with a smile.

"The sons of car-borne Usnoth "will never tremble in danger! Why dost thou "roll with all thy foam, thou roaring sea of "Erin? Why do ye rustle on your dark wings, ye whistling storms of the sky? Do ye think,

ye storms, that ye keep Nathos on the coast? "No: his soul detains him, children of the night! "Althos, bring my father's arms: thou seest them "beaming to the stars. Bring the spear of Semo.* "It stands on the dark-bosomed ship!"

He brought the arms. Nathos covered his limbs, in all their shining steel. The stride of the chief is lovely. The joy of his eyes was terrible, He looks towards the coming of Cairbar. The wind is rustling in his hair. Dar-thula is silent at his side. Her look is fixed on the chief. She strives to hide the rising sigh. Two tears swell in her radiant eyes!

"Althos!" said the chief of Etha, "I see a st cave in that rock. Place Dar-thula there. "Let thy arm, my brother, be strong. Ardan!

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we meet the foe; call to battle gloomy Cairbar. "O that he came in his sounding steel, to meet "the son of Usnoth! Dar-thula, if thou shalt <% escape, look not on the fallen Nathos! "thy sails, O Althos! towards the echoing groves "of my laud.

Lift

* Semo was grandfather to Nathos by the mother's side. The spear mentioned here was given to Usnoth on his marriage, it being the custom then for the father of the lady to give his arms to his son-inlay,

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"Tell the chief that his son fell with fame; "that my sword did not shun the fight. Tell him "I fell in the midst of thousands. Let the joy of "his grief be great. Daughter of Colla! call the "maids to Etha's echoing hall! Let their songs "arise for Nathos, when shadowy autumn reO that the voice of Cona, that Ossian "might be heard in my praise! then would my "spirit rejoice in the midst of the rushing winds.” "And my voice shall praise thee, Nathos, chief "of the woody Etha! The voice of Ossian shall "rise in thy praise, son of the generous Usnoth !

"turns.

::

Why was I not on Lena when the battle rose? "Then would the sword of Ossian defend thee, or himself fall low!"

We sat that night in Selma, round the strength of the shell. The wind was abroad in the oaks. The spirit of the mountain+ roared. The blast came rustling through the hall, and gently touched my harp. The sound was mournful and low, like the song of the tomb. Fingal heard it the first. The crowded sighs of his bosom rose. "Some of my heroes are low," said the greyhaired king of Morven. "I hear the sound of

"death on the harp.

Ossian touch the trem

bling string. Bid the sorrow rise, that their spirits may fly with joy, to Morven's woody

* Usnoth.

+ By the spirit of the mountain is meant that deep and melancholy sound which precedes a storm, well known to those who live in a high country.

"hills!" I touched the harp before the king; the sour was mournful and low. "Bend for"ward 1 om your clouds," I said, "ghosts of my "fathers! bend. Lay by the red terror of your course. Receive the falling chief; whether he comes from a distant land, or rises from the "rolling sea. Let his robe of mist be near; his spear that is formed of a cloud. Place an half"extinguished meteor by his side, in the form of "the hero's sword. And, oh! let his counte"nance be lovely, that his friends may delight in "his presence. Bend from your clouds," I said, "ghosts of my fathers! bend!"

Such was my song in Selma, to the lightly trembling harp. But Nathos was on Erin's shore, surrounded by the night. He heard the voice of the foe, amidst the roaring of tumbling waves. Silent he heard their voice, and rested on his spear! Morning rose, with its beams. The sons of Erin appear, like grey rocks, with all their trees, they spread along the coast. Cairbar stood in the midst. He grimly smiled when he saw the foe. Nathos rushed forward in his strength: nor could Dar-thula stay behind. She came with the hero, lifting her shining spear. "And who are these, in their armour, in the pride of 'youth? Who but the sons of Usnoth, Althos " and dark-haired Arden?"

Come," said Nathos, "come! chief of high "Temora! Let our battle be on the coast, for

"the white-bosomed maid. His people are not

"with Nathos; they are behind these rolling seas. "Why dost thou bring thy thousands against the "chief of Etha? Thou didst fly* from him in "battle, when his friends were around his spear." "Youth of the heart of pride, shall Erin's king

fight with thee? Thy fathers were not among "the renowned, nor of the kings of men.

Are "the arms of foes in their halls? or the shields of "other times? Cairbar is renowned in Temora, "nor does he fight with feeble men!"

The tear started from car-borne Nathos. He turned his eyes to his brothers. Their spears flew at once. Three heroes lay on earth. Then the light of their swords gleamed on high. The ranks of Erin yield, as a ridge of dark clouds before a blast of wind! Then Cairbar ordered his people and they drew a thousand bows. A thousand arrows flew. The sons of Usnoth fell in blood. They fell like three young oaks, which stood alone on the hill: the traveller saw the lovely trees, and wondered how they grew so lonely: the blast of the desert came by night, and laid

Next day he returned,

their green heads low. but they were withered, and the heath was bare!

Dar-thula stood in silent grief, and beheld their fall! No tear is in her eye. But her look is wildly sad. Pale was her cheek. Her trembling lips broke short an half-formed word. Her dark hair flew on wind. The gloomy Cairbar same.

* He alludes to the flight of Cairbar from Seláma.

"Where is thy lover now? the car-borne chief "of Etha? Hast thou beheld the halls of Usnoth?

.

or the dark-brown hills of Fingal? My battle "would have roared on Morven, had not the "winds met Dar-thula. Fingal himself would "have been low, and sorrow dwelling in Selma!" Her shield fell from Dar-thula's arm. Her breast of snow appeared. It appeared; but it was stained with blood. An arrow was fixed in her side. She fell on the fallen Nathos, like a wreath of snow! Her hair spreads wide on his face. Their blood is mixing around!

"Daughter of Colla! thou art low!" said Cairbar's hundred bards. "Silence is at the blue "streams of Seláma, Truthil's* race have failed. "When wilt thou rise in thy beauty, first of Erin's "maids? Thy sleep is long in the tomb. The

morning distant far. The sun shall not come "to thy bed and say, Awake, Dar-thula! awake, "thou first of women! the wind of spring is "abroad. The flowers shake their heads on the

green hills. The woods wave their growing "leaves. Retire, O sun! the daughter of Colla "is asleep. She will not come forth in her beau"ty. She will not move in the steps of her love"liness!"

Such was the song of the bards when they raised the tomb. I sung over the grave, when the king of Morven came; when he came to green Erin to fight with car-borne Cairbar!

*Truthil was the founder of Dar-thula's family.