As struggling from the earth the bubbling spring WILMOT. AIR TOBAR THEARLAICH IV. Gaelic Version. S'airidh do cliu, Thobair ghrinn Fuarain ghorma srath na Ruin Dha t ainmsa striochdaidh iad guleir, DONALD MAC PHERSON.* * Quelque peu connue que soit la langue d'Ossian (le crse ou le gaélique) hors des montagnes de l'Ecosse (highlands,) la version ci-dessus ne man This work is dedicated to Ferdinand de Lobkowitz, Duc de Raudnitz, &c. There is a memoir of the baron, whose portrait, and a view of Hassenstein, a picturesque ruin of a baronial castle on a precipitous rock, are both in lithography. The work ends with a "commentary," containing the numbers of visitors during several years, historical notices, &c. The National Standard of Literature, Science, Theatricals, and the Fine Arts. A cheap Weekly Print. Hurst, London. Vol. II. Part I. It would be interesting to ascertain how many daily, weekly, and monthly specimens of cheap literature have sprung into being within the last five years, in this country. Germany set us the example; but the English have eclipsed Germany in number, if not in quality. Our transatlantic cousin Jonathan is beginning, we hear, to follow in the wake; but in no other part of the globe has there been any thing like the astonishing progression of cheap literature in England. When we say England, we may include the greater part of the empire: Wales is imitating her example in the publication of the "Gwladgorwr, &c.;" Edinburgh already possesses several; Germany, as we hinted, remains stationary. Italy, Portugal, and Spain, are too bigoted; that should be powerful limb of Europe, France, too faithless to herself, and too intoxicated with theoretical absurdities to calmly settle down in the pursuit of useful national literature; and either ignorance or intrigue too fully engross the other powers, to admit of a well-directed attention to the subject. England alone therefore runs headlong in "the march;" but, although she quera à Carlsbad ni de lecteurs ni de juges. De 1826 à 1829 notre Liste des étrangers a brillé par les noms les plus illustres de ces contrées, et familiers à tous les amateurs des romans de Sir Walter Scott. Qu'il nous suffise de citer des Gordon, des Campbell, des Mackenzie, des Stewart, des Scott, des Leslie, des Erskine, des Abercrombie, des Frazer, des Morton, des Cumming, des Hamilton, des Dalrymple, des Douglas, des Logan. Le nom Mac Pherson seul, si célèbre dans l'histoire des poemes d'Ossian, et qui rappelle une des plus grandes questions littéraires, offriroit presque une garantie de la bonté de la version, si Mr Donald Mac Pherson n'étoit pas lui-même auteur de diverses poésies anglaises et gaëliques très estimces. takes the lead in this novel accompaniment to luxury and (perhaps?) civilization, yet it is a matter of very serious doubt, whether this great empire may not, scorpion-like, at last sting herself to death, through the instrumentality of her "cheap literature." We grieve to say, and we speak upon the basis of experience, that a great number of these pamphlets contain matter as destructive to organized society, as they are wretched in meaning and composition. To counterbalance the baneful effects of these, the advocates of moral discipline, as usual, were last in the field; nor are they, at present, any thing like equal in number and circulation to their diabolical competitors. Let it not for a moment be supposed we are exclusive in our opinions: we care not an iota whence the good may arise. Let the Church of England, or let the Dissenters do their duty, by infusing to their uttermost ability the doctrines of Christianity; above all, let them not cavil amongst themselves, but let them present a bold front to the enemy, making amends, even at the eleventh hour, for past neglect, and they will yet triumph. With gratitude shall we hail the result. It now behoves us to examine the merits of the little work before us; but we must first declare our firm assurance, that if unqualified democratic influence is to rule our land, that same day will see religion flee her shore, and the happiness and comfort of modern intercourse and society necessarily must accompany her in banishment. Without imputing any thing like evil intention to the proprietary of the "National Standard," we do not precisely approve of some papers it contains, because we do not like ambiguity. The editor should bear in mind that there are clever, and therefore tempting reasoners in our day; but a careful examination will show some of their arguments to be evanescent as vapor, and as easily dissipated by the sun of reason as the murky element flees before the brightness of light. In making his selection of articles, he should therefore look to the matter as well as to the style. The style of the "National Standard" is fully equal to any work of its kind, and we hesitate not to say, superior to most of them. We have in it an extensive assortment of light and classic reading, as well as of poetry; indeed, the melange is rich and varied. We prefer extracting a translation from part of the Sanscrit poem, the Mahabarata. No one can have read the allusions to transmigration and necromancy, in those parts of the Mabinogion which have been made public, and more particularly the elucidations by Edward Williams and the Rev. Edward Davies, of Druidic mysticism, without agreeing with Sir William Jones, that not only do the languages of oriental and Celtic tribes exhibit features of similarity, but that their religion and superstitions bear a strong manifestation of a common origin: THE HISTORY OF THE FISH. From the Sanscrit Poem, "The Mahabarata."