I do not praise this man: the man was flawed For Adam-much more Christ!-his knee unbent, His hand unclean-his aspiration pent The genius to be loved, why let him have There is a freedom in these verses which many Ah! could this same bower, I fancied, Be the work of Dryad strong, Who, surviving all that chanced In the world's old pagan wrong, We have said enough, perhaps, to give the reader a pretty distinct impression of Mrs. Browning's genius. She has not yet done herself anything like justice. Early predilections still sway her, and she still lacks real self-interest in the subjects upon which she employs her genius. A later poem, The Drama of Exile, is an attempt, and, so far as its artistic consistency is concerned, not a very successful one, to apply the spirit and form of Greek tragedy to the subject of the Fall, or rather, the expulsion from Paradise. The dialogue, which is in many instances ustained and noble, alternates with a succession of choruses, marked at once by the best and the worst features of Mrs. Browning's style. Such a subject, it may be easily conceived, demands the exercise of a strong imagination, and in many parts of this poem there are passages of undoubted power of a severe and stern strength, in fact, approaching the highest character of dramatic expression; but, at the same time, we in some measure lose the effect of these, when in the next page, we come upon vague declamations and paltry conceits which at once suggest a want of unity in the spirit as well as the construction of the poem. In spite of these faults, however, The Drama of Exile abounds with illustrations of what we conceive to be the highest style of poetry. In proof of this, we need only quote one or two passages at random. Here is a brief description of the effects of "the Fall" on the animal creation: There is scarcely a line in the above passage which might not have been written by the great Lay hid, feeding in the woodland on the last true est poet of any land or any time. The descrippoet's song. So, young muser, I sate listening To my fancy's wildest word On a sudden, through the glistering Came a sound, a sense of music which was rather felt than heard. Softly, finely, it enwound me, From the world it shut me in, Like a fountain falling round me, tion evinces imaginative strength in its sternest and loftiest form, and a picturesqueness vivid and terrible. As an example of what is more thoughtful and pathetic in the poem, we take the following on the destiny of woman, almost the only lines suggestive of feminine authorship; — If woe by thee * And on thy longest patience there shall wait We have selected these passages as being least nine likings and dislikings. She has a great deal of masculine energy, and her writings are often pervaded by a spirit of political zeal not Casa Guidi Windows contains less of its author's common in those even of the other sex. The mannerism than any of her other poems, and has often the fiery rapidity of the improvisatrice, with a beauty of expression which she has not surpassed in any previous effort. Here is a tribute to Carlo Alberto, the Sardinian soldier-king, which is full of force, and more than worthy of the warrior Who bursting that heroic heart of his * And taking off his crown, made visible Mrs. Browning's latest work is a poem of some length, with the rather curious title of Casa Guidi Windows. It professes to be a survey from the windows of the house occupied by the poetess at Florence during the eventful year of 1848; but though for the most part of a poli- This is at least one evidence that the age we live tical character, its references are not confined to in is not destitute of themes for the poet when the occurrences which took place in the Tuscan the inspiration of genius comes to mould the capital. The survey extends over all Italy, and modern event into the poetic thought. But we embraces the most interesting incidents of the are tending towards politics and prolixity, and revolutionary era in that land. All Mrs. Brown-must leave the reader to judge of how far the ing's sympathies are with the cause of the people, and she pleads for freedom and denounces tyranny in poetry of an earnest and often highly impassioned tone. She does not fail, however to record, frequently in the language of sorrow or of pity, the impression made upon her mind by the unstable and fitful attachments of those who to-day plant the trees of liberty, and rally round the people's flag, and to-morrow throw up their caps and shout a welcome to their returning rulers. Apart from the fine poetic fire which burns in many parts of the Casa Guidi Windows, the views which it gives us of Italian politics are clear and interesting. We do not usually look to poems for such things, least of all do we expect to find them in poetry written by a lady; but, as we have said, Mrs. Browning's sympathies are not such as are confined within the sphere of femi extracts we have given make good the claim of Mrs. Browning to be considered a poetess in the true sense of that term. It is doubtful if a word which is usually meant to convey the idea of poetic