THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 173 



however, that Lewis, Harris, Dunvegan and Glenelg, were 

 declared to be at the disposal of the Crown. The title of 

 Rory Mor to his estates was unimpeachable, but whether 

 his failure to fulfil the requirements of the Act was due to 

 ignorance and simplicity (as he himself afterwards pled), 

 or to other unexplained reasons, his estates were, as stated, 

 declared forfeited ; and it was not until after a lapse of 

 many years that he succeeded in re-establishing his pro- 

 prietory rights. There is some reason to believe that the 

 Act may have been mainly designed to enable the King 

 to grab Lewis, and dispose of it to good advantage. 

 Torquil Dubh, the late chief of the Macleods, had been 

 declared a rebel ; the title-deeds had been carried off 

 by Torquil Conanach, and subsequently deposited with 

 Mackenzie of Kintail ; and finally, the island was torn 

 asunder by family and inter-clan feuds. Truly, this was 

 a most promising territory to fall like ripe fruit into the 

 waiting hands of the King. According to the reports 

 received by James, it was a pleasant land, a land flowing 

 with milk, yellow with corn, and teeming with fish, within 

 and around its bounds. What wonder was it, therefore, 

 that this, his remote Hebridean territory, should strike the 

 imagination of its most high and mighty prince, and that 

 its supposed store of wealth should arouse his easily 

 awakened cupidity? 



In the records of the Privy Council, there is an entry 



relating to the ratification of a remarkable contract dated 



28th June, 1598. The parties to this contract were the 



King on the one hand, and on the other, Patrick, Com- 



mendator (Prior) of Lindores, James Leirmont of Balcomie, 



Sir James Anstruther, younger of that ilk, James Spens 



of Wormiston, Sir James Sandilands of Slamannanmure, 



i Captain William Murray, John Forret of Fingask, Sir 



j William Stewart, Commendator of Pittenweem (one of the 



j ten Councillors), Sir George Home of Wedderburn (Comp- 



| troller, and another of the Councillors), his son and heir 



i David Home, and last but not least, Ludovick (Lewis), 



Duke of Lennox, cousin and prime favourite of the King. 



o 



