Page:Chronicles of the Picts, chronicles of the Scots, and other early memorials of Scottish history.djvu/139

PEEFACE. cxxxi king of the Picts. Alpin is not mentioned in the " Irish Annals," but they clearly show that the first three of the four kings in question reigned in the early part of the eighth century, and not in that of the ninth century. Further, they likewise show that, at a period coincident with the last of these four kings, DaMada was conquered by the king of the Picts ; and that the kings who are mentioned in the older lists as succeeding Alpin must have been of the Pictish race. In 734, Talorgan, son of Drostan, king of Athole, is taken and bound near Dunolly, and Dungal, the king of Dalriada, flies to Ireland from the power of Angus ; and, in 736, Angus, son of Fergus, king of the Picts, lays waste the regions of Dabiada, obtains Dunad, burns Creich, and puts the two sons of Selvach, Dungal and Feradach, in chains. Dunad was the capital of Dal- riada, and Creich is in the Eoss of Mull, opposite the Sound of lona. In 741, coincident with the last year of Alpin, we have the following signifi- cant entry : " Percussio DaLriatai la Oengus Mac " Ferguso ; " thus showing the complete conquest and subjection of DaMada by the king of the Picts at the very time when this variance between the lists commences. The connexion of the subsequent kings of Dalriada in the older lists with Fortren is equally apparent. Thus, in 768, there is a battle in Fortren between Aedh and Kenneth, at the same period when Aedh appears as king of Dalriada ; and the older list of the Dahiadic kings shows Con-