gifts allied with the characteristics of the female nature, applies very directly to Mrs. Browning. In her case the imagination is by no means so highly colored by the feelings as to prevent the possibility of any reader supposing that her poetry, if published anonymously, had been written by one of the sterner sex. That she is gifted with the power of producing something far higher than she has yet given to the world is, we think, undeniable; and that what she has done is worthy of being remembered, is the opinion, we hope, to which we have now brought the reader. From Eliza Cook's Journal. THE SCOTTISH BORDERERS. THE magical pen of Sir Walter Scott has made classical land of the Borders, and thousands of pilgrims annually betake themselves to Tweedside to visit his grave, lying under the shadow of the Eildon hills, and to view the marvellous romance in stone and lime which he reared at Abbotsford. It is strange how much romance can do for a country. Before Scott's Lady of the Lake the Trosachs were untrodden ground, whereas now swarms of tourists yearly pass through them with the poem in their hand as the guide-book. In like manner, "Rob Roy's country," Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Stirling, and the majestic scenery lying north of these cities, beautiful and grand though it be in itself, has acquired great additional glory through the romantic spells woven around it by the Wizard of the North. But Scott's first great achievement in romance was connected with the Border country. He was himself a Borderer, and the descendant of an old Border clan; so the Border Minstrelsy was to him a labor of love, in the course of which he gathered up the traditionary ballads still floating about amongst the people, and embodied them in the famous collection above mentioned. The entered this dwelling by a ladder, usually from Border Minstrelsy contains the best elements of the outside, and when safely housed, they drew history; for an old ballad is often of more value up the ladder after them, and were safe. Their than an old historian's chronicle. It is what history barricades were iron-nailed doors and stanchelled often is not a reflex of the life of the people windows, while over the main door leading into in past times embodies the passions, prejudices, the lower or ground-floor there were holes through heroisms, virtues, or vices, of the bygone age; which boiling water or melted lead was poured and flashes quite a new light upon the old modes upon the heads of the unhappy assailants. of existence of the country. Smailholm Tower, or Sandy Knowe, where Sir The Border ballads paint an epoch long since Walter Scott passed his early years, is a good gone by. There is now nothing in Europe at all example of the old Border Peel-house. It occuresembling the life which was led by the people pies a high and commanding situation amidst a along the Borders two or three centuries ago. It cluster of wild rocks on the north side of the is not easy to define the limits of the Border dis- Tweed, a little below Melrose. It is surrounded trict. At a remote period the south boundary of on three sides by a precipice and morass, and is the Border country was the Tyne; the men of only accessible from the other by a steep and Cumberland, down even to a comparatively recent rocky path. The building consists of a high period, were desperate moss-troopers, preying square tower, surrounded by an outer wall, the upon the Scots at some times and upon their apartments being placed above one another, and neighbors in Westmoreland, and Northumberland communicating by a narrow winding stair. On at others. But the Northumberland men were the roof are two bartizans or platforms, used for famous Borderers too, and were always quick defence or pleasure, as circumstances might reenough to join in a foray upon the Scottish side, quire. The walls of the tower are exceedingly to burn villages, castles, or churches, as the case strong, being about nine feet in thickness. The might be, and carry off what booty they could position of Smailholm is such that it commands gather across the Tweed. Then, on the Scotch a view of nearly the entire Merse, or county of side, the Border extended along the entire dis- Berwick, overlooking the beautiful valley of the trict now divided into the counties of Berwick-Tweed, with the serrated mountains of the Gala, shire, Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, and Dumfries- the Ettrick, and the Yarrow, all renowned in shire, if not further west. Down even to a recent song, in the western distance. Such was the date there was a portion of land, belonging scene of Scott's boyhood-life, in which the greatneither to England nor Scotland, called the De-est and last of the Border minstrels drank in his batable Land, which was eventually divided be- poetic and traditionary lore. tween the two kingdoms by treaty, as the disputed These towers or peels are found extending territory in Canada was divided between Great along the Borders, in a continued series, so as to Britain and the United States a few years ago. have a view one of another; and by