SCOTTISH GARDENS 



by quoting from an anonymous chronicle of the 

 family composed towards the end of the sixteenth 

 century. 1 It relates how Gilbert Kennedy, fourth 

 Earl of Cassilis, acquired the lands of the Abbey 

 of Crosraguel. 



" This last Gilbertt was ane particuler manne and ane 

 werry greidy manne, and cairitt nocht how he gatt land, sa 

 that he culd cum be [come by] the samin. . . . He conquessit 

 the abbacy be this forme. Thair was ane fader-broder 

 [uncle] of his callit Abbot Quinteyne, ane gud manne and 

 ane that feiritt God, efter the maner of religione. At the 

 alteratioune of the religioun 2 my lord deltt with the abbott 

 and gut the few [obtained the freehold] of the said abbacy 

 sett to him ; bot the samin wes querrellit [repudiated] be the 

 nixt intrant abbot. . . And then ane abott, Allane Stewart, 

 gatt the abbacy ; and this abott had mareyitt ane sister of 

 the Lady Barganyis, and followitt his opinione in all his 

 adois [doings]. My Lord of Caissillis, per seining the samin, 

 desyrit the Laird of Bargany 3 to mowe [move] the abbott to 

 conferme his rycht, sett be the Abott Quinteyne of befoir. 

 Bot the Laird culd nocht gett the abott mowitt [moved] to 

 cum to him, that he mycht deill with him. . . Quhairupone 

 the laird persuadit the abott and sent him to Mayboll to 

 my lord. Att quhais [whose] cuming, my lord delt with 

 him to ratifie his rycht; bot could nocht gett him mowitt 

 thairto. Quhairupon he tuik purpoise to conwoy him to 

 Dounour [Dunure], and thair to mowe him to do the samin 

 be violens. And quhane [when] he fand [found] him obstinatt, 



1 The Historie of the Kennedyis : supposed to have been compiled by John Mure 

 of Auchendrane while awaiting his decapitation, to which, with his son, he 

 was condemned for the murder of Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean in 1597, and 

 for several other horrible crimes. 



2 The Reformation. 3 Kennedy of Bargany was a near kinsman of Earl Gilbert's. 



168 



