an unavoidable accident, three or four days after the allotted period.

This chief it seems, in the violence of the times, a little before the revolution, had plundered the lands of the earl of Breadalbin. For this, and fome other acts of animofity, that nobleman, it is thought, had devoted him to deftruction; and is accufed of perfuading king William to put him, and all his clan under military execution, as a terror to other difaffected parts of the Highlands. No inquiry therefore was made, whether Macdonald had fubmitted, or would submit; but a warrant for putting to death near two hundred innocent people, was difpatched with as little ceremony, as if it had been an order to apprehend a smuggler. This horrid warrant having paffed through all the ufual forms, was brought to the king, who figned it, it is faid, without fcruple; tho it is probable, Macdonald's fubmiffion had been concealed from him. Bishop Burnet indeed * endeavours to make the king intirely ignorant of the whole affair. He was rather dilatory, the bishop fays, in bufinefs; and used to put

* See his history of his own times.

off

off figning papers, till they began to multiply; when he would fign them in a lump with too little examination. In this precipitate manner, he gives us to understand, the king figned the fatal warrant against the inhabitants of Glencoe.

From the king it was directed to the fecretary of state in Scotland; who fent it, in the course of bufinefs, to the commanding officer of Argyle's regiment, then in garrison at Fort William.

Early in February, 1691, a detachment from that corps took poffeffion of the valley of Glencoe; and when Macdonald inquired into their intention, he was told it was friendly; and had in view only to levy the arrears of fome ill-paid taxes. Upon this Macdonald and his dependents, laid afide all apprehenfions (as indeed having submitted to government, they had no grounds to harbour any) and entertained the troops hofpitably, during the space of fifteen days.

On the evening of the fixteenth day, young Macdonald obferved the guards were doubled; and thought he faw fomething among the troops, which he did not well understand. He brought his fufpicions to his father: but

the old man endeavoured with jocularity to disperse them. The youth however at the close of day, drew his brother afide, and carried him out privately among the foldiers, to make observations. Approaching a guard under the cover of the night, they overheard a centinel tell his fellow, that "It was a "brutal work, but their officers must answer for it." Upon this the two young men in terror made instantly to their father's house:

"

but the bloody deed was begun. As they approached, they heard the report of fire-arms

they heard the fhrieks of defpair; and faw the house surrounded by armed men. Old Macdonald was fhot through the head, as he flept by his wife: and, at the fame time, a Highland gentleman, who was then upon a vifit to him; tho he had the king's protection in his pocket. The houses of the tenants, and dependents of the family, were furrounded alfo, and every man butchered, who was found. A pillage enfued; and all the wanton cruelty was practifed, which is customary at the facking of a town.

The women and children indeed were spared : but fuch of them, as had neither died of the fright, nor had been butchered by mif

take,

take, were turned out naked, at the dead of night - a keen, freezing night—with all their calamities about them, into a waste covered with fnow.

When the morning rofe, the horrid deed appeared in all it's guilt. Thirty-eight flaughtered bodies were drawn out; and the women, who had never attempted to fly, were in general found either starved to death; or expiring with their children under hedges. It was thought, that about a hundred of those destined to flaughter, had escaped through the intelligence given them by their friends among the troops,

This horrid affair was never fufficiently examined, King William endeavoured to repel the odium from himself, by throwing it upon the Scotch fecretary; who had exceeded, he faid, his orders. But various circumstances, and especially the lenity shewn to all concerned in this business, rendered fuch an apology very defective. "The king "fent orders, fays Burnet, to "the matter; but when the

inquire into

letters writ

upon this business, were all examined,

" which I myself read, it appeared, that so many were involved in the matter, that

M 3

"the

"the king's gentleness prevailed on him to a fault; and he contented himself with difmiffing only the master of Stair from "his fervice. Indeed the not punishing "this with due rigour, was the greatest "blot in this whole reign."

We did not fee the valley of Glencoe; as it would have carried us too far out of our road: but it is described as one of the most interesting scenes in the whole country; hung with rock, and wood; and abounding with beauties of the most romantic kind. This valley is famous alfo for being the birth-place of Ofcian. In it's wild fcenes that bard is faid to have caught his first poetic raptures. Near it lies the country of Morven; which Fingal hath turned into claffic ground by his huntings, and his wars.

SECT.