in Eight Books, with the remaining Works of OSSIAN, the Sont of Fingal, to which will be prefixed a Dissertation, and some Part of the Original, translated from the Gaelic Language by Mr. MACPHERSON, Lond. 1763. 4. Vix autem hæc valde insolens illorum Carminum fama increbuerat, cum mox antiquitatis eorum defensores, mox aliis in populis interpretes reperirentur. Cujusmodi Sylloge quam cupide ab AngloBritannis emta fuerit, id argumento est, quod intra tres quatuorve annos ter operarum formulis descripta fuit. Tertia saltem editio, quæ Londini sub titulo The Works of OSSIAN etc. 1765. 8. duobus codicibus prodiit, id boni et præcipui habet, quod non modo Hugonis Blaerii, Rhetoris et Philologi Edinburgensis, Dissertationem, jam antea Londini 1763. 4. emissam, (A Critical Dissertation on the Poems of OSSIAN, the Son of Fingal, by HUGH BLAIR, Professor of Rhetorick and Belles Lettres in the University of Edinburgh,) vol. 2. a p. 311-443. sed etiam Appendicem Testimoniorum, (An Appendix, containing a Variety of Undoubted Testimonies establishing their Authenticity,) a p. 445-60. complectitur. Atque horum quidem carminum dulcedine et spiritu sic capti fuerunt Itali, Germani, Gallo-Franci, ut in singulis gentibus extarent viri præstantissimi, qui OSSIANUM Suo quasi ore loqui juberent. Apud Italos innotuerunt Poësie di OSSIAN, Figlio di Fingal, antico Poëta Celtico, ultimamente scoperte, e tradotte in Prosa Inglese da Jacopo Macpherson, e da quella trasportate in verso Italiano dall' Ab. Melchior Cesarotti, con varie Annotazioni de' due Traduttori, Tomo I. e II. in Padoua 1763. 8. Apud Germanos OSSIANI Carmina junctis MACPHERSONI et Cesarotti animadversionibus sic reddita fuerunt Theotisce, Die Gedichte OSSIANS, eines alten Celtischen Dichters, aus dem Englischen übersetzt von M. Denis, aus der G. I. (hoc est, ut equidem interpretor, aus der Gesellschaft Jesu,) Wien, 1769. 8. tribus codicibus. Quoad Gallo-Francos, unico Temorae Carmini lucem attulit illustr. Marchio San Simonius, qui in amoenissimo Ameliswerdiæ prætorio, nostræ urbi proximo, rusticationis studia cum Musis tam eleganter partitur, ut in villæ silvulis non Floram et Pomonam magis quam Minervam inerrare credas, Temora, Poëma Epique, en viii. Chants, composé en Langue Erse, ou Gallique, par OSSIAN, Fils de Fingal, traduit d'après l'Edition Anglaise de MACPHERSON par Mr. le Marquis de St. Simon, à Amsterdam, 1774. 8. Neque defuit inter Anglo-Britannos, qui OSSIAN, Fingalis filii, Poemata versibus Latinis exprimenda edendaque promitteret Robertus Macfarlanus, A. M., cujus Temora Librum primum Versibus Latinis expressum, et Londini 1769. 4. promulgatum vidi.

Ut autem, quotuplicis sint illa OSSIANI Carmina gene

ris, aut quo numine veniant, sciatur, singulorum titulos et loca editionis tertiæ Londinensis, qua usus sum, indicabo. In primo quippe Tomo leguntur, (1.) Fingal, Carmen epicum, vi. libris constans, p. 1-124. (2.) Comala, Drama poëticum, p. 125-35. (3.) Bellum cum Caroso, ( The War of Caros,') p. 136-47. (4.) Bellum cum Regulo Inistona, Scandinaviæ partis, gestum, The War of Inis-Thona,) p. 148-57. (5.) Prælium ad Loram commissum, ( The Battle of Lora,') p. 158-70. (6.) Conlatus et Cutona, (Conlath and Cuthona,') p. 171-78. (7.) Carthonus, ( Carthon,') p. 179-201. (8.) Mors Cuculini, (The Death of Cuchillin,') p. 202-17. (9.) Darthula, (Dar-Thula,') p. 218-40. (10.) Temora, Carmen Epicum, p. 241-68. (11.) Carrictura, ('Carric-Thura,') regia vel arx Cathullæ, reguli Inistonensis, p. 269-90. (12.) Oda de Selma, (Songs of Selma,') p. 291-303. (13.) Calthon et Colmala, p. 304-15. (14.) Lathmonus, (Lathmon,') p. 313-33. (15.) Ithona, filia princeps Nuathi, (Oithona,) p. 334-43. (16.) Croma, nomen urbis vel regionis, p. 344-55. et (17.) Berrathon, nomen insulæ cujusdam Scandinaviæ, p. 356-75. Tomo autem secundo continentur, (1.) Temora, nomen urbis vel palatii, regulis Hibernicis proprii, Carmen Epicum, viii. Libris absolutum, p. 1-206. (2.) Cathlinus contra Clutha Regulum, (Cathlin of Clutha,') p. 207-19. (3.) Sulmalla, filia regis Inishunensis, de Lumone, (Sul-Malla of Lumon,) p. 221-33. (4.) Cathloda, Carmen Epicum, tribus hymnis constans, (Cath-Loda.') (5.) Inamorulla, filia Malorcholis, cujusdam reguli, (Oina-Morul,) p. 273-80. et (6.) Colnadona, filia Carulis reguli, ('Colna-Dona,') p. 281-88."-Chr. Saxius's Onomasticon Literarium, 1, 587.

