I may here state, that as little elsewhere, in any shape, has the faintest notice been yet adduced of the family of Allanton, previous to the sixteenth century. Hitherto, then, we have vainly attempted to penetrate through the thick vail of obscurity, under which they are so effectually concealed. But I am now to present some original information-for which they are solely indebted to me-of this humble race, who have thus, in the shade, pursued the "noiseless tenor" of their career. The next link, still exclusively resting upon the authority of Mr John Brown and the immaculate manuscript, introduces to our notice a James Stew *The original is as follows: Allani. Stevart. de. Allanton. + From this we may form some idea of the justness of the remark of Candidus, that his respected friend" is much more able, had he chosen to have undertaken the task of " vindicating his family honours." Some ordinary contrivance-urn, vesel, &c. &c. for receiving the water. art, as usual, of Allanton, though not a knight-and this is surprisingwho is married to a Janet Tait,-the alleged daughter, however, of one,who died in the year 1547: and I on my part subjoin the following document, the Latin portion of which I have translated in the text, inserting the original in the note.* "The Inventary of all the goods of the late Allan Stewart, taken down, at Allanetoune, from his mouth, ✦ on his departure, the xijth day of the month of July, in the year of our Lord jm ve xlvij, in presence of these witnesses, William Wallace, Alexan * Inventarium Omnium Bonorum, quondam Allani Stewart factum apud Allanetoune per os decedentis xij die mensis Julii anno Domini jm ve xlvij coram his testibus Willielmo Wallace, Alexandro Robesoune Domino Johanne Lyndesai meo curato diversisque aliis. In primis fatetur se habere quinque boves, Item duas vaccas, Item duo animalia etatis duorum annorum, Item unam lye quy etatis unius anni, Item unum ly stot etatis unius anni, Item unum taurum ly bull etatis trium annorum, Item unum lie Stot etatis duorum annorum, Item quatuor ly moder lesse calvis, Item xxxvij oues senes, Item xxij lie hoggis, Item in utensilibus et domiciliis xls, Item in avenis seminatis xl b. Item in Ordeo seminato iii b. Debita que sibi debentur: Imprimis Allanus Lockhart de lie et Alexander Lockhart in Wicketschaw ixxx mercas monete. Debita que debentur aliis: Imprimis Domino pro firma terre duas marcas viijd, Item Andree Cadder xxti mar cas, Item Gavino Stewart lxxx mercas et Or Cum nichil sit certius morte, nec hora ejus incertius, hinc est, quod, ego Allanus Stewart, sanus mente et corpore, condo testimentum meum in hunc modum sequen tem: In primis nempe do et lego animam meam Deo Omnipotenti, Beate Marie Virgini, et omnibus sanctis celestis curie, corpusque meum terre, quatuor d. fabrice Sancti Kentigerni executores meos constituo Eliza bet Tait meam sponsam et Jacobum Douglas in Todhallis ut ipsi disponant pro salute anime mee sicuti respondere voluerint coram Sumino Judice in die judicii: Similiter do et lego mee sponse ut sequitur in vulgari [Then follows as in the text.] +"Est pauperis numerare greges," der Robesoune, Master John Lyndisai, my parish minister, and sundry others. "In the first place, he acknowledges that he possesses five oxen-two cows -two animals, of the age of two years -one "lye* quy," of the age of one year-one "lye stot," of the age of one year-one "ly bull," of the age of three years-one" ly stot," of the age of two years-four "ly moderlesse calvis"-xxxvij old sheep-xxij "lie hoggis" +-utensils and household furniture to the amount of xls-in oats sown upon the ground, to the amount of xl bolls-in barley sown, iii bolls. "Debts which are owing to him: In the first place, Allan Lockhart of Lie, and Alexander Lockhart in Wickitschaw, ixxx merks of money. "Debts which are owing by him to others: In the first place, to the Laird for the rent of the land, two marks, viiid: Al so, to Andrew Cadder, xxti marks: Also, to Gawin Stewart, lxxx marks et iii marks, in order, as it is termed in our native language, to rentall him, at my Lord of Glasgui's hand, of fyve mark land of Daildowie Wester, and xxjs land in Mosplatt: Also, to John Steill, xijs. Also, to John Scott, xx3: Also, to Janet Speir, x pecks of barley: Also, to Thomas Russell, xls: Also, to William Wallace, xs: Also, to Alex Roger, vis: Also, to Thomas Smyth, iiis. (Including a few more insignificant payments to other obscure people.) "Seeing that there is nothing more certain than death, and nothing more uncertain than the hour, Therefore I, Allan