Genealogy of the most noble and ancient House of Drummond

24 THE GENEALOGIE OF
anceftors, becaufe unlefs there be a refemblance betwixt the tuo coat
armoures, the agreement of the fyrnames is bot a probability, and no
proofe that both are extracted from the fame root ; bot where the tuo
families are diftinct, with different fyrnames, and beares feverall coats,
there is left us not the leaft appeareance of probability to fufpect
them to have flowed from the fame fontaine.
And where its told, that a wrytte in the Saxon character, fo long
preferred in Argyle and the Ifles, is the ground of the tradition, and
that the forbeares of both families underftood how they were related
to other, which produced marriages, mutual bonds of ffreindftiip, and
long continowed love betwixt them : It is anfwered thereto, Firft,
Will any man beleive a Saxon character to have been fo long legible
theire, who knowes how that reading and wrytting of any language,
fave the Ireifli only, and that very rare, have been bot meere ftrangers,
except of late, in thefe parts. Next, as to the marriages, bonds of
freindfhip and amitie, betwixt the tuo houfes, its found mentioned
amongft the Earle of Perths wrytts that a After of Queen Annabella
1390. Drummond, about the year 1390, was married to the knight of Loch-
ow, which made up the firft freindfhip betwixt the Campbells and
Drummonds, who were in enmitie bot a litle before upon a quarrell
betwixt the Drummonds and Monteiths, with whom the Campbells
fyded; and its not improbable that King James the Firft, Queen
Annabellas fone, upon that relation, made either that knight of
Lochaw, or his fone, the firft Earle of Argyle ; bot whether there
were any children of that marriage, I know not. Again, about the
1474. y ear 1474, Sir John Drummond, ftyled of Cargyll, afterwards Lord
Drummond, indents with Colin Earle of Argyle, Lord Lorn, etc. to
marrie his fone and air, Malcolm Drummond to Lady IffobeHa Camp-
bell, the Earles daughter, and to give them 30 merk land in prefent
portion, lying in the Earledome of Lennox, and faylzieing of Mal-
colm, the next fone fhould be fubftitute ; to which Indenture Andrew