THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 189 



these two noblemen. Lennox might perhaps be trusted 

 not to abuse the absolute powers with which he was in- 

 vested, but as subsequent events show, Huntly was quite 

 willing to undertake the extirpation, root and branch, of 

 half the population of the Hebrides. That these men 

 should have received unlimited authority to slaughter the 

 Islesmen at their will, is a further indication of the policy of 

 the King. Little recked he of the lives of his Hebridean 

 subjects, so long as his rents were " greatlie augmente." 



On his release from captivity, Leirmont of Balcomie 

 sailed for home in January, 1599. But the unfortunate 

 laird never again saw Balcomie. Attacked by a fever, he 

 was landed at the Orkneys, and enfeebled as he was by 

 the hardships of his captivity, quickly succumbed to the 

 disease. The laird of Balcomie must have formed a 

 striking contrast to the rough islanders. He was on one 

 occasion denounced from the pulpit by a plain-speaking 

 minister (Alexander Melville) as a " Frenchiest, Italianest, 

 jolly gentleman,"* the adjective "jolly," as the context 

 shows, being a back-handed compliment, implying that 

 his morals were far from being unimpeachable. The death 

 of Leirmont infuriated the colonists in Lewis, who were now 

 determined to get hold of Murdoch Macleod, and punish 

 him for his outrage on their comrade. But Murdoch was 

 far too wary to permit himself to fall into their hands. In 

 their extremity, they resolved to come to terms with Neil, 

 hoping thus to obtain their revenge on Murdoch, and rid 

 themselves of Neil's guerilla warfare. They succeeded 

 almost beyond their expectations. Neil was irritated with 

 his brother for the friendship which he maintained with 

 the Brieve and his clan, whom Neil cordially hated. The 

 complicity of the Morisons in the capture and death of 

 Torquil Dubh had never been forgotten by Neil, in whose 

 rugged breast there beat a heart full of loyalty for his 

 murdered chief. The colonists promised him that if he 

 would deliver Murdoch into their hands, they would give 



* Chambers' s Domestic Annals^ p. 309. 



