Newcastle was to have been their next objective, but, hearing that the city had closed its gates, and intended to hold out for King George, the Jacobite force, after some indecision, returned northward to Rothbury, where they were joined by a large company of Scottish Jacobites under Lord Kenmure.

During these terrible years most of Northumberland was a desolate waste; and divine service had almost ceased to be performed between Newcastle and Carlisle, even Hexham being deserted for a time.

Newburn is important nowadays for its steel works, within whose workshops is incorporated an old building formerly known as Newburn Hall; but in days long past its importance arose from its being on the ford of the Tyne nearest to Newcastle.

The way was now open for the Scottish army to continue down the south bank of the Tyne and attack Newcastle from Gateshead.

bridge, the High Level, and Swing Bridges,all connecting Newcastle with the sister town of Gateshead.

[Illustration: THE RIVER TYNE AT NEWCASTLE (showing Swing Bridge open).

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.

The outward signs of "by-gone days," in the Newcastle of to-day, with the one notable exception of the Castle, must be diligently sought out amongst the overwhelming mass of what is often called "rampant modernity," of which the town to-day chiefly consists.

The old streets of Newcastle are fast disappearing to make room for the ever-increasing needs of commerce; at the moment of writing it is being proposed to pull down more of the historic street called the Side, to make room for new printing offices.

In the reign of his ill-fated son, Charles I., Newcastle was occupied by the Scots, under General Leslie, for a year after the battle of Newburn in 1640; and again in 1644 was besieged by them for ten weeks.

It is supposed that this Sir Adam gave the Town Moor to the people of Newcastle, though this has been disputed.

It was he to whom Browning referred in the lines "On the list Of worthies, who by help of pipe or wire, Expressed in sound rough rage or soft desire, Thou, whilom of Newcastle, organist.

Robert Morrison, the celebrated Chinese scholar, was born near Morpeth, but his parents came to Newcastle when the boy was three years of age.

In this undertaking he was backed by the wealth of several prominent Newcastle citizens, who believed in the future of the new inventionsMessrs.

At that time Elswick was a pretty country village some distance outside of Newcastle, and the walk along the riverside between the two places was a favourite one with the people of the town.

And the scope and extent of these works are extending, and yet extending; and now Elswick and Scotswood form an uninterrupted line of closely-packed dwellings, which stretch without a break from Newcastle, and make a background for the immense works on the river shore; and one would look in vain for any signs of the pretty country lanes and village of sixty years ago.

Following the Wall up Westgate Road, we are now out upon the highway from Newcastle to Carlisle, which, as we have seen, is upon the very line of the Wall for nearly a score of miles.

This road was made in 1745 because there was no road by which General Wade could convey his troops from Newcastle to Carlisle, when "Bonnie Prince Charlie" marched so gaily to that city on his way southward, and so sadly, in a month, returned again.

One of these is a series of frescoes by William Bell Scott, whose name was for so many years associated with all that was best in art in Newcastle, and whose picture of the "Building of the Castle" may be seen at the head of the staircase in the Lit. and Phil.

Edward did not by any means make up his mind quickly, and the various places in which the successive acts in the affair took place are widely scattered, for he met the nobles at Norham, some time afterwards delivered his decision at Berwick, and finally received the homage of John Balliol at Newcastle.

The Earl of Northumberland remained at Alnwick in the hope that he might be able to attack the Scots on their homeward journey; but he despatched his sons Henry Hotspur and Ralph in all haste to defend Newcastle.

The Scottish leaders had placed their camp-followers and servants at the outermost; part of their encampment, facing the Newcastle road; and Hotspur's force, ignorant of this, mistook it for the main camp.

Two years after this, a party of Scots under the next Douglas rode into Northumberland, coming nearly as far south as Newcastle.

At the Cholerford they a' light doun, And there wi' the help o' the light o' the moon, A tree they cut, wi' fifteen nogs on each side, To climb up the wa' of Newcastle toun.

His life and his keys at once they hae ta'en, And cast the body ahint the wa'. Now sune they reach Newcastle jail, And to the prisoner thus they call: "Sleeps thou, or wakes thou, Jock o' the Side, Or art thou weary of thy thrall?" Jock answered thus,