92 CORNUS. 



of half a century. His account is prolix, yet as it gives us of 

 this day a curious insight into the manners of the period, and a 

 good description of the hill, I must not omit the quotation : — 

 " When we came to Wooller, we got another guide to lead us to the 

 top of the hill ; for, by the way, though there are many hills and reach- 

 ings for many miles, which are all called Che\iot-hills, yet there is one 

 Pico or master hill higher than all the rest by a great deal, which, at 

 a distance, looks hke the Pico Teneriffe at the Canaries, and is so 

 high, that I remember it is seen plainly from the Rosemary Top, in 

 the East-riding of Yorkshire, which is near sixty miles. We prepared 

 to clamber up this hill on foot ; but our guide laughed at us, and told 

 us we should make a long journey of it that way ; but, getting a horse 

 himself, told us he would find a way for us to get up on horseback ; 

 so we set out, ha\ang five or six country boys and young fellows who 

 ran on foot volunteer to go with us ; we thought they had only 

 gone for their diversion, as is frequent for boys, but they knew well 

 enough that we should find some occasion to employ them, and so we 

 did, as you shall hear. 



fitter for a prince then a subject, but since Berwick's desolution, or rather 

 destruction, it is almost laid levell with the ground." Note furnished by 

 the late Robert Weddell, Esq. to the Editor of Dunbar's Poems, ii. p. 382. 

 — Dunbar's description of our " good toua " is still better, and carries us 

 back a century and more fm-ther, for it was written before 1539 : — 



" As it befell, and happinnit in to deid, 

 Upoun a rever, the quhilk is callit Tweid ; 

 At Tweidis mowth thair standis a nobill town, 

 Quhau* mony lordis hes bene of grit renoune, 

 Quhair mony a lady bene fair of face. 

 And mony ane fresche lusty galland was. 

 In to this toun, the quhilk is callit Berwik, — 

 Upoun the sey thair stands nane its lyk ; 

 For it is wallit weill abowt mth stane. 

 And dowbill stankis castin mony ane ; 

 And sjTie the castell is so Strang and wicht. 

 With strait towris, and turattis he on hicht. 

 The wallis wrocht craftely with all. 

 The portcules most subtelly to fall, 

 Quhen that thame hst to draw thame upon hicht. 

 That it micht be of na maner of micht, 

 To win that houss be craft or subteltie ; 

 Quhairfoir it is maist gud allutirly 

 In to my tyme quhair evir I haif bene. 

 Most fair, most gudly, most plesand to be sene ; 

 The toune, the wall, the castell, and the land. 

 The he wallis upoun the upper baud, 

 The grit croce kii-k, and eik the Maisone Dew ; 

 The Jacobene freiris of the quhyt hew, 

 The Carmelaites, and the Moukis eik. 

 The four Ordouris wer nocht for to seik ; 

 Thay wer all in to this toun duelling." 



The Freiresof Berwick. Poems, ii. p. 3-4. 



