An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

'given'conmie:November, 1873.THE GAEL. 283friend, Bishop Olcan, of Avthernniighe.And jnst as the patriarchsof old were wont to confer blessingsafter having eaten of the food providedfor the occasion by the personwho was to receive the blessing-, soSt. Patrick, after having receivedthe lands at the hands of Fergus,with the voice of a prophet thusaddressed him :— " Though thou artkings sliall descend, who will notonly reign in their own land, but alsoiu the land of Fortrenn." The blessingof St. Patrick kindled now hopesin liis breast. He set out with histhree brothers, Lome, Angus, andFergus, and a number of followersfor the land of Fortrenn. Theyarrived in the west of Scotland, andoccu{)ied Argyle, the district fromthe sea to Drumalban. This theycalled Dalfiada, after the Dalriada oftheir home country. Fergus wascrowned king of the new kingdomon the Stone of Destiny, which hecarried v/ith him to Scotland. Ofthis event the Chi-oniole of the Pictsand Scots says: " And be it knownthat Fergus, son of Ferchar of Ireland,descended from Scota, was thefirst who called himself King ofScotland; and reigned three yearsin Inchgeall, beyond Uumbretain."The "Chronicou Eyhthmicum" statesthe fact more clearly when it mentionsthat he was the fii'st king ofthe Scots of Alban. The accountby the " Chronicle of theScots" adds that he was the first tobear the lion ivimpant as the roj'aldevice of Scotland. " And yau ayekingis Sonne, callit Ferguse Farchai'e,tuk ane gret powere of menne andin our Scfstland, and tuke yecrounn of it and brot iu 3^e armis ofScotland, ye qnihilk is a reide rampantleonn in ane scheild of gold.VersusAlbiomi in tcrria rea primus gemiineScotusIpsorum ternus rubri tiilit arma leonis,Fergusiiis fulvo Farchare nigentis inarvoGtristum tercentis terdonis prcftiitanuis.And sen synne failzit nevir King oureScotland to yis da}^ of richt lynnethis day disinherited and despised in doune to our Soverane Lord yat nowthe sigiit of thy brothers, tliou shalt is King, ye quihilk God kepe, na zit\in a short time be king and chief of fra Gayele our first king to ye saidthem all. From thee most renowned Ferguse, ye quihilk nowmir cummisneire to sax sc()ir of kingis, na nevirstrangeai-e rignyt on ws, na zit liaddominatioumj."The Kingdom of Dalriada wasdivided into four tribes—the CinelLorn, and the Cinel Angus ; theCinel Gabran, and the Cinel Comgall,descended from the two sons ofDomangarb, son of Fergus. TheCinel Concridhe in Isla rc[)resentedFergus beg. The Cinel Lorn possessedthe district of Argyll stillcalled Lorn. They were the mostpowerful of all the clans of Dalriada.Its army consisted of 700 men.Their sea muster amountedto foui--teen benches to each twenty houses.The Cinel Lorn consisted altogetherof 420 houses. It was subdividedinto various smaller clans, each chiefof which had so many houses underhis command.The chief seat of the ti'ibe of Lornwas the stronghold of Dunolly, builtby Selvach, son of Fergus, on a rockiu the enti-ance to the bay of Oban.It was afterwards desti'oyed by himiu the year 701. This tribe suffereda severe defeat in a battle betweenFerachar fada and the Britons.There is also a record of a naval battlehaving been fought at Ardeanesby,between the Cinel Lorn, under Selvach,and the Cinel Gabran, imderDuncan m-bec, in which the latterwere victorious. Of the tribes in-