northern breeze which passed o'er the hills of Morvern and ruins of Selma, inspired the Celtic bard with the genius of Ossian to sing the song of liberty in the chivalric spirit of Fingal, king of heroes. And when Burns wanted the essence of Scottish valour and warlike power, where did he look for it but among the Highland hills! In his "Earnest cry and prayer to the Scottish Representatives," although it is Scotland at large which complains, when he wants her to assume an attitude of terror to those who would refuse her demands, it is her Highland phase which he presents :— "An' L- -d, if ance ye put her til't,

Her tartan petticoats she'll kilt."

Alas the wearers of the "tartan kilt," who, in time of war have been the defence of England as well as of Scotland, are in time of security swept away to make room for sheep and deer.

Here again :

"But bring a Scotsman frae his hill,
Clap in his cheek a Highlan' gill,
Say such is royal George's will,

An' there's the foe :

He has na thought but how to kill

Twa at a blow."

There is surely much in the little, that all he wants in the future life, is "A Highland Welcome.”

One of his "Twa Dogs" is called—

"After a dog in Highland sang,

Was made lang syne-Lord knows how lang.”

This is Cuchulin's Luath; and the fact and manner of his introduction show to the careful and competent reader that the bard had more than a passing acquaintance with the poems of Ossian; that he must have learned the Gaelic pronunciation of some at least of the names which figure in Fingal-although Saxon-speaking editors, mispronouncing the dog's name, mangled the passage, thereby, reflecting but little credit on the versifying powers of their author, by making ha' into have, in a vain attempt to rhyme it with an English pronunciation of 1, u, a, t, h! Burns never was so hard up for harmonious sounds as to speak or write:—

"I've often wondered, honest Luath,

What sort of life poor dogs like you have,

with the view of th or ve being sounded. When he penned that passage, he knew that th in Gaelic was mute, and he finished the second line accordingly with the broad Scotch, you ha', and not

you have; thus commending it, as perfect rhyme, to the Gaelic ear which demanded that it should be read

"I've often wondered, honest Lu-a,
What sort of life poor dogs like you

ha'.

But from criticism let us come to his "Native Muse," who counselled him

Coila is but a Highland lassie deified, as well in expression as in

costume and proportions :

"A hair-brained, sentimental trace

Was strongly marked in her face;

A wildly-witty rustic grace

Shone full upon her;

Her eye, ev'n turn'd on empty space,
Beam'd keen wi' humour.

Down flow'd her robe in tartan sheen,
Till half a leg was scrimply seen;
And such a leg! My bonny Jean
Could only peer it ;

Sae straight, sae taper, tight, and clean,
Nane else cam' near it.'

These hurried notes, which are but so many straggling gleams falling from an unusual point on some of the many glorious traits which formed the character of Scotia's darling bard, indicate that whatever may have been the accidents of tongue and birth, the Poet and the Man were intensely Celtic. But, in thus appearing less Lowland and more Highland, he only stands higher as the more perfect Scot.

LECTURE BY THE REV. ALEXANDER MACGREGOR.

Upon the evening of 24th October the Rev. Mr Macgregor, Inverness, delivered the following Gaelic lecture in the hall of the Association Buildings, before a large audience. The chair was occupied by Mr Dallas, town clerk, who introduced the lecturer in a short but eloquent Gaelic address. Thereafter Mr Macgregor

said:

Fhir-suidhe Urramaich, a Bhantighearna, agus a Dhaoin'-uailse,

Céud mìle fàilte,

Air Comunn Gäelig Inbherneis ;
Sõnas a's àgh,

Soirbheas a's slàinte,

Do Comunr. Gäelig Inbherneis.

