thoughts of civil war. The gathering which
had been planned for the summer never took place. Lochiel, even if he
had been willing, was not able to sustain any longer the falling cause.
He had been laid on his bed by a mishap which would alone suffice to
show how little could be effected by a confederacy of the petty kings
of the mountains. At a consultation of the Jacobite leaders, a gentleman
from the Lowlands spoke with severity of those sycophants who had
changed their religion to curry favour with King James. Glengarry was
one of those people who think it dignified to suppose that every body
is always insulting them. He took it into his head that some allusion
to himself was meant. "I am as good a Protestant as you." he cried, and
added a word not to be patiently borne by a man of spirit. In a moment
both swords were out. Lochiel thrust himself between the combatants,
and, while forcing them asunder, received a wound which was at first
believed to be mortal, [760]

So effectually had the spirit of the disaffected clans been cowed that
Mackay marched unresisted from Perth into Lochaber, fixed his head
quarters at Inverlochy, and proceeded to execute his favourite design
of erecting at that place a fortress which might overawe the mutinous
Camerons and Macdonalds. In a few days the walls were raised; the
ditches were sunk; the pallisades were fixed; demiculverins from a ship
of war were ranged along the parapets, and the general departed, leaving
an officer named Hill in command of a sufficient garrison. Within the
defences there was no want of oatmeal, red herrings, and beef; and
there was rather a superabundance of brandy. The new stronghold, which,
hastily and rudely as it had been constructed, seemed doubtless to the
people of the neighbourhood the most stupendous work that power and
science united had ever produced, was named Fort William in honour of
the King, [761]

By this time the Scottish Parliament had reassembled at Edinburgh.
William had found it no easy matter to decide what course should be
taken with that capricious and unruly body. The English Commons had
sometimes put him out of temper. Yet they had granted him millions,
and had never asked from him such concessions as had been imperiously
demanded by the Scottish legislature, which could give him little and
had given him nothing. The English statesmen with whom he had to deal
did not generally stand or serve to stand high in his esteem. Yet few
of