Page:The Lay of the Last Minstrel - Scott (1805).djvu/279

 hyr bely is loste. Beseching your most gracious highness to reduce unto your gracious memory this wylfull and shamefull murder, done within this your highnes' realme, notwithstanding all the inhabitants thereabout rose unto the said fray, and gave warnynge by becons unto the contrey afore theyme, and yet the Scottsmen dyde escape. And uppon certeyne knowledge to my brother ClyfForthe and me, had by credable persons of Scotland, this abomynable act not only to be done by dy verse of the Mershe, but also the afore named persons of Tyvidaill, and consented to, as by apparaunce, by the erle of Murey, upon Friday at nyght last, let slyp C of the best horsemen of Glendaill, with a part of your highnes' subjects of Berwyke, together with George Dowglas, whoo came into Ingland agayne, in the dawing of the day; but afore theyre retome, they dyd mar the erle of Murrei's provisions at Coldingham; for they dyd not only burne the said towne of Coldingham, with all the come therunto belonging, which is estemed wurthe cii marke Sterling; but alsoo burned twa townes nye adionig therunto, called Branerdergest and the Black Hill, and toke xxiiii persons, Ix horse, with cc hed of cataill, whiche nowe, as I am informed, hathe not only bene a staye of the said Erie of Murrei's not comyng to the bordur as yet, but alsoo, that none inlande man will adventure theyre selfs uppon the marches. And as for the tax that shulde have bene grauntyd for fynding of the said iii hundred men, is utterly denyed. Upon whiche the king of Scottland departed from Edynburgh to Stirling, and as yet ther doth remayn. And alsoo I, by the advice of my brother Clyffortbe, have devysed