Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.) BORDER RAIDS AND REIVERS. BORDER RAIDS AND REIVERS BY ROBERT BORLAND _MINISTER OF YARROW_ DALBEATTIE: THOMAS FRASER. MDCCCXCVIII. PRINTED AT THE COURIER AND HERALD OFFICES, DUMFRIES, FOR THOMAS FRASER, DALBEATTIE. CONTENTS. PREFACE xv. I. THE AULD ENEMY. PAGE. Extent of Border reiving--Plunder and reprisal--All classes implicated--Double dose of original sin--Victims of an evil fate--Invasions--Threatened annexation of Scotland--Edward's twofold policy--Sacking of Berwick--Feeling of hostility produced--Edward visits Scone and carries off Scottish Sceptre and Crown--Douglas and Edward Bruce-- Borderers animated by a spirit of revenge 1-14 II. PERCY'S PENNON. Battle of Otterburn--Chief combatants--How the encounter was brought about--Destruction of the Abbeys--Meeting of the Scots at Aberdeen--Scottish army assembles at Yetholm-- Method of attack determined upon--Earl Douglas marches through Northumberland--Ravages Durham--Returns to Newcastle--Hotspur and Douglas--Otterburn--Preparations for battle--The English assault--The Douglas slain--Hotspur taken prisoner--Humanity of Borderers 15-32 III. POOR AND LAWLESS. Condition of Scotland--Ancient monasteries--Description of country by AEneas Sylvius--Ignorance of the people--Laws cannot be enforced--The Barons supreme--Law against harbouring thieves--Every man's hand against his neighbour-- Pledges demanded--Banished north of the Forth--Scottish Borderers forbidden to marry daughters of "broken men" in England--No respect paid to the law--Execrable murders committed--Without religion--Hand-fasting 33-54 IV. RAIDS AND FORAYS. Invasions constantly occurring--Many lives sacrificed--How the reivers conducted their expeditions--Leslie's account-- Tracked by bloodhounds--Froissart's description of Borderers--Invasion by Earl of Hertford--Raid by Sir Ralph Eure--Battle of Ancrum Moor--Lord Dacre's devastations-- Borderers retaliate--Horrid cruelties practised--Raid of the Reidswire--Indignation of English Queen--Morton's concessions 55-80 V. WARDENS OF THE MARCHES. Generally officers of high rank--Scottish King limited in his choice--Wardens invested with arbitrary powers--Bonds of alliance--Of little or no value--Ignored when convenient--Wardens well remunerated--Duties pertaining to the office 81-96 VI. THE DAY OF TRUCE.