The Three Perils of Man; or, War, Women, and Witchcraft, Vol. 1 (of 3) Read online

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  THE

  THREE PERILS OF MAN:

  _A BORDER ROMANCE_.

  THE THREE PERILS OF MAN;

  OR, War, Women, and Witchcraft.

  _A BORDER ROMANCE._

  BY JAMES HOGG, AUTHOR OF "WINTER-EVENING TALES," "BROWNIE OF BODSBECK," "QUEEN'S WAKE," _&c._ _&c._

  IN THREE VOLUMES.

  VOL. I.

  Beshrew me if I dare open it. FLETCHER.

  LONDON: LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

  1822.

  JOHN MOIR, Printer, Edinburgh, 1822.

  TO WILLIAM STEWART ROSE, ESQ. AS A SMALL MEMORIAL OF _YARROW_, AND THE SHEPHERD'S HUMBLE SHEIL, THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR.

  THE

  THREE PERILS OF MAN.

  CHAPTER I.

  There was a king, and a courteous king, And he had a daughter sae bonnie; And he lo'ed that maiden aboon a' thing I' the bonnie, bonnie halls o' Binnorie.

  * * * * *

  But wae be to thee, thou warlock wight, My malison come o'er thee, For thou hast undone the bravest knight, That ever brak bread i' Binnorie!

  _Old Song._

  The days of the Stuarts, kings of Scotland, were the days ofchivalry and romance. The long and bloody contest that the nationmaintained against the whole power of England, for the recovery of itsindependence,--of those rights which had been most unwarrantably wrestedfrom our fathers by the greatest and most treacherous sovereign of thatage, with the successful and glorious issue of the war, laid thefoundation for this spirit of heroism, which appears to have been at itszenith about the time that the Stuarts first acquired the sovereignty ofthe realm. The deeds of the Douglasses, the Randolphs, and other borderbarons of that day, are not to be equalled by any recorded in ourannals; while the reprisals that they made upon the English, inretaliation for former injuries, enriched both them and their followers,and rendered their appearance splendid and imposing to a degree thatwould scarcely now gain credit. It was no uncommon thing for a Scottishearl then to visit the Court at the head of a thousand horsemen, allsplendidly mounted in their military accoutrements; and many of thesegentlemen of rank and family. In court and camp, feats of arms were thetopic of conversation, and the only die that stamped the character of aman of renown, either with the fair, the monarch, or the chiefs of theland. No gentleman of noble blood would pay his addresses to hismistress, until he had broken a spear with the knights of the rivalnation, surprised a strong-hold, or driven a prey from the kinsmen ofthe Piercies, the Musgraves, or the Howards. As in all other things thatrun to a fashionable extremity, the fair sex took the lead inencouraging these deeds of chivalry, till it came to have the appearanceof a national mania. There were tournaments at the castle of everyfeudal baron and knight. The ploughmen and drivers were oftendiscovered, on returning from the fields, hotly engaged in a tiltingbout with their goads and plough-staves; and even the little boys andmaidens on the village green, each well mounted on a crooked stick, weredaily engaged in the combat, and riding rank and file against eachother, breaking their tiny weapons in the furious onset, while the mimicfire flashed from their eyes. Then was the play of _Scots and English_begun, a favourite one on the school green to this day. Such was thespirit of the age, not only in Scotland, but over all the countries ofsouthern Europe, when the romantic incidents occurred on which thefollowing tale is founded. It was taken down from the manuscript of anold Curate, who had spent the latter part of his life in the village ofMireton, and was given to the present Editor by one of those tenants whonow till the valley where stood the richest city of this realm.

  There were once a noble king and queen of Scotland, as many in that landhave been.--In this notable tell-tale manner, does old Isaac, thecurate, begin his narrative. It will be seen in the sequel, that thisking and queen were Robert the Second and his consort.--They werebeloved by all their subjects, (continues he,) and loved and favouredthem in return; and the country enjoyed happiness and peace, all save apart adjoining to the borders of England. The strong castle of Roxburgh,which was the key of that country, had been five times taken by theEnglish, and three times by the Scots, in less than seventeen months,and was then held by the gallant Lord Musgrave for Richard king ofEngland.

