departed. The halls of his fathers forgot his fteps. Shalt thou then remain, thou aged bard! when the mighty have failed? But my fame fhall remain, and grow like the oak of Morven ; which lifts its broad head to the ftorm, and rejoices in the course of the wind! Alone I fhall not be, ye winds! that lift my dark-brown hair. My fighs fhall not long mix with your ftream; for I muft fleep with Ryno. I fee thee not, with beauty's fteps, returning from the chace. The night is round Minvâne's love.. Dark filence dwells with Ryno. Where are thy dogs, and where thy bow? Thy fhield that was fo ftrong? Thy fword like heaven's defcending fire? The bloody spear of Ryno ? I fee them mixed in thy deep fhip; I fee them ftained with blood. No arms are in thy narrow hall, O darkly-dwelling Ryno! When will the morning come, and fay, "Arife, thou king of spears! arife, the hunters are abroad. The hinds are near thee, Ryno!" Away, thou fair-haired morning, away! the flumbering king hears thee not! The hinds bound over his narrow tomb; for death dwells around young Ryno. But I will tread foftly, my king! and fteal to the bed of thy repofe. Minvâne will lie in filence, nor disturb the flumbering Ryno. The maids fhall feek me; but they shall not find me: they fhall follow my departure with fongs. But I fhall not hear you, O maids! I fleep with fair-haired Ryno. A DISSERTATION CONCERNING THE ÆRA O OF OSSIA N. INQUIRIES into the antiquities of nations afford more pleasure than any real advantage to mankind. The ingenious may form systems of history on probabilities and a few facts; but at a great distance of time, their accounts must be vague and uncertain. The infancy of states and kingdoms is as deftitute of great events, as of the means of tranfmitting them to pofterity. The arts of polished life, by which alone facts can be preferved with certainty, are the production of a well-formed community. It is then hiftorians begin to write, and public tranfactions to be worthy remembrance. The actions of former times are left in obfcurity, or magnified by uncertain traditions. Hence it is that we find fo much of the marvellous in the origin of every nation; pofterity being always ready to believe any thing, however fabulous, that reflects honour on their ancestors. The Greeks and Romans were remarkable for this weakness. They swallowed the most abfurd fables |