116 Rev. John Walker on Greenlaw. 



the large and contiguous cairns on the '^ Twinlaw/' a promi- 

 nent eminence of the Lammermuir range, a few miles to the 

 north-west. The armies having afterwards engaged in battle 

 on the southern descent of the Lammermoors, near to Wed- 

 derlie, the British Chief was himself either mortally wounded 

 or slain in the action, and, on the route of his dispirited army, 

 was interred in that lonely mound by the Blackadder,* 



There may have been no foundation in real occurrences 

 for this old tradition. It may have been invented to explain 

 the name " Twinlaw" ; and I understand that in the ancient 

 British " twin" has nearly the same meaning as " law," and 

 signifies a hill. At the same time, where the population of a 

 district are allowed to continue in it, tradition lingers long; 

 and it is right, and really interesting, to state that the cairns 

 were opened some years ago by Mr. Spottiswoode of Spottis- 

 woode, the proprietor of the mountain, and were found each 

 to contain one stone coffin. 



Rocks, &c. — Of the geognostic features of the distrct I am 

 not competent to speak with any authority ; and the points 

 open to observation which I am acquainted with, seem to me 

 not to afford sufficient data to answer conclusively the few 

 curious questions which may arise. In the northern part of 

 the parish the formation seems to be uniform with that which 

 generally prevails in the south base of the Lammermoors ; 

 and the southern portion, as it passes into the Merse, seems 

 to be of the same character, with the exception perhaps of 

 the sandstone. Its higher grounds and eminences have been 

 raised nearly as they are now about the time when the agency 



* Some stanzas of an ancient but modernised ballad referring to this matter 

 are presented, it is believed for the first time, in the account of Westruther 

 Parish in the new Statistical History of Scotland. The following, with some 

 others, were kindly given to me by a lady, who took them from the recitation of 

 an aged person, who was their only custodier : — 



A Chieftain of the Saxon band, " Cursed be the sword, my dear brother, 



Spake out wi' pride and might ; That wounded thee sae deep ; 



And daui'ed the bauldest o' the Scots A dreary tryst ha'e we this day ; 



Out to a single fight. But side by side we'll sleep." 



Their leader had a youthfu' son ; It was beside the "Watch "Water 



Flower of the Scottish band ; Their spirits passed away ; 



Wba quickly wi' him did agree And on the top o' yon high hill, 



To fight him band to hand. They buried their comely clay. 



Baitb armies stude in sair suspense, Frae the "Watch "Water to the hill top 



This combat for to view ; They've ranged them in a raw ; 



And the Scottish leader steppit forth And frae ae band till anither 



To bid his son adieu. The smooth burn stanes did thraw. 



And they biggit two cairns on the heather. 

 They biggit them round and hie ; 



And they stand on the Twinlaw hill, 

 "Where thir twa brothers lie. 



