sk mercy for your sins, now when ye are living, put your Trust
to be saved by the merits of Christ's passion; and think in your hearts if
ye were able to recompence them ye have offended, ye would do it; and
where you are not able, ask Forgiveness. Have such faith in God's Mercy as
Dismas the Thief and Man-Murderer had that hang at Christ's Right hand,
when he suffered his Passion for the Redemption of Mankind: Whose Faith
was so great he should be saved, his Sins were remitted, tho' he had but
short time of Repentance, and he enjoyed Heaven. Therefore despair not in
God's Mercy, though your sins be great, for God's Mercy exceedeth all his
Works. Set apart all Vanities of this World, and comfort you in Heavenly
things; and doubt not but, if ye so do, ye shall inherit Everlasting Joy
in the Kingdom of Heaven. And thus I commit you to the Mercy of God,
wishing your Deaths may be an Example to all Parents to bring up their
Children in the Fear of God, and Obedience of the Laws of this Realm."[46]

With these suitable admonitions ringing in their ears, the condemned
prisoners were led forth to execution.

The business of the court having been finished, the wardens retired after
taking a courteous leave of each other.

These meetings, attended as they were by a large number of people, who
came either on business or pleasure, were frequently broken up by sudden
outbursts of tumult and disorder. _Baughling_, or brawling, was a common
occurrence, and loud words and angry looks naturally led to more serious
encounters. We have already noticed the incident of the Reidswire, but
this was by no means an isolated case. In the month of July, 1585, at a
day of truce between Sir John Foster and Ker of Ferniherst, Lord Russell,
a young man of great promise, and of the most amiable disposition, was
suddenly shot dead by an unknown hand. This lamentable incident gave rise
to much bitterness of feeling on both sides of the Border. Foster wrote to
Walsingham, saying, that he and the opposite warden had met for the
redress of attempts committed on both sides, Russell being present to
attend to particular causes of his own, "where it chanced a sudden
accident and tumult to arise among the rascals of Scotland and England
about a little pyckery among themselves, and we meaning no harm did sit
the most of the day calling bills, and my Lord Russell among us. The said
Lord Russell rose and went aside from us, with his own men, and there
being in