there being a cry given that Alexander Fall was dead, the pannel went away."

Johnston was sentenced to be hanged on 13th June 1727, but he escaped from prison. He was afterwards retaken; and in August 1728, the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh ordered his sentence to be put in execution.

Upon comparing these statements with the traditionary account of the murder of Geordie Faa by Rob Johnstone, given in our Second Number, page 161, the latter appears to be inaccurate in several points, and particularly in mentioning Jean Gordon as the wife of the murdered Faa. Johnston, it would seem, had contrived to elude the pursuit of justice for more than ten years, and after being taken and condemned, had again escaped from prison. If the story of Jean Gordon's having pursued a murderer beyond seas, and traced him from one country to another till he was finally secured, be at all connected with the case of Johnston, she may perhaps have been the mother of Sandie Faa, the person murdered. Her husband rather seems to have been Patrick Faa, mentioned at page 615. But as these bloody transactions appear to have been very frequent among this savage race in former times, it is not improbable that two stories may have been blended together in the popular tradition.

A few years after this, our heroine, Jean, appears to have been reduced to rather distressed circumstances; for in May 1732, we find that a petition was presented to the Circuit Court at Jedburgh, by Jean Gordon, commonly called the Dutchess, then prisoner in the tolbooth of Edinburgh; in which she states, that she is " now become an old and infirm woman, having been long in prison. She concludes with requesting to be allowed" to take voluntar' banishment upon herself, to depairt from Scotland never to return thereto."-We have little doubt that The Dutchess is no other than our old acquaintance, though we were not formerly acquainted with her title. It was probably during one of these periods of voluntar' banishment, that poor Jean encountered the Goodman of Lochside on the south side of the Border.

About a twelvemonth before the date of Jean Gordon's petition, we find that John Faa, William Faa, John

Faa, alias Falla, alias Williamson, William Miller, Christian Stewart, Margaret Young, and Elizabeth alias Elspeth Anderson, were indicted at Jedburgh for the crimes of theft, and as habit and repute vagabonds or vagrant persons, sturdy beggars, sorners, and gypsies. They all received sentence of death, except Miller, who was transported for life.*

A correspondent, who has very obligingly furnished us with several curious communications on the present subject, mentions, that in the combat at Lowrie's Den, described by Mr Hogg in a former Number, the wife of one of the parties assisted her husband by holding down his opponent till he despatched him by repeated stabs with a small knife. This virago, thinking the murderer was not making quick enough work, called out to him, Strike laigh! Strike laigh !"

The same correspondent has lately sent us the following anecdote of Billy Marshall, derived, as he informs us, from 'Black Matthew Marshall,' grandson of the said chieftain:-"Marshall's gang had long held possession of a large cove or cavern in the high grounds of Cairnmuir, in Galloway, where they usually deposited their plunder, and sometimes resided, secure from the officers of the law, as no one durst venture to molest the tribe in that retired subterraneous situation. It happened that two Highland pipers, strangers to the country, were travelling that way; and falling in by chance with this cove, they entered it, to

While printing this sheet, the following notices have been transmitted to us from

England :

"Simson, Arington, Fetherstone, Fenwicke, and Lanckaster, were hanged, being Egyptians."-8 Aug. 1592.

St Nicholas Par. Register, Durham. "Francis Heron, king of ye Faws, buried 13 Jan. 1756."

Jarrow Register, Co. Durham. A late communication from another gentleman in the North of England, enables us to correct a slight inaccuracy in our First Number, respecting the death of Jamie Allan, the famous Northumbrian piper, who

appears did not die, as we supposed, in Morpeth jail; but after being condemned at the Durham assizes, in August 1803, for horse-stealing, was reprieved, and received 28th August 1806 died, and was buried in his Majesty's pardon in 1804; and "on the the parish church of St Nicholas, in the city of Durham."

shelter themselves from the weather, and resolved to rest there during the night. They found pretty good quarters, but observed some very suspicious furniture in the cove, which indicated the profession and character of its absent inhabitants. They had not remained long, till they were alarmed by the voices of a numerous band advancing to its entrance. The pipers expected nothing but death from the ruthless gypsies. One of them, how ever, being a man of some presence of mind, called to his neighbour instantly to fill his bags' (doing the same himself), and to strike up a pibroch with all his might and main. Both pipes accordingly at once commenced a most tremendous onset, the cove with all its echoes pealing back the Pibroch of Donuil Dhu or such like. At this very unexpected and terrific reception, -the yelling of the bagpipes, issuing from the bowels of the earth, just at the moment the gypsies entered the cove-Billy Marshall, with all his band, precipitately fled in the greatest consternation, and from that night never again would go near their favourite haunt, believing that the blast they had heard proceeded from the devil or some of his agents. The pipers next morning prosecuted their journey in safety, carrying with them the spolia optima of the redoubted Billy and the clan Marshall."

