Ossian Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

xx'xiv A DISSERTATION,
tives of that Illand. In order to do this effedually, they found it
neceffary, to rejeft the genuine poems, as every Hne was pregnant
with proofs of their Scotch original, and to drefs up a fable, on the
fame fubjedl, in their own language. So ill qualified, however, were
their bards to eftecluate this change, that amidil all their defires to
make the Fiona IrUhmen, they every now and then call SiolAlbin. It
was, probably, after a fuccelfion of fome generations, that the
bards had effrontery enough to eftablhh an Irifli genealogy for Fion,
and deduce him from the Milefian race of kings. In fome of the
oldelt Irirti poems, on the fubjed, the great-grand-father of Fion is
made a Scandinavian ; and his heroes are often called Siol Lochlin
NA BEUMj /'. e. the race of Lochlin of ivounds. The only poem
that runs up the family of Fion to Nuades Niveus, king of Ireland, is
evidentlv not above a hundred and fifty years old; for, if I miftake
not, it mentions the Earl of Tyrone, fo famous in Elizabeth's time.
This fubjeft, perhaps, is purfued further than it deferves ;
but, a difcuffion of the pretenfions of Ireland to OiTian, was become
in fome meafure neceflary. If the Irilh poems, concerning the F/-
ona, Ihould appear ridiculous, it is but juftice to obferve, that they
are fcarcely more fo than the poems of other nations, at that period.
On other fubjedts, the bards of Ireland have difplayed a genius worthy
of any age or nation. It was, alone, in matters of antiquity, that
ihey were monftrous in their fables. Their love-fonnets, and their
elegies on the death of perfons worthy or renowned, abound with
fueh beautiful fimplicity, of fentiment, and wild harmony of num-
bers, that they become more than an attonement for their errors, in
ev?ry other. fpecies of poetry. But the beauty of thefe pieces, depend
fp.much on a certain curiofa felicitas of expreffion in the original,
that they mull; app.ar much to difadvantage in another language.
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