now Greenock; but as he advanced into the interior of the country, he was slain by Maurice Mac Niel, one of his nephews, near Renfrew, along with his son Gilliecolum, and the greater part of their followers.'

3

Antiquaries differ as to the lineage of Somerled; some affirm that he was a descendant of Conn Ceadchaghach, called "The hero of the hundred battles," who was the one hundred and third king of Ireland, of the Milesian race, and lived in the second century of the Christian era. Others suppose him to have been a descendant of some of the Danish Vikingr, who, in the ninth century, infested the coasts of Scotland, and who had by conquest gained large possessions in Argyll. While my friend, Mr. Skene, finds him to have been of Pictish descent, and of the tribe of Gallgael. But whatever may have been his origin, Buchanan says, that "His fortune was above his family, and his ambition above his fortune.""

1 Buchanan's History of Scotland, vol. i, p. 311; Chalmers' Caledonia, vol. iii, chap. vi; Hollinshead's Chronicles of Scotland, vol. i, p. 374; Macpherson, p. 270. 2 Gregory's History of the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

3 Anderson's Royal Genealogies, London 1736, table 525; Abercromby's Martial Achievements of the Scots Nation, Edinburgh, edition 1762, vol. i, p. 311.

4 Guthrie's History of Scotland, vol. i, p. 332; Macculloch's Western Isles, London, 1824, vol. iii, p, 41.

Skene's Highlanders of Scotland, part ii, chap. ii.

Buchanan's History of Scotland, edition 1762, vol. i, p. 306. Langebeck in his Scriptores Rerum Danicarum mentions a life of Somerled by a contemporary writer, in which he is styled Rex Manniæ; but this is not confirmed by history. In the Chronicles of Melrose, A.D. 1164, he is called a vassal of the king of Scotland, at which time it does not appear that the Scottish monarch exercised any authority over the Isle of Man.

APPENDIX.-CHAPTER IV.

NOTE I.-PAGE 88.

FIERY ORDEAL.

Harold Gyllie, returning from Ireland to Norway, had to prove by ordeal, that he was a son of king Magnus Barefoot, (who was killed in battle in Ireland,) in the following manner: "King Sigurd said that he should walk over hot-iron bars to prove his parentage-that was thought a very severe ordeal, as he was to perform it merely to prove his parentage, and not to assert his right to the crown, yet he consented to it, and thus was performed the severest ordeal that ever took place in Norway nine red-hot plough-shares were laid down, and he walked over them with his feet naked, led by two bishops; three days after this the ordeal was tried and his feet were found unhurt!" (See Snorra Sturlusonar Heimskringla, Saga Sigurdar Jorsalafara, cap. xxxiii.) This trial was censured even by the Norwegian clergy, as being too severe; but Sigurd, wishing to get rid of a claimant to a part of his kingdom, proposed the most severe ordeal he had seen in other countries, (he had travelled much) and still to no purpose.

Exactly the same ordeal was used in England: "The resolution of the synod, as reported by the Archbishop, was this—that Emma, the queen mother, should be sentenced to go on her bare feet over nine plough shares heated red rot in the presence of the clergy and the people, in the cathedral church of Winchester." (See History of the Trials, p, 3.) "Thus in England, too, the ordeal co-existed with the trial by jury, and was often applied in cases of the greatest moment."-Repp's Forensic Institutions, Edinburgh, 1832, p. 43. See Ware's Antiquities of Ireland, p. 151, for a similar custom; and Mallet's Northern Antiquities, vol. i, cap. viii.

NOTE II.-PAGE 93.

GODDARD CROVAN, AND OTHER KINGS OF HIS LINE.

The period from the accession of Goddard Crovan, to the death of Godred, the son of Olave Kleining, has hitherto been a very confused portion of Manks history, resulting evidently from an adherence to the dates of the Chronicles of Man, or of the Celto Normanicæ.

It is known that the battle of Standford bridge was fought in September, 1066. If Goddard Crovan was actually present at that defeat, of which there seems to be no doubt, and subsequently made his escape with Olave, the son of Harald Halfagr to Man, it seems impossible that, after remaining there for some time, he could have proceeded to Norway, and from thence made three descents upon the Isle of Man within the same year, 1066, for such it was according to the Chronicles of Man. A recent writer on the Western Isles, (Macculloch, vol. iii, p. 36) alludes to this anachronism, but he has gone astray in confounding Goddard Crovan with king Goddard of the Isles, the father of Fingall. I have adopted the more probable data of the Norse Sagas, which fixes the period of Goddard Crovan's conquest in A.D. 1077, thereby allowing a reasonable time for the performance of all the adventures alluded to in Goddard's history, between the defeat at Standford Bridge, and his obtaining possession of the Isle of Man.

