Historical and genealogical essay upon the family and surname of Buchanan

244 ACCOUNT OF THE
Lennys, while owners of that estate, had no char-
ters of the same, but a large sword, with which, it
seems, he who first of that name acquired these
lands had performed some signal achievement, be-
ing a means of his first advancement. This, and
a relic, being one of St. Fillan's teeth, were held
in such veneration, that whoever had those two in
possession, presumed he had a very good right to
that estate. A tenure much like to that which is
recorded of the estate of Arundel in England, that
in old times, whoever, by whatsoever means, ob-
tained possession of Arundel castle, was instantly
acknowledged to have a sufficient title to that es-
tate. Nor was this case of Lenny any way singu-
lar ; a great many others in these more ancient
times being circumstantiate after the same mariner,
as judging it a derogation to solicit for, or in the
least rely upon, written evidents for security of the
possession of their estates, and far more honoura-
ble, and suitable to their inclinations, to maintain
their possession by their sword, by whatever means
acquired. As this symbolical charter of St. Fil-
lan's tooth was a relic much esteemed by the an-
cient lairds of Lenny ; so another relic of the
same saint, being one of his hands embalmed, was
no less valued by some of our Scottish kings, in
those times of ignorance and superstition ; it being
recorded of this last by some of our historians,
that the night before the battle of Bannockburn,
the Scottish nobles and principal officers having a
conference with king Robert Bruce concerning the
manner of ordering the battle next day, and being
solicitous of the event, in regard of the greatness