320

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

XIII.

JGS9.

The Mac-donalds.

as a lawless and rebellious man, who held lands masterfullyand in high contempt of the royal authority.* On one occasionthe Sheriff of Invernessshire was directed by King James tohold a court in Lochaber. Lochiel, jealous of this interferencewith his own patriarchal despotism, came to the tribunal at thehead of four hundred armed Camerons. He affected greatreverence for the royal commission, but he dropped three orfour words which were perfectly understood by the pages andarmourbearers who 'watched every turn of his eye. “Is none ofmy lads so clever as to send this judge packing? I have seenthem get up a quarrel when there was less need of one.” In amoment a brawl began in the crowd, none could say how orwhere. Hundreds of dirks were out: cries of “Help” and“Murder” were raised on all sides: many wounds were in-flicted: two men were killed: the sitting broke up in tumult;and the terrified Sheriff was forced to put himself under theprotection of the chief, who, with a plausible show of respectand concern, escorted him safe home. It is amusing to thinkthat the man who performed this feat is constantly extolled asthe most faithful and dutiful of subjects by writers who blameSomers and Burnet as contemners of the legitimate authority ofSovereigns. Lochiel would undoubtedly have laughed thedoctrine of nonresistance to scorn. But scarcely any chief inInvernessshire had gained more than he by the downfall of theHouse of Argyle, or had more reason than he to dread therestoration of that House. Scarcely any chief in Invernessshire,therefore, was more alarmed and disgusted by the proceedingsof the Convention.

But of all those Highlanders who looked on the recent turnof fortune with painful apprehension the fiercest and the mostpowerful were the Macdonalds. More than one of the magnateswho bore that widespread name laid claim to the honour of* Act. Pari., July 5.16G1.