Stewart, entire in body and mind, make my testament as follows: In the first place, I leave my soul to the Almighty, and to the Blessed Virgin, and to all the Saints of Christ's Church in heaven; and my body to the earth, with four pennies to the Cathedral of Saint Mungo: I nominate my executors, Elizabeth Tait, my spouse, and James Douglas in Todhallis, to dispone for the good of my soul, as they will answer for their conduct to the great Judge at the last day. I moreover bequeath to my spouse, as follows in the vulgar : "I Allane Stewart, intendis, God The French "le," usually prefixed to all Scotch terms introduced into our Latin documents. + Young sheep. willing, to pass wyt my Lord Governoure and my Lord Zester to ye bordoure, to ye defence of ye Realme: Item, I leyf to my wife All my Steddingis yat I haif of my Lord Zester in Auhtarmuire, during hir lyftyme, wyt all my gudis, movable and immovable, and to use it to the proffeit and utilite of hirself and effame Stewart, my dochter, and eufame to abide at ye command and counsall of hir moder; and I Ordain hir to use hir at the comand and plessoure of hir moder, in all maner of sortis: Item, I Ordane Gawane Stewart, my sone, to geyf effame my dochter xx for geire yat I loupt to him in Edinburcht, and ane gray horse, scho budand at ye consall and comand of hir moder and hir broyer; and as to ye lard of leyse payment, ye contrakkis beris in yaim self I tak one my saule, I gat nevir na payment of him, excepte je merkis of money." [Confirmed 22d June 1548.] ** Instead then of blazing at tournaments, and of "commanding" armies, this humble race have only been solicitous to gain a decent livelihood by raising a moderate crop of oats and barley;—instead of entering into solemn political negotiations with neighbouring barons, we find their representative implementing a bargain with a village matron for the sale of a few pecks of his grain ;-instead of richly caparisoned steeds and palfreys, he has nothing in the shape of such an animal;-baronial castles are transformed into steadings; circumambient moats into preliminary dunghills; the daughter of the house, whom we might have fancied noble, and peerless, with a splendid retinue of obsequious knights, and damsels arrayed in magnificent apparel, into possibly some such ordinary garlic eating wench, though probably not so dainty in her diet, as crazed the intellects of the knight of La Mancha; for whom the damage of certain rejected clothing and accoutrements, transferred by her father to her bro ther Gawin, about to commence his bucolical career, was an ample dower; not to forget the generous donation of the gray steed, the lordly possessor of hereditary trophies of ancient valour, armour, pennons, and ensanguined banners, won by the illustrious Allantons of departed memory, at the battles of Dundalk, Morningside, and elsewhere, dwindles down into the humble owner of a scanty farm, some stots, and of four motherless calves! The rank and condition of the family is easily gathered from the testament without any commentary. It may be only observed, that the entire household plenishing and furniture,the boards upon which they reposed their hardy limbs, after, in many cases, but a hopeless wrestling with stubborn and ungrateful soil, where some of the common fruits of the earth never arrive at maturity,-the platters, trenchers, and salt-vats, &c. affording but slender means of appeasing the cravings of an appetite not a little exasperated by the vicinage of the keen air of the Shotts,clothes, vessels, &c. &c. every thing within the walls of the steading amounted to the mighty value of forty shillings, at that time, the price of the common military implement, a cross-bow; as also, of a friar's cloak, and of the homely utensil, a mortar and pestle, adapted for an ordinary family. Contrasted with what these must have been, the goods and chattels in communion, in the well-known ballad of "The Vowing of Jock and Jynny,' written at least a very few years after the death of Allan, if not before it, that were to crown the approaching nuptial felicity of that rustic pair, which Lord Hailes has pronounced ludicrous and wretched,—and which he quotes as a good example of the " cur "Item unum le corsbow, price xl ; Item ane brasing mortar cum le pestell, price xls Original confirmed testament of the Vicar of Govan in the year 1552; where are also noticed, "ane tangis and yrne scwill, price xs; three beif tubbis," price ta supellex" of the inferior orders of the community of Scotland in the sixteenth century, would nevertheless