history of the mackenzies-第67章

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se　of　Montrose　on　his　arrival　there；　Middleton　gave　the　　Countess；　whom　he　treated　with　the　greatest　civility　and　respect；　　possession　of　the　stronghold。

The　Committee　on　Public　Affairs；　which；　throughout　the　contest；　acted　in　opposition　to　the　Royal　authority；　and　held　sederunts　at　Aberdeen　　and　Dundee　as　well　as　at　Edinburgh；　gratified　their　malignity；　after　　Montrose　gave　up　the　fight　in　1646；　by　fining　the　loyalists　in　enormous　　amounts　of　money；　and　decerning　them　to　〃lend〃　to　the　committee　such　　sumsin　many　cases　exorbitantas　they　thought　proper。　　Sir　Robert　　Farquhar；　formerly　a　Bailie　of　Aberdeen；　was　treasurer；　and　in　the　　sederunt　held　in　that　city；　the　committee　threw　a　comprehensive　net　over　　the　clan　Mackenzie。　Sixteen　of　the　name　were　decerned　to　lend　the　large　　sum　of　？8；666　13s　4d　Scots；　but　from　the　other　side　of　the　balance　sheet　it　is　found　that　they　declined　to　lend　a　penny；　and　Sir　Robert　credits　himself　as　treasurer　thus：〃Item　of　the　loan　moneys　above　set　down　there　　is　yet　resting　unpaid；　and　wherefore　no　payment　can　be　gotten；　as　followsviz。Be　the　　name　of　Mackenzie；　sixteen　persons；　the　sum　of　？8；666　　13s　4d　Scots。〃　　The　following　are　the　names　and　sums　decerned　against　　each　of　them：Thomas　Mackenzie　of　Pluscardine；　？000；　Alexander　　　Mackenzie　of　　Kilcoy；　？000；　Roderick　Mackenzie　of　Redcastle；　？000；　　Alexander　Mackenzie　of　Coul；　？000；　Kenneth　Mackenzie　of　Gairloch；　　？333　6s　8d；　Hector　Mackenzie　of　Scotsburn；　？000；　Roderick　Mackenzie　　of　Davochmaluag；　？333　6s　8d；　John　Mackenzie　of　Dawach…Cairn；　？333　　6s　8d；　William　Mackenzie　of　Multavie；　？000；　Kenneth　Mackenzie　of　　Scatwell；　？000；　Thomas　Mackenzie　of　Inverlael；　？333　6s　8d；　Colin　　Mackenzie　of　Mullochie；　？66　13s　4d；　Donald　Mackenzie　of　Logie；　？66　　13s　4d；　Kenneth　Mackenzie　of　Assint；　？000；　Colin　Mackenzie　of　　Kincraig；　？000；　Alexander　Mackenzie　of　Suddie；　？000。　　Among　the　　other　sums　decerned　is　one　of　？666　13s　4d　against　William　Robertson　in　Kindeace；　and　his　son　Gilbert　Robertson；〃　and　in　Inverness　and　Ross　the　　loan　amounted　to　the　respectable　sum　of　？4；783　6s　8d；　of　which　the　　treasurer　was　allowed　to　retain　？5；000　in　his　own　hands。　The　sum；　with　　large　amounts　of　disbursements　by　the　committee；　show　that　they　were　　more　fortunate　with　others　than　with　the　Clan　Mackenzie。　＇Antiquarian　　Notes；　pp。　307…308…309。＇

The　Earl　of　Seaforth　taking　advantage　of　being　on　opposite　sides　to　the　Earl　of　Sutherland；　now　asserted　some　old　claims　against　Donald　　Ban　Mor　Macleod；　IX。　of　Assynt；　a　follower　of　the　house　of　Sutherland；　　who　afterwards　became　notorious　as　the　captor　of　the　great　Montrose　　himself。　　In　May；　1646；　Mackenzie　laid　siege　to　his　castle；　on　the　Isle　of　　Assynt。

