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was ever known to his predeceffors. This was a forced levy, fo called from its being commonly paid in meal, which was raised far and wide on the estate of every nobleman and gentleman, in order that their cat tle might be fecured from the lef fer thieves, over whom he fecretly prefided, and protected. He raifed an income of five hundred a year by these taxes, and behaved with genuine honour, in reftoring, on proper confideration, the tolen cattle of his friends.. In this he bore some resemblance to our Jonathan; but differed, in obferving a ftrict fidelity towards his own gang; yet he was indefatigable in bringing to juftice any rogues that interfered with his own. He was a man of a polished behaviour, fine addrefs, and fine perfon. He confidered himself in a very high light, as a benefactor to the public, and preserver of general tranquillity, for on the filver plates, the orna. ments of his Baldrick, he thus addresses his broad-sword,

Hæ tibi erunt artes, pacis compo

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ed with great calamities. I fhall recite two, which strongly paint the manners of the times, and one of them also the manners of that abandoned statesman the regent earl of Morton. I fhall deliver the tales in the fimple manner they are told by the hiftorian of the house.

"This man, Alexander Innes, "20th heir of the house (tho' very gallant) had fomething of parti"cularyty in his temper, was proud " and pofitive in his deportment, " and had his lawfuits with feveral "of his friends, amongst the reft "with Innes of Pethnock, which "had brought them both to Edin

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(for it was variously reported). "when he had done, his ftomach "would not let him fly but he <. walked up and doun on the spott "as if he had done nothing that "could be quareled, his friends lyfe

being a thing that he could dif"pofe of without being bound to "account for it to any oyne. and

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y" stayed till the earle of Mor. tr tune who was regent fent a guard "and carried him away to the caftell, but q" he found truly the danger of his circumftance and yt his proud rash action be"hooved to cost him his lyfe, he " was then free to redeem that "at any rate, and made ane agree"ment for a remiffione with the regent at the pryce of the barrony of Kiimalemnock which this day extends to 24 thousand marks "marks yeirly the evening after the agreement was made and writt

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being merry with his friends at "a collatione and talking anent "the deirneis of the ranfome the regent had made him pay for "his lyfe, he waunted that hades "his foot once loofs he would "faine fee qt the earl of Mortune durft come and poffefs his "lands: qch being told to the regent that night, he refolved to play fuir game with him, and "therefore though qt he spoke was "in drink, the very next day he put the fentence of death in ex"ecutione agt him by caufing his head to be ftruck of in the caftle "and y1 poffeft his estate."

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Of the Murder of a Laird of Innes,

JOH

as related in the old Account. JOHN Lord Innes, having no children, fettles his eftate upon his next heir and coufin Alexander Innes of Cromy, and feems to fuffer him to enjoy his title and poffeffions in his life time. Robert Innes of Innermarky, another cadet of the family, is difgufted to fee Innes of Cromy endowed with fo much power and preferred to him. He alarms Lord John, and makes him repent fo far of what he had done, that he joins in confpiracy with Innermarky to affaffinate his coufin Alexander. The author fays, "John being brought over to his minde (viz. Innes's of Innermarky) there wanted nothing but a conveniency for putting y' purpose to execution, which did offer itself in ye month of Apryle 1580, at qch tyme Alex' being called upon fome bufinefs to Aberdeen was obliged to stay longer there than he intended, by reafonne that his only fone Robert a youth of 16 years of age hade fallen fick at

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the college, and his father could not leave the place until he faw qt became of him. He had tranfported him out of the old toune, and hade brought him to his own lodgeing in the new toun; he hade alfo fent feveral of his fervants home from tyme to tyme to let his lady know the reafone of his ftay, by means of these fervants it came to be known perfe&ly at Kinnardy in qt circumftance Alexander was at Aberdeen, q' he was lodged, and how he was attended, which invited Innermarky to take the occa. fione. Wherefore getting a confi derable number of affiftants with him, he hade laird John ryde to Aberdeen they enter the toun upon the night, and about middnight came to Alexander's lodgeing.

The outer gate of the clofs they found oppen, but all the reft of the doors thutt; they were afraid to break open doors by violence, leaft the noife might alarm the neighbourheed, but choifed rather to ryfe fuch a cry in the clofs as might obleidge those who were within to oppen the door and fee qt it might be.

