3ft 



Binds its summit to the skies ! A palpable modern refinement ! 

 To use the language of my Lord Kaims, a peeping out of the cloven 

 foot ! 



Macpherson, 124. 



Fingal, who scatters the mighty. 

 As stormy wind the heath, 

 When streams roar through echoing Cona, 

 And night settles with all her clouds on the 

 hUl. 



Ross. 



Fingal, who disperses the brave, 



As the whirlwind scatters the grass. 



When the torrent roars through the rocky 



Cona, 

 And Morven is wrapt in the robe of heaven. 



"Scatter the mighty" is scriptural lari^age. The strong 

 " scatter " of Macpherson is preferable to the weak " disperses " of 

 Ross, who employs scatter also in the second line, where it is not 

 wanted, and thus violates the precept of the Roman critic, " verbis 

 lassas onerantibus aures." Macpherson's "Night settling with all her 

 clouds on the hill," is a magnificent picture. Ross's " Morven 

 wrapt in the robe of heaven," conveys no distinct idea to our minds, 

 or if any, it is not in keeping with the whirlwind and torrent. If by 

 robe he means the clouds, he should have employed a more expres- 

 sive metaphor to harmonize with the rest of the description. A robe 

 is a dress for beauty and majesty, and not for the rocky and stormy 

 Morven. Had he wrapt it in a brown surtout, or highland plaid, we 

 should have understood him better. 



Macpherson, 142. 

 Amid the tempest let me die, 

 Tom in a cloud by angry ghosts of men ; 

 Amid the tempest let Calmar die. 

 If ever chase was sport to him, 

 So much as the battle of shields. 



Ross, 



May I perish by a blast from heaven, 

 (Or, may I fall by the breath of a ghost ;) 

 If I prefer not to the chase of the deer. 

 The hottest conflicts of embattled hosts. 



