Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 5

HISTOEY OF THE MACDONALDS. 217
atisfied with tlie awkward manner in which he was assisted by the Earl,
;' cursed those who took such a blockhead abroad to be a soldier. At
;ast he cuts some coUops which he gave to the Earl to dress for himself,
Which he could not very well do, until his landlord did it for him, by
•oasting them upon the coals. At going to bed he washed the Earl's feet
■n warm water, cleaned and washed his wound. When the Earl laid
limself down, he could not sleep with cold, being very scarce of bed-
clothes. O'Birrin got up, took the cow's hide, and warming it to the
ire, wrapped it about the Earl, Avhich warmed him so much that he per-
spired during the whole night. In the morning, after such refreshments
IS they had, the Earl said he would go to Badenoch." He informed his
host that he did not know the way thither, but would do his best to find
it, whereupon the Irishman made him fiU his pockets with the flesh of
the cow, and then convoyed him three or four miles on his way. When
they parted company the stranger told him if he should ever find himself
in tightened circumstances, to go to Kildrummie, the seat of the Earl of
Mar, and ask there for Alexander Stewart, who would cause the Earl to
reward him for his present kindness to himself. Some time after the
Irishman did as he was told, and arriving at KUdrummie, asked for Alex-
ander Stewart, when the porter told him that " he was a fool, for there
was no such man there," but the Irishman continued to knock until the
Earl himself at last heard him, and, calling for the porter, he asked him
who was knocking at the gate. The latter replied that " he was some
fool enquiring for Alexander Stewart." The Earl soon recognised the
" fool " as his old friend the Irishman, ordered the gate be opened to him,
and kindly embraced him. The Earl then addressed him in the following
lines : —
Oidhche dhomh a, bhi ann an tigh air moran bldh 'a air bheag aodaiob,
Fhuaras agh' mor do dh' fheoil air dhrooh bhruioh bho O'Birrin 's a Bhaggaoh.
His Lordship sent for a tailor, and ordered him at once to make a suit of
clothes for O'Birrin, whom he requested to bring his wife and son to Kil-
drummie, but this the Irishman declined, saying that his wife was old,
and would not leave her native country. After entertaining him for some
time, the Earl sent O'Birrin home with sixty milch cows, enjoining him
to send his son to Kildrummie. The son came " some time thereafter,
and was made a laird of a small estate, which has since fallen to a gentle-
man of the name of Forbes, whereby it may be seen, that a good turn to
a generous or noble person is not always lost."*
In the minority of James II. the Earl of Eoss and Lord of the Isles
held the important office of " Justiciar of Scotland north of the Forth," a
position which Gregory thinks he probably obtained from Archibald, Earl
of Douglas and Duke of Touraine, then Lieutenant-General of Scotland.
There is no account extant from which it can be ascertained in what
manner the Earl exercised the duties of his high office ; but it is supposed
that it was under colour of it that he inflicted his vengeance on the Chief
of the Camerons about this time for deserting him and going over to the
Eoyal standard, in Lochaber, and in consequence of which Lochiel
was forced to fly to Ireland, where he remained for several years ;
* Transactions of the lona Club, pp. 308-812.