All angel now-- Which hid its own, to sooth all other wo; NOTES TO CANTO I. ney; and in time of werre, as long as he shall entende with his myght and power in the seid werres, in maner and fourme aboveseid, he shall have wages of cc. lib. sterlyng of English money yearly; and after the rate of the tyme that he shall be occupyed in the seid werres. "Item, The seid Donald shall, from the seid feste of Whittesontide, have and take, during his lyf, yerly, in tyme of peas, for his fees and wages, xx I. sterlyng of English money; and, when he shall be occupied and intend to the werre, with his myght and power, and in manner and fourme aboveseid, he shall have and take, for his wages yearly, x1 1. sterlynge of Englysh money; or for the rate of the tyme of werre 1. Thy rugged halls, Artornish! rung.-P. 251. THE ruins of the castle of Artornish are situated upon a promontory, on the Morven, or mainland side of the sound of Mull, a name given to the Item, The seid John, sonn and heire apparent deep arm of the sea which divides that island from of the said Donald, shall have and take, yerely, the continent. The situation is wild and romantic from the seid fest, for his fees and wages, in the in the highest degree, having on the one hand a tyme of peas, x 1. sterlynges of Englysh money; high and precipitous chain of rocks overhanging and for ty me of werre, and his intendyng therethe sea, and on the other the narrow entrance to to, in maner and fourme aboveseid, he shall have, the beautiful salt-water lake, called Loch-Alline, for his fees and wages, yerely xx 1. sterlynges of which is in many places finely fringed with copse- Englysh money; or after the rate of the tyme that wood. The ruins of Artornish are not now very he shall be occupied in the werre: And the seid considerable, and consist chiefly of the remains of John, th' erle Donald and John, and eche of them, an old keep, or tower, with fragments of outward shall have good and sufficiaunt paiment of the seid defences. But, in former days, it was a place of fees and wages, as wel for ty me of pees as of werre, great consequence, being one of the principal according to these articules and appoyntements. strong-holds which the lords of the Isles, during Item, It is appointed, accorded, concluded, and the period of their stormy independence, possess- finally determined, that, if it so be that hereafter ed upon the mainland of Argyleshire. Here they the seid reaume of Scotlande, or the more part assembled what popular tradition calls their par- therof, be conquered, subdued, and brought to the liaments, meaning, I suppose, their cour pleniere, obeisance of the seid most high and christien prince, or assembly of feudal and patriarchal vassals and and his heires, or successoures, of the seid Liodependents. From this castle of Artornish, upon nell, in fourme aboveseid descendyng, be the asthe 19th day of October, 1461, John de Yle, de-sistance, helpe, and aide of the seid John erle of signing himself earl of Ross and lord of the Isles, Rosse, and Donald, and of James erle of Douglas, granted, in the style of an independent sovereign, then, the seid fees and wages for the tyme of peas a commission to his trusty and well beloved cousins, Ronald of the Isles, and Duncan, archdean of the Isles, for empowering them to enter into a treaty with the most excellent prince Edward, by the grace of God, king of France and England, and lord of Ireland. Edward IV, on his part, named Laurence bishop of Durham, the earl of Worcester, the prior of St. John's, lord Wenlock, and Mr. Robert Stillington, keeper of the privy seal, his deputies and commissioners, to confer with "Item, If so be that, by the aide and assistance those named by the lord of the Isles. The confe- of the seid James erle of Douglas, the said reaume rence terminated in a treaty, by which the lord of of Scotlande be conquered and subdued as above, the Isles agreed to become a vassal to the crown then he shall have, enjoie, and inherite all his own of England, and to assist Edward IV and James possessions, landes, and inheritance, on this syde earl of Douglas, then in banishment, in subduing the realm of Scotland. cessyng, the same erles and Donald shall have, by the grannte of the same most christien prince, all the possessions of the seid reaume beyond Scottishe see, they to be departed equally betwix them; eche of them, his heires and success ours, to holde his parte of the seid most christien prince, his heires, and successours, for evermore, in right of his croune of England, by homage and feaute to be done therefore. the seid Scottishe see; that is to saye, betwixt the seid Scottishe see and England, such he hath enThe first article provides, that John de Isle, earl joied and be possessed of before this; there to holde of Ross, with his son Donald Balloch, and his them of the seid most high and christien prince, Tandson John de Isle, with all their subjects, men, his heires, and successours, as is aboveseid, for people, and inhabitants, become vassals and liege- evermore in right of the croune of Englande, as men to Edward IV of England, and assist him in weel the seid erle of Douglas, as his heires and his wars in Scotland or Ireland; and then follow successours, by homage and feaute to be done therethe allowances to be made to the lord of the Isles, fore."