beings. Matter, with refpect to them, the fame grand principle is realized is perpetually affuming varieties of appearance, and even of qualities, while its aggregate quantity remains fixed. At another opportunity, I fhall fhew you that the fame laws obtain, and the fame phenomena take place, in the great revolutions of brute matter, which are continually operating upon our globe ;-and that in all the moral and political revolutions, which affect the ftate of nations, and change the civil aspect of the world :- At prefent, my fon, you may take your leave, and while you ponder upon what you have heard, learn to admire the wisdom of nature, and not to fear death! Edinburgh. A. M. OBSERVATIONS ON THE POETRY OF OSSIAN. From Stoddart's Remarks on local Scenery and Manners in Scotland. C ners and circumftances reprefented in them bore the character of those given to the public. As far as the tranflations of Mr Macpherson ftand upon this ground, they are to be admitted to the fame credit with thofe of Dr. Smith; and if by the production of ancient manufcripts, or by any equivalent teftimony, they fhall hereafter be entitled to a higher claim, it will then be right to accede to their ftronger pretenfions. At prefent it does not appear that there is any reafon to believe in the early existence of Fingal, or Temora, in the connected epic form which they now bear; and though they may have fo come into Mr Macpherfon's hands, it seems probable that they had undergone many changes before they reached him. To make fuch works the basis of an historical system, is furely unworthy the gravity of a fcientific writer; and the weaknefs of the attempts which have been hitherto made to eftablish such a system, the confufion of dates, the dubiousness of names, and the total uncertainty of events, fufficiently betray its abfurdity. Still lefs reafon is there in denying the poffibility of antiquity to thefe poems. Since the year 1745, a great change has been introduced into Highland manners; but we are warranted by every previous teftimony in believing, that tradition was once once fo regular and conftant as to preferve fuch records a very long while unaltered. Upon the whole, perhaps, we may draw this general conclufion; that, in very early times, poems defcriptive of the manners and events of the age were compofed with fo much merit as to enfure their permanence in the memory of their auditors; that the state of language, which is much lefs changeable in uncivilized than in civilized fociety, contributed to their prefervation; and that they reached nearly to modern times, with fome changes, omiffions, and additions, indeed; but ftill no invaluable relics of former genius. It is to be lamented that the perfon who firft gave them an English drefs, was, in fome refpects, but ill qualified for fuch a task. By a want of fidelity, he has afforded a very inadequate idea of the poems, fuch as he found them exifting. I have been afsured by a man of learning, who was acquainted with Mr Macpherson when he first formed his collection, that he used great freedom in expunging the extravagancies of fuperftition with which they abounded, and which to this day are to be found in the popular notions of the Highlanders refpecting the Fions. In this, as a principle of tafte, he has been followed by fubfequent tranflators, who alledge that there is a manifeft distinction between the Sgeulachd, or fimple ancient tales, and the ur-fgeul, or later corruptions; but however this may be, as the public poffefs 'no teft of fuch a diftinction, it would, in all cafes, be proper to lay the exifting facts first before them, and then the grounds of criticifm. It is, perhaps, owing in fome measure to a fimilar caufe, that thefe poems contain fo little minute defcription of manners, that the weapons, food, &c. are not more particularized; that fome animals, fuch as the wolf * and bear, which then abounded in the Highlands, are not mentioned; in fhort, that many circumftances which might rationally be expected to have given a peculiar character and intereit to thefe productions, have been either loft by the inaccuracy of tradition, or rejected by the fastidioufnefs of the editor. The ftyle of the tranflation is, to the English reader, not its leaft objectionable part; and in this allo Mr Macpherfon has found many imitators. The Gaelic idioms predominate fo much, and the English, or rather Scottish writers, who are imitated, are themselves fo far from perfection, that the awkwardnefs of this heterogeneous compound is by no means furprifing. With all thefe defects, the poems of Offian are highly valuable; they contain much that is beautiful, and much that is fublime; and it is a proof at once of their worth and antiquity, that many paffages in them have long been proverbial in the Highlands. Among the manufcript poems in Mr Mac Nab's poffeffion were the four following: 1. Duan an Deirg. The fong of Deirg, or Dargo. 