pp. 289-290] THE MACKINTOSHES 351
partes Makintoshii
corroborandas, eo tempore, assurrexerant,
primo, tamen, ipsius armilustrio, circiter quadringentos
indubi-
tati animi viros) apud Templum de Insh (selegit, atque, hoc
eodem numero) quanquam nulli alii in suppetias accederent),
priusquam assumpta semel exueret aut seponeret arma, in
Lochabriam proficiscendi stabilitum inivit consilium.
[page 290.]
INTEREA temporis Johannes
Grant a Rothemurchus, Guliel-
mus Forbes a Skeleter, Johannes Makintosh a Fortin, Georgius
Farquharson a Brughderg, cum suis asseclis, ad octoginta
fortium virorum numerum, in Makintoshii Caussam asserendam
et vindicandam, ex improvisò ad eum confluunt.
GENEROSI illi ex Nomine
Clanchattano, qui, in Comitis
Morraviensis Satellitium sunt egressi, Dominum a Makintosh,
talem suo infixisse animo propositum, tantumque in hâc re
fecisse
progressum, ut, sine dedecore, arma hactenus assumpta, nullo
notabili perpetrato facinore, abjicere nequiret, culpamque
(si
ulla in præsenti committeretur negotio) in se ipsos meritò
transferendam esse percipientes, hisce, inquam, moti
considera-
tionibus, opportunum, imprimis, et commodum esse, Comitem
et Makintoshium in placidiorem adducere familiaritatem, nec
non, utriusque sibi in vicem animos aptiore et magis
idoneo
to strengthen the party
of Mackintosh, yet at his first muster at
the Church of Inch he selected about four hundred men of
resolute mind, and with the same number, though no others
should come to his help, he steadfastly resolved to march
into
Lochaber before he would put off or lay down the arms then
taken up.
In the meantime John
Grant of Rothemurchus, William Forbes
of Skeleter, John Mackintosh of Fertyn, George Farquharson of
Brochderg, with their retainers to the number of eighty brave
men unexpectedly joined themselves to him to assert and
vindi-
cate his cause.
Those gentlemen of the
Clanchattan name who went as guards
to the Earl of Moray, when they saw the laird of Mackintosh
so
fixed in his resolution, and that he had made such progress in
that
affair that he could not without dishonour now lay down arms
without having done any notable deed; and that the blame (if
any should be incurred in the business) would deservedly be
imputed to them—moved, I say, by these considerations, they
judged it opportune and convenient first of all to bring the
earl
and Mackintosh to a more friendly intimacy, and also that
both
parties should declare their minds to one another in a
more