182 LEWIS. HISTORY OF THE WESTERN ISLES. 



becoming the kingdom of the Macdougals, and the 

 southern that of the Macdonalds. For nearly a century, 

 the history of these barbarous chieftains and their 

 descendants is unknown, although there is sufficient 

 evidence of their independence of the Scottish crown, 

 at that time feeble and fully employed in maintaining 

 itself both in foreign wars and against the encroachments 

 of its own subjects. The year 1335 is marked by the 

 open defection of John, Lord of the Isles, who with 

 some of his immediate ancestors is also known by the 

 title of Earl of Ross. The independence of this petty 

 prince is proved by the record of a treaty formed with 

 Henry the Fourth, and by the subsequent unsuccessful 

 invasion of the north of Scotland by Donald his brother. 

 During the remainder of the reign of James the First, 

 and that of James the Second, inroads of the same 

 predatory and barbarous nature were frequently renewed, 

 and with various success ; being always attended with 

 atrocities of the most cruel description. On a subsequent 

 occasion we again find the Court of England in treaty with 

 the Lord of the Isles for his assistance in the conquest of 

 Scotland, but this alliance w r as annulled by the change 

 which took place in the policy of Edward the Fourth 

 with regard to James the Third, the reigning Scottish 

 monarch. James, thus at leisure, directed his attention 

 to the conquest of this troublesome and rebellious subject ; 

 and in consequence of the submission of the Earl of 

 Ross, he was reinvested with the lordship of the isles, 

 but on condition of feudal acknowledgment and service. 

 The period which follows this, presents a continued re- 

 newal of insurrection and rebellion, or of quarrels and 

 battles among the petty chiefs, w r ho appear to have acquired 

 at this time a sort of separate independence, the origin, 

 or the counterpart at least, of those family feuds that 

 occupied the Highlands in general to a late period. 

 These produced a state of perpetual war between various 

 little kings; each of whom, supreme in his own territory, 