-Rymer's Fadera, Conventiones, Literæ et in recompense of his military service, and the pro- cujuscunque generis Acta Publica, fol. vol. v, 1741. visions for dividing such conquests as their united Such was the treaty of Artornish; but it does not arms should make upon the mainland of Scotland appear that the allies ever made any very active among the confederates. These appear such curi-effort to realize their ambitious designs. It will ous illustrations of the period, that they are here subjoined: Item, The seid John erle of Rosse, shall, from the seid fest of Whittesontyde next comyng, yerely, durying his lyf, have and take, for fees and wages in tym of peas, of the seid most high and christien prince c. mare sterlyng of Englysh mo serve to show both the power of these reguli, and their independence of the crown of Scotland. It is only farther necessary to say of the castle of Artornish, that it is almost opposite to the bay of Aros, in the island of Mull, where there was another castle, the occasional residence of the lord of the Isles. 2. Rude Heiskar's seal through surges dark Will long pursue the minstrel's bark.-P. 251. The seal displays a taste for music, which could scarcely be expected from his habits and local predilections. They will long follow a boat in which any musical instrument is played, and even a tune simply whistled has attractions for them. The dean of the Isles says of Heiskar, a small uninhabited rock, about twelve (Scottish) miles from the isle of Uist, that an infinite slaughter of seals takes place there. isle Finlagan, from which this lake hath its name, is in it. It is famous for being once the court in which the great Mack-Donald, king of the Isles, had his residence; his houses, chapel, &c. are now ruinous. His guards de corps, called Luch-tach, kept guard on the lakeside nearest to the isle: the walls of their houses are still to be seen there. The high court of judicature, consisting of fourteen, sat always here; and there was an appeal to them from all the courts in the Isles: the eleventh share of the sum in debate was due to the principal judge. There was a big stone of seven foot square in which there was a deep impression made to receive the feet of Mack-Donald; for he was crowned king of the Isles standing in this stone, and swore that he would continue his vassals in the possession of their lands, and do exact justice to all his subjects: and then his father's sword was put into his hands. The bishop of Argyle and seven priests anointed him king, in presence of all the heads of the tribes in the Isles and continent, and were his vassals: at which time the orator rehearsed a catalogue of his ancestors, &c."-Martin's Account of the Western Isles, octavo, London, 1716, p. 240, Ï. 5. -Mingarry, sternly placed, O'erawes the woodland and the waste.-P. 252. purpose 3. dark Mull! thy mighty sound.-P. 252. The sound of Mull, which divides that island from the continent of Scotland, is one of the most striking scenes which the Hebrides afford to the traveller. Sailing from Oban to Aros, or Tobermory, through a narrow channel, yet deep enough to bear vessels of the largest burthen, he has on his left the bold and mountainous shores of Mull; on the right those of that district of Argyleshire, called Morven, or Morvern, successively indented by deep salt-water lochs, running up many miles inland. To the south-eastward arises a prodigious range of mountains, among which Cruachan-Ben is pre-eminent. And to the north-east is the no less huge and picturesque range of the Ardnamurchan hills. Many ruinous castles, situated generally upon cliffs overhanging the ocean, add interest to The castle of Mingarry is situated on the seathe scene. Those of Dunolly and Dunstaffnage coast of the district of Ardnamurchan. The ruins, are first passed, then that of Duart, formerly be- which are tolerably entire, are surrounded by a longing to the chief of the warlike and powerful sept of Macleans, and the scene of Miss Baillie's very high wall, forming a kind of polygon, for the beautiful tragedy, entitled the Family Legend. of a precipice overhanging the sea, on which the of adapting itself to the projecting angles Still