And man with man : Helmets on high were cleft, The bow-string sounded to the polished yew; Spears fell in splinters on every side. As the lightning of night on the hill: Were the fury and noise of the battle. Though Cormac's hundred bards had been there, Feeble had been their voice to relate For Sithallin of mighty heroes. For the noble and warlike Ardan; They fell, like two hinds from the hill, By the hand of Swaran of dark-brown shields, A ghost which dimly sits, Half made of the mist from the north. Thy sword (was) in the path of conquest Like trees along the torrents of Cromla, Weep on the echoing rock, Beneath the sword of noble Cuchullin. Why Why art thou só pale and so cold? No more shed the blood of the mighty. Trenar, young No more, O maid, shalt thou see thy love While, at home, they behold his ghost. His death-shriek is heard on the hill. As roll a thousand waves to the shore, The roaring, bloody, hot encounter, Like a hundred hammers wildly beating Successive sparks from the red (son of the) furnace. Who, dark and gloomy in aspect ? Who, like two black clouds? Each hero's sword like lightning on the waves? The face of the hill is moved, The rocks of the ocean tremble. Who are these but Swaran of ships, Oblique look the eyes of the hosts, As the chiefs approach in their strength. Night falls on the combat of heroes, And conceals the doubtful fight. Along the heath, on the mountain side, Was heaped by Dorglass the game, Which the heroes had killed in the chase, Three hundred gather the smooth stones; "Carril of ancient times, "The Chief is far from the deer of Lochlin; "His hall is remote and void. "Bear my word in peace to the hero ; "Call hither the chief of ships; "Let him come from the roaring of the waves, "To the feast of generous Erin. "Let him hear the soft sound "Of the grove, while night is under a cloud : He called the chief of the dark-brown shields. "Is round the blue-eyed chief of Erin." Like the rising storm on Cromla; Though all the maids of Innis-fail should come, "With their polished arms of snow, "Their white breasts heaving high, "Their eyes soft-rolling in love; "Here shall Swaran remain, "Like the thousand rocks of Lochlin, "Here, till the sun-beam rise in the east, "To light Cuchullin to death. "Pleasant to me is the wind of Lochlin, "Which raises the loud roar of the sea; "Which, in the lofty shrouds, recals "The remembrance of my matchless woods; "When foaming blood was on my spear; "The blood of the dark furious boar. "Let Cuchullin give tribute to me; "(Let him yield) the throne of blue-shielded Cormac. "If not; when the fight is renewed, "Both land and stream of Fal are mine." "Sad are the words," said the bard, "Which proceeded from brown-shielded Swaran.” "Sad to himself alone," Replied the Noble son of Semo. DOMESTIC DOMESTIC LITERATURE Of the Year 1807. CHAPTER I. BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL. Comprising Biblical Criticism; Theological Criticism; Sacred Morals; Lectures, Sermons and Discourses; Single Sermons; Controversial Divinity. F, in the course of the annual survey before us, we have it not in our power to notice any new edition, or new version of any entire book of the sacred scriptures; we have, nevertheless, to call the attention of our readers to various publications of no small merit, as biblical comments and illustrations: to publications equally instructive to the student, and consolatory to the matured christian. We shall open our retrospect with Dr. Graves's" Lectures on the four last (last four) books of the Pentateuch," in two volumes octavo. These lectures were published at Dublin, and are dedicated to the primate. Their object is to shew the divine origin of the Jewish reli gion, chiefly from internal evidence; and they discover an attentive examination, a depth of research, and a judicious arrangement of materials, which reflect great credit on their author, and place him in the foremost rank of those who have stepped forward with a manly and pious zeal to repel the assailants of revelation. The lectures are divided into three parts. The first is devoted to the authenticity of the Pentateuch, and the truth of the history, both of the ordinary and miraculous events recorded in its last four books. In the course of this part, the author satisfactorily proves, that the Jews as a nation have uniformly received the Pentateuch from the earliest period of their establishment to the present day, as the only authentic history of their primary legislator and his institutions; that the writings of Josephus, however they may incidentally vary in a few subordinate points from the bible narration, is a collateral testimony in proof of the same position; that the transactions detailed in the last four books of this common history, flow from the foundation which is laid for them in the first, and mutually and completely harmonize; and that the ordinary events of the Jewish history are incredible, if separated from the miraculous, but form an easy and consistent narration, if combined with them. The second part discusses the theological, moral, and political principles of the Mosaic law, branching out into considerations upon the origin, nature, and effects of idolatry, and especially the idolatry of Egypt; the expe diency and excellence of the decalogue, as well in regard to its sanc tity as its spirit of benevolence; the conformity of the penal law to the moral and religious system of the Jews; and the political code of Moses. In the third part, the various objections and cavils which have been advanced against the authenticity of the Pentateuch by infidels and sceptics, are replied to with equal temper and argument; our author discusses the treatment of the Canaanites, and frees it from many of the difficulties which are usually supposed to embarrass it; he supports with convincing ability the reality of the Mosaic miracles; proves the expediency of the temporal sanctions by which the Jewish code was defended; examines how far the doctrine of a future state has any foundation in the Mosaic writings, and maintains that it is to be traced there, though it does not form a legal sanction; controverts the objection arising from the limitation of Judaism to a single nation, and successfully resists the supposed inconsistency of the Jewish and Christian schemes. We have been peculiarly pleased with our author's survey of the political institutes of the Hebrew legislator, by which, as he observes, six hundred thousand freeholders were endowed with independent properties, the direct grant of the Almighty himself, the avowed sovereign of the Jewish state; these family properties, he proceeds to notice, were preserved as much as possible from alienation, by subsidiary laws tending to prevent an accumulation of debt; and, if alienated for a time, had their reversion secured at regular periods to the descendants of the original proprietors. The distribution of this body of freeholders through the land, and especially the mode and manner of their distribution by tribes and families, constituted an additional provision for their union and happiness. They were directed to agricultural pursuits, attached to domestic life, estranged from war, but bound to assemble for the defence of their country; exhibiting and producing by this plan a secure barrier against hostile violence, and internal ambition; they acknow ledged and were governed by a nobility, by magistrates, and by elders, possessing patrimonies adequate to their respective ranks, venerated for their patriarchal descent, and uniting in their persons a civil and military authority by an hereditary right, so as effectually to preclude all jealousy and discord. The following passage of thi very valuable work we cannot avoid quoting, as being equally enriched with historic truth, sound argument, and elegant diction: it relates to the eventual necessity of introducing the Christian system, as a supersession to the Jewish, and the gradual train of events by which the due season and fulness of time for its successful appearance was accomplished. "It is equally remarkable, that the higher we trace the theological opinions of the Gre cian philosophers and the popular systems of religion in the ancient world, the more pure and uncor rupted are they found. The nearer we approach to the source of eastern tradition, the more conspi cuous appears the radiance of that heavenly light of original revelation, whose beams, though clouded and dispersed, still contributed to enlighten and direct mankind: the more clear traces do we discover of that primæval and patriarchal religion which acknowledged the ex istence, and inculcated the worship of the true and only God. We find no mortals yet exalted to divinities, no images in their temples, no im pure |