hearts of the people, and where his Irish troops, who were worth little in their own country, united with his French auxiliarys and Highlanders, would perform wounders, and compose a very formidable army, that would soon make him master of his enemys. He begged his Majesty to reflect on the behaviour of the few naked Irish that served under the great Montrose; how different it was from that of their countrymen who were commanded att the very same time by the Marquess of Ormond! But that if he did not think it proper to come himself, at least to hasten over the Duke of Berwick with the succours he had been pleased so often to promise.

In the mean time, General Mackay was att great pains to sollicite the Clans to a revolt; but he prevailed with non but the Laird of Grant, who was so zealous in that service, that he levyed a regiment att his oun charges, and thereby brought heavy debts on his estate, which was then very opulent. The Laird of Macintoish declaired for neither side; and some others of the Northern Clans followed his example. But that General left no stone unturned to gain Locheill. He offered him a great sum of mony in hand, the government of Inverlochy, the command of a regiment, with what tittles of honour and dignitys he should choise; and assured him that King William had empowered him to make these offers. But Locheill, without opening the Letters, brought them to my Lord Dundee, and begged that he would be pleased to dictate the an

swers.

Before the Isleanders and others of the distant Clans had time to come up, Dundee's people took two severall expresses from Mackay to Collonell Ramsay, ordering him to march with all speed through the country of Atholl, and joyn him att Inverness. To prevent this conjunction, Dundee resolved immediatly to attack Ramsay, who commanded a body of 1200 horse and foot of the best troops of their army. He had then about 1800 men, whereof one half belonged to Locheill; and though he marched with his usewall expedition, yet Ramsay, haveing gott information of his advance, retreated with that haste and disorder that he blew up his ammunition, and marched day and night till he was quite out of the country. Dundee pursued him many miles, and return

ing into Badenoch he soon had newes of Mackay's arrivall, and haveing taken the oppinion of his officers, he resolved to give him battle; but Mackay also made so quick a retreat, that it was impossible to come up with him till it was dark night, and the next morning he was out of his reach.

The enemy's escape gave his Lordship some trouble, but since he could not make a better of it att that time, he sent Keppoch, with a detatchment, to summond the garrison of the Castle of Rivan in Badenoch to surrender. Mackay had some few days before putt some men into it; and Captain Forbess, who commanded them, though he made some difficulty att first, yet att last gave it up upon terms, that he and his garrison should be allowed to march away bagg and baggage.

Two troopers in the mean time arriveing from the Viscount of Kilsyth, brought intelligence, that Mackay being reinforced by the junction of some fresh men, was on his march to attack the Highlanders, whom he believed to be att a much greater distance; but that if his Lordship would use expedition enough, he might that very night surprize and cutt them to peices, while they were under no apprehension of his being so near them. One of these troopers, whose name was Provensall, further informed his Lordship, that he and his comerade belonged to that regiment of Scots Dragoons, which was formerly commanded by the Earl of Dunmore; and that they had orders from their officers to assure him that they were all ready to live and dye with him in that service; that before they left England, all the souldiers of that regiment intended to have quitted and dispersed, as his Lordship's oun troop had done; but haveing assurances from their officers, and, particularly, from Captain Murray, in whom they had great confidence, that the designe of keeping them together was truely for King James his service, they made a sham kind of complyance, but resolved to keep their oath of alledgiance, and never to serve King William. Dundee incouraged these troopers in their loyall intentions, and promised to execute my Lord Kilsyth's advice without loss of time, assuring them that he would be with them before nixt morning; but the afore-mentioned Captain Forbess haveing unluckily happned to meet these two men as they were comeing with

their intelligence to Dundee, informed Mackay, who, upon their return, immediately clapt them under arreast, seized my Lord Kilsyth, whom they keept confined for many years thereafter, and disposed of that regiment, so that they were never capable of doeing any service to their old

master.

Notwithstanding of this intelligence, Dundee gott up with Mackay, and came in sight of him just as he was decamping; and, in order to gett betwixt him and the Lowlands, he marched up Glenlivet, and turned doun Strathdown, and would have undoubtedly intercepted and forced him to ane engagement, if the darkness of the night, among these high mountains, had not favoured his retreat; for though Mackay, informed by Gordon of Edenglassy of Dundee's march, retreated, or rather fled with the greatest quickness imaginable, yet Dundee marched with that expedition, that he came in sight of him about four in the afternoon; but such were the difficultys he encountered in that fatigueing march, that it was eleven att night before he could get up with him, and was informed next day, that the enemy were att the distance of twelve long miles before nixt morning.

