history of the mackenzies-第78节

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d　the　cheerful　exercise　of　the　mental　　faculties；　the　blind　have　the　advantage　of　the　deaf。　　The　loss　of　the　ear；　　that　‘vestibule　of　the　soul；'　was　to　him　compensated　by　gifts　and　endowments　rarely　united　in　the　same　individual。　　One　instance　of　the　　chief's　liberality　and　love　of　art　may　be　mentioned。　　In　1796　he　advanced　a　sum　of　？000　to　Sir　Thomas　Lawrence　to　relieve　him　from　pecuniary　　difficulties。　　Lawrence　was　then　a　young　man　of　twenty…seven。　　His　career　from　a　boy　upwards　was　one　of　brilliant　success；　but　he　was　careless　and　　generous　as　to　money　matters；　and　some　speculations　by　his　father　　embarassed　and　distressed　the　young　artist。　　In　his　trouble　he　applied　to　the　Chief　of　Kintail。　‘Will　you；'　he　said　in　that　theatrical　style　common　to　　Lawrence；　‘will　you　be　the　Antonio　to　a　Bassanio？'　　He　promised　to　pay　　the　？000　in　four　years；　but　the　money　was　given　on　terms　the　most　agreeable　to　the　feelings　and　complimentary　to　the　talents　of　the　artist。

He　　was　to　repay　it　with　his　pencil；　and　the　chief　sat　to　him　for　his　portrait。

Lord　Seaforth　also　commissioned　from　West　one　of　those　immense　sheets　　of　canvas　on　which　the　old　Academician　delighted　to　work　in　his　latter　　years。　　The　subject　of　the　picture　was　the　traditionary　story　of　the　Royal　　hunt；　in　which　Alexander　the　Third　was　saved　from　the　assault　of　a　fierce　stag　by　Colin　Fitzgerald；　a　wandering　knight　unknown　to　authentic　history。

West　considered　it　one　of　his　best　productions；　charged　？00　for　it；　and　　was　willing　some　years　afterwards；　with　a　view　to　the　exhibition　of　his　　works；　to　purchase　back　the　picture　at　its　original　cost。　In　one　instance　　Lord　Seaforth　did　not　evince　artistic　taste。　　He　dismantled　Brahan　Castle　removing　its　castellated　features　and　completely　modernising　its　general　　appearance。　　The　house；　with　its　large　modern　additions；　is　a　tall；　massive　　pile　of　building；　the　older　portion　covered　to　the　roof　with　ivy。　　It　occupies　　a　commanding　site　on　a　bank　midway　between　the　river　Conon　and　a　range　of　picturesque　rocks。　　This　bank　extends　for　miles；　sloping　in　successive　terraces；　all　richly　wooded　or　cultivated；　and　commanding　a　　magnificent　view　that　terminates　with　the　Moray　Firth。〃　＇The　Seaforth　　Papers；　in　the　North　British　Review；　1863；　by　Robert　Carruthers；　LL。D。＇

