The ending of this book, and with it that of the poem, is peculiarly placid and beautiful.

"Sons of Morven, fpread the feaft; fend the night away in fong. Ye have fhone around me, and the dark storm is past. My people are the windy rocks, from which I fpread my eaglewings, when I rush forth to renown, and feize it on its field. -Offian, thou haft the fpear of Fingal: it is not the staff of a boy with which he ftrews the thiftle round, young wanderer of the field. No it is the lance of the mighty, with which they ftretch'd forth their hands to death. Look to thy fathers, my Son; they are awful beams.-With morning lead Ferad-atho forth to the ecchoing halls of Temora. Remind him of the Kings of Erin; the ftately forms of old.-Let not the fallen be forgot, they were mighty in the field. Let Carril pour his fong, that the kings may rejoice in their mift.-To-morrow I spread my fails to Selma's fhaded walls; where itreamy Duthula winds through the feats of roes."

Thefe fpecimens will convince our Readers, that Temera is not wanting in that poetical imagery and fublimity of ftyle, which fo eminently diftinguifhed Fingal. We cannot close this article, however, without obferving, that as the answers Mr. McPherson hath made to fome objections, thrown out by us on a former occafion, are fupported only by mere affirmation, we think it unneceflary to enter into any juftification of our former opinion.

K-n-k

Five Pieces of Runic Poetry, tranflated from the Iflandic Language. 8vo. Is. 6d. Dodfley.

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HE great fuccefs of Mr. Macpherfon's verfion of the Erfe fragments, having confefledly given rife to the prefent tranflation from the Iflandic, the Editor very ingenuously acknowleges it is by no means for the intereft of this little work, to have it brought into comparifon with thofe beautiful pieces; after which it must appear to the greatest disadvantage. In this, indeed, we are perfectly of his opinion, and fhould be fo, were the merit of the prefent performance much greater than it is. The Erfe fragments had, befides the advantages they might derive from the Tranflator, the great merit of novelty to recommend them; whereas every poem here produced hath been already publifhed, accompanied with a Latin or Swedish verfion: a cir cumftance which not only takes from the novelty of the work, REV. April, 1763.

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at least with the learned, but hath alfo obliged the Translator to keep clofer to his original; which he could not therefore occafionally embellifh, as, it is prefumed, Mr. Macpherson may poffibly have fometimes done. But, be this as it may, the pieces before us, tho' known to fome few of the learned, are rare and fingular enough to excite the curiofity of the English Reader, it it be not already fufficiently gratified with fpecimens of this kind of poetry. There is, however, a confiderable difference between thefe Runic productions and thofe of the Galic or Erfe, as there probably was between the Writers, and the ages in which they lived. With regard to the former; our Editor obferves" that the antient inhabitants of the northern parts of Europe are generally known under no other character than that of a hardy and unpolifhed race, who fubdued all the fouthern nations by dint of courage and of numbers. Their valour, their ferocity, their contempt of death, and paffion for liberty, form the outlines of the picture we commonly draw of them: and if we fometimes revere them for that generous plan of government which they every where eftablifhed, we cannot help lamenting that they railed the fabric upon the ruins of literature and the fine arts.

"There is yet one feature of their character of a more amiable caft, which, tho' not fo generally known, no lefs belongs to them, and that is, an amazing fondnefs for poetry. It will be thought a paradox, that the fame people, whofe furious ravages deftroyed the laft poor remains of expiring genius among the Romans, fhould cherifh it with all poffible care among their own countrymen: yet fo it was. At least this was the cafe among the antient Danes, and from the fimilarity of their religion, manners, and cuftoms, is equally credible of the other nations of Teutonic race.

The antient inhabitants of Sweden, Denmark and Norway retained their original manners and customs longer than any other of the Gothic tribes, and brought them down nearer to our own times. The remoteness of their fituation rendered access to them flow and difficult; nor was it till the tenth and eleventh centuries that Chriftianity had gained an establishment among them. Hence it is that we are better acquainted with the peculiarities of their original compofitions handed down to us, than of any other of the northern nations,

"Of thefe compofitions a great multitude are extant, fome of them in print, others preferved in manufcripts, in the libraries of the north. All of them demonftrate that poetry was once held there in the higheft eftimation. The invention of it was 4 attributed

attributed to the Gods, and ranked among the most valuable gifts conferred on mortals. Those that excelled in it, were diftinguished by the firft honours of the ftate: were conftant attendants on their Kings, and were often employed on the most important commiffions. Thefe bards were called by the fignificant name of Scald, a word which implies "a fmoother or po

lisher of language.”

"The language in which their productions are preferved, and which once prevailed pretty extenfively in the north, is commonlycalled Inlandic Iceland being the place where it was fuppofed to be spoken in the greateft purity, and where it is to this day in use. The Iflandic is the mother of the modern Swedish and Danish tongues, in like manner as the Anglo-faxon is the parent of our English. Both these mother-tongues are dialects of the antient Gothic or Teutonic; and of fo near affinity, that, in the opinion of the learned, what was fpoken in one of them, was without much difficulty understood by thofe who ufed the other, Hence it is, that fuch as ftudy the originals of our own language, have conftantly found it neceffary to call in the affistance of this ancient fifter dialect.