Mr Philips assures us, that the Highlanders came up so closs with them at the foot of Glenlivet, that they raised a great shout, and threw off their plaids in order to attack them; but they continueing their flight, Dundee detatched Captain Frazer with a troop of horse and some foot, to fall upon their rear and provock them to a skirmish, but to no purpose, for they still marched the faster till night gave them security. Thus did Dundee, says that author, force them to abandon their camp three times in one day

"Uno eodemque die, ter castris exuit hostem!"

Dureing this march, Keppoch, whose enmity to Macintosh I have formerly mentioned, took ane opportunity of doeing him and his tenants a great deale of mischief; for, without communicating his intentions to any person, he slipt away unobserved with his followers, and ravaged and destroyed the country, and, burning his oun house of Dunachton,

returned laden with booty. Dundee, who in his march had observed the country all in a flame, but had not then time to inquire into the matter, was in a very great rage when he was informed of the authors. He told Keppoch, in presence of all the officers of his small army, that he would much rather choise to serve as a common souldier among disciplined troops, than command such men as he, who seemed to make it his business to draw the odium of the country upon him: That though he had committed these outrages in revenge of his oun private quarrell, yet it would be generally believed that he had acted by authority: That since he was resolved to doe what he pleased, without any regard to command, and the publick good, he begged that he would immediatly begone with his men, that he might not hereafter have ane opportunity of affronting the Generall at his pleasure, or of making him and the better disposed troops a cover to his robberys.-Keppoch, who did not expect so severe a rebuke, humbly begged his Lordship's pardon, and told him that he would not have abused Macintoish so, if he had not thought him ane enemy to the King, as well as to himself; that he was heartily sorry for what was past, but since that could not be amended, he solemnly promised a submissive obedience for the future, and that neither he nor any of his men should att any time thereafter stirr one foot without his Lordship's positive commands.

Dundee, after so fatigueing a march, thought it proper to refresh his wearyed troops, by allowing them a few days rest att Edenglassy. They found plenty of provisions which had been provided for Mackay and his army; but he had not rested here above two days, when certain information was brought by some officers of the Scots Dragoons who had made a shift to gett to the Highland army, that Mackay being now strengthned by Collonel Ramsay's Regiment of Dragoons, and ane English Regiment of Foot, had turned the chace, and was on a full march to attack the Highlanders, whom he expected to find in disorder. His Lordship was sitting att dinner, with his principall officers, when this intelligence was brought him. He advised with them immediatly about the course they were to take, and it was unanimously agreed to by the Generall and his officers to retreat to the hills, not so much on account

of the enemy's superiority in numbers, which exceeded theirs by more than a half, but because of their strength in horse, which the Highlanders att that time feared above all things. But it was, however, agreed to conceal the reasons that putt them upon these measures, least the Highlanders should suspect their own strength, and dread that of their enemys, which might probably intimidate them, and sink their spirits, which were then much elated.

The army was immediatly drawn out without any noise or hurry ; and the reason assigned for their return was, to attend the generall rendezvouze, to which it was said the most distant Clans were already arrived. This prudent conduct had the effect designed, though it lost Dundee a few of his followers; for, being ignorant of their danger, and resolveing not to leave ane enemy's countrey empty-handed, a few stayed behind, with designe of carrying with them some of the most portable moveables they could fall upon. Some of them were surprized by Gordon of Edenglassy, who hanged them up to the nixt trees; and others of them were used in the same manner by the Laird of Grant, who had espoused Mackay's party with more than ordinary zeale and keenness.

Dundee retreated towards the hills in very good order, and keept such a strong rear-guard, that Mackay, who made but very slow marches, durst not venture to attack him. As he was thus marching along the banks of the river Spey to the country of Badenoch, two hundred of Sir John M'Lean's Isleanders, under the command of M'Lean of Lochbuy, who were comeing to meet him, ran the risk of being cutt in peices by three hundred English Dragoons that were closs on them before they knew them for enemys. It was then night, and the Lord Dundee, who was informed of their march, being afraid they might mistake their way, detatched Macdonald of Glencoe to conduct them to his camp. Though they were att no great distance when they were thus surprized, yet the river of Spey being between them and their friends, they were obliged to throw off their plaids, as their custome is, and to force their way towards a neightbouring hill called Knockbrecht, or the speckled hill, where they drew up. The officer who commanded the Dragoons, finding that there was no possibility of ascending the hill on horse-back, commanded