160 Notice of Stone Cannon Balls, by David Milne Home. 



is that Mons Meg had been brought to this field, and that a 

 Stone Ball fired from it had fallen short of the Castle and fell 

 into the Tweed, where it had lain till discovered on the occasion 

 just referred to, when the river was unusually low. The Ball 

 was drawn out from the channel by some of the Norham fisher- 

 men, and was taken up to the Castle in a cart. 



Thinking that Scottish historical books might throw light on 

 the subject, I went to the Library of the Society of Scottish 

 Antiquaries, and obtained access to a book containing copies of 

 extracts from the Scottish Lord High Treasurer's Accounts, in 

 which all expenditure by or for the Scottish Executive Govern- 

 ment is minutely detailed. There is a valuable preface by Mr 

 Dickson of the Edinburgh Eegister House, which supplies the 

 following particulars :— 



" Mons Meg'''' is supposed to have been constructed at the town 

 of Mons, in Flanders ; and to have been brought to Scotland 

 about the year 1455. At that time there was great intercourse 

 between Scotland and Flanders, and many articles were ob- 

 tained from Flanders. Prior to 1497, occasional references are 

 made to the gun under the appellation only of Mons. In July, 

 1489, it seems to have been taken to Glasgow to assist in the 

 siege of Dumbarton. In the year 1578, the gun is still referred 

 to in the Treasury Accounts, under the name of Mons. In the 

 year 1650 it is referred to in these accounts as ^^ the great iron 

 murderer Muchle Meg.'''' 



In the early part of the summer of 1497, preparations began 

 to be made in Scotland for a siege of Norham Castle. It seems 

 that the expense of military expeditions at that period was 

 arranged in this way : — That the king made a proclamation of a 

 raid having been resolved on, and that thereupon each district 

 of country was bound to send a certain number of men, provided 

 with arms and also with provisions to last 21 days. The cost of 

 the artillery fell on the sovereign personally. 



Mr Dickson states that a tax called " Spear Silver" was on 

 such occasions leviable from the inhabitants of towns ; but that 

 in order to obtain exemption from supplying soldiers and from 

 paying this tax it was allowable to contribute a slump sum of 

 money. The following entries illustrate this point : — 



" 1497. July 18. — Received fra the community of the toune of 

 Perth, for ane composition maid with thaim be the King, for leif 

 to them to remain at hame/m the Eaid of NoremJ^ 



