TO EVAN MACCOLL.

Thine own "Glenshira," by thy And oh, may Heaven's blessing rest,

HISTORY OF THE CLAN MACKENZIE; with Genealogies of the Principal Families. By ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, Editor of the Celtic Magazine, &c. inverness: A. & W. Mackenzie, 1879.

WE cannot, of course, review this work in our own pages, but the following extracts will show the reader how it has been received by the literary critics. A few copies are still for sale at 25s. It makes a handsome New-Year's gift :

"It opens with the literary feud as to the origin of the Mackenzies, the author vigorously supporting the theory of their descent from the ancient Earls of Ross in opposition to tho popular traditional account which traces them to Colin Fitzgerald, an Irish chief, who, fleeing from his country, found a refuge in Scotland, and scored a triumph by saving the King's life from the attack of a savage buck-a story bearing a remarkable resemblance to the myth regarding John of Galloway, the reputed founder of the house of Buccleuch. The Fitzgerald fable may be looked upon as exploded, and the documents evidencing it as forgeries;

and the theory might now have been passed unnoticed, had it not recently found ingenious advocacy in Fraser's Earls of Cromartie.' The History of the Mackenzies of Kintail is a series of tragedies, here and there relieved by touches of rude humour. Mr Mackenzie is disposed to be more exact than some of his predecessors, and is not guilty of such blunders as those of Mr W. Fraser, who prefixed to his book on the Earls of Cromartie a pedigree of the Seaforth line which was simply a slavish copy, even to the eccentric spelling of Douglas's Peerage,' and repeated the errors of that book, although he had actually incorporated in his work the history by George, Earl of Cromartie, where a more correct pedigree was given. The work

bas an intense interest of a certain kind, and there is a suggestive picturesqueness about the appellations of the chiefs. The various branches of the clan are traced genealogically to the present day, a stiff piece of labour for which Mr Mackenzie certainly deserves the thanks of his kinsmen."-Athenæum.

"It was certainly no ordinary task that the enthusiastic editor of the Celtic Magazine imposed upon himself, in writing up the history of his clan; but the manner in which he has accomplished the work reflects great credit, not only on his devotion to his family name, but his historical faculty as well. His book is a monument of careful and painstaking labour. By many, however, not Mackenzies, the question may be put, Has not the author thrown away great labour upon a work which nobody will read outside the charmed circle of his clan? Who in these busy times has leisure, even if he had the will, to read the genealogical tree of a Highland family in which he has not the remotest possible interest? The answer which the author would make, and justly, is that his book is in effect a chapter of national as well as of family history, and as such lays claim to be read by all who would make a study of Scottish history. Leaving out the genealogies, of course, the book is, in fact, a deeply interesting and instructive one, dealing as it does with men like the Earls of Seaforth, who played such important parts in the times of the Covenant, and the revolution which followed. There is not much to admire in the characters which figure in this history-treachery, rapiue, murder followed too closely on their heels, but Mr Mackenzie has been able to throw considerable light, not only upon the Highland character, but also upon important historical facts such as the conduct of Generals Hurry and Seaforth at the Battle of Auldearn. In a word, he who would master the attitude of the Highlanders towards the Covenant and Jacobitism cannot afford to pass by this history of the clan Mackenzie. Difference of opinion there may be about the author's tracing of the clan back to the ancient Earls of Ross instead of the Irish chief, Colin Firzgerald, but there can be none as to the praiseworthy manner in which he has discharged a most difficult task; and his book, at any rate, merits the notice of all the loyal members of his clan."-London Literary World.

