OCTOBER 201 



at Flodden in 1513. In those rare intervals when 

 slaying was slack in their own country, the sons of 

 the house sought soldier's fortune on the Continent. 

 Young James Haig, an officer in garrison at Utrecht 

 in 1626, writes home to his brother, begging for some 

 decent clothes, and explaining that the dilapidated 

 state of his wardrobe interferes sorely against his 

 promotion : 



'Zou sail take a view of my mother's lettar, where I 

 intreited her ernestlie to send me over cloathes, in so much 

 I doe expect a Collar of my colonell ; and to that I be into 

 ffashion I am ashamed to presoum in the samen. Wharby I 

 entreit zou, my dear brother, to show her credit in the 

 samen ; ffor gif echo doe not, I am undone, ffor I am all out 

 of ffashione. Itt is agenst nattural flavour toe mak me loss 

 my owen ffortun ffor lacke of putting me in ffashion.' 



The Haigs may have disdained dandyism, but they 

 were not behind the 'ffashioun' of the best Scottish 

 families in occasional disdain of the law of the land. 

 In 1535 Robert Haig was convicted of three separate 

 acts of ' stouthrief and spulzie,' committed against his 

 neighbours the Haliburtons of Mertoun ; having, in the 

 years 1519, 1521, and 1522, driven off horses, cattle, and 

 sheep from their lands. Abduction, again, as students 

 of family history must be aware, was a favourite 

 pastime of country gentlemen of old, and in 1675 

 Anthony, laird of Bemersyde, shared in an exciting 

 day's sport, assisting in carrying off Jean Home, heiress 

 of Aytoun, and forcibly marrying her to ' a poor young 

 boy, George Home, son to Kimmerghauie.' Oddly 



