Several Lowland officers, in the service of the Covenanters, interceded
for Dalgetty on this occasion, representing him as a person whose skill
would be useful in their army, and who would be readily induced to
change his service. But on this point they found Sir Dugald unexpectedly
obstinate. He had engaged with the King for a certain term, and,
till that was expired, his principles would not permit any shadow of
changing. The Covenanters, again, understood no such nice distinction,
and he was in the utmost danger of falling a martyr, not to this or that
political principle, but merely to his own strict ideas of a military
enlistment. Fortunately, his friends discovered, by computation, that
there remained but a fortnight to elapse of the engagement he had
formed, and to which, though certain it was never to be renewed, no
power on earth could make him false. With some difficulty they procured
a reprieve for this short space, after which they found him perfectly
willing to come under any engagements they chose to dictate. He entered
the service of the Estates accordingly, and wrought himself forward to
be Major in Gilbert Ker's corps, commonly called the Kirk's Own Regiment
of Horse. Of his farther history we know nothing, until we find him in
possession of his paternal estate of Drumthwacket, which he acquired,
not by the sword, but by a pacific intermarriage with Hannah Strachan,
a matron somewhat stricken in years, the widow of the Aberdeenshire
Covenanter.

Sir Dugald is supposed to have survived the Revolution, as traditions
of no very distant date represent him as cruising about in that country,
very old, very deaf, and very full of interminable stories about the
immortal Gustavus Adolphus, the Lion of the North, and the bulwark of
the Protestant Faith.

*****

READER! THE TALES OF MY LANDLORD ARE NOW FINALLY CLOSED, closed, and
it was my purpose to have addressed thee in the vein of Jedediah
Cleishbotham; but, like Horam the son of Asmar, and all other imaginary
story-tellers, Jedediah has melted into thin air.

Mr. Cleishbotham bore the same resemblance to Ariel, as he at whose
voice he rose doth to the sage Prospero; and yet, so fond are we of the
fictions of our own fancy, that I part with him, and all his imaginary
localities, with idle reluctance. I am aware this is a feeling in which
the reader will little sympathize; but he cannot be more sensible than
I am, that sufficient varieties have now been exhibited of the Scottish
character, to exhaust one individual's powers of observation, and that
to persist would be useless and tedious. I have the vanity to suppose,
that the popularity of these Novels has shown my countrymen, and their
peculiarities, in lights which were new to the Southern reader; and that
many, hitherto indifferent upon the subject, have been induced to read
Scottish history, from the allusions to it in these works of fiction.

I retire from the field, conscious that there remains behind not only a
large harvest, but labourers capable of gathering it in. More than one
writer has of late displayed talents of this description; and if the
present author, himself a phantom, may be permitted to distinguish a
brother, or perhaps a sister shadow, he would mention, in particular,
the author of the very lively work entitled MARRIAGE.




IV. APPENDIX.


No. I

The scarcity of my late friend's poem may be an excuse for adding the
spirited conclusion of Clan Alpin's vow. The Clan Gregor has met in the
ancient church of Balquidder. The head of Drummond-Ernoch is placed on
the altar, covered for a time with the banner of the tribe. The Chief of
the tribe advances to the altar:

