A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans

8G HISTORY OP THE HIGHLANDS.
Some time after this Malcolm was engaged in a war with the
Northumbrians, and, having led his army in one thousand and eighteen,
to Carham, near Werk, on the southern bank of the Tweed, where
he was met by Uchtred, the Earl of Northumberland, a desperate
battle took place which was contested with great valour on both
sides. The success was doubtful on either side, though Uciitred claimed
a victory, but he did not long enjoy the fruits of it, as he was soon
thereafter assassinated when on his road to pay obeisaKce to the great
Canute. Endulf, the brother and successor of Uchtred, justly dreading
the power of the Scots, was induced to cede Lothian to Alalcolmforevei*,
who, on this occasion, gave oblations to the churches and gifts to the cler-
gy, who in return transmitted his name to posterity. He was designed,
par excellence, rex victoriosissimus.
The last struggle with which Malcolm was threatened, was with the
celebrated Canute, who, for some cause or other not properly explained,
entered Scotland in the year one thousand and tliirty-one ; but these
powerful parties appear not to have come to action. Canute's expedition
appears, from what followed, to have been fitted out, to compel
Malcolm to do homage for Cumberland, for it is certain that Malcolm
engaged to fulfil the conditions on which his predecessors had held that
country, and that Canute thereafter returned to England.
But the reign of Malcolm was not only distinguished by foreign
wars, but by civil contests between rival chiefs. Finlegh, the Maor-
nior of Ross, and the father of Macbeth, was assassinated in one
thousand and twenty, and about twelve years thereafter, Maolbride,
the Maormor of Moray, grandf^ither of Lulach, was, in revenge for
Finlegh's murder, burnt within his castle, with fifty of his men.
At length after a splendid reign of thirty years, Malcolm slept with
his fathers, and his body was transferred to lona, and interred with
due solemnity among the remains of his predecessors. The story of
his assassination is a mere fiction.
Malcolm was undoubtedly a prince of great acquirements. He made
many improvements in the internal policy of his kingdom, and in him
religion always found a guardian and protector. But although Malcolm
is justly entitled to this praise, he by no means came up to the standard
of perfection assigned him by fiction.
Duncan, son of Bethoc, one of the daughters of Malcolm II., succeeded
his grandfather in the year one thousand and thirty-three. He
had to sustain several severe conflicts with the Danes, whom he finally
repulsed from his dominions, and in virtue of the engagements of his
grandfather, Avith Canute, he entered Northumberland in one thousand
and thirty-five, and attacked Durham, but was forced to retire witli
loss, according to an old English historian.* The unhappy fate of
Duncan is too familiar to render any detail of the circumstances of that
event necessary. The scene of Macbetli's perfidy was not at Inverness,
' Si.r.con, Dun. p. 30.