Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

TILE CLAN MACGREGOR. 7
ite with the king, the chief carried it, enshrined in a silver
coffer, along with him to the field the day before the bat-
tle, and committed it to the care of the abbot of Inchaf-
fray, who, in case of defeat, secreted the relic, and ex-
hibited the empty casket as containing it. The king,
while at his devotion over the precious shrine, and parti-
cularly imploring the aid of the saint, was startled by its
suddenly opening and shutting of its own accord. The
priest hastening to know the cause of alarm, was astonish-
ed to find that the arm of the saint had left its place of
concealment, and had again occupied the casket that be-
longed to it. He confessed what he had done ; and the
king immediately caused the story to be proclaimed through
the whole army, who regarded the miracle as an omen of
future success. From the victory which crowned the
Scottish patriots on that memorable occasion, and the sup-
posed influence of St Fillan, Bruce caused a priory to be
erected in Strathfillan in 1314, which, in grateful respect,
he dedicated to his favourite apostle.
The population of the clan Gregor had often increased
so much, as to become too great, even for the wide
domains which they occupied, and this produced frequent
migrations to other districts, where various patrony-
mics were assumed by the different septs who in this way
had branched oft from the parent stem. Even so late as
the year 1748, the Grants, Mackinnons, Macnabs, and
Mackays, and others who had departed from the Mac-
gregors, held several conferences with them, (during a
meeting which lasted for fourteen days in Athol,) for the
purpose of petitioning parliament to repeal the attainder
that hung over them ; but some disagreement having taken
place among their chiefs, as to the general name under
which all of them should again be rallied, their meeting