Page:Striking and picturesque delineations.djvu/13

Rh Those who are fond of literary curiosities, will doubtless account themselves fortunate in having an opportunity of perusing these truly curious Delineations of the grand and picturesque Scenery around Loch-Earn: and they will probably be inclined to wonder, that an untaught Highlander, whose thoughts have seldom wandered beyond his native mountains, should have been able to express himself in terms of such unparallelled sublimity. So strange, indeed, does this fact appear, that some may be disposed to doubt whether this Angus M‘Diarmid be not altogether a ﬁctitious person: and did we choose to be mysterious, it were easy to involve the matter in as much uncertainty as Mr. Macpherson has thrown over the divine Poems of Ossian, and thus to encircle ourselves with that radiance of renown, which should beam in its full brightness around the fortunate Author. Let it be our fame (nobis magna satis) to have withstood so powerful a temptation.—Whoever will take the trouble to visit Loch-Earn, a trouble which the scenery will amply repay, may satisfy himself of the real existence of Angus M‘Diarmid, and of his being the real author of these Delineations.

If any who have not access to the same mode of conviction should be disposed to be sceptical, let them reﬂect, that the mind inevitably catches its tone and character from the scenery and local circumstances with which it is most conversant. Hence the elevation of the Highland character; the lofty spirit of the mountain hero; the towering sublimity of the mountain bard. In men of genius and sensibility, this sympathy between mind and external nature is particularly powerful; and hence the peculiarities