Tha dòchas agam gu'm bi sibh bàigheil rium, an uair a tha mi chum dìchioll a dheanamh air an fheasgair so, chum beagan nithe a leigeadh ris duibh a thaobh nan cùisean cudthromach air son an do dhealbhadh an Comunn àluinn a ta nis cruinn anns an talla so. Bha e riamh, agus bithidh e a chaoidh na nì taitneach do na Gaidheil a bhi 'còmhlachadh a' chéile, a' labhairt r'a chéile, agus a' cumail comuinn agus conaltraidh r'a chéile ann an ionad sam bith; agus cha'n urrainn nach 'eil sin ro thaitneach gu'n teagamh ann an àite mar so, far am bheil sliochd nam beann air an aonachadh ra chéile mar Chomunn dìleas anns a' bhaile so, chum gach ni a bhuineas do'n Ghaelig, agus do na Gäidheil a chur air an aghaidh, agus a chumail air chuimhne. Tha e, uime sin, 'na aobhar aoibhneis dòmhsa a nis a bhi 'labhairt ruibh, agus a' cur fàilte oirbh 'n 'ur càinnt òirdheirc fein,-càinnt aig nach 'eil coimeas chum smuainte a' chridhe, agus feartan na h-inntinn a leigeadh ris. Tha e sòlasach an comhnuidh, a bhi tachairt ri càirdibh ann an ceàrnadh sam bith de'n t-saoghal; ach theirinn, gu'n sgàth gu'n eagal, nach 'eil toilinntinn talmhaidh ann ni's mò, na sluagh a bhi 'gabhail còmhnuidh cuideachd ann an cărantas agus gràdh, a' labhairt r'a chéile anns a' chàinnt sin a bha ann o chian, agus a' cuideachadh le chéile mar bhràthaire, a ta air an aonachadh le cleachd, le cainnt, agus le cineadas.

Tha deagh-fhios agam air mo neo-ìomlanachd fein chum na nithe sin bu mhath leam a chur an céill duibh, a dheanamh co soilleir, reidh a's a dh' fhéumadh iad,—ach féumaidh sibh an toil a ghabhail air son a' ghnìomh, agus foighidinn a dheanamh rium rè tamuill bhig. Bu ro mhath leam gu'n cuidicheadh gach tréubh agus fine air feadh na Gaidhealtachd air fad, leis a' Chomunn so a ta air a shuidheachadh ann am baile-cìnn so na h-aìrde-tuatha, agus gun tigeadh càirdean ann an lionmhorachd o thigh Iain Ghròta a'n Gallthaobh, gu iomallaibh na Gaidhealtachd 'san àirdedeas, agus gu'n seasadh iad gu deas, dian, tairis, agus tréubhach air bhur taobh.

Fhir-suidhe urramaich,-Ged a bhithinn-sa cho deas-bhriathrach ris an Olladh Ian Stiùbhart Blackie,- -no co mìn-eòlach air cùisibh agus cleachdannaibh na tìre ri "Lochabar Iochdarach,”—cha'n 'eil e a'm' chomas, air aon fheasgair mar so, labhairt ach air fior neo-ni de na nithibh éugsamhla sin bu mhiann leis a' Chomunn so a

theasairginn agus a chumail air chuimhne. Tha riaghailtean ùra rìoghachd air an dealbhadh,-ìnnleachdan agus ealaidhean eile air am faotuinn a mach,-laghailtean agus tionnsgnaidhean air an leigeadh ris anns na lìnntibh fòghluimte so, a ta féumail agus freagarrach annta fein; ach, tha iad so uile, mar gu'm b'ann, a' tiodhlacadh, agus a' cur tiugh-fholuchaidh air gach ni air son an robh na Gaidheil mar chinneadh air an comharrachadh a'm measg uile chinneacha na talmhuinn. Cha'n 'eil e taitneach gu'm biodh na nithe sin air an càll; agus le rùn gu'n teasairginn, agus le deagh-dhùrachd chum an cumail air chùimhne, tha Comunn Gäelig a' bhaile so air an suidheachadh. Tha na Gaidheil 'nan sluagh comharraichte, tha eachdraigh nan Gaidheal comharraichte, tha càinnt, ceòl, cantaireachd, còmhdachadh, cinneadh, cleachdanna, cruadal, agus càirdeas 'nan Gaidheal, cha'n e mhàin na'n nithe ro chomharraichte annta fein, ach tha iad 'nan nithe a mheasadh co cudthromach, co ciatach, agus co càil-ghluasadach, 's gu'n do dhealbhadh iomadh comunn eile, ceart cosmhuil ri Comunn Gaelig Inbherneis, chum an teasairginn. Tha na buàidhean so gu léir ăiridh air léudachadh orra, gach aon fa seach; ach cha cheadaich an ùine dhomh labhairt ach air beagan dhiubh aig an àm. Thugam fanear, 'san dol a mach,

NA GAIDHEIL FEIN.

