1

when his dogs leapt around for joy; and the youths of the chace prepared the bow.

STILL Swaran advanced, as a ftream that burfts from the defart. The little hills are rolled in its course; and the rocks half-funk by its fide. But Cuchullin ftood before him like a hill *, that catches the clouds of heaven.The winds contend on its head of pines; and the hail rattles on its rocks. But, firm in its ftrength, it ftands and fhades the filent vale of Cona.

So Cuchullin fhaded the fons of Erin, and ftood in the midft of thoufands. Blood rifes like the fount of a rock, from panting heroes around him. But Erin falls on either wing like fnow in the day of the fun.

Virgil and Milton have made use of a comparison fimilar
to this; I fhall lay both before the reader, and let him judge
for himself which of these two great poets have best succeeded,
Quantus Athos, aut quantus Eryx, aut ipfe corufcis,
Cum fremit ilicibus, quantus gaudetque nivali
Vertice fe attollens pater Appeninus ad auras.
Like Eryx or like Athos great he fhews
Or father Appenine when white with snows;
His head divine obfcure in clouds he hides,
And shakes the founding foreft on his fides.

On th' other fide Satan alarm'd,
Collecting all his might, dilated stood
Like Teneriff or Atlas unremov'd;

His ftature reach'd the sky.

DRYDEN.

MILTON,

O SONS

BOOK II. O SONS of Innis-fail, faid Grumal, Lochlin conquers on the field. Why ftrive we as reeds against the wind? Fly to the hill of darkbrown hinds. He fled like the ftag of Morven, and his fpear is a trembling beam of light behind him. Few fled with Grumal, the chief of the little foul: they fell in the battle of heroes on Lena's echoing heath.

HIGH on his car, of many gems, the chief of Erin ftood; he flew a mighty fon of Lochlin, and fpoke, in hafte, to Connal. O Connal, first of mortal men, thou haft taught this arm of death! Though Erin's fons have fled, fhall we not fight the foe? O Carril, fon of other times, carry my living friends to that bushy hill. Here, Connal, let us ftand like rocks, and fave our flying friends.

CONNAL mounts the car of light. They ftretch their fhields like the darkened moon, the daughter of the starry skies, when she moves, a dun circle, through heaven. Sithfadda panted up the hill, and Dufronnel haughty fteed. Like waves behind a whale behind them rushed the foe.

Now on the rifing fide of Cromla ftood Erin's few fad fons; like a grove through which the flame had rushed hurried on by the winds of the ftormy night.-Cuchullin ftood befide an

oak.

oak. He rolled his red eye in filence, and heard the wind in his bushy hair; when the fcout of ocean came, Moran the fon of Fithil. -The ships, he cried, the fhips of the lonely ifle! There Fingal comes, the first of men, the breaker of the fhields. The waves foam before his black prows. His mafts with fails are like groves in clouds.

BLOW, faid Cuchullin, all ye winds that rush over my ifle of lovely mift.

of thoufands, O chief of the

Come to the death

hills of hinds. Thy

fails, my friend, are to me like the clouds of the morning; and thy fhips like the light of heaven; and thou thyfelf like a pillar of fire that giveth light in the night. O Connal, first of men, how pleafant are our friends! But the night is gathering around; where now are the fhips of Fingal? Here let us pass the hours of darkness, and wish for the moon of heaven.

THE winds came down on the woods. The torrents rushed from the rocks. Rain gathered round the head of Cromla. And the red ftars trembled between the flying clouds. Sad, by the fide of a ftream whofe found was echoed by a tree, fad by the fide of a ftream the chief of Erin fat. Connal fon of Colgar was there, and Carril of other times,

UNHAPPY

UNHAPPY is the hand of Cuchullin, faid the fon of Semo, unhappy is the hand of Cuchullin fince he flew his friend.Ferda, thou fon of Damman, I loved thee as myself.

How, Cuchullin, fon of Semo, fell the breaker of the fhields? Well I remember, faid Connal, the noble fon of Damman. Tall and fair he was like the rain-bow of the hill.

*

FERDA from Albion came, the chief of a hundred hills. In Muri's hall he learned the fword, and won the friendship of Cuchullin. We moved to the chace together; and one was our bed in the heath.

DEUGALA was the spouse of Cairbar, chief of the plains of Ullin. She was covered with the light of beauty, but her heart was the house of pride. She loved that fun-beam of youth, the noble fon of Damman. Cairbar, faid the whitearmed woman, give me half of the herd. No more I will remain in your halls. Divide the herd, dark Cairbar.

*Muri, fay the Irish bards, was an academy in Ulfter for teaching the ufe of arms. The fignification of the word is a clufer of people; which renders the opinion probable. Cuchullin is faid to have been the first who introduced into Ireland complete armour of steel. He is famous, among the Senachies, for teaching horfemanship to the Irish, and for being the first who used a chariot in that kingdom; which laft circumftance was the occafion of Offian's being fo circumftantial in his defc iption of Cuchullin's car, in the firft book.

LET

LET Cuchullin, faid Cairbar, divide my herd on the hill. His breaft is the feat of juftice. Depart, thou light of beauty.I went and divided the herd. One fnow-white bull remained. I gave that bull to Cairbar. The wrath of Deugala rofe.

. SON of Damman, begun the fair, Cuchullin pains my foul. I must hear of his death, or Lubar's ftream fhall roll over me. My pale ghoft fhall wander near thee, and mourn the wound of my pride. Pour out the blood of Cuchullin or pierce this heaving breast.

DEUGALA, faid the fair-haired youth, how fhall I flay the fon of Semo? He is the friend of my fecret thoughts, and fhall I lift the fword? She wept three days before him, on the fourth he confented to fight.

I WILL fight my friend, Deugala ! but may I fall by his fword. Could I wander on the hill and behold the grave of Cuchullin? We fought on the hills of Muri. Our fwords avoid a wound. They flide on the helmets of steel; and found on the flippery fhields. Deugala was near with a fmile, and faid to the fon of Damman, thine arm is feeble, thou fon-beam of youth. Thy years are not ftrong for fteel.-Yield to the fon of Semo. He is like the rock of Mal

mor.

THE