One of the king’s large ships-of-war, which had lain in the Roads
of Leith for six weeks, and was about to set sail on her return to
England, met her destruction ‘about the twelfth hour of the day,’
through the mad humour of an Englishman, who, while the captain and
some of his officers were on shore, laid trains of powder throughout
the vessel, notwithstanding that his own son was on board, along with
about sixty other men. ‘The ship and her whole provision were burnt;
only the bottom and some of the munition were safe. Twenty-four of
the men were burnt or perished in the sea; the rest were mutilated
and lamed, notwithstanding of all the help that could be made. The
fire made the ordnance to shoot, so that none durst come near to
help.’--_Cal._
‘The sixty-three men that escaped were shipped and transported to
London.’--_Bal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: DEC. 16.]
[Sidenote: 1613.]
The Privy Council of Scotland had this day under their consideration a
subject which must have sent their minds back to the associations of
an earlier and more romantic age. That custom among the people of the
Scottish Border, of going into Cheviot to hunt, which had led to the
dismal tragedy narrated in the well-known ballad of _Chevy Chase_, was,
it seems, still kept up. What was once the border of either country
being now the middle of both in their so far united condition, the king
felt the propriety of putting down a custom so apt to lead to bad blood
between his English and Scottish subjects; and accordingly, his council
now ordered that the inhabitants of Roxburgh and Selkirk shires, of
Liddesdale and Annandale, should cease their ancient practice of going
into Tynedale, Redesdale, the fells of Cheviot and Kidland, for
hunting and the cutting of wood, under pain of confiscation of their
worldly goods.--_P. C. R._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1614.