Castle Dangerous

Front matter

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Douglas Castle, Drawn and Etched by H. Macbeth-Raebum.

JEtiition te Huxe

Appendix

No. I.

Extracts from " The History of the Houses of Douglas and Angus. By Master David Hume of Godscroft.^^ Folio Edition,

. . . And here indeed the course of the King's misfortunes begins to make some halt and stay by thus much prosperous successe in his own person ; but more in the person of Sir James, by the re-conquests of his owne castles and countries. From hence he went into Douglasdale, where, by the means of his father's old servant, Thomas Dickson, he took in the Castle of Douglas, and not being able to keep it, he caused burn it, contenting himself with this, that his enemies had one strength fewer in that country than before. The manner of his taking of it is said to have beene thus : — Sir James, taking only with him two of his servants, went to Thomas Dickson, of whom he was received with tears, after he had revealed himself to him, for the good old man knew him not at first, being in mean and homely apparell. There he kept him secretly in a quiet chamber, and brought unto him such as had been trusty servants to his father, not all at once, but apart by one and one, for fear of discoverie. Their advice was, that on Palmsunday, when the English would come forth to the church, and his partners were conveened, that then he should give the word, and cry the Douglas slogan, and presently set upon them that should happen to be xxvi APPENDIX TO

there, who being dispatched, the Castle might he taken easily. This being concluded, and they come, so soon as the English were entered into the church with palms in their hands (according to the costume of that day), little suspecting or fearing any such thing, Sir James, according to their appointment, cryed too soon (a Douglas, a Douglas !) which being heard in the church (this was Saint Bride's church of Douglas), Thomas Dickson, supposing he had beene hard at hand, drew out his sword, and ran upon them, having none to second him but another man, so that, oppressed by the number of his enemies, he was beaten downe and slaine. In the meantime. Sir James being come, the English that were in the chancel kept off the Scots, and having the advantage of the strait and narrow entrie, defended themselves manfully. But Sir James encouraging his men, not so much by words as by deeds and good example, and having slain the boldest resisters, prevailed at last, and entring the place, slew some twenty-six of their number, and tooke the rest, about ten or twelve persons, intending by them to get the Castle upon composition, or to enter with them when the gates should be opened to let them in : but it needed not, for they of the Castle were so secure, that there was none left to keep it save the porter and the cooke, who knowing nothing of what had hapned at the church, which stood a large quarter of a mile from thence, had left the gate wide open, the porter standing without, and the cooke dressing the dinner within. They entred without resistance, and meat being ready, and the cloth laid, they shut the gates, and tooke their refection at good leasure.

Now that he had gotten the Castle into his hands, considering with himself e (as he was a man no less advised than valiant) that it was hard for him to keep it, the English being as yet the stronger in that coun-

INTRODUCTION. xxvii

trey, who if they should hesiege him, he knewe of no reliefe, he thought better to carry away such things as be most easily transported, gold, silver, and apparell, with ammunition and armour, whereof he had greatest use and need, and to destroy the rest of the provision, together with the Castle itselfe, then to diminish the number of his followers for a garrison there where it could do no good. And so he caused carrie the meale and malt, and other cornes and graine, into the cellar, and laid all together in one heape : then he took the prisoners and slew them, to revenge the death of his trustie and valiant servant, Thomas Dickson, mingling the victuals with their bloud, and burying their carkasses in the heap of corner after that he struck out the heads of the barrells and puncheons, and let the drink runn through all ; and then he cast the carkasses of dead horses and other carrion amongst it, throwing the salt above all, so to make all together unusefull to the enemie ; and this cellar is called yet the Douglas Lairder. Last of all, he set the house on fire, and burnt all the timber, and what else the fire could overcome, leaving nothing but the scorched walls behind him. And this seemes to be the first taking of the Castle of Douglas, for it is supposed that he took it twice. For this service, and others done to Lord William his father. Sir James gave unto Thomas Dickson the lands of Hisleside, which hath beene given him before the castle was taken as an encouragement to whet him on, and not after, or he was slain in the church : which was both liberally and wisely done of him, thus to hearten and draw men to his service by such a noble beginning. The Castle being burnt. Sir James retired, and parting his men into divers companies, so as they might be most secret, he caused cure such as were wounded in the fight, and he himselfe kept as close as he could, waiting ever for an occasion xxviii APPENDIX TO

to enterprise something against the enemie. So soone as he was gone, the Lord Clifford being advertised of what had happened, came himselfe in person to Douglas, and caused re-edifie and repair the Castle in a very short time, unto which he also added a Tower, which is yet called Harries Tower from him, and so returned into England, leaving one Thurswall to be Captain thereof. — Pp. 26-28.

