Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Ossianic and other Eaiiy Lcgi'/ids. 239
at him with fear expressed in face, and hrab, and attitude.
He always departed in great anger. All this time
there was no way of escaping from this park ; where
high steep cliffs were wanting, there were straight descents
of such depth as could not be passed with life.
The last time he beheld his mother, the Fear Doirche
had been speaking in soft and in harsh tones alternately
for a long time ; but still the hind kept aloof from him
trembling. At last he struck her with a hazel wand, and
she was obliged to follow him, still looking back at her
son and bleating piteously. He made violent efforts to
follow her. He cried out in rage and sorrow, but had
not power to move. He fell on the ground insensible,
just as he was listening to what he supposed the expiring
cries of the deer, and when he awoke he found himself
on the side of the hill where some days after the dogs
discovered him. He had searched days and days for the
inclosure where he had so happily lived, but could discover
no appearance of cliffs springing up or descend-
ing, such as had long been so familiar to his eyes.
This youth received the name of Oisin, and in time he
became the sweet singer of the Fianna of Erinn.
In the Book of Leinster are preserved some poetic
pieces attributed to Oisin, the son of Fion. Oisin and
Oisin's poetry may have belonged to the real world, but
if so, succeeding poets so carefully surrounded his re-
mains with their own compositions imposed on the
world as his, that they became lost to sight and hearing,
and are now either extinct or dispersed in very small
portions through the inferior productions of his imi-
tators. Subjoined is a literal translation of a poetical