Ossian Collection > Original collection of the poems of Ossian, Orrann, Ulin, and other bards, who flourished in the same age

DARGO,
THE SON OF DRUDIN;
A
POEM.
C6e argument*
The following poem celebrates the brave and wonderful exploits of
Daigo, the son of Drudin, one of the chiefs of Scandinavia. It would
appear, that the Fingalians had slain Dargo's father in some previous
engagement. The young Chevalier, arrived at the age of manhood, and
alraady exhibiting specimens of extraordinary valour, begins to project
an extensive plan of conquest, and forms a determination, with what-
ever antagonist he should fight, never to quit the field till victorious.
Intent on avenging his father's death, he undertakes an expedition to
the Fingalian territory, where he gives battle to several of Fingal's he«
roes. He gains the advantage in every combat, till Gaul, the son of
Morni, encounters and kills him.
This piece, in the original, bespeaks high antiquity. The style is
pure and classical, though some passages may have suffered fi-om theli-
«;entiousness of recitors, or the oscitancy of careless transcribers. An
Irish copy of it is contained in pp. 301, 311, of Short's manuscript— a
thick duodecimo, belonging to the Highland Society of Scotland.
Another edition of it was taken down by the late Reverend Mr. Camp-
bell, of Portree, in the Isle of Skye, and is extant among his Ossianic
papers. Mr. M'Lachlan, of Aberdeen, has copies of the two editions.
They agree pretty closely with the one before us; but they want the
enumeration of the standards, the general engagement, and the para-
graph on the state of departed heroes. The Gaelic reader, however;
n-ill find these passages in pp. 23^, 231; and 213, 211-, of Dr. Smith's