A LEGEND OF MONTROSE
by

Sir Walter Scott, Bart.

CONTENTS.

I.      Introduction to A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.
II.     Introduction (Supplement).  Sergeant More M'Alpin.
III.    Main text of A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.
IV.     Appendix    No. I       Clan Alpin's Vow.
                    No. II      The Children of the Mist.
V.      Notes       Note I      Fides et Fiducia sunt relativa.
                    Note II     Wraiths.

      they were referenced by a suffix in the original text.

I.  INTRODUCTION TO A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.

The Legend of Montrose was written chiefly with a view to place
before the reader the melancholy fate of John Lord Kilpont,
eldest son of William Earl of Airth and Menteith, and the
singular circumstances attending the birth and history of James
Stewart of Ardvoirlich, by whose hand the unfortunate nobleman
fell.

Our subject leads us to talk of deadly feuds, and we must begin
with one still more ancient than that to which our story relates.
During the reign of James IV., a great feud between the powerful
families of Drummond and Murray divided Perthshire.  The former,
being the most numerous and powerful, cooped up eight score of
the Murrays in the kirk of Monivaird, and set fire to it.  The
wives and the children of the ill-fated men, who had also found
shelter in the church, perished by the same conflagration.  One
man, named David Murray, escaped by the humanity of one of the
Drummonds, who received him in his arms as he leaped from amongst
the flames.  As King James IV. ruled with more activity than most
of his predecessors, this cruel deed was severely revenged, and
several of the perpetrators were beheaded at Stirling.  In
consequence of the prosecution against his clan, the Drummond by
whose assistance David Murray had escaped, fled to Ireland,
until, by means of the person whose life he had saved, he was
permitted to return to Scotland, where he and his descendants
were distinguished by the name of Drummond-Eirinich, or Ernoch,
that is, Drummond of Ireland; and the same title was bestowed on
their estate.

The Drummond-ernoch of James the Sixth's time was a king's
forester in the forest of Glenartney, and chanced to be employed
there in search of venison about the year 1588, or early in 1589.
This forest was adjacent to the chief haunts of the MacGregors,
or a particular race of them, known by the title of MacEagh, or
Children of the Mist.  They considered the forester's hunting in
their vicinity as an aggression, or perhaps they had him at feud,
for the apprehension or slaughter of some of their own name, or
for some similar reason.  This tribe of MacGregors were outlawed
and persecuted, as the reader may see in the Introduction to ROB
ROY; and every man's hand being against them, their hand was of
course directed against every man.  In short, they surprised and
slew Drummond-ernoch, cut off his head, and carried it with them,
wrapt in the corner of one of their plaids.

In the full exultation of vengeance, they stopped at the house of
Ardvoirlich and demanded refreshment, which the lady, a sister of
the murdered Drummond-ernoch (her husband being absent), was
afraid or unwilling to refuse.  She caused bread and cheese to be
placed before them, and gave directions for more substantial
refreshments to be prepared.  While she was absent with this
hospitable intention, the barbarians placed the head of her
brother on the table, filling the mouth with bread and cheese,
and bidding him eat, for many a merry meal he had eaten in that
house.

The poor woman returning, and beholding this dreadful sight,
shrieked aloud, and fled into the woods, where, as described in
the romance, she roamed a raving maniac, and for some time
secreted herself from all living society.  Some remaining
instinctive feeling brought her at length to steal a glance from
a distance at the maidens while they milked the cows, which being
observed, her husband, Ardvoirlich, had her conveyed back to her
home, and detained her there till she gave birth to a child, of
whom she had been pregnant; after which she was observed
gradually to recover her mental faculties.

Meanwhile the outlaws had carried to the utmost their insults
against the regal authority, which indeed, as exercised, they had
little reason for respecting.  They bore the same bloody trophy,
which they had so savagely exhibited to the lady of Ardvoirlich,
into the old church of Balquidder, nearly in the centre of their
country, where the Laird of MacGregor and all his clan being
convened for the purpose, laid their hands successively on the
dead man's head, and swore, in heathenish and barbarous manner,
to defend the author of the deed.  This fierce and vindictive
combination gave the author's late and lamented friend, Sir
Alexander Boswell, Bart., subject for a spirited poem, entitled
"Clan-Alpin's Vow," which was printed, but not, I believe,
published, in 1811 [See Appendix No. I].

The fact is ascertained by a proclamation from the Privy Council,
dated 4th February, 1589, directing letters of fire and sword
against the MacGregors [See Appendix No. II].  This fearful
commission was executed with uncommon fury.  The late excellent
John Buchanan of Cambusmore showed the author some correspondence
between his ancestor, the Laird of Buchanan, and Lord Drummond,
about sweeping certain valleys with their followers, on a fixed
time and rendezvous, and "taking sweet revenge for the death of
their cousin, Drummond-ernoch." In spite of all, however, that
could be done, the devoted tribe of MacGregor still bred up
survivors to sustain and to inflict new cruelties and injuries.