The　remarkable　prediction　of　the　extinction　of　this　highly　distinguished　and　ancient　family　is　so　well　known　that　it　need　not　be　　recapitulated　here；　and　its　literal　fulfilment　is　one　of　the　most　curious　instances　of　the　kind　on　record。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　the　〃prophecy〃　　was　widely　known　throughout　the　Highlands　generations　before　it　was　　fulfilled。　　Lockhart；　in　his　Life　of　Sir　Walter　Scott；　says　that　〃it　connected　　the　fall　of　the　house　of　Seaforth　　not　　only　　with　　the　　appearance　of　　a　deaf　　‘Cabarfeidh；'　but　with　the　contemporaneous　appearance　of　various　　different　physical　misfortunes　in　several　of　the　other　Highland　chiefs；　all　of　which　are　said　to　have　actually　occurred　within　the　memory　of　the　　generation　that　has　not　yet　passed　away。　　Mr　Morrit　can　testify　thus　far；　that　he　heard　the　prophecy　quoted　in　the　Highlands　at　a　time　when　Lord　　Seaforth　had　two　sons　alive；　and　in　good　health；　and　that　it　certainly　was　　not　made　after　the　event；〃　and　then　he　proceeds　to　say　that　Scott　and　Sir　Humphrey　Davy　were　most　certainly　convinced　of　its　truth；　as　also　many　　others　who　had　watched　the　latter　days　of　Seaforth　in　the　light　of　those　　wonderful　predictions。　＇Every　Highland　family　has　its　store　of　traditionary　　and　romantic　beliefs。　　Centuries　ago　a　seer　of　the　Clan　Mackenzie；　known　　as　Kenneth　Oag　（Odhar）；　predicted　that　when　there　should　be　a　deaf　Caberfae　the　gift　land　of　the　estate　would　be　sold。　and　the　male　line　　become　extinct。　　The　prophecy　was　well　known　in　the　North；　and　it　was　　not；　like　many　similar　vaticinations；　made　after　the　event。　　At　least　three　　unimpeachable　Sassenach　writers；　Sir　Humphrey　Davy；　Sir　Walter　Scott；　　and　Mr　Morritt　of　Rokeby；　had　all　heard　the　prediction　when　Lord　　Seaforth　had　two　sons　alive；　both　in　good　health。　　The　tenantry　were；　of　　course；　strongly　impressed　with　the　truth　of　the　prophecy；　and　when　their　Chief　proposed　to　sell　part　of　Kintail；　they　offered　to　buy　in　the　land　fur　　him；　that　it　might　not　pass　from　the　family。　　One　son　was　then　living；；　and　　there　was　no　immediate　prospect　of　the　succession　expiring；　but；　in　　deference　to　their　clannish　prejudice　or　affection；　the　sale　of　any　portion　of　the　estate　was　deferred　for　about　two　years。　　The　blow　came　at　last。　　　Lord　Seaforth　was　involved　in　West　India　plantations；　which　were　　mismanaged；　and　he　was　forced　to　dispose　of　part　of　the　〃gift　land。〃

About　the　same　time　the　last　of　his　four　sons；　a　young　man　of　talent　and　　eloquence；　and　then　representing　his　native　county　in　Parliament；　died　　suddenly；　and　thus　the　prophecy　of　Kenneth　Oag　was　fulfilled。

〃Of　the　name　of　Fitzgerald　remained　not　a　male　To　bear　the　proud　name　of　the　Chief　of　Kintail。〃

Robert　Carruthers；　LL。D。；　in　the　North　British　Review。＇

His　Lordship　outlived　all　his　four　sons；　as　predicted　by　the　Brahan　Seer。　　His　name　became　extinct；　and　his　vast　possessions　were　inherited　　by　a　stranger；　James　Alexander　Stewart；　who　married　his　eldest　daughter；　　Lady　Hood。　　The　sign　by　which　it　would　be　known　that　the　prediction　was　　about　to　be　fulfilled　was　also　foretold　in　the　same　remarkable　manner；　　namely；　that　in　the　day's　of　the　last　Seaforth　there　should　be　four　great　contemporary　lairds；　distinguished　by　certain　physical　defects　described　　by　the　Seer。　　Sir　Hector　Mackenzie；　Bart。　of　Gairloch；　　was　buck…toothed；　and　is　to　this　day　spoken　of　among　the　Gairloch　tenantry　as　〃An　Tighearna　storach；〃　or　the　buck…toothed　　laird。　　Chisholm　of　Chisholm　was　hair…lipped；　Grant　of　Grant　half…witted；　and　Macleod　of　Raasay　a　stammerer。　＇For　full　details　of　this　remarkable　instance　of　family　fate；　see　The　　Prophecies　of　the　Brahan　Seer。A。　&　W；　Mackenzie；　Inverness。＇

