20 SEPTEMBER 1935, Page 28

A Scotsman's Scrap-Book

The Scots Book Compiled and in part writton by Ronald MacDonald. Douglas. (MaeLohose. 7s. Gd.) 'finis is not entirely an anthology, hardly a guide-book, and decidedly not a work of reference, though something of 'all three.. It inightAle called a Scotsman's scrap-book, with a certain emphasis on the indefinite article.

Mr. Douglas begins with a short anthology of Scottish poetry, which is good but not representative : it includes, for instance, only one unimportant poem of Dunbar's, and nothing by Ramsay or Fergusson. Part II—" Folklore, and Rhymes and Tales,.".—is ,.worth all the rest of the hook. It retells several traditional ...tales in virile and humorousprose, includes a lirst-hand—and first-rate—ghost-story, 'and• gives a delightful selection, of " Bairns!, Rhymes " and local verses and jingles. Part III, somewhat misleadingly entitled " Facts," gives lists of common Gaelic names and words, and an arbitrary choice of historical, legal, geographical,; and culinary inforMatiOn. There is also a sketchy outline of the histories of the principal clans and families, which would make a conscientious historian swoon, and a list of the cite battles fought on Scottish soil, Of Which the following is sample " 1746 : FALKIRK —Prince --Prince Charles Edward and his Scottish ...Army defeated the English and a few .Scats .rebels and tra,iors who wore supporting the usurping House of Hanover."

Parts IV and V are a kind of commonplace book of short and long pieces respectively. These, like the poems in Part. I, are chosen with Rare and taste. Then follow an admirably complete glossary and index. The book is very' handsomely printed. There are many illustrations )31' Douglas Percy Bliss and Betty Aylmer, a map of Scotland, with all the, place.-names in. Gaelic, and .another showing the territories of the prinCipal clans and families.

The main interest of this very individual and tendentious book lies in the personality of its compiler, who reveals himself as an uncompromising Nationalist with a boyish 'enthusiasm I'M. the Abuse of Stewart and the romantic side 'of Scottish history. Sir Walter Scott is obviously his favourite 'author. He is a strong advocate for the Gaelic revival,, 'and makes an optimistic calculation of the surviving number *of Gaelic speakers : " Scots (ho says) has certainly become terribly anglicised recent years . . . but, as it is, I will fight for Scots as I will for the Gaelic, or for anything else that will milititiO against the complete denationalisation of my country."

With such an ideal no one will quarrel. The only objection to Mr. Douglas' book is that among English readers it will help to keep alive the hoary delusions that Scotland consists only of the Highlands, the Borders, and a few large cities, that the Scots are a nation of 100 per cent. pure-blooded Celts,'with Gaelic as their national language, and that Scottish history ended with the extinction of the Stewarts.

Scots Book would have been more suitably entitled 174 and All That.