A BORDER TOWER 247 



day by the descendants of those who did fealty for 

 them to Malcolm Canmore. The endurance of the 

 Haigs of Bemersyde in their primitive home is the 

 more remarkable because they have never been a 

 powerful family, nor have they been careful to 

 extend the originally modest acreage of their terri- 

 tory by judicious marriages. But it is theirs to 

 boast of the prophetic charter bestowed by Thomas 

 the Ehymer before the family of Haig had been a 

 century in possession 



' Tyde what may betyde, 

 Haig shall be Haig of Bemersyde.' l 



Of the great feudal families of Tweeddale many have 

 passed away Avenel, de Soulis, and Maxwell, de 

 Vipont, de Vesci and Comyn either they have died 

 out or acquired lands in other districts ; the power- 

 ful religious houses also the Austin Canons of Jed- 

 burgh, the Tironensian monks of Kelso, the Cister- 

 cians of Melrose, and the Premonstratensians of 

 sweet Dryburgh have disappeared long ago; but 

 still Haig is Haig of Bemersyde. 



i Less complimentary is the paraphrase on this distich applied 

 to another Border family 



' Whate'er betide, whate'er befa', 

 There'll aye be gowks at Purves Ha'. 