means of Stripping Border history of its romance, and signal-fires lit upon their summits on the aplooking at the Borderers as they really were, we proach of an enemy, the whole district could thus find them to have been simply thieves. From the be raised for defence or aggression in a very short earliest times the Borders were the resort of ban- time. Not only are they found along the course ished desperadoes, of defeated factions, and of of the Tweed, but they extend in a continued seconquered races; and this was the case down ries up the banks of the rivers which flow into the even to the union between the Crowns of Eng- Tweed, up the Whittader, the Gala, the Leader, land and Scotland. When William the Norman the Ettrick, to the very sources of these rivers. conquered England, many of the defeated Saxons One may yet imagine the beacon-lights flaming took refuge along the Borders; afterwards the on these peel-towers in the olden time, leaping defeated Danes went thither in numbers, and the from crag to crag, and flashing against the black large infusion of Danish words into the dialect sky; then the hurried donning of back and breastto this day spoken by the Border Scotch, would pieces and morions, the jingling of bridles and lead one to suppose that the Danish is the pre-stamping of steeds, the mounting and the purvailing element. For the Danes, who were suit, the crash of the combat and the shrieks of pirates by sea, to betake themselves to thieving upon land, was not an unnatural process. Then there were the felons and criminals, the unsuccessful conspirators and rebels, who made for the Borders so soon as their own country became too hot to hold them. There neither English nor Scotch law could reach them, and a king's messenger durst not venture thither without risk of his life. Unless he was backed by a force greater than theirs, the Borderers would hang him up in a trice, and laugh at the king who sent him. And even the royal forces of the two countries, these Borderers set at defiance. Every leader of a clan built for himself a peelhouso or fortress-usually a square tower, with immense walls, the lower part of which was a rude enclosure for storing the cattle, the chief and his family living on the floor above; they dying men, the raid and the foray, with the midnight assault and fire-raising, amidst which the cattle were "lifted" and driven across the borders to the fortalice perched on what might be an eagle's eyrie. This was surely the Romance of Robbery, if anything could be. It was a wild, rude, dangerous, and violent life that of these Border reivers. Sir Walter Scott related with pride many old tales of one of his ancestors, of the same name, familiarly_called Wat of Harden, - Harden being another Border Peel, perched on the brink of a precipitous bank, from which one may look down into the crow's nests in the deep, dark, narrow glen below. One of the tales was to the effect, that when Wat's stock of English beef had become exhausted, his wife used to place upon the dinner-table a dish containing a pair of clean spurs, a hint to the company that they must bestir themselves for their next dinner. | from each other, unless there happened to be a And before night the cattle-stealers were, sure feud between the Border clans, which was not enough, on their way to their neighbors' pastures unfrequently the case, and then the game was for the purpose of laying in a fresh stock of beef fair. When they made a descent on the Scotch without leave. Upon one occasion, when the farmsteads, they were Englishmen; and when village herd was driving out the cattle to pasture, they robbed the Englishmen's stalls, they were the old laird heard him call loudly, to drive out Scotchmen. All was fish that came to their net; Harden's cow. "Harden's cow!" echoed the in- and as for country, they were indifferent about dignant chief; "by my faith they shall soon say that matter. Their hand was turned alike against Harden's kye" (cows). Accordingly he sounded both countries; and the laws of both countries his bugle, set out with his followers, and next day were directed, for a long time quite ineffectually, returned with a bow of kye and a bassened (brind- against them. led) bull. On his way home he passed a large In course of time, the chiefs of the Border clans hay-stack. This would have been very conve- throve greatly by their depredations. They built nient for fodder, but he could neither carry it nor stronger castles, and added to their possessions drive it: "By my soul!" he exclaimed, in vexa-—that is, by seizing them with the strong arm. — tion, "had ye but four feet, ye should not stand multiplied their retainers, assumed armorial bearthere lang!" Such are the characters of Border ings, and claimed to be chiefs, gentlemen, and romance! Strange that the thieves of a few gentry. The mottoes which they assumed, many centuries ago, should be the heroes of story now! of the great families descended from them bear to A son of the Laird of Harden, called William this day, such as: "Watch weel," (the Hallibur Scott, one day went forth on a foray against the ton's). "Ye