Mackay replied that he could accept no security other than the
surrender of his Lordship's person, at the same time conjuring him
to comply, as he valued his own safety and the preservation of his
family and people, and assuring him that in the case of surrender
he should be detained in civil custody in Inverness, and treated
with the respect due to his rank, until the will of the Government
should become known. Next day the Earl's mother, the Countess
Dowager of Seaforth, and Sir Alexander Mackenzie of Coul proceeded
to Inverness, to plead with Mackay for a mitigation of the terms
proposed, but finding him inflexible, they told him that Seaforth
would accede to any conditions agreed to by them in his behalf.
It was thereupon stipulated that he should deliver himself up at
once and be kept a prisoner in Inverness until the Privy Council
decided as to his ultimate disposal. With the view of concealing
his voluntary submission from his own clan and his other Jacobite
friends, it was agreed that the Earl should allow himself to be
siezed at one of his seats by a party of horse under Major Mackay,
as if he were taken by surprise. He, however, disappointed those
sent to take him, in excuse of which, his mother and he, in letters
to General Mackay, pleaded the delicate state of his health, which,
it was urged, would suffer from imprisonment; and indeed few can
blame him for any unwillingness to place himself absolutely at
the disposal of such a body as the Privy Council of Scotland then
was - many of whom would not hesitate in the slightest to sacrifice
him, if by so doing they could only see any chance of obtaining
a share, however small, of his extensive estates.
Pages:
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462