partys of the troops. They were no less vexed to see a party still on foot, that acted by and acknowledged no other authority but that of their late master; and they even thought it might be of dangerous consequence, in case the King of France inclined to invade Brittain in favours of King James. Besides, they were fond to have it believed that they had proceeded all along, and formed their new schemes, upon the inclinations of the people, which so great a part of the kingdome still standing out plainly contradicted.

Upon these considerations, they resolved to bring about a treaty att any rate; and sent severall persons, who were in friendship with both partys, to sound the minds of the Chiefs. These gentlemen, though inclinable enough to end the miseries of their people, who were intirely cutt off from all intercourse with the rest of the kingdome, by ane honourable peace, yet they would not hearken to any proposalls without permission from King James. The Ministers att first thought themselves affronted by so bold a demand; but the Chiefs continueing obstinate, they found there was a politicall necessity of complying. They, therefore, upon the 8th of September 1690, issued out a peremptory order to the Earls of Breadalbane and Menteath to attend their pleasure; and haveing deliberatly advised with these Lords, they fixt upon the first as the most proper for the negotiation.

The Marquess of Atholl and Earl of Argile were also equally ambitious of that honour. They imagined that besides the service done to the Government, it would be no small proof of their power and interest with the Highland Chiefs, who then made a considerable noise in the world. These Lords courted them by all manner of caresses and promises; but Locheill, who bore a great sway in all their councills, prevailed with them to declare in favours of Breadalbane, who was not onely his intimat friend, but his very near relation. Glengary allone stood out, and joyned interest with the Marquess of Atholl, whom he befriended with so warm a zeale that he shutt his eyes to the common interest, and did no small prejudice to his country.

The Earl of Breadalbane, haveing obtained full powers from King Wil

liam, had severall meetings with the Chiefs att a place called Achallader, upon the confines of that Earl's country, where they agreed upon the following Articles, as the conditions on which they were willing to lay down their arms:

"1st, As a preliminary Article, they demanded full power and liberty to send such a person as they should make choise of to the Court of St Germans upon the Government's charges, in order to lay the state of their affairs before King James, and to obtain his permission and warrand to enter into that treaty.

"2dly, This Article being granted, they nixt demanded the sum of L.20,000 sterling, to refund them of the great expences and losses they had sustained by the war. In order to obtain this, they represented that the people were so impoverished, that it would be impossible to keep them from makeing depredations on their Low-country neightbours, unless they were enabled to stay att home, and to apply themselves to agriculture, and the improvement of their country.

"3dly, That King William should, att the publick charges, free them from all manner of vassalage and dependence on the great men their neightbours, as King James was to have done, for which they produced his Letters; that being thereby freed from the tyranny and oppression of these superiours, they might hav their sole dependence on the crown, and be enabled effectually to suppress thieveing, and imploy their people in the service of their country.

4thly, That King James his officers might have full liberty either to remain att home, or to goe into foreign service, as they pleased, and that they, and all others engaged in his interest, should not onely have passports for that purpose, but also be carryed to the port of Havre de Grace, att the charges of the Government.

"5thly, That they be all allowed to weare and use their arms, as they were formerly wont to doe; and that no other oaths should be putt to them excepting simply that of the alleadgeance; and that they should have a full and free indemnity for all crimes whatsoever committed by them, or any of them, dureing the wars; and that, in the meantime, there should be cessation of arms."

Such were the Articles and terms of surrender that the Chiefs agreed upon, and delivered to the Earl of Breadalbane, in order to be obtained from King William, who was then in Flanders; others being in Ireland imployed in reduceing the towns that still keept out, under French garrisons, for King James.

But about the end of September, and before this treaty was sett on foot, the Earl of Argile was ordered by the councill to march with his own regiment to Stirling; and if there was no descent, as was then threatned, to proceed, in conjunction with that commanded by the Earl of Glencairn, to Argileshire, in order to reduce the Isles. Major Ferguson had been sent thither in the spring preceeding, with a detached party of the troops, besides six hundred of Argile's Highlanders, under the command of Sir James Campbell of Ardkinglass, who was also appointed Governour of Dunstaffnage. Argile continued for many months in these parts, but we hear of nothing performed by him, except the reduceing of the Castle of Isleand-Stalker, keept out by Stewart of Ardsheall for King James, and surrendered upon very honourable terms, upon the 9th of October following.

