J. F. Campbell Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

134 LECTUEE IV.
printing. It has been already said, that so far as
prose writing is concerned this is very scanty ;
and it may be added, that the greater portion of
what exists is composed of translations from the
English. The earliest work printed in Gaelic
is what is generally known as Bishop Carsewell's
Prayer-book. It is a translation of John Knox's
Liturgy, or " Forms of Prayer and Administra-
tion of the Sacraments, intended to be Models
and Helps for Ministers in the Performance of
their Public Duties." The translation is by Mr
John Carsewell, appointed one of the order of
superintendents instituted in connection with
the early Eeformed Church of Scotland, and af-
terwards made Bishop of the Isles. Carseweirs
district, as superintendent, was the ancient
bishopric of the Isles ; and although his memory
is not held in much respect among the West-
ern Highlanders, he seems to have been a zeal-
ous, painstaking man, really interested in pro-
moting the wellbeing of his countrymen. He
was accused of parsimony in his day, but the
real reason of his unpopularity was probably
the little relish many of his countrymen had
for the doctrines of Protestantism. That he
was a sincere Protestant appears from passages
in the dedication of his work to the Earl of
Argyll. In one portion of this dedication he