BLIND POETS OF SCOTLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16120, 8 July 1914, Page 10

BLIND POETS OF SCOTLAND

(Glasgow Herald.)

Nature, with its compensatory laws, has often a kindly way of dealing with those who have had the misfortune to be born blind or to lose their eyesight earlier or later in life. What is denied in outward vision is frequently made up to them by an endowment of keener perception in other directions and the gift of a clear inward vision. Two of the greatest names in the world's literature are those of blind poete. Homer, author of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," was, in Byron's phrase, "the blind old man of Scio's rocky isle"; and John Milton, the greatest English writer save for Shakespeare, was blind for same years before he composed ius poetical masterpiece, "Paradise Lost." The Scottish poets about to be mentioned were much humbler artists and singers, but their story has a certain pathetic interest in the fact of their having been similarly afflicted. — A Scottish Homer.— The sightless Homer fang of the early heroes of Greece. It was a blind bard, Henry the Minstrel, popularly known as Blind Harry who taught Scotsmen to be proud of the noble character and brave exploits of Sir William Wallace, their national hero. Patriotic Scots of a for- I mer generation were familiar with Blind Harry's national epic—a vernacular poem which runs to 11,861 lines —through Hamilton of popular translation, but it is not so well known nowadays. Nine towns laid claim to be the birthplace of Homer, but no Scottish town or village in particular can rightly boast of having given birth to Henry the Minstrel, for little ie known of his personal history except- that he was blind "from his birth, and poor, and flourished in the fifteenth century. In an earlisr age the- minstrel was a man who was honoured by society; but his office had latterly fallen into discredit, and under the laws of Blind Harry's time, bards were classed with "vagabonds, fools, and such like idls people. But Harry's affliction, combined with his outsanding gifts as a poet, probably secured for him a higher degree of respect than fell to the ordinary wandering bard. Many of the most exalted in the land countenanced the blind minstrel as he went from place to place reciting his stirring poetical history of Wallace, and he received food and raiment and lodging from his patrons. In the Treasury accounts of James IV there are several entries of sums paid to the minstrel. The last of these occurs in January, 1492, so it is inferred that he died before the end of the century. There is a manuscript of Blind Harry's "Wallace," bound up. along with Barbour's "Bruce," in the Advocates' Library at Rdinburjrh. The full title of the poem is, "The Act* and Deeds of the Illustrious and Valiant Chamnion, Sir William Wallace, Knight of Ellerslie." In flowing minstrel style it tells all the daring exploits and adventures of Wallace, from his youthful visit to Dundee till his execution in London. It certainly makes Wallace a hero to be proud of. The old Scots vernacular of the poem is rather difficult to modern readers, but here are a few lines, which most will follow—thev are from a section of the poem which gives a French herald's description of Wallace:—

Off ryches he kepyt no piopyr thing; Gaif as he wan, like Alexander the King. In tym of pee (peace) mek as a maid was he; Quliar were (war) approchyt fhe rycht Hector km he. To Scottia men a pret credens he gaiff; But knawin enemys thai conth him nccht disayff. — A Friend of Burns. — The blind poet played an important part at tbe crisis in Burns's life, When he was otfthe point of sailing 'or Jamaica. The Kilmarnock "Poems" had not long been issued and the greatness of the Ayrshire bard was only beginning to be*known and proclaimed in literary circles. Among others, th<» mlume h?A cnrae into the jande of the Rev. Dγ Blackloek, a blind minister living in Edinburgh, and a man of some litemrv repute. He was astonished and delighted with the verses of Bums, and wrote to the Rev. Dr Lanrie, of London rjarish, who was one • of Burns's friends, that a second edition of the "Poems" might profitably lie brought out. So Burns gave up all thoughts of emigration, went to Edinburgh, met ,Dr Blacklock, and, through him, many other interesting people, and arranged for the ipeup of his second edition. The rtorv of the blirM poet who thus befriended Burns is an interesting one. g Thomas Black--Ir-V was born at Annam on November 10, 179.1. ih.r, onlv son of a brickmaker. He was a very delicate child, and an attack of smallpox when he was about six months old left him sisjhtlesv; for life. As he <rrew up, his father, to the best of hie anility, educated th« blind boy at home, and read to him the best author and poets he could procure. Some companions also lent their resistance in his education, Hid ire their help he aetmired ease Latin.

