318

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

CHAP.

XIII.

16S9.

two will perceive that there really w r as some likeness. Instature the difference was great. Lewis, in spite of highheeledshoes and a towering wig, hardly reached the middle size.Lochiel was tall and strongly built. In agility and skill at hisweapons he had few equals among the inhabitants of the hills.He had repeatedly been victorious in single combat. He was ahunter of great fame. He made vigorous war on the wolveswhich, down to his time, preyed on the red deer of the Gram-pians; and by his hand perished the last of the ferocious breedwhich is known to have wandered at large in our island. Norwas Lochiel less distinguished by intellectual than by bodilyvigour. He might indeed have seemed ignorant to educatedand travelled Englishmen, who had studied the classics underBusby at Westminster and under Aldrich at Oxford, W'ho hadlearned something about the sciences among Fellows of theRoyal Society, and something about the fine arts in the gal-leries of Florence and Rome. But though Lochiel had verylittle knowledge of books, he was eminently wise in council,eloquent in debate, ready in devising expedients, and skilful inmanaging the minds of men. His understanding preserved himfrom those follies into which pride and anger frequently hurriedhis brother chieftains. Many, therefore, who regarded hisbrother chieftains as mere barbarians, mentioned him withrespect. Even at the Dutch Embassy in St. James’s Square hewas spoken of as a man of such capacity and courage that itwould not be easy to find his equal. As a patron of literaturehe ranks with the magnificent Dorset. If Dorset out of his ownpurse allowed Dryden a pension equal to the profits of theLaureateship, Lochiel is said to have bestowed on a celebratedbard, who had been plundered by marauders, and who im-plored alms in a pathetic Gaelic ode, three cows and the almostincredible sum of fifteen pounds sterling. In truth, thecharacter of this great chief was depicted two thousand