Historical memoir of the family of Eglinton and Winton

HOTTSE OP EGLINTON". 99
comes, perhaps, the nearest to a realisation of the
fanciful operations of a miracle of ought usually as-
signed to that fondly cherished imaginary conception.
By the gradual introduction of municipalities and an.
encouragement of immigration from more advanced
communities, however, the poor kings of Scotland
ultimately succeeded in some measure in restraining
the lawless outrages of their ungovernable turbulent
barons, and consequently to secure, comparatively
speaking, the blessings of peace and order to their
ever oppressed and distracted subjects.
Nearly all the once numerous cadets and bran-
ches of the Montgomerie race have long since dis-
appeared and become extinct. Nor is this in any-
way a peculiarity in their case — a like fate has be-
fallen, or is fast befalling, all "feudal followings"
everywhere — the Cunninghams, the Campbells, the
Kennedies, Sempills, and Boyds, have all similarly
perished, and no longer occupy their exclusive sec-
tional domains to devastate the country by their
habitual turbulence and reckless outrages against
each other ; neither are territorial landlords any
longer dependant on the maintenance of otherwise
useless bands of idle serfs and other retainers for
their protection and safety, whilst peaceful happy
industry, alike in the open country as in the walled
city, pursues its beneficient course free from all
apprehension and alarm, in the secure protection of
jaw and order, thus eminently realising the ancient
and beautiful prognostic of every man sitting under
his own vine and fig-tree and none to make him afraid-