A Legend of Montrose | Page 3

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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.
Note: Footnotes in the printed book have been inserted in the etext in
square brackets ("[]") close to the place where 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,