Book VIII. Chap 7.
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he circumstance of Douglas' omitting to put on his helmet, occurs inthe ballad.] This song was first published from Mr. Herd's _Collection of ScottishSongs and Ballads_, Edin. 1774: 2 vols. octavo; but two recited copieshave fortunately been obtained from the recitation of old personsresiding at the head of Ettrick Forest, by which the story is broughtout, and completed, in a manner much more correspondent to the truehistory. I cannot dismiss the subject of the Battle of Otterbourne, withoutstating (with all the deference due to the father of this species ofliterature) a doubt, which occurs to me, as to the account given of"Sir John of Agurstone," one of the Scottish warriors, in the learnedand excellent notes subjoined to the ballad, in the _Reliques ofAncient Poetry_. This personage is there supposed to have been one ofthe Haggerstons of Haggerston, a Northumbrian family, who, accordingto the fate of war, were sometimes subjects of Scotland. I cannot,however, think, that at this period, while the English were inpossession both of Berwick and Roxburgh, with the intermediatefortresses of Wark, Cornwall, and Norham, the Scots possessed anypart of Northumberland, much less a manor which lay within that strongchain of castles. I should presume the person alluded to rather tohave been one of the Rutherfords, barons of Edgerstane, or Adgerston,a warlike family, which has long flourished on the Scottish borders,and who were, at this very period, retainers of the house of Douglas.The same notes contain an account of the other Scottish warriors ofdistinction, who were present at the battle. These were, the earlsof Monteith, Buchan, and Huntley; the barons of Maxwell and Johnston;Swinton of that ilk, an ancient family which, about that period,produced several distinguished warriors; Sir David (or rather, as thelearned editor well remarks, Sir Walter) Scott of Buccleuch, Stewartof Garlies, and Murray of Cockpool. _Regibus et legibus Scotici constantes,Vos clypeis et gladiis pro patria pugnantes,Vestra est victoria, vestra est et gloria,In cantu et historia, perpes est memoria_!
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