Allan Cunningham.Lithographed for the Modern Scottish Minstrel, by Schenck & McFarlane.
THE
MODERN SCOTTISH MINSTREL;
OR,
THE SONGS OF SCOTLAND OF THEPAST HALF CENTURY.
WITH
Memoirs of the Poets,
AND
SKETCHES AND SPECIMENS
IN ENGLISH VERSE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED
MODERN GAELIC BARDS.
BY
CHARLES ROGERS, LL.D.
F.S.A. SCOT.
IN SIX VOLUMES;
VOL. III.
EDINBURGH:ADAM & CHARLES BLACK, NORTH BRIDGE,BOOKSELLERS AND PUBLISHERS TO HER MAJESTY.
M.DCCC.LVI.
EDINBURGH:
PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY,
PAUL'S WORK.
TO
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL
SIR JAMES EDWARD ALEXANDER,
K.L.S., AND K.ST.J.,
A DISTINGUISHED TRAVELLER, A GALLANT OFFICER, ANDA PATRIOTIC SCOTSMAN,
THIS THIRD VOLUME
OF
The Modern Scottish Minstrel
IS DEDICATED,
WITH SENTIMENTS OF RESPECT AND GRATITUDE,
BY
HIS VERY OBEDIENT, FAITHFUL SERVANT,
CHARLES ROGERS.
SCOTTISH AND HELLENIC MINSTRELSY:
An Essay.
By JAMES DONALDSON, A.M.
Men who compare themselves with their nearest neighbours are almostinvariably conceited, speak boastingly of themselves, anddisrespectfully of others. But if a man extend his survey, if he minglelargely with people whose feelings and opinions have been modified byquite different circumstances, the result is generally beneficial. Thevery act of accommodating his mind to foreign modes of thought expandshis nature; and he becomes more liberal in his sentiments, morecharitable in his construction of deeds, and more capable of perceivingreal goodness under whatever shape it may present itself. So when aScotsman criticises Scotch poetry viewed by itself alone, he is apt tobe carried away by his patriotism,—he sees only the delightful side ofthe subject, and he ventures on assertions which flatter himself