THE FIRST DUKE OF QUEENSBERRY 5 



inscribed in the chronicle of the famous fields — 

 Agincourt, Poictiers, Verneuil, Lochmaben, Flodden, 

 etc. ? Their martial renown and their matrimonial 

 alUances made them the most ' kingly ' subjects 

 of Scotland.^ Early in the fourteenth century, the 

 ramification of these alliances claimed five earldoms 

 for their house — Douglas, Angus, Ormond, Murray, 

 and Wigton. Nevertheless, in 1628, by a peculiar 

 irony of fate, the head of the cadets of the Douglases 

 is found settled at Drumlanrig as a 'plain' knight. 

 From which it would seem that the descendants of 

 Sir William, son of James, second Earl of Douglas, 

 had not achieved the distinction of the elder and 

 collateral branches. Many reasons might be given 

 for the laissez-faire policy of this branch, though 

 perhaps one and all would be wrong. It is supposed, 

 however, that the martial disposition of the Douglases 

 of Drumlanrig occupied them to the exclusion of 

 other ambition. 



During the following sixty years they made rapid 

 strides in rank and possessions. Charles, third Earl 

 of Queensberry, was created a duke in 1684 : in 

 this creation nine lesser titular dignities were in- 

 cluded. The Earl's influence and possessions were so 



^ James vi. of Scotland aud i. of England was descended, on his 

 mother's side, from the house of Douglas. 



