大象传媒

Bha An t-Urr Alexander Pope na聽mhinistear ann am Meaghrath ann an聽Gallaibh. Bha sin anns an ochdamh linn聽deug. 鈥橲 e duine l脿idir a bha ann. Bha聽bata aige. Bha e a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� bhata聽airson daoine a 鈥渂hrosnachadh鈥� a dhol聽don eaglais.聽Bha fear anns an sg矛re. 鈥橲 e聽tuathanach a bha ann. Bha e fh猫in is聽boireannach a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla. Bha聽dithis chloinne aca. Ach cha robh iad聽p貌sta. Nochd am fear seo mu聽choinneamh Seisean na h-Eaglaise.聽Thuirt Mgr Pope ris gun robh e na聽pheacach. Dh鈥檌arr am ministear air a聽pheacaidhean aideachadh. Dh鈥檌arr e air聽dhol fo 霉ghdarras na h-Eaglaise.聽鈥淢us d猫an mi c脿il dhen t-se貌rsa,鈥澛爐huirt an duine, 鈥渇aodaidh sibh m鈥櫬爁hiacail mu dheireadh a sp矛onadh 脿s mo聽bheul.鈥澛犫�淐h矛 sinn,鈥� thuirt am ministear.聽Nuair a th脿inig an t-S脿baid, chaidh tr矛聽猫ildearan l脿idir gu taigh an tuathanaich.聽Cheangail iad an tuathanach le r貌pan.聽Thug iad don eaglais e. Cheangail iad an聽duine ri being anns an eaglais. Agus聽chuala e an searmon an sin. 鈥橲 e ministear聽cruaidh a bha ann am Mgr Pope.聽Bha e an aghaidh deoch l脿idir.聽Latha a bha seo, th脿inig am boireannach聽a bha a鈥� ruith an taigh-sheinnse. Bha sianar聽choigreach anns an taigh-sheinnse.聽Bha iad air cus 貌l. Bha iad a鈥� sabaid.聽Bha an t-eagal air a鈥� bhoireannach.聽Chuir am ministear 脿radh ri balla聽an taigh-sheinnse. L矛on e cuinneagan le聽uisge. Chaidh e suas air a鈥� mhullach.聽Thug e na cuinneagan leis. Thug e聽tughadh air falbh. Agus dh貌irt e an tuisge聽air na drongairean.聽Th脿inig na drongairean a-mach.聽Bha iad deiseil airson sabaid. Ach bha聽am ministear a鈥� feitheamh riutha. Bha聽am bata aige. Cha robh duine aca聽de貌nach sabaid leis.聽Bha Alexander Pope na ministear聽ainmeil. Agus chruinnich e beul-aithris聽Gh脿idhlig ann an Gallaibh. Bheir sinn聽s霉il air sin an ath sheachdain.

The Rev Alexander Pope was a聽minister in Reay in Caithness. That聽was in the eighteenth century. He聽was a strong man. He had a stick.聽He was using the stick to聽鈥渆ncourage鈥� people to go to聽church.聽There was a man in the area.聽He was a farmer. Himself and a聽woman were living together. They聽had two children. But they weren鈥檛聽married. This man appeared in front聽of the Church Session. Mr Pope said聽to him that he was a sinner. The聽minister asked him to admit his sins.聽He asked him to go under the聽authority of the Church.聽鈥淏efore I do anything of the聽sort,鈥� the man said, 鈥測ou may pull聽the last tooth from my mouth.鈥澛犫�淲e鈥檒l see,鈥� said the minister.聽When the Sabbath came, three聽strong elders went to the farmer鈥檚聽house. They tied the farmer with聽ropes. They took him to the church.聽They tied the man to a bench in the聽church. And he heard the sermon聽there. Mr Pope was a hard minister.聽He was against strong drink.聽One day, the woman who ran the聽pub came. There were six strangers聽in the pub. They had drunk too聽much. They were fighting. The聽woman was afraid.聽The minister placed a ladder聽against the pub wall. He filled pails聽with water. He went up on the roof.聽He took the pails with him. He took聽thatch away. And he poured the聽water on the drunkards.聽The drunkards came out. They聽were ready to fight. But the minister聽was waiting for them. He had his聽cudgel. Not one of them was willing聽to fight him.聽Alexander Pope was a famous聽minister. And he collected Gaelic聽oral tradition in Caithness. We鈥檒l聽look at that next week.