Blair Collection > Gaelic bards

107
'S mithich dhomhs' a l)hi samhach,
'S sgur de dh-aireamh nan uaislean ;
Tha mo dhochas an Criosda
Nach fior mar a chualas,
Ach gun dig Mac-Gilleain
An nail f hathasd thar chuantan ;
Is theid sinne na chomhail
Gle dheonach 'san uair sin.
Sir Hector Maclean was born at Calais in
France, November 6th, "1703. He was brought
to London by his parents a few weeks afterwards.
He was placed under the care of Donald Maclean
of Coll at a very early age. He lived at Coll
until his eighteenth year, when he was sent to
Edinburgh for his education. He went to France
in 1721. He returned in 1725, but went back in
1728. He left France in June, 1745, to take part
in the rising under Prince Charles. He was
arrested in Edinburgh, through the treachery of
the man with whom he lodged, on the 5th of June.
He was sent to London, where he was retained a
prisoner until May, 1747. He returned to France,
immediately after being set at liberty. He went
to Rome in 1750. In the month of July he had
an attack of appoplexy, in that city. From this
attack he partly recovered. He had a second
attack in October. The second attack resulted in
his death. The poem seems to have been com-
posed after the news of the first attack had reach-
ed the Highlands, or about August, 1750. Sir
Hector was a good Latin scholar, and spoke
Gaelic, English, French, and Italian fluently.