He (Sir James Douglas) getting him again into Douglasdale, did use this stratagem against Thurswall, Captain of the Castle, under the said Lord Clifford. He caused some of his folk drive away the cattle that fed near unto the Castle, and when the Captain of the garrison followed to rescue, gave orders to his men to leave them and to flee away. Thus he did often to make the Captain slight such frays, and to make him secure, that he might not suspect any further end to be on it ; which when he had wrought sufficiently (as he thought), he laid some men in ambuscado, and sent others away to drive such beasts as they should find in the view of the Castle, as if they had been thieves and robbers, as they had done often before. The Captain hearing of it, and supposing there was no greater danger now than had been before, issued forth of the Castle, and followed after them with such haste that his men (running who should be first) were disordered and out of their ranks. The drivers also fled as fast as they could till they had drawn the Captain a little way beyond the place of ambuscado, which when they perceived, rising quickly out of their covert, they set fiercely upon him and his company, and so slew himself and chased his men back to the Castle, some of whom were overtaken and slain, others got into the Castle and so were saved. Sir James, not being able to force the house, took what booty he could get without in the fields, and so departed. By

INTRODUCTION. xxix

this means, and such other exploits, he so affrighted the enemy, that it was counted a matter of such great jeopardy to keep this Castle, that it began to be called the adventurous (or hazardous) Castle of Douglas : Whereupon Sir John Walton being in suit of an English lady, she wrote to him that when he had kept the adventurous Castle of Douglas seven years, then he might think himself worthy to be a suitor to her. Upon this occasion, Walton took upon him the keeping of it, and succeeded to Thurswall ; but he ran the same fortune with the rest that were before him.

Por, Sir James having first dressed an ambuscado near unto the place, he made fourteen of his men take so many sacks, and fill them with grass, as though it had been corn, which they carried in the way toward Lanark, the chief market town in that county : so hoping to draw forth the Captain by that bait, and either to take him or the Castle, or both.

Neither was this expectation frustrate, for the Captain did bite, and came forth to have taken this victual (as he supposed). But ere he could reach these carriers. Sir James, with his company, had gotten between the castle and him : and these disguised carriers, seeing the Captain following after them, did quickly cast off their upper garments, wherein they had masked . themselves, and throwing off their sacks, mounted themselves on horseback, and met the Captain with a sharp encounter, he being so much the more amazed that it was unlooked for : wherefore, when he saw these carriers metamorphosed into warriors, and ready to assault hixn, fearing (that which was) that there was some train laid for them, he turned about to have retired into the Castle ; but there also he met with his enemies ; between which two companies he and his followers were slain, so that none escaped ; the Captain afterwards being searched, they found (as it is reported) his mistress's

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letters about him. Then he went and took in the Castle, but it is uncertain (say our writers) whether by force or composition ; but it seems that the Constable, and those that were within, have yielded it up without force ; in regard that he used them so gently, which he would not have done if he had taken it at utterance. For he sent them all safe home to the Lord Clifford, and gave them also provision and money for their entertainment by the way. The Castle, which he had burnt only before, now he razeth, and casts down the walls thereof to the ground. By these and the like proceedings, within a short while he freed Douglasdale, Attrick Forest, and Jedward Forest, of the English garrisons and subjection. — Ibid. p. 29.

No. II.

Now takis James his wiage Towart Dowglas, his heretage.

With twa yemen, for owtyn ma; That wes a symple stuff to ta, A land or a castell to win.

The quhethir he yarnyt to begyn Till bring purposs till ending; For gud help is in gud begynnyng,

Introduction

For gud begynnyng, and hardy, Gyff it be folowit wittily, May ger oftsyss unlikly thing Cum to full conabill ending.

Swa did it here : but he wes wyss And saw he mycht, on nakyn wyss, Werray his fa with evyn mycht; Tharfor he thocht to wyrk with slycht. And in Dowglas daile, his countre. Upon an evynnyng entrj'-t he.

And than a man wonnyt tharby.

That was off freyndis weill mychty, And ryche of moble, and off cateill; And had bene till his fadyr leyll; And till him selff, in his yowthed, He haid done mony a thankfull deid. Thom Dicson wes his name perfay. Till him he send; and gan him pray. That he wald cum all anerly For to spek with him priuely.

And he but daunger till him gais : Bot fra he tauld him quhat he wais, He gret for joy, and for pite; And him rycht till his houss had hej Quhar in a chambre priuely He held him, and his cumpany.

That nane had off him persaving. Off mete, and drynk, and othyr thing. That mycht thaim eyss, thai had plente. Sa wrocht he thorow sutelte.

That all the lele men off that land. That with his fadyr war duelland. This gud man gert cum, ane and ane. And mak him manrent euir ilkane; And he him selff fyrst homage maid. Dowglas in part gret glaidschip haid.

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