Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

THE CLAN MACGREGOK. 35
One of his clan, Campbell of Achnabreck, was related
to a family of the clan Gregor, and from some conciliatory
overtures which that person had made to his chief in their
behalf, some gleams of hope broke through the dark cloud
that so long had hung over them: — Achnabreck, along with
his nephew, a young chieftain of the Macgregors, of pro-
mising parts, went, by a special invitation from Argyll,
to pay him a visit at his castle of Inverary, and was re-
ceived with apparent attention and kindness ; but after
Macgregor had retired to his bed-chamber, be was treacher-
ously laid hold of and carried out of the house. Next
morning, Achnabreck's servant, on opening the window
of his master's apartment, started back ; and being ques-
tioned by his master as to the cause of his alarm, replied,
that Macgregor was hanging on a tree facing the window.
Filled with grief and horror at so base a breach of hospi-
tality, Achnabreck instantly determined to be revenged ;
but Argyll, and the person who instigated him to murder
his guest, had fled to Edinburgh to avoid the uncle's
vengeance, and took up their lodging in that house near
the Tron Church, long afterwards occupied by the com-
missioners on the Scots forfeited estates. Thither Achna-
breck followed them ; and, rushing into their room with a
drawn sword in his right, and a cocked pistol in his left
hand, he accused Argyll of his infamous and dastardly
violation of confidence, and told him briefly, that he must
either instantly die himself, or be the executioner of his
diabolical counsellor. Argyll, in self-defence, and with
the meanness of a coward, plunged his dagger into the
bosom of his friend and adviser, who was present.
Such perfidious treatment, so wantonly put in practice,
was not calculated to restrain the impetuous spirit of a
valiant clan ; and being wholly excluded from every benefit