passing on to the northward, Artornish and castle stands. It was anciently the residence of Aros become visible upon the opposite shores, the Mac-lans, a clan of Mack-Donalds descended and, lastly, Mingarry, and other ruins of less dis- from Ian, or John, a grandson of Angus Og, lord tinguished note. In fine weather, a grander and of the Isles. The last time that Mingarry was of more impressive scene, both from its natural beau- military importance, occurs in the celebrated Leaties, and associations with ancient history and tra- bhar dearg, or Red-book of Clanronald, a MS. redition, can hardly be imagined. When the wea-nowned in the Ossianic controversy. Allaster ther is rough, the passage is both difficult and dan- Mac-Donald, commonly called Colquitto, who gerous, from the narrowness of the channel, and commanded the Irish auxiliaries, sent over by the in part from the number of inland lakes, out of earl of Antrim during the great civil war to the which sally forth a number of conflicting and assistance of Montrose, began his enterprize in thwarting tides, making the navigation perilous to open boats. The sudden flaws and gusts of wind which issue without a moment's warning from the mountain glens are equally formidable. So that in unsettled weather, a stranger, if not much accustomed to the sea, may sometimes add to the other sublime sensations excited by the scene, that feeling of dignity which arises from a sense of danger. 4. From Hirt 1644, by taking the castles of Kinloch-Alline and Mingarry, the last of which made considerable resistance, as might, from the strength of the situation, be expected. In the meanwhile, Allaster Mac-Donald's ships, which had brought him over, were attacked in Loch Eisord, in Skye, by an armament sent round by the covenanting parliament, and his own vessel was taken. This circumstance is said chiefly to have induced him to continue in Scotland, where there seemed little prospect of To the green Ilay's fertile shore.-P. 252. raising an army in behalf of the king. He had no The number of the western isles of Scotland ex-sooner moved eastward to join Montrose, a juncceeds two hundred, of which St. Kilda is the most tion which he effected in the braes of Athole, than northerly, anciently called Hirth, or Hirt, pro- the marquis of Argyle besieged the castle of Minbably from "earth," being in fact the whole globe garry, but without success. Among other warto its inhabitants. Ilay, which now belongs almost riors and chiefs whom Argyle summoned to his entirely to Walter Campbell, esq. of Shawfield, camp to assist upon this occasion, was John of is by far the most fertile of the Hebrides, and has Moidart, the captain of Clanronald. Clanronald been greatly improved under the spirited and sa-appeared; but, far from yielding effectual assistance gacious management of the present proprietor. to Argyle, he took the opportunity of being in This was in ancient times the principal abode of arms to lay waste the district of Sunart, then bethe lords of the Isles, being, if not the largest, the longing to the adherents of Argyle, and sent part most important island of their archipelago. In of the spoil to relieve the castle of Mingarry. Thus Martin's time, some relies of their grandeur the castle was maintained until relieved by Allaswere yet extant. "Loch-Finlagan, about three ter Mac-Donald (Colquitto,) who had been demiles in circumference, affords salmon, trouts, and tached for the purpose by Montrose. These pareels: this lake lies in the centre of the isle. The ticulars are hardly worth mentioning, were they not connected with the memorable successes of ants are called Clan-Ean of Glencoe, and the M Montrose, related by an eye-witness, and hither-Donalds of Fraoch. This Angus Og died in Isla, to unknown to Scottish historians. where his body was interred; his son John succeeded to the inheritance of Innisgall. He had good de6. The heir of mighty Somerled.-P. 252. scendants, namely, three sons procreate of Ann, Somerled was thane of Argyle and lord of the daughter of Rodric, high chief of Lorn, and one Isles, about the middle of the twelfth century. He daughter, Mary, married to John Maclean, laird seems to have exercised his authority in both ca- of Duart, and Lauchlan, his brother, laird of Coll; pacities, independent of the crown of Scotland, she was interred in the church of the Black Nuns. against which he often stood in hostility. He made The eldest sons of John were Ronald, Godfrey, various incursions upon the western lowlands dur- and Angus. He gave Ronald a great inheritance. ing the reign of Malcolm IV, and seems to have These were the lands which he gave him, viz. made peace with him upon the terms of an inde- from Kilcumin in Abertarf to the river Seil, and