Among others who "followed to the field" was an eccentric personage of the name of Tait. He was a tailor, and in stature somewhat beneath the military standard; but he was a poet, and zealous in the cause of loyalty. He had sung the deeds of the Montgomeries in many a couplet; and, having animated the villagers with his loyal strains, resolved, like a second Tyrtasus, to encourage his companions at arms to victory by the fire and vigour of his verses. It is said he could not write, nevertheless he actually published a small volume of poems. These have long ago sunk into oblivion. Still "Sawney Tait the tailor" is well remembered. He was a bachelor; and, like a true son of genius, occupied an attic of very small dimensions. At the "June fair," when the village was crowded, Saunders, by a tolerated infringement of the excise laws, annually converted his "poet's corner" into a temple for the worship of Bacchus, and became publican in a small way. He was himself the presiding genius, and his apartment was always well frequented, especially by the younger portion of the country people, who were amused with his oddities. He sung with peculiar animation ; and failed not to give due recitative effect to the more lengthy productions of his muse :—it might be in celebration of a bonspiel, in which the curlers of Tarbolton had been victorious over those of the parish of Stair—of a love-match—or such other local matter calculated to interest his rustic hearers; by whom his poems were highly applauded as being "unco weel put thegither." Some of his songs obtained a temporary popularity. One, in particular, on Mrs. Alexander of Ballochmyle, was much talked of, probably from the circumstance of the lady having condescended to patronise the Anllage laureate, by requesting his attendance at Ballochmyle, where he recited the piece—was rewarded—and afterwards continued to be a privileged frequenter of the hall. Poor Saunders, unluckily, was more in repute for his songs than his needle. He was, no doubt, uncommonly expeditious; in proof of which it is told that on some particular occasion he had made a coat in one day; but then his "steeks" were prodigiously long, and with him fashion was out of the question, abiding as he always did by the "good old plan." The result was, that, while his brethren of the needle were paid eightpence a-day, Saunders acknowledged his inferiority, by claiming no more than sixpence! The military ardour of the poet was somewhat evanescent. Whether the duties were two fatiguing, or whether his compatriots had no relish for poetical excitements, we know not; but true it is that, in the dusk of a summer evening, some few weeks after the departure of the fencibles, Saunders was seen entering the village, leading a goat which he had procured in his travels, and followed by a band of youngsters, who had gone to meet him on his approach. "Sawney Tait" lived to a great age; and retained his spirit and activity to the last.

On the declaration of war, by the French Convention, against Great Britain and Holland, in 1793, seven regiments of fencibles were ordered to be raised in Scotland for the internal defence of the country. One of these, the West Lowland Fencibles, being under the immediate patronage of the Eglinton and Coilsfield families, Major Montgomerie was appointed Colonel. Glasgow was fixed as the head-quarters of this regiment. The Colonel lost no time in beating up for recruits throughout the west country, and especially in Ayrshire, where he was eminently successful. At the village of Tarbolton alone, in the immediate neighbourhood of his paternal seat of Coilsfield, a company of volunteers were soon congregated; and the circumstance of their departure for head-quarters is still remembered as a day of note in the annals of the village. In the morning they were assembled round a small hill or knoll at the village, called Hoods-hill, where the Colonel had caused breakfast to be prepared for them, and where a vast crowd had assembled to witness their departure. Mrs. Montgomerie and her two daughters, the latter of whom were attired in scarlet riding-habits, with Highland bonnets, together with the Colonel and several of the neighbouring gentry, also breakfasted in a tent set apart for them. When breakfast was finished, and the soldiers marshalled in close order, the lady of Coilsfield, ascending a proper eminence on the hill, addressed them in a neat and appropriate speech. She regretted the occurrence of circumstances by which they were called from their homes; but she hoped that Scotland would never lack the hearty support of her sons when a foreign foe threatened invasion. To the women—some of whom were assembled no doubt to take leave of their husbands or lovers—she observed that, however disagreeable parting might be, it was a bereavement which she herself, in common with them all, had to submit to, and which it became them to endure with becoming resolution. Mrs. Montgomerie concluded her address, during which she was repeatedly cheered, by expressing a hope that peace would soon restore their friends. The volunteers, who were in regimentals, and presented a very fine appearance, then deployed in inarching order, the villagers following and cheering them for several miles.

The old family of Coilsfield are still remembered for their homely manner and kind attention to the people in the neighbourhood. During the winter season, it was no uncommon thing to see the old Laird at the loch, surrounded by a number of his elderly tenants, in keen "curling contest" against the Major, with an equal number of the more youthful villagers. These contests were always terminated by a dinner of "beef and greens," and a suitable quantity of punch, at the expense of the vanquished; and no person was more delighted than the Laird when he happened to dine at the expense of the Major.

