Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs, and familiar phrases

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When every one draws to him his own, it is bad with
him who has nothing.
in fight, an unfeafonable difference arofe betwixt two of
thefe Clans, viz. the Macpherfons and Davidfons ; though
they both agreed that Macintofli fhould command the
whole, as Captain of the Clan Chattan, yet they could not
agree who fhould have the right of the other ; Macpherfon
of Cluny contended for it, as chief of 'the Clan Chattan,
and Davidfon of Innernahavon, as being head of another
branch equally ancient. The difpute was at length referred
to Macintofli the captain, who imprudently decided in fa-
vour of Davidfon of Innernahavon, which gave fuch offence
to Macpherfon of Cluny, that he drew off his men, who
ftood idle fpe&ators, while the Macintoshes and Davidfon?,
overpowered by numbers, were defeated. Macintofh being ir-
ritated and diiappointed by this behaviour of the Macpher-
fons, on the night following, fent his own bard to the camp
of the Macpherfon3, as if he had come from the Camerons
to provoke them to fight, which he accomplifhed by re-
peating the following fatyrical lines :
Tha luehd na foilleadh air an torn,
Is am Balg-Shuilich donn na dhraip 3
Cha b' e bhur cairdeas ruinn a bh' aim
Ach bhur lamh a bhi tais.
t. e. The falfe party are on the field, beholding the chief
in danger, it was not your love to us, that made you ab-
flain from fighting, but merely your own cowardice.
This reproach fo flung Macpherfon, that calling up his
men, he attacked the Camerons that fame night in their
camp, and made a dreadful flaughter of them, purfued them
-to the foot of Binn-imhais, and killed their chief Charles
Macgilony, at a place called Coire Thearlaich, /. e.
Charles's Valley.
Though the above conflict put an end to the difpute
with the Camerons at that time, yet it created another
equally dangerous betwixt the Macpherfons and David-
sons, thefe were perpetually plundering and killing each
■other ; infomuch, that the King fent Lindfay Earl of Craw.
1 Icrd, and Duribas-Eall of Moray, two of the greauft no-