pendent prince, about the year 1157. In 1164, he from thence to Beilli, north of Eig and Rum, and resumed the war against Malcolm, and invaded the two Uists, and from thence to the foot of the Scotland with a large, but probably a tumultuary river Glaichan, and threescore long ships. John army, collected in the Isles, in the mainland of married afterwards Margaret Stewart, daughter to Argyleshire, and in the neighbouring provinces of Robert Stewart, king of Scotland, called John Ireland. He was defeated and slain in an engage-Fernyear; she bore him three good sons, Donald ment with a very inferior force, near Renfrew. of the Isles, the heir, John the Tainister (i. e. His son Gillicolane fell in the same battle. This Thane,) the second son, and Alexander Carrach. mighty chieftain married a daughter of Olaus, king John had another son called Marcos, of whom the of Man. From him our genealogists deduce two clan Macdonald of Cnoc, in Tirowen, are descenddynasties, distinguished in the stormy history of ed. This John lived long, and made donations to the middle ages; the lords of the Isles descended Icolumkill; he covered the chapel of Eorsay-Elan, from his elder son Ronald, and the lords of Lorn, the chapel of Finlagan, and the chapel of the Isle who took their surname of M'Dougal, as descend- of Tsuibhne, and gave the proper furniture for the cd of his second son Dougal. That Somerled's ter- service of God, upholding the clergy and monks; ritories upon the mainland, and upon the islands, he built or repaired the church of the Holy Cross should have been thus divided between his two immediately before his death. He died at his own sons, instead of passing to the elder exclusively, castle of Ardtorinish; many priests and monks may illustrate the uncertainty of descent among took the sacrament at his funeral, and they emthe great highland families, which we shall pre-balmed the body of this dear man, and brought sently notice 7. Lord of the Isles.-P. 252. * it to lcolumkill; the abbot, monks, and vicar, came as they ought to meet the king of Fiongal,' eight days and nights over it, and laid it in the and out of great respect to his memory mourned same grave with his father, in the church of Oran, 1380. Ronald, son of John, was chief ruler of the Isles in his father's life-time, and was old in the government at his father's death. "He assembled the gentry of the Isles, brought the sceptre from Kildonan in Eig, and delivered it M'Donald, and Donald lord of the Isles,† contrary to his brother Donald, who was thereupon called to the opinion of the men of the Isles. The representative of this independent principality, for such it seems to have been, though acknowleding occasionally the pre-eminence of the Scottish crown, was, at the period of the poem, Angus, called Angus Og; but the name has been, euphoniæ gratia, exchanged for that of Ronald, which frequently occurs in the genealogy. Angus was a protector of Robert Bruce, whom he received in his castle of Dunnaverty, during the time of his greatest distress. As I shall be equally liable to censure for attempting to decide a controversy which has long existed between three distinguished chieftains of this family, who have long "Ronald, son of Jolin, son of Angus Og, was a disputed the representation of the lord of the Isles, great supporter of the church and clergy; his deor for leaving a question of such importance alto- scendants are called Clanronald. He gave the lands gether untouched, I choose, in the first place, to give of Tiruma, in Uist, to the minister of it for ever, such information as I have been able to derive from for the honour of God and Columkill; he was prohighland genealogists, and which, for those who prietor of all the lands of the north along the coast, have patience to investigate such subjects, really contains some curious information concerning the history of the Isles. In the second place, I shall offer a few remarks upon the rules of succession at that period, without pretending to decide their bearing upon the question at issue, which must depend upon evidence which I have had no opportunity to examine. and the Isles; he died in the year of Christ, 1386, in his own mansion of Castle Tirim, leaving five children. Donald of the Isles, son of John, son of Angus Og, the brother of Ronald, took possession of Innisgall by the consent of his brother and the gentry thereof: they were all obedient to him; he married Mary Lesly, daughter to the earl of Ross, and by her came the earldom of Ross to the M' Donalds. After his succession to that earldom, he was called M'Donald, lord of the Isles, and earl of Ross. There are many things written of him in other places. "Angus Og," says an ancient manuscript translated from the Gaelic, "son