1000 men of his Clan and allys, besides a company of the King's troops under the command of the fore-mentioned Captain Mackenzie of Suddy, who joyned him by order of the Councill. Though Keppoch had not much above half this number, yet relying on the courage of his men, and the interest that many of them had in the quarrell, he had the boldness to encounter Macintoish, and though the skirmish was fierce and bloody, yet Macintoish had the missfortune to be defeated with the loss of many of his followers, and made a prissoner. Captain Mackenzie (who had the charracter of a fine gentleman, and brave officer) was also killed in that action. Keppoch, before he dismissed his prissoner, obliged him to renounce his tittle to the lands in dispute; and the Revolution happening the next year, saved him and his people from the resentment of the Government; and matters were in process of time adjusted between them upon a more equall footing.

The newes of these troubles soon reached the Councill; and Locheill, being by law bound for the men he had there, was in no small fears of being called to ane account for them. He advised the matter with the Viscount of Tarbat, his friend and relation, who was a Privy Counselour; and his Lordship, who knew that Locheill had several enemys in the Councill, haveing some suspitions that they would exert themselves on that occasion, promised to advertize him by a sign from a window of the Councill Chamber, where they were to conveen on that very account, if he was in any danger of being confined. The Councill being mett, there was ane Information read, wherein Locheill was accused not onely as accessory to, but even as principall author of the blood that was shed, in so far as it was notorious, that Keppoch durst not have attacked Macintoish with his oun followers without the assistance of the Camerons, for whose crimes Locheill was obliged to answer; that though he stayed att Edinburgh himself, yet that was but a cover; and even his absence was charged upon him as a crime, because it was impossible but he knew of Macintoish his designs, which made too much noise for any to be ignorant of; and, therefore, he ought to have stayed in the country, and endeavoured to have preserved the peace, as the law obliged him. In

short, it was carryed by a plurality of votes, that he should be immediately arrested and committed to prison till a further tryall; and a warrand was issued out to the Magistrates to putt the decree in execution.

But Locheill was before-hand with them; for, haveing had the signe from my Lord Tarbatt as they concerted ;-after some perplexity where to conceall himself, a lucky thought struck him in the head, of retireing into the Tolbooth, or city jayle, under pretext of visiteing one of the prissoners. As non could suspect that he would choise such a place of concealment, so he communicated the reason of his being there to none but to James Cameron the Clerk; who, favouring his designes, he continued there till it was dark night, and stealing out by private ways, gott safely to Lochaber.

About the beginning of October thereafter, he had a letter from the Chancelour, signifying that the Prince of Orange was prepareing to invade England with a great fleet; and desireing him to march into Argileshyre with as many of his men as he could suddenly gett together, and to joyn Sir John Drummond of Macheny, who was then att Inverarey as Lord Lewtenant of that shire. This order was seconded by another from the Privy Council of the 4th of that month. The rendezvouze was at a place called Killimichaell, where several of the people of that country joyning them, their whole party ammounted to about twelve hundred men. They effectwally keept that country in obedience, till they were informed by the Chancelour that the King, after finding himself betrayed and deserted on all hands, had retired into France.

While they stayed there, Locheill was, by the Lord Leutenant, putt in the possession of Swynard and Ardnamurchan, agreeably to a warrand from the Earl of Balcarras, bearing date the 3d October 1688; and he had thereafter a new grant or charter of that estate from the King soon after his arrivall in Ireland.

Locheill sent his eldest son John with 300 of his men from Inverarey towards Drummond Castle, att the desire of the Chancelour, who was resolved to retire to Lochaber under his protection, and from thence to embarque for Ireland, where he expected to find the King again[st] the spring following. It was unlucky for his Lordship that he chanced in the

mean time to alter his designs; for, haveing taken shipping att Kirkaldy, a town on the coast of Fife, he was there made prissoner, and confined in the castle of Stirling. Thus dissapoynted, he returned to Lochaber, where he continued all that winter, meditating how he could best serve the King; and the nixt Book will shew us how he accquitted himself of his loyalty, and of the obligations of honour and gratitude by which he was bound to that unfortunate Prince.

MEMOIRS OF LOCHEILL.

BOOK THIRD.

CONTAINING THE MOST MATERIAL PASSAGES OF HIS LIFE, FROM THE REVOLUTION TO HIS DEATH.

SIR EWEN CAMERON.

LOCHEILL employed himself dureing the winter in projecting measures for forming a confederacy in favours of King James, and was much encouraged in his designs by a letter of the 29th of March 1689, which he received from his Majesty, who had some short time before arrived in Ireland.

This letter bears ane order to be ready att a call, with all his friends and followers, to joyn his forces att such time and place as should be appoynted; with ane assurance, that his Majesty would reimburse what charges he should be putt to; that he would stand to his former declarations in favours of the Protestant Religion, and the liberty and property of the subject; that he would aboundantly reward such as served him faithfully, and punish such as did not; and that he would send Commissions with a power of nameing his own officers.

After receiveing this Letter, Locheill made a visite to all the Chiefs that were near him, and wrote to those att a distance, and found them all heartily inclined to joyn with him in a confederacy for restoreing King

James. They had afterwards a general meeting, and agreed so well in every poynt, that they appoynted their rendezvouze to be again[st] the 13th of May following, in Lochaber, att a place called Dalmacommer, near Locheil's house. They informed King James of their resolutions, and prayed him to send them a proper person to head them, assureing him of their loyalty, and of their willingness to hazard life and fortune in his service.

The odd and sudden turn that affairs then tooke was surprizeing to many. The Revolutioners played their game with such cunning and artifice, as infused a generall fear of Popery into the multitude, and rendered even those who abhorred all chainges in the State as unactive as if they had not been concerned in the matter.

The Councill att first was very unanimous in favours of King James, and concurred in every thing that was offered for his service. The noise of a foreign war seemed for some time to have banished their jealousys and fears; and the gentlemen and burgesses sent new offers of their duety to all quarters of the country. The militia was ordered to be raised and modelled, the Castles of Edinburgh and Stirling plentifully furnished, and the whole kingdome putt into a posture of defence.

It is true, indeed, that some few Scotch Lords, who happned to be att London when the Prince of Orange arrived, took upon them to address his Highness in name of the people of Scotland, but then they had no authority for doeing so, and the Scots Ministry stood then just as it had done formerly, without any seeming inclination to a revolt. His Highness haveing, in his own name, issued out writts for calling a Convention of the Estates of Scotland, many were afraid to answer the summonds, least, if the affair had miscarried, it might have been construed High Treason; and for the very same reason, many who obeyed soon deserted the Convention, when they came to reflect on the authority by which it was conveened.

These things gave the Presbiterians ane opportunity of acting without opposition; but their numbers were so small, that the Convention looked liker a Committee than a representation of the kingdome. The first