The following chronological table of the kings of Man from the accession of Goddard Crovan to the death of Godred, the son of Olave Kleining, shows how widely the most accredited chroniclers differ as to dates in treating of dark periods :

If Godred Kleining ascended the throne of Man in 1144, as stated by both Camden and Johnstone, and reigned only 33 years, he must have died in 1177, and not in 1187, as stated by these writers; but it appears from other sources that he reigned forty-four years. The grand error of the chronicle is two-fold, first in confounding the two expeditions of Magnus Barefoot; and, secondly, in placing their single confused expeditions after the accession of Donald, the son of Tade, and that of Ingemund; whereas all the Norse Sagas are agreed that the first expedition of Magnus took place in the reign of Goddard Crovan, and in the last year of the reign of Malcolm Canmore. In support of this the Irish Annals are distinct that Magnus died in 1103; and that Donald obtained the Isles in A.D. 1111. From the death of Godred Kleining, Camden, Johnstone, the Sagas, Annals, and the Chronicles of Man agree. The remaining kings of the line of Goddard Crovan, are as under :

NOTE III.-PAGE 94.

GRANTS TO THE CHURCH.

It is a singular fact in the history of monastic establishments, that most of them were founded in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries—a general belief having prevailed throughout christendom that the world would be destroyed at the end of the prophetic period of twelve hundred and sixty years from the birth of Christ: (Revelations, cap. 12,) the immediate consequence of which was that large secular possessions were given up to the church for the erection and endowment of religious establishments, thereby to secure, if possible, the favour of heaven in such an emergency. It was thus that, in less than half a century, upwards of fifteen hundred of these edifices were erected in England, and a proportionate number in Scotland. King David I. made so many grants to the church, that James I. said, when visiting his tomb at Dunfermline, "he was a sore saint for the crown."-Hollinshead's Chronicles of Scotland, edition 1805, vol. i, p. 366. Hence the magnificent donations made at that period by the kings of Norway and of Man to the Monastery and Abbot of Rushen.-Calendars of Ancient Charters; Catalogue of Muniments, p. 344.

NOTE IV.-PAGE 98.

MOARMOR.

Moarmor meant, anciently, in Scotland, a great Baron or Lord. It is a question that has been often asked, yet never been satisfactorily answered-when were the titles of Earl and Baron introduced into Scotland? The late Lord Kaimes answers explicitly, that it was Malcolm Canmore who introduced both.—Essay on British Antiq. p. 21. But that learned person did not know that the prince, the people, and the policy of North Britain were all Celtic in the reign of Malcolm. Wallace, following the speculative tract of Lord Kaimes, gave it, as his opinion, that Earldoms were probably more ancient than the time of Malcolm.—Ancient Peerages, p. 51. Scotland was divided into districts, such as Galloway, which were ruled hereditarily by distinguished persons, who were called, in the Gaelic speech, "Moarmors;" in Latin, "Comes," and in Danish, "Jarl;" which was easily traduced into the English "Earl;" but there was certainly no erection of any Earldom, or creation of an Earl, in the reign of Malcolm, as Lord Kaimes and the peerage writers suppose. Moarmors assumed the titles of Earls when the word Moarmor became obsolete; and Comes became fashionable. Both Comites and Barons existed, undoubtedly, under David I.-Chalmers' Caledonia, vol. i, book iv, cap. il.

CHAPTER V.

NORWEGIAN LINE OF KINGS, FROM A.D. 1170 TO 1265.

T

King Godred returns to Man-Is married to the Daughter of an Irish King-Is defeated in Ireland by Milo Cogan-War in GallowayGodred submits to the Authority of the Pope's Legate-Fall of an Aspirant to the Manks Throne-Matrimonial Alliance with John de Courcy, Duke of Ulster-Death of Godred-Reginald, a natural Son of Godred, usurps the Throne-Assists De Courcy, his Brother-in-Law -Is defeated, and De Courcy made Prisoner-Rebellion of Angus, Son of Somerled King John sends Fulko-de-Cantelupe to subdue the Isle of Man-Reginald does homage to King John, and receives a Knight's Fee of Corn and Wine-His Brother, Olave the Black, is liberated from Prison-Receives from Reginald the Island of Lewis, with the Title of King-Reginald, to support his usurpation, first does homage to Henry III, and then surrenders the Island to the Pope-The Queen of Man forms a Plot to murder Olave the Black, which terminates in the Death of her own Son-Reginald cedes the half of the Isles to Olave, and then applies to Allan, Lord of Galloway, to assist in dethroning him—Reginald deposed, and Olave called to the Throne-During the absence of Olave, Allan plunders the Isle of Man-Battle between Olave and Reginald, in which the latter is slain-Reginald's Character-Olave visits Norway to do homage to King Haco-Assists him against the Sudereyan Kings-Battle of Isla Sound-Storming of the Castle of Bute-Olave resumes the Government of Man-Assassination of Paul Balkason and Godred Don-Olave receives a Knight's Fee from the King of England— The Manks assist their Gallovidian Neighbours-Death and Character of Olave-Succeeded by his eldest Son Harold-Battle in Man -Harold is confirmed in his Possessions by the Norwegian King-Is knighted by Henry III.-Proceeds to Norway-Marries Haco's Daughter―The Royal Party drowned at Sea-Reginald, his Successor, slain-Usurpation of the Government-Magnus the Son of Olave the Black raised to the throne of Man-Expedition of Haco-Battle of Largs-Death and Character of Magnus the last King of the Norwegian Line.