Volume I Part 21 (1/2)

The lands, here mentioned, were the possessions of Armstrong himself, the invest.i.tures of which not having been regularly renewed, the feudal casualty of non-entry had been incurred by the va.s.sal. The brother of Johnie Armstrang is said to have founded, or rather repaired, Langholm castle, before which, as mentioned in the ballad, verse 5th, they ”ran their horse,” and ”brake their spears,” in the exercise of border chivalry.--_Account of the Parish of Langholm, apud Macfarlane's MSS_. The lands of Langholm and Staplegorton continued in Armstrong's family; for there is, in the same MS. collection, a similar bond of manrent, granted by ”Christofer Armistrang, calit _Johne's Pope_,” on 24th January, 1557, to Lord Johne Lord Maxwell, and to Sir Johne Maxwell of Terreglis, knight, his tutor and governor, in return for the gift of ”the males of all and haill the landis whilk are conteint in ane bond made by umquhile Johne Armistrang, my father, to umquhile Robert, Lord Maxwell, gudsh.o.r.e to the said Johne, now Lord Maxwell.” It would therefore appear, that the bond of manrent, granted by John Armstrong, had been the price of his release from the feudal penalty arising from his having neglected to procure a regular invest.i.ture from his superior. As Johnie only touched the pen, it appears that he could not write.

Christopher Armstrong, above-mentioned, is the person alluded to in the conclusion of the ballad--”G.o.d be with thee, Kirsty, my son.”

He was the father, or grandfather, of William Armstrong, called _Christie's Will_, a renowned freebooter, some of whose exploits the reader will find recorded in the third volume of this work.

THE LOCHMABEN HARPER

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.

_The castle of Lochmaben was formerly a n.o.ble building, situated upon a peninsula, projecting into one of the four lakes which are in the neighbourhood of the royal burgh, and is said to have been the residence of Robert Bruce, while lord of Annandale. Accordingly, it was always held to be a royal fortress, the keeping of which, according to the custom of the times, was granted to some powerful lord, with an allotment of lands and fis.h.i.+ngs, for the defence and maintenance of the place. There is extant a grant, dated 16th March, 1511, to Robert Lauder of the Ba.s.s, of the office of captain and keeper of Lochmaben castle, for seven years, with many perquisites.

Among others, the_ ”land, stolen frae the king,” _is bestowed upon the captain, as his proper lands.--What shall we say of a country, where the very ground was the subject of theft_?

O heard ye na o' the silly blind Harper, How lang he lived in Lochmaben town?

And how he wad gang to fair England, To steal the Lord Warden's Wanton Brown!

But first he gaed to his gude wyfe, Wi' a' the haste that he could thole-- ”This wark,” quo' he, ”will ne'er gae weel, Without a mare that has a foal.”

Quo' she--”Thou hast a gude gray mare, That can baith lance o'er laigh and hie; Sae set thee on the gray mare's back, And leave the foal at hame wi' me.”

So he is up to England gane, And even as fast as he may drie; And when he cam to Carlisle gate, O whae was there but the Warden, he?

”Come into my hall, thou silly blind Harper, And of thy harping let me hear!”

”O by my sooth,” quo' the silly blind Harper, I wad rather hae stabling for my mare.”

The Warden look'd ower his left shoulder, And said unto his stable groom-- ”Gae take the silly blind Harper's mare, And tie her beside my Wanton Brown.”

Then aye he harped, and aye he carped[127], Till a' the lordlings footed the floor; But an' the music was sae sweet, The groom had nae mind of the stable door.

And aye he harped, and aye he carped, Till a' the n.o.bles were fast asleep; Then quickly he took aff his shoon, And saftly down the stair did creep.

Syne to the stable door he hied, Wi' tread as light as light could be; And when he opened and gaed in, There he fand thirty steeds and three.

He took a cowt halter[128] frae his hose, And o' his purpose he did na fail; He slipt it ower the Wanton's nose, And tied it to his gray mare's tail.

He turned them loose at the castle gate, Ower muir and moss and ilka dale; And she ne'er let the Wanton bait, But kept him a-galloping hame to her foal.

The mare she was right swift o' foot, She did na fail to find the way; For she was at Lochmaben gate, A lang three hours before the day.

When she cam to the Harper's door, There she gave mony a nicker and sneer--[129]

”Rise up,” quo' the wife, ”thou lazy la.s.s; Let in thy master and his mare.”