62 ANNALS OF SCOTLAND. 



in confideration of the great and mighty fervices 

 clone by the Scots to the kings and kingdom of 

 France, efpecially during the reign of Charles VII. 

 when many princes of Scotland came over to 

 France, and helped to expel the Englifh, who 

 were then mailers of the moft part of it. For 

 which fignal piece of fervice, and the undaunted 

 courage exprefTed by the Scots on all occafions^ 

 that monarch, Charles VII. had appointed two 

 hundred of them to guard his perfon, of whom one 

 hundred were men of arms, and are now, adds the 

 record, the one hundred launces of our antient 

 ordinance, and one hundred archers, twenty-four 

 of whom are called archers of the body. Secondly, 

 becaufe of the unfhaken fidelity, which, without 

 any variation^ or interruption, has at all times been 



Irguit eight hundred years lefore that time* The origin of this 

 ancient alliance feems to have arifen, firft, from the obftinatc 

 refinance of the Saxons in Germany, aided by their countrymen 

 in England, to the arms of Charlemain, which obliged that great 

 conqueror to recruit his armies by auxiliaries from various parts 

 of Europe, among!! whom were four thoufand Scots, commanded 

 by Gilmer, brother to Achaius. This Gilmer, after fignalizing 

 himfelf againit the pagan Saxons, embraced a religious life, and 

 founded fome monasteries for his countrymen in Germany and 

 other places. Which fact is fully authenticated by the united 

 teitimony of French and Italian hi ftorians of thofe early timer. 

 In Paul us Emilius's hiflory of the French atchievements, we meet 

 with the following very remarkable expreffions : " The Saxons 

 being overcome, that their name, by degrees, might be extinguished, 

 Charles beftowed the honours of magiflracy upon Grangers, but 

 principally upon the Scots, whom he made uie of for the great 

 fidelity he found in them." 



Secondly, Charlemain was defirous to agrandize France, by 

 rendering it the feat of literature, as well as extenfive empire ; 

 for this purpofe he invited thither the learned from all parts, and 

 particularly certain ecclefiaftics of Scotland, whom he employed 

 to read philofophy, in Greek and Latin, at Paris, and afterwaras 

 in founding a univeriity in that metropolis. 



Old hi ftorians fpeak of Inverlochy, as being the refidence of 

 Achaius, and a place of fome note, to which the French and Spa- 

 niards rcforted for fiih. The ancient caftle was deflroyed by the 

 Danes. The prefeiit building is luppofed to be of the thirteenth 

 century. 



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