The Major, like his father, was social in his habits; and, among those who used to frequent the "big house," none were more welcome to dinner than the famous John Rankine, the Baron Bailie of Haughmerk—a small estate in the neighbourhood of Tarbolton, then the property of one M'Lure, a merchant in Ayr, but which now belongs" to the Duke of Portland. Rankine was locally well known for his wit and Bacchanalian propensities; but he has been rendered more enduringly celebrated by the epistle of Burns, in which the poet addresses him—

"O rough, rude, ready-witted Rankine,
The wail o' cocks for fun and drinking."

There are many anecdotes told of the Baron Bailie's "cracks and cants." He had always a shilling to spend; and while he kept the table in a roar, nothing gave him greater pleasure than to see his cronies, one by one, brought under by the stout John Barleycorn. The Bailie always seemed to drink fair ; yet very seldom got top heavy himself. One device, by which he occasionally kept the bowl in circulation, was a small wooden apparatus, on the principle of the modem "wheel of fortune," which he called "whigmaleerie." Whoever whigmaleerie pointed to was doomed to drink the next glass; and by this species of " thimble-rigging" it may be guessed the Bailie seldom left many sober in the company.

As an instance of the good old times, we may mention, by way of gossip, that during Rankine's bailieship of Haughmerk, when the Martinmas rents were paid, his tenants were convened at the house of the miller on his estate, called the Mill-burn Mill, where ale and British spirits had been retailed by each successive miller, from time immemorial, and a good dinner and drink provided—the Bailie acting as croupier. None went from the Mill empty; and some of the older people, who never drank but once a-year, had frequently to be taken home in the miller's cart.

The celebrated Laird of Logan was another frequent visitor at Coils-field; and when there on one occasion with John Hamilton of Bargany, a staunch supporter of the honour and credit of his native district of Carrick, Mossman, a native of Maybole, was brought before Mr. Mont-gomerie as a Justice of the Peace, on suspicion of having committed an act of theft. Mr. Montgomerie called in the aid of his friends, who were also in the commission of the peace, to investigate the case, when it was resolved that the prisoner should be sent to Ayr jail for trial.

The Laird of Logan assigned three reasons for concurring in the warrant:—1st, Because the prisoner had been found on the king's highway without cause; 2nd, Because he had "wandered in his discourse;'' and, 3rd, Because he belonged to Carrick! The last was a fling at Bargany, and had the effect intended of provoking him to a warm defence of his district. Mossman suffered th'e last penalty of the law, for the trifling theft with which he was charged, alongst with other two felons, at Ayr, on the 20th May, 1785. At the execution of these unfortunate men, the main rope by which they were suspended broke when they were thrown off (it is supposed from having been previously saturated with vitriol) ; and they remained in a half-hanged state until a new rope was procured, to carry their sentence into execution.

Immediately after the West Lowland Fencibles had been embodied, Colonel Montgomerie raised another corps for more extended service, called the "Glasgow Regiment," which was disbanded in 1795, the men being drafted into other regiments of the line. About this time the Colonel was appointed Lieut.-Governor of Edinburgh Castle, in the room of Lord Elphinston.

In 1796, he was again returned Member of Parliament for the county of Ayr; but his seat became vacated almost immediately after, having succeeded to the earldom of Eglinton, upon the death of his cousin Archibald, the eleventh Earl, brother to Alexander, the tenth Earl, who was shot in the well known affair with Mungo Campbell. Their mother was the celebrated Countess of Eglinton, no less famed for her mental accomplishments than her beauty. She was the patron of Allan Ramsay, who dedicated "The Gentle Shepherd" to her, and a great patroness of literature.

"While limited to the patrimonial revenue of Coilsfield, the Colonel was distinguished for his good taste and public spirit. No one maintained a more liberal establishment. His horses were always of superior mettle, and his carriage the most handsomely mounted in the district; but, by his succession to the title and estates of Eglinton, a new and more extended field was opened. His predecessors, Earlb Alexander and Archibald, had greatly improved their lands, especially in the neighbourhood of Kilwinning. "They set the example," says a writer in 1803, "of introducing a new mode of farming—subdividing the land—sheltering it by belts of wooding, and planting the little rising mounts on their vast estates, by which means Ayrshire has become like a garden, and is one of the richest and most fertile counties in Scotland." Earl Hugh was not behind his predecessors. The first thing which presented itself, as an object of improvement. was the old Castle; which had been the family seat for nearly five hundred years. It was no doubt sufficiently strong, bnt neither commodious nor elegant. He therefore had it immediately pulled down, and a splendid new castellated edifice erected in its stead. Of the buildings and lauds we are tempted to quote the following description, written a few years after the completion of the structure :—

