ascetic, who inhabited this dwelling, probably slept. At full tide, egress and regress are hardly practicable. As Regulus first colonized the metropolitan see of Scotland, and converted the inhabitants in the vicinity, he has some reason to complain, that the ancient name of Killrule (Cella Reguli) should have been superseded, even in favour of the tutelar saint of Scotland. The reason of the change was, that St Rule is said to have brought to Scotland the relics of St Andrew.

Note XX.

Thence to St Fillan's blessed well,

Whose spring can frenzied dreams dispel,

And the crazed brain restore.-St. XXIX. p. 58. St Fillan was a Scottish saint of some reputation. Although Popery is, with us, matter of abomination, yet the common people still retain some of the superstitions connected with it. There are in Perthshire, several wells and springs dedicated to St Fillan, which are still places of pilgrimage and offerings, even among the Protestants. They are held powerful in cases of madness; and, in some of very late occurrence, lunatics have been left all night bound to the holy stone, in confidence that the saint would cure and unloose them before morning.

NOTES TO CANTO II.

Note I.

The scenes are desart now, and bare,

Where flourish'd once a forest fair.—P. 63.

Ettricke Forest, now a range of mountainous sheep-walks, was anciently reserved for the pleasure of the royal chace. Since it was disparked, the wood has been, by degrees, almost totally destroyed, although, wherever protected from the sheep, copses soon arise without any planting. When the king hunted there, he often summoned the array of the country to meet and assist his sport. Thus, in 1528, James V. " made procla"mation to all lords, barons, gentlemen, landward-men, and "freeholders, that they should compear at Edinburgh, with

a month's victuals, to pass with the king where he pleased, "to danton the thieves of Tiviotdale, Annandale, Liddisdale, "and other parts of that country; and also warned all gentle

men that had good dogs to bring them, that he might hunt "in the said country as he pleased: The whilk the Earl of "Argyle, the Earl of Huntley, the Earl of Athole, and so all "the rest of the gentlemen of the Highland, did, and brought

"their hounds with them in like manner, to hunt with the

"king, as he pleased.

"The second day of June the king past out of Edinburgh "to the hunting, with many of the nobles and gentlemen of "Scotland with him, to the number of twelve thousand men ; "and then past to Meggitland, and hounded and hawked all "the country and bounds; that is to say, Crammat, Pappert"law, St Mary-laws, Carlavirick, Chapel, Ewindoores, and

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Longhope. I heard say, he slew, in these bounds, eighteen score of harts." *

These huntings had, of course, a military character, and attendance upon them was a part of the duty of a vassal. The act for abolishing ward or military tenures, in Scotland, enumerates the services of hunting, hosting, watching, and warding, as those which were in future to be illegal.

Taylor, the water-poet, has given an account of the mode in which these huntings were conducted in the Highlands of Scotland in the seventeenth century, having been present at Bræ-mar upon such an occasion:

"There did I find the truly noble and right honourable lords, "John Erskine, Earl of Mar; James Stewart, Earl of Mur

ray; George Gordon, Earl of Engye, son and heir to the

Marquis of Huntley; James Erskine, Earl of Buchan; and "John, Lord Erskine, son and heir to the Earl of Mar, and "their Countesses, with my much honoured, and my last assu"red and approved friend, Sir William Murray, knight of Aber

* PITSCOTTIE'S History of Scotland, folio edition, p. 143.

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carney, and hundred of others, knights, esquires, and their "followers; all and every man, in general, in one habit, as if

Lycurgus had been there, and made laws of equality; for once in the year, which is the whole month of August, and "sometimes part of September, many of the nobility and

gentry of the kingdom (for their pleasure) do come into "these highland countries to hunt; where they do conform "themselves to the habit of the highland-men, who, for the "most part, speak nothing but Irish; and, in former time,

were those people which were called the Red-shanks. Their "habit is-shoes, with but one sole a-piece; stockings, (which

they call short hose,) made of a warm stuff of diverse colours, "which they call tartan; as for breeches, many of them, nor "their forefathers, never wore any, but a jerkin of the same "stuff that their hose is of; their garters being bands or "wreathes of hay or straw: with a plaid about their shoul"ders; which is a mantle of diverse colours, much finer and

lighter stuff than their hose; with blue flat caps on their "heads; a handkerchief, knit with two knots, about their "necks: and thus are they attired. Now their weapons are― "long bowes and forked arrows, swords and targets, harque"busses, muskets, durks, and Lochaber axes. With these

arms I found many of them armed for the hunting. As for "their attire, any man, of what degree soever, that comes

amongst them, must not disdain to wear it; for if they do, "then they will disdain to hunt, or willingly to bring in their "dogs; but if men be kind unto them, and be in their habit,

"then are they conquered with kindness, and the sport will "be plentiful. This was the reason that I found so many "noblemen and gentlemen in those shapes. But to proceed "to the hunting:

"My good Lord of Marr having put me into that shape, I "rode with him from his house, where I saw the ruins of an "old castle, called the castle of Kindroghit. It was built by “King Malcolm Canmore, (for a hunting-house,) who reign"ed in Scotland, when Edward the Confessor, Harold, and "Norman William, reigned in England. I speak of it, be"cause it was the last house I saw in those parts; for I was "the space of twelve days after, before I saw either house, "corn-field, or habitation, for any creature, but deer, wild"horses, wolves, and such like creatures,-which made me " doubt that I should never have seen a house again.

"Thus, the first day, we travelled eight miles, where there were small cottages, built on purpose to lodge in, which

they call Lonquhards. I thank my good Lord Erskine, he "commanded that I should always be lodged in his lodging: "the kitchen being always on the side of a bank: many kettles "and pots boiling, and many spits turning and winding, with 66 great variety of cheer,-as venison baked; sodden, rost, and "stewed beef; mutton, goats, kid, hares, fresh salmon, pigeons, "hens, capons, chickens, partridge, muir-coots, heath-cocks, "caperkellies, and termagants; good ale, sacke, white and "claret, tent (or allegant) with most potent aquavitæ.

"All these, and more than these, we had continually in su