  Our worthy king had one daughter, of exquisite beauty andaccomplishments; the flower of all Scotland, and her name was Margaret.This princess was courted by many of the principal nobility of the land,who all eagerly sought an alliance with the royal family, not only forthe additional honour and power which it conferred on them and theirposterity, but for the personal charms of the lady, which were of thathigh eminence, that no man could look on her without admiration. Thisemulation of the lords kept the court of King Robert full of bustle,homage, and splendour. All were anxious to frustrate the designs oftheir opponents, and to forward their own; so that high jealousies wereoften apparent in the sharp retorts, stern looks, and nodding plumes ofthe rival wooers; and as the princess had never disclosed her partialityfor one above another, it was judged that Robert scarcely dared openlyto give the preference to any of them. A circumstance, however, soonoccurred, which brought the matter fairly to the test.

  It happened on a lovely summer day, at the end of July, that three andtwenty noble rivals for the hand of the beauteous princess were allassembled at the palace of Linlithgow; but the usual gaiety, mirth, andrepartee did not prevail; for the king had received bad tidings thatday, and he sat gloomy and sad.

  Musgrave had issued from the castle of Roxburgh, had surprised thecastle of Jedburgh, and taken prisoner William, brother to the lord ofGalloway; slain many loyal Scottish subjects, and wasted Teviotdale withfire and sword. The conversation turned wholly on the state of affairson the border, and the misery to which that country was exposed by thecastle of Roxburgh remaining in the hands of the English; and at lengththe king enquired impatiently, how it came that Sir Philip Musgrave hadsurprised the castle this last time, when his subjects were so wellaware of their danger.

  The earl of Hume made answer, that it was wholly an affair of chivalry,and one of the bravest and noblest acts that ever was performed.Musgrave's mistress, the lady Jane Howard, of the blood royal, and thegreatest heiress of the north of England, had refused to see him, unlesshe gained back his honour by the retaking of that perilous castle, andkeeping it against all force, intercession, or guile, till the end ofthe Christmas holidays. That he had accomplished the former in the mostgallant stile; and, from the measures that he had adopted, and theadditional fortifications that he had raised, there was everypossibility that he would achieve the latter.

  "What," said the king, "must the spirit of chivalry then be confined tothe country of our enemies? Have our noble dames of Scotland lessheroism in their constitutions than those of the south? Have they fewerof the charms of beauty, or have their lovers less spirit to fulfiltheir commands? By this sceptre in my right hand, I will give mydaughter, the princess Margaret, to the knight who shall take thatcastle of Roxburgh out of the hands of the English before the expiry ofthe Christmas holidays."

  Every lord and knight was instantly on his feet to accept the proposal,and every one had his hand stretched towards the royal chair foraudience, when Margaret
arose herself, from the king's left hand, whereshe was seated, and flinging her left arm backward, on which swung ascarf of gold, and stretching her right, that gleamed with bracelets ofrubies and diamonds, along the festive board, "Hold, my noble lords,"said she; "I am too deeply interested here not to have a word to say.The grandchild of the great Bruce must not be given away to everyadventurer without her own approval. Who among you will venture hishonour and his life for me?" Every knight waved his right hand aloft anddashed it on the hilt of his sword, eyeing the graceful attitude anddignified form of the princess with raptures of delight. "It is well,"continued she, "the spirit of chivalry _has not_ deserted the Scottishnation--hear me then: My father's vow shall stand; I will give my handin marriage to the knight who shall take that castle for the king, myfather, before the expiry of the Christmas holidays, and rid our borderof that nest of reavers; but with this proviso only, that, in case ofhis attempting and failing in the undertaking, he shall forfeit all hislands, castles, towns, and towers to me, which shall form a part of mymarriage-portion to his rival. Is it fit that the daughter of a kingshould be given up or won as circumstances may suit, or that the riskshould all be on one side? Who would be so unreasonable as expect it?This, then, with the concurrence of my lord and father, is mydetermination, and by it will I stand."