"It is one of the finest and most magnificent buildings in the West of Scotland; nor is the noble appearance without disgrace by the finishing and furniture within—everything there is elegant and princely. Its site is indeed low, and still more concealed by being embosomed among fine old elms. It stands upon an extensive lawn, which is converted into the most beautiful pleasure grounds. Nature here has put on none of her bold and majestic features ; but art has done mucb. Neither the towering rock, nor extended lake, nor navigable river, adds to its magnificence; only a small river runs past it on the east and north, which is rendered much broader than it naturally is by being dammed back. On the banks of this stream the most delightful walks are formed. As you walk along, at one time a thicket of shrubbery conceals the water from your view, and at another it unexpectedly bursts upon your sight, and raises the pleasureable feelings, no less b}' surprise than by the beauty it displays; small, however, as the river is, it adds much to the beauty of the scenery ; and the vast number of trout, which on a fine evening are seen sporting on its surface, tend much to increase those tranquil but pleasing emotions, which the song of the grove and the smiling landscape never fail to excite in the mind which has a taste for the beauties of nature, and a heart fitted for relishing the enjoyment of innocent pleasures. To these the humane and benevolent mind receives a vast accession, on seeing around it the timorous hare sporting unmolested in numbers. This persecuted creature finds here a safe asylum throughout this extensive policy, which contains nearly fourteen hundred acres; not one of them is allowed to be molested or killed. On the dusk of a summer evening they reward his lordship's protection with their confidence, by often playing their innocent gambols before him, round one of the largest and most beautiful chestnut trees I ever saw, which stands on the green exactly opposite to the house."

The Earl was an excellent farmer, and continued to improve on the plans of his predecessors, by draining and cultivating the waste lands, and otherwise increasing the value of his estates. Among other instances of his lordship's anxiety to create sources of local attraction may be mentioned the institution of "Bogside Eaces," which, during his lifetime, from being well attended by gentlemen of the turf, were a vast benefit to the town of Irvine. (Under the auspices of the present Earl these meetings have again been commenced.)

His attention, however, was by no means confined to his own immediate locality, the affairs of the county, and indeed all public matters, received a corresponding share of his attention. On the death of the Earl of Errol, in 1798, he was elected one of the representative Peers of Scotland, and was again re-chosen at the General Election in 1802.

The most extensive of all the Earl of Eglinton's undertakings was one which, although it proved in some measure ruinous to himself, now bids fair to realise some of those advantages to his descendants, which he, of course, never could expect to witness himself. We refer to the formation of the harbour of Ardrossan, and the projected canal from thence to Glasgow. The advantages presented by such a proposal appeared so manifest to the Earl, that he entered upon the speculation with the utmost enthusiasm, calculating upon his views being at once seconded by the commercial capitalists of Glasgow and Paisley, if not by some of the proprietors, whose lands would be considerably increased in value by the canal. The primary object of the design was to cut off the circuitous and even dangerous navigation of the Clyde, which, previous to the introduction of steam-vessels, was a serious obstacle to the growing commerce of Glasgow. The bay of Ardrossan presented many natural advantages for an extensive harbour, having at its entrance a depth of six fathoms at low water, and five to three fathoms for more than one-half of its extent, with good anchorage, wherein the largest frigates, as well as merchantmen, might ride in safety; while, by cutting a canal to Glasgow, a ready transit for commerce with the west was anticipated, besides opening an internal communication through the most populous and important districts of the country. The line of canal, as well as the harbour and docks, were surveyed and estimated by the celebrated Mr. Telford. According to the plan, the canal was to commence at Tradeston, in the suburbs of Glasgow; thence stretching along by the manufacturing districts of Paisley, Johnstone, etc., traversed one of the most remarkable seams of coal, being from seventy to ninety feet in thickness. There were to be in all thirty-one locks on the canal. In short, it was anticipated that Ardrossan would become to Glasgow what Liverpool is to Manchester.

The Earl immediately set about the immense undertaking by procuring two Acts of Parliament—one for the harbour, and another for the canal; and on the 31st July, 180G, being the anniversary of the birth of his eldest son, Lord Montgomerie, the foundation-stone of the harbour was laid with more than usual masonic ceremony, and amid a vast concourse of spectators.

