaponshaw, to see this Highland crew. You know the fashion of their wild apparel, not one of ten of them hath breaches, yet hose and shoes are their greatest need and most clever prey, and they spare not to take them every where: In so much that the committee here, and the councel with you (as it is said) have ordered some thousands of pairs of shoes to be made to stanch this great spoil. As for their armes and other militarie acoutrements, it is not possible for me, to describe them in writing; here you may see head-pieces and steel-bonnets raised like pyramides, and such as a mani would affirme, they had only found in chamber boxes; targets and shields of the most odde and anticque forme, and pouder hornes hung in strings, gar nished with beaten nails and plates of burnished brass. And truely I doubt not but a man, curious in our antiquities, might in this host finde explica tions of the strange pieces of armour mentioned in our old lawes, such as bosnet, iron-hat, gorget, pesane, wam→ brassers and reerbrassers, panns, legsplents, and the like, above what any occasion in the lowlands would have afforded for several hundereds of yeers. Among their ensignes also, beside other singularities, the Glencow men their ensigne a faire bush of heath, were very remarkable, who had for wel spred and displayed on the head of a staff, such as might have affrighted a Roman eagle.. But, sir, the pleasantness of this shew is indeed sadly mixed and marred; for this unhallowed, and many of them unchristened, rabble, beside their free quarters, wherein they kill and destroy bestial at their pleasure, without regaird to the commands of some of their discreeter officers, rob all that comes to hand, whi

ther in houses or in the highwayes; so that no man may passe saifly from house to house; and their insolencie in the houses where they are quartered fills poor women and children with terror, and both men and women with great vexation. They make also excursions in tens and twelves upon other places, and specially under cloud of night, and break into houses with bended pistols and naked swords, curs ing and swearing that they shall barne and kill if all be not readily given that they demand. I hear not yet of any killed by them, but severals are grievously wounded and beaten; and in effect, the poor peoples lives, goods, and chastities, are exposed to the cruelty of these strange locusts. Many of the countrey people have left and abandoned their houses and all to their mercy. The other day I heard, that, at the burying of a child, the burial company was assaulted by some of these ruffians; and, after a great scuffle, the mortcloth was robbed off the coffine, and that notwithstanding all that their officers could do to hinder or recover it. They tell me also, that some of these savages not knowing what the coffine meaned, as being a thing with them not usual, would have broken it open and searched it, if not restrained by their neighbours. In some places they beginne to exact money over and above their victuals, and also to make the people pay for dry quarters (that is, for men that they have not), and for assistant quarters (that is, where they contract and make the places they leave free pay in money, and yet the places that they lye upon do really maintain all). I am furder told, that evil company is like to corrupt good manners: and that even many of the militia forces and Perthshire gentlemen beginne to take free quarters. But it is like that a little more time with our march westward will furnish much more matter of this kind; for the marches are indeed the sorest and most afflicting to the poor people, seeing that partly for the service, partly under pretence thereof, horses are forced, and many of them not restored; as likewise there is little order kept in the march, but they run out and spread themselves over the countrey and catch all that they can lay hold upon; for in these occasions, whatever thing they can get is clear prey, without any fear of recovery. And yet all these are

said to be but whips, wherewith this country is scourged, in respect of the scorpions intended for Ayrshire; and some of the committee being spoke to about the abuse of free quarters, said, that the quarters now taken were but transient quarters, but after the returns made about the Band, there would be destructive quarters ordered against its refuisers. Yet I would not have you think that all those Highlanders behave after the same manner. No, there is a difference both among the men and leaders. And the M. of Athol's men are generally commended both as the best appointed and best behaved. Neither do I hear of any great hurt as yet done by the E. of Murray's men in Cathcart parish: but all of them take free quarters, and that at their own discretion. The standing forces have hitherto carried pretty regularly, and appear very ready on all occasions to restraine and correct the Highlanders' insolencies; of which I could give you several instances, but when these men who were lately this peoples only persecutors are now commended by them for sobrietie, and in effect are looked on by many of them as their guardians and protectors, you may easily judge what is the others' deportment. Feb. 1, 1678. (Woodrow MSS. 4to. vol. xcix, 29.)

EXTRACT

From "A Mock Poem upon the Expedition of the Highland Host;" by COL. CLELAND, Edit. 1697.

When this was done their ranks were broken;
Some ran for dring their drought to slocken:
Some were chasing hens and cocks,
Some were loosing horse from yocks;
Some with snapwarks, some with bowes,
Were charging reers of toops and ewes;
Their stomacks so on edge were set
That all was fish came in the nett;
Trumpets sounded, skeens were glanceing,
Some were Tonald Cowper danceing:
Some cryed, here to her Laird and Lady,
Some to her mother and her daddie,
And Sir King too-if the Laird please
Then up with plaids

Some were stealing, some were riveing,
Some were wives and lasses grieving:
Some for cold did chack and chatter;
Some from plaids were wringing water:
Yea to be short, moe different postures,
Than's sewed on hangings, beds and bol-
Moe various actings modes and stances
Than's read in Poems or Romances.

stures;

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