history of the mackenzies-第65部分

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ristically　spoken　of　as　　a　sort　of　cateran；　while；　in　reality；　as　every　generous　person　can　now　well　　understand；　he　was　a　high…minded　gentleman。　　The　verses；　nevertheless；　as　well　as　the　appended　note；　are　curious

Keppoch；　Rob　Roy；　and　Daniel　Murchison；　Cadets　are　servants　to　some　chief　of　clan；　From　theft　and　robberies　scarce　did　ever　cease；　Yet　‘scaped　the　halter　each；　and　died　in　peace。　This　last　his　exiled　master's　rents　collected；　Nor　unto　Ling　or　law　would　be　subjected。　Though　veteran　troops　upon　the　confines　lay；　Sufficient　to　make　lord　and　tribe　a　prey；　Vet　passes　strong　through　which　no　roads　were　cut；　Safe…guarded　Seaforth's　clan；　each　in　his　hu'；　Thus　in　strongholds　the　rogue　securely　lay；　Neither　could　they　by　force　be　driven　away；　Till　his　attainted　lord　and　chief　of　late　By　ways　and　means　repurchased　his　estate。

〃Donald　Murchison；　a　kinsman　and　servant　to　the　Earl　of　Seaforth；　bred　a　writer；　a　man　of　small　stature；　but　full　of　spirit　and　resolution；　fought　at　Dunblane　against　the　Government；　anno　1715；　but　continued　　thereafter　to　collect　Seaforth's　rents　for　his　lord's　use；　and　had　some　　bickerings　with　the　King's　forces　on　that　account；　till；　about　five　years　ago；　the　Government　was　so　tender　as　to　allow　Seaforth　to　repurchase　his　　estate；　when　the　said　Murchison　had　a　principal　band　in　striking　the　　bargain　for　his　master。　How　he　fell　under　Seaforth's　displeasure；　and　died　　thereafter；　is　not　to　the　purpose　here　to　mention。〃＇

The　end　of　Donald's　career　can　scarcely　now　be　passed　over　in　a　　slighting　manner。　　The　story　is　most　painful。　　The　Seaforth　of　that　dayvery　unlike　some　of　his　successorsproved　unworthy　of　the　devotion　　which　this　heroic　man　had　shown　to　him。　　When　his　lordship　took　　possession　of　the　estates　which　Donald　had　in　a　manner　preserved　for　him；　he　discountenanced　and　neglected　him。　　Murchison's　noble　spirit　pined　　away　under　this　treatment；　and　he　died　in　the　very　prime　of　his　days　of　a　broken　heart。　　He　lies　in　a　remote　little　church…yard　in　the　parish　of　Urray；　　where　his　worthy　relative；　the　late　Sir　Roderick　Impey　Murchison；　raised　a　　suitable　monument　over　his　grave。　　The　traditional　account　of　Donald　　Murchison；　communicated　to　Chambers　by　the　late　Finlay　Macdonald；　　Druidaig；　states　that　the　heroic　commissioner　had　been　promised　a　　handsome　reward　for　his　services；　but　Seaforth　proved　ungrateful。　　〃He　　was　offered　only　a　small　farm　called　Bun…Da…Loch；　which　pays　at　this　day　　to　Mr　Matheson；　the　proprietor；　no　more　than　？0　a　year；　or　another　place　opposite　to　Inverinate　House；　of　about　the　same　value。　　It　is　no　wonder　he　　refused　these　paltry　offers。　　He　shortly　afterwards　left　this　country；　and　　died　in　the　prime　of　life　near　Conon。　　On　his　death…bed；　Seaforth　went　to　see　him；　and　asked　how　he　was；　when　he　said；　‘Just　as　you　will　be　in　a　　short　time；'　and　then　turned　his　back。　They　never　met　again。〃

