Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1898 — Poets at Inverary Castle. [ARTICLE]

Poets at Inverary Castle.

Recent references to the visit of the late Lord Tennyson to the Duke of Argyll at Inverary castle recall the fact that two other poets, Burns and Keats, also visited the ducal town. The Scottish poet was rather unfortunate. Burns arrived at the local hostelry at a time when it was occupied by a large company of guests of the Duke’s, and he found himself neglected and unknown. So piqued was the poet that he scratched on a pane of glass in one of the inn windows some lines, four of which run: “There’s nothing here but Highland pride, And Highland cauld and hunger, If Providence has sent me here ’Twas surely in his anger.” His grace the Duke had the pane removed, and it now forms one of the curiosities at Inverary castle. Keats was more fortunate than the Scottish bard. At the beginning of the century he found himself invited to witness a play in an old hall on the castle, the players being ladies and gentlemen of title living at the castle. Keats was given a front place, and seemed to have enjoyed the performance of the hlstrlona until the Duke’s pipers were introduced to supply the entr’acte music. After listening for a little to the strains of the bagpipes, he could stand it no longer, and, having obtained the permission of the host, precipitately retired.— London Westminister Gazette.