with historical and critical notes, and a comprehensive glossary

Vl PREFACE.
the Muses may have escaped our notice ; and, a few day-dreamers have been designedly
passed over in silence. In the first case, the charge of intentional neglect does not apply
to me ; and, with regard to the second class, I could mention the names of man)' poet-
asters, who have not been admitted into our galaxy of Keltic minstrels ; and, for this
obvious reason that they were not worthy of the enviable position. Their friends,
therefore, will pardon in me the oversight of not mentioning names that could not otherwise
be noticed.
The lives of the Bards form, perhaps, the most interesting part of the work. Biography
has always been found a useful study ; and, although these sketches are necessarily con-
densed, they will be found to extend in length, and in minuteness of circumstantial detail, in
proportion to the claims of the subject of the memoir. The Highland bards filled a most
important station in society ; and I know no better mirror than their works, to shadow
forth the moral and intellectual picture of the community among whom they lived. In
collecting materials for lives of which no written records, not even, perhaps, the date of
their natal day was kept, I experienced considerable difficulty. Frecpiently have I blushed
to find among my countrymen, individuals who could learnedly tell me of Virgil's bashful,
ness, and the length of Ovid's nose, with as much precision as if they had measured it by
rule and compass, and put me right as to the cut and colour of Homer's coat when he
was a ballad-singer; but who knew nothing of our own poets—simply because they were
their own countrymen, and sang in their vernacular language!
These memoirs are generally commingled or followed by short critiques on the productions
of the bard under notice. My opinions, in this respect, are freely given, and if they should
run counter to the prepossessed notions of any one, it is submitied whether, perhaps, we
shall not agree on a reconsideration of the subject. I am aware how firmly early prepos-
sessions and local partialities lay hold of our esteem, and how difficult it is for us, in after
years, to exercise our judgment unfettered by first impressions ; but I can say with perfect
truth, that I have divested myself of every vestige of partiality when adjudging laurels to
the Highland bards. If, therefore, I have bestowed more florid encomiums on any one
than he merited— if I have anywhere taken a lower estimate than the reader would be
disposed to do— if I have been unjust in the distribution of praises or animadversions, I
hope it will be attributed, as it ought to be, to an error in judgment, and not to prejudice,
partiality, or evil intention. In writing them, much more attention has been paid to
simple and authentic detail, than to illustrative or excursive comments.
In the arrangement of the poets, due regard was had, as far as practicable, to seniority,
that being the most unobjectionable mode that could be adopted ; and the same rule
was observed in the classification of the poems.
It may he deemed out of place, in a prefatory notice, to allude to my list of subscribers ;
but I feel sograteful on this subject, and so proud of their number, respectability and intelli-
that I cannot help adverting to it. Their literary taste and discrimination afford
in'- the best assurance that the nature of my labours will be fully appreciated. From the
plan 1 have adopted, those who were accustomed to see the poems occupy so much space
in other works, may be apt to think that they have undergone curtailment — a perusal