Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

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354 MINSTRELSY OF
taken by a storm, while passing the Solway Frith, and, in
order to relieve his boat, he cut all their throats, and
threw them into the sea. Feeling great qualms of con-
science, he built this square tower, carving over the door,
which is about half way up the building, and had former-
ly no stairs to it, the figures above mentioned, of a dove
and a serpent, emblems of remorse and grace, and the
motto— " Repentance."
I have only to add, that the marauding baron is said,
from his rapacity, to have been sirnamed John the Reif;
probably in allusion to a popular romance; and that
another account says, the sin, of which he repented, was
the destruction of a church, or chapel, called Trailtrow,
with the stones of which he had built the castle of Hoddom.
Macfarlane's MSS.
It is said, that Sir Richard Steel, while riding near
this place, saw a shepherd boy reading his Bible, and
asked him what he learned from it ? " The way to hea-
ven," answered the boy. " And can you shew it to me?"
said Sir Richard, in banter. " You must go by that
tower," replied the shepherd ; and he pointed to the
tower of Repentance,