Lairds of Glenlyon

THE LAIRDS OF GLENLYON. 41
witnesses — James Currie and Sir William Binning, late Provest of
Edin r - the fyft of (August) j m - vi c ' and eightie-one yeires, befor thir
Edin r - and Sir Patrick Threip-Land, late Provest of Perth, * * and
witnes my hand, R. CAMPBELL, off Glenlyon.
James Currie, Witnes.
W. Binning, Witnes.
P. Thriep-Land, Witnes."
The month in the attesting clause is partly obliterated,
but appears to be what is given above ; and, if so, it was
exactly 24 days after Argyle's imprisonment. This is no
cause for surprise. The Laird saw in his imprisonment
nothing but a slight cloud, from which the chief would
emerge with undimmed brightness. The astute Breadal-
bane, who guaged to a nicety the plots and counterplots of
those miserable days, perceived at a glance that all was over
with the Earl ; for the Duke of York never forgave an
affront, and the free-spoken and patriotic Argyle had
affronted him deeply on the subject of the test. Breadal-
bane, who had already broken off with the chief of the clan,
was in high favour with the party in power, and within
seven days after the above factory was signed — the Parlia-
ment settling, very favourably for him, the dispute between
him and Sinclair of Keiss — he exchanged the title of Caith-
ness for that of Breadalbane and Holland. The Red Doug-
lases succeeded the Black ; and when the star of Argyle
was sinking, why should not that of Breadalbane arise ?
Nothing hindered it certainly, but that the chieftains of the
name had a very strong prejudice against rallying around
any other banner but Macaileinmore's. His future deeds
show clearly that Breadalbane aimed at succeeding to the in-
fluence, if not to the property, of the Argyles, and the fore-
going is just a specimen of the way he went about breaking