ary, Evan Maccoll
(1808-1898), the son of a small farmer on Lochfyneside, in his early
years devoured eagerly all the English literature and Gaelic lore that
came in his way. In 1836 he issued a volume of songs called the
_Mountain Minstrel_, containing his productions in Gaelic and English.
Two years later two volumes appeared, one entirely in Gaelic, styled
_Clarsach nam Beann_, the other in English under the old title. A third
edition of the Gaelic collection was published in 1886. Maccoll acted
for many years as clerk in the custom-house at Liverpool, and afterwards
he filled a similar post at Kingston, Canada. He has been called the
Moore of Highland song. His spirit is altogether modern, and his poems
are much nearer the Lowland type than those of the older bards. Among
his best-known pieces are _Bas Mairi_ and _Duanag Ghaoil_. We can do no
more than mention the names of John Maclachlan of Rahoy (1804-1874),
James Munro (1794-1870), well known as a grammarian, Dugald Macphail (b.
1818), Mrs Mary Macpherson, Angus Macdonald (1804-1874), Mrs Mary
Mackellar (1834-1890) and Neil Macleod (b. 1843), author of a popular
collection _Clarsach an Doire_ (1st ed., 1883; 3rd ed., 1904). Neil
Macleod is also the writer of the popular song _An Gleann's an robh mi
og_. Others whom we cannot mention here are known as the authors of one
or more songs which have become popular. It is natural to compare the
state of affairs at the beginning of the 20th century with that
obtaining in 1800. In the dawn of the 19th century every district in the
Highlands had its native poet, whilst a century later not a single
Gaelic bard of known reputation existed anywhere within its borders. It
is only too evident that the new writers prefer English to Gaelic as a
medium of literature, partly because they know it better, but also
because in it they appeal to a far wider public.

Prose writers.

It will have been observed that we have said nothing about prose works
written in Gaelic. Original Gaelic prose is conspicuous by its absence.
The first printed work is the translation of Knox's _Liturgy_ by Bishop
Carsewell, published in 1567 (reprinted in 1873). Calvin's Catechism is
said to have been issued in 1631. The Psalms and Shorter Catechism
appeared in 1659, while two other psalters saw the light before the end
of the century, one by Kirke (1684), the other issued by the Synod of
Argyll (1694). The language of all these publications may, howev