327 



so much upon the subject of this poem, that we deem it unneces- 

 sary to .offer any additional observation here. The title of the poem 

 in Irish is " Imtheacht Airgin ann Eirinn." We have also, at p. 225, 

 submitted some remarks on the poem of " Darthula," which must 

 satisfy any unprejudiced mind^that it is stolen from the ancient Irish 

 Tale of the " Children of Uisneach, or Usnoth" as he is sometimes 

 called. iimmd 



.ii; At p. 227, we mentioned the combat between Oscar and lollan, 

 to which it is scarcely necessary to add any thing here. The Irish 

 poem, except the change of names in the actors, seems to be a bad 

 imitation of the poem of Moighre borh. A young lady flies from a 

 tyrannical prince, and puts herself under the protection of Fionn and 

 his host. Her pursuer, lollan, Fionn, (the fair,) son of the king of 

 Spain, lands on the shore, where a battle ensues between him and 

 some of the warriors of Fionn, one hundred of whom he kills, and 

 binds several more. He also kills the lady. Osgar advances to meet 

 him, they fight, and the Spanish prince is killed. Such is the outline 

 of the story, and such is the original of Macpherson's combat be- 

 tween Oscar and Ullin. In the old Irish copy the poem opens with 

 an address from Saint Patrick to Ossian, and the bard's reply to the 

 saint. A copy of this poem was published by Mr. Gillies, but as 

 this commencement would show the Irish Origin of the poem, the 

 first three ranns, or twelve lines, are omitted by him. Doctor 

 Young, however, found a copy of it in the Highlands, that had the 

 three introductory stanzas. But independent of the three omitted 

 stanzas, the poem has other proofs of its Irish origin ; it mentions 

 Almhuin, the mansion of Finn ; the Fians of Fail, (Ireland) ; and 

 in conclusion, addresses Saint Patrick by the title of Mac Alpin, or 

 son of Alpin. In the poem of "Berrathon,'' the son of Alpin is men- 

 tioned, but Macpherson affects not to know who he was. cini vl>r,.r.i;: 



