THE INSURRECTION OF DONALD DUBH. 113 



Officer of Arms called Gilpatrick Cor who executed the 

 same on 27 October last." Apparently, as time went on, 

 both the King's messages and those who carried them, 

 were received with increasingly scant ceremony at Storno- 

 way Castle. On 2Oth November, 1501, a messenger was 

 despatched " with letters " to Macleod of Lewis. On 3rd 

 December, Donald Mac Vicar was paid a certain sum, in 

 connexion with the summons issued on Torquil to appear 

 before the Lords in Council. On i6th December, a 

 further sum was paid MacVicar for his expenses " to pas in 

 the Lewis with summondis on Torquhile Macloyd," at 

 the King's instance. On iQth December, a sum of ten 

 pounds was paid Macleod of Harris. And there is a 

 further item, in 1502, for a doublet of fustian and a pair of 

 hose to MacVicar, " quhen he cam fra the Lewis." 



From subsequent entries in the Treasurer's Accounts, it 

 is evident that MacVicar was an emissary of Macleod of 

 Harris, and we know that he subsequently received a 

 substantial reward for his services. It is obvious that 

 Alastair Crotach chose to remain outside the Hebridean 

 confederacy. 



The significance of the fact that Macleod of Harris 

 and Torquil of Lewis both received, under the Kilkiaran 

 charters, possessions in, and the Bailliary of, Trotternish, 

 will not have escaped notice. It is not impossible that 

 this was an artful stroke of policy on the part of the King, 

 who may have wished to foster jealousy between the two 

 chiefs, and thus prevent a coalition between them. If that 

 was his purpose, it proved successful, for we find Alastair 

 Crotach acting for the Crown against the stubborn Torquil. 

 But neither the threats of the authorities, nor the per- 

 suasiveness of MacVicar, could shake the lord of Lewis : 

 he would neither deliver up Donald Dubh nor cross the 

 Minch to answer for his conduct. 



The King now adopted strong measures to break up 

 the Hebridean confederacy, which was daily growing in 

 strength. Next to Torquil Macleod, Maclean of Duart 

 was the principal leader of the insurrection. After the 



