But our brave clans they boldly stood
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

"But alas, we could nae langer stay, For ower the hills we cam' away; And sair do we lament the day

That e'er we cam' to Cromdale."

Thus the great Montrose did say ; "Can you direct the nearest way? For I will ower the hills this day,

And view the haughs o' Cromdale."

66 Alas, my lord, you're not sae strang,
You scarcely have twa thousand men,
And there's twenty thousand on the plain,
Stand rank and file on Cromdale."

Thus the great Montrose did say ;
"I say, direct the nearest way,
For I will ower the hills this day,
And see the haughs o' Cromdale."

They were at dinner, every man,
When great Montrose upon them cam';
A second battle then began

Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

The Grants, MacKenzies, and MacKays,
Soon as Montrose they did espy,
O then they fought maist vehemently
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

The MacDonalds they return'd again,
The Camerons did their standard join,

VOL. II.

MacIntosh played a bonnie game
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

The MacGregors fought like lions bold,
MacPhersons, none could them control,
MacLachlans fought like loyal souls,
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

MacLeans, MacDougals, and MacNeills,
Sae boldly as they took the field,
And made their enemies to yield
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

The Gordons boldly did advance,
The Frasers fought wi' sword and lance,

The Grahams they made the heads to dance
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

The loyal Stewarts, wi' Montrose,
Sae boldly set upon their foes,

And brought them down wi' Hieland blows,
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

Of twenty thousand Cromwell's men,
Five hundred fled to Aberdeen,
The rest o' them lies on the plain,
Upon the haughs o' Cromdale.

THE BATTLE OF PHILIPHAUGH.

THOUGH not of much merit as a poem (as, indeed, none of the partisan ballads of this period are), the following ditty, preserved by recitation in Selkirkshire, is valuable as an authentic song of exultation. The Covenanters might well plume themselves upon this victory, for it decided the fate of the royal cause in Scotland, and rendered utterly nugatory all the brilliant successes and unwearied enterprise of the great Marquis of Montrose.

Acting as the Lieutenant of Charles I., that brave nobleman had made himself master for the time of the whole of Scotland. At the battle of Kilsyth, fought on 15th August 1645, the Covenanters were totally routed; and if Montrose had contented himself with occupying Scotland, and reducing the few places of strength which still were in the hands of his opponents, he might possibly have affected the issue of the great Civil War. But, with him, daring was carried to a point which must be characterised as rashness; and he resolved, with forces wholly inadequate for such a purpose, to carry the war into England. The Highlanders, by whose valour the field of Kilsyth had been mainly won, were, according to their invariable habit in the days of clanship, dropping away from his standard as he advanced south; and on the Borders the bulk of the people were unfriendly to his cause. At that time there was in England a considerable Scottish army ranged on the side of the Parliament; and immediately upon receipt of the news of Kilsyth, General David Lesly was despatched at the head of five or six thousand men, chiefly cavalry, to intercept the advance of the Marquis.

Lesly, an old and wary soldier, entered Scotland by the way of Berwick, and, by a circuitous route, approached the army of Montrose, then quartered near Selkirk, from the north. The surprise was complete. Under cover of a dense mist, he, upon the morning of 13th September 1645, assailed the camp of Montrose, and gained a complete victory. The Marquis himself escaped, not without difficulty. About four hundred men fell on the field; but the glory of the victory was sullied by an indiscriminate massacre of prisoners; of which, it is said, some of the ministers were approving witIf that were the case, their sympathisers should make some allowance for subsequent retaliation. But I really believe that there has been gross exaggeration on both sides, so I shall not add another word to a subject which ought, by this time, to be exhausted.

nesses.

N Philiphaugh a fray began,

ΟΝ

At Hairhead wood it ended;

The Scotts out o'er the Græmes they ran,

Sae merrily they bended.

Sir David frae the border cam',

Wi' heart an' hand cam' he;

Wi' him three thousand bonny Scotts,

To bear him company.

Wi' him three thousand valiant men,

A noble sight to see!

A cloud o' mist them weel concealed,
As close as e'er might be.

When they cam' to the Shaw burn,
Said he, "Sae weel we frame,

I think it is convenient,

That we should sing a psalm."

When they cam' to the Lingly burn,
As daylight did appear,

They spy'd an aged father,
And he did draw them near.

"Come hither, aged father!"
Sir David he did cry,
"And tell me where Montrose lies,
With all his great army."

"But, first, you must come tell to me,
If friends or foes you be ;
I fear you are Montrose's men,
Come frae the north country."

"No, we are nane o' Montrose's men,

Nor e'er intend to be ;

I am Sir David Lesly,

That's speaking unto thee."

"If you're Sir David Lesly,
As I think weel ye be,

I'm sorry ye hae brought so few
Into your company.

"There's fifteen thousand armed men

Encamped on yon lee ;

Ye'll never be a bite to them,
For aught that I can see.

* Various reading :

"That we should take a dram."