SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



of which, great labour must have been required to cut the rock. The view from 

 the western pinnacle, which is thirty feet higher than the eastern, is exquisitely 

 grand. On the north are seen the smiling vale and silver meanderings of the 

 classic Leven Smollett's " Leven." Beyond, is the lake of Loch-lomond, from 

 the margin of which rises in awful majesty the cloud-capt Ben-lomond. Looking 

 up the Clyde, the prospect, as far as Glasgow, is exceedingly beautiful ; while 

 the view down the river is no less striking for its extent, than for the irregular 

 mountain outline of Argyll, which closes in the perspective. 



In the guard-house, a portion of an immense sword was formerly shown, said 

 to have been that of the illustrious Wallace. A few years ago, this precious 

 relic was removed to the tower of London, where it was repaired and sent back 

 to the armoury, where it is now to be seen. The town of Dumbarton is chiefly 

 famous for its glass-works. Some parts of the rock are strongly magnetic, causing 

 a compass, when brought near it, to vary considerably. Professor Anderson of 

 Glasgow, many years ago, made experiments on this subject, and marked with 

 paint those parts which possessed magnetism, with the direction of the poles.* 



Before quitting this interesting scene, we select from its annals one of those 

 daring and romantic incidents of which, since the days of Wallace, it has so 

 often been the theatre. We allude to the escalade in 1571. 



After the assassination of the earl of Murray, as detailed in the present work, the 

 two parties, who distinguished themselves as " king's-men" and " queen's-men," 

 prepared for war. A third party, led by Sir William Drury, assisted Lennox, 

 father of the murdered Darnley, in laying waste the vale of the Clyde. Among 

 various other advantages gained by the young king's party, was the following, 

 an extraordinary feat of courage and dexterity. Crawford of Jordanhill, an 

 enterprising officer, undertook the hazardous exploit of storming the almost 

 impregnable Castle of Dumbarton, which had hitherto remained in posses- 

 sion of the queen's partisan, Lord Fleming. With this desperate aim, and 

 supported by a handful of soldiers, he advanced to the foot of the rock under 

 favour of a misty night. Ladders were cautiously placed at their disposal ; but 

 when they looked up to the dark precipice and compared their frail means with 

 the end proposed, the soldiers could hardly regard it but as an act of madness. 

 Their words, however, were necessarily few and low. " To-night," said Crawford, 

 addressing his right-hand .man "to-night we shall outdo the old story of the 

 Capitol !" " Yes, and that of the Numidian fortress, too." " Fear nothing ; 



(larnrlt, vol. xiii. Buchanan also observes: " In superiore arcis pavte, ingens est saxum, magnesii 

 quidem lapidis, sed ita caetera? rupi coagmentatum et adbserens, ut commissure omnino non appareat." 

 Scot. Hist. lib. xx. 28. 