2. Ninghin junfa. The unknown fair one. fall. 3. Eafs ruaidh. The red water 4. Laoidh a ghabhainne. The fong of the fmiths. Thefe have been all collected at no great diftance of time, and written down from oral tradition. It is not probable that there exift any ancient Gaelic MSS. of confequence; I myfelf faw at Edinburgh the fo often quoted Leabhair Dearg, or red book of the Macdonalds. It is a fmall paper 12mo. regularly paged, of which * An author who wrote in 1633, fays, 'the wolves are moft fierce and noyfoine unto the heards and flockes in all parts of Scotland.' And tradition reports, that the laft wolf in Britain was flain by Sir Ewen Cameron, of Lochiel, in 1680. which there remain the pages from 31 to 311, a very few being blank, the rest written in various hands and different inks, but all in the Irish character. Many circumflances (fuch as the monuments at Icolmkill, &c.) prove, that this character was used very early in Scotland; but the ftate of manners rendered it unneceffary to employ it in perpetuating those fongs which had a living record in the memories of men. EXTRACTS FROM HOLMES'S SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF IRELAND. Tumuli opened-burning the dead—a NE Lunatic. [EAR the church (of Kills) are feveral low mounds, or tumuli, one of which was opened fome years ago there were found in it an earthen veffel, with fome fpear and arrow heads *. I counted twelve towers, very perfect, in one of which, while we were employed in examining an antique apartment, whofe ponderous chimney-piece, and other ancient fixtures, caught our attention, and gave rife to a long train of the wildeft fpeculation. As we approached a fmall low door, within which all was darknefs, we were roused from our reveries by a strange indiftinct found. Prefently we were encountered by a tall, emaciated figure, which, ftooping through the low arched door, quickly paffed us, and defcended the spiral teps by which we came up. He had on a long coat reaching down paft his knees, and on his head a kind of cap. From the glimpfe we got of his face, it appeared pale and ghaftly. You may eafily form an idea of the effect produced by fuch an adventure on our minds, which, from the furrounding objects, were prepared to receive the most romantic impreffions. From a window we obferved him talking among the ruins, fometimes with a meafured pace, and at times urged on by fudden ftarts; his hands locked in each other, and his eyes fixed on the sky. What a fubject was here for one of our modern romances, who deal fo largely in myfterious fi gures, noifes, &c. who by raifing fome "white mift, hovering in the air,” with the help of a few uncertain rays of the moon, which might fall upon a rufty dagger, and a drop or two of blood upon the pavement, might produce as excellent a ghoft of this poor lunatic as ever was made. Our furmifes were justified, for we found he was mere flesh and blood, and had inhabited that tower for these eleven years paft, fubfifting on the bounty *The ancient Irish burned their dead, and depofited the afhes in urns, of which many have been found, containing bones, afhes, and a jelly-like confiftence, which was probably fiefh. At Killimeille, near Dungannon, on the top of a hill, were two circles of ftones joining each other, forming a figure of eight, each about twenty yards in diameter, being repofitories for urns. The perfon who farmed the ground, wanting stones to build a houfe, drew the most of them away. Within one of the circles were found three urns, in three feveral holes, covered with flat ftones; around them were fet fix large ftones, and others thrown upon the top. On the fame hill, eastward of thefe circles, was difcovered the altar on which they ufed to burn their dead, overgrown with green fod and earth. On uncovering it, it was found to be of unhewn stone, eight feet long and four broad; the coals and bones fresh among the ftones, and the ftones burnt with fire. At the east end of this altar there was a pit, which was likewife overgrown with foil; which, on opening, was found to be the receiver where they fwept in all that remained on the altar, after burning. On fearching deep, the fubftance was found to be all alike, black and greafy. It had tinged the hill in a fraight line, from the pit to the bottom of the hill. bounty of Dr Madden, who holds the living, He comes regularly up to the parfonage-house, which stands on the top of this floping lawn, and receives his meals, which he carries down to his cell, and there depofits; this place he fortifies ingeniously against the winter blafts, by matted ftraw and hay, and renders it really a warm, comfortable abode. Amongft the country people he paffes for a perfon of fome influence among the fairies, with whom they frequently hear him in earnest converfation. Sometimes he is feen fitting with his legs dangling out of an high window in the tower, making long fpeeches to the moon; and when the goddefs veils her face behind a cloud, he exhorts her to re-appear in a ftrain of tremendous vociferation. Anekdote of Thomas Earl of Kildare. This Thomas was furnamed Nuppagh (i. e. the Ape,) on the following account: being only nine years old when his father and grandfather were flain by the M'Carties, and nurfed at Tralee, whither the news of their deaths fuddenly arriving, the nurfes who attended, in their firft astonishment, ran out of the houfe, and left the child alone in the cradle, when a baboon or ape, that was kept in the family, took up the infant and carried it to the top of the castle, from whence, after bearing it round the battlements, and fhowing it for fome time to the aftonished spectators, he brought it down fafe, and laid it in the cradle. By this accident he was called the Nuppagh; and the Dukes of Leinster being his imme. diate defcendants, continue to bear monkies