Summer at the Lake of Monteith

138 TJic Lake of Monteith.
ling Castle. He was appointed great chamberlain of the
kingdom in T350, and was one of the ambassadors to the
court of England, to treat for the ransom of King David,
after his capture in the battle of Durham. He also success-
fully brought about a truce between the two nations; and
so great had he the interest of his prince and country at
heart, that he gave his eldest son as an hostage for the
payment of the ransom of his sovereign's deliverance. In
1358, he was appointed ambassador to the court of France,
and ratified the alliance with that kingdom at Paris on the
29th June 1359. He was five times sent on public business
to England, between 1360 and 1364. He held the office
of great justiciar north the Forth; and on the 17th of May
1360, he presided at a solemn treaty upon the banks of that
river near Stirling, between the Drummonds of Drymen
and the Menteiths of Ruskie. He was warder of the marches
and heritable sheriff of Stirlingshire. He was also one of
the Barones Mayores, who, in 131 1, ratified Robert Stewart's '-j 7
succession to the crown; assisted at that monarch's coro- I
nation, and did homage to him at Scone. From this mo-
narch and his predecessor he received extensive grants of
land, viz. — Kinnoul, Malerbe, in Perthshire, Adamtoun in
Ayrshire, and Kirkintilloch in Dumbartonshire. He was
allowed twelve chalders of oatmeal out of the lands of
Bothkennar, and two hundred merks sterling, annually, for
the support of the castle, &c. Combined with his many
accomplishments, he appears to have been possessed of a
deep religious feeling, for we find him giving in "puer alms"
to the monastery of Cambuskenneth, the patronage of the
church of Kinnoul, with the lands of Fintalloch, in Strath-