麻豆约拍

Ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug, bha aig a h-uile proifeasair oilthigh ann an Alba ri dearbhadh gu robh e na Phr貌stanach. Gu dearbh, bha earrann ann an Cunnradh an Aonaidh (eadar Alba is Sasainn) a dh鈥檌arr air a h-uile proifeasair cumail ris an doigh-adhraidh a bh鈥� aig Eaglais na h-Alba. Agus, a bharrachd air sin, b鈥� fheudar dha gabhail gu poblach ri Aidmheil Westminster. 鈥橲 e 鈥淒euchainnean Oilthigh鈥� a chainte ris na gnothaichean seo.

Bha am fear mu dheireadh dhiubh sin na dhuilgheadas do dh鈥橧ain Sti霉bhart Blackie. Nuair a fhuair e cuireadh a bhith na phroifeasair ann an Obar Dheathain ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a naoi (1839), chuir e ainm ris an Aidmheil mu choinneimh buill Cl猫ir Obair Dheathain na h-Eaglaise. Ach an uair sin, dh鈥檌arr e orra cothrom a thoirt dha rudeigin a mh矛neachadh dhaibh.

Thuirt e riutha gu robh e na charaid don Eaglais, agus gur e an n貌s adhraidh aca an se貌rs鈥� a b鈥� fhe脿rr leis. Ach thuirt e cuideachd nach robh e fiosrachail gu le貌r mu dhiadhachd airson aontachadh ris an Aidmheil gu l猫ir. Agus dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� Chl猫ir cur air cl脿r na coinneimh gun do chuir e ainm-sgr矛obhte ris d矛reach mar phroifeasair agus nach do rinn e sin ann an seagh pr矛obhaideach.

Bha cuid de na buill m矛-thoilichte agus dhi霉lt iad gabhail ri mh矛neachadh. Mar sin, chuir Blackie a bheachdan gu p脿ipear-naidheachd, agus cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh fios aig a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh gu d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt. Tuigidh sibh gun do chuir sin an clamhan am measg nan cearc.

Dh鈥檌arr a鈥� Chl猫ir air Blackie coinneachadh riutha a-rithist, agus an teisteanas a thug iad dha, agus a leig leis a bhith na phroifeasair, a thoirt air ais. Thug iad an teisteanas dha mus do mh矛nich e a bheachd air Aidmheil Westminster. Bha cuid dhen bheachd gu robh e se貌lta ann a bhith a鈥� faighinn an teisteanais gun a bhith ag r脿dh guth ro l脿imh mu na teagamhan aige.

Chaidh Blackie a Dh霉n Eideann far an d鈥� fhuair e comhairle bho charaidean a bha nan luchd-lagha. Chomhairlich iad dha gun an teisteanas a thoirt air ais agus gun a bhith a鈥� nochdadh aig coinneamh na Cl猫ir. An 脿ite sin, sgr矛obh e litir gu Modar脿tor na Cl猫ir, a鈥� m矛neachadh na c霉ise dha. Rinn Blackie sgaradh eadar proifeasairean Diadhachd agus proifeasairean chuspairean eile, agus bha e airson 鈥檚 nach biodh aig a leithid-san ri gabhail ri Aidmheil Westminster.

Chaidh a鈥� ch霉is air ais 鈥檚 air adhart eadar luchd-lagha, luchd-sti霉iridh an oilthigh, agus Cl猫ir na h-Eaglaise, agus chaidh d脿 bhliadhna seachad mus d鈥� fhuair Blackie cead a chathair a ghabhail. Chuir e seachad an 霉ine sin ann an D霉n Eideann, a鈥� sgr矛obhadh airson irisean, is a鈥� leughadh is a鈥� rannsachadh litreachas Greugach is Gearmailteach. Thill e don oilthigh ann an Obar Dheathain as t-fhoghar ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1841).

