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cured from the plundering expeditions of their neighbours; "for," said Dunmorven, "on the silver plates, the ornaments of his baldrick, he thus addressed his broad sword:"

"Hæ tibi erunt artes, pacisque imponere morem,
Parcere subjectis et debellare superbos."

And he related, with considerable feeling, the fate of the two Kennedies, who showed such honour towards the implicit confidence Scotland's banished prince placed in them, arguing (as if the matter were disputed) that "the Kennedies," two common thieves, who took the young prince under their protection, and kept him with faith inviolate, notwithstanding they knew an immense reward was offered for his head, "were samples of primitive hospitality and devoted honour." And he maintained that the men who surprised the baggage-horses of one of the king's general officers, and supplied their

prince with linen; the men who robbed for their forlorn prince's support; the men who went to Inverness repeatedly in disguise, to buy provisions for the chief; the men who had sufficient vir tue to resist the temptation of thirty thousand pounds,—were objects of national pride, even though one of the poor fellows some time after was hanged for stealing a cow not worth more than thirty shillings!

St. Clyde replied, "the life of man was short, the benefit of charity immortal;" but he did not offer to controvert the opinions of Dunmorven; and if we include his tenderness and sympathy, in condoling with Lady Dunmorven and her daughters, we shall have formed the entire of this first day's share of a Highland welcome.

The dreams of other times would paint every thing at Dunmorven castle, with the lights and shadows of the

sublime, the marvellous, the comic, the tragic, or the dull insipidity of common-place visits and ordinary friendships; but we shall barely relate matters as they were, not as our fancy would make them.

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CHAPTER VII.

Ullin raised the song of gladness. The hills of Inistore rejoiced. The flame of the oak arose, and the tales of heroes are told.

OSSIAN.

As St. Clyde's time was limited, Dunmorven was resolved to pay all the attention to his guest, which a chief of his descent could show to the friend of an only and lamented son; and accordingly, the day subsequent to St. Clyde's arrival, an invitation was sent to the chieftain Maciorloisk, to honour with his company the castle of Dunmorven, which was now honoured with the company of Capt. St. Clyde. Mactorlaisk, in the true spirit of a chieftain who acknowledged Dunmorven's right of primogeniture, with much pride sent his bladier to announce his ac

ceptance of Dunmorven's invitation,

7

Mactorloisk's bladier came along with Dunmorven's bladier; and, having obtained an audience of the chief whom all Mull loved, and with cheerful heart obeyed, thus delivered himself:

"The clouds of the north can gather no more, the shield it may hang in the hall, since the thistle the sweet rose has yielded, and both may be hung to the mane of the lion; Oil Roi Dunmorven and Torloisk see on one stalk the emblems of peace; and Thegn Mactorloisk greets well the chief Oil Roi Dunmorven, and will be proud to make one of his friends at the Highland welcome which Dunmorven is to give the hero MacCleutha."

Dunmorven heard the bladier of Mactorloisk with the deepest attention, and barely replied, "Well, the lion has let them tie the rose to his mane; and where's he that'll pluck it away?" There was no answer expected; and

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