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

Prmcipality of the Ifies. 243
the laws, deprived the nobles of iheir eflr.tes. The
inofb poxerfui air.oiig them, Tborfiii^ the ion of
0/c?r, to gratify his revenge, entered into a league
with S'lmerkd^ the famous thane of Argyle, and
after wrefting m.a-^A' of the illes out of Godred's
llands, oy the alhllance of that powerful chief,
eredtcd them into a fcparate kingdom for Dugal^
the fon of his new patron.
The Chronicle of Man calls Somerkd Prince of
Heregauid, and informs us fuitlier, that he had
married a natural daughter of King Olave, and
conftquenily Godrtd^s lifter. By that bdy he had
four (bns : Dugai, ol whom came the MacDougals
of Lorn ; Reginald, the progenitor of all the Mac
Donalds of Scotland and Ireland ; Angus, an am-
bitious lord, whofe great power and numerous
oftspring became extird in a fhort time ; and
0lavi\ of whole adions or iffiie neither hiftory
nor tradition have recorded any thing meir.orable.
The King of Man, upon receiving intelligence
that Thorfin and Somerled had fcized on a part of
his dominions, equipped a confiderable fleet, and
piutirg to fca went in quefl of his enemies *.
Somerlc-d met him with a fleet confining of eighty
fail : after an obfcinate fight, attended with great
llaughter on both fides, they patched up a peace,
iiavir.g agreed to divide the kingdom of the iflcs
among them. From tliat day, faith the chronicle,
may be dated the downfal aid ruin of the king-
dom of Man.
Either Somerled's am.bition was very high,
or Godred's perfidy provoked him foon to recom-
mence hoftihties ; for he invaded Man with a new
fleet