     And pausing, on the banner gazed;
     Then cried in scorn, his finger raised,
     "This was the boon of Scotland's king;"
     And, with a quick and angry fling,
     Tossing the pageant screen away,
     The dead man's head before him lay.
     Unmoved he scann'd the visage o'er,
     The clotted locks were dark with gore,
     The features with convulsion grim,
     The eyes contorted, sunk, and dim.
     But unappall'd, in angry mood,
     With lowering brow, unmoved he stood.
     Upon the head his bared right hand
     He laid, the other grasp'd his brand:
     Then kneeling, cried, "To Heaven I swear
     This deed of death I own, and share;
     As truly, fully mine, as though
     This my right hand had dealt the blow:
     Come then, our foeman, one, come all;
     If to revenge this caitiffs fall
     One blade is bared, one bow is drawn,
     Mine everlasting peace I pawn,
     To claim from them, or claim from him,
     In retribution, limb for limb.
     In sudden fray, or open strife,
     This steel shall render life for life."
     He ceased; and at his beckoning nod,
     The clansmen to the altar trod;
     And not a whisper breathed around,
     And nought was heard of mortal sound,
     Save from the clanking arms they bore,
     That rattled on the marble floor;
     And each, as he approach'd in haste,
     Upon the scalp his right hand placed;
     With livid lip, and gather'd brow,
     Each uttered, in his turn, the vow.
     Fierce Malcolm watch'd the passing scene,
     And search'd them through with glances keen;
     Then dash'd a tear-drop from his eye;
     Unhid it came--he knew not why.
     Exulting high, he towering stood:
     "Kinsmen," he cried, "of Alpin's blood,
     And worthy of Clan Alpin's name,
     Unstain'd by cowardice and shame,
     E'en do, spare nocht, in time of ill
     Shall be Clan Alpin's legend still!"




No. II.

It has been disputed whether the Children of the Mist were actual
MacGregors, or whether they were not outlaws named MacDonald, belonging
to Ardnamurchan. The following act of the Privy Council seems to decide
the question:--

"Edinburgh, 4th February, 1589.

"The same day, the Lords of Secret Council being crediblie informed of
ye cruel and mischievous proceeding of ye wicked Clangrigor, so lang
continueing in blood, slaughters, herships, manifest reifts, and stouths
committed upon his Hieness' peaceable and good subjects; inhabiting ye
countries ewest ye brays of ye Highlands, thir money years bybgone;
but specially heir after ye cruel murder of umqll Jo. Drummond of
Drummoneyryuch, his Majesties proper tennant and ane of his fosters of
Glenartney, committed upon ye day of last bypast, be certain of ye said
clan, be ye council and determination of ye haill, avow and to defend ye
authors yrof qoever wald persew for revenge of ye same, qll ye said Jo.
was occupied in seeking of venison to his Hieness, at command of
Pat. Lord Drummond, stewart of Stratharne, and principal forrester of
Clenartney; the Queen, his Majesties dearest spouse, being yn shortlie
looked for to arrive in this realm. Likeas, after ye murder committed,
ye authors yrof cutted off ye said umqll Jo. Drummond's head, and
carried the same to the Laird of M'Grigor, who, and the haill surname of
M'Grigors, purposely conveined upon the Sunday yrafter, at the Kirk of
Buchquhidder; qr they caused ye said umqll John's head to be pnted to
ym, and yr avowing ye sd murder to have been committed by yr communion,
council, and determination, laid yr hands upon the pow, and in eithnik,
and barbarous manner, swear to defend ye authors of ye sd murder, in
maist proud contempt of our sovrn Lord and his authoritie, and in
evil example to others wicked limmaris to do ye like, give ys sall be
suffered to remain unpunished."

Then follows a commission to the Earls of Huntly, Argyle, Athole,
Montrose, Pat. Lord Drummond, Ja. Commendator of Incheffray, And.
Campbel of Lochinnel, Duncan Campbel of Ardkinglas, Lauchlane M'Intosh
of Dunnauchtane, Sir Jo. Murray of Tullibarden, knt., Geo. Buchanan of
that Ilk, and And. M'Farlane of Ariquocher, to search for and apprehend
Alaster M'Grigor of Glenstre (and a number of others nominatim), "and
all others of the said Clangrigor, or ye assistars, culpable of the said
odious murther, or of thift, reset of thift, herships, and sornings,
qrever they may be apprehended. And if they refuse to be taken, or flees
to strengths and houses, to pursue and assege them with fire and sword;
and this commission to endure for the space of three years."

Such was the system of police in 1589; and such the state of Scotland
nearly thirty years after the Reformation.




V. NOTES.




Note I.--FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA.

The military men of the times agreed upon dependencies of honour, as
they called them, with all the metaphysical argumentation of civilians,
or school divines.

