History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

EDZELL — THE NINTH EARL OF CRAWFORD. 35
circumstances attending the murder of her father, in the follow-
ing month, had perhaps impressed the Earl with the notion, that
the latter awful circumstance, in particular, might tend to soften
the asperities of his disposition, and make him settle quietly down
in life, and become an honourable and exemplary citizen of the
world. But, the ink with which he signed the above deed of
humble submission was scarcely dry, when, instead of retrieving
the evils he had already accomplished, or shewing signs of gra-
titude for the dignified position which he had attained through
the Earl's generosity, he almost immediately joined with his old
friends the Ogilvys in " the spoilie " of the castle of his venerable
benefactor at Finhaven, As already hinted, his father's nature
had shewn itself in him some years before, when he harried the
lands of Glenesk ; but this the good Earl had forgiven and for-
gotten, and was pleased to rely on his promises for future obe-
dience. In these, however, he was woefully disappointed ; and
although the young Master was declared to have forfeited all
claim to the privileges conferred upon him, he, nevertheless, suc-
ceeded, as the tenth Earl of Crawford, to all the possessions of
his benefactor, excepting those of Edzell, Glenesk, and Feme :
and thus the Earldom of Crawford passed, by stratagem, it may
be said, from the house and family of Edzell.
David of Edzell, or the ninth Earl, was twice married — first
to the Dowager Lady Lovat, a daughter of the house of Gray,
and secondly to Catherine, daughter to Sir John Campbell of
Lorn, niece to the second Earl of Argyle. His first wife died issue-
less ; but his second, who survived him for the space of tw T enty
years, had a family of five sons and two daughters. These
Avere Sir David, his successor in Edzell ; John, afterwards Lord
Menmuir, and founder of the noble and illustrious line of Bal-
carres ; the third was Sir Walter of Balgavies, whose remark-
able career and death will be noticed subsequently ; the fourth
was James, the amiable protestant rector of Fettercairn, who
died while on a mission to Geneva, and was celebrated by Andrew
Melville in a beautiful elegy, written to his memory ; and the fifth
and last was B,obert, proprietor of Balhall, in Menmuir. The
daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth, were the wives of the Earl of
Athole. and uf Patrick, third Lord Drummond.*
•' Lives, vul i, pp 327-28.
D 2