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

142 LAND OF THE LINDSAYS.
of the Lindsay residence or burial is now to be found within
the bounds of this important and thriving burgh.
The principal incidents of the life of Earl David, the founder
of the church and " Lodging" at Dundee, have already been
alluded to ; and it only requires to be observed, that after enact-
ing those chivalrous feats for which he is so famous in story,
and mortifying large sums to various churches, lie closed his
valorous career in his princely residence of Finhaven, in the
month of February 1407, at the early age of forty-one, and, as
before noticed, was buried in the family vault at Dundee, beside
his royal spouse, Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Robert II.
Little is recorded of his successor beyond the fact of his being
a negociator in the affairs of the sister kingdom — a commissioner
for the release of James I., and one of the hostages for his ran-
som in 1423, at which time his annual revenue was estimated at
a thousand merks, being far beyond that of any other of the
Scottish nobles, with the single exception of the Earl of Moray,
whose income and Crawford's were equal.* By his wife, the
daughter and heiress of Dunbar of Cockburn, he left a son, whose
career, and that of his successor, were perhaps the most remark-
able of any other of" the representatives of the noble house to
which they belonged.
Succeeding his father in 1439, the third Earl became asso-
ciated with the Earl of Douglas in the well-known league of
defence against the allies of the King, and was also the means
of ousting Chancellor Crichton and Livingstone ; and although
the selfishness of the purposes of Crawford and Douglas were
apparent to most of their fellow barons, none dared to oppose
them, even in the lawless course of plunder and bloodshed which
characterised their doings. Bishop Kennedy of St. Andrews,
however, had watched the whole proceedings with a scrutinizing
dread and patience worthy a patriot and man of genius ; and
using his influence in behalf of the injured Chancellor, soon in-
curred the displeasure of Crawford and his followers, who, at
the head of a band of reckless vassals and kinsmen harried his
lands and burned his granges, and being deaf to all remonstrance,
Crawford was excommunicated " with mitre and staff, bell,
book, and candle, for a year."t This he treated with contempt ;
* Rymer's Feeders, vol. x. p. 307. t Lives, vo], i. p, 127.