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rathon, 7) von Darthula, 8) von Cuehullin's Tod, 9) von Lathmon, 10) von Cathlin von Clutha, und 11) von Sulmalla von Lumon, die Gälischen Originale, durch Macpherson's Schuld, wahrscheinlich während dessen dreijährigen Aufenthalts in West-Florida verloren gegangen sind; dasselbe Schicksal hat auch die letzte Hälfte des Carthona betroffen. Übrigens hat man von Macpherson eine schöne prosaische Übersetzung der Iliade unter dem Titel: Translation of the liad of Homer, 2 Vol. 1773, 4, und verschiedene andere Werke, als: a History of Great-Britain from the Restoration to the accession of the House of Hannover, London 1775, 2 Vol. 4., nebst 2 Quartbänden OriginalPapers containing the secret history of Great-Britain, enthaltend höchst wichtige Urkunden zur Geschichte eben dieses Zeitraums. 1775 erschien sein Werk: the Rights of the English colonies established in America stated, 8, worin er sich als einen Vertheidiger der gewaltsamen, von den Ministern ergriffenen, Majsregeln bewies, und sich den Vorwurf der Bestechbarkeit zuzog, ein Verdacht, welcher durch die ihm von Lord North für seine treuen Dienste ertheilte und 700 1. eintragende Pension noch vermehrt wurde. Seit 1780 war Macpherson beständig im Parliament, und erhielt gegen das Ende seines Lebens die einträgliche Sinecure eines Agenten des Nabobs von Arcot in London. Er starb den 17ten Februar 1796 zu Balville, Badenoch in Nordschottland, im 59sten Jahre seines Alters, und wurde den 18ten März mit vielem Pomp in der Westminsterabtei in dem sogenannien Poet's Corner, unfern der von ihm seinem Freunde Goldsmith errichteten Büste und Gedächtnifstafel beigesetzt. Wir begnügen uns, diesen (zum Theil aus dem Intelligenzblatt der Literaturzeitung vom Jahre 1796, No. 97 entlehn ten) biographisch-literarischen Nachrichten, noch einige Notizen über Assian's Werke hinzuzufügen, und verweisen den Leser, welcher hierüber ausführlichere Auskunft zu ha ben wünscht, auf die bereits angeführten Zusätze zu Sulzer's Theorie von Blankenburg, imgleichen auf die beiden schätzbaren Abhandlungen über Ossian von Gurlitt, von denen die eine zu Magdeburg, die andere zu Hamburg 1802 erschienen ist, und auf die vorhin erwähnte Probe einer Übersetzung der Gedichte Ossian's von Ahlwardt. Eine gute Ausgabe der Werke Ossian's, nach Macpherson's Übersetzung, ist die, welche zu Glasgow 1799 in 2 Bän

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den in kl. Svo unter dem Titel erschienen ist: Janus Imray's pocket edition of Ossian's Poems, translated by James M'Pherson, Esq., with the principal dissertations on the Era and Poems of the Author; eine andere erschien zu Frankfurt und Leipzig im Jahr 1777 unter dem Titel: the Works of Ossian in 4 Vol. Übersetzt sind sie von Denis, Wien 1-58 in 3 Bänden, und mit seinen eigenen Werken, verb. 1784, 4. 5 Bände, ebend. 1791, 4. 6 Bände, grösstentheils in Hexame tern; ferner von Edm. von Harold, Düsseldorf 1775, 8. 3 Bände; von Rhode, Berlin bei Fröhlich, in 3 Bünden in 12, 1800. Mit einer schönen Französischen Übersetzung, welche unter dem Titel: Essai d'une traduction etc. à Berlin 1789 8. erschien, hat J. Lombard die Französische Literatur bereichert; in das Italienische ist Ossian meisterhaft von Cesarotti übersetzt, Padua 1772, 4 Bünde §, und Nizza 1780, 3 Bünde 12. Einzelne Gesänge aus Ossian findet man in verschiedenen Werken, unter andern sind ei nige der Songs of Selma meisterhaft in Gothe's Schriften 1ster Band S. 169, in den Balladen und Liedern etc. von Ursinus, S. 136 und 290, übersetzt.

:) Mo A N A

Cathbat fell by the sword of Duchomar, at the oak of the noisy streams. Duchomar came to Tura's cave and spoke to the lovely Morna.

alone?

Morna, fairest among women, lovely daughter of Cormac cairbar. Why in the circle of stones, in the cave of the rock The stream murmurs hoarsely. The old trees groan in the wind. The lake is troubled before thee, and dark are the clouds of the sky. But thou art like snow on the heath; and thy hair like the mist of Cromla; when it curls on the rocks, and shines to the beam of the west. Thy breasts are like two smooth rocks seen from Brano of the streams. Thy arms like two white pillars in the halls of the mighty Fingal. From whence, the white-armed maid replied, from whence, Duchomar, the most gloomy of men? Dark are thy

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*) Fingal, Book I. Fingal ist der Titel eines der grössern epischen Gedichte in Ossian's Werken; das andere heifst Te Jenes besteht aus 6, dieses aus 8 Gesängen.

inora.

brows and terrible.

Red are thy rolling eyes. Does Swaran appear on the sea? What of the foe, Duchomar? From the hill I return, O Morna, from, the hill of the dark-brown hinds. Three have I slain with my bended yew. Three with my long bounding dogs of the chace. Lovely daughter of Cormac, I love thee as my soul. I have slain. one stately deer for thee. High was his branchy head, and fleet his feet of wind.

