ile Johne Armistrang, my father,
to umquhile Robert, Lord Maxwell, gudshore to the said Johne, now Lord
Maxwell." It would therefore appear, that the bond of manrent, granted
by John Armstrong, had been the price of his release from the feudal
penalty arising from his having neglected to procure a regular
investiture from his superior. As Johnie only touched the pen, it
appears that he could not write.

Christopher Armstrong, above-mentioned, is the person alluded to in
the conclusion of the ballad--"God be with thee, Kirsty, my son."
He was the father, or grandfather, of William Armstrong, called
_Christie's Will_, a renowned freebooter, some of whose exploits the
reader will find recorded in the third volume of this work.

THE LOCHMABEN HARPER

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.

* * * * *

_The castle of Lochmaben was formerly a noble building, situated upon
a peninsula, projecting into one of the four lakes which are in
the neighbourhood of the royal burgh, and is said to have been the
residence of Robert Bruce, while lord of Annandale. Accordingly,
it was always held to be a royal fortress, the keeping of which,
according to the custom of the times, was granted to some powerful
lord, with an allotment of lands and fishings, for the defence and
maintenance of the place. There is extant a grant, dated 16th March,
1511, to Robert Lauder of the Bass, of the office of captain and
keeper of Lochmaben castle, for seven years, with many perquisites.
Among others, the_ "land, stolen frae the king," _is bestowed upon the
captain, as his proper lands.--What shall we say of a country, where
the very ground was the subject of theft_?

* * * * *

O heard ye na o' the silly blind Harper,
How lang he lived in Lochmaben town?
And how he wad gang to fair England,
To steal the Lord Warden's Wanton Brown!

But first he gaed to his gude wyfe,
Wi' a' the haste that he could thole--
"This wark," quo' he, "will ne'er gae weel,
Without a mare that has a foal."

Quo' she--"Thou hast a gude gray mare,
That can baith lance o'er laigh and hie;
Sae set thee on the gray mare's back,
And leave the foal at hame wi' me."

So he is up to England gane,
And even as fast as he may drie;
And when he cam to Carlisle gate,
O whae was there but the Warden, he?

"Come into my hall, thou silly blind Harper,
And of thy harping let me hear!"
"O by