to me (as I do understand)
To be almost the centre of the land,
This was a blessed heaven expounded riddle,
To thrust great kingdoms skirts into the middle.
Long may the instrumental cause survive.
From him and his, succession still derive
True heirs unto his virtues, and his throne,
That these two kingdoms ever may be one;
This county of all _Scotland_ is most poor,
By reason of the outrages before,
Yet mighty store of corn I saw there grow,
And as good grass as ever man did mow:
And as that day I twenty miles did pass,
I saw eleven hundred neat at grass,
By which may be conjectured at the least,
That there was sustenance for man and beast.
And in the kingdom I have truly scanned,
There's many worser parts, are better manned,
For in the time that thieving was in ure,
The gentles fled to places more secure.
And left the poorer sort, to abide the pain,
Whilst they could ne'er find time to turn again.
The shire of gentlemen is scarce and dainty,
Yet there's relief in great abundance plenty,
Twixt it and England, little odds I see,
They eat, and live, and strong and able be,
So much in verse, and now I'll change my style,
And seriously I'll write in prose awhile.

To the purpose then: my first night's lodging in _Scotland_ was at a
place called _Moffat_, which they say, is thirty miles from _Carlisle_,
but I suppose them to be longer than forty of such miles as are betwixt
_London_ and Saint _Albans_, (but indeed the Scots do allow almost as
large measure of their miles, as they do of their drink, for an English
gallon either of ale or wine, is but their quart, and one Scottish mile
(now and then, may well stand for a mile and a half or two English) but
howsoever short or long, I found that day's journey the weariest that
ever I footed; and at night, being come to the town, I found good
ordinary country entertainment: my fare and my lodging was sweet and
good, and might have served a far better man than myself, although
myself have had many times better: but this is to be noted, that though
it rained not all the day, yet it was my fortune to be well wet twice,
for I waded over a great river called _Esk_ in the morning, somewhat
more than four miles distance from _Carlisle_ in _England_, and at night
within two miles of my lodging, I was fain to wade over the river of
_Annan_ in _Scotland_, from which river the county of _Annandale_, ha