thought proper to retire, and in a little time to fwear allegiance to
his monarch *, James I. But he was permitted to retain the countvl
o f Rofs, and affurae the title of earl. His fucceffor, Alexankl
at the head of ten thoufand men, attacked and burnt InverntjsA
at length, terrified with the preparations made againft him, fcM
at the royal feet, and obtained pardon as to life, but was com-l
mitted to ftrict confinement.
His kinfman and deputy, Donald Balloch, refenting the iirJ
prifonment of his chieftain, excited another rebellion, and dt.|
ftroyed the country with fire and fword : but on his flight wtsl
taken and put to death by an Irijh chieftain, with whom he fougha
proteftion.
Thefe barbarous inroads were very frequent with a fit oflk.
ditti, who had no other motive in war but the -infamous induce-1
ment of plunder. In p. 175 we fee their cruel invafion of tie]
Ihire of Lenox, and the horrible maffacre in confequenee.
In the reign o f James II. in the year 1461, Donald anotkrl
petty tyrant, an Earl of Rofs, and lord of the ifles, renewed the]
pretence of independency j furprized the caftle of
forced , his way as far as Athol, obliged the earl and countefs, with
the principal inhabitants, to feek refuge in the church of St
Bridget, in hopes of finding fecurity from his cruelty by the fanc-l
tity of the place; but the barbarian and his followers fet fire to]
the church,-put the ecclefiafbics to the fword, and, with a great]
booty, carried the earl and countefs prifoners to his cafile of Cki[\
* Bocth. lib. xvi. 342»
I the ifland of Ilay*. In a fecond expedition, immediately fo t
t j n s the firft, he fuffered the penalty of his impiety : a tempeft
f t rtook him, and overwhelmed moil of his affociates ; and he,
taping to Invernefs, perifhed By the hands of an Irijh harper f
K furviving followers returned to Bay, conveyed the Earl • and
Kuntefs of Athol to the fanftuary they had violated, and expiated
lieir crime by reftoring the plunder, and making large donations ”
[to the ferine of the offended faint.
mjohn, fucceffor to the laft Earl of Rofs, entered into alliance
iL', kdward IV ±, fent ambaflfadors to the court of England, where
Wmrd empowered the Bifhop of Durham, and Earl oiWorceJler;
lie Prior of: St. Johns of Jerufalem, and John lord JVenlock to
limclude a treaty with him, another Donald Balloch, and his fon
¡ajid heir, John. They agreed to ferve the king with all 'their.
■>wer, and to become his fubjefts : the earl'was to have a hun-
| (fed marks fterling for life in time of peace, and two hundred
Junds in time of war; and thefe ifland allies, in cafe of the con-
(Left of Scotland, were to have'confirmed to them all the polfef-
| rains to the north of'the Scottijh fea ; and in cafe of'a truce with!
the Scottijh monarch, they , were to be included in it §. But about.
the year 1476, Edward,' from a change of politics, courted the
Reliance-of James III., and dropt his new allies. James, determined.
Buchanan, lib« xii. c. 19..
[■ t Holinjhead Hift. S c o t . 279*
H i For the fake of making a diverfion in their favor, both Edward III. and Henry-.
I ly* condefcended to enter into alliance with thefe Reguli*
■ i fyjner'j foed, xi, 483« 484*