strength, is almost unequalled in any language.

66

In

'Moladh' Moraig,' we meet with very finely wrought passages. In his ode to summer, he is delightfully redundant in epithets, like the season in its productions, which he describes. The The "Lion's Eulogy" breathes Mars throughout: so does the Jacobite song written to the tune of Waulking o' the Fauld, beginning " A chomuinn rioghail rùnaich." Our bard, was not, at times scrupulous about the chastity of his style. He did not demur much about introducing a Latin or an English term to suit his rhyme. Upon the whole, however, he was a man of very great natural endowments, an excellent poet and an erudite scholar. The Gael say his poetry is not natural, but the mere effect of education. They generally speak of it therefore as "scholastic," which is with them an epithet of deterioration. It were to be wished, however, that many others of our more popular poets deserved to be considered of the same class with the subject of these observations.

In person, Macdonald was large and ill-favoured. His features were coarse and irregular. His clothes were very sluggishly put on, and generally very dirty. His mouth was continually fringed with a stream of tobacco-juice, of which he chewed a very great quantity. His manner of composition was, to lie on his back in bed, in winter, or on the grass in summer, with a large stone on his breast, muttering to himself in a low whisper his poetical aspirations.

JOHN M.DONALD'S SONGS.

"GITE BLIADHNA UIR ann 'Ntional do dh' Oranibh nua Galic; le Eoin Mac Dhomhunil. Inverneis: Clodh-bhuailt le Young is Imray, leabhar reicad-oiradh. 1802." 12mo. pp. 28.

RONALD M'DONALD'S COLLECTION OF SONGS.

"COMH-CHRUINNEACHIDH ORANNAIGH GAIDHEALACH le Raonuill Macdomhnuil, ann 'n Eilean Eigg. Vol. I. Duneiduinn; Clo-bhuailt' ann le Walter Ruddimann, 1776.” 12mo.

"COMH-CHRUINNEACH ORAIN GHAIDHEALACH, le Raonull Macdhomhnuill, ann an Eilein Eigg, Ath-leasaichte le Paruig Tuairneir. Glasgow; Printed and Sold by James Duncan, Jun. Bookseller, No. 13, Saltmarket. D. M'Kenzie, Printer. 1809." 12mo. 3s. 6d. pp. 387.

Ronald McDonald, the son of Alexander McDonald, was a Schoolmaster in the Island of Eigg. His intention was to have published a second volume of more ancient poetry, but this was never carried into effect. Many of the pieces of the first volume are of very considerable merit, but an unpopular system of orthography, and careless revision of the press, has prevented the book from becoming very popular; it contains a satire on Dr. Johnson whose Journey was published in 1775. The second edition was considerably altered, by Turner, but not much improved.

ALLAN M DOUGALL'S COLLECTION OF SONGS.

"ORAIN GHAIDHEALACHA; le Ailein Dughallah fear-ciùil ann an Ionbhar Lochaidh; maille ri Co' chruinneachadh oran is dhan le Ughdairibh eile. Dun Eidean Clodh-bhuailt' airson an ùgh

dair le Eoin Moirann an cuirt a Phaitersnich, 1798." 12mo. pp. 222.

A Collection of Poems and Songs, Edited and partly composed, by Allan M'Dougall of Inverlochy, Lochaber. He was assisted by Ewan McLachlan, Fortwilliam. McDougall's part consists of panegyrics, satires, and love songs-M'Lachlan's of an imitation of Thomson's Seasons, translation of the first two books of the Iliad, with some love songs, etc. The Collection is justly viewed as possessing very considerable merit-the language is pure, the measure just, and the versification harmonious.

