(Partition-like) ’twixt Him, and dangers stand:
That Martiall ends, and Victory may Crowne
His happy Hopes, his Life, with Love Renowne.
This Ile of Arrane, is thirty miles long, eight in breadth, and distant from the Maine, twenty foure miles; beeing sur-clouded with Goatfield Hill: which with wide-eyes, over-looketh our Westerne Continent, and the Northerne Countrey of Ireland: bringing also to sight in a cleare Summers day, the Ile of Manne, and the higher [X. 495.]Coast of Cumberland: A larger prospect no Mountaine in the World can show, poynting out three Kingdomes at one sight: Neither any like Ile or braver Gentry, for good Archers, and hill-hovering Hunters. Having agayne re-shoared the Maine, I coasted Galloway even to the Mould that butteth into the Sea, with a large Promontore, being the South-most part of the Kingdome. And thence footing all that large Countrey to Dumfries, and so to Carlile: I found heere in Galloway in diverse Rode-way Innes, as good Cheare, Hospitality, and Serviceable attendance, as though I had beene ingrafted in Lombardy or Naples.
The nobility and commodities of Galloway excell in goodnesse.The Wooll of which Countrey, is nothing inferiour to that in Biscai of Spaine: providing they had skill, to fine, Spin, Weave, and labour it as they should. Nay, the Calabrian silke, had never a better luster, and softer gripe, then I have seene and touched this growing wooll there on Sheepes backes: the Mutton whereof excelleth in sweetnesse. So this Country aboundeth in Bestiall, especially in little Horses, which for mettall and Riding, may rather be tearmed bastard Barbs, then Gallowedian Nagges.
Likewise their Nobility and Gentry are as courteous, and every way generously disposed, as eyther discretion would wish, and honour Command: that (Cunningham being excepted, which may bee called the Accademy of Religion, for a sanctified Clergy, and a godly people) certainly [X. 496.]Galloway is become more civill of late, then any Maritine Country, bordering with the Westerne Sea. But now to observe my former Summary condition, the length of the Kingdome lyeth South and North: That is, betweene Dungsby head in Cathnes, and the afore-sayde Mould of Galloway; beeing distant per rectam lineam, which my weary feet troad over from poynt to poynt (the way of Lochreall, Carrick, Kyle, Aire, Glasgow, Stirveling, St. Johns Towne, Stormount, the Blair of Atholl, the Bra of Mar, Badeynoh, Innernes, Rosse, Sutherland, and so to the North Promontore of Cathnes) extending to three hundred twenty miles: which I reckon to be foure hundred and fifty English miles: Confounding hereby the ignorant presumption of blind Cosmographers, who Scotland is 120. miles longer than England.in their Mappes make England longer than Scotland; when contrariwise Scotland out strippeth the other in length, a hundred and twenty miles. The breadth whereof I grant is narrower than England; yet extending betweene the extremities of both Coasts in divers parts to threescore, fourscore, and a hundred of our miles: But because of the Sea ingulfing the Land, and cutting it in so many Angles, making great Lakes, Bayes, and dangerous Firths, on both sides of the Kingdome, the true breadth thereof can not justly be conjectured, nor soundly set downe.
Our chiefest fresh water Lakes are these, Lochlomond, contayning twenty foure Iles, and in length as many miles: divers whereof are inriched with Woods, Deere, and other Bestiall: The large and long Lake of Loch-Tay, in Atholl, the Mother and Godmother of Headstrong Tay, the greatest River in the Kingdome: And Lochnes, in the higher parts of Murray, the River whereof (that graceth the pleasant and commodious situation of Innernes) no frost can freize: The propriety of which water will quickly melt and dissolve any hard congealed lumps of frozen Ice, be it on Man or Beast, stone or timber.
The chiefest Rivers are Clyde, Tay, Tweed, Forth, Dee, Spay, Nith, Nesse, and Dingwells flood-ingorging Lake, that confirmeth Porta salutis; being all of them, [X. 497.]where they returne their tributs to their father Ocean portable; and as it were resting places for turmoyled seas and ships: And the principall Townes are Edenbrugh, Perth, Glasgow, Dundie, Abirdene, St. Andrewes, Aire, Stirveling, Lithgow, Dumfries, Innernes, Elgin, Minros, Jedbrugh, Hadington, Leith, &c. and for antiquity, old Lanerk, &c.
So the most delicious soiles of the Kingdome are these following: first, the bounds of Clyde, or Cliddisdale, betweene Lanerk and Dunbertan, distanced twenty sixe miles; and thence downeward to Rossay that kisseth the devulgements of the River: the beginning whereof is at Arick stone sixteene miles above Lanerk, whose course contendeth for threescore miles: All which, being the best mixed Countrey for Cornes, Meeds, Pastorage, Woods, Parks, Orchards, Castles, Pallaces, divers kinds of Coale, and earth-fewell, that our included Albion Cliddisdale is the Paradice of Scotland.produceth: And may justly be surnamed the Paradice of Scotland: Besides, it is adorned on both borders along, with the greatest Peeres, and Nobility in the Kingdome: The Duke of Lennox, the Marques of Hammilton, the Earle of Angus, the Earle of Argyle, and the Earles of Glencairne, Wigton, and Abircorne.
And for Lord Barons, Semple, Rosse, Blantyre, and Dalliell: The chiefest Gentry whereof are the Knights and Lairds of Luce, Skellmurelie, Blakhall, Greenock, Newwark, Houston, Pook-maxwell, Sir George Elpingston of Blythswood, Minto, Cambusnethen, Calderwood, the two Knights of Lieye, and Castel-hill, Sir James Lokharts elder & yonger, Lamington, Westraw, his Majesties Gentleman Sewer, Blakwood, Cobinton, Stanebyres, and Corhous, &c. All which in each degree, as they illuminat the soyle with grandure, so the soyle reflecteth on them againe with beauty, bounty, and riches.