64 THE JUDGE AND THE FREEBOOTER.
“It has a dreary enough look, as far as I can judge by this light. "
“Ye maun say that, “replied the stranger, mony a queer thing has been done in the figget Whins. "
“And so this is the figget Whins? “said the President.
“Oh, aye, “answered the stranger, ye'll hae heard, no doubt, that it was here auld Lord Durie met his death? "
“And so Lord Durie is dead? “said the President.
“Dead as a door nail, “replied the stranger; “he rode down here ae day, and was never seen mair. Some said he was sae pricked in his conscience at having given wrong decisions that he flung himself into the sea; but the new Lord President “-
“So you have got a new Lord President have you? "
“Oh, aye, and he says that he thinks he maun hae fallen off his horse in a ploplectic fit, for that he used to hae merlegoes in his head, and that was the way he sometimes gied such daft lifie decisions; but ae thing is certain, he'll never mair be seen in this world. "
“I'm not so sure of that, “replied the President. “I have great doubts of Lord Durie's death. "
Aye! “replied the stranger; “by my fey, if he's living he had better be looking about him, for ane man has stepped into his shoon in the Parliament House, and another is likely to step into his shoon at hame; for if a ' tales be true, the sheriff is making up to my lady, and “-
“Good night, friend, “said Lord Durie, “I know the road now, and need not your guidance. "
In high indignation the President hurried to the Parliament House, where his successor was then engaged in the duties of his office. On the sudden appearance of Lord Durie in court, the lawyers stood aghast, the judges were petrified, but what was the horror of the new President when Lord Durie, looking sternly on him, exclaimed,
“My Lord President, in twenty four hours I will summon you to your account; “then retreating as quickly as he had advanced, he vanished from their sight. He had no sooner disappeared than the court broke up in confusion. The new Lord President went home and took to his bed, believing he had received a summons to the other world; lawyers shook their heads, and hinted at evil practices, and the judges adjourned to talk over the strange affair, and wonder who would be the next Lord President.
Meanwhile Lord Durie hastened to his house, and arrived there as his lady and the sheriff were sitting down to supper. The sheriff, in order to save his garments, had fastened the table cloth to bis button hole, and he was in the act of dissecting a fat goose, which smoked before him, when Lord Durie gave his accustomed knock at the street door.
“Gude preserve us a ' my lady, “ said the old
servant, who stood behind her chair; “if my lord werena dead and gane, 1 would swear that was his knock. "
“Whisht, you ass! “ said the sheriff; “I hope his lordship is in a better place. "
“I dinna misdoubt ye, “ answered John, “but preserve us! there it's again. "
“Leave talking, John, “ said the lady, with a frown, and go and see who knocks so boldly.
John had no sooner opened the door, than turning his back, he rushed into the kitchen, exclaiming, “a wraith, a wraith! my master's wraith! -The maid servants, terrified out of their senses, raised the most hideous outcries; the dogs barked, and the din became tremendous. Unmindful of the uproar, Lord Durie hastened to the supper room. At his appearance the lady sent forth shriek upon shriek, the sheriff sprung from his chair and took to his heels, and forgetting he had fastened the table cloth to his coat, dragged the whole apparatus of the table after him; and as he rushed down the stairs, the clatter of knives and forks, the crash of china, the smashing of plates and dishes, completed the confusion.
“Oh, sirs! “ groaned John, “heard ye ever the like o ' that? I wonder whether he has come for my lady or the sheriff! whoever it is, they are unco sweert to gang with him. Na, they're ringing the bells now. "
“That will be my lady ringing for help, “ said one of the maids. “Gang up, John, and take her part. "
“Deed I'll do nae such thing; I havena ' the gift o ' dealing with wraiths. Hear to such an awfu ' rampaging, “ continued John, as scream after scream came from the chamber, and peal followed peal.
At length Lord Durie groped his way to the kitchen, stumbling at every step over the fragments of the supper; and having by dint of blows convinced John of his presence in the body, the uproar ceased, and the domestics hastened to the assistance of their lady, who, on being at length convinced that it really was her lord that she saw, and not his wraith, showed so much joy at his return as entirely to dissipate his lordship's displeasure at the tete a tete which he had so unexpectedly broken up. The new Lord President was forced to abdicate. Lord Durie was reinstated in his office, and thus ends the tale of the Judge and the Borderer.
NOTE.
Wild and strange as this tradition may seem, there is little doubt of its foundation in fact. The judge, upon whose person this extraordinary stratagem was practised, was Sir Alexander Gibson, Lord Durie, collector of the reports, well known in the Scottish law under the title of Durie's decision. He was advanced to the station of an ordinary lord of session, 10th of July, 1621, and died, at his own house of Durie, July, 1646. Betwixt these periods his whimsical adventure must have happened; a date which corresponds with that of the tradition. The joy of his friends, and the less agreeable surprise of his successor, may be easily conceived, when he appeared in court to reclaim his office and honours. All embraced his own persuasion, that he had been spirited away by witchcraft; nor could he himself be convinced of the contrary, until, many years afterwards, happening to travel in Annandale, his ears were saluted once more with the sounds of Madge and Batty, the only notes which had so. laced his long confinement. This led to a discovery of the whole story; but, in those disorderly times, it was only laughed at as a fair ruse de guerre. — Mînstrelay of the Scottish Border.
