THE ISLES AND THE HOUSE OF ARGYLL. 129 



accepted, but their presence was still required before 2Oth 

 June at the King's Court, where they were to remain during 

 the Royal pleasure. Notwithstanding the safeguarding of 

 their lives and property under the King's guarantee, for a 

 period of twenty days after their departure home, the 

 chiefs were still suspicious. On 26th May, and again on 

 9th June, John Macleod of Lewis, with two other chiefs, 

 Maclean of Lochbuie and John Canochson (? John 'of 

 Keppoch), was once more summoned. 



While the preparations for subjugating the Islesmen were 

 ripening, a set-back occurred by the death of the Earl of 

 Argyll. His son and successor, Archibald, received the 

 lieutenancy of the South Hebrides, while the North Isles 

 and North Highlands were placed under the jurisdiction of 

 the King's natural brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray. 

 The outcome of this dual control was a proposal on the 

 part of Argyll and Moray to compel the Hebridean chiefs 

 to take their lands on lease from themselves, the lessors 

 engaging to guarantee the feu-duties payable to the Crown, 

 and Moray offering to bear the whole expense of the pro- 

 jected campaign in the North Isles, if unsuccessful. This 

 unscrupulous scheme for partitioning the Hebrides between 

 the two ambitious nobles was nullified by the wise decision 

 of the chiefs to submit to the King, rather than risk a con- 

 flict with his lieutenants. Foiled in one direction, Argyll 

 endeavoured, by a series of irritating acts, to goad the chiefs 

 into rebellion, but again he failed. He then endeavoured 

 to effect the ruin of Macdonald of Dunyveg, but was unable 

 to substantiate the charges which he brought against him. 

 Not only so, but Macdonald's rejoinder placed his opponent 

 in such an unfavourable light that, as the result of an 

 inquiry, Argyll was imprisoned for a short period, and 

 during the remainder of the reign of James V., lay under a 

 cloud. So ended the Argyll-Moray plan for dominating 

 the Hebrides. The events of 1530-1 may have had some 

 bearing upon a grant of Moidart, Arisaig, Eigg and thirty 

 merksland in Uist, conveyed by charter dated nth 

 February, 1531-2, to "John MacAlester" for " good ser- 



