Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok > Correspondence

348 FAMILY AND DOMESTIC LETTERS. [1698.
took a notar with rae and went to the muire, and took the notar with me and
8 or therby of my tenants, and went vp to the place quhair my peats lay, and
quhair Duncow folk had posted themselves ; and told them I had no design
nor desire to do any disturbance, but only to lead away the peats quhich I had
casten in my own ground, quhich was declared by the Lords of Session to
belong to me, and vpon whose decreet I had raised laburrowes, and caused
charge them, and required them to go away in peace and make no disturbance,
othirwayes I would protest against them for breach of the lawburrowes, and
caution found thairin. Then answer was, I should lead away none than that
day, for they were casten in my lords ground. I ansuered, the ground was
declared to belong to me by a decreet against this Earle's guidschir and father,
and that I had read the decreet both to my lord and them, and raised law-
burrowes thairvpon. They ansuered that they would take their hazard of the
laburrowes and decreet. Wpon quhich I again entreated and required them to
remove, and not move trouble to me farther in it. They ansuered as formerly ;
wpon quhich I the 3d time required them in the King's name to desist from
troubling and opposing me, othiruise protested for a contravention of lawbur-
rowes and a ryot. To quhich they declared they would mantain my lords posses-
sion, and that I should cast [none.] They would not lett me lead no peats than.
Whervpon I told them I would cause some of my tenants fill their seeks, and
if they opposed them, let the hazard lye vpon them ; and so ordired 4 or 5 to
fill their seeks (all the rest being at a bow draught distant with my son). But
no sooner did my tenants ofnr to fill their seeks, but the men ordired the
women to fall vpon them and pull the seeks from them, and not let them fill
any ■ which they accordingly did with that violence, that they rugged the seeks
from them, and ovirpouered them ; which my son seing, he came vp with the
men that were with him, and rushing in among them (but without any hurt
done to any of them, but one the contrary 5 of my men were slightly blead),
wpon quhich they protested for a ryot, and removed, boasting it should be
dear enough. This last vpcoming was against my minde and will, which all
can bear me witness to. I opposed and prohibited as much as I could. But the
truth is, they sought it palpably, and yet gat no harme, but really gave it. I
nead not tell what cruell expressions they had against me and my son. One
said in the street of Dumfries publickly, if I, or any for me, hounded his sheep,