Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07

for Hector" Eight of the leading chieftains among
the MacLeans, with many of their men, persisted
thus to guard the life of the representative of their
Chiefship and there not a around his
body who not wounded at the close of the con-
fct.
1t is not surprising that the position or rank
which gained such hereditary love should have
been much coveted and priced from the earliest
times 1t all essential for the head of such
a community to recall the fact that he King
de 5uwe" In ancient days when reading and writing
accomplishments known only to c1erics,
it trebly important that men should never
forget to whom they owed their allegiance and why
it that they owed it.
There could in Celtic eyes be allegiance to
anyone but one born to it. Therefore he who pos
sessed the dignity by birth was bound on all occa-
slons to prove his case and to make his people,
young and old alike, remember what descent
his right reposed 1t this that made it necessary
and therefore customary at all great public occa-
sions for the seannache herald record by proc
lamatiOn the descent of the chief. The long line
of mythical descent for which there is no warrant"
is a frequent expression of disbelief in modern
writings. But the constant oral repetition of
ancestral claim really of the highest historic
value because it alone this record being faith
fully kept by oral repetition that the position
maintained. If could repeat the descent
the legal title lost. This is how such descents
parchments The essence of tenure was the memory
of such genealogy mo blood, no CROWN might
have been the motto taken. The chiefs right was in
the mouths of his people. There could be none
among them who did not know it. There were
none who could escape remembrance of it.
That the proclamation can have been no Joke"
sinecure for the herald YOU may Judge from
the names of the descent of the MacLeans to take
another instance from this West Highland clan
An American seated at a London banquet
at which a piper began playing turned to her
neighbor and said when she the piper advancing
round the long dining table: " What, you don't
to say that is making all that noise?"
She thought whole orchestra advancing upon
her. And when the seannachie began the
ancient banquet to reCite pedigree
stricken stranger may have exclaimed in amaze
ment: What, you don't to say that
all those names must be shouted for one
MANI
And this is the sound that generously rolled over
the ancient gathering: Aonghus Turmi learn
breach, Dillon Erin, Ferghis- Firghie, Man-Mor,
Earngheal, Roihtren-Trewn Shi'on, Ddhie, Ollal,
Fri, Eoghun-Eddior Seevl," and so on and so
on, with 20" or Mic" to signify son of "
for another of names, only that the patience
of the old audience was greater than that of any
modern, for the list given begins at the beginning
whereas the old seannachies recited from the
present day backward, to be certain that the
hearers should get well mixed in the shadows of the
remotest past.
The cohesion that was obtained by patriarcha1
rule was most remarkable. A traitor to his clan
was most uncommon production. Even as late
the middle of the last century there not
Campbell to be found among the Jacobtes. All