A　document　written　by　a　friend　of　the　family　of　Assynt；　in　1738；　for　Norman　Macleod；　XIX。　of　Macleod；　who；　in　that　year；　in　virtue　of　a　　disposition　of　all　his　estates　made　by　Neil　Macleod　of　Assynt　to　John　　Breac　Macleod；　XVI。　of　Macleod；　dated　the　24th　of　November；　1681；　　commenced　a　process　against　Mackenzie；　gives　a　most　interesting　account　　of　the　proceedings；　from　the　Macleod　point　of　view；　by　which　Seaforth　　obtained　possession　of　the　lands　of　Assynt。　　This　document　or　　〃Information〃　came　into　the　possession　of　Simon　Lord　Lovat；　with　whose　　papers　it　found　its　way　to　the　Rev。　Donald　Fraser；　minister　of　Killearnan；　　and　is　now　the　property　of　that　gentleman's　grandson；　the　Rev。　Hector　　Fraser；　Halkirk。　It　was　read　by　Mr　William　Mackay；　solicitor；　Inverness；　　before　the　Gaelic　Society　there　on　the　19th　of　March；　1890；　and　is　　published　at　length　in　their　Transactions　for　that　year；　vol。　XVI。　pp。　　197…207。　According　to　the　writer　of　this　paper；　Neil　Macleod　was　in　possession　of　Assynt　from　1650　to　1672；　when　in　the　latter　year　〃he　was　　violently　dispossessed　by　Seaforth；〃　and　was　from　1672　to　1692；　when　be　　obtained　a　〃Decree　of　Spulzie〃　against　Seaforth；　endeavouring　to　recover　　his　right；　but　without　avail。　　He　says　that　from　the　time　Seaforth　got　a　　right；　〃such　as　it　was；〃　to　the　Island　of　Lewis　for　a　payment　of　ten　　thousand　merks；　〃and　afterwards；　in　lieu　of　that；　for　a　mile　of　the　wood　of　　Letterew；〃　he　and　his　family　had　it　in　view　to　make　themselves　masters　of　the　estate　of　Macleod　of　Assynt；　who；　he　erroneously　states；　〃was　lineal　　heir　to　the　estates　of　Lewis。〃　　In　order　to　give　effect　to　this　intention　Seaforth　purchased　several　old　claims；　〃some　of　them　very　unjust；〃　against　Assynt；　which　were　made　over　to　Thomas　Mackenzie　of　Plus…cardine；　Seaforth's　brother。　　In　1637　the　two　Mackenzies；　in　virtue　of　　these　claims　and　the　titles　founded　upon　them；　gave　a　wadset　of　the　lands　of　Assynt　to　Kenneth　Mackenzie　of　Scatwell　in　security　for　forty　thousand　merks。　　In　1640　〃the　Legal　of　those　claims　and　apprisings　being　expired；　　Seaforth　did；　with　his　friends　and　clan；　to　the　number　of　1000　men；　invade　　Assynt；　and　did　there　commit　great　outrages。　　He　being　for　this　pursued　at　　law；　was　decerned　in　40；000　pounds　Scots　of　damages；〃　which　paid　a　　great　part　of　his　claim　upon　the　estate；　and　it　is　maintained　that　the　remainder　was　afterwards　paid　by　the　means；　which　are　set　forth　in　the　　same　document；　along　with　somewhat　intricate　statements；　which　would　　occupy　too　much　space　here。　　The　〃Information〃　proceeds　with　the　　following　interesting　details；　which　we　give；　with　very　slight　alteration；　in　　his　own　words。

He　says　that　in　1646　Seaforth　having　joined　Montrose　at　Inverness；　where　were　likewise　100　men　of　Assynt　under　his　Superior's　（Seaforth）　command；　and　Neil　of　Assynt　himself；　then　a　minor；　being　a　friend；　in　　Seaforth's　house　at　　Brahan；　Seaforth　ordered　his　men　in　the　Highlands　to　fall　upon　Assynt's　estate；　where　they　made　fearful　havoc；　carried　away；　as　　Neil　represents；　3000　cows；　2000　horses；　7000　sheep　and　goats；　and　burnt　　the　habitations　of　180　families。　When　complaint　was　made　of　this　in　the　　South；　Seaforth　was　bought　off　by　the　interest　of　General　Middleton；　and　　by　virtue　of　a　capitulation　which　he　had　with　Seaforth　when　in　the　North。

In　the　year　1654　Seaforth　led　a　body　of　his　own　men；　with　a　part　of　　the　broken　army　under　the　command　of　Middleton；　to　Assynt　and　made　　great　depredations；　destroyed　a　very　great　quantity　of　wine　and　brandy；　　which　the　Laird　of　Assynt　had　bought；　besides　other　commodities；　in　all　to　　the　value　of　50；000　merks；　out　of　a　ship　then　on　that　coast；　carrying　off　2400　cows；　1500　horses；　about　6000　sheep　and　goats；　besides　burning　and　　destroying　many　families。　Assynt　was　not　liable　in　law　to　any　such　usage　from　them；　having　receipts　from　Seaforth　and　Lord　Reay　for　his　　proportion　of　the　levy　appointed　at　that　time　for　the　King's　service。

When　　Middleton　came　to　that　country　he　declared　that　he　had　given　no　warrant　　for　what　Seaforth　had　done；　and　that　in　presence　of　Lord　Macdonald　and　　Sir　George　Munro；　etc。　　When　Assynt　pursued　Seaforth　before　the　English　　judges　of　the　time；　Seaforth　defeated　his　process　by　proving　that　Neil　had　　been　in　arms　against　the　English；　and　did　then　allege　no　cause　for　the　　injuries　done　by　him　to　Assynt；　except　a　private　quarrel。　　But　when　　Macleod　afterwards；　at　the　Restoration；　pursued　Seaforth；　he　alleged　in　　defence　that　he　had　acted　by　a　warrant　from　Middleton；　who　was　then　　commissioner　for　the　Parliament。　　But　Neil　says；　if　there　was　any　such　　warrant　it　was　certainly　given　after　the　injuries　had　been　done　to　him。　However；　things　stood　then　in　such　a　way　that　Neil　was　not　likely　to　　procure　any　justice。

There　was　another　claim　which　seems　to　have　brought　matters　to　a　crisis。　　Macleod　had　become　a　party　to　a　bond　of　caution　granted　by　Ross　　of　Little　Tarrel　in　the　sum　of　？50　sterling；　for　which；　in　1656；　an　　apprising　was　laid　upon　the　estate　of　Assynt；　at　the　instance　of　Sinclair　of　　Mey；　in　Caithness；　who　subsequently　assigned　his　claim　to　Sir　George　　Mackenzie　of　Tarbat　and　John　Mackenzie；　second　son　of　Kenneth　Mor；　　third　Earl　of　Seaforth；　afterwards　known　as　the　Hon。　John　Mackenzie　of　　Assynt。　　The　matter　was　contested　for　a　time；　but　〃in　the　year　1668　or　　1669　or　1670；　the　legal　apprising　being　expired；　decree　of　mails　and　duties　　was　obtained　upon　the　claim　against　the　estate　of　Assynt　and　ejection　　against　himself。　　Upon　pursuing　this　ejection　in　1671；　several　illegal　steps　　were　allege