agan nan Draoidhean ro-fhada,-- air mhuintir eile, seach na bilean uachdrach, goirid. Ghiulain gach aon dhiu sgian air dhealbh araidh, ceangailte air an crios,-bha curaichdean geal air an ceann, air an deanamh dreachmhor le obair òir, a bha air dhealbh fuaragain (fan-shaped)-slat gheal,-sian, air ubh-dhealbh, a bha air iom-dhruideadh ann an òr, agus air a chrochadh o'n mhuineal, agus os cionn gach ni eile, bha peall gheal (white pallium). A bharr air na trusgain sin, bha aig an Ard-Dhraoidh, cleoca geal, aig an robh iomall air a dheanadh maiseach le òr,-ma thimchioll a mhuineal, bha slabhraidh òir, agus o'n t-slabhraidh sin, bha crochte, mir tana do dh'òr, air an robh sgriobhte na focail, "Tha na diathan ag iarraidh iobairt." Air aghaidh a churaichd bha iomhaigh na greine do dh'òr, fo leth gealaiche do dh'airgiod, a bha air a cumail suas le dà Dhraoidh, aon aig gach bior (cusp), dhith.* Chaith am Bard, maraon, cleoca geal, ach currachd ghorm, agus air a deanadh sgiamhach le òr, air chumadh na h-ur-ghealaich (crescentshaped). Air an Fhaidhe bha cleoca glas, no speur-ghorm (sky-blue), le curachd gheal air a h-ainmeachadh, curachd an Fhaidh, agus be 'shuaicheantas, rionnag dir, air an robh sgriobhte, "Bheir breitheanas Dhia peanas geur do dh'aingidheachd." Cha'n eil teagamh nach do dhaingnich an sgeadachadh riomhach sin mar bu mhiann leo, cumhachd nan Draoidhean os cionn an t-sluaigh ; oir, 's ann thuige so a bha'n reachdan agus an cleachdaidhean uile gu leir ag aomadh. Ach, ma bheir sinn fainear an t-aineolas agus a mhi-riaghailt, a bha san am sin, cha'n e mhain a' measg nan Ceilteach, ach a' measg nan uile shluaigh ma'n d'thainig creideamh Chriosd na'm measg, feumaidh sinn aideachadh gu'n robh uachdaranachd nan Draoidhean suidhichte air bonn na b'fhearr na bonn ceilg agus fein-bhuannachd. Ach air an laimh eile, ged a bha na seann riaghailtean so 'ga'n cleachdadh o am nam priomh-athraichean gu tim Iulias Ceasar, chi sinn gu'n robh e neo-chomasach an sluagh a thogail leo, ach gle bheag, gu finealtachd agus deadh-bheusan. Faodaidh sinn fhaicinn mar an ceudna nach cuir reusan an duine, na beul-athris, a mhain, air aghart, ach gu staid araidh, riaghailt-chreideamh air bhith. Gun chomhnadh o thaisbeanadh Dhe, 's ann a theid e air ais. 'S ann direach mar so a thachair do na treubhan Ceilteach uile, ach gu sonraichte do na Druidhnich Bhreatuinneach. Chaidh iad air ais, a bheag s a bheag, re iomadh ghinealach, dh'iobair iad simplidheachd a chreideimh mar a fhuair iad e o na priomh-athraichean, gus an d'thainig iad fo smachd agus thamailte na'n Romanach; agus a' sin dh'fhosgail iad, mar gu'm b'ann, am broilleach do chreideamh ioma-dhiathach nam Paganach uaibhreach sin. Mar a thubhairt mi roimhe, fhuair cuid dhiu uaigneas agus fasgadh ann an eileanan I agus Anglesea, far an d'fhuirich iad car aimsir, a cur an cleachdaidh, diomhaireachd agus deas-ghnath an creideimli, ged a bha iad a nis air an cuir suarach le'n naimhdean. Ach aig a cheart am a bha na *These were the dresses of the ordinary, and arch-druids, as quoted from Mr and Mrs S. C. Hall's Ireland, vol. i., p. 296, by W. Lindsay Alexander, D.D. Druidhnich, mar so, air an isleachadh, bha freasdal Dhia ga'n deanamh ullamh, a chum greim a ghabhail air Soisgeul Chriosd. 'S ann mar so a sheinn Wordsworth : The Julian spear A way first opened; and with Roman chains, They come, they spread: the weak, the suffering hear; "Faodaidh e bhith," arsa sgriobhadair d' ar tim fein,* "gu'n robh an creideamh Druidhneach na bu ghlaine na saobh-chreideamh Paganach air bith eile, agus air thaobh gliocais, gu'n robh e na b'fhearr na h'uile reachd a b'urrainn. duine a chur suas. Ach tha a'r creideamhne Diathach" (divine). Anns a bhliadhna cuig-ceud agus tri, no ceithir, thar thri fichead (563-4), thainig Colum Cille a nall a Eirinn, agus a dha-dhuine-dheug eile maille ris, agus, mar a dh'ainmich mi roimhe, thainig iad air tir ann am Port-a-Chuirich, air feasgar a cheud di-luain do'n Bhealtuinn. Ghabh iad an t-aiseag ann an curach, no bata, bh' air a deanamh do shlatan caoil, air am fighe coslach ri croidhleag, no bascaid mhor, agus bha so, a rithist, air a chomhdach le croicionn, na seicheannan bhò, ga deanamh dionach. Cha'n ann gun trioblaid a bha e comasach do na daoine naomha sin a bhi cur suas anns an tir; oir, bha na Druidhnich ro-mhiothlachdach agus ro mi-chairdeil riu, 'n uair a thuig iad gu'm be'n run stad anns an eilean. Cha be sin uile, ach thainig daoine borb o'n eilean Mhuileach a chuideachadh leo, gu'n cuir air falbh, agus chuir iad Colum Cille iomadh uair an cunnart a bheatha 'chall. Tha Bede ag innse dhuinn an uair a chaidh Colum Cille a dh'ionnsuidh Bhrude, righ nam Piceach, a chum 's gu faigheadh e dion o naimhdean (oir, anns an am sin, bhuineadh I do'n rioghachd Phicich), dhùin iad dorus na daingneachd na aghaidh, agus cha leigeadh an righ na choir e, oir bha e ro-dhiombach ris. Air am eile, bha e cur seachad na h-oidhche ann am baile beag, agus chuir a naimhdean na theine an tigh 's na ghabh e fasgadh. Nuair a bha e ann an