strike us as luxurious and profuse. And yet the age was lavish in furniture, and apparel, or "abulziments" and moveables of all descriptions, to a degree that by a modern person could scarcely be credited, as might easily be proved by the adduction of many contemporary inven tories-a mania which descended even to the lowest vulgar. That Allan was a farmer, or rentaller, and not even a petty fewar, is evident from his allusion to the property which in any shape he retained;to the "steddingis* yat (he) haid of my Lord Zester in Auchtermuire;" and to the lands of wester Daldüe, belonging to the Bishop of Glasgow, in which Gawin is to be rentalled, and NOT INFEFT: The former, the an cient estate of Allanton, which, ac cording to Candidus, was bestowed in full property, by the Church, upon their immediate vassal, Sir Allan Stewart of Daldüe, [whose father was "second cousin to Robert the Second,"] in the year 1420, in reward of his military services! The other, upon same authority, that still more venerable possession, or barony," as it is the called, "c upon the Clyde" near Glasgow, that Sir Robert Stewart, the progenitor "certainly" of one of the most ancient branches of the house of Stewart," had obtained" in patrimony" from his father, Sir John Stewart of "Steddyng." A farm-house and of fices. The farms were small, and the miserable steadings (the old phrase for a farmhouse and offices) denoted the poverty of the tenants. "(P. Alloa Clackmann, Stat. Acc. viii. 603.)”—I am exilit fra my takkis and fra my steddingis. "Compl. S. p. Jamieson. 191." The term "rental" is abundantly known. Farmers, in these days, were for the most part stationary upon the grounds of their landlord, and hence sometimes came to be styled native rentallers. I admit, that as now, it was at this period expedient, occasionally, even for absolute proprietors to rentall, or take in lease some necessary portion of the territory of their neighbours; but it is extremely obvious, that without a certain quantity of land, feudally held, none then could be admitted into the ranks of gentry, or possess the smallest political consideration in the country. The speculations of Candidus upon the term fewar are now utterly irrelevant. Bonkill, killed at Falkirk in the year 1298, to whom it is thus alleged originally to have belonged, and not to the See of Glasgow, who, notwithstanding, were the ancient proprietors. The family of Yester, or Tweeddale, held all Auchtermuir Blench of the opulent religious house of Arbroath,* upon which, previous to the reign of David II., the high privileges of a regality had been conferredt. Agreeably to the usage that prevailed in such great jurisdictions, the Abbot of Arbroath would, in the event of the general raising of the militia of the country to repel such an invasion as that of the Earl of Hertford, in the year 1547, evidently alluded to by Allan in his testament, have the leading of the men of Auchtermuir, who would necessarily rally under his clerical banner. By various notices, however, in the Chartulary of Arbroath, it appears that the Abbots were in the habit of delegating to their vassal, Lord Yester, the duty of discharging many of their civil rights, such as the office of justiciary, within the limits of Auchtermuir. Hence, they would not fail also to invest him with those of a military nature; and, accordingly, Allan Stewart, along with other peasantry of the muir, is to accompany Lord Yester, acting for the Abbot, to the border. Mr John Brown, and that precious family manuscript, have so utterly metamorphosed those early members of the family of Allanton, that it might have defied their own acquaintance to have recognised them,-not to advert for to the more obvious disguisements, whom this personage, Sir James Tait of Ernock, stands proxy, I know not, The Tweeddale family were seated there as far back as the year 1432. Charty of Arbroath, Ad. Liby fol. 39 b. + Ib. fol. 38. "Universis pateat per presentes nos David permissione divina Abbatem monasterii Sancti Thome Martiris de Abberbro-fecisse thock et ejusdem loci conventusconstituisse et ordinasse-Nobilem et potentem Dominum Johannem Dominum Hay de Zester, Johannem Ogilvy de Fingask," &c." et eorum quemlibet conjunctim et divisim nostros ballivos commissarios camerarios justiciarios infra regalitatem nostram de Abberbrothock et Ethcarmore." (5 April 1494.) Charty of Arbroath, fol. 132 5. There had also been previously a similar commission to John Lord Zester, dated 14 August 1488. Ib. fol. 124. but I peremptorily defy any one to prove his