being an infant, comytted in truste to this examynate & others by his unkell, whose heir he was. And to aggrevate the plaintiff's displeasure the moer agaynst this examynate, wch said Sandes did also in his said displeasure comytt a servant of this examynates to close prison, for geving warnyng at Dalstoun Church of a Court to be holden by this examynate, pretending some unlawfull behavior wch he could nott prove or make good before the Justices of Assisses before whom the same was called to examynation. And for the booke mencond in this inter- Booke ment rogatory, this examynate knoweth nott what book is ment, butt unknowne. saith that he had & hath sene in the hands of John Smythe of Carlyle and Mr. Walkwood, prebendary, dyvers bookes and peces of bookes, some in parchment & some in paper, wch, as he thinketh, belonged some to the Priory of Carlyle and some to the Deane & Chapter of Carlyle, wch came to this examynates handes, parte by delyvery of them selfs and parte therof sent unto him, this examynate, by their then servants or such whome they used, whose names he now remembreth nott. All wch this examynate delyvered & sent to be delyvered to them agayne. And veryly thinketh that one of those bookes is the booke ment and menconed in this inter- Book ment. rogatory and contayned as this examynate now remembreth leases mayd by the Pryor and Convent and by the Deane & Chapter of their owne proper landes, with some fewe confyrmations of Bushopes leases, and nott any other matter consernyng the Sea to this examynates now remembranc.

To the [fourth] interr[ogatory] he saith that Rowland Toppin 4. & John Stoddart of Carlyle, this examynates tenants, holding a lease of certayn tythes from the Deane & Chapter of Carlile ware impleaded by the now plaintiff in his eccleaseasticall court for the same tythe or some parte therof as they reported, who, repayring to this examynate to knowe what he could say unto For the matter, did delyver unto them such of his owne evidences contributions. as conserned the soyle of some parte of the same and told them that yf they could procure of the Deane & Chapter their distributions yt wold make the matter playne to whome yt belonged. After wch the said Toppin, as this examynate now remembreth, brought to this examynate certayne distributions of the Deane & Chapters under seale, wch compared together mayd apparant the same tythe in question to belong to the Deane & Chapter, and nott to the Bushope, and so is by them enioyed to this daye as he thinketh. From wch distributions certayne notes were taken for the good of the sayd Toppin & Stoddart wch were the same mencond in this Notes from interrogatory that Bleckett did see at this examynates house. distributions And further saith that, after such notes taken, this examynate for Bleckett. was called before thre of the prebendaries, and their did agayne see the said distributions wch were then by them as owners

A perfect bounder.

The mill.

5.

taken into their possession agayne, where he thinketh the same are as yett remayninge. And further saith, that emongst wch sealed writyngs a perfect bounder betwene the Kinges majestyes landes and the plaintiffes mannor of Dalston appeared playne, and how much is encroched their upon the Kinge. And that the myll now claymed as Dalston myll standeth upon the Kinges land and nott upon any parte of the mannor of Dalston. And saith that he, this examynate, hath nott any of the evidences, notes or writynges in his custodye, nor knoweth who hath the same.

To the [fifth] interr[ogatory] he saith that the John Bleckett, in the interrogatory named, came to this examynate to John Bleckett. Cardewe, to entreat him to derect the sd Bleckett what thing was fyttyng for him to begg in lease of his lord the Bushope of Carlyle. And this examinate moved him to gett a tythe in lease about Carlyle. And did aske him withall whether he did knowe such a booke as is menconed in this interrogatorye. And moved him to entreat a sight of that book, because that this examynate did think that yt did conserne his estate, in this, viz., whether the mannor of Cardewe, in the parishe of Dalstoun, was reported in the coppie of the Kinges grant menconed in that book mayd to the said sea of Carlele, to be parcell of the mannor of Dalstoune, yea or no. And the said Bleckett told this examynate that those bookes were in his maysters custodye. Wherupon this examynate resorted to the records about London, and fyndyng their the said charter upon record, their appeared nott in the same any report of the mannor of Cardewe nor of any landes within the same did belong to the sea of Carlyle. And that from the Kinges records this examynate hath his information and that the landes in question is held of the Kinge & nott of the plaintiff nor of the sea of Carlyle.

Bleckett.

6.

For

Warrwick.

