castle, at a warden-meeting, for 400 head of cattle taken in open forray from the Drysike in Bewcastle: and in September 1587, another complaint appears at the instance of one Andrew Rutledge of the Nook, against the Laird's Jock, and his accomplices, for 50 kine and oxen, besides furniture, to the amount of 100 merks sterling. See Bell's MSS., as quoted in the History of Cumberland and Westmoreland. In Sir Richard Maitland's poem against the thieves of Liddesdale, he thus commemorates the Laird's Jock:

They spuilye puir men of their pakis,

They leif them nocht on bed nor bakis ;

Baith hen and cok,

With reil and rok,

The Lairdis Jock

All with him takis.

Those who plundered Dick had been bred up under an expert teacher.

Tradition reports, that the Laird's Jock survived to extreme old age, when he died in the following extraordinary manner. A challenge had been given by an Englishman, named Forster, to any Scottish Borderer, to fight him at a place called Kershope-foot, exactly upon the Borders. The Laird's Jock's only son accepted the defiance, and was armed by his father with his own two-handed sword. The old champion himself, though bed-ridden, insisted upon being present at the battle. He was borne to the place appointed, wrapped, it is said, in blankets, and placed upon a very high stone to witness the conflict. In the duel his son fell, treacherously slain, as the Scotch tradition affirms. The old man gave a loud yell of terror and despair when he saw his son slain and his noble weapon won by an Englishman, and died as they bore him home. A venerable Border poet (though of these later days) has composed a poem on this romantic incident. The stone on which the Laird's Jock sate to behold the duel, was in existence till wantonly destroyed a year or two since. It was always called THE LAIRD'S JOCK'S STONE.

JOCK O' THE SIDE.

THE subject of this ballad, being a common event in those troublesome and disorderly times, became a favourite theme of the ballad-makers. There are, in this collection, no fewer than three poems on the rescue of prisoners, the incidents in which nearly resemble each other; though the poetical description is so different, that the editor did not think himself at liberty to reject any one of them, as borrowed from the others. As, however, there are several verses, which, in recitation, are common to all these three songs, the editor, to prevent unnecessary and disagreeable repetition, has used the freedom of appropriating them to that in which they seem to have the best poetic effect.

The reality of this story rests solely upon the foundation of tradition. Jock o' the Side seems to have been nephew to the Laird of Mangertoun, cousin to the Laird's Jock, one of his deliverers, and probably brother to

Chrystie of the Syde, mentioned in the list of Border clans, 1597. Like the Laird's Jock, he also is commemorated by Sir Richard Maitland.—See the Introduction.

He is weil kend, Johne of the Syde,
A greater thief did never ryde;
He nevir tyris,

For to brek byris,

Our muir and myris

Ouir gude ane guide.

Jock o' the Side appears to have assisted the Earl of Westmoreland in his escape after his unfortunate insurrection with the Earl of Northumberland, in the twelfth year of Elizabeth. "The two rebellious rebels went into Liddesdale in Scotland, yesternight, where Martin Ellwood (Elliot) and others, that have given pledges to the regent of Scotland, did raise their forces against them; being conducted by black Ormeston, an outlaw of Scot land, that was a principal murtherer of the King of Scots, where the fight was offered, and both parties alighted from their horses; and, in the end, Ellwood said to Ormeston, he would be sorry to enter deadly feud with him by bloodshed; but he would charge him and the rest be. fore the regent for keeping of the rebels; and if he did not put them out of the country, the next day, he would doe his worst again them; whereupon, the two earls were driven to leave Liddesdale, and to fly to one of the Armstrongs, a Scot upon the batable [debateable] land on the Borders between Liddesdale and England. The

same day the Liddesdale men stole the horses of the Countess of Northumberland, and of her two women, and ten others of their company; so as, the earls being gone, the lady of Northumberland was left there on foot, at John of the Side's house, a cottage not to be compared to many a dog-kennel in England. At their departing from her, they went not above fifty horse, and the Earl of Westmoreland, to be the more unknown, changed his coat of plate and sword with John of the Side, and departed like a Scottish Borderer.”—Advertisements from Hexham, 22d December, 1569, in the Cabala, p. 160.

The land-serjeant mentioned in this ballad, and also that of Hobbie Noble, was an officer under the warden, to whom was committed the apprehending of delinquents, and the care of the public peace.

JOCK O' THE SIDE.

Now Liddesdale has ridden a raid,

But I wat they had better hae staid at hame; For Michael o' Winfield he is dead,

And Jock o' the Side is prisoner ta'en.

For Mangerton house Lady Downie has gane,
Her coats she has kilted up to her knee ;
And down the water wi' speed she rins,
While tears in spaits * fa' fast frae her e'e.

Then up and spoke our gude auld lord

"What news, what news, sister Downie, to me?" "Bad news, bad news, my Lord Mangerton ; “Michael is killed, and they hae ta'en my son Johnie."

• Spaits-Torrents.