ENGLAND AND THE ISLES. 145 



contents endeavoured to make their peace with the Regent, 

 and their efforts were successful. James Macdonald had 

 no intention of serving England without receiving valuable 

 consideration. But his application to be placed on the 

 pension list of Henry VIII. met with either a chilling 

 response, or with none at all : he never got his pension. 

 And so his new-born attachment to England evaporated 

 as quickly as did his questionable patriotism. The assassi- 

 nation of Cardinal Beaton and other political events 

 of great importance which were happening in Scotland, 

 claimed the attention of King Henry, who was, besides, 

 probably too disgusted with the result of his previous 

 dealings with the Hebrides to listen to fresh overtures 

 from that quarter. No steps were taken by the Regent 

 and his Council to enforce the processes for treason which 

 had been instituted against the chiefs concerned in the 

 recent rebellion a policy probably dictated more by force 

 of circumstances than by considerations of leniency. A 

 state of peace now prevailed in the Hebrides which was 

 undisturbed for some years. The Islesmen were learning 

 that friendship with the powers that be had its compen- 

 sations, and that their normal attitude of worrying the 

 Government had its disadvantages. It is noteworthy 

 that this period of comparative quiet in the Hebrides 

 coincided with the final abandonment of native claims to 

 the Lordship of the Isles. James Macdonald of Islay 

 soon dropped an empty title, which brought no profit 

 and much embarrassment. He was the last Macdonald to 

 take up arms for the recovery of the forfeited Lordship of 

 the Isles. Henceforward, the Islesmen found a vent for 

 their quarrelsome nature in inter-clan feuds, which seem 

 to have been stimulated by the absence of organised 

 insurrections. And from this period dates the gradual 

 diminution in the Highlands and Isles of the once para- 

 mount influence and power of Clan Donald. 



As a sign of the times, it is remarkable that at the 

 battle of Pinkie in 1547, a number of Islesmen fought 

 against the Protector Somerset on the same side as their 



