It is from a manuscript of the latter description that the following tale has been compiled. Soon after the destruction of the Monastery, it was found by a member of the family whose fortunes are there narrated, quietly reposing in a retired corner of one of the many narrow cells with which the lower parts of the building had, in former days, abounded. He was then a young man a very young man — and perhaps the attention of the youthful wanderer had been first attracted by the bright colours of the illuminated margin — perhaps by some other circumstance even less worthy of remark; but, be that as it may, he rescued the parchment from the rubbish by which it was surrounded, and, conveying it to the mansion of his fathers, with the carelessness of youth, deposited it in the strong-bound oaken charter-chest of the family, and forgetting its very existence from that hour, verified the old proverb of "Out of sight, out of mind," till, in after years, it was once more redeemed from the accumulated dust of ages, to be presented to

the world in another form. By a curious chain of events, it has fallen into the hands of one, whose zeal in the pursuit of antiquarian research, and the affection wherewith he attaches himself to this labour of love, will at least vouch for the fidelity (making a suitable allowance for the change of times) with which his task will be per-formed. Indeed, if fancy were allowed to indulge full scope, it might be said that numerous causes had concurred to produce the effect but it must be remembered, that in this world there is nothing more common than the occurrence of coincidences and sequences, without their bearing the slightest connection with each other in the light of cause and effect. It may be, therefore, that coincidences merely have led to the result of the following pages being laid before the public through the channel in which they now appear.

From many passages in the manuscript, and many sage commentaries and reflections which occur in its pages, it is evident that the writer must have been a contemporary

of those whose history he relates. It is from this circumstance, perhaps, that he has, like many modern authors, been very deficient in affixing dates to the different events narrated as they occurred. Like a bold experienced swimmer, he dashes headlong into the wide ocean of his tale, but totally omits to give the reader of future days the slightest hint of those historical events with which it is so intimately connected. But this is an omission which a few lines can easily supply.

Every body knows, or has heard of the bitter enmity that existed between James the Fifth and the powerful family of Douglas. It was not without reason that the youthful monarch entertained a strong jealousy and fear of that name. For, independent altogether of their pretensions - and those of no mean or unsupported kind—to the throne of Scotland, their treatment of the young king was more than enough to raise enmity and suspicion even in the breasts of those who, upon most occasions, cared little about the matter. But, when joined with

those revived pretensions, it awoke suspicions of a wilder kind, and James' fear of his life is betrayed in more than one letter written to his uncle, Henry the Eighth of England, at the time. But Henry supported his opponents; and, like many other of Scotland's kings, this good prince was left unprotected in his tender years, in a country where power was law, and the naked sword the best protection that could be afforded.

At one period the influence of the Earl of Angus over the mind of his youthful sovereign was unbounded. This influence was acquired by an affectation of loyalty and respect, and a species of indulgence that had little of reality to boast of. The ultimate object of the conduct thus pursued was self-aggrandizement. Angus had no other end in view he cared little for his sovereign, or indeed for any one but himself- and no sooner had he contrived to get the royal power into his own hands, than the veil was thrown aside, and aided and instigated, in so far as instigation was required, by his brother Sir George Douglas,

whose impetuous nature, like a mountain torrent, had never brooked restraint, the influence he possessed over his sovereign was changed into somewhat more than constraint, and James soon found himself a prisoner, and those who had been his flatterers and parasites transformed into the strictest of jailors. It is not, then, matter of wonder, that the impression made upon a young, buoyant, and romantic mind, by such conduct, was not one of the most favourable kind. It was quite the reverse ; and the next act of this usurping family was little likely to lessen or efface the impression already made.

James, however, had still many faithful subjects, who upon every occasion of emergency were ready to rally round his banner. Lennox, a man whose amiable manners endeared him to the people, had long witnessed, with a heavy heart, the constraint under which his sovereign was placed; and, having raised his standard for the avowed purpose of effecting his liberty, crowds flocked to it, and he soon