eilean Himla, thug duine borb oidheirp air pic a ruidh troimh chridhe, ach chuir Finduchan (aon da chuideachd), gu sgiobalt' e fein eatorra, agus fhuair e na bhroilleach, a bhuile a bh'airson a mhaighistir, ach rinn am freasdal dion dha, oir bha cota tiugh leathrach air, agus mar sin bha 'bheatha air a caomhnadh, cho mhath ri beatha a mhaighistir. Am freasdal a dhion Colum Cille san am so dh' fhuirich e mu'n cuairt dha, gus an d'thug e, le theagasg, le ghliocas, le chaoimhneas, agus le naomhachd a bheatha, buaidh air a naimhdean uile, agus mar so, choisinn e cliu agus urram o gach inbhe, ach gu sonraichte, choisinu e deagh ghean nan daoine allmharach, fiadhaich agus aineolach, a thainig e shoillseachadh le soisgeul na slainte, agus mar so, le beannachd Dhia, thainig e mun cuairt, nach robh an t-eilean beag so na eilean nan Druidhneach nis fhaide, ach ann an cainnt Wordsworth : THE CELTIC MAGAZINE. No. IX. JULY 1876. IS THE GAELIC OSSIAN A TRANSLATION FROM THE ENGLISH? (EXTENSION OF A PAPER READ BEFORE THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH ON MONDAY, 1ST MAY 1876), By J. STUART BLACKIE, Professor of Greek in the University of Edinburgh. OUR readers are mostly aware that a German translation of Fingal, in the measure of the original, was published by Dr Ebrard in the year 1868, with an appendix on the general question of the authenticity of the Ossianic poems. Being, from my professional studies as a philologer, well aware of the great amount of learning and talent put forth by the Germans on all questions relating to popular poetry; and knowing also that since Wolf's time the great majority of them had leant rather to the sceptical side, I was anxious to see what they had made of Macpherson. To my surprise I found that the writer concluded a learned critical discourse by pronouncing in favour of the authenticity; and thinking that many Celts, at home and abroad, who might not understand German, would be delighted to read the lucubrations of the learned foreigner on a subject so interesting to them, I superintended the translation of the discourse by an accomplished young lady of my acquaintance, and had the translation inserted in the Gaidheal for September 1875. Scarcely had this translation appeared than J. F. Campbell of Islay, to whom Gaelic popular literature owes more than to any other living man, came forward in the columns of the Edinburgh newspapers, as a decided advocate of extreme scepticism on the question, and reviving in the most unqualified terms the old thesis of Malcolm Laing, that, properly speaking, there was no Gaelic original of Ossian: that Fingal and Temora were English compositions, which Macpherson himself, or some one for him translated into Gaelic. This assertion, from such a stout native born Highlander, startled everybody, and made an impression anything but agreeable on the learned gentleman's most ardent Celtic friends and admirers. Among these it was not strange that Dr Clerk of Kilmallie should sharply resent the charge of being the translator of a translation; and he accordingly appeared in the columns of the Scotsman with comparative passages from the Gaelic, and the English Ossian from which, as he argued, it plainly appeared that the English was a feeble and often erroneous version of the Gaelic original. Not having at that time myself made any serious study of the original, I did not feel in a condition to make any public remarks on the subject; but I had some correspondence at the time with Principal T : Shairp of St Andrews, who was brought up in the midst of orthodox believers in Ossian; and I remember well his words in a letter to me were that Mr Campbell had often made such assertions, but he had never proved them and that this was a question which lay within the known province of a scientific philology to determine. I laid up this word in my heart, and resolved, while regularly going through the original, to make such notes as would furnish materials for a really scientific handling of this question. Accordingly during the last winter I employed every idle hour in carefully comparing the original Gaelic with Macpherson's English, and the new version by Dr Clerk, and the result of these studies I take the present opportunity of laying before that portion of the reading public, who, being familiar with both languages are entitled to form a judgment on questions of verbal transference. It is manifest that in any question of this kind the proof may come from two sides, in this case either from the character of the Gaelic or the character of the English; either the English version is marked by such peculiarities as distinctly indicate its character as a translation from the Gaelic; or the Gaelic is marked by peculiarities which distinctly show that no person who knew Gaelic, translating from English, could possibly have used a style marked by such expressions; and on this double basis we should say that the Gaelic is certainly the original. But if, on the adverse theory, the Gaelic can be shown to contain