P. 520. Alfshild, daughter of the East-Gothish king Sigurd, was in those times equally renowned for her beauty and chastity, which made her cover her face with a veil, and have herself guarded in her JomfruBur by two very strong champions, who on that account were compared to serpents and adders. This lady afterwards turned a shield-maid, and went with some companions on piracy, but was at last conquered by her suitor, and married to him.)

No. IV. P. 119. (This Fladding is the same person whose daughter was afterwards married to Frode III. and whom the author supposes to be that Annir, whom Ossian mentions as the father of Frothal.)

Hadding was engaged in a war with Asmund, king of the West-Gothes, who wanted to revenge the death of his father Svibdagger, but soon had reason to revenge the death of another, still dearer friend; for his son Henrik fell in the battle. Asmund, enraged at this, flung his shield on his back, and, wielding his sword with both hands, rushed on furiously, and made great slaughter. In such distress, Hadding invoked Vagnoft, the foster-father of his grandfather, who was at the same time a Jotish divinity. He is said to have appeared with his crooked sword, which kind of swords were always believed by our ancestors to carry with

them a sort of enchantment. Asmund bitterly complained of the wrong, that was done him by such enchantment, and by spells; but while he complained, Hadding pierced him with a javeline, that was tied to a thong. Still the dying Asmund had strength enough to wound Hadding in his foot, so that it made him halt for life. His wife Gunhild, unwilling to survive him, stabbed herself, (about A. D. 285.)

No. V. P. 415. Valdar (king of Sconen) made war in Zealand with Veset, one of Rolf's (king of the West-Gothes) champions, and lost his life in battle. (A. D. 570.) Gyrite (his queen) was present in man's dress, for the sake of her son, and perceiving that he went on fighting, though all the rest had fled, she took him upon her back,* and carried him to the next wood, without being pursued by the enemy, who were exhausted.

No. VI. p. 415. Rolf, with thirty ships, besides his own, which was

* P. 168, the author has a note, in which he says, That our ancestors used to go very young to war, is shewn in my 6th Volume, p. 6, where instances are produced of twelve and fifteen years, and in the 7th Volume, p. 790, of a Welsh prince of ten years.

called the Dragon, and Ketil (his brother), and Ingel king of Sconen, with 40 ships, went to Gorderick (in the present Russia) to court, in behalf of Ketil, Olufa, the daughter of king Halfdan, by whom he had last year been treated with contempt. A great battle was fought, in which Rolf conquered, and took Halfdan prisoner. Consequently the marriage was concluded, and the wedding was celebrated during twelve days. A. D. 588.

P. 202. One Grim, a strong and warlike champion, challenged Flauder, king of Hadeland (in Norway), to a single combat, unless he would give him his daughter, Thorilde, in marriage. The father, not believing himself a match for this champion, proclaimed, that whoever could conquer him should have his daughter. Halfdau (a Danish prince, king of Upsal), though old, yet fired with honour and love, immediately repaired to Norway. In disguise he entered the place of combat, and first unsheathed his sword; but perceiving that it was deadened (by enchantment), he flung it away, and quickly seizing another, he gave his antagonist a blow, which cleft his shield and mail. "Never," said Grim, "did I see an old man fight more bravely," and so saying he cut through Halfdan's shield, but suffered the loss of his right hand, which Halfdan cut off in the same moment. Grim seized the sword with his left hand, and stabbed Halfdan in his thigh. Yet the latter was generous enough to grant him his life, receiving however considerable presents for the indulgence, and Thorilde was the reward of his victory. (In the beginning of the 5th æra.)

P. 233. (Omund was king of Sconen and Holland.

Ring was king

of Ringerich in Norway. The latter had a much renowned daughter, Asa, whom Omund resolved to court.)

But the father would have none but a brave man for his son in law, but Omund had not yet distinguished himself by any feats of manhood. Therefore to deserve his bride, he determined, following the spirit of the age, to make war on her father. Accordingly he sailed to Norway with a fleet, and came in his way to Oddur, a petty king in Jedderen (part of Norway), who received him amicably, and complained of being frequently wronged by Ring. The latter was then absent on a piratical expedition to Ireland. Omund, accompanied by Oddur, availed himself of the opportunity, and attacked his kingdom: yet he spared the inhabitants, only plundering the king's possesssions, and fighting with his men, and he never engaged an inferiour number, that he might in every

respect equal his great father. Ring came home, and a pitched battle was fought at sea. Omund fought so bravely, that he put the enemy to flight. Ring, mortally wounded, beckoned with his hand to Omund to approach. He came, and Ring declared, that he could not wish a better son-in-law than so brave a man, but did not survive to hear an answer. Omund shed tears on his body, and married Asa. (In the first part of the 5th age.)

No. VII. P. 168. Storverk, the son of Sterkodder, carried off Onue, the daughter of Freke, who was king of Helgeland (in Norway), and had by her the second Sterkodder, who afterwards became so famous in our history. Fjervi and Fyrve, the sons of Freke, afterwards surprised their brother-in-law in the night, and burnt him with their sister, and all that were in the house, to death. (About the middle of the 4th æra.)

No. VIII. P. 182. (Erik, a gallant Norwegian warriour, had been, by means of a stratagem, defeated and taken prisonerly Halfdan, king of Denmark.)

