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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 293: Arm nan Seumasach agus Dudley Bradstreet

CĂČ chuir arm nan Seumasach air ais dhachaigh anns an DĂčbhlachd seachd ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a cĂČig (1745) nuair a bha e ann an Derby? Uill, tha fhios gum bi diofar bheachdan air sin. Ach dh’fhaodamaid argamaid a dhĂšanamh gur e Èireannach – aon duine – a sheas ann an rathad a’ Phrionnsa TheĂ rlaich is a thug air tionndadh air ais gu tuath. B’ esan Dudley Bradstreet agus ’s e fear-brathaidh a bh’ ann. Bha e ag obair do na HanoibhĂširianaich. Thug esan comhairle do bhuidheann stiĂčiridh nan Seumasach nach b’ urrainn dhaibh a’ chĂčis a dhĂšanamh air feachdan mĂČra an RĂŹgh a bha a’ feitheamh riutha. Ach ’s e breug a bh’ aige.

Rugadh is thogadh Bradstreet ann an Èirinn. ’S e PrĂČstanach a bh’ ann – fear dhen fheadhainn aig an robh buinteanas do Shasainn o shean. Ged a dh’fheuch e ri obair onarach a dhĂšanamh ann an Èirinn agus Sasainn airson greis, ’s e foill a b’ fheĂ rr leis. Agus bha e fĂŹor mhath air.

Bha e ann an Lunnainn nuair a chualas gu robh arm a’ Phrionnsa a’ briseadh a-mach Ă  Alba is a’ dĂšanamh air Sasainn. Bha eagal air muinntir Lunnainn ro na Seumasaich agus bha am prĂŹomh bhaile air bhoil. Bha daoine a’ tarraing an cuid airgid bhon bhanca, bha bĂčthan a’ dĂčnadh agus bhathar ag aithris gu robh an RĂŹgh a’ dĂšanamh deiseil airson teicheadh.

’S ann aig an Ă m ud a chaidh Dudley Bradstreet a bhruidhinn ri RĂčnaire DiĂčc a’ Chaisteil Nuaidh – am fear a bha an urra ri tĂšarainteachd na rĂŹoghachd. Thabhainn e obair a dhĂšanamh don riaghaltas mar fhear-brathaidh. An toiseach, chaidh iarraidh air faighinn a-mach dĂš an seasamh a bh’ aig an luchd-obrach Èireannach a bha a’ fuireach ann an Lunnainn. An robh iad airson no an aghaidh an riaghaltais?

An uair sin ghluais e am measg feadhainn a bha taiceil do na Seumasaich, agus fhuair e a-mach mu phlana airson TĂčr Lunnainn a ghabhail thairis. An dĂšidh sin, chaidh a chur don phrĂŹosan gus gum faigheadh e a-mach bho phrĂŹosanaich eile mu phlana sam bith airson na Seumasaich a chuideachadh.

Nuair a rĂ inig am Prionnsa TeĂ rlach Manchester, chuir Bradstreet beachd-smuain Ăčr mu choinneimh DiĂčc a’ Chaisteil Nuaidh. Bha e airson a dhol am measg nan saighdearan Seumasach agus am brosnachadh gus ar-a-mach a dhĂšanamh an aghaidh an ceannardan. Thug an DiĂčc cead dha rudeigin a dhĂšanamh airson maill a chur air an arm, agus thug e ceud not dha.

Cheannaich Bradstreet deise spaideil de sheĂČrsa a bhiodh aig fear beartach. Rinn e tiomnadh, eagal ’s nach tilleadh e, agus chuir e ainm Ăčr air fhĂšin – “Oliver Williams”. Dh’fhĂ g e Lunnainn ann an coidse air an oidhche air an dĂ rna lĂ  dhen DĂčbhlachd. Nuair a rĂ inig e Lichfield, sia mĂŹle deug bho Derby, thachair e ri DiĂčc Richmond. Dh’innis an DiĂčc dha gu robh dĂčil air DiĂčc Chumberland an ceann Ăčine gun a bhith fada.