* 1. The Son of the Sun was a king among men, a great sage, in splendor like to Pradjapati. 2. By his power, his riches, his fortune, and above all, his penitence, Manou surpassed both his father and grandfather. 3. Standing on one foot, with his arms uplifted, this sovereign of men, this great saint, supported for a long time this painful attitude. 4. With his head bowed down, and his eyes fixed and immoveable, this mighty penitent practised austerities for long years. 5. A fish having approached the penitent of long and moist locks, on the banks of the Warini, thus addressed him : 6. O blessed one! I am a small and weak fish, who fear the fishes great and strong; save me, therefore, thou who acceptest the vows of mortals! 7. For the great fishes eat always the little fishes, such being our eternal fate. 8. Save me, therefore, from these great monsters, who fill me with dread, and I will be greatful for the action that thou doest unto me. 9. Then Manou, Son of the Sun, having heard the discourse of the fish, was moved with pity, and took the fish into his hand. 10. And having carried it to the border of the stream, Manou, the Son of the Sun, cast it into a vase which shone like the rays of the moon. 11. Then the fish grew under the care of Manou, who watched it even as though it were his son. 12. But, after a long time, the fish waxed so great, that the vase would no more hold it. 13. Then it said to Manou, O blessed one! carry me to a new dwelling. 14. And the blessed Manou took it from the basin, and carried it unto a great lake. • The Mahabarata is an epic poem of more than 250,000 verses; a part of it has been translated by Wilkins and Schlegel. The date of it is very uncertain; but Mr. Wilkins supposes it to have been written two thousand years before the Christian era!!! The translation is almost literal, and is taken from the Berlin edition of 1827. 15. And Manou cast it into the lake, where for many years it lived, and grew mighily. 16. Now the lake was fifteen miles in length, and five miles in breadth, but it could contain the fish no more. 17. Nor could the fish move in the lake; but when it saw Manou, it spoke to him, and said: 18. Bear me, O blessed one! unto the spouse of the ocean, even to the river Ganges, where I may dwell; nevertheless, be it as thou wilt: 19. For it befitteth me to dwell in the place that thou shalt ordain, since I have come to this greatness by thy care, O sinless one! 20. Thus being called, the blessed Manou took the fish, and he carried it to the river Ganges, and cast it into the stream thereof. 21. And the fish grew yet for a certain time; and seeing Manou, spoke to him, and said, 22. I cannot move myself in the Ganges, being so great; bear me therefore, I pray thee, to the ocean be favourable to me, O blessed one! 23. So Manou took the fish from the river, and cast it into the sea. 24. And the fish carried by Manou had become very great; and being touched with the hand, it sent forth pleasant odours. 25. And when the fish was thrown into the sea, it smiled on Manou, and said, 26. O blessed one! thou hast procured for me a life eternal; learn, therefore, what thou must do in the time to come. 27. Soon, O blessed one! all that is moveable and immoveable on earth shall be dissolved, and there shall be a general deluge. 28. And this temporary deluge is at hand; therefore I announce it unto thee, that thou mayst know what to do when the time cometh. 29. For, for that which liveth and that which liveth not, a dreadful time cometh. 30. Now, thou must make a ship, firm and solid, and with thy seven richis (sages) thou must enter it. 31. And thou shalt bear unto the ship all manner of seed, even as it was sown of old times by the men twice-born: (the Brahmins, so called, because, in receiving the Brahminical cord, they were said to receive a second birth.) 32. And being in the ship, O thou beloved of the saints! thou shalt perceive my coming; and I shall approach thee, and I shall have on my head a horn, by which thou shalt know me, O penitent. 33 Now knowest thou what thou shalt do; and I bid thee farewell, and I go my way; for, without me, the great waters cannot be raised. |