DB. QltLT ON NORHAM CHURCH AND CHURCnYAIlD. 189 



igitur, qui jus in regnum Scotiae vindicabant, recognitus est 

 superior dominus Scotiae, per litteras inde confectas eorum 

 sigillis munitas tenorem subscriptum in Gallico continentes." 

 The document signed on that occasion of solemn mockery 

 is dated " Noreham feria tertia proxima post Ascensionem 

 Domini, 1291/' 



^neas Sylvius relates an incident illustrative of the con- 

 dition and manners of the Borderers 400 years ago, in his 

 account of his journey to Scotland in 1448, which has con- 

 nection enough with our present subject to justify its admis- 

 sion in this place. " The certain river" therein mentioned, 

 must have been the Tweed. Norham was " the large xiiUage" 

 — " the curate' was the curate of Norham, and " a certain 

 tower' was the castle of Norham. 



" A certain river falling from a high mountain parts the 

 two kingdoms over which ^neas ferry'd, and coming to a 

 large village about sunset, he alighted at a country man's 

 house where he sup'd with the curate of the place and his 

 host. The table was plentifully furnished with pottage, hens, 

 and geese ; but nothing either of wine or bread appeared. 

 All the men and women of the town flocked in, as to some 

 strange sight ; and, as our countrymen used to admire the 

 Ethiopians or Indians, so these people stared at -ffineas, ask- 

 ing the curate, what country-man he was ? what his errand 

 could be ? and whether he were a Christian, or no ? But 

 Eneas being aware of the scarcity he should meet with on 

 this road, had been accommodated by a monastery with a 

 rundlet of red wine and some loaves of bread. When these 

 were brought to table, they were more astonished than be- 

 fore, having never seen either wine or white bread. Big- 

 bellyed women with their husbands came to the table side, 

 and handling the bread and smelling the wine, begged a 

 taste ; so that there was no avoiding the dealing of the 

 whole among them. After they had sate at supper till two 

 hours within night, the curate and the landlord (with the 

 children and all the men) left Eneas, and rub'd off in haste. 

 They said they were going to shelter themselves in a certain 

 tower, at a good distance, for fear of the Scots, who (at low 

 water) used to cross the river in the night, for plunder. 



