THE ISLES AND THE COMMONWEALTH. 353 



some ground for his fears of an attack on Stornoway by 

 the Dutch, may be admitted. Middleton was again busy 

 negotiating with the States- General on behalf of the 

 King. He offered, with the assistance of 1,200 infantry 

 and 200 horse, to put them in possession, twenty-four 

 hours after their arrival, of whatever islands they might 

 want for trading and fishing ; to permit them to erect 

 whatever forts they might deem necessary for the pro- 

 tection of their interests ; and to place the revenues of 

 the Orkneys at their disposal. And he represented to 

 them that they might count upon the sympathies of the 

 natives, who were ill-disposed towards the English. The 

 States, fearful of embroiling themselves afresh in a costly 

 war with the Commonwealth, received his proposals with 

 the same caution that they had displayed on the former 

 occasion. They would not supply him with men, but 

 they would give him money, arms, and ammunition. On 

 i/th October, they resolved to assist the Highlanders with 

 a grant of 180,000 guilders, and by an order of 24th 

 November, Middleton was permitted to convey to Scot- 

 land a specified quantity of arms and ammunition. 



A recrudescence of activity was beginning to be apparent 

 among the Highland Royalists. Glengarry and others 

 were hard at work recruiting in the North Isles, and 

 Seaforth was again moving in the same direction, although 

 it was hinted in some quarters that he was not indisposed 

 to come to terms with the English. One thousand men were 

 to be ready about Martinmas, of which number Seaforth 

 was to provide 300, Lochiel and Maclean each 200, while 

 the remaining 300 were to be found by Glengarry and 

 the Commander-in-Chief, the Earl of Glencairn. A move- 

 ment of English troops from Inverness was thereupon 

 ordered to " amuse and discourage some of Seaforth's 

 confederates," and this measure seems to have gained its 

 object. Seaforth received about this time a letter from 

 the King, dated I2th September, in which Charles thanked 

 him for his affection and courage, and promised never 

 to forget the good services of himself and his father. He 



