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all directions, surrounded the principal building, enclosing within its ample compass a court-yard, intersected with a deep moat faced on each side with hewn stone, over which was thrown a drawbridge, defended by two parallel vaults, which are still accessible, though deeply buried in the rubbish wherewith the moat is filled. The buildings are much dilapidated, great part of the wall being entirely swept away, having been used as a quarry for the neighbouring farm-houses. The two towers which remain are crowned with a thick coppice of rowan-tree, bourtree, hazel, ash, briers and hawthorn; andwhat will tend to convey some idea of the extraordinary massiness of the structures-several bushes of sauch flourish in great luxuriance on the top of the walls, and are cut every third or fourth year by the coopers, as excellent hoops. A large vaulted hall is still shown, called the queen's room, wherein it is said the ill-used Mary lodged a few nights, about the period of the disastrous battle of Langside; and in a subterraneous vault, there is a circular well, beautifully built of polished stone, which one tradition reports to have descended to a level with the bed of the Nethan, and communicating with that rivulet, to have supplied the garrison with water during a siege; while, according to another, it formed the entrance of a tier of lower vaults, in which those wretches who incurred the displeasure of their feudal tyrant were hopelessly confined. Be these accounts as they may, the well is now almost choked up, several of the large stones of its mouth have been thrown in, while every visitor to the castle takes the liberty of throwing down the well a blazing bunch of broom, or some other combustible substance, that he may see the depth and construction of this curious remnant of antiquity. Over the entrance to the principal building is seen a much effaced escutcheon, in which it is still possible to trace the armorial supporters of Hamilton; and the arms of the Hays, and of some other families which formerly had possession of this castle, are yet to be seen on various places of the walls. The Nethan, after leaving the castle, forces its way through a deep ravine, on one side clothed with hanging wood, and, on the other side, presenting wavy broom-clad slopes.]

THE FAMILY OF HAMILTON.

Defoe, in his 'Caledonia,' p. 46, thus mentions the family ot Hamilton:

"The Hamiltons, of old allied to fame,
Illustrious in blood, and more in name;
In ancient wars, ere other lines begun,

These had a length of towering fortunes run."

[This illustrious family is said to be descended from Sir William de Hamilton, one of the sons of William de Bellomont, 3d Earl of Leicester. Sir William's son, Sir Gilbert Hamilton, having spoken in admiration of Robert the Bruce, at the court of Edward II., received a blow from John de Spencer, who conceived the discourse was derogatory to his master. This led, on the following day, to an encounter, in which Spencer fell, and Hamilton fled for safety to Scotland in 1323. Having been closely pursued in his flight, Hamilton and his servant changed clothes with two woodcutters, and, taking the saws of the workmen, they were in the act of cutting an oak-tree when his pursuers passed. Perceiving his servant to notice them, Sir Gilbert cried out to him "Through!' which word, with the oak and saw through it, he took for his crest in remembrance and commemoration of his escape. He afterwards became a favourite with Robert Bruce, and from an old manuscript it appears that he was one of seven knights who 'kept the king's person' in the field of Bannockburn, and afterwards continued with him till his death, and attended his burial at Dunfermline.

Sir Walter de Hamilton, the son of Sir Gilbert, acquired the lands of Cadzow, in the sheriffdom of Lanark, and others; and from him was descended, in the fifth degree, Sir James Hamilton of Cadzow, who was the first peer of the family. He was originally attached to the powerful family of Douglas, and was an important adherent of the Earl of that name, when in 1455 that nobleman took the field in open rebellion against his sovereign. Sir James, however, deserted from Douglas to the king, almost upon the eve of a battle, upon which the chances appeared as much in favour of the subject as the sovereign, and his example being followed by others, the army of Douglas rapidly disappeared, and ruin came upon his once

