LEGEND OF THE POLWARTH THORN. 27 



had so greatly increased in bulk during its residence in the deserted temple of 

 genius, that the porch through which it first entered refused the same means 

 of retreat. It was, therefore, during the hard struggle for emancipation that 

 the refractory skull was thrown into such wonderful attitudes ; while the rat, it 

 may be added, was suffered, from superstitious motives, to retain possession of 

 his unhallowed tenement, till a rigid fast having succeeded to days of feasting, 

 should enable him to make his exit as he had made his entrance — and leave 

 him once more — " as poor as a church-rat." 



But apologizing for this digression, we now return to the popular tradition 

 concerning "the nuptial -tree" — the trunk of which is still preserved in 

 Marchmont-house. 



Polwarth — like its neighbour Fogo, of wliich but a vestige now remains, has 

 greatly fallen off, and presents not a tithe of its early population and local 

 importance. A few scattered cottages are the sole representatives of the j-ural 

 hamlet, and three modern thorns enclosed within a small ring in the centre of the 

 Common, mark the spot where the minstrel tree— consecrated by so many 

 generations, had witnessed so many fetes, and been the subject of so many 

 pastoral eifusions — formed a rallying point for the celebration of rural pastimes. 



The legend of the " Polwarth Thorn" is founded on the follovdng circumstance 

 connected with the ancient family of Sinclair, to whom this estate originally 

 belonged. In the fifteenth century, it is said, the male line having become 

 extinct, the inheritance devolved upon two daughters, co-heiresses of the family, 

 whose favour became an object of no small ambition among the Border chivalry. 

 After many proffers and matrimonial protocols on the part of knight and squire, 

 two sons of Home of Wedderburn, it appears, became the thriving wooers, and 

 at length succeeded in their capture of the double prize. Previously, however, 

 the young ladies had been removed by their guardian — a suspicious uncle — to his 

 stronghold in a neighbouring county, where, for some time, the smooth current 

 of their affections was ruffled with doubts and disappointments. But the Homes 

 of those days were not men to be easily blinded, or baulked of a good bargain, 

 and this was a prize which promised to be worth a hundred raids beyond the 

 Tweed ; so setting themselves strenuously to work, they contrived to establish a 

 set of signals, by which the fair damsels, held in such unmerited durance, were 

 gradually prepared to expect an early visit and rescue. 



Accordingly, one morning betimes, the two gallants, accompanied by a body of 

 troopers from the Merse, — men accustomed to the law of reprisals, drew up in 

 front of the uncle's castle, to the great dehght of the imprisoned sisters, and the no 

 small dismay of their gaoler. " What want ye, Men of the Merse ?" exclaimed 



