toun and Archbishop Sharpe fell into the same sin for which
Saul had been rejected from being King over Israel. All the rules,
by which, among civilised and Christian men, the horrors of war are
mitigated, were abominations in the sight of the Lord. Quarter was to be
neither taken nor given. A Malay running a muck, a mad dog pursued by
a crowd, were the models to be imitated by warriors fighting in just
self-defence. To reasons such as guide the conduct of statesmen and
generals the minds of these zealots were absolutely impervious. That a
man should venture to urge such reasons was sufficient evidence that
he was not one of the faithful. If the divine blessing were withheld,
little would be effected by crafty politicians, by veteran captains, by
cases of arms from Holland, or by regiments of unregenerate Celts from
the mountains of Lorn. If, on the other hand, the Lord's time were
indeed come, he could still, as of old, cause the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise, and could save alike by many and by few.
The broadswords of Athol and the bayonets of Claverhouse would be put to
rout by weapons as insignificant as the sling of David or the pitcher of
Gideon. [348]

Cochrane, having found it impossible to raise the population on the
south of the Clyde, rejoined Argyle, who was in the island of Bute.
The Earl now again proposed to make an attempt upon Inverary. Again he
encountered a pertinacious opposition. The seamen sided with Hume
and Cochrane. The Highlanders were absolutely at the command of their
chieftain. There was reason to fear that the two parties would come to
blows; and the dread of such a disaster induced the Committee to make
some concession. The castle of Ealan Ghierig, situated at the mouth of
Loch Riddan, was selected to be the chief place of arms. The military
stores were disembarked there. The squadron was moored close to the
walls in a place where it was protected by rocks and shallows such
as, it was thought, no frigate could pass. Outworks were thrown up.
A battery was planted with some small guns taken from the ships. The
command of the fort was most unwisely given to Elphinstone, who had
already proved himself much more disposed to argue with his commanders
than to fight the enemy.

And now, during a few hours, there was some show of vigour. Rumbold took
the castle of Ardkinglass. The Earl skirmished successfully with Athol's
troops, and was about to advance on Inverary, when alarmi