His poetical talent early showed itself, for in his twelfth year he wrote an ode, "To a Little Girl Whom I had Offended." When he was 20 sonic of young Blacklock's poetical compositions canw. under the notice of a benevolent Edinburgh physician, who invited the blind poet to that city to finish, his education and attend ths University at his expense. His cultivation of tlie Muses did not stop with his application to more arduous rtudics. In 1746 the first edition of his poems was published nt Glasgow. By a fourth edition, published in London in 1754, the author realised (ho sum of 100 guineas. rather an unusual satisfaction for a minor bard. One of the blind pr.et's bc.«t friends in Edinburgh was David Hume, who along with others, allowed Blacklock \2 uuineas a year for five yearfi. In 1758 Black lock i.vas licensed as" a preadier. A year or two later lie was recommended by the Karl of Selkirk for the vacant parish of Kirkcudbright. The story is told tlvit, when Blacklock was preaching one of his trial sermons, an old woman who sat on the pulpit stairs inquired of another hearer whether h" was a reader of his sermons. "He ennna be n reader, for Tio'6 blind," responded her m-ichbour. "I'm glad to hear't," rejoined the old wife: "I wish they worn a' Win'." The parishioners of Kirkcudbright raised objections to .hiving the blind poot as their mmi'-t:;r t and a long ecclesiastical en.;;' was commenced, which was only ended after three years by Blacklock agreeing to retire upon a moderate annuity. He then removed to Edinburgh, where he wa.; able to adci to his income by receiving as boarders a number of young men preparing fo>- college and assisting them i'n their studies, in 1767, at the suggestion of Dr James Beattie, the poet, Blacklock received the degree of JJ.Dfrom Warischal College, Aberdeen. He died at Edinburgh in July, 1791. Of the blind poet -who changed Burns's plans in the way we have seen it was said that he never lost a friend or made a foe. In dealing with others he was not unmindful of his own early struggles, and it was stated that "if the young men were enumerated whom he drew trom obscurity and enabled by education to advance themselves in life, thb catalogue would naturally excite surprise." At least one of Dr Blacklock's poems is familiar to most Scottish people, being the sixteenth t> f the Para phrases. When Dr Johnson was in Edinburgh in 1773 the blind poet was one of those who were introduced to him. "Dear Dr Blacklock, I am glad to see you!" said Johnson. The great man from Fleet street said that it was easier for him (Blacklock) to write poetry than for himself to compose his dictionary—a remark which naturally surprised the blind poet. — Hymn-writer and Preacher.— The memory of the late Eev. Dr MatheI son, the blind minister of lnnellan, and afterwards of Edinburgh, is still fresh m the minds of mdst readers in. Scotland. He was. widely admired as one of the most eloquent and thoughtful preachers of recent times, the author of many helpful and' learned theological and devotional volumes, and the writer of many tine j sabred songs, including " 0 love that wilt not let me go," a hymn which is a favourite in all the churches. This gifted preacher and poet, George Matheson, was born at 39 Abbotsford place, Glasgow, on March 27, 1842. He was the eldest son of one of the heads of a well-known firm of warehousemen in the city. When he ■ was a child of 18 months his mother dis covered that there was something wrong with the boy's sight. The leading oculists were consulted, only to discover that nothing could be done to return the sight and his power of vision gradually failed. During most of his school life at Glasgow Academy young Matheson could still see; but from the time he entered the university he was all but wghtless. His sisters were a great help to him, and some of them learned Latin that they might be of use to their brother in his studies. Matheson attended the old college in High street, and greatly distinguished himself in his classes. He graduated M.A. in 1862, and proceeded to the classes in divinity, one of his teachers being Dr John