Year: 1859

A Scottish maiden What pleasant Wis
ion do not these words call up. Vino that
has ever kept bis twelfth of August on the
northern moors could fail to be reminded by
them of some bright-eyed Highland lassie
whom he has met at early dawn of day cross
ing 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, if he had an entree to
the homes of the Scottish ariStocracy, they
will bring before him some yet fairer picture
of pure pale face, where eyes of blue
tender as the morning sky, spoke of a noble
and truthful sou within and he has learnt to
love the race that once had such deadly feuds
with his Saxon ancestry, because of the ga-
mour cast around him by the goldenhaired
daughters 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,
bnt a terrible reality, whom all men knew aud
feared throughout broad Scotland two hun
dred years ago. A dark and stern lady was
she truly, and one who brOoked no rivals-for
they whom she had once embraced were never
claSped to mortal heart again and the lovers
whom she pillowed on her bosom, slept a sleep
that knew no waking. Few there were, even
of the braveSt who did not shudder somewhat
as they saw her keeping her unchanging watch
through storm and sunshine, beneath the sha
dow of old St. Giles, the principal church of
the Northern capital aud oftentmeS when
they saw how the ground beneath her feet was
stained with blood, they muttered curses on
the "loathIy maiden" that had done to death
so many a gallant Scot. Yet to some this
ghastly lady (Which was none other thaa the
public guilIotine) appeared to have attractions,
such as a brght,eyed damSel would have en-
We'd for it is recorded Of the noble Marquis
of Argyle, the last who had died in her en-
brace when our story commences, that he ran
eagerly up the steps, and exclaimed as he laid
his head on the block This is the sweetest
maiden | have ever kissed" This saying of
his was often cited, and the world wondered
what hidden pang had so darkened life for the
gallant noble, whose homage was courted by
the farest ladies, that he should die with words
of such bitter meaning on his lips but when
some few years later the maiden pressed with
her cold hand the throat Of him who proved
TO be her latest victim, the strange and tragic
circumstances of his death obterated all re-
collections of the Marquis and his dying words


1t happened singulary enough, however
that these two, the Lord of Argyle, and Ken
elm Hamilton who succeeded him on the block
had been in life the deaGliest enemies and by
peculiar chain of circumstances which we
shall now proceed to detail, the death of the
one caused that of the other.


1t was about month after the execution
of the Marquis that Hamilton, whose race, so
closely allied to the kings of Scotland, was
even Drouder than Argye's, found himself,
compelled by political business, to pass night
in the little town of InVerary, close to which
stood the magGifcentc castle of tie same name,
which had been the heritage of the dead rival


Never, perhaps, did any one approach that
beautiful spot with greater illwill than Ken
elm Hamilton he was young man of pc
cularly fiery and impetuous disposition, of
whom it was often said that his love and his
hatred were alike to be dreaded, SO ardent and
passionate was he in either he was the second
son Of that noble family Of HamiltJns, be-
tween whom and the Argyes there had been
deadly feud for many generations past
Never, however, had it burnt more fercely
than in the time of which we write, when rhe
families had been represented by the Marquis
who had just been Compelled to lay bis lofty
head at the maiden's feet, and Kenelm, with
his wild and angry temper for his elder broth