  The conditions were grievously hard, and had a damping and dismal effecton the courtly circle. The light of every eye deadened into a dim andsullen scowl. It was a deed that promised glory and renown to adventuretheir blood for such a dame,--to win such a lady as the Princess ofScotland: But, to give up their broad lands and castles to enrich ahated rival, was an obnoxious consideration, and what in all likelihoodwas to be the issue. When all the forces of the land had been unable totake the castle by storm, where was the probability that any of them wasnow to succeed? None accepted the conditions. Some remained silent; someshook their heads, and muttered incoherent mumblings; others strodeabout the room, as if in private consultation.

  "My honoured liege," said Lady Margaret, "none of the lords or knightsof your court have the spirit to accept of my conditions. Be pleasedthen to grant me a sufficient force. I shall choose the officers forthem myself, and I engage to take the castle of Roxburgh beforeChristmas. I will disappoint the bloody Musgrave of his bride; and theworld shall see whether the charms of Lady Jane Howard or those ofMargaret Stuart shall rouse their admirers to deeds of the mostdesperate valour. Before the Christmas bells have tolled, that shall betried on the rocks, in the rivers, in the air, and the bowels of theearth. In the event of my enterprise proving succesful, all the guerdonthat I ask is, the full and free liberty of giving my hand to whom Iwill. It shall be to no one that is here." And so saying she struck itupon the table, and again took her seat at the king's left hand.

  Every foot rung on the floor with a furious tramp, in unison with thatstroke of the princess's hand. The taunt was not to be brooked. Nor wasit. The haughty blood of the Douglasses could bear it no longer. James,the gallant earl of Douglas and Mar, stepped forward from the circle."My honoured liege, and master," said he, "I have not declined theprincess's offer,--beshrew my heart if ever it embraced such a purpose.But the stake is deep, and a moment's consideration excusable. I haveconsidered, and likewise decided. I accept the lady's proposals. With myown vassals alone, and at my own sole charge, will I rescue the castlefrom the hands of our enemies, or perish in the attempt. The odds arehigh against me. But it is now a Douglas or a Musgrave: God prosper thebravest!"

  "Spoken like yourself, noble Douglas," said the king, "The higher thestake the greater the honour. The task be yours, and may the issue addanother laurel to the heroic name."

  "James of Douglas," said Lady Margaret, "dost thou indeed accept ofthese hard conditions for my sake? Then the hand of thy royal mistressshall buckle on the armour in which thou goest to the field, but nevershall unloose it, unless from a victor or a corse!" And with that shestretched forth her hand, which Douglas, as he kneeled with one knee onthe ground, took and pressed to his lips.

  Every one of the nobles shook Douglas by the hand, and wished himsuccess. Does any man believe that there was one among them that indeedwished it? No, there was not a chief present that would not haverejoiced to have seen him led to the gallows. His power was too highalready, and they dreaded that now it might be higher than ever; and,moreover, they saw themselves outdone by him in heroism, and feltdegraded by the contract thus concluded.

  The standard of the Douglas was reared, and the bloody heart flew farover many a lowland dale. The subordinate gentlemen rose with theirvassals, and followed the banner of their chief; but the more powerfulkept aloof, or sent ambiguous answers. They deemed the serviceundertaken little better than the frenzy of a madman.

  There was at that time a powerful border baron, nicknamed Sir RinganRedhough, by which name alone he was distinguished all the rest of hislife. He was warden of the middle marches, and head of the most warlikeand adventurous sept in all that country. The answer which this herogave to his own cousin, Thomas Middlemas, who came to expostulate withhim from Douglas, is still preserved verbatim: "What, man, are a' mybrave lads to lie in bloody claes that the Douglas may lie i' snaw-whitesheets wi' a bonny bedfellow? Will that keep the braid border for theking, my master? Tell him to keep their hands fu', an' their haunchestoom, an' they'll soon be blythe to leave the lass an' loup at theladle; an' the fient ae cloot shall cross the border to gar their potsplay brown atween Dirdan-head and Cocket-fell. Tell him this, an' tellhim that Redhough said it. If he dinna work by wiles he'll never pouchthe profit. But if he canna do it, an' owns that he canna do it, let himsend word to me, an' I'll tak' it for him."

