man of the parish for baptism to their children; and a strong superstitious notion universally prevails with them, that it is unlucky to have an unchristened child long in the house. Only a very few ever attend divine service, and those as seldom as they can, just to prevent being refused as sponsors at their children's baptism.
"They are in general active and lively, particularly when engaged in field sports, or in such temporary pursuits as are agreeable to their habits and dispositions; but are destitute of the perseverance necessary for a settled occupation, or even for finishing what a moderate degree of continued labour would enable them to accomplish in a few weeks."
"I remember that about forty-five years ago, being then apprentice to a writer, who was in use to receive the rents as well as the small duties of Kirk-Yetholm, he sent me there with a list of names, and a statement of what was due; recommending me to apply to the landlord of the public-house, in the village, for any information or assistance which I might need.
"After waiting a long time, and receiving payment from most of the feuars, or rentallers, I observed to him that none of the persons of the names of Faa, Young, Blythe, Bailley, &c. who stood at the bottom of the list for small sums, had come to meet me, according to the notice given by the baron officer, and proposed sending to inform them that they were detaining me, and to request their immediate attendance.
"The landlord, with a grave face, inquired whether my master had desired me to ask money from those men. I said, not particularly; but they stood on the list. 'So I see,' said the landlord; 'but had your master been here himself, he had not dared to ask money from them, either as rent or feu duty.—He knows that it is as good as if it were in his pocket. They will pay when their own time comes; but do not like to pay at a set time with the rest of the barony, and still less to be craved.'
"I accordingly returned without their money, and reported progress. I found that the landlord was right: my master said with a smile, that it was unnecessary to send to them, after the previous notice from the baron officer; it was enough if I had received the money, if offered.—Their rent and feu duty was brought to the office in a few weeks. I need scarcely add, those persons all belonged to the tribe.
"Another instance of their licentious independent spirit occurs to me. The family of Niddry always gave a decent annual remuneration to a baron bailie, for the purpose of keeping good order within their barony of Town-Yetholm. The person whom I remember first in possession of that office, was an old man called Doctor Walker, from his being also the village surgeon; and from him I had the following anecdote:—
"Between Yetholm and the border farms in Northumberland, there were formerly, as in most border situations, some uncultivated lands, called the Plea Lands, or Debateable Lands, the pasturage of which was generally eaten up by the sorners and vagabonds on both sides of the marches.
"Many years ago, Lord Tankerville and some other of the English borderers made their request to Sir David Bennet, and the late Mr Wauchope of Niddry, that they would accompany them at a riding of the Plea Lands, who readily complied with their request. They were induced to this, as they understood that the gypsies had taken offence, on the supposition that they might be circumscribed in the pasture for their shelties and asses, which they had held a long time, partly by stealth, and partly by violence.
"Both threats and entreaties were employed to keep them away; and at last Sir David obtained a promise from some of the heads of the gang, that none of them should show their faces on the occasion.
"They however got upon the hills at a little distance, whence they could see every thing that passed. At first they were very quiet. But when they saw the English Court Book spread out on a cushion before the clerk, and apparently taken in a line of direction interfering with what they considered to be their privileged ground, it was with great difficulty that the most moderate of them could restrain the rest from running down and taking ven-
