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67
All sore astonished stood Lord Scroop ;
He stood as still as rock of stone :
He scarcely dared to trew* his eyes,
When through the water they had gane.
" He is either himsell a devil frae hell,
Or else his mother a witch maun be ; f
I wadna have ridden that wan water,
For a' the gowd in Christendie I":^
EDOM O' GORDON. §
It fell about the Martinmas,
When the Avind blew shrill and cauld,
Said Edom o' Gordon to his men,
" We maun draw to a hauld.
* Give credence to.
t It is relate:! of the bold baron who executed this singular exploit, that,
being afterwards called to account by Queen Elizabeth for his conduct, and
being asked by her majesty how he had dared to undertake an enterprise
so desperate and presumptuous, he answered, with characteristic boldness,
" Dared, madam ! What is it that a man dares not do ?"
i From the Mins'.relsy of the Scottish Border, to which the reader may
be referred for a great number of interesting particulars regarding the story
of " Kinmont Willie."
It may be proper to mention that this and the three preceding ballads are
given in a cluster, as referring to one district and one subject — the Border
and its old predatory character— though somewhat in violation of the
chronological arrangement.
§ This ballad is founded upon a real event, which took place in the
north of Scotland, in the year 1571. during the struggles between the party
which held out'or the imprisoned Queen Mary, and that which endeavour-
ed to maintain the authority of her infant son James VI. The person here
designated Edom o' Gordon, was Ar.ara Gordon of Auchindown, brother
of the Marquis of Huntly, and his deputy as lieutenant of the norih of
Scotland for the Queen. This gentleman committed many acts of oppres-
sion on the clan Forbes, under colour of the Queen's authority ; and, in one
collision with that family, killed Arthur, brother to Lord Forbes. He af-
terwards Sfnt aparty, under one Captain Car, or Ker, to reduce the house
of Towie, one of the chief seats of the name of Forbes. The proprietor of
this mansion being from home, his lady, who was pregnant at the time,
confiding too much in her sex and condition, not only refused to surrender,
but gave Car some very opprobrious language over the walls ; which irri-
tated him so much, that he set fire to the house, and burnt the whole in-
mates, amounting in all to thirty-seven persons. As Gordon never eashiere4