potent house. For this notable service Sir James was created a lord of Parliament, and he also obtained a grant, dated 1st July, 1455, of the office of sheriff of the county of Lanark, and subsequently grants of extensive territorial possessions. He married for his second wife, in 1474, Mary, eldest daughter of King James II., and widow of Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran. Dying in 1479, he was succeeded by his only son, James, second Lord Hamilton, who obtained a charter of the lands and earldom of Arran in 1503. This nobleman was constituted lieutenant-general of the kingdom, warden of the marches, and one of the lords of regency in 1517. He was succeeded by his son James, the second Earl, who had only, betwixt him and the throne, Mary daughter of James V., and afterwards Queen of Scots. In 1543 he was declared heir-presumptive to the Crown, and was appointed guardian to Queen Mary, and governor of the kingdom during her minority. He was mainly instrumental in bringing about the marriage of the youthful princess to the Dauphin, in opposition to the wishes of Henry VIII. of England: and in token of his approval of these services, the French king-Henry the Second-conferred upon him the title of Duke of Chatelherault, in addition to a pension of 30,000 livres a-year. He continued to take an active part in public affairs till his death in 1575, when he was succeeded in the earldom of Arran by James his eldest son, the dukedom of Chatelherault having been resumed by the French crown.

This nobleman, upon the arrival of Queen Mary, in 1561, openly aspired to the honour of her hand, but having opposed the enjoyment of the Queen's exercise of her religion, and having entered a protestation against it, he entirely lost her favour. His love, inflamed by disappointment, gradually undermined his reason, and at last he broke out into an ungovernable frenzy. He was in consequence declared by the cognition of inquest to be insane, and the estates of his father devolved upon his brother, Lord John Hamilton, commendator of Aberbrothock, who, in 1567, was one of those who entered into an association to rescue Queen Mary from the castle of Lochleven, and upon her escape she fled to his estate of Hamilton, and there held her court. From thence she proceeded to Langside where her forces were defeated by the Regent Murray. The castle of Hamilton was besieged and taken, and Lord John went into banishment. The fealty of this noble

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Lady Anne Hamilton Duchess of Hamilton, introdved the Douglas name into the family by marrying Lord William Douglas, eldest son of William, first Marquis of Douglas, and she obtained by petition for her husband, in 1660, the title of Duke of Hamilton for life. His Grace had previously been elevated to the peerage as Earl of Selkirk. This peer sat as president of the convention parliament, which settled the crown upon William and Mary. He died in 1694, and was succeeded by his eldest son, James, Earl of Arran, who, upon the Dutchess, a few years afterwards, surrendering her hon

potent house. For this notable service Sir James was created a lord of Parliament, and he also obtained a grant, dated 1st July, 1455, of the office of sheriff of the county of Lanark, and subsequently grants of extensive territorial possessions. He married for his second wife, in 1474, Mary, eldest daughter of King James II., and widow of Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran. Dying in 1479, he was succeeded by his only son, James, second Lord Hamilton, who obtained a charter of the lands and earldom of Arran in 1503. This nobleman was constituted lieutenant-general of the kingdom, warden of the marches, and one of the lords of regency in 1517. He was succeeded by his son James, the second Earl, who had only, betwixt him and the throne, Mary daughter of James V., and afterwards Queen of Scots. In 1543 he was declared heir-presumptive to the Crown, and was appointed guardian to Queen Mary, and governor of the kingdom during her minority. He was mainly instrumental in bringing about the marriage of the youthful princess to the Dauphin, in opposition to the wishes of Henry VIII. of England: and in token of his approval of these services, the French king-Henry the Second-conferred upon him the title of Duke of Chatelherault, in addition to a pension of 30,000 livres a-year. He continued to take an active part in public affairs till his death in 1575, when he was succeeded in the earldom of Arran by James his eldest son, the dukedom of Chatelherault having been resumed by the French crown.

This nobleman, upon the arrival of Queen Mary, in 1561, openly aspired to the honour of her hand, but having opposed the enjoyment of the Queen's exercise of her religion, and having entered a protestation against it, he entirely lost her favour. His love, inflamed by disappointment, gradually undermined his reason, and at last he broke out into an ungovernable frenzy. He was in consequence declared by the cognition of inquest to be insane, and the estates of his father devolved upon his brother, Lord John Hamilton, commendator of Aberbrothock, who, in 1567, was one of those who entered into an association to rescue Queen Mary from the castle of Lochleven, and upon her escape she fled to his estate of Hamilton, and there held her court. From thence she proceeded to Langside where her forces were defeated by the Regent Murray. The castle of Hamilton was besieged and taken, and Lord John went into banishment. The fealty of this noble

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