He married Margaret, daughter to Ross of Balneel, with whom he obtained
a considerable estate. She was an able, politic, and high-minded woman,
so successful in what she undertook, that the vulgar, no way partial to
her husband or her family, imputed her success to necromancy. According
to the popular belief, this Dame Margaret purchased the temporal
prosperity of her family from the Master whom she served under a
singular condition, which is thus narrated by the historian of her
grandson, the great Earl of Stair: "She lived to a great age, and at
her death desired that she might not be put under ground, but that her
coffin should stand upright on one end of it, promising that while she
remained in that situation the Dalrymples should continue to flourish.
What was the old lady's motive for the request, or whether she really
made such a promise, I shall not take upon me to determine; but
it's certain her coffin stands upright in the isle of the church of
Kirklistown, the burial-place belonging to the family." The talents
of this accomplished race were sufficient to have accounted for
the dignities which many members of the family attained, without any
supernatural assistance. But their extraordinary prosperity was attended
by some equally singular family misfortunes, of which that which befell
their eldest daughter was at once unaccountable and melancholy.

Miss Janet Dalrymple, daughter of the first Lord Stair and Dame Margaret
Ross, had engaged herself without the knowledge of her parents to the
Lord Rutherford, who was not acceptable to them either on account of his
political principles or his want of fortune. The young couple broke
a piece of gold together, and pledged their troth in the most solemn
manner; and it is said the young lady imprecated dreadful evils on
herself should she break her plighted faith. Shortly after, a suitor
who was favoured by Lord Stair, and still more so by his lady, paid his