H o l - h o u s e .
J oh n n y Arms
t r o n g .
Crofs the jZJk, through a ford with a bottom o f folid roclt-l
having on one fide the water precipitating itfelf down a precipij
formina- a fmall cataraft, which would afford a fcene not the mol
aareeable to a timid mind. The O water too was of the moft cr'J
ftalline, or colorlefs cleamefs, no ftream I have ever feen beini
comparable ; fo that perfons who ford this river are often led k l
diftrefles, by being deceived as to .its depth, for the great tranfl
parency gives it an unreal ihallownefs.
This river is inhabited by trouts, parrs, loches, minnowJ
eels and lampries and what is Angular, the chub, whiclj will
us loves only the deep and ftill waters bounded by claye!
banks.
On the oppofite eminence fee Hol-houfe, a defenfible tower life!
that at Kirk andrews, and one of the feats of the famous JohsM
Armjlrong, laird of Gilnockie, the moil; popular and potent thiefl
o f his time, and who laid the whole Englijh borders under con!
tribution, but never injured any of his own countrymen. Ht|
always was attended with twenty-four gentlemen well mounted!
and when James V. went his progrefs in 1528, exprefsly to fml
the country from marauders of this kind, Gilnockie appeared be!
fore him with thirty-fix perfons in his train *, moft gorgeoulll
appareled ; and himfelf fo richly dreffed, that the king faid wM
wants that knave that a king Jhould have ? his majefty ordered hiii
and his followers to immediate execution, in fpite of the great offer!
■Gilnockie made; who finding all application for favor, vain, bl
according to the old ballad, boldly told the king,
* Lindfèyy 147.
To
1 T0 feik hot water beneath cold yce,
Surely it is a great folie ;
I haif aiked grace at a gracelefs face,
But there is nane for my men and me.
Ï faw a boy, a direft defcendent o f this unfortunate brave, who
with his whole family are faid to be diftinguiihed for their honefty
and quiet difpofition, happily degenerating from their great anceftor.
, , , .r .
■Continue my ride on a fine turnpike road, through beautiful
woods, to Mr. Maxwell’s of Broomholme, environed with a moft B r o omh o lme .
magnificent theatre of trees, cloathing the lofty hills, and the.
whole furmounted by a barren mountain, by way of contrail.
The rent of the ground which Mr. Maxwell keeps in his own
hands, and that of a farm now disjoined from it, was in the
unfettled times of the beginning of the laft century, only five
pounds Scotch, or eight ihillings and four pence Englijh. A t
prefent Mr. Maxwell’s ihare alone would take a hundred pounds
Jlerling annual rent. This is mentioned as an illuftration o f the
happy change of times, and the increafe of revenues by the fecu-
rity the owners now enjoy, by the improvements in agriculture,
and the cheapnefs of money to what they were a century and a half
ago. Indeed it ihould be mentioned that the old rent was paid by a
j^axwell to a Maxwell-, and perhaps there might be fome fmall
matter of favor from the chieftain to his kinfman ; but even admitting
fome partiality, the rife of income muft be amazing.
¿ The road continues equally beautiful, along a fertile glen,
bounded by hills, and woods. Come in view o f a bridge, with
the pleafing motion of a mill wheel feen in perfpeftive through
N the