The English officer, to whom Sir James Turner was prisoner after the
rout at Uttoxeter, demanded his parole of honour not to go beyond the
wall of Hull without liberty. "He brought me the message himself,--I
told him I was ready to do so, provided he removed his guards from
me, for FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA; and, if he took my word for my
fidelity, he was obliged to trust it, otherwise, it was needless for him
to seek it, either to give trust to my word, which I would not break, or
his own guards, who I supposed would not deceive him. In this manner I
dealt with him, because I knew him to be a scholar."--TURNER'S MEMOIRS,
p. 80. The English officer allowed the strength of the reasoning; but
that concise reasoner, Cromwell, soon put an end to the dilemma: "Sir
James Turner must give his parole, or be laid in irons."




Note II.--WRAITHS.

A species of apparition, similar to what the Germans call a
Double-Ganger, was believed in by the Celtic tribes, and is still
considered as an emblem of misfortune or death. Mr. Kirke (See Note to
ROB ROY,), the minister of Aberfoil, who will no doubt be able to tell
us more of the matter should he ever come back from Fairy-land, gives us
the following:--

"Some men of that exalted sight, either by art or nature, have told me
they have seen at these meetings a double man, or the shape of some man
in two places, that is, a superterranean and a subterranean
inhabitant perfectly resembling one another in all points, whom he,
notwithstanding, could easily distinguish one fro another by some secret
tokens and operations, and so go speak to the man his neighbour and
familiar, passing by the apparition or resemblance of him. They avouch
that every element and different state of being have animals resembling
those of another element, as there be fishes at sea resembling Monks of
late order in all their hoods and dresses, so as the Roman invention
of good and bad daemons and guardian angels particularly assigned, is
called by them ane ignorant mistake, springing only from this originall.
They call this reflex man a Co-Walker, every way like the man, as a
twin-brother and companion haunting him as his shadow, as is that seen
and known among men resembling the originall, both before and after the
originall is dead, and was also often seen of old to enter a hous, by
which the people knew that the person of that liknes was to visit them
within a few days. This copy, echo, or living picture, goes at last to
his own herd. It accompanied that person so long and frequently for ends
best known to its selve, whether to guard him from the secret assaults
of some of its own folks, or only as an sportfull ape to counterfeit all
his actions."--KIRKE'S SECRET COMMOMWEALTH, p. 3.

The two following apparitions, resembling the vision of Allan M'Aulay in
the text, occur in Theophilus Insulanus (Rev. Mr. Fraser's Treatise on
the Second Sight, Relations x. and xvii.):--

"Barbara Macpherson, relict of the deceased Mr. Alexander MacLeod, late
minister of St. Kilda, informed me the natives of that island had a
particular kind of second sight, which is always a forerunner of their
approaching end. Some months before they sicken, they are haunted with
an apparition, resembling themselves in all respects as to their person,
features, or clothing. This image, seemingly animated, walks with them
in the field in broad daylight; and if they are employed in delving,
harrowing, seed-sowing, or any other occupation, they are at the same
time mimicked by this ghostly visitant. My informer added further that
having visited a sick person of the inhabitants, she had the curiosity
to enquire of him, if at any time he had seen any resemblance of himself
as above described; he answered in the affirmative, and told her, that
to make farther trial, as he was going out of his house of a morning, he
put on straw-rope garters instead of those he formerly used, and
having gone to the fields, his other self appeared in such garters. The
conclusion was, the sick man died of that ailment, and she no longer
questioned the truth of those remarkable presages."

"Margaret MacLeod, an honest woman advanced in years, informed me, that
when she was a young woman in the family of Grishornish, a dairy-maid,
who daily used to herd the calves in a park close to the house,
observed, at different times, a woman resembling herself in shape and
attire, walking solitarily at no great distance from her, and being
surprised at the apparition, to make further trial, she put the back
part of her upper garment foremost, and anon the phantom was dressed
in the same manner, which made her uneasy, believing it portended some
fatal consequence to herself. In a short time thereafter she was seized
with a fever, which brought her to her end, and before her sickness and
on her deathbed, declared the second sight to several."