history of the mackenzies-第4章

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e　a　dexter　arm　bearing　a　naked　sword；　surrounded　by　the　motto　〃Fide　Parta；　　Fide　Acta；〃　which　continued　to　be　the　distinctive　bearings　of　the　　Mackenzies　of　Seaforth　until　it　was　considered　expedient；　as　　corroborating　their　claims　on　the　extensive　possessions　of　the　Macleods　of　　Lewis；　to　substitute　for　the　original　the　crest　of　that　warlike　clan；　namely；　　a　mountain　in　flames；　surcharged　with　the　words；　〃Luceo　non　uro；〃　the　　ancient　shield；　supported　by　two　savages；　naked；　and　wreathed　about　the　　head　with　laurel；　armed　with　clubs　issuing　fire；　which　are　the　bearings　　now　used　by　the　representatives　of　the　High　Chiefs　of　Kintail。　　The　incident　of　the　hunting　match　and　Colin　Fitzgerald's　gallant　　rescue　of　Alexander　III。　was　painted　by　West　for　〃The　last　of　the　　Seaforths〃　in　one　of　those　large　pictures　with　which　the　old　Academician　　employed　and　gratified　his　latter　years。　　The　artist　received　？oo　for　the　noble　painting；　which　is　still　preserved　in　Brahan　Castle；　and　in　his　old　age　he　expressed　his　willingness　to　give　the　same　sum　for　it　in　order　to　　have　it　exhibited　in　his　own　collection。

The　first　notice　of　the　reputed　charter　to　Colin　Fitzgerald　is　in　the　　manuscript　history　of　the　Mackenzies；　by　George；　first　Earl　of　Cromartie；　already　quoted；　written　about　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　All　the　later　genealogists　appear　to　have　taken　its　authenticity　for　granted；　and　　quoted　it　accordingly。　　Dr　Skene；　the　most　learned　and　accurate　of　all　our　　Highland　historians；　expresses　his　decided　opinion　that　the　charter　is　　forged　and　absolutely　worthless　as　evidence　in　favour　of　the　Fitzgerald　　origin　of　the　clan。　　At　pages　223…25　of　his　Highlanders　of　Scotland；　he　　says　

〃The　Mackenzies　have　long　boasted　of　their　descent　from　the　great　Norman　family　of　Fitzgerald　in　Ireland；　and　in　support　of　this　origin　they　　produce　a　fragment　of　the　Records　of　Icolmkill；　and　a　charter　by　　Alexander　III。　to　Colin　Fitzgerald；　the　supposed　progenitor　of　the　family；　　of　the　lands　of　Kintail。　At　first　sight　these　documents　might　appear　　conclusive；　but；　independently　of　the　somewhat　suspicious　circumstance　　that　while　these　pages　have　been　most　freely　and　generally　quoted；　no　one　has　ever　seen　the　originals；　and　the　fragment　of　the　Icolmkill　Record　　merely　says　that　among　the　actors　in　the　battle　of　Largs；　fought　in　1263；　was　‘Peregrinus　et　Hibernus　nobilis　ex　familia　Geraldinorum　qui　proximo　anno　Hibernia　pulsus　apud　regni　benigne　acceptus　hinc　usque　in　curta　　permansit　et　in　praefacto　proelio　strenue　pugnavit；'　giving　not　a　hint　of　his　　having　settled　in　the　Highlands；　or　of　his　having　become　the　progenitor　of　　any　Scottish　family　whatever　while　as　to　the　supposed　charter　of　　Alexander　III。；　it　is　equally　inconclusive；　as　it　merely　grants　the　lands　of　　Kintail　to　Colin　Hiberno；　the　word　‘Hiberno'　having　at　the　time　come　into　general　use　as　denoting　the　Highlanders；　in　the　same　manner　as　the　word　　‘Erse'　is　now　frequently　used　to　express　their　language；　but　inconclusive　as　it　is；　this　charter；〃　he　continues；　〃cannot　be　admitted　at　all；　as　it　bears　　the　most　palpable　marks　of　having　been　a　forgery　of　a　later　time；　and　one　by　no　means　happy　in　its　execution。　　How　such　a　tradition　of　the　origin　of　　the　Mackenzies　ever　could　have　arisen；　it　is　difficult　to　say　but　the　fact　of　　their　native　origin　and　Gaelic　descent　is　completely　set　at　rest　by　the　　Manuscript　of　1450；　which　has　already　so　often　been　the　means　of　　detecting　the　falsehood　of　the　foreign　origins　of　other　clans。〃

Cosmo　Innes；　another　high　authority；　editor　of　the　Orgines　Parachiales　Scotia；　the　most　valuable　work　ever　published　dealing　with　　the　early　history　of　Scotland；　and　especially　of　the　Highlands；　came　to　a　similar　conclusion；　and　expresses　it　even　more　strongly　than　Dr　Skene。

At　　pages　392…3；　Vol。　II。；　he　says　〃The　lands　of　Kintail　are　said　to　have　been　　granted　by　Alexander　III。　to　Colin；　an　Irishman　of　the　family　of　Fitzgerald；　　for　services　done　at　the　battle　of　Largs。　The　charter　is　not　extant；　and　its　　genuineness　has　been　doubted。〃　In　a　footnote；　this　learned　antiquarian　　gives　the　text　of　the　document；　in　the　same　terms　as　those　in　which　they　　have　been　already　quoted　from　another　source；　and　which；　he　says；　is　　〃from　a　copy　of　the　17th　century。〃　　〃If　the　charter　be　genuine；〃　he　adds；　〃it　is　not　of　Alexander　III。；　or　connected　with　the　battle　of　Largs　（1263）。

