Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

POEMS OF ossia:n% 141
And in the ancient MS. which formerly was the
dean of Lifmore's, now in the pofTeffion of the So-
ciety :
* Di wamyn beggane floyeg*
Ag efs royg* ny negg-in mawle
Di chemyn fa holt yr lerr
Currych mor agus ben ann.
Keigyt leich ycn.vnych mane reic°
Fa mat* er gneeif er gy gart
Ffir yair neifli is marg a cheith
Di yowmift er gi teir nert.*
There was a (horter and more rapid meafure fot
the lyrical parts of the compofition ; fuch was ge»
nerally ufed for the Prosnacha Catha, the fong of
incitement to battle, which it was the office of the
bards to fmg, to animate the heroes when about to
engage the enemy. Such is the meafure of fome of
the odes given by Mifs Brooke, and of the war-
fong to Gaul, which is in the poifefTion of the So-
ciety. The opening of this war-fong, as in one of
the Kilbride MSS. is as follows : its meafure is quick,
rapid, and fpirit-ftirring, each line generally con-
taining one or two dactyls.
* Goll mear mileanta,
Ceap na cròdhachta,
Làmh fhial arrachd,
Mian na mordhaclita.
Lèoghar luath adhbhal,
Lèonadh Ian biodhbhadh,
Tonn go treun thoirneadb, ^-^-^
GoU