184 The Irvings op Hoddom. 



King, their landlords, " and sic otheris as we haif committit the 

 lyike offence against." 



Sixfhh'. They offer the sum of 500 merks to the family of 

 deceased ; and 



Seventhly. Will inci'ease their offers if the above are not 

 accepted, the Laird and his friends to be judges. And finally 

 they humbly crave forgiveness for the love of God. Dated 

 February, 1581-82, the parties signing by Thomas Scot, notary, 

 in presence of John Johnstone of that ilk, and Andrevy Johnston 

 of the Kirktown. 



The John Irving of Knockhill mentioned in the above appears 

 to have had two sons, Richard and John. Richard succeeded to 

 Knockhill, and John to Whitehill and Duke's Close. This John, 

 commonly called " Jock o' Milk," the subject of the old Border 

 ballad Duke of Milk, was celebrated as a rider and raider. 



Richard Lowther, the English Warden, refers to him in the 

 following letter to Lord Burghle}', dated Carlisle, 10th March, 

 15!)3:— 



" My son and servants, while on the watch for Scottish 

 thieves, took four, one named John Irvine, of whom I had before 

 been written to both by Lord Hamilton and Carmichael (Scottish 

 Warden) and of whom the Lord Herries complained while at 

 London. I have sent Irvine to Lord Hamilton and Carmichael, 

 whom I Avish to ' pleasure ' rather than to Herries, and hope you 

 will approve." 



He formed the subject of a conver.sation between James VI. 

 and George Heriot, in the Fortunes of Nigel : — 



" D'ye mind, for thou wert in maist of our complots, how we 

 were fain to send sax of the Blue-banders to harry the Lady of 

 Logenhouse's dewcot and poultry-yard, and what an awfer plaint 

 the poor dame made against Jock o' Milch and the theivis of 

 Annandale, wha were as sackless of the deed as 1 am of the sin 

 of murder ?" 



" It was the better for Jock," said Heriot, " for if I remem- 

 ber well it saved him from a strapping at Dumfries, which he had 

 well deserved for other misdeeds.'' 



" Ay, man, mind ye that ?" said the King, " but he had other 

 virtues, for he was a tight huntsman, moreover, that Jock of 

 Milch, and could halloa to a hound till all the woods rang agahi. 