The　death　of　George　I。　in　1726；　suggested　to　the　Chevalier　a　favourable　opportunity　for　attempting　a　second　Rising；　and　of　again　stirring　up　his　adherents　in　Scotland；　whither　he　was　actually　on　his　way；　　until　strongly　remonstrated　with　on　the　folly　and　hoplessness　of　such　an　　undertaking。　　It　was　pointed　out　to　him　that　it　could　only　end　in　the　ruin　of　　his　family　pretentions；　and　in　that　of　many　of　his　friends　who　might　be　　tempted　to　enter　on　the　rash　scheme　more　through　personal　attachment　to　　himself　than　from　any　reasonable　prospect　they　might　see　of　success。　　He　　therefore　retraced　his　steps　to　Boulogne；　and　the　Earl　of　Seaforth　having　been　pardoned　in　the　same　year；　＇By　letters　dated　12th　July；　1726；　King　　George　I。　was　pleased　to　discharge　him　from　imprisonment　or　the　　execution　of　his　person　on　his　attainder；　and　King　George　II。　made　him　a　　grant　of　the　arrears　of　feu…duties　due　to　the　Crown　out　of　his　forfeited　　estate。　　An　Act　of　Parliament　was　passed　in　1733；　to　enable　William　　Mackenzie；　late　Earl　of　Seaforth；　to　sue　or　maintain　any　action　or　suit　　notwithstanding　his　attainder；　and　to　remove　any　disability　in　him；　by　　reason　of　his　said　attainder；　to　take　or　inherit　any　real　or　personal　estate　　that　may　or　shall　hereafter　descend　to　him。Wood's　Douglas'　Peerage。＇　　felt　free　once　more　to　return　to　his　native　land；　where；　according　to　　Captain　Matheson；　he　spent　the　remainder　of　his　life　in　retirement；　and　〃with　few　objects　to　occupy　him　or　to　interest　us　beyond　the　due　regard　of　　his　personal　friends　and　the　uninterrupted　loyalty。　of　his　old　vassals。〃

He　　must；　however；　have　been　in　tightened　circumstances；　for；　on　the　27th　of　　June；　1728；　he　writes　a　letter　to　the　Lord　Advocate；　in　which　he　refers　to　a　　request　he　had　made　to　Sir　Robert　Walpole；　who　advised　him　to　put　his　　claim　in　writing　that　it　might　be　submitted　to　the　King。　　This　was　done；　　but　〃the　King　would　neither　allow　anything　of　the　kind　or　give　orders　to　　be　granted　what　his　Royal　father　had　granted　before。　　On　hearing　this；　I　　could　not　forbear　making　appear　how　ill　I　was　used。　　The　Government　in　possession　of　the　estate；　and　I　in　the　interim　allowed　to　starve；　though　they　　were　conscious　of　my　complying　with　whatever　I　promised　to　see　put　in　　execution。〃　　He　makes　a　strong　appeal　to　his　friend　to　contribute　to　an　　arrangement　that　would　tend　to　the　mutual　satisfaction　of　all　concerned；　　〃for　the　way　I　am　now　in　is　most　disagreeable；　consequently；　if　not　　rectified；　will　choose　rather　to　seek　my　bread　elsewhere　than　continue　　longer　in　so　unworthy　a　situation。〃　＇Culloden　Papers；　pp。　103…4＇　Notwithstanding　the　personal　remission　granted　in　his　favour　for　　the　part　he　had　taken　in　the　Rising　of　1715；　the　title　of　Earl　of　Seaforth；　　under　which　alone　he　was　proscribed；　passed　under　attainder；　while　the　　older　and　original　dignity　of　Kintail；　which　only　became　subordinate　　by　a　future　elevation；　remained　unnoticed；　and；　consequently　unvitiated　in　the　male　descent　of　Kenneth；　first　Lord　Mackenzie　of　Kintail；　granted　by　　patent　on　the　19th　of　November；　1609；　and　it　has　accordingly　been　　claimed。　＇This　Act　（of　Attainder）　omits　all　mention　of　the　subordinate　　though　older　title　of　〃Lord　Kintail；〃　which　he　and　all　the　collateral　　branches　descended　of　George；　the　second　Earl；　had　taken　up　and　assumed　　in　all　their　deeds　and　transactions；　though　there　was　no　occasion　to　use　it　　in　Parliament；　as　they　appeared　there　as　Earls　of　Seaforth。　　It　is　　questionable　therefore；　if　the　Act　of　Attainder　of　William；　Earl　of　　Seaforth；　by　that　designation　only　could　affect　the　barony　of　Kintail；　and　　as　the　designation　to　the　patentee　of　it；　〃Suisque　heredibus　maxulis；〃　　seems　to　render　he　grant　an　entailed　fee　agreeable　to　the　7th　of　Queen　　Anne；　c。　21；　and　the　protecting　clause　of　26th　Henry　VIII。　c。　13；　the　　claimant　George　Falconer　Mackenzie；　is　entitled　to　the　benefit　of　such　remainder；　and　in　fact　such　remainder　was　given　effect　to　by　the　succession　of　Earl　George　to　his　brother　Colin's　titles　as　his　heir　male　　collateral。Allangrange　Service。＇

