Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

282 Hijlory of the Norwegian
himfelf, and his fmall party of trufty friends, into
an obrcurc ille on the coaft of Ireland.
When fortune began to fmile a httle on the
royal adventurer, Angus aflifted him v/ith the ut-
moft alacrity in recovering his paternal eftate of
Carrick ; and when every thing was at flake for
the laft time, the honour and life of his fovereign,
x\\2 freedom and i-.'dependency of his country, the
exiilence of his friends and fellow patriots, all
in the mod imminent danger of being fwallowed
lip by a prodigious army of foreigners, he joined
lii.n at Bannockburn with five thoufand men, fay
the Highland fennachies, and did him a moft fub-
ilantial fervice upon that occafion.
After Robert had fully eftablifhed his autho-
rity in every part of his dominions, he gave to
Angus fcveral marks of an extraordinary regard,
Hov/cver fcnliblc the King might have been that
it was highly impolitic to increafe the power of
a lord of the Ifles, he bellowed on his old friend,
perhaps from a principle of gratitude, a confide-
rable part of the eftates formerly belonging to the
Cummins of Lochaber and MacDougals of ' orn,
two families that had deferved very ill of him,
and had for that reafon been forfeited.
The gi-andfon of this Angus, John, lord
of the Ides, adopting a very different fyftem, a-
bandoned the intereft of David Bruce, and efpou-
fed the caufe of Edward Baliol. Having obtained
from that Prince, while acting the part of a Scot-
tiih King, a right to all or moft of the Ebudes,
after vindicating that right by the fuperiority of
his ftrcngth, he began to afpire after a regal au-
thority at home, and in purfuance of that defign,
entered into a fonnal alliance with that powerful
Prince,