few facts connected with a family not more distinguished for activity in public affairs than the private merits of some of those who in modern times have borne the honours of the ancient house of Montrose. Passing lightly over such Occurrences as may have happened within the fabulous period of Scottish history, extending from King Eugene in the fifth to Malcolm Canmore in the eleventh century, a firm footing within a time of law and record is reached in the reign of Bruce. In exchange for lands in Cardross, the lands, it may be presumed, where the great King ended his days, as described by Froissart, Sir David Graham of Kincardine obtained the property of Old Montrose, Forfar, and was succeeded by his son, another Sir David, made prisoner at the battle of Durham in 1346. A grandson, Sir Patrick of Dunduff and Kincardine, was one of the hostages through which the release of King David II. was ultimately obtained. By his first wife, Matilda, Sir Patrick had issue, among others, William, his successor; and by his second, Edgidia Stewart of Ralston, he had Patrick, who became Earl of Stratherne in virtue of his marriage with Euphame, Countess Palatine. By his first wife, a daughter of the house of Oliphant, Sir William Graham had a son, Alexander, who predeceased his father, leaving Patrick to succeed to the honours of the house; and by his second marriage with Lady Mary Stewart, daughter of King Robert III. (who had been twice a widow before, and afterwards married a fourth time), there was issue among others two sons, founders of branches famous in the history of the family. The eldest, Robert, was ancestor of the Grahams of Fintry and Claverhouse; the latter, in the person of James, created Viscount Dundee in 1688, about a year before his death. on the field of Killiecrankie. A younger brother, William, founded the house of Garvock, from which descended in due course Sir Thomas Graham, Lord Lyndoch, the renowned hero of Barossa. Patrick Graham of Kincardine, above referred to, one of the Lords of the Regency during the minority of James II., was elevated to the dignity of a Lord of Parliament, with the title of Lord Graham, in 1445. Patrick left William, who, by his marriage with

Lady Anne Douglas, daughter of the Earl of Angus, left another William, third Lord Graham and first Earl of Montrose. The additional honour was conferred for gallantry shown on the field of Sauchieburn, where his Royal master, James III., lost his life; and, in fitting harmony with the loyal traditions of his house, Earl William fell at Flodden with King James IV. and the flower of the Scottish nobility. He was twice married-first to Annabella, daughter of Lord Drummond, by whom he had William, the second Earl in succession; and second, to Janet, daughter of Sir Archibald Edmonstone, by whom he had Patrick, ancestor of the Graham of Inchbraikie. From Mungo, youngest son of William, second Earl, descended the house of Killearn. John, third Earl, posthumous son of Lord Graham, who fell at Pinkie in 1547, was first Chancellor and then Viceroy of the Kingdom of Scotland. His son John, fourth Earl, was appointed President of the Council in 1626, but dying the same year was succeeded by James, the only son of his wife, Lady Margaret Ruthven, eldest daughter of William, first Earl of Gowrie.

The career of this James, fifth Earl and first Marquis, known in history as the great Marquis of Montrose, falls rather within the history of Scotland than the annals of a single family, even though it be as illustrious as the house of Graham. A very few sentences, therefore, must serve to indicate the part he took in the affairs of the nation during what was probably the most troubled period of its history. Coldly received, as he imagined, at the Court of Charles I., Earl James, afterwards Marquis, threw himself with characteristic ardour into the cause of the Covenanting party, and in company with Argyll assisted to keep in check movements made by the more active Royalists in the north. In this way he came to be mixed up with the attack on the house of Ogilvie, famous in song as "The Bonnie House of Airlie," and referred to by the "great Argyll" himself in presence of the late Duke of Montrose so late as 1864, the occasion being a dinner at Stirling in connection with the Highland and Agricultural Society's show. "You will go (so ran the instructions of Argyll to one Dugald, with so many hundred men)

