78 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



while the Steward acquired the interest of the turbulent 

 Hebrideans in furthering his schemes. Secretly encouraged 

 by his father-in-law, the Lord of the Isles was one of the 

 foremost of the refractory barons who rebelled against the 

 King's authority. They refused to pay the tax imposed 

 upon them for payment of the King's ransom to England ; 

 they refused to attend the Parliament summoned by their 

 Sovereign.* The conclusion of hostilities between England 

 and Scotland gave David the opportunity he desired of 

 taming the clans. Preparing to invade the Hebrides with 

 an overwhelming force, which he intended to command in 

 person, he was dissuaded from his purpose by the influence 

 of the Steward, who feared his own interests would suffer 

 by the continuance of the rebellion. His son-in-law was 

 at the same time persuaded by the Steward to meet the 

 King at Inverness and submit to his authority. The sub- 

 mission of the Lord of the Isles was complete ; he not only 

 took the oath of allegiance, but engaged to act as Policeman 

 of the Hebrides for his Royal master. Till the end of his 

 reign, however, the rebellious spirits in the Hebrides were 

 a source of anxiety to David II.; and one of his latest acts 

 was to sow among the clans the seeds of dissension, which 

 he fondly hoped would spring up into noxious weeds, 

 calculated to choke the vitality of any organised rising 

 against the authority of the Crown. This was the beginning 

 of that policy of discord, which was afterwards applied so 

 frequently to the Highlands and Isles by the Kings of 

 Scotland. It was easy to foment strife among the quarrel- 

 some clans ; to perpetuate ancient feuds ; and to reduce 

 the fighting strength of the Highlands by such a cunningly 

 devised method of extermination. The policy succeeded 

 up to a point. Inter-clan warfare was stimulated ; family 

 feuds were multiplied ; and blood flowed like water. But 



* In 1368 the King of Norway ordered payment of the 100 merks due to 

 him annually for the Isles (the arrears, no doubt), but was asked for his for- 

 bearance until King David's ransom should be paid. The King of Scotland 

 was to reduce the islanders to obedience and compel payment of the annual 

 <luty due by them. The King of Norway was to be told that some of the 

 islands were in the hands of the English. (Acts of Parliament, Vol. I., p. 507.) 