of Angus Mor, son of Donald, son of Ronald, son of Somerled, high chief and superior lord of Innisgall, (or the Isles of the Gael, the general name given to the Hebrides,) he "He fought the battle of Garioch, (i. e. Harlaw,) married a daughter of Cunbui, namely, Cathan; against duke Murdock, the governor: the earl of she was mother to John, son of Angus, and with Mar commanded the army, in support of his claim her came an unusual portion from Ireland, viz. to the earldom of Ross; which was ceded to him twenty-four clans, of whom twenty-four families by king James the First, after his release from the in Scotland are descended. Angus had another son, namely, young John Fraoch, whose descend • Western isles and adjacent coast. + Innisgall Blar na Paire. Alexander had only a few of the men of Ross at the battle. He went after that battle to take possession of the Isles, and sailed in a ship to the south to see if he could find any of the posterity of John Mor alive, to rise along with him, but Mac-Cean of Ardnamurchan watched him as he sailed past, followed him to Oransay, and Colonsay, went to the house where he was, and he and Alexander, son of John Cathanach, murdered him there. king of England, and duke Murdoch, his two sons and retainers, were beheaded: he gave lands in Mull and Isla to the minister of Hi, and every privilege which the minister of Iona had formerly, besides vessels of gold and silver to Columkill, for the monastery, and became himself one of the fraternity. He left issue, a lawful heir, to Innisgall and Ross, namely, Alexander, the son of Donald: he died in Isla, and his body was interred in the south side of the temple of Oran. Alexander, call ed John of the Isles, son of Alexander of the Isles, "A good while after these things fell out, Donald son of Donald of the Isles. Angus, the third son Galda, son of Alexander, son of Archibald, beof John, son of Angus Og, married the daughter came major; he, with the advice and direction of of John, the son of Allan, which connexion caused the earl of Moray, came to the Isles, and Macsome disagreement betwixt the two families about Leod of the Lewis, and many of the gentry of the their marches and division of lands, the one party Isles, rose with him: they went by the promontory adhering to Angus, and the other to John: the dif- of Ardnamurchan, where they met Alexander, the ferences increased so much, that John obtained son of John Cathanach, were reconciled to him, from Allan all the lands betwixt Abhan Fahda, he joined his men with theirs against Mac-Cean (i. e. the long river) and ald na sionnach (i. e. the of Ardnamurchan, came upon him at a place callfox-burn brook), in the upper part of Cantyre. ed the Silver Craig, where he and his three sons, Allan went to the king to complain of his son-in- and a great number of his people, were killed, and law; in a short time thereafter, there happened to Donald Galda was immediately declared Mac-Dobe a great meeting about this young Angus's lands nald: and, after the affair of Ardnamurchan, all to the north of luverness, where he was murdered the men of the Isles yielded to him, but he did not by his own harper, Mac-Cairbre, by cutting his live above seven or eight weeks after it; he died throat with a long knife. He lived a year there- at Carnaborg, in Mull, without issue. He had three after, and many of those concerned were deliver- sisters, daughters of Álexander, son of Archibald, ed up to the king. Angus's wife was pregnant at who were portioned in the north upon the contithe time of his murder, and she bore him a son, nent, but the earldom of Ross was kept for them. who was named Donald, and called Donald Du. Alexander the son of Archibald, had a natural son, He was kept in confinement until he was thirty called John Cam, of whom is descended Achnacoiyears of age, when he was released by the men of chan, in Ramoch, and Donald Gorm, son of RoGlencoe, by the strong hand. After this enlarge-nald, son of Alexander Duson, of John Cam. Doment, he came to the Isles, and convened the gen-nald Du, son of Angus, son of John of the Isles, try thereof. There happened great feuds betwixt son of Alexander of the Isles, son of Donald of the these families while Donald Du was in confinement, Isles, son of John of the Isles, son of Angus Og, insomuch that Mac-Cean of Ardnamurchan destroy- namely, the true heir of the Isles and Ross, came ed the greatest part of the posterity of John Mor, after his release from captivity to the Isles, and of the Isles and Cantyre. For John Cathanach, convened the men thereof, and he and the earl son of John, son of Donald Ballach, son of John Mor, of Lennox agreed to raise a great army for the son of John, son of Angus Og, (the chief of the de- purpose of taking