History of the Clan MacLean from its first settlement at Duard Castle, in the Isle of Mull, to the present period

404 Appendix.
freinde and men quha hes beyn in my service aganis thame bot being zoung men of ane
hie spreit desyrus to acqwent them in veiris and being mekill advancit be ressait of gret
gaines ar pswadit to pas vith thame this veyage seing the sani vas raocht aganis me
q'in I sail schaw guidvill be craft and moyan to stay thame all or ane gret p' of thame,
am vsand all maenis to y' effect. Sen it vas the comissioun direct vith Johnne be Sr.
Robert and zou, and gif thay stay nocht sail mak h^istie adwerteisment to zor servand
george Nycolsoun, in sik form that I being imployit be hir maiestie sail suddanlie cans
thame return hame to Scotland. Or elles vse ye meyn that thay sail lois be thair pass-
ing to yreland, and mak ye convoy y' be hir Maiesties servande sik vescheallis as trans-
portit thame to yrelande salbe brok in thair qlk salbe thair vrak to the qlk doing gif oc-
casioun beis ofFerit, it is necess'' that thair be thre or fo'' pynnages vith tvva schippis veill
appunctil to cum on the coist of yreland to this turn, gif I var hir maiesties bund ser-
vand I sould gar thay pynnayes be my moyan and convay and foirsicht in haifing of
yame heir in Scotland neir my place of Dovvard gif thame ane gret skaith, seing y' neir
my place the meist p' of this force man pas by ye sam, be ye qlk I ever cink my avyn
vantage of thame in tyme of trubill betwix o' selfis. I vill requeist zo'' lo. to speak Sr.
robert hereanent and to resolwe me v' expeditioun of hir Maiestie and counsillis mynd
towarde me heirin in sik sovit y' gif I be imployit in hir service y' I may pvyd for the
sam. Or vthirvayes y' 1 may be exonerit honestlie of sik as hes pcedit betwix vs. qlk I
haif done only vpon ane zeill and fawour y' I had to hir maiesties service be quhais
moyan 1 miegt ressaif fawour of my avin prince, and also I haid ane gret mi&lyiking of
ye erle of teireone and his fauors as my serwand Johnne achinros did first vryilt to zo"'
lo. be the qlk and my avyn tre sensyne I haif reveillit to zor. lo. my haill mynd vithout
ony dissimolation, and knawes nocht be zour tre of zo' ressait of myn. Johnne Cunyghame
hes schawin me that zour servand george hes spokin ye kingis maiestie and ye erle of
ergyill quha at home ciding vill tomunicat the mater to me for as zit I keip all secreit.
Zo' lo. salbe sa guid as to present this vyir tre of thankis gifing to Sr. robert for the
fawowr y' he schew to my m chand and I haid me gretvviiily addeftit to zour lo. for zo'
guidvill and freindly dninge. In my tre to Sr. robert I refer the haill mater to yis zo' lo.
lettir q' of zo' lo. vill gif him inspectioun, and as occasioun beis offerit I am reddy to
follow out the cowrs of guid service to his Maiestie. Comittis zour lo. in ye ptectioun of
ye almyte god.
ffrom Castell carrik the ferd of Julii 1595.
Yo' lo. verry loving friend
Lauchlane M'^lane
[Endorsed] "Julii 1595 oflF Doward."
Macklane from Carickford
to M' Bowes."
Slate Piiperx nf Scotland, Elhabeih, Vol. 56, Ko. 66. — "Guid brother george I ressavit
zowr tre accordingly and thankis zow for the interteinment my man haid of zow, and
for zour guidvill offerit as ze sail knaw be my nixt tre qlk now J continew throw vncer-
taintie of your ressait heirof sen the ressait of my guid lord zour Maisteris tre and comis-
sioun direct yv' be Sr. Robert Cecill vith Johnne Cunnyngham. My Maister findand
him self fardar desyirit vith ye stay of thir Scottismen from yreland quhom he stayit for
ane certaine space as he did vryitt at qlk tym he saw thame reddy to yias fordvart at
thae tym unabill to him to stay thame, thairfoir ofFerit the' nixt remeid to compell
thame to return to Scotland thocht the sam var mair daingerus to him, and efter ye
passing south by him of ane gret nuber-of thame as vas vrittin to zow be me, he con-
venit of his fyne men thre hunder to remayn vith him in hoshald and yarde, ane bun-
der of thaime in armor of coit of mailze as ve vse vith twa bandit sward and heidpiece
of yrun and vyir hunder of fyirmen and ane hunder of bowmen. In yis tym thair restit
be o' knawlege the nuber of nyn hunder vith mony principallis to follow on the rest quha