H o n t i n c s ,
Return towards the north, along an extenlive flat, bounded on
the right by vail: and precipitous crags. On this plain is planted I
abundance of rhubarb, by way of trial whether it will fucceed as
well in thefe wild tracts as in the manured foils. Walk through a
narrow pafs, bounded by great rocks. One retains the name of the I
King’s feat*, having been the place where the Scottijh monarch:
placed themfelves, in order to diredt their ihafts with advantage
at the fly in o- deer driven that way for their amufement. A chafe oil
this kind had very nearly prevented the future miferies of the un-1
happy Mary Stuart. The ftory is well told by William Barclay, in
his treatife contra Monarchomachos : it gives a lively pidture of the
antient manner of hunting ; and, on that account, will perhaps be
acceptable to the reader in an Englijh drefs.
“ I once had a fight of a very extraordinary fort, which con-
“ vinced me of what I have faid. In the year'1563, the Earl of
“ Athol, a prince of the blood royal, had, with much trouble
“ and vail: expence, a hunting-matc'h for the entertainment of our
moil illuitrious and moil gracious Queen. Our people call this
“ a Royal Hunting. I was then a young man, and was prefent on
“ that occafion : two thoufand highlanders, or wild Scotch, as yon
“ call them here, were employed to drive to the hunting ground
“ all the deer from the woods and hills of Atholl, Badenoch,< Aiarr,\
“ Murray, and the countries about. As thefe highlanders ufe a
“ light drefs, and are very fwift of foot, they went up and down
“ fo nimbly, that in lefs than two months time they brought to-
“ gether two thoufand red deer, befides roes and fallow deer. The
* By miftake the view o f this place, in the firft and fecond edit, o f the T our,«
called the King's-feat, near B lair.
“ Queen,
f? Queen, the great men, and a number of others, were in a glen
“ when all thefe deer were brought before them ; believe me, the
“ whole body moved forward in fomething like battle order. This
“ fight ilill iirikes me, and ever will itrike me: for they had a
“ leader whom they followed clofe wherever he moved. 11 This leader was a very fine ftag with a very high head : this p fight delighted the Queen very much, but ihe foon had caufe 1 for fear -, upon the Earl’s (who had been from his early days
“ accuftomed to fuch fights) addrefilng her thus, “ Do you ob-
“ ferve that ftag who is foremoft of the herd, there is danger from
| that ftag, for if either fear or rage ihould force him from the
ridge of that hill, let every one look to himfelf, for none of us
“ will be out of the way of harm for the reft will follow this one,
“ and having thrown us under foot, they will open a paffage to
“ this hill behind -us.” What happen’d a moment after confirmed
“ this opinion : for the Queen ordered one of the bell dogs to be
“ let loofe on one of the deer; this the dog purfues, the leading
“ ftag was frighted, he flies by the fame way he had come there,
“ the reft rulh after him and break out where the thickeft body of
“ the highlanders was ? they had nothing for it but to throw them-
‘f felves flat on the heath, and to allow the deer to pafs over them.
“ It was told the Queen that feveral of the highlanders had been
‘1 wounded, and that two or three had been killed outright; and
the whole, body had got off, had not the highlanders, by their
:a| ikill in hunting, fallen upon a ftratagem to cut off the rear from
Wm the main body. It was of thofe that had been feparated that the
i f f Queen’s dogs and thofe of the Nobility made (laughter. There
H were killed that day 360 deer, with 5 wolves, and fome roes.”
K From