Halfdan offered him his life, if he would acknowledge subordination; but Erik magnanimously rejected this condition, and Halfdan was cruel enough to order him to be tied in a wood, and lacerated by wild beasts, a fate unworthy of so brave a hero. (A. D. 378.)

P. 541. (Erik and Agnar were sons of Regnar Lodbrok, king of Denmark, the former of whom he had made subordinate king of East Gothland. While he was absent on an expedition to Austurveg, they made war on Eisten, king of Upsal, to compel him to fall from their father. Eisten defeated them, Agnar was killed, and Erik taken prisoner.)

Eisten had the generosity to offer Erik peace, and as much in fine (bod, what was anciently given in recompense to the relatives of a slain man,) for his brother, as he would require, and besides his daughter in marriage. In our days no man would have rejected such conditions, but Erik, inspired with the wild intrepidity of his age, only intreated peace for his people, and the choice of his own death. This having been granted, he sung: "Not will I take bod for brother, nor with ring purchase maid, "and hear Eisten in song called the conqueror (bane, he who slays an"other) of Agnar. No mother shall weep for me: on the top of the hill I will die; let spears pierce me." While the spears were set, he sung: "Did any son of a king ever wear a better bed? though ravens,

"brother, secretly tear us both!" Before he was raised on the spears, he took an arm-ring, threw it to his men, and sung: "Tell last words! "the expeditions in the east are at end; let Aslang's tender maid have "my ring; with anger and wrath, if they hear of my death, let step"mother mine tell it to loving sons." After he had been lifted on the spears, perceiving an eagle flying through the air, he had still firmness to sing: "Loudly the raven now cries over my head; it calls for food of my wounds, and soon will it tear out my eyes. Badly it rewards those many slain, I gave it in the battle." (A. D. 776.)

66

No. IX. The Orkneys invaded by Hogni and Hedin, chiefs, A. D. 353. Ireland invaded, and Dublin taken by Fridlee III. king of Denmark, between 415 and 425. Ireland invaded by Ring, king of Ringerick in Norway, about 436. Thore and Björn, Norwegian chiefs, in Ireland, about the same time. Scotland invaded by Frode V. of Denmark, shortly before 462. Heidreck, a chief from Bjarmeland, (the most northern part of Norway and Russia) in Scotland, between 493 and 550. Scotland, Orkneys, and the Hebrides invaded by Rolf, king of West Gothland, 582. Ireland by the same, accompanied by Armund, a Scotish prince, 599. Onev and Glum, Danish chiefs, in the Orkneys, 574. Norman freebooters in Ireland and Scotland between 600 and 625. Ireland invaded by Danes or Norwegians, 637.

No. III.

Account of the Indian Subscription.

THE circumstances connected with the transmission of a considerable sum of money to Mr. Macpherson from India, for the purpose of printing Ossian in the original, are well entitled to be recorded, from the spirited manner in which the subscription was carried on; and as the transactions connected with that subscription furnish such additional, convincing, and irrefragable proofs of the authenticity of the poems, both by the written, deliberate, and public declaration of Mr. Macpherson himself, which took place upon that occasion, and by the strongest testimony on the part of the late Mr. John Mackenzie, (Macpherson's most intimate and confidential friend), who reprobates in such strong language any sceptical doubts that had been entertained upon the subject of the authenticity. It was the full conviction of the poems being authentic, impressed, from their earliest infancy, on the minds of those who sub

scribed to the publication, which induced them to come forward in the manner they did; and it was impossible for Mr. Macpherson to have accepted of the sum remitted to him to print the poems, if he had been conscious in his own mind, that the whole was a forgery.

The first notice of the Indian subscription was in a letter from Sir John Macgregor Murray, Baronet, to John Mackenzie, Esq. Secretary to the Highland Society of London, dated Calcutta, 29th October, 1783, of which the following is a copy:

"SIR,

"Having understood that the publication of the poems of Ossian, in the original, was only prevented by the want of funds for defraying the expense, I have long intended to endeavour to surmount that difficulty; but was so much engaged in public business, that I could not give attention to other pursuits.

*

"Sometime ago, however, I circulated the enclosed paper; and I have the pleasure to acquaint you, for the information of the Gaelic Society, that six hundred pounds are remitted by this opportunity to Mr. Macpherson, for the above purpose, by a bill drawn on Robert and Henry Drummond, Esqrs. and Co. payable on the recovery of money receivable from the East India Company in London, in return for cash delivered into their Treasury here; part of which remittance I have spared, for the sake of expediting a publication much desired by all true lovers of their country

"I enclose a list of gentlemen in this part of the world, who are emulous of being classed amongst that number, and are anxiously solicitous for the preservation of the sublime productions of Ossian. They are of opinion, that the work ought to be printed in the ancient character; but they submit to the Society, how far it may be also proper to print it in the Roman letter, &c.

"We hope, Mr. Macpherson will manifest a cheerful promptitude in yielding to the calls of his country on this occasion; but if he should unexpectedly decline the undertaking, the Society will, no doubt, apply for the services of the Gentleman, who, next to Mr. Macpherson, may be found best qualified to accomplish it.