The injured clan, bowed down by fear of the allpowerful Campbells, and little accustomed to resort to the constituted authorities of the kingdom for protection or redress, presented no petition to the Estates.

The story of the butchery had been told at coffeehouses, but had been told in different ways.

Very recently, one or two books, in which the facts were but too truly related, had come forth from the secret presses of London.

But those books were not publicly exposed to sale.

They bore the name of no responsible author.