The Legend of Montrose became the third in Sir Walter Scott’s Tales of My Landlord series. As with most of Scott’s novels, this one is actually based on a “tale” popular in his day, explained by Scott in his introduction. It centers on the 1644 rising of the Scots Highland clans in support of Charles I against the Covenanters, fighting that was an offshoot of the English Civil War. Scott refers to it as a story of “deadly feuds,” featuring that between John Lord Kilpont, the eldest son of William Earl of Airth and Monteith, and James Stuart of Ardvoirlich.

Scott based his plot on a legendary feud between the families of Drummond and Murray. Supposedly the Drummonds trapped “eight score” of Murrays in the kirk of Monivaird and set it on fire. Only one boy escaped, aided by a Drummond. While several Drummonds were executed, the one aiding the boy fled to Ireland, recalled to Scotland later in payment for his rescue of the boy. He resettled in Scotland and became a forester for King James in an area known for its group of raiders.

They belonged to an outlawed clan, the MacGregors, who called themselves Children of the Mist because they lived in the forest, considering it their domain. Angered at Drummond for “trespassing” in their woods, they murdered and beheaded him, then visited his sister. When she offered hospitality, serving them bread and cheese, they placed their grisly trophy on her table, filling the mouth with food and so horrifying their pregnant hostess that she fled to the woods and went mad. Her husband later managed to bring her home, where she delivered a son.

As the tale goes, the MacGregors retained their gory trophy, using it as a center of various celebrations and ceremonies, their actions recorded in a local popular ballad, Clan-Alpin’s Vow. The baby born to the murdered man’s sister, James Stewart of Ardvoirlich, matured “moody, fierce and irascible” and joined with Montrose’s forces in 1644, becoming a favorite of Lord Kilpont, Earl of Airth and Menteith.

One account told that before a week passed, Stewart stabbed the earl in the heart, apparently believing himself to be extracting vengeance for his refusal to help murder Montrose, although that theory was never confirmed. Stewart escaped, was pardoned for killing Lord Kilpont, verified by Parliament, and taken into the forces of the Covenanters, Montrose’s adversaries.

In an interesting footnote, Scott tells that the “present Robert Stewart of Ardvoirlich” wrote to give the “true account” of Kilpont’s murder. He explained that while marching across James Stewart’s lands, Montrose’s troops, joined then by Irish forces commanded by Alexander MacDonald, “committed excess.” Stewart demanded redress from MacDonald, who refused a one-on-one combat. Montrose attempted to smooth over the quarrel, and Kilpont supported him, thus making an enemy of young Stewart, who later, “heated with drink,” came to “high words” with Kilpont, stabbing him.

Scott admits that he “enlivened” his own tale by not following the facts closely. In Scott’s version, young Allan M’Aulay’s uncle has been killed by the group named Children of the Mist. Filled with a desire for revenge, M’Aulay has enough passion left over to fall in love with Annot Lyle. Also a victim of the raiders, Annot was saved by M’Aulay following her kidnapping. Unfortunately, she does not return M’Aulay’s love but instead fancies the Earl of Menteith.

Although the earl loves her in turn, Annot’s mysterious background prevents their marriage. Stronger characterizations and interactions occur in the meantime between other characters, such as the Royalist Montrose and his opposition, Argyle, with the strongest character being that of the Falstaff-like Dugald Dalgetty, overshadowing the romantic subplot. Dalgetty proves a humorous character in the vein of creations by Tobias Smollett.

Scott quotes a statement from the Blackwood’s Edinburgh Review, no. 55, praising Dalgetty as a character who can appear in scene after scene of “unbounded loquacity” and never exhaust his eloquent humor. Modern critics, however, feel he lacks the sympathetic portrayal of most of Scott’s comic characters.

In what should lead to a happy conclusion, Annot discovers her heritage as the daughter of Sir Duncan Campbell. Her aristocratic connection makes possible her wedding to Menteith, but M’Aulay savagely attacks and stabs the groom, then disappears.

Many critics find the characterization secondary to the strong historic depiction. While Scott handled this work with a lighter tone than most of his others, readers familiar with his nine-book Landlord series may find it lacking. Its lesser quality could be due to the fact that Scott admittedly was coming to the end of his historical “stock” of local legends and traditional tales. While the creation of such a large group of novels in only five years proved a phenomenal task, Scott was ready to move on.

However, his innate storytelling abilities prove evident in Montrose, as his fluent style holds his reader’s attention. It remains a popular novel, available in book form and also electronic text.

Bibliography
Hart, Francis Russell. Scott’s Novels: The Plotting of Historic Survival. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1966.

Categories: British Literature, Literature, Novel Analysis

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