frequently　at　Seton；　where　the　Earl　kept　a　very　hospitable　table；　at　which　all　foreigners　of　quality　were　entertained　on　their　visits　to　Scotland。　　His　Lordship　died　in　1603；　and　was　buried　on　the　5th　of　April；　on　the　very　day　the　King　left　Edinburgh　for　England。　　His　Majesty；　we　are　told；　was　pleased　to　rest　himself　at　the　south…west　round　of　the　orchard　of　Seton；　on　the　highway；　till　the　funeral　was　over；　that　he　might　not　withdraw　the　noble　company；　and　he　said　that　he　had　lost　a　good；　faithful；　and　loyal　subject。〃NICHOLS'　PROGRESSES　OF　K。　JAMES　I。；　VOL。III。　p。306。
  Note　6。MACGREGOR　OF　GLENSTRAE。
  〃The　2　of　Octr：　　（1603）　Allaster　MacGregor　of　Glenstrae　tane　be　the　laird　Arkynles；　bot　escapit　againe；　bot　after　taken　be　the　Earle　of　Argyll　the　4　of　Januarii；　and　brought　to　Edr：　　the　9　of　Januar：　　1604；　wt：　　18　mae　of　hes　friendes　MacGregors。　　He　wes　convoyit　to　Berwick　be　the　gaird；　conform　to　the　Earle's　promes；　for　he　promesit　to　put　him　out　of　Scottis　grund：　　Sua；　he　keipit　an　Hielandman's　promes；　in　respect　he　sent　the　gaird　to　convoy　him　out　of　Scottis　grund；　bot　yai　wer　not　directit　to　pairt　wt：　him；　bot　to　fetche　him　bak　againe。　　The　18　of　Januar；　he　came　at　evin　againe　to　Edinburghe；　and　upone　the　20　day；　he　was　hangit　at　the　crosse；　and　ij　of　his　freindes　and　name；　upon　ane　gallows：　himself　being　chieff；　he　was　hangit　his　awin　hight　above　the　rest　of　hes　freindis。〃BIRRELL'S　DIARY；　（IN　DALZELL'S　FRAGMENTS　OF　SCOTTISH　HISTORY）；pp。60；61。
  　NOTES　TO　THE　HIGHLAND　WIDOW。
  Note　7。LOCH　AWE。
  〃Loch　Awe；　upon　the　banks　of　which　the　scene　of　action　took　place；　is　thirty…four　miles　in　length。　　The　north　side　is　bounded　by　wide　muirs　and　inconsiderable　hills；　which　occupy　an　extent　of　country　from　twelve　to　twenty　miles　in　breadth；　and　the　whole　of　this　space　is　enclosed　as　by　circumvallation。　　Upon　the　north　it　is　barred　by　Loch　Eitive；　on　the　south　by　Loch　Awe；　and　on　the　east　by　the　dreadful　pass　of　Brandir；　through　which　an　arm　of　the　latter　lake　opens；　at　about　four　miles　from　its　eastern　extremity；　and　discharges　the　river　Awe　into　the　former。　　The　pass　is　about　three　miles　in　length；　its　east　side　is　bounded　by　the　almost　inaccessible　steeps　which　form　the　base　of　the　vast　and　rugged　mountain　of　Cruachan。　　The　crags　rise　in　some　places　almost　perpendicularly　from　the　water；　and　for　their　chief　extent　show　no　space　nor　level　at　their　feet；　but　a　rough　and　narrow　edge　of　stony　beach。　　Upon　the　whole　of　these　cliffs　grows　a　thick　and　interwoven　wood　of　all　kinds　of　trees；　both　timber；　dwarf；　and　coppice；　no　track　existed　through　the　wilderness；　but　a　winding　path；　which　sometimes　crept　along　the　precipitous　height；　and　sometimes　descended　in　a　straight　pass　along　the　margin　of　the　water。　　Near　the　extremity　of　the　defile；　a　narrow　level　opened　between　the　water　and　the　crag；　but　a　great　part　of　this；　as　well　as　of　the　preceding　steeps；　was　formerly　enveloped　in　a　thicket；　which　showed　little　facility　to　the　feet　of　any　but　the　martens　and　wild　cats。　　Along　the　west　side　of　the　pass　lies　a　wall　of　sheer　and　barren　crags。　　