many respects wholly undeserving. She had, among other demerits, or
merits, as the reader may choose to rank it, that of being a stanch
Jacobite. She chanced to be at Carlisle upon a fair or market-day, soon
after the year 1746, where she gave vent to her political partiality, to
the great offence of the rabble of that city. Being zealous in their
loyalty when there was no danger, in proportion to the tameness with
which they had surrendered to the Highlanders in 1745, the mob inflicted
upon poor Jean Gordon no slighter penalty than that of ducking her to
death in the Eden. It was an operation of some time, for Jean was a stout
woman, and, struggling with her murderers, often got her head above
water; and, while she had voice left, continued to exclaim at such
intervals, "Charlie yet! Charlie yet!" When a child, and among the scenes
which she frequented, I have often heard these stories, and cried
piteously for poor Jean Gordon.

'Before quitting the Border gipsies, I may mention that my grandfather,
while riding over Charterhouse Moor, then a very extensive common, fell
suddenly among a large band of them, who were carousing in a hollow of
the moor, surrounded by bushes. They instantly seized on his horse's
bridle with many shouts of welcome, exclaiming (for he was well known to
most of them) that they had often dined at his expense, and he must now
stay and share their good cheer. My ancestor was, a little alarmed, for,
like the goodman of Lochside, he had more money about his person than he
cared to risk in such society. However, being naturally a bold,
lively-spirited man, he entered into the humour of the thing and sate
down to the feast, which consisted of all the varieties of game, poultry,
pigs, and so forth that could be collected by a wide and indiscriminate
system of plunder. The dinner was a very merry one; but my relative got a
hint from some of the older gipsies to retire just when--

The mirth and fun grew fast and furious,

and, mounting his horse accordingly, he took a French leave of his
entertainers, but without experiencing the least breach of hospitality. I
believe Jean Gordon was at this festival.'[Footnote: Blackwood's
Magazine, vol. I, p. 54]

Notwithstanding the failure of Jean's issue, for which

Weary fa' the waefu' wuddie,

a granddaughter survived her, whom I remember to have seen. That is, as
Dr. Johnson had a shadowy recollection of Queen Anne as a stately lady in
black, a