Blair Collection > Treatise on the language, poetry, and music of the Highland clans

The transition state of the Gael is now past. The feudal historians and
clearance-makers have done their worst ; but the Clans have their Language,
their Poetry, and their Music still left, and in these they have ample materials,
if properly handled, to vindicate the memory of their noble ancestors against
the charge of lawless barbarity. Hence this treatise. I was not, while writing
it, insensible of the difficulty of finding purchasers and readers for any work on
a subject so prejudiced and prejudged. And I could not venture to incur
liability for a large amount of advertisements. But I published my proposal in
a few of the newspapers most likely to meet the eyes of Highlanders, as I
never doubted, should my object be made generally known, that there are
thousands of Highlanders who are as anxious as I possibly can be, to remove
the charge of lawless barbarity made against the memory of our ancestors, and
the sentence of proscription under which their language and poetry in effect
lie, and that such Highlanders would willingly use their influence to procure
subscribers to guarantee the expenses.* Subscription lists have been taken up
with their usual spirit by a few worthy Highlanders in Greenock, Paisley, and
Glasgow ; I, accordingly, jDlaced the treatise in the hands of the printer, without
waiting for the result, but have no doubt that a sufficient number of subscribers
have been obtained to cover the expenses ; and, in that case, my conviction is,
that the spirit of fair play which has hitherto characterized, and which I trust
will ever continue to characterize the people of this country, will procure for a
work having such an object, at least a fair hearing — and I ask no more.
With regard to the phonetic spelling, I am sorry to find that all the
Highlanders whom I have consulted, excepting two literary gentlemen, f are
opposed to the " innovation." Surely those who object to the phonetic spelling
* A Highlander who had seen one of these advertisements by mere accident, wrote me (although
we were total strangers) recommending that I should advertise more extensively, expressing his convic-
tion that there were thousands of Highlanders that, like himself, would feel anxious to get subscribers for
the purpose of having such a work published, who might never know anything about the proposal, unless
more extensively advertised. Feeling that I met here with a kindred spirit, I candidly told him that the
tide of prejudice was so strong against Gaelic and Gaelic literature, as to make it too dangerous for a
retired officer with a small military income, to incur an account for advertisements on the chance of the
success of such a work. The noble Gael then wrote me a characteristic letter, inclosing a pound note,
and begging that I would lay it out on additional advertisements.
+ One of the Gentlemen above referred to is Mr M'Naughton, Tillyfourie, who delivered and published
a Lecture on the authenticity of Ossian's Poems, which for research, clear and impartial reasoning, and
good taste and sense, is superior to anything that had previously appeared on the subject ; and the other is
Mr Macdonald, Grandtully, whose letter on the various dialects and so-called races of Europe I have
inserted with his kind permission, at page 27. Mr M'Naughton recommended that I should adopt the
principles of pronunciation as illustrated in Mr Walker's Dictionary for my phonetic spelling, and I
would have done so had my aim been merely to quote specimens of Gaelic poetry ; but I had another and
totally different object in view, namely, to enable the English reader to peruse the poems already in print.
I submit Jlr Macnaughton's specimen, however, to the reader, and sincerely hope that it will be adopted
by some younger Highlander who sympathizes with my anxious wishes to see this beautiful language
popularized ; and I h.ive no doubt selections of Gaelic poetry so written would be acceptable to
thousands of the English-speaking public.
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A ne-an donn na bual-e, Vyal hu me liad hug-ra,
Ga vel ang gluasad far-asd-a, Liad vre-dal as liad chiim-e,
Ang gaol a hug me buan dhut, Lub hu me mar yur-an,
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Cha ve-ich cruai-chas yar-ich-an. Cha duch-as a vi fal-an dhoT.