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

Principality of the IJles. 249
Ton Godred, and the pofterity of Godred inherited
the greateft part of Olave's dominions, for a whole
century after Somerled had been killed near Ren-
frew.
It is hard to determine whether Somerled gave
the firfl provocation to his fovereign, or received
it from the minifters of that prince. It is not im-
probable, that after he had acquired fo vafl an ad-
dition of power in the ifles, he afpired to be in-
dependant towards the latter part of his life. If
his whole army, as is alledged, a very fmall num-
ber excepted, was cut off near the river Clyde by
a:i inconfiderable body of royalifts, it is fupnfing
that his family fhould have fublifted, after his
death, without any dimunition of its vafl; power.
No advantage appears to have been obtained by a
battle fodecifive. The eftates of the rebel v/ere
neither annexed to the demenfes of the crown,
nor parcelled out among court favourites. His
fon Diigal was left in the undid urbed poffeflion
of Argyle and Lorn : Reginald^ another of his
fons, was I ord of the Ifles and Kintyre : Angus
their brother, was powerful enougli to fight bat-
tles by fea and land againft Reginald : and Somer-
led the Second, the fourth fon of Somerled the
firfl, and an hereditary traitor, fay our Scottifh
hifloriar.s, was able to raife a new rebellion in the
reign of Alexander the Second.
I SUSPECT indeed that this Somerled the Se-
cond never exifled, notwithftanding what hath
been faid about him by fennachies and hifl:orians.
The Chronicie of Man makes no mention of him ;
and the time at which we are told he revolted,
looks like a demonftration that the whole ftory is
^ mere fidion. Somerled the firft was killed in
the