第 46 节
作者:西门在线      更新:2021-09-29 13:02      字数:9322
  utter dissevering from  the  Scottish crown; something must be done; and many were the projects  suggested。  At one time the King resolved to proceed to the disturbed  districts in person; and fix his headquarters in Kentire; at another; a deputy  was to be sent; armed with regal powers; and twice the Duke of Lennox  was nominated to this arduous office。  The old plan; too; might have been repeated; of granting a Royal Commission to one or other of the northern  Reguli; who were ever prepared; under the plea of loyalty; to strengthen  their own hands; and exterminate their brethren; but this; as had been often felt before; was to abandon the country to utter devastation; and a more pacific and singular policy was now adopted。  One association of  Lowland barons; chiefly from Fife; took a lease from the Crown of the Isle  of Lewis; for which they agreed; after seven years' possession; to give the  King an annual rent of one hundred and forty chalders of victual; and  came under an obligation to conquer their farm at their own charges。
  Another company of noble…men and gentlemen in Lothian offered; under a  similar agreement; to subdue Skye。  And this kind of feudal joint…stock  company actually commenced their operations with a force of six hundred  soldiers; and a motley multitude of farmers; ploughmen; artificers; and  pedlars。  But the Celtic population and their haughty chiefs could not  consent to be handed over; in this wholesale fashion; to the tender mercies  and agricultural lectures of a set of Saxon adventurers。  The Lowland  barons arrived; only to be attacked with the utmost fury; and to have the leases of their farms; in the old Douglas phrase; written on their own skins  with steel pens and bloody ink。  For a time; however; they continued the  struggle and having entered into alliance with some of the native chiefs; fought the Celts with their own weapons; and more than their own  ferocity。  Instead of agricultural and pastoral produce; importations of  wool; or samples of grain; from the infant colony; there was sent to the  Scottish Court a ghastly cargo of twelve human heads in sacks; and it was hoped that; after such an example of severity; matters might succeed  better。  But the settlers were deceived。  After a feeble and protracted  struggle for a few years; sickness and famine; perils by land and perils by  water; incessant war; and frequent assassinations; destroyed the colony; and the three great western chiefs; Macdonald of Sleat; Macleod of Harris;  and Mackenzie of Kintail; enjoyed the delight of seeing the principal  gentlemen adventurers made captive by Tormod Macleod; who; after  extorting from them a renunciation of their titles; and an oath never to  return to the Lewis; dismissed them to carry to the Scottish Court the  melancholy reflection that a Celtic population; and the islands on which it  was scattered; were not yet the materials or the field for the further  operations of the economists of Fife and Mid…Lothian。〃
  In 1610 his Lordship returned to the Lewis with 700 men; and finally brought the whole island to submission; with the exception of Neil  Macleod and a few of his followers; who retired to the rock of Berissay;  and took possession of it。  At this period religion must have been at a very  low ebbalmost extinct among the inhabitants; and; to revive Christianity  among them; his Lordship selected and took along with him the Rev。  Farquhar Macrae; a native of Kintail and minister of Gairloch; 'He  brought with him Mr Farquhar Macrae; who was then a young man and  minister of Gairloch and appointed by the Bishop of Ross (Lesley) to stay with Sir George Hay and the Englishmen that were with him in Letterewe;  being a peaceful and eloquent preacher。Ardintoul MS。' who had been recommended to the latter charge by the bishop of Ross。  Mr Macrae found quite enough to do on his arrival in the island; but he appears to  have been very successful among the uncivilised natives; for he reports  having gained many over to Christianity; baptised a large number in the  fortieth year of their age; and; to legitimise their children; marrying many  others to those women with whom they had been for years cohabiting。   Leaving the reverend gentleman in the prosecution of his mission; his  Lordship returned home; having established good order in the island; and  promising to return again the following year; to the great satisfaction of  the people。