"The characters, in which this language was originally written, were called Runic; from an Islandic word that fignifies a Furrow. As the materials used for writing in the firft rude ages were only wood or stone, the convenience of fculpture required that the strokes should run chiefly in ftrait lines; and the refemblance to plowing fuggefted the appellation. The word Runic was at first applied to the letters only; though latter Writers have extended it to the verfes written in them."

It is from these verfes the fpecimens here published are taken; one of which we shall quote, to gratify the curiofity of the Reader. It is the Incantation of Hervor, who calls upon her dead father to deliver to her his fword; which is fuppofed to have been buried with him. The circumftances of this poem are calculated to infpire terror in the highest degree; but for want of imagery in the original, and a poetical turn in the translation, they lofe much of their natural effect. We do not think our Editor alfo very happy in his choice of the pieces here published; remembring to have read fome performances in Bartholinus, which, we think, afforded preferable specimens of this northern poetry.

The Incantation of HERVOR.

Awake, Angantyr! Hervor, the only daughter of thee and

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Suafa,

Suafa, doth awaken thee. Give me, out of the tomb, the hardened fword, which the dwarfs made for Suafurlama.

Hervardyr, Hiorvardur, Hrani and Angantyr; with helmet and coat of mail, and a sharp fword; with fhield and accoutrements and bloody fpear, I wake you all under the roots of trees +.

Are the fons of Andgrym, who delighted in mifchief, now become duft and afhes? Can none of Eyvor's fons now speak with me out of the habitations of the dead? Hervardyr, Hiorvardur !

So may you all be, within your ribs, as a thing that is hanged up to putrefy among infects, unless you deliver me the word, which the dwarfs made, and the glorious belt.

[Here the tomb of ens, the infide of which appears all on fire, and the following words are fung out of the tomb.]

ANGANTYR. Daughter Hervor, full of fpells to raife the dead, why doeft thou call fo? Wilt thou run on to thy own mischief? Thou art mad and out of thy fenfes, who art deiperately refolved to waken dead men.

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I was not buried either by father or other friends: which lived after me got Tirfing, one of whom is now poffefior thereof.

HERVOR. Thou doft not tell the truth. So let Odin preferve thee tafe in the tomb, as thou haft not Tirfing by the. Art thou unwilling, Angantyr, to give an inheritance to thy only

Chit?

ANGANTYR. I will tell thee, Hervor, what will come to país. this Tirfing will, if thou doft believe me, deftroy almoft all thy offspring. Thou fhalt have a fon, who afterwards muft

By dwarfs the ancient Scandinavians did not mean human creatures fhort of itature, but a kind of inferior demons, who inhabited the rocks and mountains, and were remarkably expert at forging weapons, proof against all force or fraud. In fhort, they meant by duergar, or dwarfs, fomething like our fairies-Ought not that to have been a reason for Our Tranflator to have uied a different term?

It was the cullom of the ancient Danes to incircle the fepulchre; of their kings and heroes with large trees.

Tirfing is the name of the fword.-This is faid in order to make her deft from her purpofe; as forefeeing it will prove fatal to her pofterity.

poffefs

poffefs Tirfing, and many think he will be called Heidrék by the people.

HERVOR. I do by inchantments make that the dead fhall never enjoy reft, unless Angantyr deliver me Tirfing; that cleaveth fhields, and killed Hialmar.

ANGANTYR. Young maid, I fay, thou art of manlike courage, who doft rove about by night to tombs, with spear engraven with magic fpells, with helmet and coat of mail, before the door of our hall.

HERVOR. I took thee for a brave man, before I found out your hall. Give me, out of the tomb, the workmanship of the dwarfs, which hateth all coats of mail. It is not good for thee to hide it.

ANGANTYR. The death of Hialmar lies under my fhoulders: it is all wrapt up in fire: I know no maid, in any country, that dares take this fword in hand,

HERVOR. I fhall keep and take in my hand the fharp fword, if 1 may obtain it. I do not think that fire will burn, which plays about the fight of deceased men.

ANCANTYR. O conceited Hervor, thou are mad: rather than thou, in a moment, fhouldeft fall into the fire, I will give thee the fwo.d out of the tomb, young maid; and not hide it from thee.

Here the fword was delivered to Hervor out of the tomb, who proceds thus.]

HERVOR. Thou didst well, thou offspring of heroes, that thou didst fend me the fword out of the tomb; I am now better pleased, O Prince, to have it, than if I had gotten all Nor

way.

ANGANTYR. Falle woman, thou dost not understand that thou speakest foolishly of that in which thou doest rejoice: for Tirfing fhall, if thou doeft believe me, maid, deftroy all thy offspring.

HERVOR. I must go to my feamen. Here I have no mind to ftay longer. Little do I care, O royal Anceftor, about what my tons may hereafter quarrel.

It was ufual with the northern nations to infcribe Runic characters on their weapons, in order to prevent their being blunted by inchantment, as alfo to give them irrefiftible ftrength and keennefs.