  With these words he turned his back, and abruptly left his cousin, whoreturned to Douglas, ill satisfied with the success of his message, but,nevertheless, delivered it faithfully. "That curst carle," said theDouglas, "is a thorn in my thigh, as well as a buckler on my arm. He'sas cunning as a fox, as stubborn as an oak, and as fierce as a lion. Imust temporize for the present, as I cannot do without his support, butthe time may come that he may be humbled, and made to know his betters;since one endeavour has failed, we must try another, and, if that do notsucceed, another still."

  The day after that, as Sir Ringan was walking out at his own gate, anold man, with a cowl, and a long grey beard, accosted him. "May thegreat spirit of the elements shield thee, and be thy protector,knight," said he.

  "An' wha may he be, carle, an it be your will?" said Ringan; "An' whamay ye be that gie me sic a sachless benediction? As to my shield andprotection, look ye here!" and with that he touched his two-handedsword, and a sheaf of arrows that was swung at his shoulder; "an' whatare all your saints and lang nebbit spirits to me?"

  "It was a random salutation, knight," said the old man, seeing his moodand temper; "I am not a priest but a prophet. I come not to load youwith blessings, curses, nor homilies, all equally unavailing, but totell you what shall be in the times that are to come. I have had visionsof futurity that have torn up the tendrils of my spirit by the roots.Would you like to know what is to befal you and your house in the timesthat are to come?"

  "I never believe a word that you warlocks say," replied the knight;"but I like aye to hear what you _will_ say about matters; thoughit is merely to laugh at ye, for I dinna gie credit to ane o' yourpredictions. Sin' the Rhymer's days, the spirit o' true warlockry isgane. He foretauld muckle that has turned out true; an' something that Ihope _will_ turn out true: But ye're a' bairns to him."

  "Knight," said the stranger, "I can tell you more than ever the Rhymerconceived, or thought upon; and, moreover, I can explain the words ofTrue Thomas, which neither you nor those to whom they relate in thesmallest degree comprehend. Knowest thou the prophecy of the Hart andthe Deer, as it is called?

  'Quhere the hearte heavit in het blude over hill and howe, There shall the dinke deire droule for the dowe: Two fleite footyde maydenis shall tredde the greine, And the mone and the starre shall flashe betweine. Quhere
the proude hiche halde and heveye hande beire Ane frenauch shall feide on ane faderis frene feire, In dinging at the starris the D shall doupe down, But the S shall be S quhane the heide S is gone.'"

  "I hae heard the reide often and often," said the knight, "but the man'sunborn that can understand that. Though the prophecies and the legendsof the Rhymer take the lead i' my lear, I hae always been obliged tomake that a passover."

  "There is not one of all his sayings that relates as much to you andyour house, knight. It foretels that the arms of your family shallsupersede those of Douglas, which you know are the bloody heart; andthat in endeavouring to exalt himself to the stars, the D, that is theDouglas, shall fall, but that your house and name shall remain when theStuarts are no more."

  "By the horned beasts of Old England, my father's portion, and my son'sundiminished hope," exclaimed the knight,--"Thou art a cunning man! Inow see the bearing o' the prophecy as plainly as I see the hill ofMountcomyn before my e'e; and, as I know Thomas never is wrong, Ibelieve it. Now is the time, auld warlock,--now is the time; he'settling at a king's daughter, but his neck lies in wad, and the forfeitwill be his undoing."

  "The time is not yet come, valiant knight; nevertheless the prophecy istrue. Has thy horse's hoof ever trode, or thine eye journeyed, over theNine Glens of Niddisdale?"

