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

FINHAVEN — BATTLE OF ARBROATH. 143
but, as his biographer says, " the sacrilege met with its reward,
and within a twelvemonth." This was in the bloody feud which
occurred at Arbroath on Sunday, the 13th* of January 1445-6,
when Alexander Ogilvy of Inverquharity was chosen by the
chapter of the convent to act as chief Justiciar, or judge in civil
affairs throughout their regality, in place of the Master of Craw-
ford, whose extravagance had rendered a change necessary.
Crawford determind upon retaining his influential office, and
the Ogilvys, equally bent on asserting their right, determined
to settle the contest by arms ; and " there can be little doubt, 1 '
says Mr. Tytler, " that the Ogilvys must have sunk under this
threatened attack, but that accident gave them a powerful ally in
Sir Alexander Seton of Gordon, afterwards Earl of Huntly, who,
as he returned from court, happened to lodge for the night at the
Castle of Ogilvy, at the moment when this baron was mustering
his forces against the meditated assault of Crawford. Seton,
although in no way personally interested in the quarrel, found
himself, it is said, compelled to assist the Ogilvys, by a rude but
ancient custom, which bound the guest to take common part
with his host in all dangers which might occur so long as the food
eaten under his roof remained in his stomach. With the small
train of attendants and friends who accompanied him, he joined
the forces of Inverquharity, and proceeding to the town of
Arbroath, found the opposite party drawn up in great strength
on the outside of the gates. The families thus opposed in mortal
defiance to each other, could number among their adherents
many of the bravest and most opulent gentlemen in the county,
and the two armies exhibited an imposing appearance of armed
knights, barbed horses, and embroidered banners. As the com-
batents, however, approached each other, the Earl of Crawford,
who had received information of the intended combat, being
anxious to avert it, suddenly appeared on the field, and gallop-
ing up between the two lines, was mortally wounded by a
soldier, who was enraged at his interference, and ignorant of his
rank. The event naturally increased the bitterness of hostility,
and the Crawfords, who were assisted by a large party of the
vassals of Douglas, infuriated at the loss of their chief, attacked
the Ogilvies with a desperation which soon broke their ranks,
* [So given in " Lives." Perhaps the battle was on the 9th, to which the "obitus" of the
Earl's death (giving the 17th) nearly agrees with the " week of lingering torture."]