possession, and a ship came from scendants of John Mor,) and John Mor, son of England with a supply of money to carry on the John Cathanach, and young John, son of John Ca- war, which landed at Mull, and the money was thanach, and young Donald Ballach, son of John given to Mac-Lean of Duart to be distributed among Cathanach, were treacherously taken by Mac-Cean the commanders of the army, which they not rein the island of Finlagan, in Isla, and carried to Ed-ceiving in proportion as it should have been disinburgh, where he got them hanged at the Burrow-tributed among them, caused the army to disperse, muir, and their bodies were buried in the church of which, when the earl of Lennox heard, he disbandSt. Anthony, called the New Church. There were ed his own men, and made it up with the king: none left alive at that time of the children of John Mac-Donald went to Ireland to raise men, but he Cathanach, except Alexander, the son of John Ca- died on his way to Dublin, at Drogheda, of a fever, thanach, and Agues Flach, who concealed them-without issue of either sons or daughters." selves in the glens of Ireland. Mac-Cean, hearing In this history may be traced, though the bard of their hiding-places, went to cut down the woods or seannachie touches such a delicate discussion of these glens, in order to destroy Alexander and with a gentle hand, the point of difference between extirpate the whole race. At length Mac-Cean the three principal septs descended from the lords and Alexander met, were reconciled, and a mar- of the Isles. The first question, and one of no easy riage alliance took place; Alexander married Mac- solution, where so little evidence is produced, reCean's daughter, and she brought him good chil- spects the nature of the connexion of John, called dren. The Mac-Donalds of the north had also de- by the archdean of the Isles "the good John of scendants; for, after the death of John, lord of the Ila," and "the last lord of the Isles," with Anne, Isles, and earl of Ross, and the murder of Angus, daughter of Roderick Mac-Dougal, high chief of Alexander, the son of Archibald, the son of Alex-Lorn. In the absence of positive evidence, preander of the Isles, took possession, and John was sumptive must be resorted to, and I own it appears in possession of the earldom of Ross, and the to render it in the highest degree improbable that north bordering country; he married a daughter of this connexion was otherwise than legitimate. In the earl of Moray, of whom some of the men of the wars between David II and Edward Baliol, the north had descended. The Mac-Kenzies rose against Alexander, and fought the battle called The murderer I presume, not the man who was mur dered. John of the Isles espoused the Baliol interest, to which he was probably determined by his alliance with Roderick of Lorn, who was, from every tamily predilection, friendly to Baliol and hostile to 8. the house of Lorn.-P. 252. Bruce. It seems absurd to suppose, that between dart, the ancestors of the captains of Clanronald, two chiefs of the same descent, and nearly equal was the eldest son of Ronald, the son of John of power and rank (though the Mac-Dougals had Ila. A humble lowlander may be permitted to been much crushed by Robert Bruce,) such a con- waive the discussion, since a seannachie of no nection should have been that of concubinage; and small note, who wrote in the 16th century, exit appears more likely that the tempting offer of presses himself upon this delicate topic in the folan alliance with the Bruce family, when they had lowing words:obtained the decided superiority in Scotland, in- "I have now given you an account of every duced "the good John of lla" to disinherit to a thing you can expect of the descendants of the clan certain extent his eldest son Ronald, who came of Colla, (i. e. the Mac-Donalds,) to the death of a stock so unpopular as the Mac-Dougals, and to Donald Du at Drogheda, namely, the true line of call to his succession his younger family, born of those who possessed the Isles, Ross, and the mounMargaret Stuart, daughter of Robert, afterwards tainous countries of Scotland. It was Donald, the king of Scotland. The setting aside of this elder son of Angus, that was killed at Inverness, by his branch of his family was most probably a condition own harper (Mac-i'Cairbre,) son of John of the of his new alliance, and his being received into Isles, son of Alexander, son of Donald, son of John, favour with the dynasty he had always opposed. son of Angus Og. And I know not which of his Nor were the laws of succession at this early pe- kindred or relations is the true heir, except these riod so clearly understood as to bar such transac-five sons of John, the son of Angus Og, whom I tions. The numerous and strange claims set up to here set down for you, namely, Ronald and Godthe crown of Scotland, when vacant by the death frey, the two sons of the daughter of Mac-Donald of Alexander Ill, make it manifest how very little of Lorn, and Donald and John Mor, and Alexanthe indefeasible hereditary right of primogeniture der Carrach, the three sons of Margaret Stewart, was valued at that period. In fact, the title of the daughter of Robert Stewart, king of Scotland.”