[I embrace the opportunity given me by a second mention of this
tribe, to notice an error, which imputes to an individual named
Ciar Mohr MacGregor, the slaughter of the students at the battle
of Glenfruin. I am informed from the authority of John Gregorson,
Esq., that the chieftain so named was dead nearly a century
before the battle in question, and could not, therefore, have
done the cruel action mentioned.  The mistake does not rest with
me, as I disclaimed being responsible for the tradition while I
quoted it, but with vulgar fame, which is always disposed to
ascribe remarkable actions to a remarkable name.--See the
erroneous passage, ROB ROY, Introduction; and so soft sleep the
offended phantom of Dugald Ciar Mohr.

It is with mingled pleasure and shame that I record the more
important error, of having announced as deceased my learned
acquaintance, the Rev. Dr. Grahame, minister of Aberfoil.--See
ROB ROY, p.360.  I cannot now recollect the precise ground of my
depriving my learned and excellent friend of his existence,
unless, like Mr. Kirke, his predecessor in the parish, the
excellent Doctor had made a short trip to Fairyland, with whose
wonders he is so well acquainted.  But however I may have been
misled, my regret is most sincere for having spread such a
rumour; and no one can be more gratified than I that the report,
however I have been induced to credit and give it currency, is a
false one, and that Dr. Grahame is still the living pastor of
Aberfoil, for the delight and instruction of his brother
antiquaries.]

Meanwhile Young James Stewart of Ardvoirlich grew up to manhood
uncommonly tall, strong, and active, with such power in the grasp
of his hand in particular, as could force the blood from beneath
the nails of the persons who contended with him in this feat of
strength.  His temper was moody, fierce, and irascible; yet he
must have had some ostensible good qualities, as he was greatly
beloved by Lord Kilpont, the eldest son of the Earl of Airth and
Menteith.

This gallant young nobleman joined Montrose in the setting up his
standard in 1644, just before the decisive battle at Tippermuir,
on the 1st September in that year.  At that time, Stewart of
Ardvoirlich shared the confidence of the young Lord by day, and
his bed by night, when, about four or five days after the battle,
Ardvoirlich, either from a fit of sudden fury or deep malice long
entertained against his unsuspecting friend, stabbed Lord Kilpont
to the heart, and escaped from the camp of Montrose, having
killed a sentinel who attempted to detain him.  Bishop Guthrie
gives us a reason for this villainous action, that Lord Kilpont
had rejected with abhorrence a proposal of Ardvoirlich to
assassinate Montrose.  But it does not appear that there is any
authority for this charge, which rests on mere suspicion.
Ardvoirlich, the assassin, certainly did fly to the Covenanters,
and was employed and promoted by them.  He obtained a pardon for
the slaughter of Lord Kilpont, confirmed by Parliament in 1634,
and was made Major of Argyle's regiment in 1648.  Such are the
facts of the tale here given as a Legend of Montrose's wars.  The
reader will find they are considerably altered in the fictitious
narrative.

The author has endeavoured to enliven the tragedy of the tale by
the introduction of a personage proper to the time and country.
In this he has been held by excellent judges to have been in some
degree successful.  The contempt of commerce entertained by young
men having some pretence to gentility, the poverty of the country
of Scotland, the national disposition to wandering and to
adventure, all conduced to lead the Scots abroad into the
military service of countries which were at war with each other.
They were distinguished on the Continent by their bravery; but in
adopting the trade of mercenary soldiers, they necessarily
injured their national character.  The tincture of learning,
which most of them possessed, degenerated into pedantry; their
good breeding became mere ceremonial; their fear of dishonour no
longer kept them aloof from that which was really unworthy, but
was made to depend on certain punctilious observances totally
apart from that which was in itself deserving of praise.  A
cavalier of honour, in search of his fortune, might, for example,
change his service as he would his shirt, fight, like the doughty
Captain Dalgetty, in one cause after another, without regard to
the justice of the quarrel, and might plunder the peasantry
subjected to him by the fate of war with the most unrelenting
rapacity; but he must beware how he sustained the slightest
reproach, even from a clergyman, if it had regard to neglect on
the score of duty. The following occurrence will prove the truth
of what I mean:--

"Here I must not forget the memory of one preacher, Master
William Forbesse, a preacher for souldiers, yea, and a captaine
in neede to leade souldiers on a good occasion, being full of
courage, with discretion and good conduct, beyond some captaines
I have knowne, that were not so capable as he.  At this time he
not onely prayed for us, but went on with us, to remarke, as I