eman；　besides　his　other　misfortunes；　　was　deprived　of　his　writs　and　of　all　his　evidences　needful　to　be　produced　in　his　defence　against　the　claims　of　his　adversaries。〃　　If　a　tithe　of　all　this　is　　true　poor　Neil　deserves　to　be　pitied　indeed。　　But　after　giving　such　a　long　catalogue　of　charges；　involving　the　most　cruel　and　deceitful　acts　against　the　Mackenzies；　the　author　of　them　is　himself　doubtful　about　their　　accuracy；　for　he　says　that；　although　the　Mackenzies；　after　possessing　the　estates；　had　all　the　advantages　and　means　for　doing　the　unjust　things　　which　he　alleges　against　them　of　inventing　new　claims　and　additional　　titles；　〃it　is　not　pretended　to　be　now　told　what　additional　titles　they　made〃　　an　admission　which　largely　discounts　and　disposes　of　the　other　charges　　made　by　Macleod's　apologist。　　And；　notwithstanding　all　his　disadvantages　　and　difficulties；　Neil　made　another　effort　〃towards　obtaining　justice　to　　himself　and　his　family〃；　and　to　that　end；　in　1679　and　1680；　he　commenced　　a　new　process　against　Seaforth　and　all　others　〃whom　he　knew　to　have　or　　pretended　to　have〃　claims　against　him　or　his　estate。　　It　was；　however；　　objected　（1）　that　he　had　no　title　in　his　own　person　to　the　lands　of　Assynt；　　and　（2）　that　he　was　at　the　horn　and　had　no　personam　standi　in　judices。
  Neil　made　〃very　pertinent〃　answers　to　these　objections　in　1682；　but　he　　was　wisely　advised　to　stop　the　proceedings　of　reduction；　and　to　commence　　a　Process　of　Spulzie　against　the　Earl　Sinclair；　of　Mey；　the　Laird　of　　Dunbeath；　and　others。　　Seaforth　having　died　while　these　proceedings　were　　pending；　there　appears　in　process　an　Oath　by　his　successor；　〃who　swears　　that　he　not　then　nor　formerly　had　the　charter　chest；　nor　knew　what　was　　become　of　it；　and　as　he　was　not　charged　with　having　a　hand　in　the　Spulzie　he　was　freed　thereof　and　of　the　consequences　of　it；　by　their　Lordships。
  Neil　having　given　in　an　inventory　of　the　writs　contained　in　his　chest；　his　　oath　in　litem　was　taken　thereanent；　and　he　referred　his　expenses　and　　damages　to　the　judgment　of　the　Lords；〃　with　the　result　that；　in　1692；　they　　decerned　in　his　favour　for　the　sum　of　two　thousand　pounds　Scots；　in　name　　of　damages　and　expenses；　to　be　paid　to　him　by　the　defenders；　and　at　the　　same　time　superseding　his　further　claim　until　he　should　give　in　more　　particulars　regarding　it。　　He　assigned　this　decree　to　his　nephew；　Captain　Donald　Macleod　of　Geanies；　and　it　remained　as　the　basis　of　the　process　　which　was　raised　by　Norman　Macleod；　XIX。　of　Macleod；　in　1738；　already　referred　to　〃for　what　thereof　is　unpaid。〃　　But　Neil；　〃being　unable　by　　unparalleled　bad　usage；　trouble；　and　poverty；　and　at　length　by　old　age；　it　　does　not　appear　that　lie　went　any　further　towards　obtaining　of　justice　for　　himself　than　what　is　above　narrated　in　relation　to　the　process　of　reduction　　and　Spulzie〃；　and　that　his　friends　failed　in　their　subsequent　efforts　to　　punish　Mackenzie　or　re…possess　themselves　of　the　Assynt　estates　is　　sufficiently　well…known。　＇For　Neil's　connection　with　the　Betrayal　of　　Montrose　see　Mackenzie's　History　of　the　Macleods；　pp。　410…419。＇
