"In ploughing Annan's Treat, a huge monumental stone, with an inscription, was discovered; but being rather scratched than engraved, and the lines being run through each other, it is only possible to read one or two Latin words. It probably records the event of the combat. The person slain was the male ancestor of the present Lord Napier. "Tradition affirms, that the hero of the song (be he who he may) was murdered by the brother, either of his wife or betrothed bride. The alleged cause of malice was the lady's father having proposed to endow her with half of his property, upon her marriage with a warrior of such renown. The name of the murderer is said to have been Annan, and the place of combat is still called Annan's Treat. It is a low muir, on the banks of the Yarrow, lying to the west of Yarrow Kirk. Two tall unhewn masses of stone are erected, about eighty yards distant from each other; and the least child, that can herd a cow, will tell the passenger, that there lie 'the two lords, who were slain in single combat.' "It will be, with many readers, the greatest recommendation of these verses, that they are supposed to have suggested to Mr. Hamilton of Bangour, the modern ballad, beginning, 'Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny bonny bride.' "A fragment, apparently regarding the story of the following ballad, but in a different measure, occurs in Mr. Herd's MS., and runs thus:-- 'When I look east, my heart is sair, But when I look west, it's mair and mair; For then I see the braes o' Yarrow, And there, for aye, I lost my marrow.'" We have added an uncollated copy from Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_. Another is furnished by Motherwell, _Minstrelsy_, p. 252. Some of Scott's verses are also found in Herd's fragment, (_Scottish Songs_, i. 202,) and Buchan's _Haughs o' Yarrow_, ii. 211. _The Dowy Den_, in Evans's collection, iii. 342, is the _caput mortuum_ of this spirited ballad. Late at e'en, drinking the wine, And ere they paid the lawing, They set a combat them between, To fight it in the dawing. "O stay at hame, my noble lord, 5 O stay at hame, my marrow! My cruel brother will you betray On the dowie houms of Yarrow."-- "O fare ye weel, my ladye gaye! O fare ye weel, my Sarah! 10 For I maun gae, though I ne'er return Frae the dowie banks o' Yarrow." She kiss'd his cheek, she kaim'd his hair, As oft she had done before, O; She belted him with his noble brand, 15 And he's away to Yarrow. As he gaed up the Tennies bank,[L17] I wot he gaed wi' sorrow, Till, down in a den, he spied nine arm'd men, On the dowie houms of Yarrow. 20 "O come ye here to part your land, The bonnie Forest thorough? Or come ye here to wield your brand, On the dowie houms of Yarrow?"--