Tha fo-sgr矛obhadh inntinneach ann don ghnothach. Am measg buill Cl猫ir Obair Dheathain, bha feadhainn a bhiodh a鈥� f脿gail Eaglais na h-Alba anns an sgaradh mh貌r a bha gu bhith ann d矛reach d脿 bhliadhna as d猫idh do dh鈥橧ain Blackie t貌iseachadh na dhreuchd 鈥� sgaradh ris an can m貌ran 鈥淏riseadh na h-Eaglaise鈥�. 脌s d猫idh a鈥� bhrisidh, bha na Deuchainnean Oilthigh air an cleachdadh airson muinntir na h-Eaglaise Saoire a chumail a-mach 脿 cathraichean oilthigh. Bha 霉praid ann mu dheidhinn, agus fhuaradh cuidhteas na Deuchainnean deich bliadhna 脿s d猫idh an sgaraidh.

鈥橲 e annas eachdraidh a th鈥� ann gu robh an gnothach a th貌isich Iain Blackie air a thoirt gu buil leis an fheadhainn a bh鈥� air a bhith gu dubh na aghaidh d矛reach dusan bliadhna roimhe.

Faclan na seachdaine: Cunnradh an Aonaidh: The Treaty of Union; n貌s adhraidh: manner of worship; cuireadh: invitation; Aidmheil Wesminster: Westminster Confession (of Faith); se貌lta: cunning; Modar脿tor: Moderator; as t-fhoghar: in the autumn; fo-sgr矛obhadh: postscript; 霉praid: uproar; annas: oddity..

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha aig a h-uile X ri dearbhadh: every X had to prove; 鈥檚 e Deuchainnean Oilthigh a chainte ri X: X were called University Tests; bha am fear mu dheireadh dhiubh sin na dhuilgheadas do: the last of those was a difficulty for; mu choinneimh buill Cl猫ir Obair Dheathain na h-Eaglaise: in front of the Aberdeen Presbytery of the Church; rudeigin a mh矛neachadh dhaibh: to explain something to them; nach robh e fiosrachail gu le貌r mu dhiadhachd: that he was not well enough informed about theology; gun do chuir e ainm-sgr矛obhte ris d矛reach mar phroifeasair: that he only signed it as a professor; ann an seagh pr矛obhaideach: in a private sense; dhi霉lt iad gabhail ri mh矛neachadh: they refused to accept his explanation; a leig leis a bhith na phroifeasair: which allowed him to be a professor; bho charaidean a bha nan luchd-lagha: from friends who were lawyers; nach biodh aig a leithid-san ri gabhail ri X: that his sort [ie non theology professors] would not have to accept X; mus d鈥� fhuair e cead a chathair a ghabhail: before he got permission to take his seat; Briseadh na h-Eaglaise: The Great Disruption [of the Church of Scotland in 1843]; airson muinntir na h-Eaglaise Saoire a chumail a-mach: to keep out the Free Church people; fhuaradh cuidhteas na Deuchainnean: the Tests were abolished; air a thoirt gu buil: brought to a conclusion; gu dubh an aghaidh: strongly opposed to him.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Chomhairlich iad dha gun an teisteanas a thoirt air ais: they advised him not to give back the certificate. You will no doubt recognise the verb comhairleachadh which is related to the nouns comhairle (advice, counsel, council), comhairleach (adviser) and comhairliche (councillor). But why didn鈥檛 I say 鈥渃homhairlich iad e鈥�? The reason is that this verb takes the preposition 鈥渄o鈥�. This will often involve prepositional pronouns eg chomhairlich mi dhi (I advised her), chomhairlich sinn dhaibh (we advised them). Any noun governed by the verb will be in the dative case following the preposition eg chomhairlich mi don bhalach sin... (I advised that lad...). But be aware also that idiomatically it is often preferable to say eg thug mi comhairle dha (I advised him) or thug i comhairle dhomh (she advised me), rather than use the verb comhairleachadh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gun do chuir sin an clamhan am measg nan cearc: that that put the hawk amongst the hens (a Gaelic equivalent to the 鈥渃at among the pigeons鈥�).