The following anecdote of another noted leader is communicated by an individual, who had frequently heard it related by the reverend person chiefly concerned :

"The late Mr Leck, minister of Yetholm, happened to be riding home one evening from a visit over in Northumberland, when, finding himself likely to be benighted, for the sake of a near cut, he struck into a wild solitary track, or drove-road, across the fells, by a place called the Staw. In one of the derne places through which this path led him, there stood an old deserted shepherd's house, which, of course, was reputed to be haunted. The minister, though little apt to be alarmed by such reports, was however somewhat startled, on observing, as he approached close to the cottage, a grim visage' staring out past a windowclaith, or sort of curtain, which had been fastened up to supply the place of a door-and also several dusky figures' skulking among the bourtreebushes that had once sheltered the

shepherd's garden. Without leaving him any time for speculation, however, the knight of the curtain bolted forth upon him, and seizing his horse by the bridle, demanded his money. Mr Leck, though it was now dusk, at once recognized the gruff voice and the great black burly head of his next door neighbour, Gleid-neckit Will, the gypsey chief." Dear me, William,” said the minister in his usual quiet manner, can this be you? Ye're surely no serious wi' me?-Ye wadna sae far wrang your character for a good neighbour for the bit trifle I hae to gie, William ?". "Lord saif us, Mr Leck!" said Will, quitting the rein, and lifting his hat with great respect, "whae wad hae thought o' meeting you out owre here-away?-Ye needna gripe for ony siller to me-I wadna touch a plack o' your gear, nor a hair o' your head, for a' the gowd o' Tividale. I ken ye'll no do us an ill turn for this mistak-and I'll e'en see ye safe through the eirie Staw-it's no reckoned a very canny bit mair ways nor ane; but I wat weel ye'll no be feared for the dead, and I'll tak care o' the living."-Will accordingly gave his reverend friend a safe convoy through the haunted pass, and, notwithstanding this ugly mistake, continued ever after an inoffensive and obliging neighbour to the ministerwho, on his part, observed a prudent and inviolable secrecy on the subject of this rencounter during the life-time of Gleid-neckit Will.”

The following story contains perhaps nothing very remarkable in itself, or characteristic of the gypsey race; but it seems worthy of being inserted, from other considerations:-Tam Gordon, the late Captain of the Spittal gypsies, and a very notorious and desperate character, had been in the habit of stealing sheep from the flocks of Mr Abram Logan, farmer at Lammerton, in the east of Berwickshire. Numbers having successively disappeared, Mr Logan and the shepherd sat up one night to watch for the thief; and about midnight, Tam and his son-inlaw, Ananias Faa, coming for their accustomed prey, the farmer and his servant sprung up and seized them. Abram Logan, a stout active man, had grappled with the elder gypsey, while the shepherd secured the other;-the ruffian instantly drew a large knife, used for killing sheep, and made re peated attempts to stab him; but

being closely grasped by the farmer, he was unable to thrust the weapon home, and it only struck against his ribs. With some difficulty the thieves were both secured. They were tried for the crime before the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh-convicted, and condemned to be hanged-but afterwards, to the great surprise and disappointment of their Berwickshire neighbours, obtained a pardon-a piece of unmerited and ill-bestowed clemency, for which it was generally understood they were indebted to the interest of a noble northern family of their own name. We recollect hearing a sort of ballad upon Tam's exploits, and his deliverance from the gallows through the intercession of a celebrated dutchess, but do not recollect any of the words. Tam died only a few years ago, at a very advanced age.

The following observations respect ing the continental gypsies are communicated by a distinguished writer, who, on a former occasion, enriched our Miscellany with much interesting and valuable information respecting this wild and wayward race :

"The gypsies every where pretend to skill in fortune-telling and sorcery; but in Germany they are supposed to have some particular spells for stopping the progress of conflagration. I have somewhere a German ballad on this subject, which, if I find, I will translate for you. Seven gypsies are unjustly doomed to death; the town takes fire; and the magistrates are obliged to release them, that they may arrest the flames by their incantations. Our Scottish gypsies are more cele brated for raising fire wilfully, than for extinguishing it. This is their most frequent mode of vengeance when offended; and being a crime at once easily executed and difficult of detection, the apprehension of it makes the country people glad to keep on fair terms with them.

smoking as he walked; and it is a point of etiquette, that, in passing a sentinel, you take the pipe from your mouth. But as my friend was about to comply with this uniform custom, the sentinel said, to his no small surprise, "Rauchen sie, immer fort: verdamt sey der Preussiche dienst""Smoke away, sir: d-n the Prussian service." My friend looked at him with surprise, and the marked gypsey features at once shewed who he was, and why dissatisfied with the service, the duties of which he seemed to take pleasure in neglecting.

