114 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



black letter. * Sir Walter Scott supposes the date to be 

 about 1553; lie gives another version of the same 

 ballad, with several variations, in his " Border Min- 

 strelsy." The most important of these is that Lord 

 Hume — who, instead of Whitefoord, entreats, not the 

 bishop, but the judge, for Hughie Graeme's release — 

 offers " twenty white owsen " (oxen), which seems more 

 probable than " five hundred white stots ; " but both 

 equally prove the existence of such a breed in that 

 country at that time, and that it was one of superior 

 value. 



Another white Cumberland herd, whose existence may 

 perhaps throw light on the preceding ballad, remains yet 

 to be noticed. It has unfortunately altogether disap- 

 peared ; but its cattle must have been splendid animals, 

 and the following description of them, by one who knew 

 them well, would lead one strongly to believe that they 

 had a very large infusion of the wild blood : — " The Lyrick 

 breed, which emanated from the Hall of that name at 

 the western foot of Skiddaw, were truly a beautiful race, 

 with fine spreading horns, and nearly pure white, except 

 the ears and muzzle, which were dark brown, and a few 

 small dark spots on the sides and legs. When seen in 

 herds, their lively figure and lofty carriage rendered them 

 probably as ornamental a kind of cattle as England 

 produced at the time ; but their indifferent milking 

 qualities hastened their extinction." f 



* One in the collection of the Duke of Roxburghe ; another in the 

 hands of John Rayne, Esq., from a collation of which the ballad, as given 

 in Ritson's " Ancient Songs," was taken. Scott's copy was procured from 

 his friend, Mr. W. Laidlaw, and had been long current in Selkirkshire. It 

 was sent, as it here appears, to the " Scot's Musical Museum " by Burns, 

 whose version was derived from oral tradition. 



t William Dickinson's Prize Essay, "On the Farming of Cumberland : " 