for their fupporters and creft, in grateful remembrance of the faid Thomas's prefervation. Rebellion of the laft Earl of Defmond, 1580. After three years of ceaseless warfare, and of variable fuccefs, Def. mond retired to the woods and fastneffes (his caftles taken or deftroyed, his troops fcattered and disheartened,) attended by a few followers: himself difguised in mean apparel, and in the utmost extremity of diftrefs; two horfemen, and a few kerns, ventured to feize fome cattle for their fubfiftence; but the owner giving the alarm to a neighbouring military poft, they were pursued, and the cattle tracked to a wood, about four miles from Tralee, in which they refolved to lodge. About midnight they dif covered a light not far off, and gathering their party clofe together, fent one man on to fee who were there; he returned, and informed them that there were five or fix perfons in a ruined house, whereupon they determined to attack them. On entering, they found but one man, of venerable afpect, ftretched languidly before a fire. Kelly, of Morierty, affailed and wounded the old man, who faintly exclaimed, "Spare me, I am "the Earl of Defmond;" but the favage ftruck off his head, and ing it to the Earl of Ormond, it was carryfent over to the Queen, and impaled upon London bridge: the body, after eight weeks hiding, was interred in a fmall chapel near Castle ifland. The family of Morierty are still in difgrace among the people for the death of this unfortunate Earl. Thus was a family extinguifhed, which had flourifhed for four centuries in rude fplendour and magnificence, and had frequently proved too powerful to be governed. With the poffeffions of independent princes, and a large army of followers, they were naturally tempted to affume the port of fovereignty, unreftrained by a government which frequently depended on them for fupport. The lands forfeited by this Earl amounted to 574,628 acres Irish. The Defmonds were always in oppofition to the houfe of Ormond, whofe quarrels often deluged the country with blood. In the reign of Eliza Volcanic Appearances. The caftle of Lick ftands upon a rock almost furrounded by the fea, communicating formerly with the land by a drawbridge; it belonged to a branch of the Defmond family. Near this is the castle of Dune, fituated fimilar, overhanging the ocean. Some years back, a part of thefe cliffs (between the caftles of Lick and Dune) affumed a volcanic appearance; the waves by continual dafhing had worn and undermined the cliff, which giving way, fell with tremendous violence into the fea; feveral great ftrata, or beds of pyritæ, iron, and fulphur, were in confequence exposed to the action of the air and falt water; the natural effects of which were, that they heated and burned 66 with great fiercenefs; the clay near it is calcined to a red brick, mixed with iron ore, melted in many places like cinders thrown from a fmith's forge. Many who did not confider well the causes and the effects naturally to be expected from them, have supposed this to be volcanic *.” Mucrufs Lake-Remarkable Echoes. On our return, along Glenaá, we difcovered innumerable echoes, prodigiously grand and folemn, particu larly from the cannon, which burst like the moft dreadful thunder rolling from fide to fide; frequently dying away, they would recommence and approach us flowly; fometimes interrupted by a fudden found like a fingle clap of thunder, answered by two or three diftinctly, then mingle into one continued found, feeming as if the mountains groaned in dreadful labour, fuch as precedes the most horrible commotion of nature. The fad and awful impreffions made upon the mind by this terrible fublime effect, are delightfully difplaced by the echoes from the horn, which are exquifite, and the very foul of harmony †. Before we reached the ifland of Innisfallen, the face of the lake became totally changed; the sky began to lour, and darken ed * Mr Tournefort, in his Voyage to the Levant, informs us, "that in the island "of Milo, in the Archipelago, the iron-mines that are found there, and from "whence a certain tract of land takes the denomination of St. John de Fer, main"tain perpetual fires ;" and he thus reafons upon this phenomenon. "It is cer"tain," fays he, "that filings of iron, fteeped in common water, will grow confiderably warm, and much more fo in fea-water; and if you mingle them with "fome fulphur pounded, you will fee this mixture really burn fome time after it is "moistened. It is therefore probable, that the fires which are conftantly felt in "this ifland, are folely occafioned by a fermentation of a ferruginous matter mix"ed with fulphur, which no place in that ifland is without; and these materials are heated by being drenched in fea-water, which runs through all parts of the fpungy rock." So, in like manner, may the fire be accounted for in the cliff. There are certain letters which no echo will return or exprefs, particularly an S, of which Lord Bacon gives a pleasant inftance in a celebrated echo formed by the walls of a ruined church, at Pont Charenton, near Paris; where there was an old Parifian who took it to be the work of spirits, and of good fpirits; "for," faid he, "if you call Satan, the echo will not deliver back the devil's name, but "will fay Vat'en, which fignifies Avoid;" by which circumftance his Lordship difcovered that an echo would not return an S. |