shall want ere I want," (the Cransneighboring clan of Murray, with which they were toun's)," Spare not," (the Hays, marquis of Tweedat feud. They succeeded in lifting a quantity of dale), "We'll have moonlight again," (Harden), cattle, and were driving them off, when Sir Gid- and so on. By degrees these Border-chiefs beeon of Elibank bore down upon the Scott party came of importance in their respective districts, with his troopers, overpowered and defeated them, because of the men they could bring into the field, and took William Scott, their leader, a prisoner. and their alliance was sought by the Crowns of On Sir Gideon's return to his fortalice, he was met both kingdoms. They were elevated to titles, beby his wife, who, seeing young Scott a prisoner, came lords, barons, earls, and dukes, and their asked what he was going to do with him. Strap descendants are at this day amongst the greatest him up to the gallows-tree, to be sure," was the and wealthiest peers of Scotland and the north of answer of the chief, her goodman. "Hoot na, Sir England. But they have long since ceased to steal Gideon," rejoined the considerate matron, "wad cattle, and if they do commit a little "lifting " ye hang the winsome young Laird of Harden on the public, it is done in a more peaceful when ye have three ill-favored daughters to mar- and constitutional manner; namely, by means ry?" Right," answered the laird, "he shall of that great milch cow the public purse, which either marry our daughter, muckle-mouthed Meg, yields richer milk for the sons, nephews, cousins, or he shall strap for it." Now this Meg, Sir Gid- and half-cousins of the Border lords, than any eon's daughter, was unconscionably ugly-her cow in Cumberland ever yielded in the "good mouth was as wide as a church-door, and hence old times." her by-name of Muckle-mouthed Meg. When We may mention a few of the nobles who boast young Harden was given his choice of death or their descent from the old Border reivers. The life with Meg, he at once decided on the former. most powerful is the Duke of Buccleuch, still the He would die rather than have Meg, so prepara- richest lord along the Borders. The old chiefs of tions were forthwith made to "strap him up." the Scotts were notorious thieves. Adam Scott, While these were making, the youth reconsidered of Tushielaw, called in his day "the King of the -he relented: he looked at Meg's mouth, it was Thieves," was hanged over his own gate by not so very wide after all. He looked at the gal-James V. in the famous excursion which he made lows-tree-his choice was made: he would have Meg and life. And so he had. Harden married the maid, and she made him an excellent wife. From this pair, Sir Walter Scott was directly descended. 66 The Border reivers made their raids on horseback, armed with a long lance, and having for defence a quilted doublet, defended with plates of iron or brass. Their dress was generally brown or heath-colored, the more effectually to conceal them from observation during their nightly furtive excursions. They were not particular whose cattle they stole, but they preferred going out of their own district for them; only the journey into Cumberland and Northumberland was long and often perilous. When they did not "lift" (the genteel word for stealing) Englishmen's cattle, they "lifted" Scotchmen's, north of the thieves' district. There was a kind of honor among thieves which prevented them stealing into the Border country to put down the reivers. Scott, the laird of Buccleuch, and Kerr of Fernihurst, narrowly escaped the same fate; they were, however, imprisoned and kept in ward during the royal visitation of their district. When Adam Scott was hanged on the old ash-tree, over his gate at Tushielaw, the bark of the tree was felt and seen to be full of nichs and hollows, formed by the ropes on which many an unhappy wretch had been hanged by the remorseless Tushielaw himself. The immediate ancestor of the Buccleuch family was Sir William Scott, who already possessing an extensive domain in Ettrick Forest and Teviotdale, but made an exchange of his estate of Murdiestone, in Lanarkshire, with Sir Thomas Inglis, for the estate of Branxholm, in Teviotdale. Inglis was a man of pacific character, quite out of place upon the Borders in those days; and he was complaining to Scott of the injuries which he was exposed to from the English borderers, who murderer he sheltered in his Border fastnesses. plundered his lands at Branxholm, and rendered The regent who succeeded Murray was the Earl an easy pacific life impossible. An exchange of of Lennox, and him Buccleuch one day suddenly lands was accordingly agreed upon, Scott dryly seized in the streets of Stirling, with all his folremarking on the completion of the bargain, that lowers. Buccleuch had with him a body of only "the cattle of Cumberland were as good as those 200 Border horsemen ; but these dispersing, as of Teviotdale;" and no sooner had he settled was their wont, for plunder, the citizens rose, resdown at Branxholm than he commenced cattle-cued the regent, and drove Buccleuch and his stealing on a large scale, and