WILLIAM AND MAEY.

15

terrible form of words in which the implacable Roman pro-nounced the doom of Carthage. His project was no less thanthis, that the whole hill country from sea to sea, and the neigh-bouring islands, should be wasted with fire and sword, thatthe Camerons, the Macleans, and all the branches of the raceof Macdonald, should be rooted out. He therefore looked withno friendly eye on schemes of reconciliation, and, while otherswere hoping that a little money would set everything right,hinted very intelligibly his opinion that whatever money wasto be laid out on the clans would be best laid out in the formof bullets and bayonets. To the last moment he continued toflatter himself that the rebels would he obstinate, and wouldthus furnish him with a plea for accomplishing that great socialrevolution on which his heart was set.* The letter is still extantin which he directed the commander of the forces in Scotlandhowto act if the Jacobite chiefs should not come in before theend of December. There is something strangely terrible in thecalmness and conciseness with which the instructions are given.“Your troops will destroy entirely the country of Lochaber,Lochiel’s lands, Keppoch’s, Glengarry’s and Glencoe’s. Yourpower shall be large enough. I hope the soldiers will nottrouble the government with prisoners.”**

This despatch had scarcely been sent off when news arrivedin London that the rebel chiefs, after holding out long, had atlast appeared before the Sheriffs and taken the oaths. Lochiel,

CHAPXVII]111 1 ) 2 .

* That the plan originally framed by the Master of Stair was such as Ihave represented it, is clear from parts of his letters which are quoted inthe Report of 1605; and from his letters to Brcadalbane of October 27,,December 2., and December 3. 1601. Of these letters to Brcadalbane thelast two are in Dalrymplc’s Appendix. The first is in the Appendix to thefirst volume of Mr. Burton’s valuable History of Scotland. “It appeared,”says Burnet (ii. 157.), “that a black design was laid, not only to cut off themen of Glencoe, but a great many more clans, reckoned to be in all abovesix thousand persons.”

** This letter is in the Report of 1695.