Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 12

Correspondence. 285
first person whom I have found that can translate Gaelic poetry
literally." — Carruthers' Edition of Boswell's Journal, page 252.
Dr. Maclean died in 1785. His accomplished daughter married
a Duncan Mackenzie of Aros, a man who was inferior to herself
in every respect. She died in 1826, and was buried at Kilmore,
about seven miles from Tobermory. She had no children.
Dr. Maclean made quite a large collection of Gaelic poetry.
Mary his daughter added a few pieces to it. This collection was
never printed. It is now in my possession. The following
version of the Cup Song I copy from it : —
Subject given to the Poet.
'S namhaid an lach is an thaoileann,
Da chois chapail, chaoilin, chorr.
The Poets Reply.
.\n cup sin tha 'n laimh righ Alba,
Air an deach airgiod is or,
Olaidh mi deoch as ma dh'fhaodas ; —
Da chois chapail, chaoilin, chorr.
The Poet gained the Cup and added —
D' fhuaras deoch a laimh righ Alba
A cup airgid agus oir.
An aite nach d' shaoil mi fhaotuinn ; —
'S da chois chapail, chaoilin, chorr.
There is a reference to this poem in MacNicol's Remarks on
Dr. Johnson's Journey to the Hebrides. It will be found at page
129 of Livingstone's Edition. Mr. MacNicol says that the sub-
ject of the poem was propo.sed by " James the Sixth to some
poets as a trial of skill in their profession." He regards it as
"altogether unintelligible."
Dr. Johnson says — " I believe there cannot be recovered
in the whole Gaelic language five hundred lines of which
there is any evidence to prove them one hundred years
old." Of course, the great lexicographer had not seen the
Dean of Lismore's book, and we may think that he had
some excuse for his assertion. There can be no doubt,
however, that he saw Dr. Maclean's MS. The poems in
it were certainly written down before the year 1773. Then Bo.s-