256 'OLD Q' 



the personal estate as would produce the income of 

 the charge devised. 



Unfortunately, his grace had defeated his own desire 

 and practice of prompt settlements, by being forgetful 

 of the fact that a man who acts as his own lawyer 

 has a fool for a client. Therefore the estate was 

 dragged into Chancery. 



The wishes of his grace, sharp and expeditious as 

 they may seem now to the common administrator or 

 executor, could and would have been carried out. No 

 mortgages or debts troubled the Duke's estate, nor 

 did his executors have anything to do with the descent 

 of the estates, which devolved by the laws of inherit- 

 ance on the Duke of Buccleuch, Sir Charles Douglas 

 of Kilhead — afterwards first Marquis of Queensberry 

 — Lord Douglas of Douglas, and the Earl of Wemyss. 

 The additions to the possessions of those famihes were 

 not unimportant, as the income from any one of them 

 would have sufficed its possessor to support its dignity. 



The executors, then, had only the late Duke's per- 

 sonalty to deal with, or freeholds not attachable to 

 any of his many titles. Thus, with personalty valued 

 at one million sterling, or verging closely on it, of 

 which sum four hundred thousand pounds was in 

 cash, it would have been perfectly easy to accomplish 

 the Duke's testamentary wishes, had he not defeated 



