that she complained to the King, who forthwith sent him a prisoner to the Bastile, and after his release, he was ordered to leave the Court, and accept the government of a distant province. The Countess de Soissons, deprived of the society of one who consoled her in the disappointment of her higher aspirations, became greatly incensed against her former friend, the Duchess of Orleans. She complained to the King that Henrietta had only interfered to save De Guiche, and she assured the monarch that both of them were deceiving him. Her rage even led her to the extremity of revealing to the King the share which De Guiche had had in the concoction of the Spanish letter. Louis immediately communicated what he had heard to the Duchess, who now resolved, by a semblance of candour, to outwit her opponent. She accordingly confessed the truth, and she communicated with all dispatch to De Guiche what she had done, earnestly advising him in the event of his being interrogated to adopt a similar course. The King, never suspecting that there was any collusion between the parties, was favourably impressed by the exact coincidence of the stories of his sister-in-law and the Count, and accordingly, on account of the candour they had evinced, although it was in reality most disingenuous, he forgave them both. His wrath against De Vardes was however considerably augmented, and the Countess de Soissons was made to feel that she had incurred his most serious displeasure. This was the result of the celebrated Spanish letter, which for no inconsiderable time perplexed and agitated the licentious and intriguing court of Louis XIV. (To be continued.) POETRY AND TRADITIONS OF THE HIGHLAND CLANS. There is a felicity of expression peculiar to the language of the Highland bards which renders their poetry, when deprived of that language, no more to be compared to the original than a skeleton is to be compared to the human form in the pride of muscular symmetry and health. Hence we felt justifiable in departing freely from the originals in our former imitations; but, as the following elegy, on the death of Alastair du of Glenarry, is regarded as one of Ian Lom's best poems, we have attempted to retain as many of the thoughts and feelings of the bard himself in our imitation as possible. Whether we have done the bard more or less justice, in so acting, we leave to the decisions of those who can appreciate the original. Our own opinion is, that the more free our imitation is the more true we are to the style and spirit at least of the originals. MI' G EIRIDH SA MHADUINN. The manly leader of the race, Not safe were those that rashly met, When the proud heather badge was set, When thy brave banner waved on high, To draw thy broad sword keen; That praise, that early praise was thine, The wisest leader in the war. That oft in deadly slaughter told. Thy lineage is, for blood and length, And formed of chieftains famed for strength, They towered in their war panoply, And none of them have been constrained To deeds that have that lineage stained. Since some in battle had forgot How their brave fathers used their steel, No refuge has poor Albyn got From ruthless fate's remorseless wheel. Although Clandonell on that day, As ever, clothes them with renown, Our heroes have been wede away In fruitless battles, one by one. And now we've lost the worthiest lord It was our country's destiny, To lose three pillars of the throneHeroes who, in adversity, For daring proudly, greatly shone : Sir Donald, who led us when combined, When other chiefs fled from their lands, And for their king and country stood― Yes, stood prepared in arms to die, When war should his fierce tocsin sound, Or to achieve a victory That would their treacherous foes confound. Such were our chiefs, as maidens mild, But, roused to war, like beacons wild. It is erroneously believed that it was the death of Claverhouse at Killiecrankie which put an end to the war. There is no doubt that the war degenerated in its character on the death of that patriotic and glorious chief; but, as the above verses prove, the clans did not yield. On the contrary, they maintained their ground until King William agreed to relieve them of all feudal superiors, as the Stewart Kings had agreed to do when they took arms in their cause. This fact is proved by the following extracts :— 66 Breadalbane was authorised by King William to enter into a treaty with the Highland chiefs for the pacification of the country. They met at Achchalder, when the following articles were agreed upon :1st, As a preliminary article, they demand full power and liberty to send such a person as they should make choice of to the Court of St. Germans upon the Government's charges, in order to lay the state of their affairs before King James, and to obtain his permission and warrant to enter into this treaty. "2d, This article being granted, they next demanded the sum of £20,000 sterling, to refund them of the great expenses and losses they had sustained by the war. In order to obtain this, they represented that the people were so impoverished that it would be impossible to stay at home, and to apply themselves to agriculture and the improvement of their country. "3d, That King William should, at the public charges, free them from all manner of vassalage and dependence on the great men their neighbours, as King James was to have done, for which they produced his letters; that being thereby freed from the tyranny and oppression of these superiors, they might have their sole dependence on the crown, and be enabled effectually to employ their people in the service of their country. "4th, That King James his officers might have full liberty either to remain at home or to go into foreign service as they pleased, and that they, and all others engaged in his interest, should not only have passports for that purpose, but also be carried to the port of Havre de Grace, at the charges of the Government. "5th, That they be allowed to wear and use their arms, as they were formerly wont to do; and that no other oaths should be put to them