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CHAPTER VI. 



WE now come to what may be termed the prologue of a 

 tragedy in which the Macleods of Lewis were the actors. 

 It is a tragedy which for grimness, bloodthirstiness, and 

 general subversion of the laws alike of Nature and the 

 Decalogue, has been rarely equalled in history. 



Sir Robert Gordon states that Ruari Macleod's first wife 

 was Barbara Stewart, daughter of Lord Avondale, whom 

 Ruari married in 1541. This, however, appears to be an 

 error, for Torquil Conanach, a son of Ruari by Janet 

 Mackenzie, is mentioned as engaged in active life prior to 

 1554, and Barbara Stewart "Lady Lewis" appears on 

 record in 1566. It is evident that Janet Mackenzie was 

 Macleod's first wife. The generally accepted account is 

 that she eloped with John Macgillecolum of Raasay, but it 

 is fair to mention the version which states that she fled 

 from Lewis to Coigeach, to escape from the ill-treatment 

 of her husband, who had tired of the lady's somewhat 

 mature charms. According to this account, Ruari sent a 

 large birling after her, which ran down the boat of the 

 fugitive, drowning her and all her companions. But there 

 is no doubt that Janet Mackenzie did actually marry John 

 of Raasay (" Ian na Tuaighe," or John of the Axe) after she 

 had been divorced by Ruari of Lewis. Determined that 

 he would keep Janet's son, Torquil Conanach so called 

 from his residence with his mother's relations in Strath- 

 carron out of the succession to the estates, Ruari dis- 

 owned and disinherited him, alleging that he was the son 

 of Hucheon (or Hugh) Morison, the Brieve of Lewis. The 

 Dunvegan Charter-Chest contains a document dated 22nd 

 August, 1566, according to which, a statement was made 



