sentment of high blood armed with great power. But
thank Heaven, all of us who remain are of one sentiment, and, I may say,
of one house; so that, at least, our councils cannot now be thwarted
with disunion. Father prior, I pray you take your writing materials,
for you must as usual be our clerk of council. And now to business,
my lords; and our first object of consideration must be this Highland
cumber."

"Between the Clan Chattan and the Clan Quhele," said the prior, "which,
as our last advices from our brethren at Dunkeld inform us, is ready
to break out into a more formidable warfare than has yet taken place
between these sons of Belial, who speak of nothing else than of utterly
destroying one another. Their forces are assembling on each side, and
not a man claiming in the tenth degree of kindred but must repair to the
brattach of his tribe, or stand to the punishment of fire and sword.
The fiery cross hath flitted about like a meteor in every direction, and
awakened strange and unknown tribes beyond the distant Moray Firth--may
Heaven and St. Dominic be our protection! But if your lordships cannot
find remedy for evil, it will spread broad and wide, and the patrimony
of the church must in every direction be exposed to the fury of these
Amalekites, with whom there is as little devotion to Heaven as there is
pity or love to their neighbour--may Our Lady be our guard! We hear some
of them are yet utter heathens, and worship Mahound and Termagaunt."

"My lords and kinsmen," said Robert, "ye have heard the urgency of this
case, and may desire to know my sentiments before you deliver what your
own wisdom shall suggest. And, in sooth, no better remedy occurs to me
than to send two commissioners, with full power from us to settle such
debates as be among them, and at the same time to charge them, as they
shall be answerable to the law, to lay down their arms, and forbear all
practices of violence against each other."

"I approve of your Grace's proposal," said Rothsay; "and I trust the
good prior will not refuse the venerable station of envoy upon
this peacemaking errand. And his reverend brother, the abbot of the
Carthusian convent, must contend for an honour which will certainly
add two most eminent recruits to the large army of martyrs, since the
Highlanders little regard the distinction betwixt clerk and layman in
the ambassadors whom you send to them."

"My royal Lord of Rothsay," said the prior, "if I am destined