Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

68 HISTORY OF THE WESTERN ISLAND:^.
was root, trunk, branch, or offset, in this most intricate
Highland tree, or rather forest. Sir George Naylor him-
self might expect serious explosions of Highland ire,
were he to attempt to marshal these fierce claimants to
superiority and antiquity; to work his way through
the tribes of Macdonalds, and Macleans, and Macniels,
and Macintoshes, and Macleods, and Mackenzies ; to say
nothing of all the other Clans, of minor, and possibly, of
equal note. However that be, we cannot be far wrong if
we take Lyndsay's authority, for a few of those at least,
who were sufficiently conspicuous to have been of those
whom James thought proper to bind over to the peace.
Among these we find three Macdonalds, a Maclean, a
Macniel, a Macintosh, a Mackenzie, a Mackay, and a
Macleod ; an enumeration that includes continental as
well as insular chiefs. I need not requote a passage
which has already been quoted to satiety ; but there is
one Chief in the good historian's enumeration, whose
present descendants, whoever they are, seem to have
disclaimed him, though unquestionably the most an-
cient of the whole ; since he is proved by undoubted
records to be older than even Adam. Whether " Mackin-
Lucifer" will hereafter disclaim his own progeny, is
another question ; but in the mean time the Macmahons
(Mahounds) may consider whether they are not of his
Clan, and reclaim their ancient name accordingly. Dame
Juliana Berners might probably have assigned even his
achievement, as easily as her Ladyship discovered that of
" Gentlemanly Japhet," if they are ambitious of know-
ing how many fiery dragons in a field of sulphur cheeky
gules, Mackin-Lucifer bore.
There is no doubt that some of these were oflTsets
from the Lords of the Isles ; but though Martin tells us
that, even in his day, Mac Niel paid tribute to Mac Donald,