THE ISLES AND THE COMMONWEALTH. 367 



thoughts. And if it had, your Majesty's commands wold 

 certainly dirrect me from anything might be displeasing to 

 your Majesty."* If, as there seems reason to believe, the 

 projected marriage that displeased Charles II. was that 

 between Kenneth Mor and the daughter of Cromwell, we 

 have here a categorical denial from Seaforth himself of the 

 truth of the report. And of course, if there were no founda- 

 tion for the report of the marriage, its corollary, the intention 

 of Seaforth to endeavour to bring the Highlands over to 

 the English, was equally baseless. 



The same memorandum makes the statement, that Sea- 

 forth ultimately capitulated with the English, without the 

 knowledge of Middleton, who was his guest at the time ; 

 and Middleton himself charges the Earl with having basely 

 deserted him.t But the facts of the capitulation and the 

 events which immediately preceded it, are these. Early in 

 September, Middleton, with his allies, made preparations 

 to land his forces in Skye, where he could reckon upon the 

 assistance of the Macleods, but upon the antagonism of 

 the Macdonalds. Whether this move was intended to 

 secure Skye as a base of operations, or whether it was 

 directed against Sir James Macdonald of Sleat as a puni- 

 tive measure, we are not informed. But it is certain that 

 one Captain Monson was sent to Skye, to prevent Middleton 

 from effecting a landing on the island ; and that Macdonald 

 of Sleat assembled his men, marched to meet Middleton, 

 and beat him back, the Royalist forces being compelled to 

 retire in the direction of Lochaber. Captain Monson 

 remained at Skye to re-victual, and gave a supply of 

 ammunition to Macdonald, who is described as being 

 "very faithful to the Commonwealth." It appears from 

 a letter dated 26th October, from Monck to Cromwell, that 

 Seaforth, Glengarry, Lochiel, and Macleod, who seem to 

 have been co-operating with Middleton, repaired to their 

 various spheres of influence to recruit their clansmen, and 



* Scott. Hist. Soc., Vol. XXXI., pp. 117-8. 



t MSS. in Brit.Mus. (Add. 23,117, Fol. 17). Hist. MSS. Com., Rep. XL, 

 Part I., p. 137. 



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