“The landlord, with a grave face, inquired whether my master had desired me to ask money from those men. I said, not particularly;
but they stood on the list. “So, I see,” said the landlord, “but had your master been here himself, he did not dare to ask money from them, either as rent, or feu duty.—He knows that it is as good as if it were in his pocket. They will pay when their own time comes, but do not like to pay at a set time with the rest of the Barony; and still less to be craved.”
“I accordingly returned without their money, and reported progress. I found that the landlord was right; my master said with a smile, that it was unnecessary to send to them, after the previous notice from the Baron Officer; it was enough if I had received the money, if offered.—Their rent and feu duty was brought to the office in a few weeks. I need scarcely add, those persons all belonged to the tribe.
“Another instance of their licentious, independent spirit, occurs to me. The family of Niddry always gave a decent, annual remuneration to a Baron Baillie, for the purpose of keeping good order within their Barony of Town Yetholm. The person whom I remember
first in possession of that office, was an old man called Doctor Walker, from his being also the village surgeon; and from him I had the following anecdote:—
“Between Yetholm and the border farms in Northumberland, there were formerly, as in most border situations, some uncultivated lands called the Plea lands, or Debateable lands, the pasturage of which was generally eaten up by the Sorners and vagabonds on both sides of the marches.
“Many years ago, Lord Tankerville and some other of the English borderers, made their request to Sir David Bennet, and the late Mr. Wauchope of Niddry, that they would accompany them at a riding of the Plea lands, who readily complied with their request. They were induced to this, as they understood that the Gypsies had taken offence, on the supposition that they might be circumscribed in the pasture for their shelties and asses, which they had held a long time, partly by stealth, and partly by violence.
“Both threats and entreaties were employed to keep them away; and, at last, Sir David obtained a promise from some of the heads of the gang, that none of them should show their faces on the occasion.
“They, however, got upon the hills at a little distance, whence they could see every thing that passed. At first they were very quiet. But when they saw the English Court Book Spread out on a cushion before the clerk, and apparently taken in a line of direction, interfering with what they considered to be their privileged ground, it was with great difficulty that the most moderate of them, could restrain the rest from running down, and taking vengeance, even in sight of their own Lord of the Manor.
“They only abstained for a short time, and no sooner had Sir David, and the other gentleman taken leave of each other in the most polite and friendly manner, as border chiefs are wont to do, since border feuds ceased, and had departed to a sufficient distance, than the clan, armed with bludgeons, pitch-forks, and