162 DOUGLAS 



length, and breadth than the Duke of Argyll's at 

 Inveraray. All that Douglas. lived to see was one wing 

 completed, which forms the present house, for the main 

 block was never even begun. 



It is from the teeming past that Douglas depends 

 for its power on the fancy on the days when the very 

 existence of Scotland among the nations was at stake. 

 Sir James of Douglas, afterwards the first Lord Douglas, 

 was the trustiest and doughtiest of Brace's comrades 

 in the terrible winter of 1306-7, and Sir Robert de 

 Clifford held his castle for King Edward. Leaving his 

 king among the mountains around Glentrool, Douglas, 

 weary of ever skulking in hiding, resolved to strike 

 one blow in the offensive. Coming in disguise, with 

 two companions only, to Hazelside, on his own lands 

 in Lanarkshire, he was gladly received by Thomas 

 Dickson, an old retainer of his father. The English 

 garrison had earned plenty of ill-will in the neighbour- 

 hood, and there was no difficulty in getting volunteers 

 for a plot to seize the castle. On Palm Sunday, 1307, 

 the garrison paraded and marched off to hear mass 

 at St. Bride's chapel, about a mile from the castle. 

 Douglas and his confederates, disguised as peasants, 

 crowded into the chapel behind the soldiers. The 

 service was proceeding quietly, when suddenly some 

 one cried out aloud, ' A Douglas ! ' In a moment the 

 soldiers were overpowered, half of them slain, and the 

 rest bound as prisoners. Returning to the castle, 

 Douglas found it in charge only of the porter and cook, 

 the latter busy making ready the soldiers' dinner. 