existence. They have totally suppressed Gawin and Euphan, but dropt their own offspring into their nests; but these exotics, not agreeing with the change of climate, are all suffered piteously to die away; an expedient indispensible, in order to give the thing a natural appearance, it being rather an odd race that was in the habit of producing only one member at a time. When these authorities are so accurate, in modern points, they must assuredly be much more so in those of greater antiquity, and hence, upon their bare allegation, and in the absence of any other evidence, we must believe in the prodigies of Dundalk and Morningside, and all that has been asserted of this unparalleled family. The eventual fate of Gawin and Euphan I have not been able to unravel; these are the only faint glimmerings I have detected respecting them.-I have now trespassed sufficiently for the present, upon the attention of your readers-if their patience be not altogether exhausted, perhaps the residue of "the Historie" may be forthcoming in the course of your next Number. 111, George Street, 9th August 1817. J. R. P. S.-I see it is inaccurately stated, that "the learned and worthy Baronet" bears in his arms a spear, in commemoration of a tournament in which the Hero of the day of Morningside is supposed to have shared.-The fact is, that, on the 21st of December 1815, the present Lyon Depute-who exercises even royal prerogatives conferred upon him, and certain heirs in remainder, by "Patent," a new honourable augmentation, a broken spear, surmounted by a helmet as a further mark of his (Sir Allan's) gallantry in that engagement;"-as also the motto, "Virtutis in bello præmium." end of the year 1813, on the sea shore, in the immediate neigbourhood of Santander, in the province of Santander, in the north of Spain. The mountains which bound and traverse the whole of the northern provinces of Spain, appear to be a continuation of the Pyrennean range-and the regular succession of the primitive and newer rocks, is very beautifully illustrated in travelling from east to west, especially in the picturesque vallies of Biscay; in the course of which, the most magnificent sections are produced by the impetuosity of the winter torrent. In that portion which skirts the shores of the province of Santander, the principal rocks are sandstone and limestone, occurring in alternate strata. Coal is found near Reynosa, in the higher districts, as well as at Laredo, on the coast. In one of the lowest members of this series, close to the shore, I found a considerable mass of yellow amber, firmly imbedded in the limestone. The union was so perfect, that it was impossible to separate the amber without shattering it into small fragments. The whole was extracted, and is now in London, with some of the limestone. The fact was mentioned in letters to two scientific friends in Britain, soon after it was noticed. M. There is a wonderful simplicity and beauty in the following humble epitaph on so great a man as the Black Prince. The author is unknown-but it would probably be composed by the best poet of the age, perhaps by Chaucer, who was at this time in the height of his reputation, and, from his travels in France, must have been well ac quainted with the French language. The verses are introduced by this inscription: Cy gist le noble Prince Monsieur Edward aisnez fils de tres noble Roy Edward Tiers : Jadis Prince D'Aquitaine et de Gales, Duc de Cornwaille, et Compte de Cestre, qi mourust en la Feste de la Trinite q'estoit le VIII. jour de juyn, l'an de grace, mil trois cens Septante sisine. L'Alme de gi Dieu eut merci, Amen. II. Spenser IN Tod's Life of Spenser, in which there is to be found much valuable information regarding the studies and pursuits of this great man, and the state of English literature at that period, there is a curious letter of Spenser's friend, Harvey, in which he recom mends to the author of the Faery Queen the study of Petrarch. "Thinke upon Petrarche, and perhappes it will advaunce the wings of your imagination a degree higher-at least if any thing can be added to the loftiness of his conceite, whom gentle Mistress Rosalind once reported to have all the intelligences at commandment, and another time christened him. Signor Pegaso." The gentle Mistress Rosalind, here mentioned, was a lady to whom Spenser was early attached. It shows the poetical conversations with which he and his mistress must have enter tained themselves, alluding, as Tod Ou. Entendez. Telle. Jamais. | Terre. Maisons. ++ Si vous m'avez vit. Suis-je-paurre Pense, Pe |