47 



Throughout Ross's description both of the car and the horses, 

 there is an evident effort, which as evidently fails, to surpass Mac- 

 pherson's, by the addition of epithets which can serve no purpose, but 

 that of filling up the rhythm of the verse in the Gaelic translation. 

 Macpherson says, "the rapid car of Cuthullin, the noble son of 

 Semo." This must be improved, says Ross ; and accordingly he 

 writes, " the polished rapid car of CuchuUin, the noble son of mighty 

 Semo." — *' Before the right side of the car," says Macpherson, " is 

 seen the snorting horse." We shall improve this also, quoth Ross; 

 and forthwith appears : " On the right side of the noble car, is seen 

 the high-blooded snorting steed." High-blooded, if we mistake not, 

 betrays the "cloven foot." Again, Macpherson says, "the fleet, 

 bounding son of the hill;" and Ross exclaims, the original is "swift- 

 footed, white-nosed son of the hills !" Which has the superior claim 

 to originality, let the reader judge. 



In " the embossed stones sparkling like the sea round the boat of 

 night," we have a simile of great beauty. Ross has destroyed it in 

 his version. Instead of embossed stones sparkling like the sea, he 

 gives us with marvellous infelicity, the "glare of gems like the sea," 

 omitting the very, and the only word, sparkling, which gives a true 

 image of the phosphorescent or luminous appearance of the ocean, 

 which does not glare, but sparkle. With equal infelicity he substitutes 

 vessel for boat, and the prose at night, for the poetry " of night." 

 The warrior's car might well be assimilated to a boat, which is in fact 

 a floating car ; but the term, vessel, suggests the idea of masts and 

 sails, and altogether undoes the resemblance. 



Macpherson, 363. 



The spreading of the mane above. 



Is like a stream of smoke on a ridge of rocks. 



Ross. 



The spreading of his forelock above. 

 Like the mist on the dwelling of the deer. 



