Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THE CELTIC MONTHLY
forward. Marlborough fixed his headquarters
at Blaregnies, while Villars took possession of
M alplaquet. His right extended to that village
which lay near the extensive and impenetrable
wood of Saart, his left was covered by another
thick wood, and his centre defended by three
lines of trenches formed along a narrow jilain,
the whole being secured by an "Abatis de bois,"
or fortification of felled trees, with their
branches outwards, a veritable citadel, and a
formidable position to attack. In this position
Marshal Villars awaited that conflict, which in
killed and wounded was to surpass Blenheim,
Eamillies, and Oudenarde put together. From
the 0th to the 11th all remained quiet. No
two such armies as those which now faced each
other had yet been brought into the field.
The chivalry of modern Europe was serving
under the banners of either side.
In the ranks of the allies were Marlborough
and Prince Eugene of Savoy, the Princes of
Orange and Hesse Cassel, Marshal Count Tilly
commanding the Dutch, Generals John, Duke
of Argyll, Earl of Stair, Eai'l of Orkney,
Marquis of Tullibardine, Albemarle, Lumley,
Cadogan, Schulemberg, Lattum, Bulow, Fagel;
Vichleu, Prince of Auvergue, Dohna, Spaar,
Oxenstiern, Rautzan, Withers, and amongst
the junior officers were the Prince Royal of
Prussia, Counts Sax, Munich, and Schwerin,
while amongst the French were Marshals
Villlars and Boufl'lers, Dukes de Grammont, de
Guiche, Isenghien, Marquis de Puysegur,
Montmorency, De Coigny, Counts De Broglie,
Nangin, Chaulnes, Duras, Albergotti, Pallavi-
cini, La-Motte, and General, afterwards
Marshal, Montesquieu. There were also St.
Hilaire and the renowned Chevalier Toland,
and last, not least, the hapless Pretender,
James the third, serving as a volunteer.
[To be continued).
OUR MUSICAL PAGE.
3N a former occasion (See Vol. III.) I
gave a version of the well-known
pibroch "A Cholla mo i-iin" — and the
various traditionary stories attached thereto. I
am pleased to be able to give a very complete
set of the Gaelic words as.sociated with another
famous pibroch — Fuitte Dhuntiviu — Duiitroon's
Salute. I am not aware that they have ever
been in print before, and I have to exjjress my
indebtedness to a Lome Highlander, Mr. D.
MacDougall, now resident in Yorkshire, for the
words.
Tradition relates that Sir Alexander Mac-
Donald, better known as Alistcv, Mac Cholla
Chiotaich, invaded Argyllshire about tlie 3'ear
1644. Landing in Campbeltown with a force of
about 1.500 rank and file, he marched forward
through Kintyre to Tarbert. " Arriving at the
passes, he ordered his men to march in loose
order over Sliabh-gaoil (an extensive mountain
many miles in length), and to descend upon the
Campbells' country, Ceanntarbert, and on to
Knapdale, with power to massacre every person
who attempted to oppose them. He moved
himself, in a small fleet of galleys, by the west,
landed at Castle Sween, already burnt by his
father ; from thence he marched to Duntroon
Castle, which he surrounded, by sea and land,
determined to massacre every person within its
walls for the murder of his father's piper, etc.
Alexander ordered his piper to play the
Macdonald's March, in place of which, he
instantly composed a war-cry, and played it to
alarm Duntioon and warn him of his approaching
danger, by way of a salute, which in the original
runs thu.s, "•Faille dhuit, slainle d/niit, Jailte
dhuit, a Dliuntrbin. The warm efi^usion of the piper
could not be better expressed to suit his purpose.
After saluting Duntroon and wishing 1dm good
health, he warns him to be aware of his danger
— that the enemy was ready to attack liira by
sea and land, right, left, and front; this war-
cry, or rather warning tune, was understood on
board, and the poor piper instantly hoisted up
mast high, and executed for liis temerity.
Alexander finding he co\dd not reduce Duntroon
Castle, moved northward to his work of
destruction."* FiONN.
Kennedy's Lmidlieddair Gaidliliii, 1830.
FAILTE DHUNTROiN DUNTROON'S SALUTE, 1644.
Key G. Shwlji, iu repn-wnf thu uhaIiiUiIudis i,f the xmven.
An t-Urlar.
I s .,ri : s I l.,s : 1 | s.,n : s
I'ailtu ainiit, slaiiitc dhuit, failte dluiit
s.,d: I'l I s.,n : s I 1 .,s : 1 | ^f,r : f | s.,ti: r (
Ulu'iiitr.Mii ; Failte dhuit, sh'iin to dhuit, failte dhuit a Dlu'mtniiu ;