TH

HIS Gentleman was defcended from one of the most ancient families in the North of Scotland, being coufin-german to the Chief of the clan of the Macphersons, who deduce their origin from the antient Catti of Germany. He was born at Ruthven in the county of Inverness, in the latter end of the year 1738, and received the first rudiments of his education at home, from whence he was fent to the grammar school of Inverness, where his genius became fo confpicuous, that his relations, contrary to their original intention, determined to breed him to a learned profeffion. With this view, he was fent fucceffively to the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh, in the last of which he finished his ftudies.

While at the Univerfity, he exercised his poetical talents, which, however, were not (if a few paffages of Offian are excepted) of the first order. In the. year 1758, he printed at Edinburgh a Poem in fix Cantos, intituled "The Highlander," in 12mo. This performance is a tiffue of fuftian and abfurdity, feeble, and in fome parts ridiculous, and fhews little or no talent in the art of verfification. In a fhort time the Author was fenfible himfelf of its faults, and, it is faid, endeavoured to fupprefs it. We fhall, therefore, not revive this abortive effort by any extract. About the fame period he wrote the following Ode on the Arrival of the Earl Marifchal in Scotland, which is called an Attempt in the Manner of Pindar.

VOL. LVIII.

'TWAS when the full ear'd harvest bow'd Beneath the merry reaper's hand; When here the plenteous fheaves were ftrew'd,

And there the corns nod o'er the land; When, on each fide, the loaden'd ground, Breathing her ripen'd fcents, the jovial feafon

crown'd.

The villagers all on the green,

Th' arrival of their Lord attend; The blithfome fhepherds hafte to join, And whiftling from the hills defcend; Nor orphan nor lone widow mourns;

E'en hopeless lovers lofe their pains; To-day their banish'd Lord returns, Once more to blefs his native plains. Each hoary fire with gladden'd face Repeats fome anfient tale;

How he with Tyrcis, at the chace,

Hy'd o'er the hill and dale: Their hoary heads with rapture glow, While each to each repeats How well he knew where to bestow, Was to oppreflion ftill a foc; Still mixing with their praife his youthful

1

feats.

Then from the grafs Melanthus rofe, The arbitrator of the plains,

And filent all ftood fixt to hear

1

The Tityrus of Mernia's fwains : For with the Mufe's fire his bofom glow'd, And eafy from his lips the numbers flow'd. "Now the wifh'd-for day is comė, Our Lord reviews his native home; Now clear and ftrong ideas rife, And wrap my foul in extacies. Methinks I fee that ruddy morn, When, waken'd by the hunter's horn, I rofe; and, by yon mountain's fide, Saw Tyrcis and Achates ride: While floating by yon craggy brow The flowly fatc'ring mift withdrew : I faw the ro- huck crofs yon plan, Yon heathy fteep 1 faw him gain; H h

The

The hunters ftill fly o'er the ground,
Their fhouts the diftant hills refound;
Dunnotyr's towers refound the peal
'That echoes o'er the hill and dale:
At length, what time the ploughman leads
Home from the field his weary fteads,
At yon old tree the roebuck fell:
The huntfmen's jocund mingled fhouts his
downfall tell.

"The memory of those happy days
Still in my breaft muft tranfport raise;
Thofe happy days, when oft were feen
The Brothers, marching o'er the green,
With dog and gun, while yet the night
Was blended with the dawning light,
When firft the fheep begin to bleat,
And th' early kine rife from their dewy
feat."

Thus as he spoke, each youthful breaft

Glows with wild extacies;

In each eye rapture stands confeft,

Each thinks he flies along the mead,
And manages the fiery fteed,

And hears the beagles' cries.

The fage Melanthus now again

"The kings of th' carth, with open arms, Th' illuftrious Exiles hail :

See! warlike Cyrus, great and wife,
Demand and follow their advice,
And all his breast unveil.
See! pouring from the hills of fnow,
Nations of favages in arms;

A defert lies where'er they go,
Before them march pale Terror and Alarms.
"The princes of the fouth prepare
Their thousand thousands for the war ;
Against thee, Cyrus, they combine;
The North and South their forces join,
To crush thee in the duft:
But thou art fafe; Achates draws
His fword with thine, and backs thy caufe;
Yes, thou art doubly fafe, thy cause is just.

"With dread the Turks have oft beheld
His fword wide waving o'er the field;
As oft these fons of carnage fled
O'er mountains of their kindred dead.
When all the fury of the fight

With wrath redoubled rag'd;

When man to man with giant might,
For all that's dear engag'd;
When all was thunder, smoke, and fire;

the strain.

