SCOTTISH GAEDENS 



1395 respectively. All these lands have passed in 

 male succession through six centuries to the present 

 owner, but for five hundred years the knights of 

 Ardgowan were content to live in the old tower of 

 Inverkip, which is shown in Miss Wilson's drawing. 

 It has been the scene of many a fierce conflict, 

 being first mentioned in history in 1307 as the 

 refuge of Sir Philip de Mowbray, one of Edward L's 

 best captains, who, in May 1307, fell into an 

 ambush, laid near Kilmarnock, by Good Sir James 

 of Douglas. Barbour tells the story with much 

 relish how one of Douglas's men caught hold of 

 Mowbray^s scabbard, and must have captured him 

 had not the belt broken, and so the English knight 

 rode free. 



Tharfor furth the wais tuk he then 



To Kilmarnok and Kilwynnyn, 



And till Ardrossan eftir syn [afterwards]. 



Syn [then] throu the Largis him alane 



Till Ennirkyp the way has tane. 1 



The castle was " stuffit all with Inglismen" that is, 

 it held an English garrison, who received the fugitive 

 "in gret dante." 



But if one yields to the temptation to dive into 

 the annals of an old Scottish house, he will be led 

 far astray from the matter of this volume, which is, 

 or ought to be, horticulture. 



1 Bar-hour's ius, lx. 94-98. 



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