Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

THE SCOTTISH BORDER. 21
" the faulchion to the Bishop, addressing him in the an-
" cient form of words ;
upon which the Bishop takes the
" faulchion into his hand, looks at it, and returns it back
" again, wishing the lord of the manor his health, and the
" enjoyment of his estate." The faulchion above allu-
ded to has upon its hilt the arms of England, in the
reign of King John, and an eagle, supposed to be the
ensign of Morcar, Earl of Northumberland.
—
Cough's
Camden's BrUatmia, vol. III. p. ]14. Mr Gough, with
great appearance of probability, conjectures the dragon,
engraved on the tomb, to be an emblematical, or hei-al-
dic ornament.
The property, called Pollard's Lands, near Bishop
Auckland, is held by a similar tenure ; and we are in-
formed, in the work just quoted, that " Dr Johnson of
" Newcastle met the present Bishop, Dr Egerton, in
" September, 1771, at his first arrival there, and pre-
" sented a faulchion upon his knee, and addressed him
" in the old form of words, saying,
** Ml/ lord, hi behalf of mysclfy as well as of the several
** other tenants of Pollard's Lands, I do humbly present
*' ymir lordship with this faulchion, at your first coming
'* here, wherewith, as the tradition goeth. Pollard slew (f
*' old a great and venomous serpent, which did much harm
" to mati and beast : and by the performance of this serr
" vice these lands are holden."—Ancient Tenures, p. 201.
Above the south entrance ofthe ancient parish church
of Linton, in Roxburghshire, is a rude piece of sculpture,
representing a knight, with a falcon on his arm, encoun-