  In　1648　Seaforth　again　raised　a　body　of　4000　men　in　the　Western　Islands　and　Ross…shire；　whom　he　led　south；　to　aid　the　King's　cause；　but　　after　joining　in　a　few　skirmishes　under　Lanark；　they　returned　home　to　〃cut　　their　corn　which　was　now　ready　for　their　sickles。〃　During　the　whole　of　　this　period　Seaforth's　fidelity　to　the　Royal　cause　was　open　to　considerable　　suspicion；　and　when　Charles　I。　threw　himself　into　the　hands　of　the　Scots　at　　Newark；　and　ordered　Montrose　to　disband　his　forces；　Earl　George；　always　　trying　to　be　on　the　winning　side；　came　in　to　Middleton；　and　made　terms　　with　the　Committee　of　Estates；　but　the　Church；　by　whom　he　had　　previously　been　excommunicated；　continued　implacable；　and　would　only　　agree　to　be　satisfied　by　a　public　penance　in　sackcloth　within　the　High　　Church　of　Edinburgh。　　The　proud　Earl　consented；　underwent　this　　ignominious　and　degrading　ceremonial；　and　his　sentence　of　　excommunication　was　then　removed。　　Notwithstanding　this　public　　humiliation；　after　the　death　of　the　ill…fated　and　despotic　Charles　I。；　　Seaforth；　in　1649；　went　over　to　Holland；　and　joined　Charles　II。；　by　whom　　he　was　made　Principal　Secretary　of　State　for　Scotland；　the　duties　of　which；　however；　he　never　had　the　opportunity　of　performing。
  Charles　was　proclaimed　King　on　the　5th　of　February；　1649；　in　Edinburgh；　and　it　was　decided　by　him　and　his　friends　in　exile　that　Montrose　should　make　a　second　attempt　to　recover　Scotland；　for；　on　the　　advice　of　his　friends；　Charles　declined　the　humiliating　terms　offered　him　by　the　Scottish　faction；　and；　in　connection　with　the　plans　of　Montrose；　a　rising　took　place　in　the　North；　under　Thomas　Mackenzie　of　Pluscardine；　　brother　to　the　Earl　of　Seaforth；　Sir　Thomas　Urquhart　of　Cromarty；　Colonel　John　Munro　of　Lemlair；　and　Colonel　Hugh　Fraser。　　On　the　22d　February　　they　entered　Inverness；　expelled　the　troops　from　the　garrison；　and　　afterwards　demolished　the　walls　and　　fortifications。　　On　the　26th　of　　February　a　Council　of　War　was　held；　presentThomas　Mackenzie　of　　Pluscardine；　Preses；　Sir　Thomas　Urquhart　of　Cromarty；　H。　Fraser　of　　Belladrum；　Jo。　Cuthbert　of　Castlehill；　R。　Mackenzie；　of　Davochmaluak；　　Kenneth　Mackenzie　of　Gairloch；　R。　Mackenzie　of　Redcastle；　John　Munro　　of　Lumlair；　Simon　Fraser　of　Craighouse；　and　Alex。　Mackenzie　of　Suddie。
  This　Committee　made　certain　enactments；　by　which　they　took　the　customs　and　excise　of　the　six　northern　counties　entirely　into　their　own　　hands。　　The　Provost　of　Inverness　was　made　accountable　〃for　all　the　money　　which；　under　the　name　of　excise；　has　been　taken　up　in　any　of　the　foresaid　shires　since　his　intromissions　with　the　office　of　excise　taking。〃
