■grace fo frequent in ill-goyerned times. They and the Johifiw
had perpetual feuds : in 1593 the clans had a conflift at the Holy,
nefs of Dry/e-, the chieftain o f the Maxwells, and many of his
fons, were flain. John, a furviving fon, takes his revenge: a
meeting between him and Johnfion, a predeceffor of the Marquils
o f Annandale, was appointed in order to compromife all differences:
. both met, attended only by a fingle friend to each; the friends
quarrel; the Laird o f Lockerwood goes to part them, but is ihot
through the back by the other chieftain ; who defervedly met his
fate on the fcaffold a few years after. His forfeiture was-taken
off, and his brother not only reftored but created Earl of Nitbj-
dale.: in 1745 the title was loft by the conviftion o f the Earl of
that day ; who efcaped out of the tower the night before execution,
by the difguife o f a female drefs. The eftate by virtue of
entail was preferved to the heirs.
Continue my ride along the coaft to the mouth of the Nitk
which empties itfelf into the vaft eftuary, where the tide flows ii
fo fail: on the level fends that a man well mounted would find difficulty
to efcape, if furprifed by it. The view of the oppofite
fide o f Crejfel, and the other Galloway hills, is very beautiful,;
N iw b y a b b y . and the coaft appeared well wooded. In a bottom lies Newlj
abby, founded by Devorgilla, daughter to Alan, Lord of Gallowoj,
and wife to John Baliol, Lord o f Cajlle-Bernard, who died and was
buried here: his lady embalmed his heart, and placed it in a cafe
o f ivory, bound with filver, near the high altar; on which account
the abby is oftener called Sweet-heart and Smvi-cordium.
Pafs by Fort-Kefel, the firth gradually contrafting itfelf; and
to this place veffels of two hundred tuns may come. The coun-
‘ try
try on both fides the river is extremely beautiful; the banks decorated
with numerous groves and villas, richly cultivated and
well inclofed. The farmers fhew no want o f induftry : they import,
as far as from Whitehaven, lime for manure, to the annual
amount of twenty-five hundred pounds, paying at the rate of fix-
pence for the Winchefter bufhel: they are alfo lb happy as to have
great quantities of fhell marl in the neighboring moraffes; and
:are now well rewarded for the ufe o f i t : much wheat and barley
are at prefent the fruits o f their labor, inftead of a very paltry
oat; and good hay inftead o f ruihes now cloath their meadows.
Reach
Dumfries, a very neat and well-built town, feated on the Nith,
[and containing about five thoufend fouls. It was once poffeffed
[of a large ihare of the tobacco trade, but at prefent has fcarcely
I any commerce. The great weekly markets for black cattle are of
imuch advantage to the place; and vaft droves from Galloway and
I the Ihire of Air pafs through in the way to the fairs in Norfolk and
I The two churches are remarkably neat, and hav-e handfome
Egalleries, fupported by pillars. In the church-yard o f St. Michael
■are feveral monuments in form of pyramids, very ornamental,
land on fome grave-ftones are-infcriptions in memory of the mar-
I tyrs of the country, or the poor victims to the violence o f the
lapoftate Archbilhop Sharp,, or the bigotry of James II, before
land after his acceflion. Powers were given to an inhuman fet of
! mifcreants to deftroy upon fufpicion of difaffeftion; pr for even
ideclining to give anfwers declarative of their political principles.:
Eand fuch who refufed (before two witneffes) were inftantly put
Q ,2 tO
D u m f r i e s .