III. "The Celts were a wild and barbarous people, especially in the parts most remote from the continent, (Mela.) The Irish, according to Strabo, were cannibals; and St. Jerom, who lived in the 4th century, assures us that he had seen in his youth, the Attacotti, a Caledonian race in Gaul, devour the softest parts of the body as great delicacies.

"That there were bears in the north of Scotland, we find from Martial,

Nuda Caledonio sic pectora præbuit urso.

The Caledonians had light and reddish hair, which induced Tacitus to consider them as Germans. They went completely naked, and tattooed and painted their bodies later than any of their neighbours. They wore rings on their arms, and round their bodies, (Dio, Herodian.) A plurality of wives and husbands was allowed in the interior of Britain, consequently also in Scotland, (Cæsar,) so that the children were considered as

belonging to the whole clan, and this custom was retained longer in Scotland than in England, (Dio.) They were ignorant of corn, and lived on bark, roots, and game. They had neither helmets nor coats of mail: their arms were a dart, a small shield, and a broad sword, (Herodian, Dio, Tacitus.) They fought in chariots, esseda, (Dio.) Their vessels, curruca, were of wicker-work, or of light wood, and covered with hides; they had a single small mast, and were calculated for rowing as well as sailing, (Journ. des Savans, 1764.)

"The Caledonians of Macpherson's OSSIAN, on the other hand, who is supposed to have lived about the middle of the period of the Roman power in Britain, were nothing less than predatory barbarians; they were perfect heroes, models of generous deliverers of the oppressed, and much more liberal, modest, and good-natured than the personages introduced by Homer. They scorned to attack their enemies in their sleep, and were inspired by sentiments of the most sublime courage: two or three of them were in the habit of encountering whole armies, and they were always ready to meet death, provided that it were on the bed of honour: while other uncultivated nations, and even the Highlanders themselves, at a later period, are known to carry on war only by surprise, to make a great show of courage, but to betake themselves to flight, when they find resistance. The Caledonians hunted wild boars, stags, and roebucks, but no bears, which must therefore have been exterminated long before the time of Ossian. Black hair and blue eyes were admired, red hair disliked; of tattooing and painting their skins, we have no traces; rosy cheeks, white arms, and white bosoms continually occur, even in speaking of men. They had clothes, beds, and splendid robes: they dwelt in castles, towns, and palaces with pinnacles and towers, and roofs of a hundred oaks of the mountains; they ate in spacious halls, illuminated with wax-lights; and they drank out of shells. Chimnies too were in use among them, though these are known to be the invention of much later times. They had helmets of steel and polished armour; their swords were pointed, and they often used them for thrusting. Instead of darts they had long spears, they carried daggers, and fought with bows and arrows: they had no chariots for fighting; their king only displayed a splendid equipage. Fingal's carriage hung on leathern braces, like a Parisian phaeton; the sides were of polished ivory, the bits of brilliant steel, the reins adorned with gems. Of love they had the most refined and the noblest sentiments: marriage was universally introduced, and each had a single wife, whom he most tenderly loved. The ships and fleets were splendidly fitted out with lofty masts, like those of the

18th century. We have no traces of Druids, or of any peculiar religion, but the general notions of ghosts and departed souls, which certainly have afforded materials for the most beautiful images and comparisons: these, however, are mixed with imitations of Homeric, and even of Scriptural beauties. In short the Caledonians of MACPHERSON are not comparable, even to the Highlanders of the middle and later ages; but they are some of the most accomplished knights of the 16th century, from the richest and most flourishing states of Europe.

