Sutherland and the Reay country

HISTORY. 71
In 1655 an effort was made by the Earl of Glencairn to
liberate the nation of the English sectaries, in which he was
joined by Reay — which ended in the capture of Glencairn
by General Monk. Reay escaped, but his house of Tongue
was burnt.
Things had gone into confusion in England on the death
of Cromwell. The nation was heartily sick of the new order
of things under Cromwell, and in a fit of revived loyalty the
King was recalled. The first Scots Parliament was held in
1 66 1. So glad was the nation to escape from the anarchy
of the past that they were ready to yield everything to the
King's creatures. In this famous Parliament the Presbyter-
ian Government and discipline were overturned, the Cove-
nants declared unlawful and seditious, the Marquis of Argyle,
the best patriot in the State, and Mr. Guthrie, the best in the
church, were condemned to death. The infamous rescissory
act was passed, which has been called the "gravestone of
the Reformation."
Caithness, Sutherland, and Reay, were present at this
Parliament. Sutherland, by taking the oath of allegiance,
lost in a great measure the credit he gained for his former
appearances on behalf of Presbyterian liberty. He died in
1663, and was succeeded by his son, Earl George.
The Scottish Parliament was commanded by the King to
make up the losses of the family of Mackay in the recent
troubles on account of their loyalty to the King. The com-
mission appointed valued these losses of father and son at
60,000 pounds Scots money, but he was never refunded in
any part of them. It is perhaps not too much to say that no
family suffered so much for their loyalty as the Mackays did.
After this date neither the Earl of Sutherland nor Lord