Gram took upon him her defence, gained her favour, but afterwards slew her father, who opposed him. Suhm then states the following particulars :

*

"Gram had hardly disengaged himself from "this contest, before he was obliged to begin "another with Swaran, king of the West Gothes, "who would revenge the insult and injury he "had suffered from Gram, and besides laid claim "to the East Gothian kingdom, which however "none of them, it seems, obtained, as one Humble

governed there not long after. Swaran was "the son of Starno; + he had carried on many "wars in Ireland, where he had vanquished "most of the heroes that opposed him, except "Cuchullin, who assisted by the Gaelic or Cale"donian king, Fingal, in the present Scotland, "not only defeated him, but even took him "prisoner; but had the generosity to send him "back again to his country, ‡ and these exploits

* Vol. I. p. 94, et seq.

+ Swaran, no doubt, occurs by the name of Searin, in the very old poem Voluspa, which I believe to be from the 6th or 7th century, where a hill is denominated after him. Vol. X. p. 15, (with this quotation the author refers to his critical discussions on the ancient Northern History.)

(Here the author has a long note concerning Ossian's poems, of which I shall only translate the following:)

In Cathloda, Swaran is called king of Lakes, which is very applicable to West Gotha. The gray haired Srivan sung

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can never be effaced from men's memory, as they are celebrated in the most inimitable "manner by the Scotch poet Ossian, and Swaran "has thereby obtained an honour which has "been denied to so many heroes greater than "he. With such an enemy Gram was now to " contend. They met in single combat, and "Swaran lost his life; he left sixteen brothers,

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seven born in wedlock, and nine by a concu"bine. These Gram was obliged to meet at once, " and was fortunate enough to slay them all."*

around the circle of Loda, and the stone of power heard his voice. By this perhaps is meant the image of Shor, whom our ancestors perhaps still represented by a formless stone. Our North in general is constantly called Lochlin in these poems, which name is still given to it in the Welsh, Gaelic, and Irish languages. Many particular names of kings and countries in Lochlin also occur, of which none hardly can be explained from our language, as they are entirely transformed after the Gaelic. Læno, a lake, in Inisthuma; the latter I strongly believe means Zealand, at least Inis is an island, and it seems that Anniz and Erragon have governed in Zealand. The name Lochlin is no doubt derived from the Gaelic Loch. sc. Water, or Sea, in which I am confirmed by the circumstance that all the free-booters from the Baltic, and the North Sea, were called so by the Irish and Scots, only that the Danes were called the Black, and the Norwegians the white Lochlynes. See vol. ii. p. 134, vol. vi. p. 165-168, vol. vii. p. 503, where it is made probable, that the Danes used black sails, and the Norwegians white sails to their ships, and that from thence they had received those appellations.

* In such unequal contest, when it was previously agreed

Mr. Rosing observes, that the author gives no date to this event, but in p. 98, he places the death of Gram in the year 240, and from the context of the history, the transaction with Swaran cannot have happened many years be

The existence of Swaran, son of Starno, and his wars in Ireland, and his having been defeated by Fingal, as related by Ossian, are therefore authenticated by the historians of Denmark; and in their annals, a number of particulars are stated, regarding the manners of those times, which confirm many of the particulars mentioned by Ossian. +

and determined on, the whole number did not attack at once, but one after the other, so that when one fell, or was disabled, a fresh one took his place.

* The author has the custom to set down his quotations only at the end of every reign, unless on particular occasions. At the conclusion of the history of Gram, he has the following authorities, but Mr. Rosing cannot point out which of them refer to Swaran in particular. Table 82, 83, 85, Vol. VII. p. 82, 98, 116. Vol. VIII. p. 10. Saxo. p. 6-9. Edda in codice Wormiano, p. 341, 342, where some verses are found concerning Gram, and his brothers, by the poet Ottar, who lived at the court of St. Oluf (Olave); Snorro in Ynglica Saga, c. 21. Schöning's Hist. of Norway, Vol. I. p. 162–169.

+ See Appendix, No. II. where there is printed a letter from the Rev. Mr. Rosing, with several extracts from Suhm's History of Denmark, illustrative of the manners of those ancient times.

f

It is very satisfactory, to have been the means of bringing forward, a new, and at the same time so convincing a proof of the authenticity of these ancient poems: and hence indeed it appears, that the more the subject is investigated, the more clearly will that authenticity be established.

§ VIII.

That those who deny the Authenticity of Ossian, must, on the same grounds, disbelieve the Authenticity of Homer.

Ir is singular, that, in several respects, there should be a resemblance between the chief of the Grecian, and of the Celtic bards. They were the first who attempted epic poetry in their different countries. It was carried by each of them, at once, to the greatest perfection of which it was capable. Both of them were blind in their latter years; and in the periods when they respectively lived, owing to that ignorance which then existed of the art of writing, both were under the necessity of transmitting their compositions, by oral tradition only, to the admiration of posterity.

As to Homer, there is hardly a doubt that writing was either totally unknown, or at least

very little practised indeed, when he lived. The Iliad and the Odyssey, are apparently addressed to an audience, as if they were to be recited, and not read. In that celebrated poet's comprehensive picture of civil society, there is nothing that conveys an idea of letters or of reading, nor can any of the various terms which belong to those arts be traced in his works. Eustatius says, that Homer breathed nothing but verse; and was so possessed of the heroic muse, as to speak in numbers with more ease than others do in prose. + His most valuable works, however, he was under the necessity of committing to memory, that he might be enabled to recite them, when called upon, at the different places which he visited, in his prefessional capacity as a bard.

At their first appearance in Greece, the poems of Homer were not digested into a regular body, but remained in detached pieces, named, (according to Elian), from the subject on which they treated; as, The Battle at the Ships, The Death of Dolon, The Valour of Agamemnon, &c. and these poems were not called books, but

* Essay on the original Writings and Genius of Homer, by Robert Wood, Esq. 1 vol. 4to. London, 1775, p. 248, 249, 250, 276.

See Enquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer, by Blackwell. 1 vol. 8vo. 1735. p. 119.