"It furnishes an historical narrative of the family, its feuds, its victories, its acquisitions of property, its sub-divisions, and their several ramifications down to the present day, including alliances by marriage so recent as the present generation. It is an extraordinary volume. Mr Mackenzie first published what he knew of the history of his clan in the Celtic Magazine, an excellent expedient for acquiring additional information; for correspondence flowed in upon him copiously, correcting inaccuracies, and pointing out fresh sources of supply. The present history has by this means been greatly enhanced in value. The History of the Mackenzies may be taken as typical of the Highlands generally, more so, perhaps, than any other clan in this respect-that their possessions extended uninterruptedly from the Outer Hebrides to the Point of Tarbat Ness, from the western to the eastern extremity of the Highlands proper, and the people shared the turbulent life of the Islands and west coast of the mainland, as well as that of the peaceful agricultral districts of Easter Ross. The labour that must have been bestowed upon the work is amazing."-Inverness Courier. "Mr Mackenzie traces with laborious minuteness the history of the different chiefs, and the feuds in which they were engaged with neighbouring clans, as well as the part they played in the struggles which so frequently convulsed the Scottish nation.

Mr M. gives exhaustive genealogies of the different branches of the clan, and an abstract of the evidence bearing on the much-disputed question of the Chiefship, in the course of which he records his opinion that the Mackenzies of Allangrange appear to be heirs male of the family of Seaforth."-Edinburgh Courant.

"Mr Mackenzie brings us down through centuries of rapine and bloodshed, in which the feuds between the Mackenzies, the Macdonalds, and the Macleods, are amply related.... The action taken by the clan during the Jacobite rebellions forms an interesting chapter in the history, and the events of recent years are skilfully told. The question of the chiefship is ably discussed. Mr Mackenzie has succeeded in completing a very difficult and laborious task, and we have no doubt his researches in the interests of Celtic history will be favourably received."-Glasgow News.

"Not only the members of the clan, but also all who take an interest in the annals of Scotland and the Highlands, owe a debt of gratitude to the author for the research and ability which he has devoted to this interesting volume, which is very handsomely got up in Roxburgh binding, and the printing and general get-up are highly creditable to Northern enterprise."-Ross-shire Journal.

Gur muladach a ta mi,

'S mi nochd air aird a' chuain,
'S neo-shunndach mo chadal domh,
'S do chaidreamh fada uam;
Gur tric mi ort a' smaointeach
As t'aogais tha mi truagh;
'S mar a dean mi d'fhaotainn
Cha bhi mo shaoghal buan.
Suil chorrach mar an dearcag,
Fo rosg a dh' iadhas dlu ;
Gruaidhean mar an caoran,
Fo 'n aodann tha leam ciuin;
Aidicheam le eibhneas

Gun d' thug mi fein duit run;
'S gur bliadhna leam gach la
O'n uair a dh'fhag mi thu.

Theireadh iad ma 'n d' fhalbh mi uat,

Gu'm bu shearbh leam doi ad choir,

Gu 'n do chuir mi cul riut,

'S gun dhiult mi dhuit mo phog.

Na cuireadh sid ort curam,

A ruin na creid an sgleo;

Tha d'anail leam ni's curaidh,

Na'n driuchd air bharr an fheoir,

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NOTE.-The above melody is a favourite in every part of the Highlands. The words according to Mackenzie (in the "Beauties of Gaelic Poetry"), were composed by Hector Mackenzie, Ullapool.-W. M'K,

VII. JOHN MACDONALD of Isla, first Lord of the Isles, who played a most important part in the turbulent age in which he lived. He is admitted by all authorities to have been one of the most able and sagacious chiefs of his time, and, by his diplomacy and alliances, more than by the sword, he raised the clan to a position of splendour and power which they have not attained to since the days of Somerled. In his time Scotland was divided and harrassed by various claimants to the crown, the principal of whom were the second Bruce and Edward Baliol, John of the Isles sided with the latter, more probably with the object of recovering, and maintaining intact, the ancient possessions of his house, than for any preference he entertained for Baliol and his English supporters. The Island chiefs had always, more or less, claimed to be independent of the Scottish kings, and naturally enough it appeared to John of the Isles that to aid Baliol against Bruce would be the most effective means of strengthening his family pretensions. He was perfectly satisfied that the Scottish king would not admit the claim to independence of any competitor within his realm; whereas Baliol, not only entertained his pretensions, but actually confirmed him "as far as in him lay," not only to the vast territories already possessed by him, but to an extensive addition, granting him by charter, in 1355, the lands of Mull, Skye, Islay, Gigha, Kintyre, Knapdale, and other large possessions. For these favours John bound himself and his heirs to become lieges to the Baliols; for he well knew that even if they succeeded to establish their claim to the crown he would be practically independent in the Western Isles, and could at any time re-assert his old pretensions. He, however, visited England in 1338, and was well received by Edward III., to whom, it is said, he acknowledged vassalage. John and the Regent had some disputes about the lands granted by Robert the Bruce to Angus Og of the Isles, which was the main cause of the Island chief being thrown into the arms of Baliol's party, who, in addition to the lands above-mentioned, also granted him

