Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

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THE SCOTTISH BORDER. 113
" lowed the fortunes of James IV. on the plains of Flow-
" den, a few returned, loaded Avith the spoils taken from
" the enemy. Some of these trophies still survive the rust
" of time, and the effects of negligence. The desperate
" valour of the citizens of Selkirk, which, on that fatal
" day, was eminently conspicuous to both armies, pro-
" duced very opposite effects. The implacable resent-
" ment of the English reduced their defenceless town to
" ashes; while their grateful sovereign (James V.) show-
" ed his sense of their valour, by a grant of an extensive
" portion of the forest, the trees for building their houses,
" and the property as the reward of their heroism."—
note is added by Mr Robertson. " A standard, the ap-
" pearance of which bespeaks its antiquity, is still car-
*' ried annually (on the day of riding their common) by
** the corporation of weavers, by a member of which it
'• was taken from the English in the field of Flowden.
" It may be added, that the sword of William Brydone,
" the town clerk, who led the citizens to the battle (and
" who is said to have been knighted for his valour), is
*• still in the possession of John Brydon, a citizen of Sel-
" kirk, his lineal descendant."—An additional note con-
tains the passage quoted in the Essai/ on Scoltish Song.
If the testimony of Mr Robertson is to be received as
decisive of the question, the learned author of the es-
say will surely admit, upon re-perusal, that the passage
in the Statistical Account contains the most positive and
unequivocal declaration of his belief in the tradition,
VOL. III. H
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A