chullin, O Fillan, or a pillar of fmoke on the heath? The wind of Cromla is on my eyes, and friend. I distinguish not my FINGAL! replied the youth, it is the son of Semo. Gloomy and fad is the hero; his hand is on his fword. Hail to the fon of battle, breaker of the shields! HAIL to thee, replied Cuchullin, hail to all the fons of Morven. Delightful is thy prefence, O Fingal, it is like the fun on Cromla; when the hunter mourns his abfence for a season, and fees him between the clouds. Thy fons are like ftars that attend thy course, and give light in the night. It is not thus thou hast seen me, O Fingal, returning from the wars of the defart; when the kings of the world * had fled, and joy returned to the hill of hinds. MANY are thy words, Cuchullin, faid Connan of fall renown. Thy words are many, fon of Semo, but where are thy deeds in arms? Why did we come over the ocean to aid thy This is the only paffage in the poem, wherein the wars of Fingal against the Romans are alluded to: -The Roman emperor is distinguished in old compofitions by the title of king of the world. + Cónnan was of the family of Morni. He is mentioned in several other poems, and always appears with the fame character. The poet paffed him over in filence till now, and his behaviour here deserves no better usage. 7 feeble feeble fword? Thou 'flyeft to thy cave of forrow, and Connan fights thy battles: Refign to me these arms of light; yield them, thou son of Erin. No hero, replied the chief, ever fought the arms of Cuchullin; and had a thousand heroes fought them it were in vain, thou gloomy youth. I filed not to the cave of forrow, as long as Erin's warriors lived. YOUTH of the feeble arm, faid Fingal, Connan, fay no more. Cuchullin is renowned in battle, and terrible over the defart. Often have I heard thy fame, thou ftormy chief of Innisfail. Spread now thy white fails for the ifle of mift, and fee Bragela leaning on her rock. Her tender eye is in tears, and the winds lift her long hair from her heaving breaft. She liftens to the winds of night to hear the voice of thy rowers; to hear the fong of the fea, and the found of thy diftant harp. AND long fhall the liften in vain; Cuchullin shall never return. How can I behold Bragela to raise the figh of her breaft? Fingal, I was always victorious in the battles of other fpears! * The practice of finging when they row is univerfal among the inhabitants of the north-weft coaft of Scotland and the isles. It deceives time, and infpirits the rowers. AND AND hereafter thou shalt be victorious, faid Fingal king of fhells. The fame of Cuchullin fhall grow like the branchy tree of Cromla. Many battles await thee, O chief, and many shall be the wounds of thy hand. Bring hither, Ofcar, the deer, and prepare the feast of fhells; that our fouls may rejoice after danger, and our friends delight in our prefence. WE fat, we feafted, and we fung. The foul of Cuchullin rofe. The ftrength of his arm returned; and gladnefs brightened on his face." Ullin gave the fong, and Carril raifed the voice. I, often, joined the bards, and fung of battles of the fpear, -Battles! where I often fought; but now I fight no more. The fame of my former actions is ceafed; and I fit forlorn at the tombs of my friends. THUS they paffed the night in the fong; and brought back the morning with joy. Fingal arofe on the heath, and shook his glittering spear in his hand. He moved firft toward the plains of Lena, and we followed like a ridge of fire. Spread the fail, faid the king of Morven, and catch the winds that pour from Lena. We rose on the wave with fongs, and rushed, with joy, through the foam of the ocean*. *It is allowed by the best critics that an epic poem ought to end happily. This rule, in its most material circumflances, is obferved 1 obferved by the three most deservedly celebrated poets, Homer, Virgil, and Milton; yet, I know not how it happens, the conclufions of their poems throw a melancholy damp on the mind. One leaves his reader at a funeral; another at the untimely death of a hero; and the third in the folitary fcenes of an unpeopled world. Ως οἵν ̓ ἀμφίεπον ταφον Εκλογος ἱπποδαμοίο Such honours Ilion to her hero paid, HOMER. And peaceful flept the mighty Hector's fhade. Ferrum adverfo fub pectore condit Fervidus. Aft illi folvuntur frigore membra, POPE. He rais'd his arm aloft; and at the word VIRGIL. Deep in his bofom drove the fhining fword. DRYDEN. They, hand in hand, with wand'ring fteps and flow, Through Eden took their folitary way. MILTON. COMALA: THE chace is over.---No noife on Ardven but the torrent's roar! --- -Daughter of Morni, come from Crona's banks. Lay down the bow and take the harp. Let the night come on with songs, and our joy be great on Ardven. MELILCOMA. This poem is valuable on account of the light it throws on the antiquity of Offian's compofitions. The Caracul mentioned here is the fame with Caracalla the fon of Severus, who in the year 211 commanded an expedition against the Caledonians.-The variety of the measure fhews that the poem was originally set to mufic, |