ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 433 



der of the caftles of Roxbrough, Dunbar, and Edinburgh, foon fol- 

 lowed. When he was before the latter, he met with a remark- 

 able inftance of honour in a Scotchman, the chief officer of the 

 caftle, who upon his majefty's letters to his council being brought 

 to him by an unfaithful and treacherous meflenger, named 

 Leivin, a Wdchman, delivered them back over the walls to the 

 king unopened, and,-' the Wdchman to be punifhed, who was 

 hanged on a high gallows, and quartered (i). A rare example 

 in an enemy, worthy of being remembered by thole poltrons 

 who make a practice of opening the letters of others, to know 

 their concerns ! 



K.Edward, in the above-mentioned year, 1296, having made 

 a compleat conquefl of Scotland, received the homage and fealty 

 of all the Scotch nobility at this town, Auguft 24th, in the pre- 

 fence of the Englifh parliament, fplendid and numerous. The 

 oath of fealty was in the following terms, as tranflated from 

 the old French of H. Knighton, canon of Leicefter (k), in an inge- 

 nious modern hiflory (I). 



" Becaufe we are at prefent under the fubjection of the thrice 

 *' noble prince, and our dear Lord, Sir Ed*ward, King of England, 

 " Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitain, we do faithfully pro- 

 *' mife, for ourfelves, and for our heirs, upon pain of body and 

 rt eftate, that we will ferve him truly and loyally againll all man- 

 " Tier of people that may live and die whenever it mall be re- 

 " quired or commanded by our faid Lord the King of England or 



(i) Hal. Chron. vol. ii. p. 298, 299, and p. 301. 



(k) De Eventibus Anglics inter Dccem Scriptores. Col. 2482. 



(I) Parliament. Hift. of Engl. vol. i. 8vo. p. 100. 



VOL. H. K k k " his 