"In Hungary the gypsies are very numerous, and travel in great bands, like Arabs, gaily dressed in red and green, and often well armed and mounted. A friend of mine met a troop of them last year in this gallant guise, and was not a little astonished at their splendour. But their courage in actual battle is always held in low esteem. I cannot refer to the book, but I have somewhere read, that a pass or fort was defended by some of them, during a whole night, with such bravery and skill, that the Austrians, who were the assailants, supposed it to be held by regular troops, and were about to abandon their enterprise. But when day dawned, and shewed the quality of the defenders, the attack was immediately renewed, and the place carried with great ease; as if the courage of the gypsies had only lasted till their character was made known."

Neither our limits nor our leisure allow of farther observation: nor is it of much importance. We trust we have succeeded in giving our readers more information and livelier entertainment by the mode we have adopted, than we could have conveyed in any other shape on the same subject. No thing, indeed, like regularity in the arrangement of our materials has been practicable; and they have been generally given to the public very much in the form and order in which we ob tained them. Such a plan, no doubt, would require a summary to its con clusion, to bind together the loose materials, and draw general deductions from the crowd of unconnected facts and observations. This task, however, we must for the present leave to our readers themselves; the subject is far from being exhausted, but it must ne cessarily, for the present, be brought to a hasty close.

TORY OF SCOTTISH PRINTING.

[The following documents, relative to the early history of printing in Scotland, have been taken from the original records in the Register House, and have not, so far as we know, been previously given to the public. One of them, however, (No I.) has been already printed as a note in one of the very learned and interesting official reports of the present Deputy Clerk Register, which we have accidentally met with. It is a grant under the privy seal, dated in the year 1507, soon after the first introduction of this invaluable art into Scotland, under

the reign of King James IV., conferring upon Walter Chepman and Andrew Millar the exclusive privilege of printing books of law, acts of parliament, chronicles, massbooks, and other works therein specified; with a penalty against any other persons who should print the same in foreign countries, for the purpose of being" brocht and sauld agane within our Realme, to cause the said Walter and Androu tyne thair gret labour and expens."-Not long afterwards, as appears from the subjoined paper, (No II.) this privilege had been invaded by certain individuals, against whom a complaint is made to the Lords of Council, in the name of Walter Chepman; and his exclusive right is accordingly again re-enforced by their decision.

The only publications known to have issued from the press of Millar and Chepman, are a collection of pamphlets, chiefly metrical romances and ballads, in 1508, of which an imperfect copy is preserved in the Advocates' Library (and of which we understand a reprint is now in a state of forwardness for publication), and the Scottish Service Book, including the Legends of the Scottish Saints, commonly called the Breviary of Aberdeen, in 1509, of which the copies are exceedingly rare.]

No I.

JAMES, &C.-To al and sindrj our officiaris liegis and subdittis quham it efferis, quhais knawlage thir our lettres salcum, greting; Wit ye that forsamekill as our lovittis servitouris Walter Chepman and Andro Millar burgessis of our burgh of Edinburgh, has, at our instance and request, for our plesour, the honour and proffit of our Realme and liegis, takin on thame to furnis and bring hame ane prent, with all stuf belangand tharto, and

imprenting within our Realme of the bukis of our Lawis, actis of parliament, croniclis, mess bukis, and portuus efter the use of our Realme, with addicions and legendis of Scottis sanctis, now gaderit to be ekit tharto, and al utheris bukis that salbe sene necessar, and to sel the sammyn for competent pricis, be our avis and discrecioun, thair labouris and expens being considerit; And because we wnderstand that this cannot be perfurnist without rycht greit cost labour and expens, we have granted and promittit

to thame that thai sall nocht be hurt nor prevenit tharon be ony utheris to tak copyis of ony bukis furtht of our Realme, to ger imprent the samyne in utheris cuntreis, to be brocht and sauld agane within our Realme, to cause the said Walter and Androu tyne thair gret labour and expens; And als It and our consall, that in tyme cuming is divisit and thocht expedient be us mess bukis, manualis, matyne bukis, and portuus bukis, efter our awin scottis use, and with legendis of Scottis sanctis, as is now gaderit and ekit be ane Reverend fader in god, and our traist consalour Williame bischope of abirdene and utheris, be usit generaly within al our Realme alssone as the sammyn may be imprentit and providit, and that no maner of sic bukis of Salusbery use be brocht to be sauld within our Realme in tym cuming and gif ony dois in the contrar, that thai sal tyne the sammyne; Quharfor we charge straitlie and commandis yow al and sindrj our officiaris, liegis, and subdittis, that nane of yow tak