" On the summit of the rocks Lord Eglinton caused tents to be erected, in one of which were tables for three hundred persons; there was also an elegant tent for the reception of the ladies. The Freemasons of the ancient mother lodge, Kilwinning, with their Grand Master, William Blair of Blair, Esq., and a party of the Saltcoats Volunteers, with the band of the Ayrshire Rifle Battalion, proceeded from the town of Saltcoats, along the shore to Ardrossan. Before the procession arrived at the harbour, they were joined by the Earl of Eglinton, accompanied by a number of the most respectable gentlemen of the country and neighbourhood—by Mr. Telford, the engineer, etc. At the moment, the procession, amidst crowds of spectators, arrived at the pier, the Countess of Eglinton, attended by Lady Montgomerie. and above fifty ladies of the first rank and distinction in the country, appeared on the point of an eminence near the old Castle of Ardrossan, which ovei'looks the bay. At three o'clock the principal foundation-stone, at the point where the pier is connected with the shore, was laid by the Grand Master with the usual solemnities. The Earl of Eglinton then addressed the company in a very neat speech, in which his lordship stated that though, in the course of nature, he could not expect to see these works at the summit of their prosperity, he had no doubt that, long after he and many of those who had given aid to the measure were gone, the country would reap the advantages of them, and estimate their true value. Then, after a very impressive and suitable prayer was given by the Rev. Mr. Duncan, minister of Ardrossan, and immediately on a flag being hoisted in the adjacent masons' shed, where the stone had been prepared, a round was fired from eight field-pieces, placed near the old Castle, and returned from two of his Majesty's cutters, which were stationed in the bay, with twenty-one guns. Two tables, each a hundred and twenty feet long, were laid, and upwards of two hundred persons sat down to a splendid dinner, with choice wines, and every fruit of the season, provided by the Earl of Eglinton. After dinner several loyal and appropriate toasts were given. About seven o'clock, the Earl and his Countess proceeded to Eglinton Castle, where a splendid ball concluded the evening; at Saltcoats also various parties spent the evening in dancing and festivity."

The cost of the harbour of Ardrossan was originally estimated at .£40,000 ; but the work was not long begun before it was evident, from unforeseen obstructions, that the sum would not half complete it, while the merchants of Glasgow did not enter into the scheme with that alacrity which had been anticipated—the city having previously expended vast sums in deepening the Clyde. A company was no doubt formed, and the canal ultimately cut as far as Johnstone; but, for want of funds, it never went farther. Notwithstanding the lack of that encouragement he had expected, Lord Eglinton continued to prosecute, single-handed, the herculean task undertaken, although at a much slower pace than he could have wished. He left no means untried to keep the work advancing, having not only sold several valuable portions of his estate, but incurred debt to a large extent; indeed, it is understood that, previous to his death, he had expended on the harbour alone upwards of £70,000, without the satisfaction of having completed what had been so much an object of his solicitude. The Earl died, at an advanced age, in 1819, after having for many years honourably discharged the duties of Lord-Lieutenant of the county of Ayr, which were somewhat arduous, especially during the three latter years of his life. So very active and efficient indeed were his lord's services in that capacity, that he obtained the approbation and applause of all parties. In the Justiciary Hall of the County Buildings, Ayr, there is a painting of the Earl, in the costume of the West Lowland Fencibles, painted by Sir Henry Kaeburn, from the original picture in Egliuton Castle. This portrait was done by subscription, and placed in the Hall as a tribute of respect to his lordship's memory. His lordship was created a Baron of Great Britain and Ireland in 180G, by the title of Baron Ardrossan of Ardrossan. He was also a Knight of the order of the Thistle.