  Some time before this Alexander MacGorrie and Ranald MacRory; sons of Glengarry's uncles murdered in 1580 in Lochcarron; having arrived at maturity; and being brave and intrepid fellows; determined to  revenge upon Mackenzie the death of their parents。  With this object they went to Appelcross; where lived one of the murderers; John Og; son of  Angus; MacEachainn; surrounded his house; and set lire to it; burning to  death himself and his whole family。  Kintail sought redress from  Glengarry; who; while he did not absolutely refuse; did not grant it or  punish the wrong…doers; and encouraged by Glengarry's eldest son; Angus;  who had now attained his majority; the cousins; taking advantage of the  absence of Mackenzie; who had gone on a visit to France; continued their  depredations and insolence wherever they found opportunity。  Besides;  they made a complaint against him to the Privy Council; whereupon he  was charged at the pier of Leith to appear before the Council on an appointed day under pain of forfeiture。  In this emergency; Mr John  Mackenzie; minister of Dingwall; went privately to France in search of his  chief; whom he found and brought back in the most secret manner to  Edinburgh; fortunately in time to present himself next day after his arrival  before the Council; in terms of the summons at Glengarry's instance; and; after consulting his legal adviser and other friends; he appeared quite  unexpectedly before their Lordships。
  Meantime; while the gentlemen were on their way from France; Alexander MacGorrie and Alexander MacRory killed in his bed Donald Mackenneth Mhic Alastair; a gentleman of the family of Davochmaluag; who lived at Kishorn。  The shirt; covered with his blood; had been sent to  Edinburgh to await the arrival of Mackenzie; who the same day presented  it before the Privy Council; as evidence of the foul crime committed by his  accusers。  Glengarry was unable to prove anything material against Kintail  or his followers。  On the contrary; the Rev。 John Mackenzie; of Dingwall; charged Glengarry with being instrumental in the murder of John Og and  his family at Applecross; as also in that of Donald Mackenzie of  Davochmaluag; and undertook not only to prove this; but also that he was  a sorner; an oppressor of his own and of his neighbours' tenants; an idolater; who had a man in Lochbroom making images; in testimony of  which he carried south the image of St。 Coan; which Glengarry worshipped; called in Edinburgh Glengarry's god; and which was; by  public order; burnt at the Town Cross that Glengarry was a man who lived  in constant adultery with the Captain of Clan Ranald's daughter; after he had put away Grant of Grant's daughter; his lawful wife; whereupon  Glengarry was summoned there and then to appear next day before the  Council; and to lodge defences to this unexpected charge。  He naturally  became alarmed; and fearing the worst; fled from the city during the night;  〃took to his heels;〃 and gave up further legal proceedings against  Mackenzie。  Being afterwards repeatedly summoned; and failing to put in  an appearance; most of the charges were found proven against him; and in  1602; 'Records of Privy Council; 9th September; 1602; Sir Robert  Gordon's Earldom of Sutherland; p。 248; Letterfearn; Ardintoul; and other MS。 Histories of the Mackenzies。' he was declared outlaw and rebel; a  commission of fire and sword was granted to Mackenzie against him and  all his followers; with a decree of ransom for the loss of those who were burnt and plundered by him; and for Kintail's charges and expenses;  making altogether a very large sum。  But while these legal matters were  being arranged; Angus Macdonald; younger of Glengarry; who was of a  restless; daring disposition; went along with some of his followers under silence of night to Kintail; burnt the township of Cro; killed and burnt  several men; women; and children; and carried away a large spoil of  cattle。
  Mackenzie; hearing of this sudden raid; became much concerned about the loss of his Kintail tenants; and decided to requite the quarrel by  at once executing his commission against the Macdonalds of Glengarry;  and immediately set out in pursuit; leaving a sufficient number of men at home to secure the safety of his property。  He took along with him a force  of seventeen hundred men; at the same time taking three hundred cows  from his farm of Strathbraan to maintain his followers。  Ross of  Balnagowan sent a party of a hundred and eighty men; under command of  Alexander Ross of Invercharron; to aid his neighbour of Kintail; while  John Gordon of Embo commanded a hundred and twenty men sent to his  aid by the Earl of Sutherland; in virtue of the long standing bond of  manrent which existed between the two families; but Sir John 〃retired at  Monar; growing faint…hearted befor