Highland Bards: Rambling Recollections of My Schools and School Days

Article XII written by Alexander Gunn was printed in the Northern Ensign 26 May 1881

Article XIII written by Alexander Gunn was printed in the Northern Ensign 23 June 1881

In the above two articles Alexander Gunn continues with the discussion of Highland Bards that he began in Article XI. On reading his text and comparing it to the lengthy volume of John Mackenzie it is clear that much of the content of all the bard articles, including articles XII and XIII, is taken directly from Mackenzie.

In article XIV Gunn begins by saying he might give his readers another chapter on Highland poets but “I fear that I have trespassed rather too much on their patience already.”  I suspect he was correct and rather than do the same thing myself I am going to omit articles XII and XIII from this blog. I have scans of the originals if anyone wants them. Just ask. 

The full title of Mackenzie’s book is:

SAR-OBAIR NAM BARD GAELACH:

OR,

THE BEAUTIES OF GAELIC POETRY,

AND

LIVES OF THE HIGHLAND BARDS;

WITH HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL NOTES, AND A COMPREHENSIVE GLOSSARY

OF PROVINCIAL WORDS.

BY JOHN MACKENZIE, ESQ.,

It is freely available on-line in a variety of forms including PDF.

Conclusion

To conclude the bard articles here is a farewell message for his readers from Mackenzie.