Caird, who had just been made a professor. When he was a boy at school, young Mathcson gave evidence of poetic gifts. A school poem he wrote was so much liked by his fellow-pupils that they subscribed ana had it printed. His famous hymn was composed in the manse of lnnellan on the evening of June 6, 1882. " I was at that time alone," wrote Dr Matheson. "H was the day of my sister's marriage, and the rest of the family were staying over night in Glasgow. Something had happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It" was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression rather of having it dictated'to me by some inward voice than of writing it out 'myself. lam quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received nt my hands any retouching or correction." Dr Matheson was ministei of lnnellan for 18 years, and of St. Bernard's Church, Edinburgh, for 13 years. He retired from active-work in July, 189J, and died at North Berwick on August 28, 1906 The blind poet-preacher was buried in ths Necropolis of his native city. . — Soldier and Inventor. — George Turner, the kindly author ol " The Ca-umstane Laddie,"' was born at Dunfermline in 1805, but his parents re moved to Ayr when he was six months old. They afterwards went to Edinburgh where the* boy was apprenticed as a tailoi while still very young. George did not care, however,' for ihe humdrum life ol the sartorial bench, so he enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders vrher he was 21. After serving his country foi 17 years, he had to retire from the arnicas he had the misfortune to lore his sight In one of his poems he refers to his blind ness: — The springtime has gone, and the euname) J3 come, t Yet Nature to mo is us dark as the tomb; The "flowers they may bloom, they may fade o: decay, They blocin not for me, for my vision's away Never more sha" ,, . I trace on the blue-vaultec pageThe finger of God in mv dark pilgrimage; 'Tis the will of my Father, why should ] repine? The hand that afflicts is n, hand that's divine Like a good soldier and a true poet, he determined to make the best o[ his life in spite of his affliction. Turner did 3 good service to his fellow-sufferers; he was successful in inventing a writing-machiiK for the ufe of the blind. In 1868 he settled in Arhroath, and was widely knowi and respected as a useful citizen. He was a keen advocate of tetal abstinence, and used both his pen and his voice in i'ur therance of his principles. He wrote ven pure Doric; and two of his poems—"Th< Caumstane Laddie " and " The Wee Shif ter's Lament" —give him a high place among our Scottish minor baids. Turnei died at Arbroath in March, 1886. — A Bathgate Poet.— Henry Shanks, " the blind poet of th( Deans," near Bathgate, died only in Janu ary, 1911, in his eighty-third year. He was the son of a farmer in the neigh bourhood of Bathgate, and in his youth served his tapprenticesLip as a drysaltet in Leith. When he was 27 he returned to Bathgate to assist on the farm, but he spent all his spare time in reading, and was fond of music and drawing. Hie father's death in 1858 was the occafior. of his first attempt at sustained rhyme, and after this he was a frequent contri butor to the poet's corner of the local Eress. In his thirty-fourth year a defect egan to show itself in the 'sight of his left eye, and his eyesight gradually grew worse, till within a year he was quiti blind. Shanks published too successive volumes of poetry, which were both we! received. His friend James Baliantyne, editor of " Ilka Blade o' Grass " and othei well-known songs, lent his brotherly aid tc his afflicted friend, and saw tlie first volume through the press. Like all the minor singers who have iollowed in tin wake of Ihe national hard, the " blind poet of the Deans " was enthusiastic n his admiration of Burns. In the yeai 1877 Shanks delivered at Airdrie, Bath gate, and other places an eloouent lecture on "Burns as a Man and as a Poet.' The lecture was afterwards published u his " Peasant Poets of Scotland and' Mm* ings under the Beeches," a velum? whir! did its author no little credit.—A C. \V.