and　the　　Earl　of　Ross　and　not　the　king　was　superior；　for　in　1342　the　Earl　of　Ross　　grants　the　ten　davochs　of　the　lands　of　Kintail　to　Reginald；　son　of　Roderick　　of　the　Isles；　and　we　find　that　the　Mackenzies　held　their　lands　of　the　Earls　　of　Ross　and　afterwards　of　the　Duke　of　Ross　till　1508；　when　they　were　all　erected　into　a　barony　by　King　James　the　Fourth；　who　gave　them　a　crown　　charter。　　An　examination　of　the　witnesses　usually　detects　these　spurious　　charters；　and　in　this　case　it　is　conclusive　against　the　charter。　　Andrew　was　　bishop　of　Moray　from　1223　to　1242　and　there　was　no　bishop　of　that　name　　in　the　reign　of　Alexander　the　Third。　　Henry　de　Baliol　was　chamberlain　in　　the　reign　of　Alexander　the　Second；　and　not　of　Alexander　the　Third。　　　Thomas　Hostarius　belongs　to　the　same　reign；　and　has　been　succeeded　by　　his　son　Alan　long　before　the　date　of　this　charter。〃
  Dr　Skene　adds　that　if　the　Earl　of　Cromartie　was　not　himself　the　actual　inventor　of　the　whole　story；　it　must　have　taken　its　rise　not　very　long　　before　his　day；　for；　he　says；　〃no　trace　of　it　is　to　be　found　in　the　Irish　MSS。；　　the　history　of　the　Geraldine　family　knows　nothing　of　it；　and　MacVureach；　　who　must　have　been　acquainted　with　the　popular　history　of　the　western　　clans；　was　equally　unacquainted　with　it。〃　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　pp。　　351…354。＇
  This　fully　corroborates　all　that　was　said　in　the　preceding　　pages　regarding　the　Fitzgerald…Irish　origin　of　the　Mackenzies　and　which　every　　intelligent　clansman；　however　biassed；　must　now　admit　in　his　inner　　consciousness　to　be　fully　and　finally　disposed　of。　　Having；　however；　quoted　Skene's　earlier　views　on　the　general　　claim　by　the　Highland　chiefs　for　alien　progenitors　it　may　be　well　to　give　here　his　more　mature　conclusions　from　his　later　and　greater　work；　especially　as　some　people；　who　have　not　taken　the　trouble　to　read　what　he　writes；　have　　been　　saying　that　the　great　Celtic　historian　had　seen　cause　to　　change　his　views　on　these　important　points　in　Highland　genealogy　since　　he　wrote　his　Highlands　and　Highlanders　in　1839。　　After　examining　them　　all　very　closely　and　exhaustively　in　a　long　and　learned　chapter　of　some　　forty　pages；　he　says
  〃The　conclusion；　then；　to　which　this　analysis　of　the　clan　pedigrees　which　have　been　popularly　accepted　at　different　times　has　brought　us；　is　　that；　so　far　as　they　profess　to　show　the　origin　of　the　different　clans；　they　　are　entirely　artificial　and　untrustworthy；　but　that　the　older　genealogies　may　be　accepted　as　showingthe　descent　of　the　clan　from　its　eponymus　　or　founder；　and　within　reasonable　limits　for　some　generations　beyond　him；　while　the　later　spurious　pedigrees　must　be　rejected　altogether。　　It　may　　seem　surprising　that　such　spurious　and　fabulous　origins　should　be　so　　readily　credited　by　the　clan　families　as　genuine　traditions；　and　receive　　such　prompt　acceptance　as　the　true　fount　from　which　they　sprung；　　but　we　　must　recollect　that　the　fabulous　history　of　Hector　Boece　was　as　rapidly　and　universally　adopted　as　the　genuine　annals　of　the　national　history；　and　　became　rooted　in　those　parts　of　the　country　to　which　its　fictitious　events　　related　as　local　traditions。〃　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　p。　364。＇