  Another　　item　is　that　Duncan　Forbes　be　pleased　to　advance　money　〃upon　the　　security　which　the　Committee　will　grant　to　him；〃　to　be　repaid　out　of　the　　readiest　of　the　〃maintaince　and　excise。〃　　Cromarty　House　was　ordered　to　　be　put　in　a　position　of　defence；　for　which　it　was　〃requisite　that　some　faill　　be　cast　and　led；〃　and　all　Sir　James　Fraser's　tenants　within　the　parishes　of　　Cromarty　and　Cullicudden；　together　with　those　of　the　laird　of　Findrassie；　within　the　parish　of　Rosemarkie；　were　ordered　〃to　afford　from　six　hours　in　　the　morning　to　six　hours　at　night；　and　one　horse　out　of　every　oxengait　　daily　for　the　space　of　four　days；　to　lead　the　same　faill　to　the　House　of　Cromarty。〃　　By　the　tenth　enactment　the　Committee　find　it　expedient　for　　their　safety　that　the　works　and　forts　of　Inverness　be　demolished　and　　levelled　to　the　ground；　and　they　ordain　that　each　person　appointed　to　this　　work　shall　complete　his　proportion　thereof　before　the　4th　day　of　March　　following　〃under　pain　of　being　quartered　upon；　aud　until　the　said　task　be　performed。〃　　They　further　enact　that　a　garrison　be　placed　in　Culloden　　House；　〃which　the　Committee　is　not　desirous　of　for　any　intention　of　harm　　towards　the　disturbance　of　the　owner；　but　merely　because　of　the　security　　of　the　garrison　of　Calder；　which；　if　not　kept　in　good　order；　is　like　to　infest　　all　the　well…affected　of　the　country　circumjacent。〃　＇For　these　minutes　see　　Antiquarian　Notes；　pp。　157…8。＇　　General　Leslie　having　been　sent　against　　them；　they　retired　to　the　mountains　of　Ross；　when　Leslie　advanced　to　　Fortrose　and　placed　a　garrison　in　the　castle。　　He　made　terms　with　all　the　other　leaders　except　Pluscardine；　who　would　not　listen　to　any　　accommodation；　and　who；　immediately　on　Leslie's　return　south；　　descended　from　his　mountain　fastnesses；　attacked　and　re…took　the　Castle　　of　Chanonry。
  Pluscardine　was　then　joined　by　his　nephew；　Lord　Reay；　at　the　head　of　three　hundred　men；　which　increased　his　force　to　eight　or　nine　hundred。　　　　General　Middleton　and　Lord　Ogilvie；　having　brought　up　their　forces；　　Mackenzie　advanced　into　Badenoch；　with　the　view　of　raising　the　people　in　　that　and　the　neighbouring　districts；　where　he　was　joined　by　the　Marquis　of　　Huntly；　formerly　Lord　Lewis　Gordon；　and　they　at　once　attacked　and　took　　the　Castle　of　Ruthven。　　After　this　they　were　pressed　closely　by　Leslie；　and　　fell　down　from　Badenoch　to　Balvenny　Castle；　whence　they　sent　General　　Middleton　and　Mackenzie　to　treat　with　Leslie；　but　before　they　reached　　their　destination；　Carr；　Halket；　and　Strachan；　who　had　been　in　the　North；　made　a　rapid　march　from　Fortrose；　and　on　the　8th　of　May　surprised　Lord　　Reay　with　his　nine　hundred　followers　at　Balvenny；　with　considerable　loss　　on　both　sides。　　Eighty　Royalists　fell　in　the　defence　of　the　castle。　　Carr　at　　once　dismissed　the　Highlanders　to　their　homes　on　giving　their　oath　never　　again　to　take　up　arms　against　the　Parliament；　but　he　detained　Lord　Reay　　and　some　of　his　kinsmen；　Mackenzie　of　Redcastle；　and　a　few　leaders　of　　that　name；　and　sent　them　　prisoners　to　Edinburgh。　Having　there　given　　security　to　keep　the　peace　in　future；　Lord　Reay；　Ogilvy；　Huntly；　and　　Middleton　were　forgiven；　and　allowed　to　return　home；　Roderick　　Mackenzie　of　Redcastle；　being　the　only　one　kept　in　prison；　until　he　was　　some　time　after　released；　through　the　influence　of　Argyll；　on　payment　of　a　　fine　of　seven　thousand　merks　Scots。
  Carr　now　returned　to　Ross　and　laid　siege　to　Redcastle；　the　only　stronghold　in　the　North　which　still　held　out　for　the　Royal　cause。　The　　officer　in