. Long before Hertford's time, for example, Lord Dacre, one of the
English wardens, made a succession of the most disastrous raids on the
Scottish Border, and carried off immense quantities of booty. He was
exultant over his good fortune. Writing under date October 29, 1513, he
says:--"On Tewsday at night last past, I sent diverse of my tennents of
Gillislande to the nombre of lx. personnes in Eskdalemoor upon the Middill
Merches, and there brynt vii. howses, tooke and brougth away xxxvj. head
of cattle and much insight. On weddinsday at thre of the clok efter noon,
my broder Sir Christopher assembled diverse of the kings subjects beyng
under my reull, and roode all night into Scotland, and on Thurisday, in
the mornynge, they began upon the said Middill Merchies and brynt
Stakeheugh, with the hamletts belonging to them, down, Irewyn bwrne, being
the chambrelain of Scotland owne lands and undre his reull, continewally
birnyng from the Breke of day to oone of the clok after noon, and there
wan, tooke and brought awey cccc. hede of cattell, ccc. shepe, certaine
horses and verey miche insight, and slew two men, hurte and wounded
diverse other persones and horses, and then entered Ingland ground again
at vij. of the clok that night."[24]

Such a record as this ought to have given great satisfaction to the
Government. Lord Dacre had evidently done his utmost to impoverish and
ruin the unfortunate Scottish Borderers. But the English appetite at this
time was not easily satisfied. Naturally enough Dacre's invasion led to
reprisals, and so successful had the Scots been in their forays on the
opposite Border that the English Government blamed their representative
for not having prevented these raids. In reply to these rather unjust
complaints, Dacre wrote saying that "for oone cattell taken by the Scotts
we have takyn, won and brought awey out of Scotland a hundreth; and for
oone shepe two hundreth of a surity. And has for townships and housis,
burnt in any of the said Est, Middill, and West Marches within my reull,
fro the begynnyng of this warr unto this daye,... I assure your lordships
for truthe that I have and hes caused to be burnt and distroyed sex times
moo townys and howsys within the West and Middill Marches of Scotland, in
the same season then is done to us, as I may be trusted, and as I shall
evidently prove. For the watter of Liddall being xij. myles of length,...
whereupon was a hundreth pleughs;... the watter of Ewse