the Shakespeare of the Celtic tongue: for, with the exception of that great master of the drama, where are finer passages to be met with, in the works of any poet, ancient or modern?

To suppose that Mr. James Macpherson was the author of these verses, is as absurd, as to believe him capable of composing the Paradise Lost, or the scenes which have immortalized the name of Shakespeare.

N. B. Upon sending a copy of this scene from Ossian, to Mr. John Clark, now residing at Carmarthen, (who refuted Shaw's attack on the authenticity of Ossian), I received a letter from him, dated Carmarthen, July 27, 1806, of which the following is an extract: "Your idea of "Ossian's poems having been originally recited in a dramatical form, " is very correct. I remember, when I was at Ruthven school with "Mr. Macpherson, (when he was collecting the original Gaelic poems), "to have gone with him to several late wakes in Badenoch, when it was 66 customary for one person to represent one character, another a second, “and so on, each person repeating their respective parts, just as our "players do upon the stage."

It was thus that Macpherson collected the Gaelic fragments he originally published, several of which are in the dramatic form, and the authenticity of which this anecdote tends to confirm.

actus est.

Carminis I. Argumentum.

Fingal, quum admodum juvenis in Orcadas navigaret, in Scandinaviæ sinum, prope quem habitabat Starno, Lochlinis rex, vi tempestatis Starno ad convivium invitat Fingalem, qui regis fidem dubitans hospitiique juris olim læsi memor se iturum negat. Starno suos convocat, ac Fingal se tueri statuit. Tenebris obortis Durona hostium consilia se speculaturum spondet; at Fingal ipse vigilias obit. Ad hostem progressus casu quodam in Turoris antrum, quo Conbanglassam, vicini principis filiam, Starno tenebat captivam, incidit. Archetyporum versuum parte amissa, ejus historia imperfecta est. Ad locum quendam sacrum, quo Starno et filius Suaranus Lodinis simulacrum de belli exitu consulebant, Fingal venit. Fingalis et Suarani sequitur conflictus; et ad finem Carminis Primi aeria describitur aula Lodinis, qui Scandinaviæ Odin fuisse putatur.

[2]

CATH LODUINN.

DUAN I.

v. 1-17.

SGEUL ri aithris air àm o aois.

Chaoin aiteil, gun t' fhaicinn a chaoidh,
Lùbadh cluaran mu Lora nan sian;
Thu air astar an caol-ghleann na gaoith,
C'uime thréig thu mo chluasa co dian?
Cha chluinnear gairm nan liath shruth ard;
No guth clarsaich o charn nan gas.
Mhalmhina nan teud thig do d' bhard,
Till anam do bhaird air ais;

Till m'anam, a lamh-gheal, dhomh féin.
Mi coimhead air Lochlin nan sonn,
Ciar uisge Uthorno nan tonn;
O'n iar-chuan a' tearnadh mo righ;
'S muir bheucach fo ghaoith a' strì;
'S neo-lìonor glan oigridh nam beann
Tir choigrich a' togail fo'n ceann.
Ghairm Starno o Loduinn fear faoin,

[s]

PRELIUM LODINIS.

CARMEN I.

v. 1-17.

HISTORIA recitanda de tempore (prisco) ex antiBlanda aura, haud conspicienda unquam, [quitate. Flectens carduos circa Loram nimborum;

Tu in itinere in angustâ valle venti,

Quare deseruisti tu meas aures tam citò?

Non auditur vocatus canorum rivorum arduorum;

Nec vox citharæ a saxeto ramorum.

Malvina chordarum veni ad tuum bardum,

Redde animum tui bardi retro;

Redde meum animum, manus-candida, mihi.

Me intuente Lochlinem bellatorum,

Fuscam aquam Uthornæ undarum;

Ab occidentali oceano descendentem meum regem;

Et mare mugiens sub vento certans;

Est haud numerosa pura juventus montium

Terram peregrinorum tollens sub ejus caput.*

Vocavit Starno è Loda virum vanum,

* i. e. appellens ad terram.

'Chuireadh Fhionnghail gu cuirm nam fleagh: Chuimhnich an righ an òigh chaoin ; Ghluais ardan a làmh ri a shleagh.

"Ni 'm faicear leam Gorm-mheall no Starno:
Tha bàs a' snàmh, mar fhaileas ciar,
Air inntinn an triath a tha borb;
Cha tréig m'anam an dearsa o'n ear,
Ainnir làmh-gheal a's àirde cliu.
O m' fhianuis, mhic Lòduinn, gu grad.
Dhomh féin ata fhocal mar ghaoith,
A thogas 's a thréigeas an dos

An dubh-ghleann fo dhubh-nial ciuin."
“Dhubh-mhic Roinne nam bàs-arm geur;
Chromaghlas, fhir cruaidh nan sgiath;
Shruthmhor, a thuineadh riamh
An truscan ciar na còmhraig;
Chormar, leis is dionaiche long
A' gearradh a h-astar feadh thonn
Gun chùram, mar theine nan speur
Ro' bhearna beur nan neul;

Eiribh grad, a chlann nan sonn,

An tir choigrich mu 'n iadh an tonn.

Sealladh gach duin' air a sgiath,

Mar Threunmhor, fear riaghladh na còmhraig. Thusa chòmhnuis am measg nan clàrsach,

A sgiath bhallach druid-sa gu m' làimh ;

Till an sruth mòr so o m' thaobh,

No ri m' thaobh biodh do thuineadh fo làr."