during the crisis of the Spanish Armada and a promise made by the ambassador William Asheby. A Scottish diplomat (and former court musician) James Hudson wrote to Sir Robert Cecil about the king's letter, saying that Foulis was "perplexed with fear" about the outcome. Hudson suggested that Scotland's exchequer was now solvent, and withholding the money would only hurt the king and Thomas Foulis and Robert Jousie who administered the money. The Scottish financial administration known as the Octavians claimed they could manage without the English subsidy. Roger Aston later noted that Thomas Foulis and Jousie had persuaded James VI not to recall Foulis before he obtained the subsidy money. David Foulis received £3,000 on 18 September. There were rumours that James VI would no longer ask for payments, but the arrangements continued. The Sword and the Story A sword in the collection of the Annan Museum collection has an old label identifying it as Kinmont Willie's sword. The sword is of the right age and typology. References Fraser, George MacDonald. The Steel Bonnets: the Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers. London: Barrie and Jenkins, 1971. Valentina Bold, The Kinmont Willie Sword and other Tales of Mettle (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland / Mettle, November 2018). External links Border Reivers at Historic UK Ballad of Kinmont Willie Reivers History Scottish outlaws People from the Scottish Borders Border Reivers Kinmont Willie Armstrong Kinmont Willie Armstrong Northumbrian folklore Kinmont Willie Armstrong