nothing of the cause, which, he adds, he does most seriously believe
was the case. But however this may be, the popular interest and
excitement were extreme; the decision of the Court of Session in 1767
led to serious disturbances, and the reversal of its judgment two
years later was received with the most extravagant demonstrations of
joy.

In the beginning of the eighteenth century, Archibald, Duke of
Douglas, wore the honours of Sholto, "the Douglas." His father, James,
the second Marquis of Douglas, had been twice married, and had issue
by his first wife in the person of James, earl of Angus, who was
killed at the battle of Steinkirk; and by his second of a son and
daughter. The son was the Archibald just mentioned, who became his
heir and successor, and the daughter was named Lady Jane. Her
ladyship, like most of the women of the Douglas family, was celebrated
for her beauty; but unhappily became afterwards as famous for her evil
fortune. In her first womanhood she entered into a nuptial agreement
with the Earl of Dalkeith, who subsequently became Duke of Buccleuch,
but the marriage was unexpectedly broken off, and for very many years
she persistently refused all the offers which were made for her hand.
At length, in 1746, when she was forty-eight years old, she was
secretly married to Mr. Stewart, of Grantully. This gentleman was a
penniless scion of a good family, and the sole resources of the
newly-wedded couple consisted of an allowance of L300 per annum, which
had been granted by the duke to his sister, with whom he was on no
friendly terms. Even this paltry means of support was precarious, and
it was resolved to keep the marriage secret. The more effectually to
conceal it, Mr. Stewart and his nobly-born wife repaired to France, and
remained on the Continent for three years. At the end of that time
they returned to England, bringing with them two children, of whom
they alleged the Lady Jane had been delivered in Paris, at a
twin-birth, in July 1748. Six months previously to their arrival in
London their marriage had been made public, and the duke had stopped
the allowance which he had previously granted. They were, therefore,
in the direst distress; and, to add to their other misfortunes, Mr.
Stewart being deeply involved in debt, his creditors threw him into
prison.

Lady Jane bore up against her accumulated sorrows with more than
womanly heroism, and when she found all her efforts to excite the
sympathy