Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 25 



and their aunt, as well as their mother, used to divert themselves 

 at the expense of his youthful simplicity. Allan Eamsay was 

 also wont to be domiciled here. In 1721, Eamsay wrote some 

 lines " Spoken to -^olus, in the house of Marlefield, on the night 

 of a violent wind." He retained warm impressions of the charms 

 of Marlefield. Writing April 8, 1724, to William Eamsay, of 

 Templehall, Esq., he speaks of his seat as being another Marle- 

 field.* It has been attempted to identify Marlefield with the 

 scenery of the " Q-entle Shepherd," but the tokens of verisimili- 

 tude are inconclusive. Mowses burn, and Mowses knowe, two 

 of the coincidences, are merely derived from the old name of the 

 place Mow-mains, f Nor could Sir William Bennet, a prominent 

 Whig, nor his father a persecuted Presbyterian, be accepted as 

 Sir William Worthy, whom the poet makes a cavalier : 

 " Sir William — To whom belongs this house so much decay' d ? 

 Symon~To one that lost it, lending generous aid 



To bear the head up, when rebellious tail 

 Against the laws of nature did prevail." 

 The Irish Yews {Taxus fastigiata) in front had been nearly 

 kiUed by the late winter. There are some fine beeches and other 

 timber about the house, and in the ground behind : 



" A noble horde, 



A brotherhood of venerable trees." 

 The trees in general were reckoned to be about two hundred 

 years old. The place was in possession of the Bennets before 

 1677. Measurements with a tape line were made of several of 

 the best trees, by Mr Thomson and Mr Loney. In some in- 

 stances, however, the basal girth was taken too low, and 



* Ramsay's Works, i., p. 179 ; iii, p. 243, Fullarton's edition. This 

 was not TemplehaU near Coldingham, which with all the other lands and 

 superiorities in and about Coldingham, belonging to Renton, was pur- 

 chased by William Eamsay, Esq., the son (?) of the poet's correspondent, 

 in 1746, from Sir John Home. Mr Eamsay is said to have named the 

 Berwickshire TemplehaU after his original estate. In 1764, Mr Eam- 

 say, then resident at Broomlands, sold a tenement of houses near the 

 kirkyard of Coldingham, to John Tuck. This is witnessed by James Eam- 

 say his eldest son, and David Eamsay his 4th son. Previous to 1774, he 

 disponed Templehall to Mr Thomas Johnston. It appears from the Scots 

 Mag., vol. Lxviii. p. 400, that Mr Ramsay was dead before April 27, 1806. 

 These particulars are from private papers. 



t New Stat. Account of Eoxburghshire, p. 228, where it is first pro- 

 pounded. It is accepted by Mr Jeffrey, Eoxburghshire, iii., pp. 338-340. 



D 