into the country of my Lord Ogilvie, and you will lift his cattle, and you will drive them to Straanmare; and you will proceed to the house of my Lord Ogilvie, and you will destroy the said house, and you will pull down the yetts and windows, and gin it be langsome ye will fire the house." Castle Campbell suffered for this in after days. Suspicious of the sincerity of the Covenanting party, annoyed it has been said at their excesses, and anxious it may be concerning the ultimate fate of Monarchy in the strife, Montrose, after a second audience of the King, passed over to the Royalist party about the close of 1639. "Division (writes Principal Baillie in October of that year) is much laboured for in all our estate. They speak of great prevailing with our nobles-Home evidently fallen off, Montrose not unlikely to be ensnared with fair promises of advancement." During a lull in the military operations of 1640 there was offered for signature to Montrose a new covenant or bond, suggesting that Argyll should be named Captain-General, with arbitrary powers north of the Forth. Stung at the proposal, the Marquis suddenly quitted his division of Alexander Leslie's army on Dunse Moor, and took horse for Cumbernauld, the house of the Earl of Wigtown, where he met Home, Athole, Mar, and other friends. A new bond was then drawn out, acknowledging obligation to the covenant already signed, but stipulating for their mutual aid and defence in case of need. For five years Montrose continued to be the most prominent and successful leader on the King's side. In six well-disputed conflicts against superior armies-at Tippermuir, Bridge of Dee, Castle of Fyvie, Inverlochy, Aulderne, and Alford--the gallantry and military genius of the great Marquis prevailed. "Tell," it has been written, "those traitors of proud London town that the spears of the North have encircled the Crown." But for Naseby all might have gone well with the King. At Kilsyth, the last and crowning victory, Montrose appeared to be master of all Scotland. His troops, according to Earl Stanhope, spread over the low country like a torrent, and only such castled crags as Edinburgh, Stirling, and Dumbarton could lift themselves above the general inundation. Argyll and the other leaders of the Covenant fled for safety to

Berwick. Montrose himself entered Glasgow in triumph, while young Napier, pushing forward to Linlithgow and Edinburgh, had the delight of freeing from captivity his father, wife, sisters, and uncle, Stirling of Keir. John Lord Graham, only surviving son of the Marquis, was still held a prisoner by the chiefs of the Covenant. After these brilliant victories, Montrose was surprised and defeated in September, 1645, by General David Leslie. Detention at Oxford appearing irksome to the King, he adopted the foolish plan of entrusting his person to the Scots army at Newark, then negotiating with the leaders of the English Parliament for their arrears of pay. The Scots in turn delivered their Sovereign up to his English adversaries at Newcastle. Royal instructions were thereafter issued that Montrose should lay down his arms and leave Scotland. He was absent about two years. On the execution of the King, in 1649, the Marquis tendered his allegiance to Charles II., and took an early opportunity of presenting himself in the midst of the exiled Court at The Hague. There is still extant in the charter-chest at Buchanan House Montrose's key for secret correspondence with friends at home at this time. The Earl of Roxburghe, whom the Marquis suspected of double-dealing with David Leslie, is designated "The Fox;" David Leslie himself is "The Executioner," from his cruelties after the day of Philiphaugh; the Marquis of Huntly is "The Moor Game," from his having lurked so long in the northern hills; Argyll is "Ruling Elder," and sometimes "The Merchant of Middleburgh." In an unfortunate attempt to draw the Highlanders once more to the Royal standard during the spring of 1650, Montrose was taken prisoner by MacLeod of Assynt, and conveyed under secure guard to Edinburgh. Exposed to many insults by the way, it was only when he reached Dundee -where great suffering was yet felt from his army-that clothing and other necessaries suited to his rank were provided. At Edinburgh the Covenanting magistrates received him in mock solemnity, and with all the indignity which

triumphant malice might be supposed to suggest, conveyed him from the Watergate to the Tolbooth.

"By sorry steeds in servile cart

A high-backed chair is borne-
The sitter he has turned his face-

Why start you, young Lord Lorne?

"Good sooth in yon poor captive dies

The dreadest of your foes;

But chained and tied to hangman's cart

Ye dare not meet Montrose!"

From the Tolbooth Montrose was taken on Monday to the Parliament House, and there, "in the place of delinquents, on his knees, received sentence to be hanged on a gibbet at the Cross of Edinburgh, with his book and Declaration tied on a rope about his neck, there to hang for the space of three hours until he be dead; and thereafter to be cut down by the hangman, his head, hands, and legs to be cut off and distributed as follows:-viz., his head to be affixed on an iron pin, and set on the pinnacle of the west gavel of the new prison of Edinburgh; one hand to be set on the port of Perth, the other on the port of Stirling; one leg and foot on the port of Aberdeen, the other on the port of Glasgow. If at his death penitent, and relaxed from excommunication, then the trunk of his body to be interred by pioneers in the Greyfriars: otherwise, to be interred in the boroughmoor, by the hangman's men under the gallows." The sentence was carried out in all its revolting details, the head remaining for ten years a ghastly spectacle on the top of the Tolbooth. By the adventurous spirit of Lady Napier the heart was recovered, embalmed in the most costly manner, and was last heard of in India. Thus died James, first Marquis of Montrose, a nobleman described as the only person in modern times who recalled the heroes described by Plutarch. This was said by Cardinal de Retz, and he knew Turenne and Conde. Being an only son, he appears to have married early, as he had by his wife Margaret Carnegie, daughter of the Earl of Southesk, two sons when twenty-one years of age.

James, second Marquis, recovered the family estates on the Restoration of