The shade of everie tower and tree,
Extended is in length.
Great is the calm for everie quhair
The wind is settlin' downe;
The reik thrawes right up in the air,
From everie tower and towne."

Generally these towers were planted on heights overlooking the
river-valleys, and, as a rule, within sight of one another, in order
that the signals of invasion or alarm--flashed by means of the bale
fire--might be the more rapidly spread from point to point. Very few of
them are now entire--the best-preserved on the Scottish side being,
perhaps, Barns, at the entrance to the Manor valley; Bemersyde, still
inhabited; and Oakwood on the Ettrick, incorporated in the present farm
buildings; and on the English side, Corbridge and Doddington and
Whittingham. From a return made in 1460 we find that Northumberland
alone possessed 37 castles and 78 towers, and the Scottish side was
equally well strengthened and defended. Amongst the larger and more
important fortresses on the English side were the Castles of Alnwick,
Bothal, Carlisle, Cockermouth, Coupland, Dilston, Elsdon, Etal, Ford,
Naworth, Norham, Prudhoe, Wark, Warkworth; and on the Scottish side,
Berwick, Branxholme, Caerlaverock (the true Ellangowan of "Guy
Mannering"), Cessford, Ferniherst, Hermitage, Hume, Jedburgh, Neidpath,
Peebles, Roxburgh, Threave, Traquair, besides, as has been said,
hundreds of peel and bastle-houses scattered all over the country.

It would be a quite impossible task to chronicle the incessant
clan-raids of the Border, and to narrate all the invasions that took
place on either side would be to repeat in great measure the general
history of England and Scotland. But at least two authentic reports,
covering little more than a year, may be quoted as showing the
extraordinary havoc and destruction caused by the latter. "In 1544 Sir
Ralph Evers and Sir Brian Latoun, with an English army, invaded the
Scottish Border, and between July and November they destroyed 192 towns,
towers, barmkyns, parish churches, etc.; slew 403 Scots and took 816
prisoners; carried off 10,386 head of cattle, 12,492 sheep, 1296 horses,
200 goats, and 850 bolls of corn, besides an untold quantity of inside
gear and plenishing. In one village alone--that of Lessudden (now St.
Boswells)--Sir Ralph Evers writes that he burned 16 strong
bastle-houses. Again in September of the following year, the Earl of
Hertford a second time invaded the country, and between t