Ossian Collection > History of the Highlands and of the Highland clans > Volume 1

226 HISTORY OP THE HIOHLANfDS.
Gordons on their return homewards to revenge old quarrels. For tjiis
purpose, and to conceal their plans, the whole of the Forbeses, and the
greater part of the Leslies and Irvings, met under cloud of night at
Druminor and proceeded on their journey; but a singular occurrence
took place which created such confusion and amazement in their minds
as to induce them to return home. They had not gone far when a gen-
tleman of the name of Irving, while riding alongside of Lord Forbes,
was most unexpectedly shot dead by an unknown hand, and strange to
tell, although all the fire arms carried by the party were immediately
searched for the purpose of ascertaining the individual who had com-
mitted the deed, every one was found to be loaded. This affair raised
suspicions among the party, and becoming distrustful of one another,
they dissolved their companies and returned home. The tribes and clans
of the north who were to have joined Argyle were prevented from doing
so by the policy of John Dunbar of Muyness, who was a partizan of the
earl of Huntly. Thus the Gordons escaped the snare which had been
laid for tliem.
Although Argyle certainly calculated upon being joined by the king,
it seems doubtful if James ever entertained such an intention, for he
stopt at Dundee, from whence he did not stir till he heard of the result
of the battle of Glenlivet. Instigated by the ministers and other ene-
mies of the carl of Huntl3', who became now more exasperated than
ever at the unexpected failure of Argyle's expedition, the king pro-
ceeded north to Strathbogie, and in liis rout he permitted, most unwil-
lingly, the house of Craig in Angus, belonging to Sir John Ogilvic,
son of Lord Ogilvie, that of Bagaes in Angus, the property of Sir
Walter Lindsay, the house of Culsamond in Garioch, appertaining to
the laird of Newton-Gordon, the house of Slaines in Buchan belonging
to the earl of Errol, and the castle of Strathbogie, to be razed to the
ground, under the pretext that priests and Jesuits had been harboured
in them. In the meantime the earl of Huntly and his friends retired
into Sutherland, w liere they remained six weeks with Earl Alexander ;
and on the king's departure from Strathbogie, Huntly returned thither,
leaving his eldest son George, Lord Gordon, in Sutherland with his aunt
till the return of more peaceable times.
The king left the duke of Lennox to act as his lieutenant in the
north, with whom the two earls held a meeting at Aberdeen, and as
their temporary absence from the kingdom might allay the spirit of vio-
lence and discontent, which was particularly annoying to his majesty,
they agreed to leave the kingdom during the king's pleasure. After
spending sixteen months in travelling through Germany and Flanders,
Huntly was recalled, and on his return, he, as well ;is the earls of Angus
and Errol, were restored to their former honours and estates by the Par-
liament, held at Edinburgh in the month of November, fifteen hundred
and ninety-seven, and in testimony of his regard for Huntly, the king,
two years thereafter, created him a marquis. This signal mark of the