Matheson Collection > Deirdire; and, The lay of the children of Uisne

4 DEIRDIRE
^/*l Alexander Macneill was rather over
middle height, well featured and well
proportioned, with large, blue, beautiful
eyes. He was a famous ' seanchaidh 'j^
reciter, and a practised dictater, having
dictated many tales to Mr. Iain F.
Campbell of Islay, Mr. Hector Maclean,
Islay, and the present writer, all of
which, however, were but a small part
of the wonderful volume of old lore that
died with him.
The following conversation occurred
^a|.| between Alexander Macneill and the
writer. ' I have taken down a good
tale from John your brother, Alex-
ander.' ' Indeed, with your leave,
John my brother never had a tale,
unless he might have had a fragment
of one. He never could take a tale
in, and he never could give a tale out.
You never, by your leave, saw a man