126 Aw INCIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT. 
Where Union Street, Castle Street, Castle Gardens, part of St- 
Cuthbert Street, and the present Castle stand was then a 
meadow ; on the south and west the ground will be little changed. 
On the Moat Brae rose in stately magnificence the fabric of Grey- 
friars, not yet for a few years longer to fall a prey to the 
despoiler. On the south, where the County Buildings stand, rose 
the Church of St. Andrew, destined to an ignoble use by the 
builder of Kirkcudbright Castle. The old Tolbooth was erected 
about the middle of the sixteenth century, and if built at the time 
of the raid would be entirely new. In the open at Castledykes, 
the ancient Castle of Kirkcudbright, one of the royal fortresses, 
upreared its hoary front. Here came the hero Wallace to em- 
bark on his expedition to France in search of aid for his sorely 
distracted country. Here also came the “Hammer of the 
Scots,’’ and are there not the memories of Robert Bruce, the 
warrior-king ; Edward Bruce, his rash but heroic brother; the 
Jameses ; Henry VI. of England and his indomitable Queen 
Margaret of Anjou? Away to the south was the Priory of St. 
Mary’s Isle, then an island in reality at some stages of the tide. 
On the hill, towards the east, was the even then ancient church- 
yard, with its little church, the site of which is now marked by 
yew trees. Hither then, on that far-away February evening, 
appeared the strong detachment of English horse under Sir 
Thomas Carleton. The inhabitants had received timeous notice 
of the raid, and stood on their defence. We may imagine, how- 
ever, with what feelings the approach of the enemy was viewed. 
The town had already been summoned to surrender, and, to their 
honour be it said, had refused to do so. Some, no doubt, would 
be for surrender; but some strong man, like Provost Towers of 
Edinburgh, after Flodden, would elect to fight to the bitter end. 
There would be memories, too, of Brankston’s fatal ridge, with 
the recent actions at Annan and Dumfries. The attack upon the 
town reads like a page from Froissart. The townspeople, 
according to Carleton’s despatch, barred their gates and kept 
their dykes. Advancing on foot, the Englishmen made a vigor- 
ous assault, but were driven back. One man within the walls was. 
killed by an arrow, and this, according to the quaint chronicle, 
alarmed some of the women for the safety of their husbands. 
“One wife,’’ says Sir Thomas, “ came to the ditch and called for 
one that would take her husband and save his life.”’ Like many 