Allan M'Dougall was a native of Glenco, in Argyllshire. He was born about the year 1750. When a young man he was bound apprentice to a tailor, who, in those days, itinerated from farm to farm, to supply the country people with such vestments as the industry of the guidwife was enabled to prepare for the shears. This excursive occupation was very favourable to the acquisition of legendary lore, and our poet, being possessed of a quick fancy, and retentive memory, could not fail to learn much. Allan soon became able to relate a tale in polished and pure language. His quickness of repartee was remarkable. It is said, that from the keenness of his retort on a fellow apprentice one day while they were sewing together, the provoked party thrust his needle into Allan's eye, in consequence of which it by degrees melted away, and the other also through sympathy wore out, so that like Moonides and Milton, "wisdom at one entrance was for ever shut out" from poor Allan. Our bard, however, could play a little on the violin, and he now employed himself as musician wherever there was occasion for his services. About the year 1790, he and his family went to reside at Inverlochy, about a mile northeast from Fort

William, where he was furnished with a cot and a small patch of ground by Mr. Stewart, who then rented the farm of Inverlochy, and occupied the salmon fishing on the river. Times were better then than they have been since, and he managed between his "cruit" and his muse to provide for his family. His compositions began to increase; and as they increased, they were admired. Allan's fame as a Poet became stamped. His style was pure, his subjects popular, his manner taking, and his selection of airs for his verses exceedingly happy. The public called for his works; and he was induced to prepare them for publication. The celebrated Mr. Ewan Maclachlan, late of Aberdeen, was then a young man, and employed as tutor in the neighbourhood of his native town, FortWilliam. Our bard went to this young scholar, himself an assiduous wooer of the celtic muse, and got his compositions committed to writing by him. As Allan's own poems would not make a respectable sized volume, Mr. Maclachlan added to it a few of his own juvenile compositions, together with a selection of other admired pieces. On being published, the volume became extremely popular, and Allan M'Dougall was universally proclaimed the Poet Laureate of the Highlands. Indeed there has not appeared a more chaste, sweet, and idiomatic composer than Allan since the days of Duncan Bàn MacIntyre. It is to be lamented, however, that our bard indulged too much in the composition of obscene songs.

About sixteen years ago, the late Col. Ronaldson Macdonell of Glengarry, took Allan under his patronage, and supplied him with a comfortable cottage and croft upon his property. Allan now became Glengarry's Shenachie and Bard; he appeared in the chieftains train upon festive and remarkable occasions, pouring forth his minstrelsy to enliven the gay scene, and inspire his hearers with the spirit of the days of ancient chivalry. Although Allan

became thus by merit, family bard to Glengarry, he did not cease to compose for the public amusement. He produced many songs equally popular with his former ones during his residence at Invergarry; and, shortly before his death, he republished his volume, including some of his later compositions, but this edition we have not met with.

'In personal appearance Allan M'Dougall was thin and slender, and in size he was rather diminutive. He always dressed in the low country fashion; generally appeared in a blue great coat, and wore a hat! He was always led, either by his wife or one of his daughters, of whom he had several, and all very handsome. He generally wore a black fillet over his eyes. After becoming family bard to Glengarry, Allan's appearance was totally changed for the better. The chieftain clad him in a garb appropriate to his vocation, and it was pleasant to see the old man in the train of the Highland "Flath," equipped in his trews, his shoulder plaid, black belt, and blue bonnet, with the heather sprigs blooming in the summer sunbeams above his floating locks. Allan may be looked upon as the last family bard. He died in 1829, and is buried at Kilianain.

MCFADYEN'S HYMNS.

"LAOIDHE SPIORADAIL: Air an cur r'a cheilè le Donnachudh MacPhaidain an Sràdh Lachlan. Air an Amharc-aris agus air an ceart chomharachadh le Aoilainuighe arid an'n Aoil-Tigh Glasachadh. Glasachadh; Clòdh-bhuailt 'le Rob. Mac Dhonnachuidh, 1770." 12mo. pp. 36.

This very rare work contains a short address to the christian reader in verse, and 21 Hymns. We have not been able to obtain any information concerning Macphaiden