— Bruces themselves to the crown, though justly the Leabhar Dearg. most popular, when assumed with the determination of asserting the independence of Scotland, The house of Lorn, as we observed in a former was, upon pure principle, greatly inferior to that note, was, like the lords of the Isles, descended of Baliol. For Bruce, the competitor, claimed as from a son of Somerled, slain at Renfrew, in 1164. son of Isabella, second daughter of David, earl of This son obtained the succession of his mainland Huntingdon, and John Baliol, as grandson of Mar- territories, comprehending the greater part of the garet, the elder daughter of that same earl. So that three districts of Lorn, in Argyleshire, and of the plea of Bruce was founded upon the very loose course might rather be considered as petty princes idea, that, as the great grandson of David I, king than feudal barons. They assumed the patronymic of Scotland, and the nearest collateral relation of appellation of Mac-Dougal, by which they are disAlexander IIl, he was entitled to succeed, in exclusion of the great great grandson of the same lord of Lorn, who flourished during the wars of tinguished in the history of the middle ages. The David, though by an elder daughter. This maxim Bruce, was Allaster (or Alexander) Mac-Dougal, savoured of the ancient practice of Scotland, which called' Allaster of Argyle. He had married the often called a brother to succeed to the crown as third daughter of John, called the Red Comyn,* nearer in blood than a grand-child, or even a son who was slain by Bruce in the Dominican church of a deceased monarch. But, in truth, the maxims at Dumfries, and hence he was a mortal enemy of of inheritance in Scotland were sometimes de- that prince, and more than once reduced him to parted from at periods when they were much more distinctly understood. Such a transposition of his reign, as we shall have repeated occasion great straits during the early and distressed period took place in the family of Hamilton, in 1513, to notice. Bruce, when he began to obtain an aswhen the descendants of James, 3d lord, by lady cendency in Scotland, took the first opportunity Janet Home, were set aside, with an appanage of in his power to requite these injuries. He marchgreat value indeed, in order to call to the succes-ed into Argyleshire to lay waste the country. John sion those which he had by a subsequent marriage of Lorn, son of the chieftain, was posted with his with Janet Beaton. In short, many other examples followers in the formidable pass between Dalmally might be quoted to show that the question of le- and Bunawe. It is a narrow path along the verge gitimacy is not always determined by the fact of of the huge and precipitous mountain, called Crusuccession; and there seems reason to believe that achan Ben, and guarded on the other side by a Ronald, descendant of "John of lla," by Ann of precipice overhanging Loch Awe. The pass seems Lorn, was legitimate, and therefore lord of the to the eye of a soldier as strong, as it is wild and Isles de jure, though de facto his younger half romantic to that of an ordinary traveller. But the brother, Donald, son of his father's second mar- skill of Bruce had anticipated this difficulty. While riage with the princess of Scotland, superseded his main body, engaged in a skirmish with the him in his right, and apparently by his own con- men of Lorn, detained their attention to the front sent. From this Donald so preferred is descended of their position, James of Douglas, with sir Alexthe family of Sleate, now lords Mac-Donald. On ander Fraser, sir William Wiseman, and sir the other hand, from Ronald, the excluded heir, Andrew Grey, ascended the mountain with a seupon whom a very large appanage was settled, descended the chiefs of Glengary and Clanronald, each of whom had large possessions, and a nume-logy rous vassalage, and boasted a long descent of warlike ancestry. Their common ancestor, Ronald, was murdered by the earl of Ross at the monastery of Elcho, A. D. 1346. I believe it has been subject of fierce dispute, whether Donald, who carried on the line of Glengary, or Allan of Moi-I The aunt, according to lord Hailes. But the genea The third daughter of Red Comyn, Ewen of Lorn after that. Wintoun's Chronicle, Book viii, c. vi, line 206. |