The character of the late Earl, like that of all other persons who take a decided part in public affairs, has been variously represented. Firmly attached to the Government, and resolute in repelling civil innovation, as well as foreign aggression, his opinions were of necessity not in unison with those whose politics were of a less conservative description. In the army he was known to be a strict disciplinarian; and, even at the head of his own Fencibles, he sometimes occasioned excitement by the severity of his punishments. It ought to be stated, in vindication of the Earl, that he had very bad materials to deal with. As everyone that offered was enlisted in the fencible regiments, they were consequently greatly mixed, and almost proverbial for the many bad characters to be found in the ranks. Apart from these considerations, the Earl was deservedly held in estimation. No man possessed a greater degree of public spirit, or could be more magnificent in his undertakings. In the case of the canal and harbour of Ardrossan, the result proved his lordship to have been too sanguine; and his estates certainly felt the paralysing effects of such a severe encroachment on his resources; yet the speculation employed many hands, and fed many families. In time it is to be hoped it will produce a portion of the good anticipated from it. As one of the most steady of the very few resident proprietors of Ayrshire, the Earl of Eglinton had an undoubted claim to respect. Except when called away by his parliamentary, and other public duties, he remained constantly at home; and while he stimulated industry in his own neighbourhood, by his presence and example, he was on all occasions the patron and active promoter of whatever might tend to the improvement and prosperity of the country at large. In seasons of commercial stagnation—and they were, and still are of too frequent occurrence—his lordship was ever ready to enter into any scheme of relief; and to the necessitous generally he was a constant friend. In domestic life he displayed much of the spirit and manners of the ancient baron. He was always accessible to his numerous tenantry; and, notwithstanding a certain austerity of manner, lived on terms of familiarity with those around him. Among the privileged characters who used to frequent the Castle, Daft Will Spew, well known in that quarter, was the most regular. On his way from the kitchen one day after dinner, where he had been plentifully supplied, Will was met by his lordship, who inquired where he had been. "Ou, ay," replied "Will, in the act of polishing a pretty roughish bone, plenty o' freen's whan a body has ocht. Yesterday, ye ne'er looked the road I was on."

Although Will knew that nothing provoked the Earl so much as passing through his policies, yet he generally took the nearest way, independent of all obstructions. In the act of crossing a fence one day, he was discovered by his lordship, who called out—" Come back, sir, that's not the road." " Do ye ken," said Will, " whaur I'm gaun ? " " No," replied the Earl. " Weel, how the deil do ye ken whether this be the road or no?" Tbe Earl was particularly careful about his policies, and frequently prosecuted offenders with much severity. He was much devoted to music as an evening amusement—performed on the violin with considerable skill—and composed the popular tunes called " Lady Montgomerie's Reel," and " Ayrshire Lasses," besides several other admired airs—a selection of which was recently arranged for the pianoforte, and published by Mr. Turnbull of Glasgow.

Although for several years a member of the House of Commons, and deeply interested in the political questions of the day, the Earl was never distinguished for his oratory. Better qualified for the camp or for the field, he wisely refrained from attempting to contend in the arena of debate ; but in all practical matters his assistance was equally ready and efficient. The following lines by Burns are truly descriptive of his character:—

"Thee, sodger Hugh, my watchman stented,
If bardies ere are represented:
I ken, if that your sivord were M^ranted,
Ye'd lend your hand;
But when there's ought to say anent it,
Ye're at a stand."

The Earl married Eleanore, fourth daughter of Robert Hamilton, Esq. of Bourtreehill, in the county of Ayr, and sister to Jean, Countess of Crawford and Lindsay; and had by her two sons and two daughters. The eldest, Archibald Lord Montgomerie, died while abroad for his health in 1814. Lord Montgomerie married Lady Mary Montgomerie, eldest daughter of Archibald, the eleventh Earl of Eglinton, by whom he had two sons. The eldest, a boy of great promise, died when about six years of age. He was much caressed by his grandfather, with whom he resided; and who caused an elegant column of white marble to be erected to his memory in a sequestered spot among the woods, near Eglintou Castle. The secoud son, Archibald, born in 1812, is the present Earl of Eglinton. During his minority it is understood the estate was relieved of many of the burdens on it. On obtaining the management of his own affairs in 1833, his lordship re-commenced the works which had been so long suspended at Ardrossan; and we learn that that harbour is now the most prosperous on the whole Ayrshire coast. The new railway betwixt Glasgow and Ayr—in promoting which his lordship assiduously exerted himself— now adds considerably to the importance of the harbour. He was Major-General, and a gallant officer; much esteemed and beloved. The second, the Hon. Roger Montgomerie, who was a Lieutenant in the navy, fell a victim to pestilential disease, at Port Royal, Jamaica, in January, 1799.

Lady Jane remained unmarried till after her father's death. She was remarkable for every domestic virtue which could adorn the female character; and during her long residence at Eglinton Castle, a great portion of her time was occupied in attending the sick and relieving the destitute. To her care the present Earl was entrusted during his early years—a trust which she performed with the utmost affection and fidelity ; and, so far as can yet be judged of the young Earl's conduct, he will not belie the promise of so excellent a guardian. Lady Jane was married only a few years ago to Archibald Hamilton, Esq. of Blackhouse, late of the East India Company's service. They reside at Roselle, a seat of the Earl of Eglinton, in the immediate neighbourhood of Ayr; where she continues to practise those charitable virtues which so much distinguished her earlier years.