The head of Blackfriars' Wynd, High Street, seems to have been the place fixed upon for carrying on this printing establishment; for there is preserved, in the Records of Privy Seal, a "Licence to Walter Chep man, burges of Edinburgh, to haif staris towart the hie strete and calsay, with bak staris and turngres in the frere wynd, or on the foregait, of sic breid and lenth as he sall

his land and tenement, and to flit the pend think expedient for entre and asiamentis to full asiamentes in the samyn," &c. Feb. 5, of the said frere wynd for making of neid1510.

622

escheting of the bukis, and punising of thair persons bringaris tharof within our Realme, in contrar this our statut, with al vigour as efferis. Geven under our prive Sel at Edinburgh, the xv day of September, and of our Regne the xxti yer.

(Registrum Sec. Sig. iii. 129.)

No II.

JAN. 14, 1509.

ANENT the complaint maid be Walter Chepman, that quhar he, at the desyre of our soverane lord, furnist and brocht hame ane prent and prentaris, for prenting of croniclis, missalis, portuuss, and utheris buikis within this realme, and to seclude salisberyis use; And to that effect thair wes lettres under our said soverane lordis priue sele direct, till command and charge oure soverane lordis liegis, that nain of thaim suld Inbring or sell ony bukis of the said use of salusbery, under the pane of escheting of the samyn; Neuirtheless, Wilyam Frost, Francis Frost, William Sym, Andro Ross, and diuers utheris, merchandis within the burgh of Edinburgh, hes brocht haim, and sellis daly, diuers bukis of the said use, sik as mess bukis, mannualis, portuiss, matinbukis, and diuers uther bukis, in the dissobeing of the said command and lettres, lik as at mar lentht Is contenit in the said com

plaint: The saidis Walter, William, Francis, William, and Andro, being personaly present, And thair Richtis ressons and allegacions herd sene and understand, and thair with being Riply avisit, The Lordis of Counsale forsaidis commandit and chargit the saidis William Frost, Francis Frost, William Sym, and Andro Ros, personaly, that main of them, in tyme to cum, bring hame, nor sell within this Realme, ony missale bukis, mannualis, por tuiss, or matinbukis, of the said use of salusbery, under the payn of escheting of the samyn; And that lettres be writtin in dew forme to the provest and balyies of Edr. and to officeris of the kingis Sheriffes in that pairt, to command and charge be oppin proclamation, all utheris merchandis and persons, that nain of thaim bring haim,

of salusbery, in tyme to cum, under the said pain, according to the said lettres under our souerane lordis priue sele direct thairuppon; And as to the bukis that ar ellis brocht hame be the saidis merchandis and uther persons, that thai bring nain to the merket, nor sell nain within this Realme, bot that thai have the samyn furth of this Realme, and sell thaim; And that the saidist provest baillies, and officiaris forsaidis, serche and seik quhar ony of the saidis manuale, bukis, mesbukis, matinbukis, and portuiss, of the said use beis brocht haim in tyme tocum, or sauld of thaim that ar ellis brocht hame, and eschete the samyn to our soveraine lordis use: And als, that na persons tak copijs of the buikis abonwrittin and donatis, and . uther buikis that the said Walter hes prentit ellis for till haf thaim to uther Realmes to ger thaim be prentit, brocht haim, or sauld, within this Realme In tyme tocum, under the pain of escheting of the samin; And quha dois in the contrair, that the said pain be put to executioun on thaim, And that lettres be direct herapon, in dew forme, as said Is.

or

(Acta Dom. Conc. xxi. 70.)

[The following is the Copy of an Author's Privilege, granted by the Lords of Council, which seems worthy of preservation on account of the very curious work to which it relates.]

Apud Edinburgum, vigessimo sexto die februarij 1685.

THE lords of his Majestie's privy councill, Haveing considered ane address made to them by Master George Sinclar, late professor of philosophie at the Colledge of Glasgow, And Author of the book Intitulled Satan's Invisible Works Discovered, &c. Doe heirby prohibit and discharge all persons whatsomever from printing, reprinting, or importing into this kingdome, any copy or copies of the said book, dureing the space of eleven yearis after the date heirof, without licence of the Author or his Order, Under the pain of confiscation thereof to the said author, Besydes what furder punishment we shall think fitt to inflict upon the contraveeners.