reduced to his friendship a town which a few days before had proclaimed the Prince of Orange, and converted to the service of King James a numerous clan, which but the year before had suffered the severest hardships at the hands of that mo.. narch.

He now felt so confident of his strength as to entertain an intention of marching back to meet the troops of General Mackay, which were, about this period, crossing the Spey in pursuit. Accordingly, as Mackay approached Elgin, he was put in possession of a letter which the magistrates of that town had received from Dundee, requiring quarters to be provided for his troops, which he said would lodge there that night, on their way to meet the enemy. Mackay was excessively alarmed at the news, which all at once reduced him from the offensive to the defensive; and, but for the certainty of the mischief which a retreat at this juncture would occasion to the interests of his master, he would have instantly fallen back upon the reserves which he had left at Brechin. As the case was, he resolved at all hazards to stand firm; and his men, though so few in number, fortunately seconded his resolution. Crossing over the Spey, he proceeded with the utmost expedition to take possession of the town which Dundee was that night to have occupied; and such was the good will with which the Dutch infantry obeyed his commands, that they kept up a hard trot beside the horse for the whole distance between the river and their quarters, amounting to at least eight miles. This bold step on the part of Mackay seems to have intimidated Dundee; at least it prevented

him from making his proposed approach to Elgin. Finding, soon after, that the enemy was reinforced by a detachment of horse from Brechin, and that the Laird of Grant and some other Whig chiefs were disposed to join him, he thought it advisable, more especially as King James bad not yet granted his sanction to hostile proceedings, to retire into Athole. Mackay then marched forward and posted himself at Inverness, from whence he issued orders for the well-affected gentry of the north to join him; and despatched a letter to Edinburgh, requesting that Colonel Ramsay might be sent to him, with six hundred picked men of the Dutch regiments.

The condition of the Highlands was at this time particularly favourable for Dundee's purpose. In addition to their usual causes for siding with the legitimate sovereign, some of the clans had now one which generally overrules all others in ordinary life; namely, a personal interest in the event of the enterprise. It is scarcely necessary to remind the Scottish reader that the Argyle family, for many centuries, maintained quarrels regarding property with various neighbouring clans. At the present time, in consequence of the attainder of the Earl of Argyle by Charles II., the chiefs of these clans had in general procured royal grants of the property they claimed. When the Revolution came, there seemed an immediate prospect that William, for whose sake the Earl might almost be said to have lost his estate, would reverse the attainder, and consequently restore to his son all the family possessions. Such a prospect naturally disposed the MacDonalds, Camerons, MacLeans, and others, who had present possession, to oppose

the Revolution with all their force. Mackay was informed of this, soon after he came to Edinburgh, by the Viscount Tarbat, who at the same time professed his belief that, if King William would pay Argyle a compensatory sum, instead of restoring these properties, the Highlanders would give him no trouble; and he mentioned the small sum of five thousand pounds as all that would probably be necessary to accomplish so good an end. Mackay was so much struck with the force of what Tarbat said, that he immediately communicated it to King William, who lost no time, in his turn, to give orders for putting the scheme in execution. Unfortunately, the Scottish state-officers pitched upon Campbell, Laird of Cawdor, for mediator, a gentleman whose very name was sufficient to mar the business, even although he had proceeded about it with all the necessary promptitude; which he does not appear to have done. It was accordingly abortive. Mackay some time after wrote to MacDonald of Glengarry, requesting him to enter into terms for a submission to the new government; but the chieftain, while he returned a perfectly civil answer, mocked him with a counter request, that he would play General Monk, and use his forces for the restoration of King James."

In the mean time, Dundee used all his eloquence, and all the influence of his high reputation, to excite the chieftains whom he passed in his march to prepare for taking up arms. All whom he applied to in passing through Badenoch, assured him of their support, except the Laird of MacIntosh; to punish whom he sent the Keppoch MacDonalds to drive away his cattle. After appoint

ing a general rendezvous in Lochaber on the 18th of May, he descended, with his small troop of horse, upon Athole, where he was received with great cordiality, by Stuart of Ballechan, bailie or steward to the Marquis of Athole, and by all the other gentlemen of the district, notwithstanding that their noble superior remained at Edinburgh in a solemn profession of obedience to King William. From Athole he marched down to Perth, which he approached with such expedition and secrecy, that he surprised the Lairds of Pollock and Blair in their beds, together with some other persons in arms for the Convention, all of whom he made prisoners. Here he seized nine thousand merks of the King's cess and excise, which he found in the office of the collector of the revenue. was afterwards considered very strange that he did -not also take a sum of about five hundred pounds, which happened to be lying in the same room. But those who looked upon this as a wonder, knew little of Dundee. The grand principle on which he acted, was, according to his own declaration, to do every thing" for conscience and loyalty's sake." He esteemed himself at liberty to take the King's money from the hands of his enemies, to be used in his own service. But he would scorn to rob any private individual of a farthing. With similar views of public spirit, he took care that the town did not receive the least damage from his soldiery.

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From Perth he marched to Dundee, where lay two troops of Livingston's regiment of dragoons, whom, according to previous concert, he expected to revolt to him. But they were prevented from doing so by the presence of Colonel Balfour, a

Whig officer of incorruptible loyalty, and whose character was such as to keep them in check. He finally returned through Angus and Athole to Lochaber, in order to hold the rendezvous which he had appointed with the clans.

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