BURNING OF THE PALACE. 193 



and that there should be such honesty and policy in it, 

 and especially in the Highland, where there was but wood 

 and wilderness. But most of all, this ambassador mar- 

 velled to see when the king departed, and all his men 

 took their leave, the Highlandmen set all this fair place on 

 fire, that the king and the ambassador might see it. 



" Then the ambassador said to the king, ' I marvel, sir, 

 that you should thole (16) yon fair place to be burnt that 

 your Grace has been so well lodged in ! ' Then the king 

 answered the ambassador, and said, ' It is the use of our 

 llighlandmen, though they be never so well lodged, to 

 burn their lodgings when they depart.' This being done, 

 the king returned to Dunkeld that night. I heard say 

 that the king, at that time in the bounds of Atholl and 

 Stratherne, slew thirty score of harts and hynde, with 

 other small beasts, as roe and roebuck, wolf and fox, and 

 wild cats." 



In the description of the Badenoch country I have 

 recounted a story of Walter Gumming, who was killed 

 by a fall from his horse the day previous to an infamous 

 exhibition which he meditated. The story is given pre- 

 cisely according to the belief of that district. I have 

 since received more particulars of that event from the 

 Atholl country, and from a source wholly unconnected with 

 the previous one. The Badenoch authority says that 

 Gumming was absent on some business in Atholl. 



The tradition there is, that he was attempting to make 

 a road between Blair, Atholl, and Badenoch. And the 

 cause of his undertaking so enterprising a work is thus 



16 " Thole," To bear with, not to oppose. 

 O 