Duchomar! calm the maid replied, I love thee not, thon: gloomy 'man. Hard is thy heart of rock, and dark thy terrible brow. But Cathbat, thou son of Torman, thou art the love of Morna. Thou art like a sun-beam on the hill in the Sawést thou the son of Torman, loveHere the daughter of Cormac

day of gloomy storm.

ly on the hill of his hinds?

waits the coming of Cathbat.

And long shall Morna wait, Duchomar said, his blood is on my sword. Long shall Morna wait for him. He fell at Brano's stream. High on Cromla I will raise his tomb, daughter of Cormac - cairbar; but fix thy love on Duchomar, his arm is strong as a storm.

And is the son of Torman fallen? said the maid of the tearful eye. Is he fallen on his ecchoing heath; the youth with the breast of snow? he that was first in the chase of the hill; the foe of the strangers of the ocean! Duchomar thou But give

art dark * indeed, and cruel is thy arm to Morna.
me that sword, my foe: I love the blood of Cathbat.

He gave the sword to her tears; but she pierced his manly breast. He fell, like the bank of the mountain-stream; stretched out his arm and said:

Daughter of Cormac - cairbar, thou hast slain Duchomar. The sword is cold in my breast; Morna, I feel it cold. Give me to Moina the maid; Duchomar was the dream of her night. She will raise my tomb; and the hunter shall see it and prai But draw the sword from my breast; Morna, the steel

se me.

is cold.

She came in all her tears; she came, and drew it from his breast. He pierced her white side with steel, and spread her fair locks on the ground. Her bursting blood sounds from her side: and her white arm is stained with red. Rolling in death she lay, and Tura's cave answered to her groans.

--

*) She alludes to his name —

the dark man.

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Comal

2) COMAL AND GALVINA *).

was a son of Albion; the chief of an hundred hills. His deer drunk of a thousand streams. A thousand rocks replied to the voice of his dogs. His face was the mildness of youth. His hand the death of heroes. One was his love, and fair was she! the daughter of mighty Conloch. She appeared like a sun-beam among women. And her hair was like the wing of the raven. Her dogs were taught to the chase. Her bow-string sounded on the winds of the forest. Her soul was fixed on Comal. Often met their eyes of love. Their course in the chase was one, and happy were their words in secret. — But Gormal loved the maid, the dark chief of the gloomy Ardven. He watched her lone steps in the heath; the foe of unhappy Comal.

One day, tired of the chase, when the mist had concealed their friends, Comal and the daughter of Conloch met in the cave of Ronan. It was the wonted haunt of Comal. Its sides were hung with his arms. A hundred shields of thongs were there; a hundred helms of sounding steel.

Rest here, he said, my love Galvina: thou light of the cave of Ronan. A deer appears on Mora's brow. I go; but I will soon return. I fear, she said. dark Grumal my foe; he haunts the cave of Ronan. I will rest among the arms; but

soon return, my love.

He went to the deer of Mora. The daughter of Conloch would try his love. She clothed her white sides with his ar mour, and strode from the cave of Ronan. He thought it was his foe. His heart beat high. His colour changed, and darkness dimmed his eyes. He drew the bow. The arrow flew. Galvina fell in blood. He run with wildness in his steps and called the daughter of Conloch. No answer in the lonely rock. .,Where art thou, O my love!" He saw, at length, ber heaving heart beating around the feathered dart. „O Conloch's daughter, is it thou?", He sunk upon her breast.

The hunters found the hapless pair; he afterwards walked the hill. But many and silent were his steps round the dark dwelling of his love. The fleet of the ocean came. He fought; the strangers fled. He searched for his death over the field.

*) Fingal, Book II.

1

But who could kill the mighty Comal!

He threw away tre

He

dark-brown shield. An arrow found his manly breast. sleeps with his loved, Galvina at the noise of the sounding surge. Their green tombs are seen by the warrior, when he bounds on the waves of the north.

3) THE SONGS OF SELMA *).

Star of the descending night! fair is thy light in the west!

thou liftest thy unshorn head from thy cloud: thy steps are stately on thy hill. What dost thou behold in the plain? The stormy winds are laid. The murmur of the torrent comes from afar. Roaring waves climb the distant rock. The flies of evening are on their feeble wings, and the hum of their course is on the field. What dost thou behold, fair light? But thou dost smile and depart. The waves come with joy around thee, and bathe thy lovely hair. Farewel, thou silent beam! Let the light of Ossian's soul arise.

And it does arise in its strength! 1 behold my departed friends. Their gathering is on Lora, as in the days that are past. Fingal comes like a watry column of mist; his heroes are around. And see the bards of the song, gray-haired Ullin; stately Ryno; Alpin **), with the tuneful voice, and the

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*) This poem fixes the antiquity of a custom, which is well known to have prevailed afterwards, in the north of Scotland, and in Ireland. The bards, at an aunual feast, provided by the king or chief, repeated their poems, and such of them as were thought, by him, worthy of being preserved, were carefully taught to their children, in order to have them transmitted to posterity. was one of those occasions that afforded the subject of the present poem to Ossian. It is called in the original: The Songs of Selma, which title it was thought proper to adopt in the translation. The poem is entirely lyric, and has great variety of versification. The address to the evening star, with which it opens, has, in the original, all the harmony that numbers could give it; flowing down with all that tranquillity and softness, which the scene described naturally inspires.

**) Alpin is from the same root with Albion, or rather Albin, the ancient name of Britain; Alp, high, in, land, or country. The present name of our island has its origin in the Celtic tongue; so that those who derived it from any other, betrayed their ignorance of the ancient language of our country. Britain comes

from Breac't in, variegated island, so called from the face of the country, from the natives painting themselves, or from their party-coloured cloaths.

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