as deer. _Shear_, swiftly. _Grevis_, groves. _Glent_, glanced, flashed by. _Oware off none_, hour of noon. _Mart_, death-signal (as used in hunting.) _Quyrry_, quarry, slaughtered game. _Bryttlynge_, cutting up. _Wyste_, knew. _Byll and brande_, axe and sword. _Glede_, live coal. _The ton_, the one. _Yerle_, earl. _Cars_, curse. _Nam_, name. _Wat_, wot, know. _Sloughe_, slew. _Byddys_, abides. _Wouche_, injury. _Ost_, host. _Suar_, sure. _Many a doughete the garde to dy_, many a doughty (knight) they caused to die. _Basnites_, small helmets. _Myneyeple_, maniple (of many folds), a coat worn under the armor. _Freyke_, warrior. _Swapte_, smote. _Myllan_, Milan. _Hight_, promise. _Spendyd_, grasped (spanned). _Corsiare_, courser. _Blane_, halted. _Dynte_, stroke. _Halyde_, hauled. _Stour_, press of battle. _Dre_, endure. _Hinde_, gentle. _Hewyne in to_, hewn in two. _The mayde them byears_, they made them biers. _Makys_, mates. _Carpe off care_, tell of sorrow. _March perti_, the Border district. _Lyff-tenant_, lieutenant. _Weal_, clasp. _Brook_, enjoy. _Quyte_, avenged. _That tear begane this spurn_, that wrong caused this retaliation. _Reane_, rain. _Ballys bete_, sorrows amend. EDOM O' GORDON. After Aytoun. This ballad was first printed at Glasgow, 1755, as taken down by Sir David Dalrymple "from the recitation of a lady," and was afterwards inserted--"interpolated and corrupted," says the unappeasable Ritson--in Percy's _Reliques_. Ritson himself published a genuine and ancient copy from a manuscript belonging apparently to the last quarter of the sixteenth century and preserved in the Cotton Library. The ballad is known under two other titles, _Captain Car_ and _The Burning o' London Castle._ Notwithstanding this inexactitude in names, the ballad has an historical basis. In 1571 Adam Gordon, deputy-lieutenant of the North of Scotland for Queen Mary, was engaged in a struggle against the clan Forbes, who upheld the Reformed Faith and the King's party. Gordon was successful in two sharp encounters, but "what glory and renown he obtained of these two victories," says the contemporary History of King James the Sixth, "was all cast down by the infamy of his next attempt; for immediately after this last conflict he directed his soldiers to the castle of Towie, desiring the house to be rendered to him in the Queen's name; which was obstinately refused by the lady, and she burst forth with certain injurious words. And the soldiers being impatient, by command of their leader, Captain Ker, fire was put to the house, wherein she and the number of twenty-seven persons were cruelly burnt to the death."