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the Wardship of Lochaber, until the heir of Athol, at the time only three years of age, attained his majority. These territories had been previously forfeited by his ancestors on the accession of Robert Bruce; and the grant to John of the Isles was confirmed by Edward III. on the 5th of October 1336. In spite of all this, however, and the great advantages to Baliol of securing the support of a powerful chief like John of the Isles, the Regent was ultimately successful in freeing Scotland from the dominion and pretensions of the English and their unpatriotic tool, Edward Baliol; and established the independence of his own country.

In 1341 the Steward sent to France for David II., to commence his personal reign in Scotland; but the Island chief was too powerful to suffer materially in person or property for his disloyalty. Indeed, King David on his return deemed it the wisest policy to attach as many of the Scottish barons to his party as possible; and with this view he concluded a treaty with John of the Isles, by which a temporary peace was secured between them, and in consequence of which the Insular Chief was, for the first time during his whole rule, not in active opposition to the Scottish king. Gregory, referring to these transactions, says that " on the return of David II. from France, after the final discomfiture of Baliol and his supporters, John of the Isles was naturally exposed to the hostility of the Steward and the other nobles of the Scottish party, by whose advice he seems to have been forfeited, when many of his lands were granted to one of his relations, Angus MacIan, progenitor of the house of Ardnamurchan. This grant, however, did not take effect; and such was the resistance offered by John and his kinsman, Reginald or Ranald, son of Roderick MacAlan (who had been restored, in all probability, by Baliol, to the lands forfeited by his father), and so anxious was David at the time to bring the whole force of his kingdom together in his intended wars with England, that he at length pardoned both these powerful chiefs, and confirmed to them the following possessions :-To John he gave the Isles of Isla, Gigha, Jura, Scarba, Colonsay, Mull, Coll, Tiree, and Lewis, and the districts of Morvern, Lochaber, Duror, and Glenco; to Ranald the Isles of Uist, Barra, Egg, and Rum, and the Lordship of Garmoran, being the original possessions of his family in the North. By this arrangement, Kintyre, Knapdale, and Skye, reverted to their former owners, and Lorn remained in the hands of the crown, whilst it is probable that Ardnamurchan was given as a compensation to Angus Maclan," The Lordship of Garmoran comprehended the districts of Moidart, Arisaig, Morar, and Knoydart, on the mainland. Not long after this Ranald, son of Rory of the Isles, and last male representative of Roderick of Bute, grandson of Somerled of the Isles, was, in 1346, murdered, as already stated, at Perth by the Earl of Ross, from whom he held lands in Kintail; and, leaving no issue, his sister Amy, who married John of the Isles, in terms of the grant in his favour by David II., became her brother's heir, when her husband, uniting her possessions to his own, assumed henceforth the style of Dominus Insularum, or Lord of the Isles. The first recorded instance of the assumption of this title by John of Isla, is in an indenture with the Lord of Lorn, in 1354. "Thus was formed," continues Gregory, "the modern Lordship of the Isles, comprehending the territories of the Macdonalds of Isla, and the Macruaries of the North Isles, and a great part of those of the Macdougalls of Lorn; and although the representative of