To the [sixth] interrogatory] he saith that he doth nott remember that the said Warrick did shewe to this examynate any evidences that this examynate knoweth to belong to the sea of Carlyll. Butt this examynate did advise the said p[ar]son Warrwick & afterward the said plaintiff him selfe, and was a meane that the plaintiff attayned dyvers evidences wch belonged to the said sea from the handes of John May, sonn to the late Rowle John Maye, Bushope of Carlile, amongst wch was that Rowle in menconed in parchment in the said interrogatory menscond, wch never came to this examynates handes sythenc the same was delivered to the interrogatory. said plaintiff. And that the copies wch he tooke was notes to lead him, this examynate, to the records them selfs about London, which when he had found to be agreable to his evydenc, this examynate no further estemed of the said notes, butt disposed them to other uses as he thinketh was lawfull for him to do. And some copies he hath from the said records remaynyng in

the

or nere London as any subiect for their money may have at there pleasures, wch copies were taken sync his answere putt in to the plaintiffs bill of complaint. And for the evidences of the said John Burden, this examynate saith that he receyved them John Burden. from his father, in whose handes he had sene them fortye yeares ago, and came to this examynate as of right, after the descease of his father, whose heire he is, wch evidences he showed both to the plaintiff and also to John Dudley at a court holden at Dalstoun. Which John Burden is reported by the said evidences to be lord of the mannor of Cardewe with the appurtenances, and lykewise of the landes in Cardewe wch were John Pantryes, who had them of the gifte of John Hawton, Bushope of Carlile, wch held the same of the King as appeareth by recordes about London, and to hold in capitie in fee and nott as parcell of his sea of Carlile. To wch John Burden this examynate is heire de facto et de sanguine of all his landes in Cardewe & the mannor of Cardewe.1

1 Document in the diocesan registry of Carlisle. It is a pleasure as well as a duty to thank the Lord Bishop of Carlisle and Mr. A. N. Bowman, his courteous registrar, for permission and facilities to consult the diocesan archives.

Chronicle of Lanercost1

feast of S. Barnabas the Apostle there happened a

On the feable instance of the untrustworthiness of the Welsh. While my lord King Edward was besieging with a great A.D. 1296. army the lofty castle of Edinburgh, huge machines for casting stones having been set all round it, and after he had violently battered the castle buildings for the space of three days and nights with the discharge of seven score and eighteen stones, on the eve of the festival named, he chose a certain Welshman, his swiftest runner, whom he reckoned most trustworthy, committed to him many letters and, having provided him with money, ordered him to make his way to London with the utmost dispatch. This man was named Lewyn (as befitted his fate), which in English is pronounced Lefwyn. Now, going straight to the tavern, he spent in gluttony all that he had received for travelling expenses. Early on the morning of the vigil, being Sunday, he made himself a laughing-stock to the English by ordering his comrade to carry his shield before him, declaring that he was not going to leave the place before he had made an assault upon the garrison of the castle. Presenting himself, therefore, with a balista before the gates, he cried upon the wall guard to let down a rope to him, so that, having been admitted in that manner, he might reveal to them all the secrets of their enemy. The constable of the castle, as he informed me, was taking the air when this rascal intruder was brought before him, holding out in his hand the case with the royal letters.

Behold, my lord,' said he, 'the secrets of the King of England; examine them and see. Give me also part of the

1 See Scottish Historical Review, vi. 13, 174, 281, 383; vii. 56, 160, 271, 377. 211th June.

3 There is here some play on the name which is not apparent to modern wits. Mane diei festi-literally 'early on the feast day,' but as S. Barnabas's day fell on a Monday in that year, we must read 'Early on the morning of the vigil.'

22

wall to defend, and see whether I know how to shoot with a balista.'

But when the others would have opened the letters, their commander forbade them to do so, and straightway, standing on a high place, called loudly to men passing that they were to make known in the king's court that one of their deserters had proposed to those within [the castle] that they should perpetrate a deceit, to which he [the constable] absolutely declined to consent for honour's sake.

Sir John le Despenser attended at once to this announcement, and to him the traitor was lowered1 on a rope, with the letters intact, and the manner of his [Lewyn's] capture was explained to the king when he got out of bed. Now that prince greatly delighted in honesty. I gratefully declare to God,' quoth he, that the fidelity of that honourable man has overcome me. Give orders that henceforth no man attempt to inflict injury upon the besieged, and that no machine cast a stone against them.'

Thus the king's wrath was soothed, for he had previously vowed that they should all be put to death. So sleep came to the eyelids of those who had watched for three days, many of them having vowed that, for security, they would so continue while alive. On the morrow, by the royal indulgence, the besieged sent messengers to King John [Balliol] who was staying at Forfar, explaining their condition and demanding assistance. But he [John] being unable to relieve them, gave leave to each man to provide for his own safety.

But let me not be silent about the punishment of the aforesaid traitor, Lewyn. He was taken, tried, drawn and hanged on a regular gibbet constructed for his crime. This tale I have inserted here in order that wise men may avoid the friendship of deceivers.

Pending the report of the messengers, King Edward raised the siege and marched with a small force to Stirling, where he found the castle evacuated for fear of him, the keys hanging above the open doors, and the prisoners imploring his mercy, whom he immediately ordered to be set at liberty. And so, in the king's absence, after fifteen days' siege, the Maidens' Castle? was surrendered into the hands of Sir John le Despenser, a place whereof it is nowhere recorded in the most ancient annals that it 1Demittimur in Stevenson's edition, probably a clerical error for demittitur. Castrum Puellarum, one of the names for Edinburgh.