"In fact the poet OSSIAN seems to be an imaginary personage, created by MACPHERSON, on the slight foundation of the existence of a warrior OISIN, the son of Fion, who is mentioned in some Irish poems. He has endeavoured to assign a date to this OSSIAN from the miscellaneous pieces, which he has chosen to attribute to him; in the poem Comala, Fingal fights with Caracul, the son of the ruler of the world; and in the War with Caros, Oscar, Ossian's son, is engaged: these are supposed to be Aurelius Antonius Caracalla, the son of the Emperor Severus, who made war against the Caledonians in 211, and Carausius, who elevated himself to the imperial dignity in 287, and went into Britain, where he restored the wall of Agricola. But there is no difficulty in supposing a poet of any age to have had a general idea of these facts, and to have interwoven with them the history of OSSIAN and his family, as well as many other fictitious embellishments. Upon equally valid grounds we might demonstrate that OsSIAN lived in the ninth and in the fifth century. In Fingal king Swaran invades Ireland from Lochlin, that is, Denmark or Norway; and in the poems discovered by Dr. Young, (Irish Trans.) OSSIAN disputes with St. Patrick respecting the truth of the Christian religion. Now Patrick came to Ireland in the year 435; and the irruptions of the Normans into Ireland began, according to historical evidence, in the end of the eighth century. If, therefore, all these poems are to be literally credited, it follows, that OSSIAN and Fingal, who are so materially concerned in all of them, must have lived to be about 600 years old."

ADELUNG'S Mithridates, or a General History of Languages, 2, 131. (Quarterly Review, 10, 276.)

IV. "The Ized, Genius or Demon, of the Zend, is the Sid of the Chaldees, and the Sidh, or Good Genius of the Irish; the Sidh-bhróg, or domestic Sidh, is supposed yet to attend certain families, and the Bann-sidh [Bann-shee] Genius or Angel of Separation, that is, of Death, is believed to haunt certain families, and to give notice of the death of a distant relation. Taibhsidh, is the attendant or following genius, from taba, 'following. In the Zend, we find Oschen, the Oisin or Oishin of Ireland, of whom the Parsi know as little as MACPHERSON did

of OSSIAN. In the Zend we find the Gah-Oshen, [in Irish, Gui-Oishin,] prayer to Aschen — he is thus esteemed a good genius. When Le Brun was with the Guebres, or Parsi, the priests told him, that when Adam was 31 years old, he begat Oushin, and that he was father of a numerous family, who was succeeded by Jem-sid, their first king, who lived 700 years, (2,389.) Dr. Hyde translates a passage from Sheristan, setting forth, that in the time of Oshan appeared the evil genius Petyrah. These names being familiar with the Irish, the Christian missionaries in this island formed the poem of Ossian and Patrick, reversing the good for the evil genius, and the evil for the good; although the graver historians allow, that OSSIAN lived many centuries before Patrick. If OSSIAN had not been

esteemed the good genius, the first Christian bishops would hardly have taken his name; in Colgan we find no less than six. Whoever will read the life of St. Patrick, and the history of him in the ancient Ms. will be convinced of the truth of this assertion—first, he declares that he came from Nemhthur, i. e. the distant paradise, [neem tur;] but the pagan priests declared he was T'aile ghein, [tali jin] an evil demon; Telchides, mali dæmones, (Suidas;) and that he was Succat, the wicked [Shuky]-then he is said to have vomited out fire, like a demon, before the pagan king Milcho."

This is the Persian story of Zerdurst appearing in fire to his disciples all the genii are said to be composed of fire. There was an altar dedicated to Oishin, on the top of a mountain in the barony of Inish Owen, as there were to all other genii and deities in pagan Ireland; as, to Cailee, Diarmut, &c. &c.; that to Oishin is marked in an ancient map of that country, engraved at the cost of the Earl of Donegall, there named Ålt Oisin, [now Sliabh Sneacht,]-it is a valuable map, having the head of the Earl in one corner, engraved by Holbein; it was in my possession, and I made a copy of it."

Prospectus of a Dictionary of the Language of the Aire Coti, or Ancient Irish, compared with the Language of the Cuti, or Ancient Persians, with the Hindostanee, the Arabic, and Chaldean Languages. By Lieutenant General CHARLES VALLANCEY, p. xxxix.

"V. The literary world is now generally inclined to acquiesce in the authenticity of those relics of former times, or at least to acknowledge that MACPHERSON had genuine fragments from tradition, and that these were his chief materials. He may have sometimes interwoven a passage of his own to connect the story; but what he did, was entirely after the manner of those portions, which had truly descended from OsSIAN; and the