186 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN?. 



de Bruce, Lord of Annandale and Cleveland, was passing 

 on horseback through the domains of Turnberry, which 

 belonged to Margery Countess of Carrick. The lady 

 happened to be at the moment pursuing the diversion 

 of the chase (hawking) surrounded by her retinue of 

 squires and damsels, when they encountered Bruce. 

 The young countess was struck by his noble figm-e, and 

 courteously entreated him to remain and take the 

 recreation of hunting. Bruce, who in those feudal 

 days knew the danger of paying too much attention to 

 a w^ard of the king, declined the invitation, when he 

 found himself suddenly surrounded by the attendants, 

 and the lady riding up, seized his bridle, and led off 

 the knight with gentle violence to the castle of Turnberry. 

 Here, after fifteen days residence, the adventure con- 

 cluded as might have been anticipated. Bruce married 

 the Countess without the knowledge of the relations of 

 either party, and before obtaining the king's consent, 

 upon which Alexander seized her castle of Turnberry 

 and her whole estates. The intercession of friends, 

 however, and a heavy fine conciliated the mind of the 

 monarch. Bruce became in right of his wife Lord of 

 Carrick, and the son of this marriage of romantic love 

 was the great Eobert Bruce, the restorer of Scottish 

 liberty." 



We have another anecdote connected with falconry, 

 of the escape of Charles II. after the Battle of Wor- 

 cester. After a variety of perilous adventures, in which 

 Charles II. experienced the greatest fidelity from the 

 lower classes of the Eoman Catholics in the counties of 

 Staffordshire and Worcestershire, he arrived, by the 

 assistance of Lord Wilmot and Mr. Huddlestone, a 

 Benedictine monk, at the house of Mr. Lane ; and the 



