*Stories of The Scottish Border*
*Introduction*
*I.--THE CHARACTER OF THE BORDERS*
The district called the Border is one of the most interesting in Great
Britain. It consists of that part of England that is nearest Scotland,
and that part of Scotland that is nearest England, mainly the counties
of Northumberland, Cumberland, Berwickshire, Roxburghshire, and
Dumfriesshire.
The country is very picturesque and highly romantic. It abounds in great
rolling, breezy hills, with swift streamlets or "burns" running down
their sides to swell the rushing rivers. No part of our island has more
beautiful valleys than those of the Border.
This bold, rough district, well adapted to defence, and situated also
just where the island of Great Britain is almost at its narrowest,
became, after many a struggle, the boundary between England and
Scotland. The character of the country was suited to the rearing of
hardy Moorland sheep and cattle; its inhabitants therefore were a tough,
open-air race of men, strong, strapping fellows, fearless riders, always
ready for an adventure, especially if it meant a fight.
In those days of Border strife there was hardly such a thing as
international justice, that is to say, the people of one nation were not
very particular as to what they did to people of another nation;
therefore these bold, hardy Border men, Englishmen and Scot alike, were
fond of creeping across the boundary to steal the cattle of their
neighbours. Men devoted to such raids were called "Freebooters" or
"Mosstroopers," the name "Moss" being given in the North Country to
boggy tracts that lie about the hill-sides.
So it happened that the Border was in a perpetual state of petty
warfare, conducted, it is true, with a certain amount of good-will and a
rough approach to chivalry, and with the concurrence of the powerful
Border nobles of both nations, who often played an important part
therein. At times these raids developed into important warlike
expeditions, when a fierce noble, or even a king, had some reckless game
to play. Hence, among the ballads which give us so vivid an account of
Border strife, we find descriptions not only of the minor doings of
picturesque sheep-stealers, but also of pitched battles such as Chevy
Chase and Homildon Hill.
The union of England and Scotland in 1603 naturally put an end to all
the former excuses for raiding, and therefore terminated the true
Freebooter period. After this, despite one or two belated attempts,
such as Elliot's big raid in 1611, sheep-stealing ceased to be looked
upon as an honourable calling, and became mere thieving. The men who
would have raided one another's farms in 1602 became friendly neighbours
after the Border Commission of 1605. There had been little malice in
their former freebooting. Both sides were of one race; and they had the
pleasure of finding that their lands went up greatly in value in
consequence of the Border peace.
To-day, the Border presents scenes of peaceful cattle-farming. But
Romance is still in the air, hangs about the fine, breezy moorlands and
beautiful dales, and is seen clearly in the faces of the healthy
Border-folk. A holiday at any Border farm would prove a most enjoyable
one. There are wonderful Roman remains, for here it was that the Romans
built their wall; there are castles of the Border barons; the views are
wide and grand; the river-valleys are unmatched for beauty, and
delightful wild flowers are plentiful, chief among which are fox-gloves,
the giant wild Canterbury Bells, the handsome North Country wild
geranium, several interesting kinds of wild orchids, and a variety of
others too numerous to mention. Last, but not least, it is often
possible in the evenings to see the farmers' sons engaged in friendly
wrestling in the meadows, when we can realise that these great manly
fellows are of the same vigorous race that kept the Borders lively a few
centuries ago.