Earl　William　married　in　early　life；　Mary；　the　only　daughter　and　co…heir　of　Nicholas　Kenet　of　Coxhow；　Northumberland；　with　issue；　three　　sons

I。　　Kenneth；　who　succeeded　his　father。

II。　　Ronald；　who　died　unmarried。

III。　　Nicholas；　who　was　drowned　at　Douay；　without　issue。

IV。　　Frances；　who　married　the　Hon。　John　Gordon　of　Kenmure；　　whose　father　was　beheaded　in　1715。

He　died　in　1740　in　the　Island　of　Lewis；　was　buried　there　in　the　Chapel　of　Ui；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　eldest　son；

XVIII。　　KENNETH；　　LORD　　FORTROSE；

Which　courtesy　title　he　continued　to　bear　as　the　subordinate　title　of　his　father；　and　under　this　designation　he　is　named　as　a　freeholder　of　Ross　in　1741。　　In　the　same　year　be　was　elected　as　member　of　Parliament　for　the　　Burgh　of　Inverness；　for　his　own　County　of　Ross　in　1747；　and　again　　in　　1754。　　In　1741；　the　year　after　Earl　William's　death；　the　Crown　sold　the　　Seaforth　estates；　including　the　lands　of　Kintail；　the　barony　of　Ellandonnan；　　and　others；　for　？5；109　8s　31/2d；　under　burden　of　an　annuity　of　？000　to　　Frances；　Countess　　Dowager　of　Seaforth。　　The　purchase　was　for　the　　benefit　of　Kenneth；　Lord　Fortrose。　＇Fraser's　Earls　of　Cromartie。＇　　　He　does　not　appear　to　have　passed　much　of　his　time　in　the　Highlands；　but　about　a　　year　after　his　succession；　he　seems；　from　a　warrant　issued　by　his　authority　　to　have　been　in　the　North。　　It　is　signed　by　Colin　Mackenzie；　Baillie；〃　and　　addressed　to　Roderick　Mackenzie；　officer　of　Locks；　commanding　him　to　　summon　and　warn　Donald　Mackenzie；　tacksman　of　Lainbest；　and　others；　　to　compear　before　〃Kenneth；　Lord　Fortrose；　heritable　proprietor　of　the　　Estate　of　Seaforth；　at　Braan　Castle；　or　before　his　Lordship's　Baron　　Baillies；　or　other　judges　appointed　by　him　there；　upon　the　10th　day　of　　October　next；　to　come　to　answer　several　unwarrantable　and　illegal　things　　to　be　laid　to　their　charge：〃　　Dated　at　〃Stornoway；　29th　September；　1741。〃　There　is　no　doubt　that　in　early　life　Lord　Fortrose；　during　the　exile　of　his　　father；　held　communications　with　the　representative　of　the　Stuarts。　　It　is　a　　common　tradition　in　Kintail　to　this　day　that　he　and　Sir　Alexander　　Macdonald　of　Sleat　were　school　companions　of　the　Prince　in　France；　and　　were　among　those　who　first　imbued　his　mind　with　the　idea　of　attempting　　to　regain　possession　of　his　ancient　Kingdom　of　Scotland；　promising　him　　that　they　would　use　their　influence　with　the　other　northern　chiefs　to　rise　in　　his　favour；　although　when　the　time　for　action　came　neither　of　them　joined　him。

The　unfortunate　position　in　which　Kenneth　found　himself　by　the　Jacobite　proclivities　of　his　ancestors；　and　especially　those　of　his　father；　　appears　to　have　made　a　deep　impression　upon　his　mind；　and　to　have　　induced　him　to　be　more　cautious　in　supporting　a　cause　which　seemed　　certain　to　land　him　in　final　and　utter　ruin。　　But　though　he　personally　held　　aloof；　several　of　the　clan　joined　the　Prince；　mostly　under　George；　third　　Earl　of　Cromarty；　and　a　few　under　John　Mackenzie；　III。　of　Torridon。

Several　young　and　powerful　Macraes；　who　strongly　sympathised　with　the　　Prince；　though　unaccompanied　by　any　of　their　natural　leaders；　left　Kintail　　never　again　to　return　and；　it　is　said；　that　several　others　had　to　be　bound　　with　ropes　by　their　friends；　to　keep　them　at　home。　　The　influence　of　Lord　President　Forbes　weighed　strongly　wit