made repeated suc- reivers from the town. This Buccleuch was a cessful incursions upon the English borders, a system which was long pursued by his successors. For a long time Branxholm Castle continued to be the principal seat of the chief of Buccleuch Scotts, and it will be remembered that Sir Walter makes it the scene of the Lay of the Last Minstrel: Nine-and-twenty knights of fame Hung their shields in Branxholm Hall; They were all knights of mettle true, Not far from Branxholm stands Goldieland Tower, where lived a clansman of the lord of Buccleuch. The last of the Scotts of Goldieland was, like Adam "the king of the thieves," hanged over his own gate, for march treason, as is described in the Border-ballad entitled Jamie Telfer of the fair Dodhead. keen partisan of the unfortunate Queen Mary; so that this chief was now taking a part in the politics of Scotland, and was no longer a mere Border thief. As cattle-lifting became less popular, and particularly when England and Scotland became united under one crown, Border raids, led by Border chiefs, fell into disuse, and all the small reivers were summarily put down. But it took a long time to do this, the habit of cattlestealing had become so deeply-rooted amongst the population of both sides of the Border. Among the other powerful Border chiefs, whose descendants still sit among the British peers, were the Kerrs of Fernihurst and Cessford, now represented by the Duke of Roxburgh and the Marquis of Lothian respectively. They, too, have forsaken the pursuits of their ancestors. There is also Lord Cranston, the Earl of Home, the Earl of Cassilis, Lord Maxwell, and many more, now quite peaceable, respectable peers. Amongst the Commoners, descended from Border reivers, the most notable is Sir James Graham, of Netherby. The district of Netherby was situated in what was called the Debatable Land. It continued to be the last haunt of the most desperate thieves, long after the land was divided The Scotts of Buccleuch, however, managed to between England and Scotland. The Grahams, keep their own necks out of the halter: they be- or Græmes, first resorted to the Borders under came powerful chiefs, and could bring 1,000 well- the leadership of the second son of the Earl of armed troopers into the field. So they climbed Montieth, commonly surnamed Malice, or John and climbed, like the other terrible chiefs of their with the bright Sword; they went thither in conday, making war on their own account, seizing sequence of some disgrace into which their chief lands from the weak, and even in one case appro- had fallen at the Scotch court; and the Grahams priating a large slice out of the Crown-lands in upon the Borders soon became amongst the most Ettrick Forest. In 1528, Lord Dacre, writing to lawless of depredators. They stole cattle from Cardinal Wolsey, styles the laird of Buccleuch the Scotch and English indifferently, like their "the chief maintainer of all misguided men on the neighbors, the Armstrongs. An old historian, borders of Scotland;" for he had at his beck and speaking of them, says -The Græmes were all bidding the wild and outlawed Armstrongs, the stark moss-troopers and arrant thieves; both to Elliots, and many others of the broken and despe- England and Scotland outlawed; yet sometimes rate clans; in short, there rallied under his banner connived at, because they gave intelligence forth the bulk of the thieves of Annandale and Liddes- of Scotland, and would raise 400 horse at any dale. To such an uncontrollable height did his time upon a raid of the English into Scotland."? daring reach, that the Scottish king, unable to A saying is recorded of a Graham mother to her punish him, gave the English monarch free per- son (now become proverbial), “Ride, Rowlie, ride, mission to enter the Borders, to spoil and slaugh- hough's the pot," that is, the last piece of beef ter the banditti under Buccleuch. So the Earl was in the pot, and therefore it was high time for of Northumberland, with a large force, crossed him to go and fetch more. In the reign of James the Border in 1532, ravaged the country, burnt | I. of England, a number of these Græmes were Branxholm, and other strong places, immediately banished to Ireland, and forbidden to return, on following which, Buccleuch retaliated by an inroad into England, in which he more than recovered the cattle he had lost by the English foray. This chief was shortly after murdered in the streets of Edinburgh, by the Kerrs of Cessford, his hereditary enemies, with whom the Scotts were always at bitter and deadly feud. But the Buccleuch family continued to rise. The next chief of the clan was concerned in the conspiracy against the regent Murray, whose pain of death; but some of them remained, to found the flourishing house of Graham of Netherby, now represented in the person of Sir James Graham. The western district of the Border, in the neighborhood of the Debatable Land, remained long unsettled, and the Borderers could scarcely be restrained from cattle-lifting in a small way; the thievish propensity had become so deeply engrained in their nature. Border reiving was |