ページの画像
PDF
ePub

CATH-LODA.

DUAN SECOND.

ARGUMENT.-FINGAL, returning with day, devolves the command on Duth-maruno, who engages the enemy, and drives them over the stream of Turthor. Having recalled his people, he congratulates Duth-maruno on his success, but discovers that that hero had been mortally wounded in the action.-Duth-maruno dies. Ulin, the bard, in honour of the dead, introduces the episode of Colgorm and Strina-dona, which concludes this duän.

"WHERE art thou, son of the king?" said darkhaired Duth-maruno. "Where hast thou failed, 66 young beam of Selma? He returns not from "the bosom of night! Morning is spread on U❝thorno. In his mist is the sun on his hill. "Warriors lift the shields in my presence. He "must not fall, like a fire from heaven, whose

place is not marked on the ground. He comes, "like an eagle, from the skirt of his squally wind! “In his hand are the spoils of foes. King of Sel"6 ma, our souls were sad!"

46

66

"Near us are the foes, Duth-maruno. They come forward, like waves in mist, when their foamy tops are seen, at times, above the low"sailing vapour. The traveller shrinks on his "journey; he knows not whither to fly. No " trembling travellers are we! Sons of heroes call "forth the steel. Shall the sword of Fingal arise, " or shall a warrior lead?”

* The deeds of old, said Duth-maruno, are like paths to our eyes, O Fingal! Broad-shielded Trenmor is still seen amidst his own dim years. Nor feeble was the soul of the king. There no dark deed wandered in secret. From their hundred streams came the tribes to grassy Colglancrona. Their chiefs were before them. Each strove to lead the war. Their swords were often halfunsheathed. Red rolled their eyes of rage. Separate they stood, and hummed their surly songs.

Why should they yield to each other? their fa"thers were equal in war." Trenmor was there, with his people, stately in youthful locks. He saw the advancing foe. The grief of his soul He bade the chiefs to lead by turns: they

arose.

* In this short episode we have a very probable account given us of the origin of monarchy in Caledonia. The Cuel, or Gauls, who possessed the countries to the north of the Frith of Edinburgh, were, originally, a number of distinct tribes, or clans, each subject to its own chief, who was free and independent of any other power. When the Romans invaded them, the common danger might, perhaps, have induced those reguli to join together; but, as they were unwilling to yield to the command of one of their own number, their battles were ill conducted, and, consequently, unsuccessful. Trenmor was the first who represented to the chiefs the bad consequences of carrying on their wars in this irregular manner, and advised that they themselves should alternately lead in battle. They did so, but they were unsuccessful. When it came to Trenmor's turn he totally defeated the enemy by his superior valour and conduct, which gained him such an interest among the tribes, that he and his family after him were regarded as kings; or to use the poet's expression, the words of power rushed forth from Selma of kings. The regal authority, however, except in time of war, was but inconsiderable; for every chief within his own district, was absolute and independent. From the scene of the battle in this episode (which was in the valley of Crona, a little to the north of Agricola's wall,) I should suppose that the enemies of the Caledonians were the Romans, or provincial Britains.

led, but they were rolled away. From his own mossy hill blue-shielded Trenmor came down. He led wide-skirted battle, and the strangers failed. Around him the dark-browed warriors came : they struck the shield of joy. Like a pleasant gale the words of power rushed forth from Selma of kings. But the chiefs led by turns, in war, till mighty danger rose: then was the hour of the king to conquer in the field.

"Not unknown,” said Cromma-glass* of shields "are the deeds of our fathers. But who shall "now lead the war before the race of kings? "Mist settles on these four dark hills: within it "let each warrior strike his shield. Spirits may "descend in darkness, and mark us for the war."

* In tradition this Cromma-glass makes a great figure in that battle which Comhal lost, together with his life, to the tribe of Morni. I have just now in my hands an Irish composition, of a very modern date, as appears from the language, in which all the traditions concerning that decisive engagement are jumbled together. In justice to the merit of the poem, I should have here presented to the reader a translation of it, did not the bard mention some circumstances very ridiculous, and others altogether indecent. Morna, the wife of Comhal, had a principal hand in all the transactions previous to the defeat and death of her husband; she, to use the words of the bard, who was the guiding star of the women of Erin. The bard, it is to be hoped, misrepresented the ladies of his country, for Morna's behaviour was, according to him, so void of all decency and virtue, that it cannot be supposed they had chosen her for their guiding star. The poem consists of many stanzas. The language is figurative, and the numbers harmonious; but the piece is so full of anachronisms, and so unequal in its composition, that the author, most undoubtedly, was either mad or drunk when he wrote it. It is worthy of being remarked, that Comhal is, in this poem, very often called, Comhal na h' Albin, or Comhal of Albion, which sufficiently demonstrates that the allegations of Keating and O'Flaherty, concerning Fion Mac Comnal, are but of late inveution.

They went each to his hill of mist. Bards marked the sounds of the shields. Loudest rung thy boss, Duth-maruno. Thou must lead in war!

Like the murmur of waters the race of U-thorno came down. Starno led the battle, and Swaran of stormy isles. They looked forward from iron shields, like Cruth-loda, fiery-eyed, when he looks from behind the darkened moon, and strews his signs on night. The foes met by Turthor's stream. They heaved like ridgy waves. Their echoing strokes are mixed. Shadowy death flies over the hosts. They were clouds of hail, with squally winds in their skirts. Their showers are roaring together. Below them swells the dark-rolling deep.

Strife of gloomy U-thorno, why should I mark thy wounds! Thou art with the years that are gone; thou fadest on my soul!

Starno brought forward his skirt of war, and Swaran his own dark wing. Nor a harmless fire is Duth-maruno's sword. Lochlin is rolled over her streams. The wrathful kings are lost in thought. They roll their silent eyes over the flight of their land. The horn of Fingal was heard; the sons of woody Albion returned. But many lay, by Turthor's stream, silent in their blood.

"Chief of Crathmo," said the king, "Duthmaruno, hunter of boars! not harmless returns "my eagle from the field of foes! For this white"bosomed Lanul shall brighten at her streams;

"Candona shall rejoice as he wanders in Crath"mo's fields."

66

He slew his

"Colgorm,"* replied the chief," was the first "of my race in Albion; Colgorm, the rider of ocean, through its watery vales. "brother in I-thorno:† he left the land of his "fathers. He chose his place, in silence, by

[ocr errors]

rocky Crathmo-craulo. His race came forth "in their years; they came forth to war, but they always fell. The wound of my fathers is "mine, king of echoing isles!"

[ocr errors]

He drew an arrow from his side! He fell pale, in a land unknown. His soul came forth to his fathers to their stormy isle. There they pursued boars of mist along the skirts of winds. The chiefs stood silent around, as the stones of Loda, on their hill. The traveller sees them,

through the twilight, from his lonely path. He thinks them the ghosts of the aged, forming future wars.

Night came down on U-thorno. Still stood the chiefs in their grief. The blast whistled, by

* The family of Duth-maruno, it appears, came originally from Scandinavia, or, at least, from some of the northern isles, subject in chief to the kings of Lochlin. The Highland senachies, who never missed to make their comments on, and additions to, the works of Ossian, have given us a long list of the ancestors of Duth-maruno, and a particular account of their actions, many of which are of the marvellous kind. One of the tale-makers of the north has chosen for his hero, Starnmor, the father of Duth-maruno, and considering the adventures through which he has led him, the piece is neither disagreeable nor abounding with that kind of fiction which shocks credibility, † An island of Scandinavia.

« 前へ次へ »