Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Gaelic bards, and original poems

90
MODERN GAELIC BARDS
a thing as servile imitation. But he is the only one
of the Highland poets whose works display any trace of
their author’s English reading. He was, however, the
one who, if not the most learned in some points, was at
least the best informed, probably of them all.
There is a letter of Buchanan’s extant, a somewhat
remarkable production, published originally in a volume
of “Consolatory Letters, addressed to bereaved mourners,”
collected and edited by Dr. Erskine, one of the ministers
of Edinburgh in the last century. In this letter we find
Milton quoted, a work of Dr. Watts referred to, and the
following passage which contains, either a striking, un¬
designed coincidence with part of Constance’s lamentation
for Arthur in “King John,” or manifests some sort of
acquaintance with Shakespeare. The letter is addressed
to friends of Buchanan’s who had lately lost one of their
children, and the poet writes thus:—“Our memories,
treacherous enough on other occasions, here are over¬
faithful, and cruelly muster up in a long succession all the
amiable qualities of our departed friends, and thus tear
open our wounds to bleed afresh. Imagination is set to
work, and stuffs up their empty garments in their former
shape, when we miss them at bed or table.” In like
manner, but in no better terms, Constance says, almost in
the same words however,
“Grief stuffs out his vacant garments with his form.”
Dugald Buchanan’s “ Spiritual Songs ” exhibit, on the
whole, great vigour of thought and expression, and bear
the stamp of a solid understanding, and of an imagination
capable of lofty excitement. Perhaps the best and most
characteristic of his productions is the poem of “ The
Skull,” from which an extract is here given:—