Historical and genealogical account of the Clan Maclean

120 HISTORICAL NOTICES.
In the full possession of power and influence suf-
ficient to guard him against open attack from any
enemy in his immediate neighbourhood, — pos-
sessing the favour of his sovereign as some secu-
rity against treacherous misrepresentations at
court, he had nothing to fear from open or secret
enmity ; and his irreconcileable foe, Archibald of
Argyle*, made many early attempts to coil him-
self around him, under the mask of friendship,
for Gillespie Gruamach (Archibald the morose)
well knew his sinister views could make but little
progress towards consummation by open enmity
to the chief of Maclean.
The first visit of Lachlan to court since the
death of his brother was in the year 1631, on
which occasion he was graciously received by the
king (Charles I.), by whom he was created a
baronet of Nova Scotia, by the title of Sir Lach-
lan Maclean of Morvern. His reception on this
occasion by his sovereign evidently made a
lasting impression upon the generous nature of
the chief of Maclean, inasmuch as it confirmed
him in that stedfast loyalty from which in the
cause of that unhappy soevereign he never
swerved. But this unhappy prepossession (natural
though it was) laid the foundation of many dis-
astrous results to his race, and, as will appear,
* Archibald eighth Earl of Argyle and first Marquess, the
" Scotch Worthy !" of the well-meaning, but in the case of
this diabolical Campbell, much mistaken Covenanters.