The feuds at that time be twixt the familys of Gordone and Forbes wer not extinguifhed, therefor they ryfed a cry, as if it had been upon fome out fall among these people, crying help a Gordon, a Gordon, which is the gathering word of the friends of yt family.

Alexander, being deeply interefted in the Gordon, at the noise of the cry ftarted from his bedd, took his fword in his hand, and opened a back door that led to ye court below, ftepped down three or four steps, and cryed to know q' was the matter. Innermarky who by his word knew him, and by his

whyt

whyt fhirt difcerned him perfectly, cocks his gun and fhootts him through the body in ane inftant. As many as could get about him fell upon him and butchered him barbarously. Innermarky perceaveing in the mean tyme yt laird John ftood by, as either relenting or terrified, held the bloody dagger to his throatt that he had newly taken out of the murthured body, fwearing dreadfully yt he would ferve him the fame way if he did not as he did, and fo compelled him to draw his dagger and ftab it up to the hilts, in the body of his nearest reletione, and the braveft that boare his name. After his example all who wer ther behooved to doe the lyke, that all might be alyke guilty; yea in profecutione of this, it has been told me that Mr. John Innes, afterwards Coxtoune, being a youth then at schooll, was ryfed out of his bedd and compelled by Innermarky to stab a daggar unto the dead body, that the more might be under the fame condemnatione; a very crafty cruelty.

The next thing looked after was the deftructione of the fick youth Robert, who had lyein y' night in a bedd by his father, but upon the noyfe of qt was done, hade fcrambled from it, and by the help of one John of Culdreafons, or rather of fome of the people of the houfs, hade got out at an ane unfrequented bak door into the garden, and from y' into a neighbour's houfs q he hade fhaltered; the LORD in his providence preferveing him for the executing vengence upon these murthurers for the blood of his father.

Then Innermarky took the dead man's fignet ring, and fent it to his wife, as from her husband, by a fer

vant whom he hade purchased to that purpose, ordering her to fend him fuch a particular box qch contained the bond of Taillie, and all yt had followed thereupon betwixt him and laird John, whom the fervant faid he hade left w his m' at Aberdeen and y' for difpatch he had fent his best hors with him, and hade not taken leifure to writ, but fent the ring. Though it troubled the woman much to receave fuch a blind mafage, yet her husband's ring, his own fervant and his horfs, prevailed fo with her, together with the man's importunity to be gone, that thee delivered to him qt he fought, and let him go.

There happened to be then about the houfs a youth related to the family, who was curious to go to the lenth of Aberdeen, and see the young laird who hade been sick, and to whom he was much adicted. This youth had gone to the stable to interceed with the fervant that he might carrie him behind him, and in his difcourfe hade found the man under great reftraint and confufion of minde, fometyme fayeing he was to go no further than Kinnnardy (which indeed was the truth) and at oy' tymes that he behooved to be immediately at Aberdeen.

This brought him to be jealous, though he knew not q', but further knowledge he behooved to have, and therefore he stept out a little beyond the entry, watcheing the fervant's comeing, and in the by go. ing fuddenly leapt on behind him, and would needs either go alonges with him, or have a fatisfieing rea fone why he refuffed him.

The conteft became fuch betwixt them, that the fervant drew his dirk to ridd him of the youth's

trouble,

ch

trouble, qth the other wrung out of his hands, and down right killed him wth it, and brought back the box wth the writs and horfs to the houfe of Innes (or Cromie, I know not qch.)

As the lady is in a confufione for qt had fallen out, ther comes aneother of the fervants from Aberdeen, who gave ane account of the flaughter, fo that thee behooved to conclude a speciall hand of providence to have been in the first pafage. Her next courfs was to fecure her husband's writts the best fhe could, and flee to her friends for fhalter, by whos means fhe was brought wt all speed to the king, before whom thee made her complaint. And qt is heir fet doun is holden by all men to be true matter of fact.

The early of Huntly immediatly upon the report of the flaughter concerned himself because of his relatione to the dead, and looked out for his fon, whom he inftantly carried to Edinburgh, and put him for fhalter into the family of the Lord Elphinfloune, at that tyme lord high treasurer of the kingdome. Innermarky and Laird John, after the flaughter, came back to the Lord Saltoun's houfe, who lieved then at Rothimay, and is thought to have been in the knowledge of qt they hade been about, for certaine it is they wer fupported by the Abernethys, ay until the law went against them. From Rothymay they went with a confiderable party of horfs, and repofceft Laird John in all the parts of the estate of Innes. And Innermarky, to make the full ufe of q' he hade fo boldly begun, did upon the feventein Maii 1580, which was 5 weeks after the laughter, take from Laird

John a new difpofitione of the eftate of Innes.

