292 NOTES ON THE FLODDEN BANNER 



Beneath the crest of old Dunbar, 

 And Hepburn's mingled banners come 

 Down the steep mountain, glittering far. 

 And shouting still, 'a Home, a Home' ! " 



Considering who the writer was, of letter and lines, I feel 

 I need not apologise for having quoted them in full. The 

 new stanza follows on that alluding to the " Truce," which 

 ends with the lines : — 



" And feudal banners, fair displayed, 

 The bands that moved to Branksome's aid," 



showing that on all warlike occasions each feudal company 

 or troop had its banner. It is mentioned in the archives 

 of my family that the Wedderburn vassals and retainers, 

 being attached to the royal brigade at Flodden in 1513, the 

 commander, Sir David Home, was slain in defence of the 

 King's person ; and that, while the body of the hapless 

 monarch fell into the enemy's hands, the chief's body, icitk 

 his standard, was brought off the bloody field by his followers 

 and interred in the family vault in Duns Church. 



It is also stated that the colours of the Covenanters in the 

 reign of King Charles II. were lodged at Wedderburn ; 

 while the standard and colours of the Wedderburn detach- 

 ment that fought at the battle— the " Drave," as it is 

 sometimes called — of Dunbar, in September 1650, against 

 Cromwell, were brought from the field, wrapped round the 

 dead body of the Sir David Home of that day, who, with 

 his only son, fell at Dunbar. 



In 1822, when the banner, I write of, was brought to 

 modern* light, an eye-witness stated that it was "visibly 



* The banner hidden away in an ancient Charter Chest seems to 

 have been in a way forgotten, and was discovered, in 1822, when 

 searching for papers connected with a noble Border House. It seems 

 to have been unknown to Sir Walter's friend and correspondent, or 

 in the quickly succeeding third edition of the " Lay," in a learned 

 historic note, this inadequate paper would probably have been 

 anticipated by a paper penned by the Mighty Minstrel himself. 



