The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. VI] OFSCOTLAND 83
and in the spirit of that sentiment, his very first act was to expel
all the English who had settled in the Lowlands under the pro-
tection of Malcolm. But he was not long permitted to enjoy
the crown, for Duncan, the eldest son of his brother Malcolm,
having applied to the king of England for assistance, received
from him the aid of a numerous army of English and Normans,
with which he advanced into Scotland, and succeeded in expelling
Donald Bane. Notwithstanding the success which attended
him in this enterprise, Duncan found it impossible, even with
the assistance of his English auxiliaries, to preserve his hold in
the Gaelic part of Scotland, and was in consequence obliged to
enter into an agreement with the native chiefs, by which he
purchased their support by the expulsion of the English who
had accompanied him to Scotland. The Scots, however, had no
sooner obtained the dismissal of the foreigners than they took
advantage of it to attack and slay Duncan, and replace Donald
Bane on the throne. From this it is plain that the whole of the
Gaelic population were in the interest of Donald, whom they
conceived to be their legitimate king. But the English king
being determined not to spare any effort to place the family of
Malcolm on the Scottish throne, again renewed the contest two
years afterwards, by despatching Edgar ^theling with a large
army, composed of Saxons and Normans, to effect that purpose.
The Gaelic inhabitants of Scotland were unable to resist the
invasion of so powerful an arm)', and Edgar having overcome
Donald in battle, made him captive and placed his namesake,
the son of Malcolm Kenmore, on the throne.
Edgar, who was now the eldest surviving son of Malcolm
Kenmore, was in a very different situation from either his father
or his brother, for he was through his mother the undoubted heir
of the old Saxon monarchy, and possessed a natural claim on
From the
the alleeiance of the Anglic inhabitants of the
t, o country .'
orEd^ar which had not belonged to the previous kings of
uithedeath
th/Firet'"^^"'
'
Scotland. It was accordingly by the assistance of
the Saxons alone that he was placed on the throne,
thfconstt" The whole Gaelic population of the country appears
ia*g°purefy
^*^°°"
to have been opposed to his claim. The hereditary
possessions of the family which were in the Highlands
were even enjoyed by the descendants of Donald