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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 294: Dudley Bradstreet

Bha seanfhacal ann san t-seann aimsir 鈥 Tha a thapadh air teanga an 脠ireannaich, ach 鈥檚 ann an d猫idh l脿imh a tha an G脿idheal glic. D猫 ur beachdan? 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil tomhas dhen fh矛rinn ann fhathast鈥 Tha a thapadh air teanga an 脠ireannaich, ach 鈥檚 ann an d猫idh l脿imh a tha an G脿idheal glic.

Co-dhi霉, dh鈥檉haodadh tu r脿dh 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh e f矛or ann an co-cheangal ri tachartas ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1745) nuair a bha Te脿rlach 脪g Sti霉bhart agus arm ann an Derby. 鈥橲 ann an uair sin a fhuair am Prionnsa is a Chomhairle-chogaidh fiosrachadh bho 脠ireannach a nochd nam measg. B鈥 esan Dudley Bradstreet agus bha tapadh air a theanga, ceart gu le貌r. Bha e na fhear-brathaidh don riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn.

Thug e tastan don a h-uile saighdear Seumasach ris an do thachair e air an rathad eadar Lichfield agus Derby. Carson? Uill, gu s矛mplidh, bha e an d貌chas gun cosgadh na saighdearan an t-airgead air deoch l脿idir is gum biodh iad an uair sin gun chomas sabaid. Faisg air Derby, thilg e air falbh a h-uile rud a dh鈥檌nnseadh do na Seumasach gu robh e taiceil don riaghaltas, agus rinn e air campa a鈥 Phrionnsa. Bha e a鈥 coimhead cho spaideil anns an deise 霉r aige, 鈥檚 gu robh na Seumasaich dhen bheachd gur e morair Sasannach a bh鈥 ann. Chaidh a leigeil a-steach don taigh far an robh am Prionnsa agus a Chomhairle-chogaidh a鈥 deasbad. Bha Bradstreet deiseil airson am mealladh gu dubh.

Cha b鈥 e sin a鈥 chiad choinneamh a bh鈥 air a bhith aig a鈥 Chomhairle air an l脿 sin. Na bu tr脿ithe bha am Morair Se貌ras Moireach air a r脿dh gum bu ch貌ir dhaibh tilleadh a dh鈥橝lba. Thuirt Moireach gu robh tr矛 feachdan m貌ra nan aghaidh le trithead m矛le saighdear annta uile gu l猫ir. Bha sin an coimeas ris a鈥 ch貌ig m矛le a bh鈥 aig na Seumasaich. Bha am Prionnsa, ge-t脿, airson cumail a dol a Lunnainn 鈥 nach robh ach ceud is fichead m矛le air falbh.

Bha c霉isean a鈥 dol an aghaidh a鈥 Phrionnsa. Agus nuair a chaidh iarraidh air Bradstreet nochdadh air am beulaibh, chuir esan tarrag a bharrachd sa chiste. Thuirt e gu robh Cumberland a鈥 feitheamh le arm ann an Lichfield. Bha esan a鈥 dol a dhol air c霉l nan Seumasach gus nach fhaigheadh iad cothrom teicheadh gu tuath. Bha an t-arm aig Richmond a鈥 dol a thoirt ionnsaigh orra nuair a bha iad air an rathad. Agus thug Bradstreet rabhadh seachad gu robh arm de dh鈥檕chd no naoi m矛le saighdear ann an Northampton, eadar Derby agus Lunnainn. 鈥橲 e breug a bh鈥 aige 鈥 cha robh c脿il de she貌rsa ann.

Bha Bradstreet dhen bheachd gun cuireadh na Seumasaich feadhainn gu ruige Northampton airson faighinn a-mach an e an fh矛rinn a bh鈥 aige. Cuimhnicheamaid gur e a bha fa-near dha ach d脿il dusan uair a th矛de a chur air na Seumasaich. Aig a鈥 cheann thall, 鈥檚 e barrachd na sin a bh鈥 ann, oir cho-dh霉in a鈥 Chomhairle-chogaidh tilleadh a dh鈥橝lba.

Bha Bradstreet dhen bheachd gun tug esan buaidh air gnothaichean agus tha e coltach gu robh Te脿rlach 脪g dhen aon bheachd. Dh鈥櫭瞨daich am Prionnsa am fear eile a chumail an gr猫im. 鈥橲 mar sin, tr脿th sa mhadainn air an t-siathamh l脿 dhen D霉bhlachd, th貌isich

Bradstreet air an rathad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Alba an cois arm nan Seumasach. Cuin a dh鈥檉h脿sadh na G脿idheil Albannach glic mun bhrathadh aige? An d猫idh l脿imh? Ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: Comhairle-chogaidh: Council of War; deoch-l脿idir: alcoholic drink; spaideil: smart; morair: lord; Moireach: Murray.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: gu robh e f矛or ann an co-cheangal ri tachartas: that it was true in connection with an incident; bha e na fhear-brathaidh don riaghaltas: he was a spy for the government; thug e tastan don a h-uile saighdear Seumasach: he gave every Jacobite soldier a shilling; gum biodh iad an uair sin gun chomas sabaid: that they would then be unable to fight; rinn e air campa a鈥 Phrionnsa: he made for the Prince鈥檚 camp; bha X deiseil airson am mealladh gu dubh: X was ready to utterly deceive them; a bh鈥 air a bhith aig a鈥 Chomhairle air an l脿 sin: which the Council had held on that day; na bu tr脿ithe: earlier; le trithead m矛le saighdear annta: with thirty thousand soldiers in them; a鈥 d猫anamh deiseil airson teicheadh: preparing to flee; nuair a chaidh iarraidh air X nochdadh air am beulaibh: when X was asked to appear in front of them; tarrag a bharrachd sa chiste: another nail in the coffin; bha esan a鈥 dol a dhol air c霉l nan Seumasach: he was going to go behind the Jacobites; cha robh c脿il de she貌rsa ann: there was nothing of the sort there; airson faighinn a-mach an e an fh矛rinn a bh鈥 aige: to find out if he was telling the truth; cuimhnicheamaid gur e a bha fa-near dha ach d脿il dusan uair a th矛de a chur air X: let us remember that his intention was to delay X by twelve hours; aig a鈥 cheann thall: in the end; gun tug esan buaidh air gnothaichean: that he influenced matters; d脿il dusan uair a th矛de a chur orra: delay them for twelve hours; cuin a dh鈥檉h脿sadh na G脿idheil Albannach glic mun bhrathadh aige?: when would the Scottish Gaels grow wise about his spying/treachery?

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: nuair a bha Te脿rlach 脪g Sti霉bhart agus arm ann an Derby: when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army were in Derby. This point harks back to my comments in Litir 82 regarding the 鈥渄isappearance鈥 of the third person singular masculine possessive article (a) when the following noun (the one being possessed) starts with a vowel. Theoretically the above sentence could mean 鈥渨hen BPC and an army (not his army) were in Derby鈥, but it is pretty obvious from the context that such is not the case. In older texts you will see 鈥檃rm, with the apostrophe indicating the (hidden) masculine possessive article. But modern orthographic conventions have done away with this as part of a drive to reduce the number of apostrophes in the language.

Seanfhacal na seachdaine

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Tha a thapadh air teanga an 脠ireannaich, ach 鈥檚 ann an d猫idh l脿imh a tha an G脿idheal glic: the Irishman鈥檚 cleverness is on [the tip of] his tongue, but it is after the event that the [Scottish] Gael is wise. I鈥檒l leave you to assess whether this proverb was appropriate or if it has currency today 鈥 but it is worth remembering which country owns the Blarney Stone!

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