A Liddesdale chant. Jock flourished about 1550–1570, and is commemorated
as a receiver by Sir Richard Maitland in a poem often quoted. The
analogies of this ballad with that of “Kinmont Willie” are very close.
The reference to a punch-bowl sounds modern, and the tale is much less
plausible than that of “Kinmont Willie,” which, however, bears a few
obvious marks of Sir Walter’s own hand. A sceptical editor must choose
between two theories: either Scott of Satchells founded his account of
the affair of “Kinmont Willie” on a pre-existing ballad of that name, or
the ballad printed by Scott is based on the prose narrative of Scott of
Satchells. The former hypothesis, everything considered, is the more
probable.