274 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



or too regardful of their own interests, to range themselves 

 on the side of their harassed clansman, in whatever direc- 

 tion their secret sympathies may have lain. The artfulness 

 of Ruari Macleod's proposal to Lord Binning consisted in 

 its suggestion of separating the wheat from the chaff ; of 

 making a distinction between the enemies of Clan Donald, 

 who were the loyal subjects of the King, and the kinsmen 

 of the rebels who were the lukewarm, or unwilling instru- 

 ments of the Crown; while the outcome of this separation, 

 and the subsequent apportionment of rewards, were awaited 

 with confidence by the astute lord of Harris. 



Lord Binning, in his reply dated 3Oth June, commended 

 Macleod's loyalty, and urged perseverance in the good 

 cause, assuring his correspondent that the King would not 

 forget to reward him. He thought Macleod's advice was 

 sound, and called attention to the fact that the commis- 

 sion suggested by him had been issued. He promised 

 that the wrongs complained of by Ruari should be duly 

 redressed, but in the meantime, the latter was desired 

 by the Council to avoid retaliation, and if attacked by 

 his neighbours, to defend himself with all " convenient 

 moderatioun," lest the King's service should be hindered. 

 Lord Binning also promised to write the King, letting 

 him know what a paragon of loyalty Ruari was, and 

 adjured his correspondent, for their mutual credit, to act 

 up to his professions.* 



The Secretary probably wrote this letter with his tongue 

 in his cheekj but to him the all-important matter was to 

 secure the co-operation of the chiefs in capturing the 

 rebels ; the private feuds of Rory Mor and his neighbours 

 could afford to wait. The trouble in Islay commenced 

 with the seizure of Dunyveg Castle by the Macdonalds, 

 and its subsequent re-capture by Campbell of Calder, the 

 details of which it is beyond the province of this work to 

 traverse. But on the very day that Lord Binning wrote 

 Ruari Macleod, the Privy Council advised the King that 



* Mdros Papers ', Vol. I., pp. 224-6. 