Stad Bradstreet ann an Lichfield, a’ feitheamh ri Cumberland. Nuair a choinnich iad, mhol Bradstreet gun sgriosadh an DiĂčc an rathad eadar Derby is Northampton gus an gabhadh na Seumasaich rathad eile gu deas. Bhiodh saighdearan an riaghaltais a’ feitheamh riutha air an rathad sin. Dh’ùist Cumberland ris is an uair sin dh’iarr e air Bradstreet dĂšanamh air arm nan Seumasach airson dĂ il dusan uair a thĂŹde a chur air. Aig ceithir uairean feasgar, dh’fhalbh Bradstreet air muin eich.

Mus do ràinig e Derby thachair e ri saighdearan Seumasach agus thug e tastan do gach duine aca. Carson? Uill, innsidh mi sin dhuibh – agus na thachair dha ann an Derby – anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: an DĂčbhlachd: December; fear-brathaidh: spy; breug: lie; PrĂČstanach: Protestant; beachd-smuain: idea; deise: suit.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: cĂČ chuir arm nan Seumasach air ais dhachaigh?: who sent the Jacobite army back home?; tha fhios gum bi diofar bheachdan air sin: there will certainly be a variety of opinions about that; dh’fhaodamaid argamaid a dhĂšanamh: we could argue; is a thug air tionndadh air ais gu tuath: and forced him to turn back north; nach b’ urrainn dhaibh a’ chĂčis a dhĂšanamh air X: that they couldn’t defeat X; aig an robh buinteanas do Shasainn: who had connections to England; ’s e foill a b’ fheĂ rr leis: it was fraud he preferred; bha e fĂŹor mhath air: he was very good at it (some might prefer bha e fĂŹor mhath oirre, as foill is feminine); bha eagal air muinntir Lunnainn ro X: the people of London feared X; bha am prĂŹomh bhaile air bhoil: the capital was in a frenzy; a’ dĂšanamh deiseil airson teicheadh: preparing to flee; RĂčnaire DiĂčc a’ Chaisteil Nuaidh: The Secretary to the Duke of Newcastle; an robh iad airson no an aghaidh an riaghaltais?: were they for or against the government?; airson TĂčr Lunnainn a ghabhail thairis: to take over the Tower of London; gus gum faigheadh e a-mach bho phrĂŹosanaich eile: so that he would find out from other prisoners; am brosnachadh gus ar-a-mach a dhĂšanamh: to encourage them to start a rebellion; airson maill a chur air an arm: to delay the army; rinn e tiomnadh, eagal ’s nach tilleadh e: he made a will in case he didn’t return; an ceann Ăčine gun a bhith fada: shortly; gun sgriosadh X an rathad: that X would destroy the road; dĂ il dusan uair a thĂŹde a chur air: delay it [the army] for twelve hours; air muin eich: on horseback; thug e tastan do gach duine aca: he gave each of them a shilling.

Puing-chĂ nain na seachdaine

Puing-chĂ nain na seachdaine: Do you know which of the simple prepositions cause a following noun (where no article is present) to be lenited, presuming of course that it starts with a lenitable consonant? Here are the examples in the Litir: o (o shean), bho (bho phrĂŹosanaich eile), mu (mu phlana sam bith), de (de sheĂČrsa). But the following also cause lenition: a (a Ghlaschu – “to Glasgow”), fo (fo bhĂČrd), do (do dhaoine eile), ro (ro chĂ ch), tro (tro mheadhan na GĂ idhlig). Look, however, at the first sentence of the final paragraph of the Litir. Beware of gach – it cannot be aspirated so don’t be tempted to write or say do ghach duine aca – it is simply do gach duine aca. Other examples would be tro gach duilgheadas, coimhead fo gach baga, bha an t-eagal orm ro gach luchag.

GnĂ ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: am fear a bha an urra ri tùarainteachd na rìoghachd: the man who was in charge of the kingdom’s security. In Litir 137 we looked at an urra ri meaning “dependent on” but here it has an alternative meaning of “in charge of”. It takes the dative.

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