The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. VIII] OF SCOTLAND 337
when he saw I was in ane strait, he causit me trow he was my
gude friend, &c., but with fair wordes to put me in ane snare
that he might get the land of Kintyre in feyell fra his majesty
beganne to put at me and my kin. The quhilk Argyll inventit
maist shamfullie, and persuadit the Laird of Ardkinglass to
dissave me quha was the man I did maist traist into ; but God
did releif me in the meantyme to libertie maist narrowlie, &c.
I declare befoir God that he did all his craftie diligence to
intyse me to slay and destroy the Laird of Ardinkaiple Mackally
for ony ganes kyndness or friendship that he might do or give
me. The quhilk I did refuse in respect of my faithful promise
maid to Mackallay of befor ; also he did all the diligence he
culd to move me to slay the Laird of Ardkinglass in like
manner. Bot I never grantit thereto. Throw the quhilk he
did envy me gretumly, &c., &c."
The result of the representations which were made to the
king -against the Macgregors on account of this conflict, were
the acts of proscription.
By an Act of the privy council, dated 3rd April, 1603, the
name of Macgregor was expressly abolished, and those who
had hitherto borne it were commanded to change it for other
surnames, the paui of death being denounced against those who
should call themselves Gregor or Macgregor, the names of their
fathers. Under the same penalty, all who had been at the
conflict of Glenfruin, or accessory to other marauding parties
charged in the Act, were prohibited from carrying weapons,
except a pointless knife to cut their victuals. By a subsequent
Act of council, death was denounced against any persons of
the tribe formerly called Macgregor, who should presume to
assemble in greater numbers than four. And finally, by an
Act of Parliament, 1607, c. 26, these laws were continued and
extended to the rising generation, in respect that great numbers
of the children of those against whom the Acts of privy council
had been directed, were stated to be then approaching to
maturity, who, if permitted to assume the name of their parents,
would render the clan as strong as it was before. The execution
of these severe and unjustifiable Acts having been committed
principally to the earl of Argyll, with the assistance of the earl
of Atholl in Perthshire, were enforced with unsparing rigour by
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