y penitent, and much desired a
minister for the comfort of his soul. We promised him to let our master
know his desire, who, we knew, would presently grant it. We took our leave
of him, and presently I took order that Mr Selby, a very worthy honest
preacher, should go to him, and not stir from him till his execution the
next morning; for after I had heard his own confession, I was resolved no
conditions should save his life; and so took order that, at the gate's
opening next morning, he should be carried to execution, which accordingly
was performed."[64]

Milder measures were sometimes adopted, and proved surprisingly
efficacious--in certain circumstances. Before Sir Robert Cary was warden
of the East March he was deputy to Lord Scrope, his brother-in-law, who
was warden of the West March, with his headquarters in Carlisle. On one
occasion, when occupying this subordinate position, intelligence was
brought to him that two Scotsmen had killed a churchman in Scotland, and
that they had been relieved or sheltered by one of the Graemes of Netherby.
Cary determined to surprise the fugitive Scots, and about two o'clock one
morning surrounded the Tower of Netherby with twenty-five horsemen. As he
approached he saw a boy riding from the house as fast as his horse could
carry him. Thomas Carelton came to him and said, "Do you see that boy that
rideth away as fast? He will be in Scotland within this half hour, and he
is gone to let them know that you are here, and the small number you have
with you; and that if they make haste, on a sudden they may surprise us,
and do with us what they please." But Cary was not to be frightened. He
soon gathered together three or four hundred horse from the surrounding
district and as many foot, and presently set to work to get to the top of
the strong tower into which the Scots had fled for refuge. The Scots,
seeing how things were going, pled for mercy. "They had no sooner opened
the iron gate," says Cary, "and yielded themselves my prisoners, but we
might see four hundred horse within a quarter of a mile coming to their
rescue, and to surprise me and my small company; but of a sudden they
stayed, and stood at gaze. Then had I more to do than ever, for all our
Borderers came crying with full mouths, 'Sir, give us leave to set upon
them, for these are they that have killed our fathers, our brothers, our
uncles, and our cousins; and they are come, thinking to surprise you, upon
weak grass nags,[6