History Of The Mackenzies [112]
an impression upon Grant and his advisers, that he prevailed upon Mackenzie, who was about starting for home, to remain in the castle for another night. To this Kintail consented, and before morning he obtained the "paper" for ten thousand merks--a third of the sum originally asked for it. "Such familiar relationship of the chief with his people," our authority says, "may now-a-days be thought fabulous; but whoever considers the unity, correspondence, and amity that was so well kept and entertained betwixt superiors and their followers and vassals in former ages, besides as it is now-a-days, he need not think it so; and I may truly say that there was no clan in the Highlands of Scotland that would compete with the Mackenzies, their vassals and followers, as to that; and it is sure their superiors in former times would not grant their daughters in marriage without their consent. Nor durst the meanest of them, on the other hand, give theirs to any stranger without the superior's consent; and I heard in Earl Colin's time of a Kintail man that gave his daughter in marriage to a gentleman in a neighbouring country without the Earl's consent, who never after had kindness for the giver, and, I may say, is yet the blackest marriage for that country, and others also, that ever was among their commons. But it may be objected that now-a-days their commons advice or consent in any matter of consequence is not so requisite, whereas there are many substantial friends to advise with; but its an old Scots phrase, `A king's advice may fall from a fool's head.' I confess that is true where friends are real friends, but we ordinarily find, and partly know by experience, that, where friends or kinsmen become great and rich in interest, they readily become emulous, and will ordinarily advise for themselves if in the least it may hinder them from becoming a chief or head of a family, and forget their former headship, which was one of the greatest faults, as also the ruin of Munro of Miltown, whereas a common man will never eye to become a chief so long as he is in that state, and therefore will advise his chief or superior the more freely."
What a change in the relationship between the chiefs and clansmen of to-day! Sir William Fraser, who quotes the foregoing narrative from the former edition of this work, says that John Grant, fifth of Freuchie, in whose time this incident is said to have occurred, was not "uncle" but cousin to Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail. But he adds that the "story is so far corroborated by the fact that about the time the incident is said to have happened, the young Chief of Kintail granted a receipt to the laird of Freuchie for the charter of comprising, granted on 4th May, 1548, to James Grant of Freuchie, which, with relative papers, was now handed over to Mackenzie, in terms of a disposition by the Laird to him of lands in Kessoryne, Lochalsh, Lochcarron, etc." The original discharge, dated 1st May, 1606, Sir William says, is at Castle Grant. [Chiefs of Grant, vol. i. p. 178.] A bond of manrent is entered into between Grant and Mackenzie on the same date, at Inverness.
The day appointed for the meeting of Mackenzie and Glengarry to arrange terms soon arrived. The former had meanwhile brought up several decrees and claims against the latter at the instance of neighbouring proprietors, for "cost, skaith and damage," which altogether amounted to a greater sum than the whole of Macdonald's lands were worth. The two, however, settled their disputes by an arrangement which secured absolutely to Mackenzie all Glengarry's lands in the county of Ross, and the superiority of all his other possessions, but Glengarry was to hold the latter, paying Mackenzie a small feu as superior. In consideration of these humiliating concessions by Macdonald, Mackenzie agreed to pay twenty thousand merks Scots, and thus ended for ever the ancient quarrels which had existed for centuries between the powerful families of Glengarry and Kintail. "Thus ended the most of Glengarrie's
What a change in the relationship between the chiefs and clansmen of to-day! Sir William Fraser, who quotes the foregoing narrative from the former edition of this work, says that John Grant, fifth of Freuchie, in whose time this incident is said to have occurred, was not "uncle" but cousin to Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail. But he adds that the "story is so far corroborated by the fact that about the time the incident is said to have happened, the young Chief of Kintail granted a receipt to the laird of Freuchie for the charter of comprising, granted on 4th May, 1548, to James Grant of Freuchie, which, with relative papers, was now handed over to Mackenzie, in terms of a disposition by the Laird to him of lands in Kessoryne, Lochalsh, Lochcarron, etc." The original discharge, dated 1st May, 1606, Sir William says, is at Castle Grant. [Chiefs of Grant, vol. i. p. 178.] A bond of manrent is entered into between Grant and Mackenzie on the same date, at Inverness.
The day appointed for the meeting of Mackenzie and Glengarry to arrange terms soon arrived. The former had meanwhile brought up several decrees and claims against the latter at the instance of neighbouring proprietors, for "cost, skaith and damage," which altogether amounted to a greater sum than the whole of Macdonald's lands were worth. The two, however, settled their disputes by an arrangement which secured absolutely to Mackenzie all Glengarry's lands in the county of Ross, and the superiority of all his other possessions, but Glengarry was to hold the latter, paying Mackenzie a small feu as superior. In consideration of these humiliating concessions by Macdonald, Mackenzie agreed to pay twenty thousand merks Scots, and thus ended for ever the ancient quarrels which had existed for centuries between the powerful families of Glengarry and Kintail. "Thus ended the most of Glengarrie's