From　behind　they　rise　in　rough；　uneven；　and　heathy　declivities；　out　of　the　wide　muir　before　mentioned；　between　Loch　Eitive　and　Loch　Awe；　but　in　front　they　terminate　abruptly　in　the　most　frightful　precipices；　which　form　the　whole　side　of　the　pass；　and　descend　at　one　fall　into　the　water　which　fills　its　trough。　　At　the　north　end　of　the　barrier；　and　at　the　termination　of　the　pass；　lies　that　part　of　the　cliff　which　is　called　Craiganuni；　at　its　foot　the　arm　of　the　lake　gradually　contracts　its　water　to　a　very　narrow　space；　and　at　length　terminates　at　two　rocks　（called　the　Rocks　of　Brandir）；　which　form　a　strait　channel；　something　resembling　the　lock　of　a　canal。　　From　this　outlet　there　is　a　continual　descent　towards　Loch　Eitive；　and　from　hence　the　river　Awe　pours　out　its　current　in　a　furious　stream；　foaming　over　a　bed　broken　with　holes；　and　cumbered　with　masses　of　granite　and　whinstone。
  〃If　ever　there　was　a　bridge　near　Craiganuni　in　ancient　times；　it　must　have　been　at　the　Rocks　of　Brandir。　　From　the　days　of　Wallace　to　those　of　General　Wade；　there　were　never　passages　of　this　kind　but　in　places　of　great　necessity；　too　narrow　for　a　boat；　and　too　wide　for　a　leap；　even　then　they　were　but　an　unsafe　footway　formed　of　the　trunks　of　trees　placed　transversely　from　rock　to　rock；　unstripped　of　their　bark；　and　destitute　of　either　plank　or　rail。　For　such　a　structure　there　is　no　place　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Craiganuni　but　at　the　rocks　above　mentioned。　　In　the　lake　and　on　the　river　the　water　is　far　too　wide；　but　at　the　strait　the　space　is　not　greater　than　might　be　crossed　by　a　tall　mountain　pine；　and　the　rocks　on　either　side　are　formed　by　nature　like　a　pier。　　That　this　point　was　always　a　place　of　passage　is　rendered　probable　by　its　facility　and　the　use　of　recent　times。　　It　is　not　long　since　it　was　the　common　gate　of　the　country　on　either　side　the　river　and　the　pass：　　the　mode　of　crossing　is　yet　in　the　memory　of　people　living；　and　was　performed　by　a　little　currach　moored　on　either　side　the　water；　and　a　stout　cable　fixed　across　the　stream　from　bank　to　bank；　by　which　the　passengers　drew　themselves　across　in　the　manner　still　practised　in　places　of　the　same　nature。　　It　is　no　argument　against　the　existence　of　a　bridge　in　former　times　that　the　above　method　only　existed　in　ours；　rather　than　a　passage　of　that　kind；　which　would　seem　the　more　improved　expedient。　　The　contradiction　is　sufficiently　accounted　for　by　the　decay　of　timber　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Of　old；　both　oaks　and　firs　of　an　immense　size　abounded　within　a　very　inconsiderable　distance；　but　it　is　now　many　years　since　the　destruction　of　the　forests　of　Glen　Eitive　and　Glen　Urcha　has　deprived　the　country　of　all　the　trees　of　sufficient　size　to　cross　the　strait　of　Brandir；　and　it　is　probable　that　the　currach　was　not　introduced　till　the　want　of　timber　had　disenabled　the　inhabitants　of　the　country　from　maintaining　a　bridge。　　It　only　further　remains　to　be　noticed　that　at　some　distance　below　the　Rocks　of　Brandir　there　was　formerly　a　ford；　which　was　used　for　cattle　in　the　memory　of　people　living；　from　the　narrowness　of　the　passage；　the　force　of　the　stream；　and　the　broken　bed　of　the　river；　it　was；　however；　a　dangerous　pass；　and　could　only　be　attempted　with　safety　at　leisure　and　by　experience。〃NOTES　TO　THE　BRIDAL　OF　CAOLCHAIRN。
