316 A SKETCH OF THE BOTANY OF 



tilence,-the fields were unenclosed, the soil was sparingly and ill 

 cultivated, the castles of the great were rugged piles, and mostly 

 in decay or ruin, while the dwellings of the peasantry were 

 wretched hovels constructed of mud. This is no imaginary pic- 

 ture. LELAND, whose survey of these parts was made between 

 the years 1534 and 1540, says, that betwixt Alnwick and Ber- 

 wick there was " little plenty of wood ;" in Bamboroughshire 

 " little or no wood ;" and from " Kiddenborn alonge Tweed to 

 Barwicke almost no wood." In their account of the Borders in 

 1542, Sir ROBERT BOWES and Sir RAUFE ELLEKER inform us, 

 that " there ys no store of timbre wood in those parties *." 

 Something indeed of the ancient forest of Cheviot remained, but 

 it was u spoyled," and consisted solely of " crokyd old trees and 

 schrubs ( :" and that the remains of the woods in Berwickshire 

 were now of a similar character, we have the testimony of Bishop 

 LESLIE. In his description of this part of Scotland, he says, 

 " Habent hi raras sylvas, raraque alia ignis fomenta, quibus cae- 

 terse omnes nostne provincise abundant. Unde fit, ut stipulis, 

 maxime Marchiani, lignorum loco utuntur." De Orig. Scot. 

 P. 7- 



* See also RAINE'S Durham, p. 16. 



t The interest of the following description of the once " great wood of Cheviot," 

 is the best apology for the length of this note. " The forrest of Chevyotte ys a 

 mounteyne or greatt hyll, foure myles or more of lengthe, lyinge betwene the head 

 of Ellerburne and the whyte swyre towarde the easte, and the hangynestone towarde 

 the west. And towarde the northe yt devydethe England and Scotland by the 

 heighte of yt as the water descendeth and falleth. And the Englishe p'te thereof 

 excedeth not three myles of breadeth. And the most p'te thereof, and esp'ially 

 towarde the heighte, ys a wete flowe mosse, so depe that scarcely eyther horse or 

 cattail may goe thereupon, excepte yt be by the syde of certayne lytle broukes and 

 waters that springeth forthe of the said mountaine, by reason whereof the said 

 forrest ys not inhabytable, nor serveth very lytle for the pasture of any cattalle ex- 

 cepte onely wylde bestes, as redde dere and roes. 



< Out of he southest p'te of the said mounlayne springeth and descendeth a 

 lytle ryv' called Colledge. And oute from the southe syde thereof an other lytle 

 brooke or water called Caldegate; and upon the sydes, as well of the said two lytle 

 riv's as nere to other lytle brookes, sprynginge out of the said mountayne and 

 dyscending into the said twoo lytle ryv's, there growyth many allers and other 

 ramell wood, whiche servethe muche for the buildinge of suche small houses as be 

 used and inhabyted by husbandmen in those p'ties. 



" The Scottes, as well by nighte tyme secretly as upon the daie tyme vith a 

 more force do come into the said forrest of Chevyott dy v'se tymes and steale and 

 carrye awaye muche of the said wood, which is to them a greatt proffyte, for the 

 maynte'unce of their houses and buildinges." From HODGSON'S History of Nor- 

 thumberland. 



