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

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Appendix.
(Enter Glenfadden.)
See, here comes one who wears a merry face;
Yet, ne'ertheless, a clansman staunch he is.
Who hates a Campbell, worse than leolm's monks
The horned fiend.
Ben. Ha! does he so?
(Turning graciously to Glenfadden.)
Glenfadden!
How goes it with thee?— Joyous days are these—
These days of peace
Glen. These days of foul disgrace!
Com'st thou to cheer the piper in our hall,
And goblets quaff to the young chieftain's health.
From proud Argyle descended?
Ben. (Smiling grimly.) Yes, Glenfadden.
If ye will have it so; not else.
Glen. Thy hand—
Thy noble hand !— thou art Benlora still.
(Shaking Benlora wnrmly by the hand, and then
turning to Lochtarlsh.)
Know ye that banish'd .\llen is return'd—
Allen of Dura?
Loch. No; I knew it not
But in good time he comes.— A daring knave:
He will be useful. (After considering.)
Of MacLean we'll crave
His banishment lo cancel: marking well
How he receives it. This will serve to show
The present bent and bearing of his mind.
(After considering again.)
Were it not also well, that to our council
He were invited at a later hour,
When of our purpose we shall l>e assured?
Glen. Methinks it were.
Loch. In, then; now is our time.
Ben. I'll follow thee, when I a while have paced
Yon lonely path, and thought upon thy counsel.
(Exeunt Lochtarish and Glenfadden into the
castle, and Benloea by the opposite side.)
Scene II. — An Apartment in the Castle.
(Enter Morton and Rosa, speaking as they enter.)
Rosa. Speak with my lady privately?
Hot. Ay, please ye:
Something I have to say, regards her nearly.
And though I doubt not, madam, your attachment —
Rosa. Good Morton, no apology: thy caution
Is prudent; trust me not till thou hast proved me.
But oh! watch o'er thy lady with an eye
Of keen and guarded zeal! She is surrounded —
(Looking round the room.)
Does no one hear us? — O, those baleful look.s
That, from beneath dark surly brows, by stealth,
Are darted on her by those stern MacLeans!
Ay; and the gestures of those fearful men,
As on the shore in .savage groups they meet,
Sending their loosen'd tartans to the wind,
And tossing high their brawny arms, where oft
In vehement discourse, I have, of late.
At distance marked them. — Yes; thou shakest thy
head:
Thou hast observed them, too.
Mot. Ihaveobserved them oft. That calm Loch-
tarish,
Calm as he is, the growing rancor fosters:
For, fail the offspring of their chief, his sons
Next in succession are. He hath his ends,
For which he stirs their ancient hatred up;
And all too well his dev'Iish pains succeed.
Rosa. Too well indeed! The very bed-rid crones
To whom my lady sends, with kindly care.
Her cheering cordials,— could'st ihou have be-
lieved it?
Do ijutter spells to fence from things unholy,
And grumble, in a hollow smother'd voice,
The name of Campbell, as unwillingly
They stretch their wither'd hands to take her
bounty.
The wizards are in pay to rouse their fears
With dismal tales of future ills foreseen,
From Campbell and MacLean together join'd,
In hateful union. — Ev'n tlie very children.
Sporting the heath among, when tliey discover
A loathsome toad or adder on their path.
Crush it with stones, and, grinding wickedly
Their teeth, in puny spite, call it a Campbell.
Benlora, too, that savage, gloomy man —
Mot. Ay, evil is the day that brings him back.
Unjustly by a Campbell hath he been.
The peaceful treaty of the clans unheeded.
In thralldom kept; from which but now escaped.
He like a furious tiger is enchafed,
And thinks Argyle was privy to the wrong
His vassal put upon him. Well I know
His bloody, vengeful nature: and MacLean,
Weak and unsteady, moved by ev'ry counsel.
Brave in the Held, but still in purpose timid.
Oft times the instrument in wicked hands
Of wrongs he would abhor,— alas, I fear.
Will ill defend the lovely spouse he swore
To love and cherish.
Rosa. Heavy steps approach:
Hush! see who comes upon us! sly Lochtarish,
And his dark colleages. — Wherefore come tht'y
hither?
(Morton retires to the bottom of the stage, and en-
ter Lochtarish, Benlora, and Glenfadden.)
Loch. We thought, fair maid, to find the chieftain
here.
Rosa. He is in these apartments.
Loch. Would it greatly
Annoy your gentleness to tell his honor,
We wait to speak with him upon affairs
Of much concernment?
Rosa. My service is not wanted; to your wish
See, there he comes unwarn'd, and with him too
His noble lady.
(Retiring to the bottom of the stage.)
Loch. Ha! there they come! see how he hangs
upon her,
With boyish fondness!
Glen. .Ah, the goodly creature!
How fair she is! how winning!— See that form;
Those limbs beneath their foldy vestments moving,
As though in mountain clouds they robed were,
And music of the air their motion measured.
Loch. Ay, shrewd and crafty earl! 'tis not for
nought
Thou hither sent'st this jewel of- thy race.
A host of Campbells, each a chosen man,
Could not enthrall us, as, too soon I fear.
This single Campbell will. Shrewd, crafty foe!
Ben. Hell lend me aid, if heaven deny its grace,
But I will thwart him, crafty though he be!