332 Anniversary Address. 



one of the last remains of the great forest of Jed, and dis- 

 cussed the origin of the name. That it is derived from the 

 resemblance of the tree to a monk's head with a cowl-on — 

 literally " cape-on/' was generally doubted ; for there are 

 Capon trees elsewhere to which the explanation does not 

 apply. Near Brampton, by the road side, is a Capon tree, 

 under which, according to popular tradition, a cold collation, 

 of which the principal dainties were capons, was provided for 

 the judges of assize, when met there by the authorities of Car- 

 lisle. Reference is made to a Cohan or Capon tree, which 

 may have stood near to Alnwick Castle, in the following 

 rhymes sung by girls Avhile playing at " keppy ball," in 

 order to divine their matrimonial fortunes : — 



Keppy ball, keppy ball, Coban tree, 

 Come down the long loanin' and tell to me 

 The form and the features, the speech and degree 

 Of the man that is my true love to be. 



Keppy ball, keppy ball, Coban tree, 

 Come down the long loanin' and tell to me 

 How many years old I am to be. 



One a maiden, two a wife. 

 Three a maiden, four a wife, &c., 



the numbers being continued as long as the ball can be kept 

 rebounding against the tree.* 



Capon, Coban, and Covine are several names for the same 

 tree, the letters p, b, and v, being interchangeable. Dr. 

 Jamieson defines Covine tree, as " a large tree in front of an 

 old Scottish mansion house where the laird always met his 

 visitors ;" and this corresponds with the more general mean- 

 ing, which was suggested by Mr. Robert Home at the meet- 

 ing, that the name comes from the "kepping," or tryst- 

 ing tree. 



Still following the Jed upward, the party visited the Douglas 

 camp, situated near to Linthaughlee House, on a high ridge 

 with steep scaurs on two sides, and which, though used by 



* I am indebted to Mrs, Busby of Alnwick for this old rhyme. G. T. 



