Year: 1859

Ffom the nubHa University Maga1las.


The Last Victim OF the ScOttisl


Maiden.


A Scottish maiden What a pleasan
vision do not these words call up. VIII,


that has ever kept his twelfth of Angus
on the northern moors could fail to be re-


minded by them Of some briQht-eye,
Highland lassie whom he has met az ear


~ dawn Of day crossing the mountain
stream barefoot, with her plaid throwi
over her fair hair, and her clear voice sing
ing out an old sweet ballad Of her native
land: or haply, If he has had an oRtrse L
the homes Of the Scottish aristocracy
they will bring before him some yet fair
er picture Of q pure pale face, where eyes
Of a blue, tender as the morning sky
spoke Of a noble and truthful soul within
and he has learnt 10 love the race thai
once had such deadly feuds with his Sax
on ancestry, because Of the "glamour'
cast around him by the golden haired
daughters of the land.


But very different is the real picture oI
that Scottish maiden of whom we are
aNNhh ~ aNN4hH ANA was Blu MllN NAnlUll vi
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 brooked no orivals--for they whom
she had once embraced were never clasp
ed to mortal heart again; aud the lovers
whom she pillowed on her bosom slept q
sleep that knew no waking. Few there
were, even of the bravest, who did not
shudder somewhat as they saw her keep
ing her unchanging watch through storm
and sunshine, beneath the shadow Of old
St. Giles; the principal church of the
Northern capital; and oltentimes when
they saw how the ground beneath her
feet was stained with blood, they mutter-
ed curses on the "loathy Maiden" that
had done TO death so many gallant Scot.
Yet to some this CHASTITY lady (Which was
none other than the public guillotine) ap-
peared to have attractions, such as many
bright-eyed damsel would have envied
for il 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 exclaim-
cd 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 hid
den pang had so darkened life for the gal
liant noble, whose homage was cOurted by
the fairest ladies', that he should die with
words of such bitter meaning on his lips
but when, some few years later, the maid
nn nraaond ,srfth bor cnld b,vd ths tl,.o,t
of him who proved to be her last victim,
the strange and tragic circumstance of
his death obliterated all recollections of
the Marquis and his dying words.


II happened singularly enough, howev-
or, that these two, the Lord of Argyle,
and Kenelm Hamilton who succeeded
him on the block, had been in life the
deadliest enemies; and bya peculiar chain
of circumstances, which we shall now
proceed TO detail, the death of one caused
that Of the other.


II was about a month after the execu-
ton Of the Marquis, that Hamilton, whose
race, so closely allied to the kings of Scot
land, was even prouder than Argle's,
found himself compelled by political bus
mess to pass a night in the little town of
inyerary, close TO which stood the mag
nihcent castle Of the same name, which
had been the heritage of his dead rival.


Never, perhaps, did any one approach
that beautiful spot with greater ill-will
than Kenelm Hamilton; he was a young
man Of a peculiarly 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 ether he was the second son Of that
noble family Of Hamiltons, between whom
and the Angles there had been a deadly
feud for many generations past. Never,
however, had il burnt more iercely than
IN the time Of which we write, when the
families had been represented by the Mar
quis who had just been compelled 10 lay
his lofty head at the maiden's feet, and
kenelm with his wild and angry temper;
for his elder brother was an idiot who
bore the family title, but lacked the wit
to defend their honor when assailed.-
Deep had been the hate between Argyle
and Hamilton, which even the new-shed
blood Of the former had not availed TO
quench; for, in addition to the old clan
teud, there was a private quarrel between
them5 which had fearlully embittered their
hatred. The Marquis Of Ar
gyle had been betrothed almost from boy
hood 70 his cousin, the lady Ellen Gra-
ham, and although their engagement had
been matter Of family arrangement he
loved her we'll and truly; not so the lady,
however. Sho had not been consulted
when she was bound, while yet child,
10 the Marquis, and, with the true fomi-
nine spirit of contradition, she resolved TO
choose for herself and accepted the ad-
dresses Of Kenelm Hamilton, who by
some unlucky chance had fallen in love
with his rivals bride. Their wedding was
even now fixed TO take place in few
months, and this circumstance, no doubt,
the last words Of Argyle, which
were destined TO be the means Of one day
bringing his enemy 10 The arms Of this
same cruel maiden whom he himself had
embraced with so much fervOf. And now
the recollection of that last bloody scene
was, doubtless, heavy on the heart Of Ham
ilton as he rode down the mountain path
which led 70 Iuverary Castle, and the lit
tie village that lay at ita foot. II was a
cold and gloomy winter night; the dark
ness was intense, and thewild north wind
went shrieking and howling through the
PaEs, as Il il bore upon lis wings the souls