spear leans Fillan of Selma,* in the wandering of his locks. Thrice he raises his eyes to Fingal ; his voice thrice fails him as he speaks. My brother could not boast of battles: at once he strides away. Bent over a distant stream he stands: the tear hangs in his eye. He strikes at times the thistle's head, with his inverted spear. Nor is he unseen of Fingal. Side-long he beholds his son. reduced to the last extremity. Not long after two of his brothers being slain, in battle, by Coldaronnan, ehief of Clutha, Gaul went to his father's tomb to take the sword. His address to the spirit of the deceased hero, is the subject of the following short poem.

Gaul. "Breaker of echoing shields, whose head is deep in shades; "hear me from the darkness of Clora, O sen of Colgach, hear!

"No rustling, like the eagle's wing, comes over the course of my "streams. Deep bosomed in the midst of the desert, O king of Strumon, hear!

"Dwellest thou in the shadowy breeze, that pours its dark wave "over the grass? Cease to strew the beard of the thistle; O chief of "Clora, hear!

"Or ridest thou on a beam, amidst the dark trouble of clouds? Pour"est thou the loud wind on seas, to roll their blue waves over isles? "hear me, father of Gaul; amidst thy terrors, hear!

"The rustling of eagles is heard, the murmuring oaks shake their "heads on the hills: dreadful and pleasant is thy approach, friend of "the dwelling of heroes.

Morni. "Who wakes me, in the midst of my cloud, where my locks "of mist spread on the winds? Mixed with the noise of streams, why "rises the voice of Gaul.

Gaul. "My foes are around me, Morni; their dark ships descend "from their waves. Give the sword of Strumon, that beam which "thou hidest in thy night.

Morni. "Take the sword of resounding Strumon; I look on thy "war, my son; I look a dim meteor, from my cloud; blue-shielded "Gaul, destroy."

*Clatho was the daughter of Cathulla, king of Inistore. Fingal, in one of his expeditions to that island, fell in love with Clatho, and took her to wife, after the death of Ros-crana, the daughter of Cormac, king of Ireland.

Clatho was the mother of Ryno, Fillan, and Bosmina, mentioned in the battle of Lora. Fillan is often called the son of Clatho, to distin guish him from those sons which Fingal had by Ros-crana.

He beholds him, with bursting joy; and turns, amid his crowded soul. In silence turns the king toward Mora of woods. He hides the big tear with his locks. At length his voice is heard.

"First of the sons of Morni! Thou rock that "defiest the storm! Lead thou my battle, for "the race of low-laid Cormac. No boy's staff is "thy spear: no harmless beam of light thy sword. "Son of Morni of steeds, behold the foe! Destroy! Fillan, observe the chief! He is not

cr

" calm in strife: nor burns he heedless in battle.

My son, observe the chief! He is strong as "Lubar's stream, but never foams and roars. "High on cloudly Mora, Fingal shall behold the

war. Stand, Ossian,* near thy father, by the "falling stream. Raise the voice, O bards! Selma, move beneath the sound. It is my latter field. "Clothe it over with light."

As the sudden rising of winds; or distant rolling of troubled seas, when some dark ghost in wrath heaves the billows over an isle: an isle, the seat of mist, on the deep, for many dark-brown years! So terrible is the sound of the host, wide-moving over the field. Gaul is tall before them. The streams glitter within his strides. The bards raise the song by his side. He strikes his shield between. On the skirts of the blast, the tuneful voices rise.

* Ullin being sent to Morven with the body of Oscar, Ossian attends his father, in quality of chief bard.

"On Crona," said the bards, "there bursts a "stream by night. It swells in its own dark 66 course, till morning's early beam. Then comes "it white from the hill, with the rocks and their "hundred groves. Far be my steps from Crona. "Death is tumbling there. Be ye a stream from "Mora, sons of cloudy Morven !"

The

"Who rises from his car on Clutha? "hills are troubled before the king! The dark "woods echo round, and lighten at his steel. See "him amidst the foe, like Colgach's* sportful ghost: when he scatters the clouds, and rides "the eddying winds! It is Morni† of bounding "steeds! Be like thy father, O Gaul!"

