This is a very ancient pibroch belonging to Clan MacDonald,

and supposed to refer to the expedition of Donald Balloch, who, in 1431, launched from the Isles with a considerable force, invaded Lochaber, and at Inverlochy defeated and put to flight the Earls of Mar and Caithness, though at the head of an army superior to his own. The words of the set, theme, or melody, to which the pipe variations are applied, run thus in Gaelic:

Piobaireachd Dhonuil Dhuidh, piobaireachd Dhonuil ; Piobaireachd Dhonuil Dhuidh, piobaireachd Dhonuil; Piobaireachd Dhonuil Dhuidh, piobaireachd Dhonuil; Piob agus bratach air faiche Inverlochi. The pipe-summons of Donald the Black, The pipe-summons of Donald the Black, The war-pipe and the pennon are on the gathering-place at

Inverlochy.

2

16 The pibroch of Donald the Black.” [This song was written for Campbell's Albyn's Anthology, 1816. It may also be seen, set to music, in Thomson's Collection, 1830.]

? [Co this with the gathering-song in the third canto of the Lady of the Lake, ante.]

Come away, come away,

Hark to the summons !
Come in your war array,

Gentles and commons.

Come from deep glen, and

From mountain so rocky,
The war-pipe and pennon

Are at Inverlochy.
Come every bill-plaid, and

True heart that wears onc,
Come every steel blade, and

Strong hand that bears one.
Leave untended the herd,

The flock without shelter ;
Leave the corpse uninterr'd,

The bride at the altar;
Leave the deer, leave the steer

Leave nets and barges;
Come with your fighting gear,

Broadswords and targes.

Come as the winds come, when

Forests are rended;
Come as the waves come, when

Navies are stranded:
Faster come, faster come,

Faster and faster,
Chief, vassal, page, and groom,

Tenant and master.
Fast they come, fast they come ;

See how they gather!
Vol. V. -30

Wide waves the eagle plume,

Blended with heather.
Cast your plaids, draw your blades,

Forward each man set!
Pibroch of Donuil Dhu,

Knell for the onset!

NORA'S VOW.

AIR -“Cha teid mis a chaoidh.”I

WRITTEN FOR ALBYN'S ANTHOLOGY, (1816.) *

In the original Gaelic, the Lady makes protestations that she will

II.
“A maiden's vows," old Callum spoke,
“ Are lightly made, and lightly broke;
The heather on the mountain's height
Begins to bloom in purple light;
The frost-wind soon shall sweep away
That lustre deep from glen and brae;
Yet Nora, ere its bloom be gone,
May blithely wed the Earlie's son.”-

III. The swan,” she said, “ the lake's clear breast May barter for the eagle's nest; The Awe's fierce stream may backward turn, Ben-Cruaichan fall, and crush Kilchurn; Our kilted clans, when blood is high, Before their foes may turn and fly; But I, were all these marvels done, Would never wed the Earlie's son.”

IV. Still in the water-lily's shade Her wonted nest the wild swan made; Ben-Cruaichan stands as fast as ever, Still downward foams the Awe's fierce river; To shun the clash of foeman's steel, No Highland brogue has turn'd the heel; But Nora's heart is lost and won,

- She's wedded to the Earlie's son!

MACGREGOR'S GATHERING.

Air—" Thain' a Grigalach"!

WRITTEN FOR ALBYNS ANTHOLOGY. [1816.)

These verses are adapted to a very wild, yet lively gathering-tune,

used by the MacGregors. The severe treatment of this Clan, their outlawry, and the proscription of their very name, are alluded to in the Ballad."

The moon 's on the lake, and the mist's on the brae,
And the Clan has a name that is nameless by day;

Then gather, gather, gather Grigalach!
Gather, gather, gather, &c.

Our signal for fight, that from monarchs we drew,
Must be heard but by night in our vengeful haloo !

Then haloo, Grigalach! haloo, Grigalach!
Haloo, haloo, haloo, Grigalach, &c.

Glen Orchy's proud mountains, Coalchuirn and her

towers,
Glenstrae and Glenlyon no longer are ours;

We're landless, landless, landless, Grigalach!
Landless, landless, landless, &c.