He advised Seaforth to dismiss his men
and make a pretence that he had only sent for them to give them new
leases of their lands, and in case it was necessary to make an
appearance to fight Montrose, he could bring, when commanded to do so,
two or three companies from Chanonry and Ardmeanach, which the Marquis
would accept. It was, however, late before they parted, and Lady
Seaforth, who was waiting for her lord at Kessock, prepared a
sumptuous supper for her husband and his friends. The Earl and his
guests kept up the festivities so long and so well that he 'forgot
or delayed to advertise his men to dismiss till to-morrow,' and
going to bed very late, before he could stir in the morning all the
lairds and gentlemen of Moray came to him, most earnestly entreating
him by all the laws of friendship and good neighbourhood, and for
the kindness they had for him while he lived among them, and which
they manifested to his brother yet living amongst them, that his
lordship would not see them ruined and destroyed by Montrose and the
Irish, when he might easily prevent it without the least loss to
himself or his men, assuring him that if he should join General
Hurry with what forces he had then under his command, Montrose would
go away with his Irish and decline to fight them.
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