  "I hae whiles gotten a glisk o' them."

  "They are extensive, rich, and beautiful."

  "They're nae less, auld carle; they're nae less. They can send ninethousand leel men an' stout to the field in a pinch."

  "It is recorded in the book of fate,--it is written there--"

  "The devil it is, auld carle; that's mair than I thought o'."

  "Hold thy peace: lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and be silent till Iexplain: I say I have seen it in the visions of the night,--I have seenit in the stars of heaven"--

  "What? the Nine Glens o' Niddisdale amang the starns o' heaven! by hoofand horn, it was rarely seen, warlock."

  "I say that I have seen it,--they are all to belong to thy house."

  "Niddisdale a' to pertain to my house!"

  "All."

  "Carle, I gie nae credit to sic forbodings; but I have heard somethinglike this afore. Will ye stay till I bring my son Robin, the youngMaster of Mountcomyn, and let him hear it? For aince a man takes a markon his way, I wadna hae him to tine sight o't. Mony a time has the tailo' the king's elwand pointed me the way to Cumberland; an' as often hasthe ee o' the Charlie-wain blinkit me hame again. A man's nae the wauro' a bit beacon o' some kind,--a bit hope set afore him, auld carle; an'the Nine Glens o' Niddisdale are nae Willie-an-the-Wisp in a lad's ee."

  "From Roxburgh castle to the tower of Sark,"--

  "What's the auld-warld birkie saying?"

  "From the Deadwater-fell to the Linns of Cannoby,--from the Linns ofCannoby to the heights of Manor and the Deuchar-swire,--shall thy son,and the representatives of thy house, ride on their own lands."

  "May ane look at your foot, carle? Take off that huge wooden sandal, anit be your will."

  "Wherefore should I, knight?"

  "Because I dread ye are either the devil or Master Michael Scott."

  "Whoever I am, I am a friend to you and to yours, and have told you thewords of truth. I have but one word more to say:--Act always in concertwith the Douglasses, while they act in concert with the king yourmaster,--not a day, nor an hour, nor a moment longer. It is thus, andthus alone, that you must rise and the Douglas fall. Remember the wordsof True Thomas,--

  'Quhane the wingit hors at his maistere sal wince, 'Let wyse men cheat the chevysance.'"

  "There is something mair about you than other folk, auld man. If ye bemy kinsman, Michael Scott the warlock, I crave your pardon, Master; butif you are that dreadfu' carle--I mean that learned and wonderfu' man,why you are welcome to my castle. But you are not to turn my auld wifeinto a hare, Master, an' hunt her up an' down the hills wi' my aingrews; nor my callants into naigs to scamper about on i' the night-timewhen they hae ither occupations to mind. There is naething i' my towerthat isna at your command; for, troth, I wad rather brow a' the Ha's andthe Howard's afore I beardit you."

  "I set no foot in your halls, knight. This night is a night among manyto me; and wo would be to me if any thing canopied my head save the copeof heaven. There are horoscopes to be read this night for a thousandyears to come. One cake of your bread and one cup of your wine is allthat the old wizard requests of you, and that he must have."

  The knight turned back and led the seer into the inner-court, and fedhim with bread and wine, and every good thing; but well he noted that heasked no holy benediction on them like the palmers and priors thatwandered about the country; and, therefore, he had some lurking dread ofthe old man. He did not thank the knight for his courtesy, but, wipinghis snowy beard, he turned abruptly away, and strode out at the gate ofthe castle. Sir Ringan kept an eye on him privately till he saw himreach the top of Blake Law, a small dark hill immediately above thecastle. There he stopped and looked around him, and taking two greensods, he placed the one above the other, and laid himself down on hisback, resting his head upon the two sods,--his body half raised, and hiseyes fixed on heaven. The knight was almost frightened to look at him;but sliding into the cleuch, he ran secretly down to the tower to bringhis lady to see this wonderful old warlock. When they came back he wasgone, and no trace of him to be seen, nor saw they him any more at thattime.