Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 5

372 THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
following — viz., Donald Maclean (his uncle), GiUeonan jSTacneill of Barra,
Neill Mackinnon of !Misliuish, Dunslaf Macquarrie of Ulva, and Lachlan
Macewin of Ardgour ; it being understood that Dowart was ready to make
redress of all damages committed against the Earl of Argyle and IMacian
of Ardnamurchan, according to the decision of certain mutual friends.
This remission was authorised by the Council to be granted to Maclean,
upon hostages being given for future obedience. His next demands are
somewhat startling, when his own previous conduct and the history of his
j)redecessors are taken into consideration, and might well justify the
charge of fickleness of mind brought against the Islanders by the Duke of
Argyle. He desired, in the second place, that Sir Donald of Lochalsh,
with his associates, should be proceeded against as traitors, and their
lands forfeited, according to law, for their treason and perseverance in re-
bellion. In the third place, he demanded that Sir Donald's hco brothers,
then in his custody, should be 'justified,' i.e,, executed, according to law,
' for pleasure and profit to the King and Eegent, and for stability of the
country ;' and further stated that he would act with double zeal in the
King's service, as soon as he should perceive that the Government was
serious in ' destroying the loickad blood of the Isles; for as long as that
Hood reigns, the King shall never have the Isles in peace, whenever they
find, an opportunity to break loose, as is evident from daily experience.'
For his good service done and to be done — and particularly for collecting,
Avhich he now undertook to do, the King's duties, in all places ' within
(south of) the point of Ardnamurchan (except those belonging to Macian,
who was to answer for himself), Maclean demanded an heritable grant of
one hundred merk lands in Tiree and Mull, free of all duties. This, how-
ever, the Council would not give for a longer term than till the majority
of the King, an arrangement with which he was obliged to rest satisfied
in the meantime. He made various other demands, chiefly regarding his
lands and possessions in the Isles ; and, with some trifling exceptions,
these were all agreed to." *
It is impossible for the reader not to be struck with the mean and
treacherous conduct of Lachlan Cattanach, the Chief of the Macleans —
conduct which it is impossible to stigmatise too severely. The author of
the " Historical and Genealogical Account of the Clan Maclean," naturally
indisposed to be unnecessarily severe in his condemnation of one of
the chiefs of his own clan, says of him — " The death of the brave Hector
Odhar introduces us to the name of one, in writing of whom I could wish
the pen were in other hands than that of a Maclean ; but as I have set
out avowedly with tlie purpose of giving a faithful record of our race, I
shall certainly ' nothing extenuate.' Lachlan Cattanach Maclean succeeded
his father in the year 1513 ; this chief, whose natural violence of temper
and neglected education led to acts of the most savage cruelty, was alto-
gether such a character as to make one regret that the noble line of Duart's
lords had ever been tarnished by his being of their number. In early
youth he exhibited such symptoms of a bad disposition, and reckless in-
difference to the lives of his inferiors, that while residing among the Clan-
Chattan, his mother's kindred, he twice narrowly escaped falling by the
hand of some injured vassal. On his returning to Mull, a Moid, or
« Gregory, pp. 115-122.