EARLS OF ROSS AND LORDS OF THE ISLES. 95 



an attempt on the part of Maclean to deprive Macneill of 

 the Island of Barra. The former seems to be the more 

 likely story. 



John, the eldest son and successor of Alexander of the 

 Isles, failed to appreciate the lessons which were so dearly 

 bought by his father. Early in his career, he proved a 

 troublesome subject of James III. It is to his credit, 

 either as a patriot or as a diplomatist, that during the siege 

 of Roxburgh, he proceeded to the Royal camp with a body 

 of followers whose services he offered to the King. On the 

 death of James III. at Roxburgh, Scotland was plunged 

 into confusion, and the Lord of the Isles seized the oppor- 

 tunity to return to his old habits of lawlessness. His 

 illegitimate son, Angus Og, acting as his father's lieutenant, 

 marched to Inverness, seized the castle, expelled the 

 garrison, proclaimed his father King of the Isles, and 

 terrorised the inhabitants of Inverness-shire (comprehend- 

 ing the modern counties of Inverness, Ross, Caithness, and 

 Sutherland) into obedience to his rule.* From the Parlia- 

 mentary records, we learn that in 1475 he was charged 

 with making his bastard son his lieutenant "in insurrec- 

 tionary convocations of the lieges," from which it may be 

 inferred that father and son were steeped to the lips in 

 treasonable practices. These were obviously the outcome 

 of a treaty, dated i8th February, 1462, entered into by 

 Edward IV. of England en the one part, and John of the 

 Isles, Donald Balloch of Islay, and the Earl of Douglas on 

 the other. By this remarkable agreement, England secured 

 powerful allies whose reward was to be nothing less than 

 the division of Scotland, the North falling to the Mac- 

 donalds, and the South or that portion of it which Douglas 

 had formerly possessed to their companion in treason. 

 Moreover, a stipulated sum was to be paid to John of the 

 Isles, in consideration of his vassalage to England and his 

 assistance, as a vassal, in the Irish and other wars of that 

 country. This curious treaty bore no fruit. It was one 



* Some authorities say that John headed the expedition, but the evidence 

 seems to show that Angus was the leader. 



