Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

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the conveniency of the ground by theire general! 's direction affoorded
them very commodious hutts, and dry, by making the roofe upwards,
and the doore downe the hill. Theire Generall Lessley was very
courteous to all the English, and at the laird of Aton's^^ house (a
small house built of stone somewhat in forme of a castle) neere the
campe where hee lay, hee dined as many of the English lords and
gentlemen as were tliere betime and could sitt at his owne table ; and
there was a side table for other gentlemen that came in later, and
still as" one company had dined annother sate downe, and they had very
goode meate and great plenty, as allsoe of wine, beere, and ale ; and
at his own table after dinner hee had a great banquett. There
dined with him the earle of Northampton and the earl of Westmoreland,
and divers of the king's servants. Immediately after dinner the
lord chamberlaine came to the campe, and Generall Lessley went to
meet him, and conducted him up to the campe, with much ceremony
betwixt tliem, both ryding bare a great way. The generall was much
admired by souldiours for his judgement in encamping and the good
discipline of his men. It was a very graceful! sight to behold all
the army soe united together in such a ground, and all the souldiours
standing to their amies, theire drumme beating and colours flying;
and though one ride often round, yet hee could not without curious
observation tell when hee had compassed them, which was a good
pollicy of Lessley to beguile men's view, which could not bee satisfied
of their number, till as now they had freedome to ride amongst them
and goe into their hutts, where they (sic) better sort entertained the
English courteously, but the ordinary souldiours would looke very
bigg with laughing countenances, as imagining Avee were happy in the
peace, otherwise wee had smarted for it. They were, as Lieutenantcolonell
Sydenham informed mee, 92 colours ; I endeavoured to have
tould them but could not (because of the circular ryding I could not
tell where I began nor ended). Most guessed them to bee about 10 or
12,000 at the most, accounting the Highlanders, whose fantastique
habitt caused much gazing by such as have not seene them heertofore.
They, were all or most part of them well timbred men,
tall and active, apparrelled in blew woollen wascotts and blew
bonnetts. A paire of bases of plad, and stockings of the same, and a
paire of pumpes on their feete : a mantle of plad cast over the left
shoulder, and under the right arme, a pocquett before for their knapsack,
and a paire of durgs^'' on either side the pocquet. They are left
to their owne election for their Aveapons ;
some carry onely a sword
and targe, others musquetts, and the greater part bow and arrowes,
with a quiver to liould about 6 shafts, made of the maine of a goat
or colt, with the haire hanging on, and fastned by some belt or such
like, soe as it appeares allmost a taile to them. Theise were about
'^ The words,
'
Laird of Duiise, a Hume,' are written in the margin of the
document.
*'
Dirks, an early use of the word. Cf. N.E.D.