Ossian Collection > Life and letters of James Macpherson

RUTHVEN. 35
These remnants of the past would be Kkely to
have had an influence on the mind of a boy
with any vein of romance in him ; but they had
no conspicuous effect on Macpherson, so far, at
least, as we can judge by his youthful efforts in
poetry. On the other hand, we can gather from
the same source of information that at an early
age he learnt to admire the scenery surrounding
his home, after a fashion rare with those who
are brought up to hard work in a mountainous
district. To the poor farmer and his children
nature showed as harsh a face as the world ;
and the feeling for fine scenery quickly yielded
to the stern necessity of making a living.
'' In Donald's eye now fade the blissful scenes —
The rough-browed rocks, the sloping hills and
plains.
Delight no more ; no chase, no winged fowl,
No goat, no cattle, cheer the troubled soul ;
The hut is hateful, and the fields of corn
Contract their bounds and promise no return.
All is one blank— envy'd, envy'd state.
The hunter cries, of all the happy great !
While press'd in poverty's hard iron hand,
I force poor sustenance from barren land,
Remote from life and curs'd by fate unkind
To struggle on the hill with northern wind.
. . . The hut, the heathy wild, the barren fold,
The rattling hail, the north-descended cold
Is all my portion."^
^ The Hunter, canto ii.