p. 272]                      THE MACKINTOSHES                            309

animo præditis Subditis, quos, nec livida aliorum malitia, nec
scelerata perfidiæ Contagio, inficere valuit, recurrimus. Inter
quorum Præcipuos te meritò semper habuimus. Cùmque nos
hunc in finem, generalem, omnium nostrarum copiarum
hactenus evocatarum, aut adhuc, in Insulis et Montanis Regni
Scoticani partibus, excitandarum, Præfecturam, fidelissimo ac
dilectissimo nostro Cognato Ronaldo Comiti ab Antrim, nec
non, perfideli et plurimùm dilecto Cognato nostro Comiti a
Seaforth (unà cùm prædicto Comite ab Antrim) Jurisdictionem
ibidem Justiciariam donaverimus, concessâ quoque illis potes-
tate, Patriam agrosque Archibaldi Argatheliæ Marchionis
(primarii juxta ac ingratissimi, horrendorum istorum adversus
nos facinorum promotoris) invadere, grassantemque latè
Rebellionem supprimere. Nos, tuâ fidelitate et prælargâ tui
erga nos animi benevolentiâ, tum et Caussæ æquitate summo-
pere freti, Literas hasc, tuas in manus dirigere (ut, in
eâdem animi fidelis constantiâ firmiter persistas) haud ini-
doneum duximus, teque obnixè rogare ut, cunctis tuis viribus,
Comitibus a Seaforth et Antrim in omnibus iis quibus illi vel
eorum alter, tuam, in justissimâ juxta ac maxime necessariâ
hâc refeliciùs adimplendâ, accersant opem, tuo subleves admini-

infected with the dark malice, nor with the wicked contagion
of the treason of the others; among the chief of whom we have
always deservedly judged you to be. And whereas, for this
purpose, we have given the rank of lieutenant-general of all our
forces as yet called together, or still to be raised in the Islands
and Highlands of our Scottish kingdom, to our most trusty and
well-beloved cousin, Ronald, Earl of Antrim; and also to our
right trusty and well-beloved cousin the Earl of Seaforth (together
with the aforesaid Earl of Antrim) the justiciary jurisdiction
there: power being also given to them to invade the lands of
Archibald, Marquis of Argyll (the prime and also most un-
grateful promoter of these horrible doings against us), and to
suppress the widely spreading rebellion: we, greatly relying on
your fidelity, and your abounding goodwill towards us, as well
as on the equity of our cause, have deemed it not unfit to direct
these letters into your hands (that you may persist firmly in the
same constancy of faithful affection), and earnestly to request
you, that with all your power you will afford your support to the
Earls of Seaforth and Antrim, in all those matters wherein they
or either of them shall send for your aid, in order to the happy
accomplishment of this most just, as well as most necessary