The Flyting
Though I am a long while among the mountains, is it not time to hie to Harris? God strengthen my safeguard — my pleasure will not be in the glasses as long as a dram satisfies me.
My MacLeod of great honour thou, the arms of a hero would become thee, 'tis on thyself they would not (?) complain, piercingly and keenly would they wound, there would be a red colour where they touched
'Tis not the matter about which I am anxious that has stirred me to speech — every Hungarian and German and Frenchman bent on our destruction: neither sea nor land is safe for us.
'Tis my belief that it is true — for all the threats I hear of it — that they will not get an ounce the better of us, that they will not win India from us, that they will stop where they began.
Since our arms were stored away from us, though there is often talk that we will get them back, would not wooden swords suffice to defend the English crown, after the fashion that the Duke gave us?
Though the king of Prussia be mighty, and the great kings who are at variance with him, 'tis a matter no less strange to me that Fraser and the Badenoch man are to my knowledge making their peace and will not break it.
Health to the pleasant gentleman who was not burdened by the tall story, who gave me the substance of it without mistake; but he did not give me a guarantee how long that peace would last.
I saw the day that I would not have believed one word of it from him that I would be alive when it would happen — such heads of hair and — — were being loosened in that fray.
When the unpleasantness began, they could be clearly heard in Pabbay, wood and rocks replied to them, there would not be a woman within sight of them, they and echo clapping hands.
When they wearied of wordy strife, their last resort was to seek a loan of staves, (and) every calumny was to be listened to there which was never heard since we were baptized.
Woe to him who was in the mêlee when they took to violence: there would be sheltering of eyes, fists and knees would be there in plenty, of kicks there would be no stinting.
Skulls would be mangled, throats would be choked, fingers would be chewed, ears would be torn, pates would be bruised.
When they descended to foul play, there would be scratching with nails, nipping with claws, pulling of fore-locks, and much of every indecency.
Before the strife was over, there would be casting of stones, and scratches on brows, and mouths dripping blood, and plenty for one to relate.
When Norwegian pine was exhausted, as the forest has been forbidden us, good weapons were the cruppers, 'twas handier than boxing, 'twould not break the noses.
'Twas Finlay's son who was expert, he has twelve irons in the fire, all fully heated, (?) from one of them he takes a nail, the rest of them he will not touch.
This was a cause of no little quiet in the land, it was joy to the factor's mind, many were they who had not been working the land, going to give evidence looking as if they were to be drowned, anxious about wife and children.
Uist was brought to shame, hell was laid waste by the oaths of that pair, the Adversary was pleased, he marvelled that they did not come.
MacQueen will hear it first, the Doctor will hear it next, how those ploys were ended, he will not offer me a cupful — he will present me with two bottles!
I shall tell it to Hugh, to the Goodman of Vallay part of the happy story, to the factor for the country, I shall not withhold it from the rest, they will give me a fee and their good wishes.
My MacLeod of great honour thou, the arms of a hero would become thee, 'tis on thyself they would not (?) complain, piercingly and keenly would they wound, there would be a red colour where they touched
'Tis not the matter about which I am anxious that has stirred me to speech — every Hungarian and German and Frenchman bent on our destruction: neither sea nor land is safe for us.
'Tis my belief that it is true — for all the threats I hear of it — that they will not get an ounce the better of us, that they will not win India from us, that they will stop where they began.
Since our arms were stored away from us, though there is often talk that we will get them back, would not wooden swords suffice to defend the English crown, after the fashion that the Duke gave us?
Though the king of Prussia be mighty, and the great kings who are at variance with him, 'tis a matter no less strange to me that Fraser and the Badenoch man are to my knowledge making their peace and will not break it.
Health to the pleasant gentleman who was not burdened by the tall story, who gave me the substance of it without mistake; but he did not give me a guarantee how long that peace would last.
I saw the day that I would not have believed one word of it from him that I would be alive when it would happen — such heads of hair and — — were being loosened in that fray.
When the unpleasantness began, they could be clearly heard in Pabbay, wood and rocks replied to them, there would not be a woman within sight of them, they and echo clapping hands.
When they wearied of wordy strife, their last resort was to seek a loan of staves, (and) every calumny was to be listened to there which was never heard since we were baptized.
Woe to him who was in the mêlee when they took to violence: there would be sheltering of eyes, fists and knees would be there in plenty, of kicks there would be no stinting.
Skulls would be mangled, throats would be choked, fingers would be chewed, ears would be torn, pates would be bruised.
When they descended to foul play, there would be scratching with nails, nipping with claws, pulling of fore-locks, and much of every indecency.
Before the strife was over, there would be casting of stones, and scratches on brows, and mouths dripping blood, and plenty for one to relate.
When Norwegian pine was exhausted, as the forest has been forbidden us, good weapons were the cruppers, 'twas handier than boxing, 'twould not break the noses.
'Twas Finlay's son who was expert, he has twelve irons in the fire, all fully heated, (?) from one of them he takes a nail, the rest of them he will not touch.
This was a cause of no little quiet in the land, it was joy to the factor's mind, many were they who had not been working the land, going to give evidence looking as if they were to be drowned, anxious about wife and children.
Uist was brought to shame, hell was laid waste by the oaths of that pair, the Adversary was pleased, he marvelled that they did not come.
MacQueen will hear it first, the Doctor will hear it next, how those ploys were ended, he will not offer me a cupful — he will present me with two bottles!
I shall tell it to Hugh, to the Goodman of Vallay part of the happy story, to the factor for the country, I shall not withhold it from the rest, they will give me a fee and their good wishes.
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