"Selma is opened wide. Bards take the trem"bling harps. Ten youths bear the oak of the "feast. A distant sun-beam marks the hill. The

* There are some traditions, but, I believe, of late invention, that this Colgach was the same with the Galgacus of Tacitus. He was the ancestor of Gaul, the son of Morni, and appears from some, really ancient traditions, to have been king, or Vergobret, of the Caledonians; and hence proceeded the pretensions of the family of Morni to the throne, which created a good deal of disturbance, both to Comhal and his son Fingal. The first was killed in battle by that tribe; and it was after Fingal was grown up, that they were reduced to obedience. Colgach signifies fiercely-looking; which is a very proper name for a warrior, and is probably the origin of Galgacus; though I believe it a matter of mere conjecture, that the Colgach here mentioned was the same with that hero. I cannot help observing, that the song of the bards is conducted with propriety. Gaul, whose experience might have rendered his conduct cautious in war, has the example of his father, just rushing to battle, set before his eyes. Fillan, on the other hand, whose youth might make him impetuous and unguarded in action, is put in mind of the sedate and serene behaviour of Fingal upon like occasions.

+ The expedition of Merni to Clutha, alluded to here, is handed down in tradition.

dusky waves of the blast fly over the fields of grass. Why art thou silent, O Selma? The king returns with all his fame. Did not the "battle roar; yet peaceful in his brow? It "roared, and Fingal overcame. Be like thy

66 father, O Fillan!"

They move beneath the song. High wave their arms, as rushy fields, beneath autumnal winds. On Mora stands the king in arms. Mist flies round his buckler abroad! as, aloft, it hung on a bough, on Cormul's mossy rock. In silence I stood by Fingal, and turned my eyes on Cromla'st wood: lest I should behold the host, and rush amid my swelling soul. My foot is forward on the heath. I glittered, tall, in steel: like the falling stream of Tromo, which nightly winds bind over with ice. The boy sees it, on high, gleaming to the early beam: toward it he turns his ear, and wonders why it is so silent!

Nor bent over a stream is Cathmor, like a youth in a peaceful field. Wide he drew forward the war, a dark and troubled wave. But when he beheld Fingal on Mora: his generous pride arose. "Shall the chief of Atha fight, and no "king in the field? Foldath, lead my people "forth. Thou art a beam of fire."

Forth issues Foldath of Moma, like a cloud, the robe of ghosts. He drew his sword, a flame,

* The mountain Cromla was in the neighbourhood of the scene of fhis poem; which was nearly the same with that of Fingal.

from his side. He bade the battle move. The tribes, like ridgy waves, dark pour their strength around. Haughty is his stride before them. His red eye rolls in wrath. He calls Cormul chief of Dunratho; and his words were heard.

"Cormul, thou beholdest that path. It winds green behind the foe. Place thy people there; "lest Selma should escape from my sword. Bards "of green-valleyed Erin, let no voice of yours " arise. The sons of Morven must fall without song. They are the foes of Cairbar. Hereaf"ter shall the traveller meet their dark, thick mist

on Lena, where it wanders with their ghosts, "beside the reedy lake. Never shall they rise, "without song, to the dwelling of winds."

Cormul darkened, as he went. Behind him rushed his tribe. They sunk beyond the rock. Gaul spoke to Fillan of Selma; as his eye pursued the course of the dark-eyed chief of Dunratho. "Thou beholdest the steps of Cormul! “Let thine arm be strong! When he is low, son "of Fingal, remember Gaul in war. Here I fall "forward into battle, amid the ridge of shields."

The sign of death ascends: the dreadful sound of Morni's shield. Gaul pours his voice between.

* Dun-ratho, a hill with a plain on its top. Cormuil, blue-eye. Foldath dispatches here, Cormul to lie in ambush behind the army of the Caledonians. This speech suits with the character of Foldath, which is, throughout, haughty and presumptuous. Towards the latter end of this speech, we find the opinion of the times, concerning the unhappiness of the souls of those who were buried without the funeral song. This doctrine was inculcated by the bards, to make their order respectable and necessary.