To　the　testimony　of　those　whose　names　have　been　already　given　　we　shall　add　the　evidence　of　a　living　witness　when　the　first　edition　of　this　　work　was　in　preparation。　　Duncan　Davidson　of　Tulloch；　Lord…Lieutenant　　of　the　county　of　Ross；　in　a　letter　addressed　to　the　author；　dated　May　21；　1878；　says〃Many　of　these　prophecies　I　heard　of　upwards　of　70　years　　ago；　and　when　many　of　them　were　not　fulfilled；　such　as　the　late　Lord　　Seaforth　surviving　his　sons；　and　Mrs　Stewart　Mackenzie's　accident；　near　　　Brahan；　by　which　　Miss　Caroline　　Mackenzie　was　killed。〃

It　is　impossible　not　to　sympathise　with　the　magnificent　old　Chief　as　he　mourned　over　the　premature　death　of　his　four　promising　sons；　and　　saw　the　honours　of　his　house　for　ever　extinguished　in　his　own　person。

Many　instances　are　related　of　his　magnificent　extravagance　at　home；　while　sailing　round　the　West　Coast；　visiting　the　great　principality　of　the　Lewis；　　and　calling　on　his　way　hither　and　thither　on　the　other　great　chiefs　of　the　　West　and　Western　Islands。　　Sir　Walter　Scott；　in　his　〃Lament　for　the　Last　of　　the　Seaforths；〃　adds　his　tribute

In　vain　the　bright　course　of　thy　talents　to　wrong。　Fate　deadened　thine　ear　and　imprisoned　thy　tongue；　For　brighter　o'er　all　her　obstructions　arose　The　glow　of　thy　genius　they　could　not　oppose　And　who；　in　the　land　of　the　Saxon　or　Gael　Could　match　with　Mackenzie；　High　Chief　of　Kintail？

Thy　sons　rose　around　thee　in　light　and　in　love；　All　a　father　could　hope；　all　a　friend　cou'd　approve；　What　‘vails　it　the　tale　of　thy　sorrows　to　tell？　In　the　spring　time　of　youth　and　of　promise　they　fell　Of　the　line　of　MacKenneth　remains　not　a　male；　To　bear　the　proud　name　of　the　Chief　of　Kintail。

This　sketch　of　the　great　chief　cannot　better　be　closed　than　in　the　words　of　one　already　repeatedly　quoted：〃It　was　said　of　him　by　an　acute　observer　and　a　leading　wit　of　the　age；　the　late　Honourable　Henry　Erskine；　the　Scotch　Dean　of　Faculty；　that　‘Lord　Seaforth's　deafness　was　a　merciful　interposition　to　lower　him　to　the　ordinary　rate　of　capacity　in　　society；'　insinuating　that　otherwise　his　perception　and　intelligence　would　have　been　　oppressive。　　And　the　aptness　of　the　remark　was　duly　appreciated　by　all　　those　who　had　the　good　fortune　to　be　able　to　form　an　estimate　from　　personal　observation；　while；　as　a　man　of　the　world；　none　was　more　　capable　of　generalizing。　　Yet；　as　a　countryman；　he　never　affected　to　　disregard　those　local　predilections　which　identified　him　with　the　County　of　Ross；　as　the　genuine　representative　of　Kintail；　possessing　an　influence　　which；　being　freely　ceded　and　supported；　became　paramount　and　　permanent　in　the　county　which　he　represented　in　the　Commons　House　of　　Parliament；　till　he　was　called　to　the　peerage　on　the　26th　October；　1797；　by　　the　title　of　Lord　Seaforth　and　Baron　of　Kintail；　with　limitation　to　heirs　male　of　his　body；　and　which　he　presided　over　as　his　Majesty's　Lord…Lieutenant。　　He　was　commissioned；　in　1793；　to　reorganise　the　78th　or　　　Ross…shire　Regiment　of　Highlanders；　which；　for　so　many　years；　continued　　to　be　almost　exclusively　composed　of　his　countrymen。　　Nor　did　his　　extraordinary　qualifications　and　varied　exertions　escape　the　wide　ranging　eye　of　the　master　genius　of　the　age；　who　has　also　contributed；　by　a　　tributary　effusion；　to　transmit　the　unqualified　vener