the degree of LL.D. from
Aberdeen in 1874.

"MACLEOD, FIONA," (_see_ SHARP, WILLIAM).

MACLEOD, NORMAN (1812-1872).--Scottish divine and miscellaneous writer,
_s._ of the Rev. Norman M., D.D., a distinguished minister of the
Scottish Church, studied at Edin., and was ordained in 1838. He became
one of the most distinguished ministers, and most popular preachers of
his Church, was made one of the Royal Chaplains in Scotland in 1857, and
became a trusted friend of Queen Victoria. He was the first ed. of _Good
Words_, to which he contributed many articles and stories, including _Wee
Davie_, _The Starling_, and _The Old Lieutenant and his Son_.

MACNEILL, HECTOR (1746-1818).--Poet, was in the West Indies 1780-86, and
clerk on a flagship. He wrote various political pamphlets, two novels,
and several poems, _The Harp_ (1789), _The Carse of Forth_, and
_Scotland's Skaith_, the last against drunkenness, but is best known for
his songs, such as _My Boy Tammy_, _I lo'ed ne'er a Laddie but ane_, and
_Come under my Plaidie_.

MACPHERSON, JAMES (1736?-1796).--Alleged translator of the Ossianic
poems, _s._ of a small farmer at Ruthven, Inverness-shire, studied for
the Church at Aberdeen and Edin., became teacher of the school in his
native parish, and afterwards tutor in a gentleman's family. In 1758 he
_pub._ _The Highlander_, an ambitious poem in 6 cantos, which, however,
attracted no attention. But in the following year he submitted to John
Home (_q.v._), the author of _Douglas_, certain writings which he
represented to be translations from ancient Gaelic poems. By the help of
Home and some of his friends M. was enabled to _pub._ a considerable
number of his _Fragments of Poetry translated from the Gaelic and Erse
Languages_. These were received with profound and widely-spread interest,
and gave rise to a controversy which can hardly yet be said to be
settled. While some authorities received them with enthusiastic
admiration, others immediately called their genuineness in question. In
the first instance, however, a subscription was raised to enable M. to
make a journey in search of further poetic remains, the result of which
was the production in 1761 of _Fingal_, an epic in 6 books, and in 1763
of _Temora_, also an epic, in 8 books. The fame which these brought to
their discoverer was great, and the sales enormous. In 1764 M. went as
sec. to the Governor of Pensacola in Florida. Returning in 1766 he
settled in London,