Page:Alasdair Mac Colla - Laoide.djvu/25

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Séamus Graem, Marcós Muntrós.


Má ba ṁór an fear é Alasdair mac Colla ċiotaiġ mar laoċ cogaiḋ agus mar ċuraḋ calma, agus é ’na ṁáidseoir sinireil ag caḃruġaḋ le Marcós Muntrós, ba ṁó ná é sin go mór Muntrós féin mar ṫaoiseaċ cogaiḋ agus mar sinireil ar gaċ sluaġ agus gaċ arm dá mbíoḋ aige le cur ar aġaiḋ na náṁad.

Ba ḃreáġ an t-eolus do ḃí aige ar ċeird agus ar ealaḋain an ċogaiḋ. Ní’l d’ḟearaiḃ a ċoṁaimsire le cur i gcomórtas leis aċt Cromḃail agus Condé, agus adṁuiġṫear naċ díoġḃáil ná dolaiḋ do Ṁuntrós an comórtas sain. As a stuaim féin is mó ḃí sé eolaċ i gcúrsaíḃ cogaiḋ. Ḃí sé ó ḟréiṁ agus ó nádúir ann, mar adeirtear.

Is dóiġ liom go ḃfuilid na sgríḃneoirí go léir, nó geall leis iad go léir, ar aon ḟocal i dtaoḃ ginléireaċta Ṁuntrós. Ní gáḋ ḋam, áṁṫaċ, aċt Buċan do ċur i gceist arís díoḃ. Seo mar laḃras sé sin ar an taiṫiġe iongantaċ do ḃí ag Muntrós ar inneall agus ar orduġaḋ caṫa:—

"In tactics he had the supreme gift of suiting his scheme of battle to his material, using his horse now as mounted infantry and now as cavalry, and getting full value from the impetuous Highland charge.

At leisure he could dispose a battle with great skill, as at Alford, and could defy the ordinary rules of war with success, as at Kilsyth," l. 287.

Aċt deir an t-uġdar céadna gur ṁó go mór ná sain uile an cumas iongantaċ taoisiġeaċta agus táiṫte ḃí i Muntrós, agus ní’l éinne dá dtuigfeaḋ an cás sain ’na ċeart naċ abróċaḋ go ḃfuil corp-lár an ċirt aige. Seo mar laḃair sé air sin:

"More notable than his gifts of strategy and tactics, was his unique power of leadership. He welded into an army the most heterogeneous materials on earth. He discovered the fighting value of the clans, of which his kinsman Claverhouse was to offer a further proof. Hitherto it had seemed impossible to band two minor septs together for one purpose for more than a week; Montrose united the whole central Highlands in a campaign of a year's duration," l. 288.

Sgeallán d’uaisliḃ na hAlban dob’ eaḋ é, de ṫreiḃ na nGraemaċ úd do measaḋ ḃeiṫ ’na ḃfine Ġallda Ġaeḋealaċ agus a ráḋ gur ar an teorainn do ḃíoḋ coṁnuiḋe orṫa. Fíor-uasal do ḃí ann dá réir sin agus é ’na ḋuine uasal i ndáríriḃ. Ḃí sin ó ḟréiṁ ann gan aṁras. Ní’l lá dá dtagaḋ air naċ faġṫaoi go caoin cneasda mín macánta é. Ní ḋeaċaiḋ sé riaṁ ṫar cóir i n-a ḃeaṫaiḋ ná ṫar ceart na riaġlaċ i gcúrsaíḃ an ċogaiḋ. Ní misde liom ’na leiṫ sin caint an ḟir ċéadna (.i. Buchan) do ṫaḃairt anuas arís:

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