Mary, who conftituted him warden of the eaft marches, with full power of jufticiary. His grandfon Sir James Douglas, had in the reign of James VI. frequent opportuities to difplay his prudence, refolution, and influence, in compofing the feuds, and quelling the factions which diftracted his country. His eldest fon Sir William, was by king Charles I. in the year 1628, created lord Douglas of Hawick, and Tibbers; and in the year 1633, advanced to the dignity of earl of Queenfbery, and viscount Drumlanrig. His fon and fucceffor James, the fecond earl of Queenfbery, had by his countefs Margaret Stewart, daughter of John earl of Traquair, many fons and daughters, namely William, the first duke of Queenfbery, James, lieutenant-general in the reign of James II. and king William, who died at Namur; John killed at the fiege of Triers, in the year 1675; Robert killed at the fiege of Maeftricht, in the courfe of the fucceeding year; Mary married to Alexander earl of Galloway; Catherine, wife to Sir James Douglas of Kilhead, baronet; Henrietta, matched with Sir Alexander Jerdon of Applegirth, bart. and Ifabella, to Sir William Lockhart of Carstairs, bart. This earl James was a faithful adherent to Charles I. and fuffered severely for his loyal attachment, in an exorbitant fine which he was obliged to pay. His fon William was fworn of the privycouncil for Scotland, and appointed juftice-general of that kingdom. In the year 1682, he was created marquis of Queenbery, earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar, vifcount of Nith, Torthorwald, and Rofs, lord Douglas of Kinmont, Middlebie, and Dornock: by a war rant under the great feal, directed to Sir Alexander Erskine, lord lion king at arms, the addition of the royal treffure was added to his coat of arms. He was afterwards appointed lord-high treasurer of Scotland, conftable and governor of Edinburgh Castle, one of the extraordinary lords of the feffion; finally, in the year 1684, created duke of Queensbery, and marquis of Dumfries fhire, and admitted a privy-counfellor of both kingdoms. In the reign of James II. he reprefented the king's perfon in Scotland, as lord-high-commiffioner; and was made prefident of the privy-council in that kingdom; but, in the sequel, was removed from all his employments. He acquired an ample fortune by his oeconomy; and rebuilt at a great expence, the magnificent family feat of Drumlanrig. By his lady Ifabella, daughter of William marquis of Douglas, he had three furviving fons, James his fucceffor, William whom king William created earl of March, and lord George who died unmarried. James, the fecond duke of Queenfbery, had been lieutenant-colonel of a regiment of horfe, in the reign of Charles II. at the revolution he joined the prince of Orange, who madę him colonel of the horse guards of Scotland, one of the lords of the privy-council and exchequer, and one of the gentlemen of his majefty's bed-chamber. He afterwards had a patent to fit and vote in the parliament of Scotland, as lord-high-treafurer; was conftituted lord-privy-feal of that kingdom, and an extraordinary lord of the feffion. He reprefented his majesty's perfon as lord-high-commiffioner, and was inftalled knight of the gar рега ter. At the acceffion of queen Anne, he was appointed fecretary of ftate for Scotland, and lord-high-commiffioner. In 1703 he was removed from all his employments; but reinftated two years after, and in 1706, acted again as lord-high-commiflioner, and was the chief inftrument for effecting the union between the two kingdoms. In recompence for his fervices on this occafion, the queen admitted him to the privy-council, gratified him with a penfion of three thousand pounds per annum, out of the poftoffice, and created him a peer of Great-Britain, by the titles of duke of Dover, marquis of Beverly, and baron of Rippon; as fuch he took his feat in the houfe of lords, at Westminster, and next year he was conftituted one of the three principal secretaries of state in Great-Britain, an office in which he continued till his death, which happened in the year 1711. By his wife Mary Boyle, fecond daughter of Charles lord Clifford, eldeft fon of Richard earl of Burlington, he had several children, the only furvivor of whom is his grace Charles the prefent duke of Dover and Queensbery, a nobleman of a very amiable character, modeft, generous, and humane, unblemished in honour, unfhaken in integrity. At the death of his father, he petitioned king George I. for a writ of fummons to parliament, as duke of Dover; and the caufe was heard in the house of peers, where his claim was rejected by a majority. the year 1726, his grace was fworn of the privy-council, and appointed one of the gentlemen of his majesty's bed-chamber; and in the following year he was made vice-admiral of Scotland. He afterwards In retired from court, and attached himself to his late royal highness Frederick prince of Wales, whom he attended as gentleman of the bed-chamber. By his dutchefs, the lady Catherine Hyde, daughter of Henry Hyde earl of