e Middle March, but must seek to Fernihirst for one
part, and Buccleuch for Teviotdale.

"_Execrable murders are constantly committed_, whereof 4 new complaints
were made to the lords in the few days they were here, and 3 others this
month in Atholstonmoor. The gentlemen of the Middle March recount out of
their memories nearly 200 Englishmen, miserably murdered by the Scots,
since the tenth year of her Majesty's reign, for which no redress hath at
all been made.... I have presumed to testify this much to your lordship
more tediously than I should; yet will be ready to do more particularly,
if you direct me. Praying you to receive from some other, equally heedful
of truth--and in meantime trusting you will cover my name from undeserved
offence--I pray God to make you an instrument under our gracious sovereign
to cure the aforesaid gangrene thus noisomely molesting the foot of this
kingdom."[18]

This "gangrene" was of long standing, and as we shall find was not to be
easily eradicated.

But while poverty,--largely due to circumstances over which the people had
no control,--and lawlessness,--the result of the inherent weakness of the
central government,--had much to do in creating that condition of affairs
on the Borders which we have briefly described, there were other and
perhaps more potent causes which demand consideration. Foremost among
these was the almost entire absence of the restraints and sanctions of
religion. In one of the Acts of Parliament already noticed it is
significantly declared that one of the principal causes of the lawlessness
of the Borders was that "they had neither the fear of God nor man." To
those familiar with certain phases of Border history this may appear
somewhat anomalous. At an early period in the religious life of Scotland
this district was brought under the influence of the Evangel by St. Aidan
and St. Cuthbert. That the work of these missionaries was signally
successful, is shown in the large number of churches planted all over the
Borderland. After the time of Queen Margaret, whose influence in certain
directions was almost marvellously potent, the great religious houses of
the Borders rose in rapid succession, such as Melrose, Kelso, and
Jedburgh, each a centre and source of religious and social wellbeing. The
moral life of the people, notwithstanding the existence of such beneficent
institutions, may have been of an indifferent character; but what the
state of matters might have