peculiarities that distinctly indicate the influence of an English original; or if the English contains peculiarities of which the supposition of a Gaelic original gives no explanation in this case we should say that the English is the original. Now what I intend to attempt in the present paper is simply to attack the question from the English side; that is to say, from a detailed examination of phrases and expressions in the English, I shall make the induction that no man could have written such English unless he had had the Gaelic before him. To handle the argument from the Gaelic side I refrain simply because my knowledge of the Gaelic language is not sufficient to enable me to attempt such a task; but as I can now read Gaelic books with ease, and have besides had a life-long exercise in the field of poetical translation, I feel pretty confident that I can state the English side of the case with clearness and cogency.* In classifying my observations I found that the philological tests which could be applied to the two versions under trial were, in number, five. It may be as well distinctly to state that the argument in this paper arose altogether out of my personal position as a philologer, and from a continuous series of original observations made by mne while reading through the Gaelic. It is only, however, a strengthening of the argument when we find that the same line of proof has been used by other writers, amongst whom, of course, must be mentioned with special honour Mackenzie in the Highland Society's report, Dr Graham of Aberfoyle, Mr Peter Macnaughton of Tillipourie (Edinburgh, 1861), and Dr Clerk of Kilmallie, in the notes to his great edition. Indeed, it would be difficult to name a single writer on the subject (except Mr Campbell) who, if he had honestly studied the original, was not prepared in some form to state his decided impression that from internal evidence he was convinced the Gaelic was the original. My advantage in the matter-if I have any-lies not in my superior Gaelic scholarship, or more warm appreciation of the beauties of the original, but simply in my professional habits as a philologer, and my having treated the question more systematically as a matter of business, Test First-When of two versions presented for examination, the one contains awkward, forced, and unidiomatic expressions which are explained directly by the influence of the other, in this case the version containing these peculiarities is the translation. Applied to Macpherson's Ossian this means, if the English in any case is not pure, easy, natural English, but English arising from the echo of a Gaelic original in the author's ear, then on strictly philological principles we are entitled to say that the Gaelic is the original. The best practical illustration of the evidence arising from this test is found in the Hebraisms of our English Bible. No doubt these Hebraisms are used sparingly and with excellent judgment, and foreign phrases and ways of thinking may always be adopted and adapted so as to become graces; but in the general case they arise from awkwardness or carelessness on the part of the translator; and whether gracefully or ungracefully used they equally indicate the want of that perfect homogeneousness in every jot and tittle of style which marks a good original composition. It must be observed further that, although it is possible for a translator of great genius, and dexterous accomplishments to make his imitative work so perfect that not the most microscopic criticism shall be able to put the finger on a passage and say this is translated work; yet so rare is the talent of good translation, and so difficult is it to avoid the constant influence exercised by an external model on the ear, that ninety-nine translations out of a hundred in the currency of the book world will be found to bear on their face only two obvious marks of the process of their manufacture. Macpherson's English has received its fair share both of laudation and condemnation from adverse parties; but whatever be its quality, one thing has become quite plain to me from long continued minute inspection, that the Gaelic peeps through it everywhere like the under-writing in a Palimpsest. Let us now produce examples : Now what I say, in application of the above test, is that the phrase "heavy locks" is not English, i.e., not easy, natural, obvious, idiomatic English. No doubt an original English poet might talk of a "weighty wealth of ringlets," or he might paraphrase the Gaelic here somehow thus A rich weight of curls hung down, But no Englishman writing English, whether poetry or prose, would talk of "heavy locks," except from the contagion of the Gaelic trom in an original poem which he was translating. (2) Do. III., 21— Tog samhla nan laoch nach robh lag, The image raise of heroes brave, This is perfectly good English; but what does Macpherson say :-"Rear the forms of old on their own dark brown years." Now it is quite plain that no Englishman composing original English could talk of "dark |