Rochefter, he had two hopeful fons, Henry lord Drumlanrig, who died in 1754, and lord Charles, who furvived his brother about two years. The duke's titles are, Charles Douglas duke of Dover, and of Queenfbery, marquis of Beverly, and of Queenfbery, earl of Queenfbery, and Solloway, viscount Drumlanrig, and baron of Rippon. Armorial Bearings. Quarterly, first and fourth, argent, a heart gules, crowned with an imperial crown, or, on a chief azure, three mullets of the field, for Douglas; fecond and third azure, a bend between fix crofs croflets fitche, or, for the earidom of Mar; the whole within a bordure, or, charged within a double treffure fleury, and counterfleury of the fecond, being an augmentation, as is alfo the heart in the first quarter, ufed in memory of the pilgrimage made by Sir James Douglas, his grace's anceflor, to the holy land, with the heart of king Robert Bruce, which at that prince's dying requeft, was there interred in the year 1330. Creft. On a wreath, a heart between two wings, gules, crowned with an imperial crown, or. Supporters. Two Pegafuffes argent, wings, crefts, tails, and hoofs, H SIR LAUNCELOT GREAVES. [Continued.] CHAP. XVIII. and fool: yet the two characters fuited each other fo well, that they In which the Rays of Chivalry fine could hardly exift afander. Davy with renovated Luftre. UR hero little dreamed that he had a formidable rival in the perfun of the knight who arrived about eleven at the fign of the St. George, and, by the noife he made, gave intimation of his importance. This was no other than fquire Sycamore, who, having received advice that Mifs Aurelia Darnel had eloped from the place of her retreat, immediately took the field, in queft of that lovely fugitive; hoping, that fhould he have the good fortune to find her in her prefent diftrefs, his good offices would not be rejected. He had followed the chace fo clofe, that, in mediately after our adventurer's departure, he alighted at the inn from whence Aurelia had been conveyed; and there he learned the particulars which we have related above. Mr. Sycamore had a great deal of the childish romantic in his difpofition, and, in the courfe of his amours, is faid to have always taken more pleafure in the purfuit than in the final poffeffion. He had heard of Sir Launcelot's extravagance, by which he was in fome meafure infected; and he dropped an infinuation, that he could eclipfe his rival even in his own lunatic sphere. This hint was not loft upon his companion, counsellor, and buffoon, the facetious Davy Dawdle, who had fome humour and a great deal of mifchief in his compofition. He looked upon his patron as a fool, and his patron knew him to be both knave was an artful fycophant, but he did not flatter in the ufual way; on the contrary, he behaved en cavalier, and treated Sycamore, on whofe bounty he fubfifted, with the moft farcaftic familiarity. Nevertheless, he feafoned his freedom with cer tain qualifying ingredients that fubdued the bitterness of it, and was now become fo neceffary to the fquire, that he had no idea of enjoyment with which Dawdle was not fome how or other connected. There had been a warm difpute betwixt them about the fcheme of contefting the prize with Sir Launcelot in the lifts of chivalry. Sycamore had infinuated, that if he had a mind to play the fool, he could wear armour, wield a launce, and manage a charger, as well as Sir Launcelot Greaves. Dawdle fnatching the hint, "I had fome time ago, (faid he) contrived a scheme for you, which I was afraid you had not addrefs enough to executeIt would be no difficult matter, in imitation of the batchelor Sampfon Carrafco, to go in queft of Greaves as a knight errant, defy him as a rival, and establish a compact, by which the vanquished fhould obey the injunctions of the victor". this propofal Dawdle anfwered by the interjection Pih! which inflamed Sycamore to a repetition of the defiance."-"You are in the right (faid Dawdle) to use fuch an argument, as you know is by me unanswerable. A wager of twenty guineas will at any time overthrow and confute all the logick of the moft able fyllogift, who has not got a fhilling in his pocket." Sycamore looked very grave at this declaration, and, after a fhort paufe, faid, "I wonder, Dawdle, what you do with all your money!" "I am furprifed you thould give yourself that trouble-I never afk what you do with yours."-" You have no occafion to ask you know pretty well how it goes." "What! do you upbraid me with your fayours?tis mighty well, Sycamore."--"Nay Dawdle, I did not intend to affront." Zs! af front! what d'ye mean "-"I'll affure you Davy, you don't know me, if you think I could be fo ungenerous as to---a---to---" I always thought, whatever faults or foibles you might have, Sycamore, that you was not deficient in generofity, tho' to be fure it is often very abfurdly displayed." "Ay, that's one of my greateft foibles: I can't refufe even a fcoundrel, when I think he's in want.---Here Dawdle, take that note."--" Not I, fir, what d'ye mean?---what right have I to your notes.' Nay but Daw dle---come."