JtJLY 153 



Having done full justice to the welcome meal, the 

 Scots pillaged the building, piled the stores and pro- 

 visions which were too heavy to remove, broached the 

 wine-barrels, beheaded their prisoners, and, tossing into 

 the heap the bodies of men and horses, set fire to it 

 and burnt the castle to the ground. This grisly affair 

 was remembered as the ' Douglas Larder ' ; for, says 

 Barbour 



' Mele and malt and blud and wyn 

 Kan all togidder in a mellyn, 

 That was unsemly for to se : 

 Tharfor the men of that cuntre, 

 For sic thingis thar mellit 1 wer, 

 Callit it the Douglas lardener.' 



This took place on March 19th, and de Clifford was 

 busy all that summer in rebuilding the castle. Sir 

 John de Wanton was placed in command, having been 

 made constable at his own request. He loved a lady, 

 it seems, who was not unkind, but would only consent 

 to 'name the day' after he had proved himself 'ane 

 gud bacheler' by holding this terrible fortress for a 

 whole year no light task, considering how closely its 

 rightful owner kept his eye on it. Lanark Fair took 

 place early in October of the same year in which the 

 Douglas Larder had been enacted. Douglas deemed 

 it high time to beat up the English quarters again. 

 He laid a strong ambush near the castle, and, choosing 

 fourteen stout fellows, caused them to pull country 

 frocks over their harness, to stuff some sacks with grass 



1 Mingled. 



