Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-11-12
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The Last Victim Of the Scottish Maiden
A True TALE OF THE 18th CENTURY.

A Scottish maiden! What pleasant visions
do not those words call up? Who that has
ever kept the twelfth of August on the north.
ern moors could fail to be reminded by them
Of some bright eyed Highland lassic whom he
! has met at early dawn of day crossing the
mountain stream barefoot, with her plaid
thrown over her fair hair, and her clear voice
singing out an old sweet ballad of her native
land; or happily, il he has had an entrec to
the homes Of the Scottish aristocracy, they will
bring before him some yet fairer picture of n
pure pale face, where eyes Of a blue, tender as
the morning sky, spoke of . noble and truth
ful soul within, and he has learnt to love the
face that once had such deadly feuds with his
Saxon ancestry, because Of the "glamOur'
cast around him by the golden haired dauSh-
ters Of the land.
But very different is the real picture Of that
Scottish maiden Of whom we are about to
speak; nor was she any vision Of the fancy,
but terrible reality whom all men knew and
feared throughout broad Scotland two hundred
years ago. A dark and stern lady was she
truly, and one who broOkcd no rivalS-for thev
whom she had once embraced were never clasp
cd to mortal heart again; and the lovers whom
she pillowcd on her bosom slept a sleep that
knew no waking. Few there were, even of the
bravest, who did not shuddcr somewhat as
they saw her keeping her unchaDging watch
through storm and sunshine, beneath the shad-
Ow of old St. Giles, the principal church Of the
northern capital; and Oftentimcs, when they
saw how the earth beneath her feet was stained
with blood, they muttered curses on the "loa.
thy madin," that had done to death so many
gallant Scot. Yet to some this ghastly lady
(Which was no other than the public guillO-
tine) appeared to have attractions, such as ma
ny bright eyed damsel would have envicd
for it is recorded Of the noble Marquis of Ar
gyle, the last who died in her embrace, when
our story commences that he ran eagerly up
the steps, and exclaimed, as he laid his head
upon the block, "This is the sweetest maiden
that have ever kissed" This saying of his
was often cited, and the world wondered what
hidden pang had SO darkened life for the gal
liant noble, whose homage was courted by the
fairest ladies, that he should die with words oi
such bitter meaning on his lips; but when,
some few years later, the maiden pressed with
her cold hands the throat Of him who proved
to be her latest victim, the strange and tragic
circumstances Of his death Obliterated all re.
collections Of the Marquis and his dying
words.
1t happened singularly enough, however
that these two, the Lord Of Argyle and Kenelm
Hamilton, who succeeded him on the block,
had been in life the deadliest enemies; and, by
peculiar chain of circumstances; which We
shall now proceed to detail, the death Of the
one caused that Of the other.
It was about month after the execution o.
the Marquis, that Hamilton; whose race, SC
closely allied to the, kings Of Scotland; wa.
compelled, by political business, to pass &
night in the little town Of Inverary, close t
which stood the magnificent castle or the same
name, which had been the heritage of his deaG
rival.
Never, perhaps, did any one approach thai
beautiful spot with more ill.will than Kenelu
Hamilton; he was young man of peculiarly
fiery and imFetuous disposition, Of whom i