  The　final　decision　to　which　Dr　Skene　comes　in　his　great　work　is　that　the　clans；　properly　so　called；　were　of　native　origin；　and　that　the　　surnames　adopted　by　them　were　partly　of　native　and　partly　of　foreign　　descent。　　Among　these　native　Highland　clans　he　unhesitatingly　classes　the　Mackenzies；　the　clan　Gillie…Andres　or　Rosses；　and　　the　Mathesons；　all　of　　whom　belong；　he　says；　to　the　tribe　of　Ross。　　In　his　first　work　on　the　　Highlands　and　Highland　Clans　he　draws　the　general　deduction；　based　on　　all　our　existing　MS。　genealogies；　that　the　clans　were　divided　into　several　　great　tribes；　descended　from　a　common　ancestor；　but　he　at　the　same　time　　makes　a　marked　distinction　between　the　different　tribes　which；　by　indica…tions　traceable　in　each；　can　be　identified　with　the　earldoms　or　　maormorships　into　which　the　North　of　Scotland　was　originally　divided。　　　By　the　aid　of　the　old　genealogies　he　divides　the　clans　into　five　different　tribes　in　the　following　order：（1）　The　descendants　of　Conn　of　the　Hundred　Battles；　（2）　of　Ferchar　Fata　Mac　Feradaig；　（3）　of　Cormaig　Mac　　Obertaig；　（4）　of　Fergus　Leith　Dearg；　and　（5）　of　Krycul。　　In　the　third　of　　these　divisions　he　includes　the　old　Earls　of　Ross；　the　Mackenzies；　the　　Mathesons；　and　several　other　clans；　and　to　this　classification　he　adheres；　　after　the　　most　mature　consideration；　in　his　later　and　greater　work；　the　　History　of　Celtic　Scotland。
  THE　　REAL　　CELTIC　　ORIGIN。
  It　is　now　most　interesting　to　know　who　the　ancient　Earls　of　Ross；　from　whom　the　Mackenzies　are　really　descended；　were。　　The　first　of　these　　earls　of　whom　we　have　any　record　is　Malcolm　Mac　Heth　to　whom　Malcolm　IV。　gave　Ross　in　1157；　with　the　title　of　Earl　of　Ross；　but　the　　inhabitants　rose　against　him　and　drove　him　out　of　the　district。　Wyntoun　　mentions　an　Earl　〃Gillandrys；〃　a　name　which　we　believe　is　derived　from　　the　common　ancestor　of　the　Mackenzies　and　Rosses；　〃Gilleoin…Ard…Rois；〃　　as　one　of　the　six　Celtic　earls　who　besieged　King　Malcolm　at　Perth　in　　1160。　　Skene　is　also　of　opinion　that　this　Gillandres　represented　the　old　　Celtic　earls　of　Ross；　as　the　clan　bearing　the　name　of　Ross　are　called　in　　Gaelic　Clann　Ghilleanrias；　or　descendants　of　Gillandres；　and　may；　he　　thinks；　have　led　the　revolt　which　drove　Malcolm　Mac　Heth　out　of　the　　earldom。　The　same　King；　two　years　after　the　incident　at　Perth；　gave　the　　earldom　of　Ross　to　Florence；　Count　of　Holland；　on　that　nobleman's　　marriage　with　His　Majesty's　sister　Ada；　in　1162；　but　the　new　earl　never　　secured　practical　possession　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　pp。　66…67。＇　　He　is；　　however；　found　claiming　it　as　late　as　1179；　in　the　reign　of　William　the　　Lion。
