are the
songs that are made of them both one; for the
Scotts song made of Otterburn telleth the time about
Lammas; and also to take preys out of England;
also the dividing of armies betwixt the Earls of
Fife and Douglas, and their several journeys almost
as in the authentic history." But we do not agree
with Godscroft, that the "Hunting of Cheviot" is a fic-
tion; on the contrary, we have no doubt it is a true
representation, and beautiful picture of one out of
many hundred of skirmishes between the two gallant
men and their retainers, for possession of the hunting
ground or Chevy Chase. You will observe that when
the Douglas held possession of this locality, the Chase
of Cheviot was his property, and it was not the least
likely he would yield up such a valuable right willingly;
and Percy on the other hand would as resolutely
assert his title. Independent of the right to the ter-
ritory, and the privileges of the chase, the feelings of
the warrior were involved in the possession of the
land. And you may easily imagine, that nothing
could be more likely to happen, than that the party
out of possession gathering his friends together, and
hunting the Cheviot. The beautiful old ballad just
describes a scene of this kind:

The Percy out of Northumberland,
And a vow to God made he,

That he wolde hunt in the mountains
Of Cheviot, within days three;

In the maugre of doughty Douglas's,
And all that with him be.

At this time Douglas was in possession of the territory and chase, while Percy, sitting in his halls of

Vow.

Northumberland, and believing no doubt that Douglas was in the unlawful possession of his rights, made the From the ballad, it is obvious that this vow had been communicated to the Douglas, for we find Percy saying,

Earl Percy to the quarry went

To view the fallow deer,
Quoth he, Earl Douglas promised
This day to meet me here;

But if I thought he would not come,
No longer would I stay.

But scarcely had these words fallen from his lips, when a squire pointed out the Scottish Spears full fifteen hundred strong, and at their head the gallant Douglas

On a milk white steed, most like a Baron bold,

Rode foremost of his company, whose armour shone like gold.

The question asked by the Douglas, just shows that the Chase was his, and the other was, as he conceived, invading his hunting ground. What occurred between these two noble foes, is just what would naturally happen between persons similarly situated.

This view appears to be correct, from the fact that Edward appointed commissioners to settle a dispute between Percy and Douglas in regard to the forest.

I shall now direct your attention to a few notices in illustration of the manners and customs of the olden time.

It appears that the Burgh had not the benefit of a police bill in those early days, for we find an Act passed in the 16th century, ordering the streets every

D

Saturday night, by seven o'clock, to be cleared of middings, stones and trees; another, that not above six cartfuls of muck must lie above a week at the furthest.

Another curious entry is as follows:-No house to be let to persons not able to bear portable charges, and that no fires to be kindled in a house without a chimney or lum; and that no servant man, in cases of fire, come out without a grape or fork, and no serving woman without a pan, cog, or barrel.

There is an entry which would rather lead us to suppose that the Magistrates in those days were not friendly to the Kirk: "the Provost and Baillies to attend preaching and prayer every Sabbath day; each absentee to pay 40s. to the poor of the parish. Officers to apprehend all who are absent." The passing this Act bespeaks a great deal of independence in the council. Would the council of the present day exercise such control over the Provost and Bailies?

Shortly after we find a regulation, from which we may infer the Magistrates were not particular in dress: owing to several of the Magistrates going to the Kirk in their night caps, the council passed an Act forbidding them to do so for the future, or to appear in blue bonnets under a penalty of 12s.

From the following excerpts, it appears that our forefathers have been early risers, and loved music in the morning. "The Swasher and Piper to go duly at four in the morning and eight at night, under the pain of forfeiting their wages, and eight days' imprisonment."

It is curious to see how the Burgh got quit of obnoxious individuals. About the end of the sixth century, we find one James Hamilton appearing before the Magistrates, and enacting himself never to appear in Jedburgh during his life, under the pain of death. The Magistrates do not seem to have dreaded any after appearance.

A man of the name of Hume, banished from the Burgh, for ever, under the pain of hanging, without

an assize.

About the same time, a woman entered into the same kind of bond, never to return under the pain of death, without a jury.

As time progresses onwards, we find the Town getting into more cleanly habits. In a former act, we noticed that a regulation was passed, fixing the removal of the midding steads from the streets, at 7 on a Saturday night; but a new act was passed, ordering the Dean of Guild to remove every midding. stead from the Cross every Friday night.

About this time, carts and ploughs seem to take the lead of other implements. Every wright compelled to mend carts and ploughs when asked to do so, under a penalty of 20s.

The Magistrates also ordered, that, by Lammas, next Summer, every honest man have a ladder of his own under the pain of 20s., and, to this penalty, the Council add the words "unforgeen."

The following entry shews that the Magistrates of other days were as rude in mind as in outward appearance, when they went to the Kirk in their pirnies.

"The masons who took down the pillars at the Abbey Closs, to have one merk each."

That the Council loved the race-course, is apparent from another entry. The Bailie of each quarter of the town to give in a list of craftsmen, to attend the Magistrates at Jedburgh races, with a Hoselack and Spear.

They also contributed a silver cup, and the master of Jedburgh a velvet saddle.

As the wheel of time whirls round, we find the Magistrates directing their attention to sanatory improvements. The Council enact that swine shall not be allowed to go at large in the streets and yards, and if any be sticked, doing damage to their neighbours, no redress to be given.

"Those who kept hens, to clip their wings and cut their toes."

About the same time the Council turned their attention to the government of women; but it seems they were unable to deal with them, for we find an act, making every husband answerable for his wife's disobedience.-There is not evidence to show how this act was relished by the husbands of those days; we can only imagine.

About the period of the plague of 1636, we find the following entries: "Watch set on all the ports of the town, of two men each, and the officers to watch there, and admit no Englishinen, or strangers, under pain of death."

In the month of May of the same year, the Council meet, and enact that, at the Whitsunday fair, all mer