Ossian Collection > Ossian, his principal poems

THE HARP IN THE HIGIILAXBS. o45
duced to present this lady with her own harp. That this
was the manner in which she became possessed of this
regal harp, must appear highly probable from the following
circumstances.
The tradition in the family of Lude is, that the harp was
presented to their ancestor, Beatrix Gardyn, by Queen Mary,
when on a hunting excursion in Athole. That lady was at
that time resident in that neighbourhood, having been mar-
ried to ^Ir Farquharson of Invercauld. The account of this
grand hunting party will be read with interest, as it is given
in the words of an eye witness.* " I had a sight of a very
extraordinary sport. In the year 1563, the Earl of Athole,
a prince of the blood royal, had^ with much trouble, and
great expense, provided a hunting match for the entertain-
ment of our most illustrious queen. Our people call this a
royal hunting. I was then a young man, and was present
on that occasion. Two thousand Highlanders were em-
ployed to drive to the hunting ground all the deer from the
woods and hills of Athole, Badenoch, Marr, Murray, and the
countries about. As those Highlanders use a light dress, and
are very swift of foot, they Avent up and down so nimbly
that in less than two month's time, they brought together
two thousand red deer, besides roes and fallow deer. The
queen, the great men, and a number of others, were in p
glen, or narrow valley, w^hen all these deer were brought
before them ; believe me, the whole body moved forward in
something like battle order. This sight still strikes me, and
* The writer was "VTilliam Barclay, a native of Aberdeenshire,
who spent the early part of his life, and much of his fortune, at the
court of Queen Mary.