SKETCH OF LIFE AND WORK 11 



could from my soul wish it better, not from selfish 

 motives. I shall be happy if INIrs. Barclay think of it 

 as her friends here do. But in subjecting it to her 

 examination I expect the most unrestrained criticism. 

 ... I must not indulge in reflections — even though I 

 should be deemed callous. My poem will speak my 

 feelings." 



The poem is in the Spenserian stanza, the same as 

 that which had been adopted by Dr. Beattie in his 

 "Minstrel." Beattie ("Bard of the North," as he had 

 been designated) was then a strong poetic influence in 

 the counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine. He was 

 a native of Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire, became 

 parish schoolmaster of Fordoun in the same county, 

 and was afterwards, from 1769 to a few years before his 

 death in 1803, Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic 

 in JNIarischal College and University, Aberdeen. The 

 easy, smooth, flowing rhythm of his verse was very 

 attractive to the ear, while the thought and sentiment 

 of his poems were not unfrequently worthy of a more 

 free and less formal poetic diction. Several of his best 

 known poems were included in the Scotch school books 

 which were most in use in IMacGillivray's early days. 

 One of these {Masons Collection) was popular in the two 

 counties even within the memory of the writer of this ; 

 and the most familiarly known and best loved poem in 

 it was undoubtedly " Beattie's Hermit." 



MacGillivray, in his sketch of the life of Dr. Barclay, 

 says : " Beattie was among his favourite authors par- 

 ticularly in poetry." The local predominance of 