Co iad? Cia as a thàinig iad? Ciod is céud-thùs doibh? Ciod air am bheil fios againn mu'n timchioll a thaobh an stuic agus am fréum aca? Tha na nithe so uile air an còmhdachadh agus air am. foluchadh le tiugh-dhìomhaireachd agus dorchadas nan céud lìnn. Cha ruig eachdraidh air ais gu prìomh-thoiseach a' chinnidh so. Tha lionmhorachd dhaoine fòghluimte ann, a rinn an dìchioll chum so a rannsachadh a mach, - agus ged a tha iad a' co'-chòrdach, gu'm bheil na Gaidheil agus a Ghaelig anabarrach sean, gidheadh, cha'n 'eil e furasd doibh a' cheart frèumh o'n d'fhàs agus o'n d'thàinig iad a dheanamh gu soilleir a mach. Air so, chuir an Granntach, tighearna Choiridhmhonaidh, leabhar ro fhòghluimte a mach, o chionn thri fichead bliadhna air ais,—leabhar a ta leigeadh ris mòran nithe ro iongantach mu fhrèumh agus ghinealach nan Gaidheal. Tha esan a' deanamh mach, mar a ta na h-uiread de luchd-eachdraidh eile gu'n d'thàinig na Gàidheil a nàll o mhòr-thìr na h-Eorpa, agus gur i a' Ghäelig am prìomh-bhun o'n d'thàinig a' Ghréugais, an Laidinn, agus cànain eile. Cha'n 'eil teagamh nach iad na Gaidheil an t-aon sluagh ris na Caledoniich, agus na Piocaich an sinsearra fein, eadhon na daoine gaisgeil sin a dhìon an dùthaich agus an saorsa fein, an aghaidh gach ionnsuidh a thugadh orra le àrmailtibh treun' nan Ròmanach. Bha Alba, no Caledonia

air a h-àiteachadh leis na Piocaich, agus thugadh leòsan ainmean, 'nan càinnt fein, air gach béinn agus baile, loch agus abhainn, agus ionad eile 'san rìoghachd. Uime sin, tha sinn a' faicinn gu ruig an là an diugh, agus dh'àindeoin gach atharrachaidh a rinneadh leis na h-Anglo-Saxons, Lochlunnaich, agus treubhan eile a thug ionnsuidh air Alba, agus a rinn gréim air earrannaibh di,— gu'm bheil iomadh àite anns a' Ghalltachd, agus ann an taobh deas na h-Alba, a' giùlan fathast nan ainmean Gaelig a thugadh dhoibh, o cheann còrr agus da mhìle bliadhna air ais, leis na Caledoniich. Tha gach ainm a tha tòiseachadh le Dùn, Bèinn, Monadh, Baile, Craig, Magh, Machair, Ach, Abhinn, Aird, Uachdar, Carn, Blar, Cùl, Drùim, Eas, Gleann, Srath, Innis, Cill, Meall, Tòrr, Cnoc, Tom, Loch, Lìnn, Póll, Ros, Port, Tuillich, agus mòran eile, a' féuchainn air ball gur aìnmean Gäelig iad. Ann an siorramachd Air, tha Dalbeg, Ballantrae, Auchanleck, Dalry, agus na huiread eile, agus ciod iad sin ach an Dail-bheag, Bail'-an-traigh, Ach-nan-leachd, agus Dail-an-righ ?"

Cuiridh mi a nis beagan an céill mu chainnt nan Gaidheal, eadhon

A' GHAELIG.

Do gach cainnt thugamaid an t-urram do'n Ghaelig. Tha i liath-aosda, gidheadh is lùghmhor, laidir, lŭrach i, is fallain, fiachail, fìor-ghlan i. Mar òigh gheamnuidh, cha'n aill leatha gnothuch a bhi aice ri nì sam bith a ta truaillidh, no drabasda, no drochmhuinte. Ann am bèul nan laoch, is bìnn, blasda a fuaim; agus is tìomhaidh, tròm a guth ann an gearan gach dream a ta fo bhròn ! Air Laidinn, 's air Gréugais bheir i barrachd, agus cha'n fhaighear a leithid 'ga labhairt fo'n ghréin !

Is ceart a thubhairt Ian Griogaireach, am bard, anns na briathraibh fileanta a leanas

Tha 'Ghaelig co luachmhor,

'S nach cuir sinn i suarach;

Cò nach seasmhadh r'a guallain?
'Si tha'n còradh nan uaislean,
'Ga labhairt gu'n truailleadh,
Feadh gach àit' anns an gluais iad,
Gu caithreamach, cruaidh, ceolmhor.
Gu caithreamach, &c.

Ged' chaidh a sàruch' 'na triall,

Cha do chaill i a mìagh;

Tha i fallain o chìan,

Gun ghalar, gun ghiamh,

Buan, farumach, dian,

Gun alladh, gun fhiamh,

Anns gach talamh a dh' iarr eòlas.

Anns gach talamh, &c.