excepting simply that of alleageance; and that they should have a full and free indemnity for all crimes whatsoever committed by them, or any of them, during the wars; and that, in the meantime, there should be a cessation of arms." The treacherous Dutchman, notwithstanding his ratification of the above treaty (continues the same authority),* issued orders to Sir Thomas Livingstone" to march and encamp his army (amounting then to 10,000 men, whereof a third part were horse and dragoons) in some convenient place on the borders of the Highlands till further orders. While Sir Thomas was on his march, he was countermanded by the Duke of Leinster, then General of the Scots Forces, who intimated to him that he acted by the particular order and direction of Queen Mary. Sir Thomas, being next in command under the Duke, not only obeyed, but sent orders to the Earl of Argile, who was then in Mull, with considerable forces, to supercede all hostilitys, and to observe a cessation of arms. The very next day Sir Thomas was surprised by a letter from the Master of Stair, Secretary of State, then in Flanders with King William, by whose commands it was writt, challenging him for not marching and encamping as he was ordered by his Majesty. The matter being laid before the Lords of the Privy Concill, they wrote Queen Mary to know her pleasure; and she returned for answer, that the Earl of Breadalbane's negotiation with the Highlanders was done by his Majesty's command; that a cessation of arms was a part of that treaty, and that the Duke of Leinster's orders to Sir Thomas was by her direction." 66 King William" (when the treaty was submitted to him), "was employed in carrying on a bloody war with France in conjunction with most of the other powers of Europe. He had use for all his troops, and being on that account exceedingly anxious to get rid of the Highland war, the Earl of Breadalbane found a more easy complyance with all the conditions demanded by the Chiefs than he expected. The greatest demurr was made att granting the liberty of sending to King James, that haveing the appearance of continueing their alledgeance to that unfortunate Prince, even after a submission, which might be interpreted to be made by his authority. But that article had beene att last consented to among the rest. Sir George Barclay, a Brigadier, and Major Duncan Menzies, were, by King William's permission, despatched by the Chiefs to the Court of St. German, to lay the case before King James, and to know his pleasure." In the letter of King William to the Privy Council, communicating to them the ratification of the above treaty, there is no other limitation, excepting that all who took the benefit of it should take the oath of allegiance to him and the Queen, before the 1st January, 1692; but it contains an obscure passage, whose meaning was sufficiently explained by the massacre of Glencoe. It runs thus:-"That ye Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron. communicate our pleasure to the Governour of Inverlochy, and other commanders, that they be exact and diligent in their several posts: but that they show now no more zeale against the Highlanders, after their submission, than they have ever done formerly, when these were in open rebellion.” "That the Highlanders were abused and cheated in the execution of the articles of their treaty with King William (who never performed any of them, but three), plainly appears from this, that though, by the preliminary article, they were allowed to send to St. Germans for King James's permission to lay down their arms; yet the Indemnity that was issued out in consequence of that treaty, and King William's letter to his Council, which I have recited, and was the warrand on which it proceeded, did not allow them time to waite the return of their Commissioners, but circumscribed them to the first of January, without so much as mentioning it. And Argile's orders (to treat the people of Mull like rebels), bears date two days after the publication (of the letter to the Privy Council), that being on the 29th, and the other on the 31st of August; whereby it is plain that King William meant no more in yielding to the conditions of that treaty, but to amuze them, and to catch them in the snare with which he (with so much art and policy) contrived to ruin them." "Though all the forces of the kingdom were either dispersed in garrisons, through the Highlands, or quartered on their confines, in order to fight them, yet not one of the Chiefs tooke the benefit of the Indemnity till the arrival of their Commissioners from King James: they returned by London, as they had engaged by the treaty, before they were allowed to sett out in a vessel belonging to the Government; and Brigadier Barclay having shown King James his letter to the Ministers of State, the Secretary kept the principall, and sent a double, attested by the Brigadier and Major Menzies to General Buchan, to whom it was directed. Major Menzies was charged with this commission; and having come post from London, arrived at Dunkeld, eleven days after setting out from Paris, and some few days before the Indemnity expired. He was so fatigued that he could proceed no farther on his journey; but was obliged to send it by ane express to General Buchan, who was then at Glengarry, and who did not send to Lochiel his coppy till about thirty hours before the time was out." It is affecting to imagine the feelings with which the King made up his mind to write the following letter to his faithful clans :-- "JAMES R. "Right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. We are informed of the state of our subjects in the Highlands, and of the condition that you and our other officers there are in, as well our trusty and well-beloved Sir George Barclay, Brigadier of our forces, as our trusty and well-beloved Major Duncan Meinzies: and therfore we have thought fitt hereby to authorise you to give leave to our said subjects and officers, who have hitherto behaved themselves so loyally in our cause, to doe what may be most for their own and your safety. For |