Agnews of Lochnaw

1 598.] MEETING OF THE GALLOWAY LAIRDS. 223
equipped a band of forty horsemen in Ayrshire, and proceeded at
their head to his house of the Inche, in order to carry out his plan.
The news of his arrival set the whole country in a blaze. The
Sheriff and his son, notwithstanding the amenities which had
passed at the recent entertainments, immediately met with the
principal barons — such as Garthland, Myrtoun, and Kilhilt — and
all present engaged to support whichever of the party should be
the first attacked.
Lord Cassilis, who never doubted his ability to enforce his
f decreet," made proclamation of a court to be held at Glenluce the
next day, 1 for the avowed purpose of dispossessing the Laird of
Garthland of a holding. The Sheriff, meanwhile, in the name
of the other gentlemen of Galloway, intimated to Cassilis that
they expected to be treated with greater consideration ; and that
neither custom nor courtesy could sanction such summary pro-
ceedings ; to which he replied that he, for what he did, could
show law ; that he should produce bis authority in open court,
and that, having done so, he should enforce it to the letter. 2
On receiving this answer, the Galloway barons assumed an
air as defiant as the noble earl, and within a few hours were able
to parade a hundred horsemen fully equipped, with which, taking
the road to Glenluce, Garthland scomngly exclaimed, " Giff me
Lord will come to hold his court he shall be welcome, and I will
be his Depute." 3
1 "Where inverted commas are used, it is a quotation from the contemporary
history edited hy Pitcairn, beginning thus : —
" My Lord heaffand obtenit ane decreitt aganis all the gentill menne of Gallo-
way, of all thair kyndlie rowniis, sik as the Laird of Gairsland, Kenhilt and
Meirtoune, with the Schereff of Galloway and thair friendis, rydis to his house of
Inche in Galloway, with" forty horse in geir, one intentione to put the same
decreitt of his to execution. "
z " He wald use na thing hot the rigour of the law. "
8 The Gentill menne seeing the same, and that he wald hald Court the morn,
gadderitt thame selffs togidder to the number of ane hunder horse in geir and
said Giff me Lord wald cum thair he suld be welcum : bott the Laird of Gairsland
said he wald be deputt." The drift of this remark is, " My Lord with his
following may sit as judge- in his court ; and I, with twice as many at my back,
will sit as deputy. We shall do as we both agree is best ! "