The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. VI] OF SCOTLAND 91
shire to that of powerful barons. Their only opponents in that
quarter had been the lords of the Isles ; the extinction of that
family now afforded them a favourable opportunity of extending
their power which was not neglected, and a succession of
talented and crafty statesmen, secretly and steadily pursuing
the same policy, soon enabled them to attain their object. The
general line of policy pursued by these earls was, by devising
means to incite the different clans in their neighbourhood to
rebellion and acts of aggression, and when these proceedings
had attracted the attention of government towards them, the
Earl of Argyll made offer of his services to reduce the turbulent
clans to obedience, upon certain terms. Should government,
however, upon any occasion, despatch another person for that
purpose, the expedition was certain to have an unsuccessful
issue, and the council of state found itself under the necessity
of accepting of Argyll's offer ; so that the affair generally
terminated in the unwary clans finding themselves betrayed
by the very person who had instigated them to acts of rebellion,
and that additional power consequently devolved upon the
Argyll family.
Although the Highland clans were now reduced to such a
state of anarchy and disorder, they were still powerful enough,
when united, to shake the stability of the government. The
frequent attempts which they made to replace the descendants
of the lords of the Isles on the Highland throne of their
ancestors will be mentioned in another place. But in no instance
did the system of clanship manifest its extraordinary influence in
such strength as in the rapid but brilliant campaigns
Mo^roL. of Montrose, when the Scottish army marched into
England to assist the parliament in their struggle,
and Montrose endeavoured, by raising the Highland clans, to
make a diversion in favour of the king in the north of Scotland.
He was, upon that occasion, promptly and cheerfully joined by
the Highlanders, who entertained a hereditary re$pect for the
descendant of so many kings, and whose principles also led them
to support the hereditary succession to the crown. No person
was better acquainted with Highland warfare, or more able to
make an advantageous use of the peculiar qualities of that race,
than the Marquis of Montrose ; and, accordingly, with a force