The 7th Lord Seton in Flanders

 The  contest  which  ended in the independence of the United Provinces saw
 Scot  contending  with  Scot,  and  fighting  out in the Dutch marshes the
 bitter  animosities which desolated their own mountain homes. The Scots in
 the service of the States were formed into a separate body, known in their
 own  country  as  the  Dutch  Regiments,  and  in  Holland as the Scottish
 Brigade.  In  the curious annals of the house of Seton there is an account
 of  the  adventures of George Lord Seton, who, the enthusiastic follower of
 Queen  Mary,  was  found  by  the government of the States endeavouring to
 seduce  the  Scottish  troops  over  to the side of Spain and the Queen of
 Scots.  "The  rebellious  States  of  Holland,"  says the indignant family
 historian,  "did imprison and condemn the said George to ride the cannon;"
 and  he  only escaped a worse fate through the earnest intervention of his
 countrymen,  who  would  not  see  a  kindly  Scot  sacrificed  to foreign
 vengeance, however readily they would themselves have cut him down in fair
 contest.

In this Scottish corps, a short time before the Revolution, there
 were,  if we may believe an anecdote which rests chiefly on tradition, two
 rival  claimants  for promotion, of totally opposite genius and character,
 whose  rivalry  was  extinguished  in  a memorable contest?

 Grahame of Claverhouse, and Mackay of Scourie, the leader of the Revolution army at
 the  battle  of  Killiecrankie.  Mackay,  though  he showed himself so far
 inferior  to  his  opponent  in the genius of war, was a man of remarkable
 attainments  in  the  organisation  of  warfare.  We owe to him one of the
 greatest  improvements  of modern warfare?the fixed bayonet, which enabled
 the soldier to charge immediately after fire, instead of waiting to be cut
 down in the attempt to screw the blade upon the barrel.