Ossian Collection > Ossian, his principal poems

338 THE HARP IN THE HIGHLANDS.
in the former family, is also evident from the following
anecdote, alluded to in Johnson's and Boswell's Tour to the
Hebrides in 1773. The celebrated performer, O'Kane,^ had
been about that time in the Highlands, and had frequently
entertained the late Lord Macdonald with his excellent per-
formance on the harp, at his lordship's residence in the
Isle of Skye. No one was better able to feel and to estimate
the superior talents of O'Kane, for Lord Macdonald was one
of our best amateurs on the violin, and one of the best
judges of musical talent of that period. There had been
for a great length of time in the family a valuable liarp Icey ;
it was finely ornamented with gold and silver, and also a
precious stone ; this key is said to have been worth about
eighty guineas ; and on this occasion our itinerant harper
had the good fortune to be presented by Lord Macdonald
with this valuable implement of his profession.
The family of Argyle had also an establishment for a
harper, and the ancient Celtic custom of having a harper
* This celebrated liavpei- allowed his uails to grow to a consider-
able length, trimming them with great care, and shaping them
somewhat like the quills on the jacks of a harpsichord. He
travelled into Spain and other parts of the continent, and visited
Scotland more than once, and was for some time in the Highlands.
Being naturally rude, he was frequently apt to forget himself, and
to insult his superiors, even ladies of quality, with the most
abusive language. On these occasions the gentlemen of the High-
lands found the best means of punishing him was, to order his
nails to be cut short, and then send him away ; being thus
rendered incapable of playing on his harp, until they grew again to
tlieir former length.