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The poems of Ossian

&c. containing the Poetical Works of James Macpherson, Esq. in prose and rhyme: with notes and illustrations by Malcolm Laing. In two volumes
Macpherson, James (1736-1796)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I.
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FINGAL, AN EPIC POEM;
 I. 
BOOK I.
 II. 
BOOK II.
 III. 
BOOK III.
 IV. 
BOOK IV.
 V. 
BOOK V.
 VI. 
BOOK VI.
  
COMALA:
  
THE WAR OF CAROS:
  
THE WAR OF INIS-THONA:
  
THE BATTLE OF LORA:
  
CONLATH AND CUTHONA:
  
CARTHON:
  
THE DEATH OF CUTHULLIN:
  
DAR-THULA:
  
CARRIC-THURA:
  
THE SONGS OF SELMA.
  
CALTHON AND COLMAL:
  
LATHMON:
  
OITHONA:
  
CROMA:
  
BERRATHON:
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VOL. II.
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TEMORA:
 I. 
BOOK I.
 II. 
BOOK II.
 III. 
BOOK III.
 IV. 
BOOK IV.
 V. 
BOOK V.
 VI. 
BOOK VI.
 VII. 
BOOK VII.
 VIII. 
BOOK VIII.
  
CATHLIN OF CLUTHA:
  
SULMALLA OF LUMON:
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CATH-LODA:
 1. 
DUAN FIRST.
 2. 
DUAN SECOND.
 3. 
DUAN THIRD.
  
OINA-MORUL:
  
COLNA-DONA:
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FRAGMENTS OF ANCIENT POETRY,
 I. 
I. SHILRIC, VINVELA.
 II. 
II. [I sit by the mossy fountain]
 III. 
III. [Evening is grey on the hills]
 IV. 
IV. CONNAL, CRIMORA.
 V. 
V. Autumn is dark on the mountains
 VI. 
VI. [Son of the noble Fingal]
 VII. 
VII. [Why openest thou afresh the spring of my grief]
 VIII. 
VIII. [By the side of a rock]
 IX. 
IX. [Thou askest, fair daughter of the isles!]
 X. 
X. [It is night]
 XI. 
XI. [Sad! I am sad indeed]
 XII. 
XII. RYNO, ALPIN.
 XIII. 
XIII. [Raise high the stones]
 XIV. 
XIV. [Cuchulaid sat by the wall]
 XV. 
XV. DUCHOMMAR, MORNA.
 XVI. 
XVI. [Where is Gealchossa]
  
THE SIX BARDS,
  
DEATH:
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THE HUNTER:
 I. 
CANTO I.
 II. 
CANTO II.
 III. 
CANTO III.
 IV. 
CANTO IV.
 V. 
CANTO V.
 VI. 
CANTO VI.
collapse sectionVII. 
CANTO VII.
  
Monday, 29th November.
  
November 30.
  
2d December, 1756.
 VIII. 
CANTO VIII.
 IX. 
CANTO IX.
 X. 
CANTO X.
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THE HIGHLANDER:
 I. 
CANTO I.
 II. 
CANTO II.
 III. 
CANTO III.
 IV. 
CANTO IV.
 V. 
CANTO V.
 VI. 
CANTO VI.
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MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
  
ON THE DEATH OF MARSHAL KEITH.
  
ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY.
  
TO THE MEMORY OF AN OFFICER KILLED BEFORE QUEBEC.
  
THE EARL MARISCHAL'S WELCOME TO HIS NATIVE COUNTRY.
  
HORACE,
  
HORACE,
  
THE CHOICE.
  
WRITTEN ON A BIRTH DAY.
  
THE MONUMENT.
  
VERSES SENT TO A YOUNG LADY, WITH SOME TRANSLATIONS FROM THE ERSE.
  
THE CAVE.
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FRAGMENTS FROM TYRTÆUS.
 I. 
FRAGMENT I.
 II. 
FRAGMENT II.
 III. 
FRAGMENT III.
  
ANACREON, ODE IV. TRANSLATED.
  
ANACREON, ODE VIII.
  
IN ANSWER TO A LETTER FROM DELIA.
  
A NIGHT-PIECE.
  
VERSES TO A YOUNG LADY.
  
FRAGMENT OF A NORTHERN TALE.
  
THE SAME VERSIFIED.

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FRAGMENT I.

I call the man unworthy of my praise,
Who wins the palm in wrestling or the race;
Should he excel in bulk and strength mankind,
Or in the course outstrip the Thracian wind;
Though Nature gave him Tithon's form divine,
And Asia poured him wealth from every mine;
Though Pelops' wide domains to him belong,
And more, Adrastus' eloquence of tongue;
Though fortune every other virtue gave,
And yet deny the greatest—to be brave.
And brave alone is he, who can sustain
The wild confusion of the bloody plain;
Can death and wounds behold with dire delight,
And shady legions moving to the fight.
For he alone a lasting name can raise,
And crown his early years with martial praise,
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Who in the front of battle stands unmoved,
The bulwark of the country which he loved;
And loving, prodigal of life, to die,
Avoids no evil more than basely fly.
His great example shall the host inspire,
And thousands follow actions they admire.
He turns the phalanx of the foe to flight,
And rules, with martial art, the tide of fight:
And when he falls amid the field of fame,
He leaves behind a great and lasting name;
His sire, his country, shall with joy surround
His corse, and read their glory in his wound.
Both young and old shall sing his dirge of woe;
And his long fun'ral all the town pursue:
His tomb shall be revered: his children shine
Through every age, a long-extended line.
Ne'er shall his glory fade, or cease his fame;
Though laid in dust, immortal is his name,
Who never from the field of battle flies,
But for his children and his country dies.
But if the sable hand of death he shun,
Returning victor, with his glory won;
By young and old revered, his life he'll lead,
And full of honour sink among the dead:
Or with his growing years his fame shall grow,
And all shall reverence his head of snow.
The higher place from every youth he bears,
And age shall quit him all the claim of years.
Who then desires to rise to such a height,
Desires in vain, if he forget the fight.
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