A History of the Highlands and of the Highland Clans, Volume 1 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aberdeen Aboyne afterwards ancient Angus appear apprehended Argyle arms army arrived Athole attack Baillie battle Berridale Bishop body brother Cæsar Caledonians called camp castle Celtic Celts chief Clan Gun Clandonald command council covenanters covenanting earl of Caithness earl of Huntly earl of Sutherland Edinburgh enemy entered favour foot force Frendraught friends Gaelic Gaul Grant Highlanders horse immediately inhabitants Inverness Ireland Irish island Isles James John joined killed king laird lands language Lord Berridale Lord Gordon Lorn Macdonald Mackintosh Maclean Macleod Macpherson majesty Malcolm marquis of Huntly miles Montrose Montrose's Moray Murray Neill North Britain obtained Ogilvy origin Ossian party persons Perth Pictish Picts poems possession prisoners proceeded race reign retreat returned Roman Ross Scotland Scots sent side Sinclair Sir Alexander Sir Alexander Gordon Sir Lauchlan Sir Robert Gordon sixteen hundred Spalding Strathbogie Strathnaver supposed tion took town tribes troops whole William
Popular passages
Page 94 - WE were now treading that illustrious Island, which was once the luminary of the Caledonian regions, whence savage clans and roving barbarians derived the benefits of knowledge, and the blessings of religion. To abstract the mind from all local emotion would be impossible, if it were endeavoured, and would be foolish, if it were possible. Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses, whatever makes the past, the distant, or the future, predominate...
Page 95 - Far from me and from my friends be such frigid philosophy, as may conduct us indifferent and unmoved over any ground which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, or virtue. That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona.
Page 140 - Have, then, thy wish!"— he whistled shrill, And he was answered from the hill ; Wild as the scream of the curlew From crag to crag the signal flew. Instant, through copse and heath, arose Bonnets and spears and bended bows ; On right, on left, above, below, Sprung up at once the lurking foe...
Page 141 - The rushes and the willow-wand Are bristling into axe and brand, And every tuft of broom gives life To plaided warrior arm'd for strife. That whistle garrison'd the glen At once with full five hundred men, As if the yawning hill to heaven A subterranean host had given.
Page 118 - To see a spark of fire fall upon one's arm or breast, is a forerunner of a dead child to be seen in the arms of those persons ; of which there are several fresh instances.
Page 94 - Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses; whatever makes the past, the distant, or the future predominate over the present, advances us in the dignity of thinking beings.
Page 137 - He did not endeavour to dazzle them by any magnificence of dress: his only distinction was a feather in his bonnet ; but as soon as he appeared, they forsook their work and clustered about him i he took them by the hand, and they seemed mutually delighted.
Page xl - Now, assuming (what I am by no means disposed to admit) that the state of feeling towards women in the United States is such as these remarks suggest, it is to be observed in the first place that it is a...
Page 116 - Sight is an impression made either by the mind upon the eye, or by the eye upon the mind, by which things distant or future are perceived, and seen as if they were present.
Page 138 - Nothing can be more erroneous than the prevalent idea that a Highland chief was an ignorant and unprincipled tyrant, who rewarded the abject submission of his followers with relentless cruelty and rigorous oppression. If ferocious in disposition, or weak in understanding, he was curbed and directed by the elders of his tribe, who, by inviolable custom, were his standing councillors, without whose advice no measure of any kind was decided.