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which his rank and blood entitled him to fill. Accordingly,. 

 foon after the death of his fatlier, we find him called to the 

 chief command of the Imperial army by the monarch Con, fur- 

 named Of the hundred Battles, to fupprefs a moft powerful 

 and dangerous confederacy formed againfl him. In the engage- 

 ment thatenfued, called the battle of Cnucha (fought A.D. 155.) the 

 enemy were not only completely defeated, but GoU had the addi- 

 tional glory of killing, in fingle combat, Cumhal, mafter of the 

 Leinfter knights, commander of the enemy's army, and a champion 

 highly celebrated for his valorous deeds both in Britain and Gaul. 

 It was on marching to the onfet, it was in the heat of the fight, and 

 until fortune declared in favour of the imperialifls in this battle, 

 that this ode was fung by Fergus *, the chief bard of Goll. The 

 confequences of this battle were well remembered above a cen- 

 tury after; where Oifin, in his ia.o) iict Sejlge, or hunting ode» 

 deplores the death of Cumhal, " flain by Mac Morna, of the 

 " Golden Shield." The prefent Ode, or rather Rhapfody, I 

 flatter myfelf will appear no unacceptable prefent to the Aca- 

 demy, as well for its originality, as for the lights it throws on 

 fome obfcure paffages in the antients. But to me it feems of 

 ftill greater moment, by (I apprehend) proving " ad inftantiam 

 " crucis," as is fometimes exprefled by philofophers, the early 

 ftate of arts, lettei's and civilization in this country. 



* This Fergus is not to be confounded with Fergus, fon of Fion Mac Cumhal; 

 for Fion was but a boy at the time of the battle of Cnucha. The author of thiiode 

 was a Connaught bard, and celebrated for the harmony of his numbers. 