By what is faid Innermarky may appear to have been a man full of unrighteousness, craft and cruelty; yet fome fay for alleviatione of his fact, that he having his chieff's fa vour hade got the firft difpofition of his eftate failieing airs of himself, but that Cromy had taken a pofterior right and hade fupplanted Innermarky, for qch he in revenge had killed him, &c. But falfenefs of the allegance (mean as it is) is plaine past contradictione, from the above narraitted writ, qch was given to Innermarky but 40 days after the flaughter of Cromy.

For two full yeirs Innermarky and John had poffeft the estate of Innes, ftrengthening themselfs with all the friendship they could acquyre; but being in end declaired out lawes, in the 3d yeir Robert laird of Innes, the fon of Alex'. came north with a commiffion againft them and all others concerned in the flaughter of his father. This Robert was a young man weill endued wth favour and understanding, which hade ingadg. ed the lord treasurer fo far wedd his intereft, that he first weded the young man to his daughter, and then gott him all the affiftance requifite to poffefs him of his eftate, qch was no fooner done but he led wafte the poffeffions of his enemies; burning and blood fhed was acted by both partys with animofity enough.

to

In the mean tyme Laird John had run away to feek fome lurking place in the South, q' he was dif covered by the friends of the Lord Elphinftoune, and by them taken and fent north to the Laird Robert, who did not put him to death, but

took

took him bound to vareous forts of performances, as appears by the contract betwixt them in anno 1585: one grofs was, y' he should deliver up the chartor chift, and all the old evidents, qch he and Innermarky had feafed, and which I doubt if ever he faithfully did, els this relation hade been with lefs pains and mor fully inftructed.

As to Innermarky, he was forced for a while to take the hills, and when he wearied of that, he hade a retreat of a difficult accefs within the houfs of Edinglaffy, q' he fleeped in little enough fecurity; for in September 1584, his houfs was furpryfed by Laird Robert, and that reteiring place of his firft entered by Alexander Innes, afterwards of Cotts, the fame who fome yeirs befor had killed the fervant who came from Innermarky with the falfe tokin for ye writs, and who all his lyfe was called Craigg in peirill, for venturing apon Innermarky then defperat, and whos cruelty he helped to repay it in his own coine; ther was no mercy for him, for flaine he was, and his hoar head cut off and taken by the widdow of him whom he hade flain, and carried to Edinburgh and caften at the king's feett, a thing too mafculine to be commended in a woman.

Curious Anecdotes; from the Supplement to Granger's Biographical Hiftory.

Sir Gilbert Talbot.

IR Gilbert Talbot, third son of

SJohn, the carl of Shrew

bury, was a man of various talents, and equally qualified for the bufinefs of peace or war. He command.

ed the right wing of the Earl of Richmond's army, at the battle of Bofworth, where he was unfortunately wounded. He was one of the perfons fent by Henry VII. on the expeditlon in behalf of Maximilian the emperor. It appears from a curious indenture, now extant, that John Pounde, citizen and grocer of London, "was placed "an apprentice to Sir Gilbert Tal"bot, citizen and mercer of Lon"don, and merchant of the ftaple "at Calais;" of which place he was deputy, in the fame reign. He was by Henry, fent ambassador to Rome, to congratulate Pius III. upon his election to the pontificate. Though a commoner and a citizen, he was honoured with the order of the garter in the reign of Henry VII. He died on the 19th of Sept. in the feventh year of Henry VIII.

N

Sir John Hawkwood.

O hero had ever a greater hand in forming himself, and framing his own fortune, than Sir John Hawkwood. He was the fon of a tanner, at Heddingham Sibil, in Effex, where he was born, in the reign of Edward III. He was bound apprentice to a taylor in London but being fortunately preffed into the army, was fent abroad, where his genius, which the fhop, foon expanded itself, and had been cramped and confined to furmounted the narrow prejudices which adhered to his birth and occupation. He fignalized himself as a foldier, in France and Italy, and

He commanded with great ability and fuccefs, in the army of Galea cia, Duke of Milan, and was in fo

high

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