Battling, Roaring Willie. By the late Sir W. Elliot. 481 



place them in the scale against the wide-spread popularity which 

 his verses gained for him in his own day. 



The Hendersons were a considerable sept in Teviotdale, 1 where 

 the name is still common. 



Those members of the Club who were present at Branxholme, 

 will remember the keen interest with which Sir Walter Elliot 

 told us of his discovery, in the Presb} T tery Eecords at Jedburgh, 

 of the citation of " Rattling Roaring Willie," from which he was 

 able to fix approximately the date of his execution, and will 

 feel, with every member of the Club, the loss it has sustained in 

 his lamentable death. 



He was engaged on his paper until within a day or two of his 

 death. He had written the preceding portion, and had himself 

 revised almost the whole of it. 1 have made hardly any altera- 

 tions, but have added a few notes. Sir Walter intended to have 

 concluded with some remarks on the old air of " Rattling, Roaring 

 Willie," and this information I have attempted to supply. 



That the air was a popular one there can be no doubt, as it 

 has been set to several sets of words, amongst others by Allan 

 Ramsay, to L.W.M. in the Tea-Table Miscellany, 9th edition 

 1733, vol. i., p. 79. 



" Oh Mary ! thy graces and glances, 



Thy smiles are enchantingly gay," &c. 



The 1st edition of the 1st vol. appeared in 1724 ; but the above 

 is the earliest edition in the British Museum, 3 vols, in one, and 

 from a MS. note at the end of the preceding song, probably by 

 Jas. Chalmers, that " all the preceding were published in a small 

 vol. 16mo. early in 1724,- it is most likely that this was the first 

 edition in which this song appeared. The preceding song, the 

 last in the volume of previous editions, being to the air, 

 " Gallowshiels," and commencing 



" Ah the shepherd's mournful fate, 



When doomed to love, and doomed to languish. " 



This is so far corroborated by Mr Muir Wood, who has seen 

 the oth edition (pirated) published in Dublin 1729, in which 

 the above was the last song in the 1st vol. 



1 They seem to have been a pugnacious race, and it is curious that in 

 searching for facts relating to his history, a notice was found of a transfer of 

 land in 1626 to another Sir William Henderson surnamed " Harle-sword," 

 (quasi, clearing away all obstructions with his sword), bnrgess of Jedburgh ! 



2 Com. by Mr W. Barclay Squire, M.A., British Museum. 



2 I 