--" By no means, it looks like the abufe of good na ture.all the world knows you're good natured to a fault."--" Come dear Davy, you fhall---you must oblige me." Thus urged, Dawdle accepted the bank note with great reluctance, and reftored the idea to the right owner. A fuit of armour being brought from the garret or armoury of his ancestors, he gave orders for having the pieces fcoured and furbished up; and his heart dilated with joy, when he reflected upon the fuperb figure he fhould make when cafed in complete fteel, and armed at all points for the combat. When he was fitted with the other parts, Dawdle infifted on buckling on his helmet, which weighed fif teen pounds, and the head-piece being adjusted, made fuch a clatter about his ears with a cudgel, that his eyes had almoft started from their fockets. His voice was loft within the vizor, and his friend affected not to understand his mean ing when he made figns with his gauntlets, and endeavoured to close with him that he might wreft the cudgel from his hand. At length he defifted, faying, "I'll warrant the helmet found, by its ringing;" and taking it off, found the fquire in a cold fweat. He would have atchieved his first exploit on the fpot, had his ftrength permitted him to affault Dawdle; but, what with want of air, and the difcipline he had undergone, he had well nigh fwooned away; and before he retrieved the use of his members, he was appeafed by the apologies of his companion, who protefted he meant nothing more than to try if the helmet was free of cracks, and whether or not it would prove a good protection for the head it covered. His excufes were accepted: the armour was packed up, and next morning Mr. Sycamore fet out from his own houfe, accompanied by Dawdle, who undertook to perform the part of his fquire, at the ap proach proaching combat. He was alfo attended by a fervant on horfeback, who had charge of the armour, and another who blowed the trumpet. They no fooner understood that our hero was housed at the George, than the trumpeter founded a charge, which alarmed Sir Launcelot and his company, and disturbed honeft captain Crowe in the middle of his firft fleep. Their next step was to pen a challenge, which, when the ftranger departed, was by the trumpeter delivered with great ceremony into the hands of Sir Launcelot, who read it in these words. "To the Knight of the Crefcent, greeting. Whereas I am informed you have the prefumption to lay claim to the heart of the peerless Aurelia Darnel, I give you notice that I can admit no rivalship in the affection of that paragon of beauty; and I expect that you will either refign your pretenfions, or make it appear in fingle combat, according to the law of arms, and the inftitutions of chivalry, that you are worthy to dispute her favour with him of the Griffin. POLYDORE." enfue, refolved to alarm his uncle, that he might affift in keeping the peace. He accordingly entered the apartment of the captain, who had been waked by the trumpet, and now peevishly asked the meaning of that damned piping, as if all hands were called upon deck. Clarke having imparted what he knew of the tranfaction, together with his own conjectures, the captain faid, he did not fuppofe as how they would engage by candle-light; and that for his own part he should turn out in the larboard watch, long enough before any fignals could be hove out for forming the line. With this affurance the lawyer retired to his neft, where he did not fail to dream of Mrs. Dolly Cowflip; while Sir Launcelot paffed the night awake, in ruminating on the ftrange challenge he had received. He had got notice that the fender was Mr. Sycamore, and hesitated with himself whether he should not punish him for his impertinence: but when he reflected on the nature of the dif pute, and the serious confequences it might produce, he refolved to decline the combat, as a trial of right and merit, founded upon absurdity. Even in his maddest hours, he never adopted thofe maxims of knight-errantry which related to challenges. He always perceived the folly and wickedness of defying a man to mortal fight, because he did not like the colour of his beard, or the complexion of his mistress; or of deciding by homicide, whether he or his rival deferved the preference, when it was the lady's prerogative to determine which fhould be the happy lover. It was his opinion that chivalry was an useful inftitution while confined to its original Our adventurer was not a little furprised at this address, which, howwever, he pocketed in filence; and began to reflect, not without mortification, that he was treated as a lunatic by fome person who wanted to amuse himself with the infirmities of his fellow creatures. Mr. Thomas Clarke, who faw the ceremony with which the letter was delivered, and the emotions with which it was read, hied him to the kitchen for intelligence, and there learned that the ftranger was fquire Sycamore. He forthwith comprehended the nature of the billet, and, in the apprehenfion that bloodshed would pur |