Scene II The Raid
As soon as he was back again at Lochmaben he dispatched a special messenger to Arran in Edinburgh with the brief assurance that he himself would follow on the morrow and explain in person the difficulty of accepting the Governor’s proposals.
On the evening of the day that Sir Robert Maxwell arrived in Edinburgh a ball was held in Holyrood—the first ball since Solway Moss had overwhelmed Scotland with gloom. The Queen-Dowager was to be present, and Arran insisted on Maxwell’s attendance, though against his will. A gay and brilliant assembly filled the great galleries of Holyrood that night.
After a minuet had been paced to the gentle music of the lute and clavichord, a schottische succeeded to the martial skirl of the pipes.
For this dance Arran had craftily arranged that Maxwell should have as partner the fair Agnes Herries, and as he watched them his brow relaxed its tension. His policy was to strengthen and consolidate Scotland, and to this end he would break Maxwell’s assurance with England. ‘The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,’ he muttered to himself as he watched the couple dancing with animation, ‘are gey guid baits.’ As the company departed in the early dawn Arran took the opportunity of walking back with Maxwell to his lodging. ‘Ye partnered ilk ither fine,’ said the Governor; ‘time and step suited ye bonny. Weel,’ he added slowly, ‘ye hae to decide. Wull ye tak her?’ Maxwell hesitated a moment, then impulsively, ‘I will. Here’s my hand on ’t.’
‘Dune!’ cried the Governor triumphantly. Then he added by way of an evasion from any difficulty with Wharton. ‘I’m thinking ye micht emulate Douglas in his raid on the eastern march:
“And he has burn’d the dales of Tyne,
And part of Bambroughshire;
And three good towers on Reidswire fells,
He left them all on fire.”
That is, if ye hae any fash wi’ Wharton,’ said Arran in conclusion. ‘Juist pit the fear o’ auld Scotland intil him, for I’ll uphaud ye.’
No sooner had Maxwell returned home than he found a menacing letter from Wharton, who had evidently heard of the reconciliation. Maxwell’s dark face glowed hotly as he made a vow to terrify Wharton into inaction. He would instantly give him a ‘handsel’ of harrying to stay his proud stomach. So he caused warn the waters far and wide. Nith he summoned, and Annan, and then with his whole ‘name’ rode through the debatable land, and crossing the Eden by the ford above Rockliff proceeded to harry and burn through the English march. He drave his foray throughout the day; horses and nowt, sheep, goats, and swine he collected, and made the ‘red cock crow’ on many a peel and bastlehouse.
Then as evening drew on and his messengers announced the approach of Wharton’s men-at-arms he withdrew with his spoil, repulsed with slaughter his opponent’s forces, and safely guarded his spoil, till all the ‘gear’ was across the Eden water.
Then Maxwell himself and his bailiff—Sandie Irvine—rode down to Solway where his lugger was awaiting by his orders the chance of their return by water.
Maxwell himself was ‘forefaughten,’ his horse was foundered; he sank gratefully into the stern of the boat, and Sandie took the tiller.