These little princes had a nice game to play, as they lay surrounded with so many potent states. The Kings of Norway began to decline, and the Scottish Kings, from whom these islands had been taken, to recover strength; so that during the last vacancy they designed to have recovered them, had not their king died in the midst of the preparation. The monarchy of England was now almost their only refuge; so in the year 1256, Magnus resolved on a voyage to that court, where he was honourably received by King Henry III. as his brother Harold had been some years before, and was knighted by that king, as the greatest compliment that could be paid to strangers by our monarchs in those days of chivalry.

In the year 1263, Aquinus, King of Norway, resolved to revenge the affront the Scottish nation had designed against him, and accordingly made a descent upon that kingdom, but was so warmly received by their new King Alexander, (a generous and active prince,) that he was forced to take shelter in the Orcades, where he died, at Kirkwall.

This was the last feeble effort of that nation, which had spread its arms over all Europe for five hundred years past. It hath given kings to England and Sicily, dukes to Normandy, and held the sovereignty of those isles for near two hundred years past; but the continual throwing off of such vast numbers of the natives had so weakened itself, that some time after it became subject to the more potent and growing kingdom of Denmark.

Thus nations have their periods as well as persons and families; and the most enterprising generally destroy themselves soonest by their own ambition. The little kingdom of Man, deprived of the protection of Norway, could not support itself much longer; for Magnus dying anno 1265, in his castle of Rushen, was buried in the Abbey church of St. Mary, which he finished and caused to be dedicated, and left no child behind him.

He was the ninth and last of the race of Goddard Crowman, who for two hundred years had enjoyed the name of king, though in effect little better than lieutenants to the crown of Norway, and their inheritance became an insensible addition to the kingdom of Scotland, which rather took away an evil than conferred a good; for though the addition of a neighbouring country may increase a territory, yet different laws, interest, and religion, rarely cement themselves into a well compacted or united state.

THE

CONTINUATION

FROM THE SCOTCH CONQUEST

To the Settlement under the

HOUSE OF STANLEY.

ALEXANDER, King of Scotland, being informed of the death of Magnus, began to seize such of the out isles as lay most convenient for him, while the affairs of the little kingdom of Man were wholly distracted; but Magnus, King of Norway, son of Aquinus, thinking to apply some remedy to them, sent his chancellor into Scotland, with offers to surrender the Isle of Man and Bute, on condition he should peaceably enjoy the remainder. But Alexander bravely rejected the offer, with a protestation he

would win or lose them all; and in pursuance thereof began to reduce them singly with success. But during his engagement therein, a new commotion arose in the Isle of Man, which gave him some concern and uneasiness, as intending to unite the whole kingdom of the isles to that of Scotland, and apprehending little opposition from that of Man.

But the Manx History informs us, that the widow of the late King Magnus, a woman of a haughty and intriguing spirit, who by the death of Reginald had cleared her own way to the kingdom, and secretly in love with a certain knight who had slain Reginald, her late husband's brother, named Ivar, now thought him the fittest person to supply the vacancy, there being no lawful successor, except the daughter of Reginald, and she but a child. The danger from Scotland seemed pressing; but what will not love and the temptations of a crown persuade men to?

Ivar, then in the vigour of his age, gay, generous, and popular; the boldest, the bravest, and the best of all the natives; one that had virtues enough to save, and vices enough to ruin a nation; readily embraced the offer of his kind friend the widow, his mistress, who had entirely forgot all affection, as well as duty and allegiance, to her late husband's niece and legal successor the Princess Mary. Her pride, ambition and aspiring lewd temper could think of nothing less than a crown.

But the child Mary was so happy as to be left under the care and guard of just, sincere, and affectionate friends, who, whilst the widow and her bully, Ivar, were making their way to the government, took care to have Mary secretly conveyed into England, with all the public deeds and charters, equally, fearing the danger she was in at home as well as from abroad; but, being got into safety, we will leave her for a while to attend and wait her good fortune.

In the interim, Ivar vigorously prepares for the defence

of his new kingdom, and at least resolves to deserve, if

not enjoy the crown. singly with the more potent kingdom of Scotland; for Alexander having now reduced all the out isles, sends a numerous army under Alexander Peasley and John Commin, who landed at Rannesway, now Derby Haven, in the year 1270. Ivar, though much inferior in number, (as being deprived of all assistance from abroad,) received them with a resolution natural to the Manx nation, and fought them stoutly, and as bravely fell with the expiring liberty of his country, and with him five hundred and thirty-seven of the flower of the people.

But the Isle of Man could do little

Thus the kingdom of the isles was wholly reduced, in which the King of Scotland had spent four years, to wit, from 1266 to 1270. The King of Norway, now seeing the kingdom of the isles lost, sent his chancellor a second time either to redeem it or compound for a tribute. The first was absolutely rejected; but to end farther disputes, a peace was concluded under several articles; of which the payment of four thousand marks ready money, and one hundred pounds by way of tribute, were the principal. No notice was taken of Mary, the child, nor her right, though last of the family of Goddard Crowman, which had held the government two hundred years, and were now succeeded by Alexander, King of Scotland, who enjoyed it by a mixt title of arms and purchase, and governed by his thanes or lieutenants: the first of whom was Goddard McManus, too honest a man to make a good governor in his prince's sense, who, for refusing to be concerned in the murder of three brethren descended from the former race, was removed after he had held this station four years.

To him succeeded Allen, a man that understood his king's pleasure better than how to govern his people well. He was imperious, cruel, hard-hearted, inexorable, too much of the bully for the governor, and too little for the soldier. The people till this time had followed their here

ditary kings with a cheerful, active obedience, by which, they were enabled not only to secure themselves, but often to make conquests abroad; but instead of the generous firmness of their ancestors, they were now degenerated into a sullen and supine negligence, and their only study was how they might legally disobey. This increased the thane's severity; for the more a people suffer, the more men of brutish and cruel souls insult.

At last, grown desperate by their miseries, the natives universally rose against the Scots nation, with a resolution either to extirpate them, or fall to a man themselves; but by the interposition of their good bishop, they agreed to end the dispute by a combat of thirty on a side. The thane, who had been the occasion of the quarrel, as he stood spectator of the fight, was pressed to death by the multitude.

The Manxmen lost the day, and all their thirty combatants fell; the Scots lost twenty-five. This last struggle of the Manx nation made the Scottish king sensible of his false policy.

He therefore sent over Maurice Okerfair, a wise and worthy magistrate, one whose prudence made him reverenced in peace, as his honour did in arms, which rendered him terrible in war, dreadful to the stubborn, tender to the poor, and merciful to the afflicted. In him the exactness of the soldier gave an air and vigour to the laws, and the fineness of the gentleman softened their vigour in execution, by an excellent mixture of moderation and severity. He made it his business to allay the animosities of the two factions, and so far succeeded that he caused thirty cross marriages to be celebrated in one day. He held the government three years, and died in 1282, equally lamented by both nations.

Okerfair was succeeded by one Brenus, who pursued the gentle and moderate principles of his predecessor; and taught the people the art of fishing. He was unhappily