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

244 Hijlory of the Norivegian
fleet about two years afier the partition treaty had
been concluded. Godred, unable to maintain his
ground, abandoned the iilar.d, fled to Norway,
and laid his grievances before the ibvereign of
v.iiom he held his dominions by a feudal right.
He remained in Norway for fix years before his
reprefentations had any effedt. At length he ob-
tained a confiderable fupply of forces, and return-
ing to Man, defeated his brother Reginald, who
had taken poffelTion of the illand in his abfence,
and re-eflablilhed himfelf in his kingdom f.
SoMERLED was killed before this revolution
happened. Intoxicated by repeated vidories, and
his vaft acquifitions, he had formed a dcfign, if
we believe the Chronicle of Man, to conquer all
Scotland. Having, in confequence of that extra-
vagant projetl, equipped a fleet of one Inindred
and fixty fail, he landed a numerous army near
Renfrew in Clydefdale. Here, faith the chroni-
cle, he was, through the juft vengeance of God,
vanquifhed by a fmall number, and he himfelf,
together v/ith his fon and a vaft multitude of his
people, flain *.
The Highland fennachies give a very different
account of Somerled's death and charader. Ac-
cording to them, this powerful thane had received
many infufferable provocations from the minifters
of King Malcolm IV. a Prince weak, unexperien-
ced, and entirely under the diredion of his fer-
vants. The vaft extent of Somerled's eftate on
the continent, to fay nothing of the acquifition he
had made in the iiles, filled thefe minifters with
t Chron. Man. ad ann. 1164.
* Cluon. Mail, ubi fup.
a poll-