Two　of　the　witnesses；　Andrew；　Bishop　of　Moray；　and　Henry　de　Baliol；　Chamberlain；　would　correspond　with　the　16th　year　of　Alexander　II。〃　He　　further　says　that　〃the　writers　of　the　history　of　the　Mackenzies　assert　also　　charters　of　David　II。　（1360）　and　of　Robert　II。　（1380）　to　‘Murdo　filius　　Kennethi　de　Kintail；'　but　without　furnishing　any　description　or　means　of　　testing　their　authenticity。　　No　such　charters　are　recorded。〃

This　is　emphatic　enough　and　to　every　unprejudiced　mind　　absolutely　conclusive。　　The　sixteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Alexander　II。　　was　1230；　for　he　ascended　the　throne　in　1214。　　It　necessarily　follows　that　the　charter；　if　signed　at　all；　must　have　been　signed　thirty…three　years　before　　the　battle　of　Largs；　and　thirty…six　years　earlier　than　the　actual　date　written　　on　the　document　itself。　　If　it　had　any　existence　before　it　appeared　in　the　　Earl　of　Cromartie's　manuscript　of　the　seventeenth　century；　it　must　have　　been　written　during　the　lives　of　the　witnesses　whose　names　attest　it。

That　　is；　according　to　those　who　maintain　that　Colin　Fitzgerald　was　the　　progenitor　of　the　Mackenzies；　thirty…one　years　before　that　adventurer　ever　　crossed　the　Irish　Channel；　and　probably　several　years　before　he　was　born；　if　he　ever　existed　elsewhere　than　in　the　Earl　of　Cromartie's　fertile　　imagination。

But　this　is　not　all。　　It　has　long　been　established　beyond　any　possible　doubt　that　the　Earls　of　Ross　were　the　superiors　of　the　lands　of　　Kintail　during　the　identical　period　in　which　the　same　lands　are　said　to　　have　been　held　by　Colin　Fitzgerald　and　his　descendants　as　direct　vassals　of　　the　Crown。　Ferchard　Mac　an　t…Sagairt；　Earl　of　Ross；　received　a　grant　of　　the　lands　of　Kintail　from　Alexander　II。　for　services　rendered　to　that　　monarch　in　1222；　and　he　is　again　on　record　as　their　possessor　in　1234；　　four　years　after　the　latest　date　on　which　the　reputed　charter　to　Colin　　Fitzgerald；　keeping　in　view　the　witnesses　whose　names　appear　on　the　face　　of　it；　could　possibly　have　been　a　genuine　document。　　Even　the　most　　prominent　of　the　clan　historians　who　have　so　stoutly　maintained　the　　Fitzgerald　theory　felt　bound　to　admit　that；　〃it　cannot　be　disputed　that　the　Earl　of　Ross　was　the　Lord　paramount　under　Alexander　II。；　by　whom　Farquhard　Mac　an　t…Sagairt　was　recognised　in　the　hereditary　dignity　of　his　　predecessors；　and　who；　by　another　tradition；〃　Dr　George　Mackenzie　says；　　〃was　a　real　progenitor　of　the　noble　family　of　Kintail。〃　　That　the　Earls　of　　Ross　continued　lords　paramount　long　after　the　death　of　Colin　Fitzgerald；　　which　event　is　said　to　have　taken　place　in　1278；　will　be　incontestibly　　proved。

But　meantime　let　us　return　to　the　Origines　Parochiales　Scotiae。　There　we　have　it　stated　on　authority　which　no　one　whose　opinion　is　worth　　anything　will　for　a　moment　call　in　question。　The　editor　of　that　remarkable　　work　says：　　〃In　1292　the　Sheriffdom　of　Skye　erected　by　King　John　Baliol；　included　the　lands　of　the　Earl　of　Ross　in　North　Argyle；　a　district　which　　comprehended　Kintail　and　several　other　large　parishes　in　Ross　（Acts　of　　Parliament　of　Scotland；　Vol。　1。　p。　917）。　　Between　1306　and　1329　King　　Robert　Bruce　confirmed　to　the　Earl　of　Ross　all　his　lands　including　North　　Argyle　（Robertson's　Index；　p。　16；　No。　7；　Register　of　Moray；　p。　342）。　in　　1342；　William；　Earl　of　Ross；　the　son　and　heir　of　the　deceased　Hugh；　Earl　　of　Ross；　granted　to　Reginald；　the　son　of　Roderick　（Ranald　Rorissoune　or　　MacRuaraidh）　of　the　Isles；　the　ten　davochs　（or　pennylands）　of　Kintail　in　　North　Argyle　（Robertson's　Index；　p。　48；　No。　1；　p。　99；　p。　100；　No。　1）。

The　　grant　was　afterwards　confirmed　by　King　David　II。　（Robertson's　Index）。　　　About　the　year　1346　Ranald　was　succeeded　by　his　sister　Amie；　the　wife　of　　John　of　Isla　（Gregory　p。　27）。　　Between　the　years　1362　and　1372；　William；　　Earl　of　Ross；　exchanged　with　his　brother　Hugh　of　Ross；　Lord　of　Phylorth；