"A kindness conferred on one of a hostile clan, was held as an offence, if not an affront to the chieftain:
——"What tie so sacred
As those that to his name and kindred vassals
The noble chieftain bind?"[12]
"An injury done to one of a clan was always considered an injury done to all, on account of the common relation of blood.—Hence the Highlanders were in the habitual practice of war: and hence their attachment to their chieftain and to each other was founded upon two of the most active principles of human nature, love of their friends, and resentment against their enemies."[13]
They went always completely armed.—Their arms were a broad sword, a dagger (called a dirk), a target, a musket, and a brace of pistols. It was a principle deeply imbibed by them, to die with pleasure to revenge affronts offered to their clan or to their country.
To put an end to this terrible feud, a bond of alliance was subscribed by Lord Maxwell and Sir Eustace Johnstone, and the two clans for some time lived together in harmony.
To celebrate this reconciliation between the late hostile clans, Sir Robert Bruce determined upon giving a splendid banquet, to which were invited Lord Maxwell and his clan of Nithsdale, and Sir Eustace Johnstone and the clan of Annandale. The day of the grand fete arrived; it was the thirty-first of October, 1600 and —— (a memorable day). The choicest wines and the richest foreign fruits crowned the festive board; the forest, the muir, the lake, and the sea, yielded their treasures of flesh, fowl, and fish, to furnish forth the lordly banquet. An immense fire blazed forth to warm the baronial hall, and the fine gothic chandelier, which hung from the oaken and richly-carved ceiling, threw an imposing light around.
In this highly decorated hall the walls were covered with gorgeous tapestry from the splendidly brilliant looms of Arras, and which presented to the delighted eye various patriotic stories from Scottish as well as from Roman history. Here the feats of Wallace, there the victories of the Bruce; here were seen Marcus Curtius plunging with his charger into the yawning gulf, who nobly devoted his life for his country! Next frowned Brutus on the banished Tarquins; and next were portrayed the glorious achievements of the Decii and Fabii.