Came too the men of Muideart,[158]
While stream'd their flag its bravery;
Their gleaming weapons, blue-dyed,[159]
That havock'd on the cavalry.
Macalister,[160] Mackinnon,
With many a flashing trigger there,
The foemen rushing in on,
Resistless shew'd their vigour there.
May fortune free thee--may we see thee
Again in Bràun,[161] the turreted,
Girt with thy clan! And not a man
But will get the scorn he merited.
Then wine will play, and usquebae
From flaggons, and from badalan,[162]
And pipers scream--when Staghead
High raises his cabar on.
[132] Applicable both to the chief and his crest.
[133] Literally, "_the dress_," (pron. _eidi_,) _i.e._, Highland garb,
not yet abolished.
[134] Sutherlanders, or Caithness men.
[135] Banner.
[136] Monro of Fowlis.
[137] Rose of Kilravock and his clan.
[138] Grant of Grant.
[139] Lovat.
[140] Of Culloden.
[141] Of Sutherland.
[142] Lord Reay.
[143] Steed. The Celtic "Cabul" and Latin "Caballus" correspond.
[144] Here the bard is a little obscure; but he seems to mean that the
Monroes made their escape over the skulls of the dead, as if they were
boats or coracles by which to cross or get away from danger.
[145] The Caithness and Sutherland men.
[146] Lovat's men.
[147] The eagle being the crest of the Monro.
[148] The _eagle_; the crest of Monro of Fowlis. The filthy and cruel
habits of this predatory bird are here contrasted with the
forest-manners of the stag in a singular specimen of clan vituperation.
[149] _Fioreun_, the name of the eagle, signifying true bird.
[150] Literally--Accursed by Moses, or the Mosaic law.
[151] The single eagle's feather crested the chieftain's bonnet.
[152] Literally--If thy feather is noble, thy claws are (of) the devil!
[153] This picture of the eagle is not much for edification--nor another
hit at the lion of the Macdonalds, then at feud with the Seaforth. The
former is abridged, and the latter omitted; as also a lively detail of
the _creagh_, in which the Monroes are reproached with their spoilages
of cheese, butter, and winter-mart beef.
[154] Seaforth.
[155] Literally--Bagpipes.
[156] Macallammore: Argyle.
[157] Macdonald of Sleat.
[158] Clanranald's country.
[159] Literally--Of blue steel.
[160] Mac-Mhic-Alister, the patronymic of Glengary.
[161] Castle Brahan, Seaforth's seat.
[162] _Gaelic_--Barrels of liquor, properly _bùidealan_.
END OF VOL. I.
GLOSSARY.
_A-low_, on fire.
_Ava_, at all.
_Ayont_, beyond.
_Ban_, swear.
_Bang_, to change place hastily.
_Bangster_, a violent person.
_Bawks_, the cross-beams of a roof.
_Bein_, good, suitable.
_Bicker_, a dish for holding liquor.
_Boddle_, an old Scottish coin--value the third of a penny.
_Boggie_, a marsh.
_Brag_, vaunt.
_Braw_, gaily dressed.
_Busk_, to attire oneself.
_Buss_, bush.
_Cantie_, cheerful.
_Castocks_, the pith of stalks of cabbages.
_Caw_, to drive.
_Chat_, talk.
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