Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: and had more than once made unsuccessful attacks on Scotland with very powerful armies. In later times the reputation of the family for courage and renown was maintained by the noble John Graham, who, after the death of Alexander III., in the interregnum, while Bruce and Baliol disputed for the crown, was, with that famous viceroy, William Wallace, a foremost champion of his country's freedom against the unjust tyranny of Edward, King of England, and after many heroic deeds died on the field of honour, fighting gallantly in its defence. His tomb may still be seen in a little chapel called Falkirk or Valkirk2 (Fanum Vatti), which takes its name from Graham's Dyke above mentioned, near which it stands. Near it the Marquis of Montrose owns a large and fertile estate, inherited from his ancestor, the first Graham. But that I may not seem to derive the nobility of our illustrious hero's race only from the faint traces of remote antiquity, I must not omit his grandfather,3 Earl of Montrose, who almost in our own memory was advanced to the highest offices, and discharged them with the greatest success. He was Lord Chancellor of Scotland when King James VI., of blessed memory, succeeded to the crown of England, and was made his Lord High Commissioner in Scotland, and enjoyed that highest honour bestowed on a subject, with the love and affection of both king and people, till his death. The father of the Marquis was a man of singular gifts of mind and body, distinguished both at home and abroad. After having performed many honourable embassies for King James, he was appointed President of the Council by King Charles, but was snatched away by an untimely fate from the service of his country and all good men, to the great grief of all. As to their descendant, the Marquis, his actions durin...