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for which we cannot be too grateful. With¬
out his aid, the book would most likely
never have been published. The manu¬
scripts, sown broadcast over the land
along with the butter they enveloped, would
have become scattered and ‘dissipated’
beyond the hope of recovery. This simple
N imrod was undoubtedly the last resource
of M‘ Diarmid, who no doubt under¬
stood at once the character he had to deal
with. Otherwise how could we account for.
the. audacity of his attempting to palm off
such a patent imposture as the story regard¬
ing the previous offer of publication. No
one endowed with the smallest possible a-
mount of common sense would ever have
swallowed it. As if in the first place, High¬
land lairds were ever, at all events since
the ’45, in the habit of doing anything to
ameliorate the spiritual or worldly condition
of their vassals ; or as if in the second
place, any Highlander on record since The
Mac Leod navigated his opposition Ark at
the Flood, has ever been known to refuse
the offer of a gratuity of any kind or na¬
ture whatsoever. This gentleman we may
consider for convenience’ sake as the tra¬
ditional byck of the latter days of the Re-

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