Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Gaelic bards, and original poems

ALEXANDER MACDONALD.
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each penny-land; and these he lets to the poor people, at
four and a half guineas each; and exacts, besides this,
three days’ labour in the quarter from each person.
Another head tenant possesses other penny-lands, which
he lets in the same manner to the impoverished and very
starving of the wretched inhabitants.”
According to Reid, MacDonald, when a young man,
was ground agent or under factor in this little Island;
and was very much in the company of the head factor,
whose society, the same authority assures us, did him no
good. For it was principally to gratify the depraved
taste of this patron of his, that the poet, it seems,
composed some of his pieces which are not very creditable
now to his memory in point of good taste and right
feeling.
An explanation of the lines in which MacDonald says
of the Mainland or Mor’ir, that
Blest with plenty, to thee never
Comes the spring-time trying;
will be found in the following statement of Pennant’s
when speaking of Canna:—“ The Isles, I fear, annually
experience a temporary famine; perhaps from improvi¬
dence ; perhaps from eagerness to increase their stock of
cattle, which they can easily dispose of to satisfy the
demands of their landlords, or the oppressions of an
agent.”
The Mor’ir, on account of the richness of its soil, or the
beneficence of its landlords, was free from this periodical
suffering. This little trait is worth mentioning, since it
is pleasant to find MacDonald, notwithstanding his
connection with the factor of Canna, showing his
sympathies, however slightly, on the generous side of a
question—as a poet ought always to do.