A remarkable conflict took place in the Valley during the reign of James II., who revived the sanguinary species of the tournament, which his father had suppressed. Two noble Burgundians, named Lelani, one of whom, Jacques, was as celebrated a knight as Europe could boast of, together with one squire Meriadet, challenged three Scottish knights to fight with lance, battle-axe, sword, and dagger. Having been all solemnly knighted by the king, they engaged in the Valley. Of the three Scotsmen, two were Douglasses, and the third belonged to the honourable family of Halket. Soon throwing away their lances, they had recourse to the axe, when, one of the Douglasses being killed, the king threw down his baton, to put a stop to a combat which had then become too unequal to furnish proper amusement. Before this, the remaining Douglas and one of the Lelanis, had had such a tough encounter, that of all their weapons none remained save a dagger in the hand of Douglas, which, however, he could not use, as the Burgundian held his wrists together, and whirled him in the struggle round the lists. The other Lelani had fought well; but, being comparatively unskilled in the use of the battle-axe, he had his vizor, weapons, and armour, beat almost to pieces. The Douglas who was killed, fell by the battle-axe of Meriadet the squire. Among the festivities which attended the baptism of Prince Henry in 1594, were tournaments and running at the ring in the Valley. On that occasion, it was surrounded by guards finely apparelled, to prevent the crowd from breaking in, and a scaffold was erected on one side for the queen, her ladies, and the foreign ambassadors; to which illustrious group the performers uniformly made a low obeisance on entering. This, however, was but the silver age of chivalry, and no blood was shed in these amusements. [Illustration: _PLATE. V._ A. S. Masson Del^t. J. Gellatly Sc VIEW FROM THE CASTLE WALKS, STIRLING. BEN LEDI & BEN LOMOND IN THE DISTANCE.]