Blair Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

184 SAR-OBAIR NAM BARD GAELACH.
Tlie first verse he is said to have composed, was when he had attained only liis third
year. Its occasion indeed testifies that his age could not have been much more at the
time. It was the country's fashion for children, when they had little more than left the
nurse's lap, to be dressed in a short frock, or cassock, formed close to the body round the
waist, and buttoned at the back. A tailor had fitted our youthful author with such an
habiliment, and next morning the child was anxious to exhibit it ; but his mother, and
the domestics, having been summoned early to some out-door pursuits, Robert became
anxious to get abroad in his new garb, but found himself quite defeated in every attempt
to button it on. He took the alternative of sallying forth in a state of nudity ; when,
being met by his mother coming towards the house, she chided him for being seen in this
state. Robert's defence was made in the following stanza : —
*' 'S math dhonihsa bhi 'n diugh gun aodacb,
he slaodaireaclid IMhurcliaidh 'Ic Neill,
Mo bhroilleach chur air mo chùlthaobh,
'S gun a dhiiuadh agam fheiii !"
reproaching the tailor for the trick he had played him, in placing the buttons behind, and
lamenting his own inability to accommodate the new dress to his person. His next
exhibition of poetic promise was given in the same year, we are told, in the harvest
season, when all the inmates of the family were employed in reaping. An old woman,
who acted as nurse to the children, was on this occasion called to the sickle. She com-
plained that the more active labourers had jostled her out of her place, and left her only
to reap the straggling stinted stalks that grew in the border furrow. While muttering
her disappointment, Robert, scarce able but to creep at his nurse's elbow, endeavoured to
rally her with a verse : —
" Bi-sa dol a null 's a nail,
Gus u ruig thu gruniid na clais*,
Cha 'n 'eil air, ma tha e ganii,
Ach na tha ann a thoirt as."
At the age of six or seven years, he attracted the particular attention of Mr John
Mackay, the celebrated Iain Mac-Eachuinn, a gentleman of the family of Sherraii, then
living on the neighbouring farm of Musal. This gentleman, of poetic talents himself,
prevailed with our author's parents to allow their child to come into his service, or rather
into his family, at the early age we have mentioned. In this family our author remained
as a servant from this age till the period of his marriage. Here he experienced liberal
treatment, and sincere, unvaried kindness, of whicli he ever retained a lively and grateful
recollection, especially towards his master ; and it is no trifling praise to both, that though
they once or twice latterly had a difference, the bard's esteem and affection returned
when the casual excitement had passed ; and when it lay upon his mind, he was never
once known to have given it the least utterance in any shape bordering upon disrespect.