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soldiers heard these words"— Air cluintinn nam facal so do no saighdearan. "Sending forth executioners"-Air cur fir-marbhaidh uaith. "When you pray"-Air bhi dhuibhse a' deanamh

urnuigh.

(2). If the subject of the verb (represented by do + noun) comes immediately after air, the object precedes the (weak) infinitive, as-" When the soldiers heard these words"-Air do na saighdearan na facail so a chluintinn. "On his sending forth executioners"-Air dha fir-marbhaidh a chur uaith. "When you prayed"-Air dhuibhse urnuigh a dheanamh; but "When you pray"-Air dhuibhse bhi deanamh urnuigh. "When you stood" Air dhuibhse seasamh bhi and seasamh being intransitive.

(3). The epexegitical or explanatory infinitive after nouns and adjectives takes the object before it, whether used with a preposition or not, as-" Chan'eil cothrom agam [air] sinn a dheanamh,” "Chan'eil cothrom agam airson sin a dheanamh"-I have not an opportunity of doing that. "Cha robh uine aca | uiread as biadh itheadh." It will be observed that the infinitive in these cases may be considered as an adj. clause, or even as a clause of purpose, but here the purpose phrase does not occur after a verb, and therefore the object does not follow the infinitive. They may be considered as noun-phrases, however, the expression preceding them being equivalent to cha'n urrainn domh (doibh).

(4). When a preposition is attached to a verb, the predicate may be considered as a single expression, and then the rule as to noun-phrases applies, as, "They began to pluck the ears of corn" "Thoisich iad air | diasan arbhair a bhuain." But the verbalnoun construction may be followed, especially if a relative clause follows, as, "Thoisich mi air sireadh a' bhrathar nach bàsaich am feasd"- 'I began to seek the brother that shall (Sinclair's "Life of M'Cheyne," translated).

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never die"

(5). Object pronouns take the same construction as object nouns, except when they are translated by the possessive adjectives, in which case they, of course, precede the verbal noun. "A shaoradh iadsan" (in order to save them) may also, with a difference, be translated by "g' an saoradh." Gu (not do) expresses a purpose when the possessive adjective is used.

In conclusion, I may state that it was my purpose to take up several other Gaelic constructions that present some difficulty to the student of Modern Gaelic, and to co-relate these with usages tabulated and explained in books on Latin Prose Composition. But the limits I have appointed to myself in connection with this paper prevent me from referring to these at present. Before I

close, however, I cannot help mentioning a difference in Gaelic construction that has often puzzled me, and that is seemingly inexplicable by the application of logical principles. We say, "C'uine 'tha thu dol do'n eaglais ?" but "C'àite (whither) am bheil thu dol?" "C'àite (where) am bheil e gabhail comhnuidh ?” The compound interrogative adverbs c'uine and c'àite are parallel to each other (lit. what time, what place), and yet the first is followed by a relative clause, the second by an interrogative clause. "C'àite a tha" occurrs in the Gaelic Scriptures, however,* and is probably found in some parts of the country.

* John iii. 8.

27th MARCH, 1889.

At this meeting the Secretary read the following poem, "Laoidh Chlann Uisne," with English translation, contributed by Mr Alexander Carmichael, Edinburgh :

LAOIDH CHLANN UISNE.

BHO DHO'ULL MAC-A-PHI, GOBHAINN, BREUBHAIG, BARRAIDH, MART 15, 1867.
A Chlann Uisne nan each geala,
Us sibh an tir nam fear fuileach,
Gu de e do bhi eir na'r 'n eachaibh,
Na'n cion-fath a ta 'g ur cumail?

Ta 'g 'ur cumail fada 'uainn,

'S gur ann leibh a chuirteadh an ruaig,
Do lannan bagairt ur namhuid,
Bhur 'n amhladh anns a chumasg.

Ach chuireadh leibh 'ur long a mach
A chaitheadh a chuain gu h-eolach,
Bha Naos bu treasa 'ga seoladh, ̧
Agus Aille maise nan ogan.

Bha Ardan bu deise 'ga stiuireadh,
Eir freasdal dithist bhrathar iular,
Tha ghaoth gun eismeil ri 'sgeimh,
A gleachd ri 'trillse grinne reidh.

Cadal shul is beag a' tlachd,
Dha'n mhnaoi tha aca ri deoireachd ;
Mar tha 'n oidhche falach a' boichead,
Tha Dearduil dubhach dubh-bhronach,

Dearduil thug barrachd an ailleachd,
Eir mnathan eile na Feinne;

Cha choimeasar rithse cach,

Ach mar bhaideal eir sgath na reultaig.

Gu de fath do thurs a bhean,

'Us sinne beo ri do bheatha,

'Us nach aithne duinn neach da'r buadhach,

An ceithir ranna ruadh an domhan.

CHILDREN OF UISNE.

WRITTEN DOWN BY ALEXANDER CARMICHAEL, CREAGORRY, OUTER HEBRIDES.
Close Translation.

Ye Children of Uisne of the white steeds
And ye in the land of the men of blood
What boots it ye to be on your horses,
What the cause of your long delay?

That delays you so long from us

Seeing that ye it is who would force retreat
On the threatening arms of our foes,
Would shield us in the combat.

But ye have sent your ship afloat
To speed the sea so skilfully;
Naos the brave was sailing her,
And Aille, most noble of youths.

The deftest Ardan was steering her

To the guidance of the skilful brothers twain;
That wind which heeds not her beauty
Struggles with her smooth lovely lines.

Sleep of eyes is little to the liking
Of the woman whom they have weeping,
And as night her loveliness conceals

So Darthula is consumed with gloom and grief.

Darthula who exceeded in beauty
All other women of the Feinne,
With her no other woman compares
Save as the nebula to the starlet.

What occasions thy grief, O woman,
And that we live but for thy sake
While we know not one to subdue us
Within the four red bounds of the world.

Aisling a chunnacas an raoir,

Oirbhse a thriuir bhraithre barra-chaoin, Bhur cuibhreach 's bhur cur 'san uaigh, Leis a Chonnachar chlaon ruadh.

Eir chlacha sin 'us eir chranna,
Agus eir lacha nan lianta,

Eir chuileana fiar an t-sionnaich.

Gu de bheir sinne 'n dail an laoich,
'Us farsuinneachd na fairge muigh,
'S a liuthad cala, caol 'us cuan,
'S am faodamaid taruinn gun uamhas.

Cadal na h-og mhna ni 'm b'fhaoin ;
Is diamhain bhi spairneachd ri gaoith
Loch-Eite nan sian bu chian o'n iul,
Agus Connathuil nan crannachoille ura.

Cha tig saoir'eas a deas mo nuar,
Cha 'n islich friodh na gaoith tuath,
Cha tig Naos eir ais ri a re,

Cha tog e ri bruthach an fheidh.

Ris tha Coigeamh a' dluthadh,

'Us Connachar nan car 'na 'mhur ann,
Agus an tir uile fo a smachd,
Anns na ghabh Dearduil a tlachd.

Bu shoinemheil le Dearduil an t-og,
Agus aghaidh mar shoillse an lo,
Eir lì an fhithich do bha ghruag,
Bu deirge na'n t-sŭgh a ghruaidh.

Bha chneas mar chobhar an t-sruth,
Bha mar uisge balb a ghuth,

Do bha chridhe fearail fial,

'Us aobhach ciuin mar a ghrian.

Ach nuair dh-eireadh a fhraoch 'us fhearg,

Bi choimeas an fhairge gharg,

B' ionnan agus neart nan tonn,
Fuaim nan lann aig an t-sonn,

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