  Note　8。BATTLE　BETWIXT　THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　BRUCE　AND　MACDOUGAL　OF　LORN。
  〃But　the　King；　whose　dear…bought　experience　in　war　had　taught　him　extreme　caution；　remained　in　the　Braes　of　Balquhidder　till　he　had　acquired　by　his　spies　and　outskirries　a　perfect　knowledge　of　the　disposition　of　the　army　of　Lorn；　and　the　intention　of　its　leader。　He　then　divided　his　force　into　two　columns；　entrusting　the　command　of　the　first；　in　which　he　placed　his　archers　and　lightest　armed　troops；　to　Sir　James　Douglas；　whilst　he　himself　took　the　leading　of　the　other；　which　consisted　principally　of　his　knights　and　barons。　　On　approaching　the　defile；　Bruce　dispatched　Sir　James　Douglas　by　a　pathway　which　the　enemy　had　neglected　to　occupy；　with　directions　to　advance　silently；　and　gain　the　heights　above　and　in　front　of　the　hilly　ground　where　the　men　of　Lorn　were　concealed；　and　having　ascertained　that　this　movement　had　been　executed　with　success；　he　put　himself　at　the　head　of　his　own　division；　and　fearlessly　led　his　men　into　the　defile。　　Here；　prepared　as　he　was　for　what　was　to　take　place；　it　was　difficult　to　prevent　a　temporary　panic　when　the　yell　which；　to　this　day；　invariably　precedes　the　assault　of　the　mountaineer；　burst　from　the　rugged　bosom　of　Ben　Cruachan；　and　the　woods　which；　the　moment　before；　had　waved　in　silence　and　solitude；　gave　forth　their　birth　of　steel…clad　warriors；　and；　in　an　instant；　became　instinct　with　the　dreadful　vitality　of　war。　　But　although　appalled　and　checked　for　a　brief　space　by　the　suddenness　of　the　assault；　and　the　masses　of　rock　which　the　enemy　rolled　down　from　the　precipices；　Bruce；　at　the　head　of　his　division；　pressed　up　the　side　of　the　mountain。　　Whilst　this　party　assaulted　the　men　of　Lorn　with　the　utmost　fury；　Sir　James　Douglas　and　his　party　shouted　suddenly　upon　the　heights　in　their　front；　showering　down　their　arrows　upon　them；　and；　when　these　missiles　were　exhausted；　attacking　them　with　their　swords　and　battle…axes。　　The　consequence　of　such　an　attack；　both　in　front　and　rear；　was　the　total　discomfiture　of　the　army　of　Lorn；　and　the　circumstances　to　which　this　chief　had　so　confidently　looked　forward；　as　rendering　the　destruction　of　Bruce　almost　inevitable；　were　now　turned　with　fatal　effect　against　himself。　　His　great　superiority　of　numbers　cumbered　and　impeded　his　movements。　　Thrust　by　the　double　assault；　and　by　the　peculiar　nature　of　the　ground；　into　such　narrow　room　as　the　pass　afforded；　and　driven　to　fury　by　finding　themselves　cut　to　pieces　in　detail；　without　power　of　resistance；　the　men　of　Lorn　fled　towards　Loch　Eitive；　where　a　bridge　thrown　over　the　Awe；　and　supported　upon　two　immense　rocks；　known　by　the　name　of　the　Rocks　of　Brandir；　formed　the　solitary　communication　between　the　side　of　the　river　where　the　battle　took　place　and　the　country　of　Lorn。　　Their　object　was　to　gain　the　bridge；　which　was　composed　entirely　of　wood；　and　having　availed　themselves　of