stories first-hand in some cases from those rendered homeless by the
raid, who had fled to the Netherlands where he had met them. Briefly the
raid was undertaken on the pretended plea of an invitation from the
"King's men" or adherents of the infant James; but in reality to chastise
Scotland and reduce it to servility. Sussex and Lord Hunsdon in the east,
Lord Scrope on the west, had harried, burnt, and destroyed in the whole
countryside about the Borders. Especially had Tiviotdale suffered.
Altogether it was calculated that Sussex had burned three hundred
villages and blown up fifty castles, and forty more "strong houses," some
of these latter, however, being little more than border peels. Mr.
Stewart's accounts were the more moving in that he spoke in a quiet
delicate tone, and used little picturesque phrases in his speech.

"Twelve years ago," said Mr. Stewart, "I was at Branxholme myself. It was
a pleasant house, well furnished and appointed; fortified, too, as all
need to be in that country, with sheaves of pikes in all the lower rooms,
and Sir Walter Scott gave me a warm welcome, for I was there on a
business that pleased him. He showed me the gardens and orchards, all
green and sweet, like these of yours, Lady Maxwell. And it seemed to me a
home where a man might be content to spend all his days. Well, my Lord
Sussex has been a visitor there now; and what he has left of the house
would not shelter a cow, nor what is left of the pleasant gardens sustain
her. At least, so one of the Scots told me whom I met in the Netherlands
in June."

He talked, too, of the extraordinary scenes of romance and chivalry in
which Mary Queen of Scots moved during her captivity under Lord Scrope's
care at Bolton Castle in the previous year. He had met in his travels in
France one of her undistinguished adherents who had managed to get a
position in the castle during her detention there.

"The country was alive with her worshippers," said Mr. Stewart. "They
swarmed like bees round a hive. In the night voices would be heard crying
out to her Grace out of the darkness round the castle; and when the
guards rode out they would find no man but maybe hear just a laugh or
two. Her men would lie out at night and watch her window (for she would
never go to rest till late), and pray towards it as if it were a light
before the blessed sacrament. When she rode out a-hunting, with her
guards of course about her, and my Lord Scrope or Sir Francis