of
maidens (i.e. soldiers) to dress the red cloth, in other words, to beat
the English red-coats. The song contains forty-seven stanzas in all,
with the characteristic refrain of the waulking-songs. _Am Breacan
Uallach_ is a spirited poem in praise of the kilt and plaid, which had
been forbidden by the English government. Macdonald is also the author
of a number of poems in MS. which have been called the quintessence of
indecency. His works have gone through eight editions, the last of which
is dated 1892.

In connexion with Macdonald's Jacobite songs it will be well to mention
here the name of a kindred spirit, John Roy Stuart (Iain Ruadh
Stiubhart). Stuart was a gallant soldier who was serving in Flanders
with the French against the English when the rebellion broke out. He
hurried home and distinguished himself on the field of battle. After
Culloden he gave vent to his dejection in two pathetic songs, one on the
battle itself, while the other deals with the sad lot of the Gael.

Duncan Ban.

The only poet of nature who can claim to rival Macdonald is a man of a
totally different stamp. Duncan Ban Maclntyre (Donnachadh Ban,
1724-1812) was born of poor parents in Glenorchy, and never learned to
read and write or to speak English. He was present on the English side
at the battle of Falkirk, on which he wrote a famous ode, and shortly
afterwards he was appointed gamekeeper to the earl of Breadalbane in
Coire Cheathaich and Ben Dorain, where he lived for many years until he
accepted a similar appointment from the duke of Argyll in
Buachaill-Eite. Stewart of Luss is credited with having taken down the
6000 lines of verse of his own composition which MacIntyre had carried
about with him for many years, and his works were published in 1768. In
his later years he was first a volunteer and afterwards a member of the
city guard in Edinburgh. In addition to his poems descriptive of nature
MacIntyre composed a number of Jacobite martial songs, songs of love and
sentiment, and comic and satiric pieces. The poem _Mairi bhan og_
addressed to his wife is, on account of its grace and delicate
sentiment, generally held to be the finest love-song in the language.
But it is above all as the poet of ben and corrie that MacIntyre is
remembered. He has been called the Burns of the Highlands, but the
bitterness and intellectual power of the Ayrshire poet are absent in
MacIntyre. Duncan Ban describes fondly and tenderly the glories of h