"Now my youthful heat returns,
My breaft with youthful vigour burns:
Methinks I fee that glorious day,

When, to hunt the fallow deer,
Three thousand march'd in grand array;
Three thousand march'd with bow and
fpear,

All in the light and healthy drefs

Our brave forefathers wore

In Kenneth's wars, and Bruce's days, And when the Romans fled their dreadful wrath of yore.

"O'er every hill, o'er every dale,

All by the winding banks of Tay, Refounds the hunter's chearful peal,

Their armour glitt'ring to the day." Big with his joys of youth the old man ftood

Dunnotyr's ruin'd towers then caught hiseye

He ftopt-and hung his head in penfive mood.

And from his bofom burft th' unbidden figh,

Then turning with a warrior look Shaking his hoary curls, the old man spoke:

"Virtue, O Fortune! fcorns thy pow'r, Thou canst not bind her for an hour;

Virtue fhall ever fhine;

And endless praife, her glorious dow'r,
Shall blefs her fons divine.

fprings retire:

'Twas then, through streams of smoke and

blood,

Achates mounts the city wall; Though wounded, like a god he stood, And at his feet the foes fubmiffive fall.

Brave are the Goths, and fierce in fight, Yet thefe he gave to rout and flight: Proud when they were of victory. He rufh'd on like a storm; difpers'd and weak they fly.

Thus, from the Grampians old,

A torrent deep and strong,
Down rushes on the fold,

And sweeps the shepherd and the flock along.

"When, through an aged wood, The thunder roars amain, His paths with oaks are strew'd, And ruin marks the plain : So, many a German field can tell, How in his path the mighty heroes fell. "When with their num'rous dogs, the swains Surprize the aged lion's den, Th' old warrior rufhes to the charge,

And fcorns the rage of dogs and men ; His whelps he guards on ev'ry fide; Safe they retreat-What though a mortal

dart

Stands trembling in his breast, his dauntless heart

Glows with a victor's pride.

"So the old lion, brave Achates fought; And miracles of prowess wrought;

fell."

66

It was intended that he should enter into the fervice of the Church, but whether he ever took orders we are uncertain. Mr Gray speaks of him as a young Clergyman, but David Hume probably more truly defcribes him as a modeft fenfible young man, not fettled in any living, but employed as a private tutor in Mr Graham of Balgowan's family, a way of life which he is not fond of t." This was in the year 1760, when he surprised the world by the publication of "Fragments of Antient Poetry, collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and tranflated from the Gaelic or Erfe language." 8vo. Thefe Fragments, which were declared to be genuine remains of ancient Scottish poetry, at their first appearance delighted every reader; and fome very good judges, and amongst the rest Mr Gray, were extremely warm in their praifes. As other fpecimens were faid to be recoverable, a fubfcription was fet on foot to enable our Author to quit the family he was then in, and undertake a miffion into the Highlands, to fecure them. He engaged in the undertaking, and foon after produced the Works whofe authenticity has fince occafioned fo much controverfy, but which now feem geneMafon's Life of Gray. + Vol. 5. page $29. VOL. LVIII.

rally admitted to be the Works of Mr Macpherson himself.

In 1762 he published "Fingal, an Antient Epic Poem, in fix books," together with feveral other Poems, compofed by Offian, the fon of Fingal, tranflated from the Gaelic language, * 4to. The fubject of this Epic Poem is an invafion of Ireland by Swaran, King of Lochlin. Cuchullin, General of the Irish tribes during the minority of Cormac King of Ireland, upon intelligence of the invafion, affembled his forces near Tura, a cattle on the coaft of Uifter. The Poem opens with the landing of Swaran; councils are held, battles fought, and Cuchullin is at laft totally defeated. In the mean time Fingal, King of the Highlands of Scotland, whofe aid had been folicited before the enemy landed, arrived, and expelled them from the country. This war, which continued but fix days, and as many nights, is, including the epifodes, the ftory of the Poem. The fcene, the heath of Lena, near a mountain called Cromleach in Úlfter. This Poem alfo

was received with equal applaufe as the preceding Fragments.

The next year he produced "Temora," an ancient Epic Poem, in eight books together with feveral other Poems compofed by Offian, fon of Fingal, 4to.: which, though well received, found the Public fomewhat lefs difposed to bestow the fame measure of applause. Though thefe Poems had been examined by Dr Blair, and others, and their authenticity afferted, there were not wanting fome of equal reputation for critical abilities, who either doubted or declared their difbelief of the genuineneís of them. By this time the Author feems to have devested himself of that modesty which Mr. Hume had formerly commended, and treated his antagonists in an arrogant manner, not calculated to remove any impreffions they had received.

"Since the publication," fays he, "of the laft collection of Offian's Poems, many infinuations have been made, and 1 i doubts