Upon the estuary of the Tay, and up a little way within it, along the North Eske, lies Angus, called by the genuine Scots Aeneia, extending itself into fields bearing wheat and all other sorts of grain, large hills, lakes, forests, pastures and meadows; and beautified with several forts and castles. In the first entrance into it from Gowrie stands Glamis, a castle, and the barony of a family surnamed lyons; which have been famous ever since J. Lyon, a great favourite of King Robert 2, received this and the dignity of a Baron with the King's daughter in marriage; and therewith (as I find written) the surname of Lyon, with a lion in his arms, within a tressure fleury, as the kings themselves bear, but in different colours. Patrick, now Lord Glamis, very lately obtained the honour of Earl of Kinghorn from King James 6.

            At a little distance is Forfar, where, for the administration of justice, the barons Grays are hereditary sheriffs, who are descended from the Grays of Chillingham in Northumberland, and came into Scotland with King James 1 when he returned out of England. Upon the first of whom, named Andrew, the King bountifully conferred the Lordship of Fowlis, with Helena Mortimer for his wife.

            Near the Tay's mouth is Dundee , which the ancients called Alectum, others Taodunum, a town well frequented; and whose constable, by a peculiar privilege, is standard-bearer to the kings of Scotland. Hector Boetius, who was here born, expounds the name Dundee, Donum Dei,<493> by allusion. This person, in that age when learning began again to flourish, wrote an elegant history of Scotland, out of such hidden monuments of antiquity, that Paulus Jovius wondered there should be in his writings records of above 1000 years standing, concerning these remote parts of the world, the Hebrides, and the Orcades; when in Italy (the nurse of excellent wits) for so many ages after the expulsion of the Goths, there was such a scarcity of writers. But upon this place Johnston, born not far from hence, hath these verses;

TAODUNUM,
or
DEIDONUM.

Qua notus argutis adspirat molliter auris,
Hac placide coeunt Taus & Oceanus.
Hic facili excipiens venientes littore puppes,
Indigenis vasti distrahit orbis opes.
Saepe dolis tentata, & belli exercita damnis,
Invictis animis integra praestat adhuc.
Fama vetus crevit cum religione renata,
Lucis & hinc fulsit pura nitela aliis.
Alectum dixere prius; si maxima spectes
Commoda, fors Donum dixeris esse Dei.
Tu decus aeternum gentisque urbisque Boeti,
Caetera dic patriae dona beata tuae.
Where the calm South with gentle murmurs reigns,
Tay with the sea his peaceful current joins.
To trading ships an easy port is shown,
That makes the riches of the world its own.
Oft have her hapless sons been forced to bear
The dismal thunder of repeated war;
Yet unsubdued their noble souls appear.
Restored religion hath advanced her height,
And spread through distant parts the sacred light.
Alectum once 'twas named; but when you've viewed
The joys and comforts by kind heaven bestowed,
You'll call it Donum Dei, gift of God.
Boetius, honour of the realm and town,
Speak thou the rest, and make thy mother's honours known.

            Hence we have a sight of Broughty Crag, a fort defended by a garrison of English many months together, when out of an earnest desire of a perpetual peace, they sued for a marriage between Mary of Scotland and Edward 6 of England; and upon promise thereof, demanded the performance by force of arms: but the garrison at length abandoned it. Then to the open sea lies Aberbroth, in short Arbroath, a place endowed with ample revenues, formerly consecrated to religion by King William, in honour of St. Thomas of Canterbury. Near this, the Red Head shooteth out into the sea, a promontory to be seen afar off. Hard by, South Eske enters the ocean, which flowing out of a lake, passes by Finnevim Castle, much famed for being the seat of the Lindsays, Earls of Crawford; of whom I have spoken already. Then Brechin, standing upon the same river, which King David the first adorned with a bishop's see: and at its very mouth, Montrose, that is, the mount of roses, a town anciently called Celurca, (built out of the ruins of another of the same name, and situated between the two Eskes) which gives the title of Earl to the family of Graham. Upon which thus Johnston:

CELURCA,
or
MONS ROSARUM.

Aureolis urbs picta rosis: mons molliter urbi
Imminet, hinc urbi nomina facta canunt:
At veteres perhibent quondam dixisse Celurcam,
Nomine sic prisco & nobilitata novo est.
Et prisca atque nova insignis virtute, virumque
Ingeniis, patriae qui peperere decus.
A leaning mount which golden roses grace
At once adorns and names the happy place.
But ancient times Celurca called the town;
Thus is it proud of old and late renown;
And old and late brave sons, whose wit and hand
Have brought new trophies to their native land.

            Not far from hence is Boschain, belonging to the barons of Ogilvy, of very ancient nobility, descended from that Alexander Sheriff of Angus, who was slain in the bloody battle at Harlaw against the MacDonalds of the isles.

            As for the Earls of Angus; Gilchrist of Angus, a person illustrious for his brave exploits under Malcolm the 4th, was the first Earl of Angus, that I read of. About the year 1242 John Comyn was Earl of Angus, who died in France; and his dowager (perhaps heiress of the earldom) was married to Gilbert Umfravile, an Englishman. For both he and his heirs successively were summoned to the parliament of England, till the 3rd year of K. Richard 2nd, under the title of Earls of Angus. But the English lawyers refused in their instruments to own him for an Earl, because Angus was not within the kingdom of England; till he produced in open court the King's writ, whereby he was summoned to parliament under the name of Earl of Angus. In the reign of David Bruce, Tho. Stewart was Earl of Angus, who took Berwick by surprise, but presently lost it again; and a little after died miserably in prison at Dunbarton. The Douglases, men of haughty minds and invincible hearts, ever since the reign of Robert the 3rd, have been Earls of Angus, (after that Geo. Douglas had married the king's daughter) and are reputed the chief and principal Earls of Scotland, whose office it is to carry the regal crown before the kings at all the solemn assemblies of the kingdom. The sixth Earl of Angus of this race, was Archibald, who married Margaret daughter to Henry the 7th, and mother to James the 5th King of Scotland; by whom he had issue Margaret wife to Matthew Stewart Earl of Lennox; she, after her brother's death without issue, willingly resigned up her right to this earldom, with the consent of her husband and sons, to David Douglas of Pittendreich, her uncle's son by the father's side; to the end that by this obligation she might engage that family more closely to her, which was already the nearest allied in blood. At the same time her son Henry was about to marry Queen Mary; by which marriage King James, monarch of Great Britain, was happily born for the general good of these nations.

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