History of the house and race of Douglas and Angus

xviii PREFACE.
gree in this, that they are, as the Grahams also are, natural
Scots bornt but there is great odds between them otherwises
for the Hays have not reached to that pitch of greatness,
either in degree or estimation, and account of men by many
stages, as the Douglases have attained. Other names which
now are great, are nothing so ancient, and besides are come
from other countries; such as, Hamiltons, Gordons, Campbells:
the Campbells from France, and the other two out of Eng-
and. The Hamiltons came in King Robert Bruce's time,
the Gordons in Malcolm Kenmore's. The Murrays are more
ancient, and before all these, yet they are strangers, and not
of the first blood of the Scots; and there was but one of them
great and remarkable, who was governor of Scotland; few or
none nobilitated, till of late. But none of all these names
comes near that number of nobles and worthies by lineal or
lateral descent, and as it were of hereditary virtuous succession
and race of men, which we find of the Douglases. There
have been some great and worthy of other names, but if they
enter into comparison, they will be found, rari nantes in
gurgite vasto, but few, one or two eminent of a name, or of
the chief house: it will also appear that their honours, most of
them, have flowed more from their Prince's favour, than
their own great deserving, or great service against the ene-
my. The Cummings were the most numerous and powerful
of any that ever were in Scotland before or since, as some
of our writers say; yet their greatness hath rather been in
lands and possesions, or friends, than in deeds of arms, and
prowess of chevalry, having done little or nothing of note
and worthy of renown. John Cumming indeed fought three
battles at Roslin in one day against the English, in which we
find nothing reported of his personal valour; whereas the
Douglases did ever shew themselves in person to be singular-
ly valorous: besides, he was but one man, the rest are buried
in silence: and there is nothing to be found of them all,'
though all their actions were put together, that deserves to
be compared with the deeds of any one man amongst many
of the Douglases. Moreover, as there was no great action