In this capitulation, there was one very singular article, whereby Argile obliged himself to free Ardsheall of a debt of 6000 merks Scots, owing by him to the Earl of Perth, as a part of the price of the lands of Glencoan formerly fewed from the said Earl; but it does not appear from the records out of which I have extracted the above and following transactions, which of the two Earls was to be the loser by this bargain.

The Ministers seem to have bent the whole force of their policy on the reduction of the Highlands. The Privy Councill Records are full of their orders, acts, and resolutions, all tending to the same poynt. They had formerly pronounced ane act of sequestration against Locheill and the other Chiefs, and now, on the 20th November, in order to putt it in execution, they recommended it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, to give a Commission to Colonel Hill, Governour of FortWilliam, (as they now began to name the garrison of Inverlochy,) to uplift these gentlemen's rents. Though this commission was issued out,

and the Governour not bound thereby to find surety for the monys, as is ordinary in such factorys, yet he durst not execute it, but remained confined within the walls of his Fort till the treaty of peace was concluded.

In the mean time, in order to awe the Highlanders into a complyance, Sir Thomas Livingston had orders, by express commands from King William, to march and encamp his army (amounting then to 10,000 men, whereof a third part were horse and dragoons) in some convenient place on the borders of the Highlands, but not to committ any acts of hostility till further orders. While Sir Thomas was on his march, he was countermanded by the Duke of Leinster, then General of the Scots forces, who intimated to him that he acted by the particular order and direction of Queen Mary. Sir Thomas, being next in command under the Duke, not onely obeyed, but sent orders to the Earl of Argile, who was then in Mull with considerable forces, to superceed all hostilitys, and to observe a cessation of arms. The very nixt day Sir Thomas was surprized by a letter from the Master of Stair, Secretary of State, then in Flanders with King William, by whose commands it was writt, challengeing him for not marching and encamping as he was ordered by his Majesty. The matter being layed before the Lords of the Privy Councill, they wrote to Queen Mary to know her pleasure; and she returned answer, that the Earl of Breadalbane's negociation with the Highlanders was done by his Majesty's command; that a cessation of arms was a part of that treaty, and that the Duke of Linster's orders to Sir Thomas was by her direction.

It happned some time before, that Stewart of Appine, haveing detained a souldier belonging to the garrison of Inverlochy as his prisoner, he was surprized and taken with some others by that Governour, and sent by sea to Glasgow, by orders from the Privy Councill; who, haveing transmitted ane information thereof to the Queen, she generously commanded them to be sett att liberty.

King William was then employed in carrying on a bloody war against France, in conjunction with most of the other powers of Europe. He had use for all his troops, and being on that account exceedingly anxious

to get rid of the Highland war, the Earl of Breadalbane found a more easy complyance with all the conditions demanded by the Chiefs than he expected. The greatest demurr was made att granting the liberty of sending to King James, that haveing the appearance of continueing their alledgeance to that unfortunate Prince, even after a submission, which might be interpreted to be made by his authority. But that article beine att last consented to among the rest, Sir George Barclay, a brigadeir, and Major Duncan Meinzies, were, by King William's permission, dispatched by the Chiefs to the Court of St Germans, to lay the case before King James, and to know his pleasure.

In consequence of this, King William did, upon the 27th of August, by a long letter, inform his Councill of this negociation, and signifyed that as the vassalage and dependence of severals of the Highland Chiefs upon others in their neightbourhood, had occasioned many feuds and differences among them, which obliged them to neglect the improveing and cultivating their country; therefore, that he was graciously pleased not onely to pardon, indemnify, and restore all that had been in arms, who should take the oath of alledgeance before the first of January nixt, but was likewayes resolved to be att some charges to purchass the lands and superioritys which were the subjects of these debates and animositys att the full and just availl, whereby they might have their immediat and intire dependence on the Crown: That since none was to sustain any reall prejudice, he would take it as ane ill service done to him and the country if any concerned should, through obstinacy or frowardness, obstruct a settlement so advantageous to his service and the publick peace; and that he expected from their Lordships the outmost application of his authority to render the designe effectuall. He then orders them to emitt a very ample and full Indemnity, without any other limitation or restriction, but that all who tooke the benefite of it should be obliged to take the oath of alledgeance to him and his Queen before the first of January 1692, in presence of their Lordships, or of the Sheriffs or their deputys of the respective shires where they lived; and their clerks are ordered to transmitt lists of all them that took the benefite of it to the Councill; and the obstinat are ordained to be prosecuted by the seve