47. Adventurers they, etc. Scott says: "The Scottish armies consisted chiefly of the nobility and barons, with their vassals, who held lands under them for military service by themselves and their tenants. The patriarchal influence exercised by the heads of clans in the Highlands and Borders was of a different nature, and sometimes at variance with feudal principles. It flowed from the Patria Potestas, exercised by the chieftain as representing the original father of the whole name, and was often obeyed in contradiction to the feudal superior. James V. seems first to have introduced, in addition to the militia furnished from these sources, the service of a small number of mercenaries, who formed a body-guard, called the Foot-Band. The satirical poet, Sir David Lindsay (or the person who wrote the prologue to his play of the Three Estaites), has introduced Finlay of the Foot-Band, who after much swaggering upon the stage is at length put to flight by the Fool, who terrifies him by means of a sheep's skull upon a pole. I have rather chosen to give them the harsh features of the mercenary soldiers of the period, than of this Scottish Thraso. These partook of the character of the Adventurous Companions of Froissart, or the Condottieri of Italy." 53. The Fleming, etc. The soil of Flanders is very fertile and productive, in marked contrast to the greater part of Scotland. 60. Halberd. A combination of spear and battle-axe. See Wb. 63. Holytide. Holiday. For tide = time, see on iii. 478 above. 73. Neighboring to. That is, lying in adjacent rooms. 75. Burden. Alluding to the burden, or chorus, of a song. Cf. ii. 392 above. The MS. has "jest" for joke; and in the next line "And rude oaths vented by the rest." 78. Trent. the English river of that name. Cf. 231 below. 84. That day. Modifying cut shore, not grieved. 87. A merry catch, I troll. Cf. Shakespeare, Temp, iii. 2. 126: "will you troll the catch," etc. 88. Buxom. Lively, brisk; as in Hen. V. iii. 6. 27: "of buxom valour," etc. Its original sense was yielding, obedient; as in F. Q. i. 11. 37: "the buxome aire" (see also Milton, P. L. ii. 842); and Id. iii. 2. 23: "Of them that to him buxome are and prone." For the derivation, see Wb. 90. Poule. Paul; an old spelling, found in Chaucer and other writers. The measure of the song is anapestic (that is, with the accent on every third syllable), with modifications. 92. Black-jack. A kind of pitcher made of leather. Taylor quotes Old Mortality, chap. viii.: "The large black-jack filled with very small beer." 93. Sack. A name applied to Spanish and Canary wines in general; but sometimes the particular kind was specified. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. iv. 3. 104: "good sherris-sack" (that is, sherry wine); and Herrick, Poems: "thy isles shall lack Grapes, before Herrick leaves Canarie sack."