  The　district　of　Ross　is　often　mentioned　in　the　Norse　Sagas　along　with　the　other　parts　of　the　country　then　governed　by　Maormors　or　Jarls；　　and　Skene　in　his　earlier　work　says　that　it　was　only　on　the　downfall　of　　those　of　Moray　that　the　chiefs　of　Ross　appear　prominent　in　historical　　records；　the　Maormors　of　Moray　being　in　such　close　proximity　to　them　　and　so　great　in　power　and　influence　that　the　less　powerful　Maormor　of　　Ross　held　only　a　comparatively　subordinate　position；　and　his　name　was　in　　consequence　seldom　or　never　associated　with　any　of　the　great　events　of　　that　early　period　in　Highland　history。　　It　was　only　after　the　disappearance　　of　those　district　potentates　　that　　the　chiefs　appear　under　　the　appellation　　of　Comites　or　Earls。　That　most；　if　not　all；　of　these　earls　were　the　descendants　of　the　ancient　maormors　there　can　be　little　doubt；　and　the　　natural　presumption　in　this　instance　is　strengthened　by　the　fact　that　all　the　　old　authorities　concur　in　asserting　that　the　Gaelic　name　of　the　original　　Earls　of　Ross　was　O'Beolana　corruption　of　Gilleoin；　or　Gillean；　na　h‘Airdeor　the　descendants　of　Beolan。　　〃And　we　　actually　find；〃　says　the　same　authority；　〃from　the　oldest　Norse　Saga　connected　with　Scotland　that　　a　powerful　chief　in　the　North　of　Scotland　named　O'Beolan；　married　the　　daughter　of　Ganga　Rolfe；　or　Rollo；　the　celebrated　pirate　who　became　　afterwards　the　celebrated　Earl　of　Normandy。〃　　If　this　view　is　well…founded　the　ancestor　of　the　Earls　of　Ross　was　chief　in　Kintail　as　early　as　the　　beginning　of　the　tenth　century。　　We　have　seen　that　the　first　Earl　of　Ross　recorded　in　history　was　　Malcolm　Mac　Heth；　to　whom　a　precept　is　found；　directed　by　Malcolm　IV。；　　requesting　him　to　protect　the　monks　of　Dunfermline　and　defend　them　in　　their　lawful　privileges　and　possessions。　　The　document　is　not　dated；　but　　judging　from　the　names　of　the　witnesses　attesting　it；　the　precept　must　have　been　issued　before　1162。　　It　will　be　remembered　that　Mac　Heth　was　one　of　　the　six　Celtic　earls　who　besieged　the　King　at　Perth　two　years　before；　in　　1160。　　William　the　Lion；　who　seems　to　have　kept　the　earldom　in　his　own　　hands　for　several　years；　in　1179　marched　into　the　district　at　the　head　of　his　　earls　and　barons；　accompanied　by　a　large　army；　and　subdued　an　　insurrection　fomented　by　the　local　chiefs　against　his　authority。　　On　this　occasion　he　built　two　castles　within　its　bounds；　one　called　Dunscath　on　　the　northern　Sutor　at　the　entrance　to　the　Cromarty　Firth；　and　Redcastle　in　　the　Black　Isle。　　In　the　same　year　we　find　Florence；　Count　of　Holland；　complaining　that　he　had　been　deprived　of　its　nominal　ownership　by　King　　William。　　There　is　no　trace　of　any　other　earl　in　actual　possession　until　we　　come　to　Ferquard　or　〃Ferchair　Mac　an　t'　Sagairt；〃　Farquhar　the　son　of　the　Priest；　who　rose　rapidly　to　power　on　the　ruins　of　the　once　powerful　Mac　　Heth　earls　of　Moray；　of　which　line　Kenneth　Mac　Heth；　who；　with　Donald　　Ban；　led　a　force　into　Moray　against　Alexander　　II。；　son　　of　William　　the　　Lion；　　in　1215；　was　the　last。　　Of　this　raid　the　following　account　is　given　in　　Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　I。　p。　483：
  〃The　young　king　had　barely　reigned　a　year　when　be　had　to　　encounter　the　old　enemies　of　the　Crown；　the　families　of　Mac　William　and　Mac　Eth；　who　now　combined　their　forces　under　Donald　Ban；　the　son　of　　that　Mac　William　who　bad　been　slain　at　Mamgarvie　in　1187；　and　Kenneth　　Mac　Eth；　a　son　or　grandson　of　Malcolm　Mac　Eth；　with　the　son　of　one　of