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opinion, the Highland senachies have prefixed to this poem, an address of Ossian, to Congal the young son of Fergus, which I have rejected, as having no manner of connection with the rest of the piece. It has poetical merit; and, probably, it was the opening of one of Ossian's other poems, though the bards injudiciously transferred it to the piece now before us.

Congal, son of Fergus of Durath, thou light between thy locks, ascend to the rock of Selma, to the oak of the breaker of shields. Look over the bosom of night, it is streaked with the red paths of the dead: look on the night of ghosts, and kindle, O Congal, thy soul. Be not, like the moon on a stream, lonely in the midst of clouds: darkness closes around it; and the beam departs. Depart not, son of Fergus, ere thou markest the field with thy sword. Ascend to the rock of Selma; to the oak of the breaker of shields."

PHERSON.

MAC

CATHLIN OF CLUTHA:

A POEM.

COME, thou beam that art lonely, from watching in the night! The squally winds are around thee, from all their echoing hills. Red, over my hundred streams, are the light-covered paths of the dead. They rejoice, on the eddying winds, in the still season of night. Dwells there no joy in song, white hand of the harps of Lutha? Awake the voice of the string; and roll my soul to me. It is a stream that has failed. Malvina,

1 Awake the voice of the string.] Temora, vii. 22. From POPE'S St Cecilia.

Wake into voice each silent string.

I hear thee, from thy darkness, in Selma, thou that watchest, lonely, by night! Why didst thou with-hold the song, from Ossian's failing soul? As the falling brook to the ear of the hunter, descending from his storm-covered hill; in a sun-beam rolls the echoing stream; he hears, and shakes his dewy locks: such is the voice of Lutha, to the friend of the spirits of heroes. My swelling bosom beats high. I look back on the days that are past. Come, thou beam that art lonely, from watching in the night!

2

In the echoing bay of Carmona 3, we saw, one

Why didst thou withhold the song from Ossian's failing soul? As the falling brook to the ear of the hunter.] Varied from a former imitation of the Psalmist. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalms, xlii. 1. "As the roe, pierced in secret, lies panting by her wonted streams; the hunter surveys her feet of wind." Temora, v. 13.

3 In this paragraph are mentioned the signals presented to Fingal, by those who came to demand his aid. The suppliants held, in one hand, a shield covered with blood, and, in the other, a broken spear; the first a symbol of the death of their friends, the last an emblem of their own helpless situation. If the king chose to grant succours, which generally was the case, he reached to them the shell of feasts, as a token of his hospitality and friendly intentions towards them. MACPHERSON.

Unfortunately, in all the applications to Fingal for aid, not

day, the bounding ship. On high, hung a broken shield; it was marked with wandering blood. Forward came a youth, in arms, and stretched his pointless spear. Long, over his tearful eyes, hung loose his disordered locks. Fingal gave the shell of kings. The words of the stranger arose. "In his hall lies Cathmol of Clutha, by the winding of his own dark streams. carmor saw white-bosomed Lanul, and pierced her father's side. In the rushy desert were my steps. He fled in the season of night. Give thine aid to Cathlin to revenge his father. I sought thee not as a beam, in a land of clouds. Thou, like the sun, art known, king of echoing Selma !"

Duth

Selma's king looked around. In his presence we rose in arms. But who should lift the shield? for all had claimed the war. The night came down; we strode, in silence; each to his hill of ghosts that spirits might descend, in our dreams, to mark us for the field. We struck the shield of the dead; we raised the hum of songs. thrice called the ghosts of our fathers. We laid

We

allusion to these symbols has occurred till now, towards the conclusion of the poems.

us down in dreams. Trenmor 'came, before mine eyes, the tall form of other years! His blue hosts were behind him in half-extinguished rows. Scarce seen is their strife in mist, or their stretching forward to deaths. I listened; but no sound was there. The forms were empty wind!

I started from the dream of ghosts. sudden blast flew my whistling hair.

On a Low

sounding, in the oak, is the departure of the dead. I took my shield from its bough. Onward came the rattling of steel. It was Oscar of Lego. He had seen his fathers. "As rushes forth the blast, on the bosom of whitening waves so careless shall my course be, through ocean, to the dwelling of foes. I have seen the dead, my father! My beating soul is high! My fame is bright before me, like the streak of light on a cloud, when the broad sun comes forth, red traveller of the sky 5!"

4 As rushes forth the blast, on the bosom of whitening waves.] POPE'S Iliad, iv. 478.

As when the winds, ascending by degrees,

First move the whitening surface of the seas. "Beneath the blast of the western wind, rushing over the whitening wares." MACPHERSON'S Homer, i. 108.

5 Like the streak of lightning on a cloud, when the broad sun