2nd s. No 4G., Nov. 15. '56.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



393 



o%a border-skirmish between the Elliotts and 

 Graemes. They will add materially to, and may 

 serve to fill up some gaps in the larger portion of 

 the ballad furnished by M. H. R. The stanzas 

 are printed in four short lines, but are here tran- 

 scribed in two long ones, for economy of space : 



" The lord said to his ladie, as he mounted his horse, 

 ' Beware of Long Lonkin, that lies in the moss.' 



The lord said to his ladie, as he rode away, 

 ' Beware of Long Lonkin, that lies in the clay.' 



' What care I for Lonkin, or any of his gang ? 

 My doors are all shut, and my windows penn'd in.' 



There were six little windows, and they were all shut, 

 But one little window, and that was forgot. 



And at that little window Long Lonkin crept in. 



'Where's the lord of the hall? ' says the Lonkin : 

 ' He's gone up to London,' says Orange to him. 



' Where are the men of the hall ? ' saj's the Lonkin : 

 ' They are at the field ploughing,' says Orange to him. 



' Where are the maids of the hall ? ' says the Lonkin : 



* They are at the well washing,' says Orange to him. 



' Where are the ladies of the hall ? ' says the Lonkin : 

 ' They are up in their chambers,' says Orange to him. 



' How shall we get them down ? ' says the Lonkin : 

 ' Prick the babe in the cradle,' says Orange to him. 



' Rock well my cradle, and be-ba my son ; 

 You shall have a new gown, when the lord he comes 

 home.' 



Still she did prick it, and be-ba she cried, 



* Come down, dearest mistress, and still your own 



child.' 



* Oh ! still my child. Orange, still him with a bell' 



' I can't still him, ladie, till you come down yoursell.' 



* Hold the gold bason, for your heart's blood to run in, 



' To hold the gold bason, it grieves me full sore ; 

 Oh ! kill me, dear Lonkin, and let my mother go.' " 



Miss Landon adds, that the ballad was commu- 

 nicated to her by a friend, and had never been 

 published. V. F. S. 



I beg to refer your correspondent M. H. R. to 

 the under-mentioned editions of the popular old 

 ballad " Lankyn," or " Linkin," otherwise " Lam- 

 kin, Lammerlinkin, Belinkin," &c., names derived, 

 it would seem, from the epithet linkie, applied in 

 the South of Scotland to a sly, deceitful person 

 (links, Danish, sinister; also sly, dexterous, crafty: 

 Wolff), and bestowed upon Lambert, the ill-re- 

 quited builder of Prime Castle, from the cunning 

 and secresy with which he introduced himself into 

 that fortalice. The owner of the castle is styled 

 in one version " Lord Wearie," in another " Lord 

 Arran," but in what part of Scotland (or dream- 

 land) the building itself was situated does not 

 appear. 



The earliest dnd the worst edition of the ballad 

 is that given in Herd's Collection (2 vols. 8vo., 



Edinburgh, 1776), and entitled Lammikin. The 

 next, and a far better version, occurs in the first 

 volume of Jamieson's Popular Ballads and Songs 

 (Edinb. 1806), who calls its hero "Lamkin." Mr. 

 Finlay, In his Scottish Historical and Romantic 

 Ballads (Edinb. 1808), gives two copies of it, and 

 restores the title Lammikin. The best version, 

 however, may be found under the title of " Lam- 

 bert Linkin " (of which all the preceding names 

 arS clearly abbreviations), in Motherwell's valu- 

 able, but now scarce 4to., entitled Minstrelsy, 

 Antient and Modern (Glasgow, 1827). From the 

 first stanza, M. H. R. may discover the name of 

 the castle, and the provocation which gave rise 

 to the horrible revenge of the builder. He may 

 also from the same copy fill up the lacunce in his 

 own interesting variation. W. L. N, 



Bath. 



SYSTEMS OP SHORT-HAND. 



(2"'» S. i. 402.) 



Mb. Hackwood refers to an English Treatise 

 on Stenography, published in 1588 by Dr. Ti- 

 mothy Bright, and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, 

 but he remarks, " I have no further note of it" 

 He, with many others, will be gratified on seeing 

 the first notice of any treatise, in English, on this 

 now indispensable accomplishment. It was my 

 good fortune to transcribe it from the original 

 many years since, but it was put aside with 

 similar treasures, after an inconsolable bereave- 

 ment. The writer of the letter was the secretary 

 of Lord Burleigh. 



" Mr. Hicks. — Dr. Bright hath a desire to be insinuated 

 to the favourable acquaintance of Mr. Eob. Cecill. He 

 hath begun by dedication of some of his book for one 

 hour to my L. house. He was sometime, as you also 

 know, under my charge in Cambridge, when I was readie, 

 according to that habilitie I then had, and in that state 

 his friends required to do him the best good by waie of 

 instruction that I could. Whereas 'having given me 

 cause of comfort bj' his good providings, I retain still the 

 same good will to do him the best good I male. 



"He hath enterprised a matter of rare noveltie and 

 effected it, whereof I made report to Mr. Robert. He is 

 desirous to have some effectual fruit of his travayle, 

 having charge of a familie, and his profession yielding 

 him small maintai nance as yet, till he have gotten better 

 acquaintance, and onlie desireth the recommendation of 

 his state to my L. for some priviledge to be given him by 

 her Majestic for the onlie teaching of this his own in- 

 vention, and the printing of such things as shall be taken 

 by that mean, as also of his own travayles in his pro- 

 fession ; matters reasonable in my poor opinion to be 

 required, and wherein there should be no difficultie to 

 obtain, considering how some other states, to incourage 

 their own people, and to take use of their Laboures, pro- 

 pound rewards and compound with the Inventors of any 

 serviceable art. 



" The art he will teach Mr. Robert. And when he hath 

 taught it to his brother who onlie hath the practice, he 

 will bring him to the Court, or to his lodging at London 

 to make proof of it, to the intent he male the better 



