Ossian Collection > Fingal

FINGAL. 13
eyes are two decaying flames. Dark is the wound
of his breast! "Crugal,,, said the mighty Conna!,
"son of Dedgai, famed on the hill of hinds! Why
so pale and sad, thou breaker of the shields? Thou
hast never been pale for fear! What disturbs the
departed Crugal?,, Dim, and in tears, he stood
and stretched his pale hand over the hero. Faintly
he raised his feeble voice , like the gale of the
reedy Lego.
"My spirit, Connal, is on my hills: my corse
on the sands of Erin. Thou shalt never talk with
Crugal, nor find his lone steps in the heath. I
am light as the blast of Cromla. I move like the
shadow of mist! Connal, son of Colgar, I see a
cloud of deatii : it hovers dark over the plains of
Lena. The sons of green Erin must fall. Remove
from the field of ghosts. „ Like the darkened moon
lie retired, in the midst of the whistling blast.
"Stay,., said the mighty Connal, "stay, my dark-
red friend. Lay by that beam of heaven, son of
the windy Cromla ! What cave is thy lonely house?
What green -headed hill the place of thy" repose?
Shall we not hear thee in the storm ? in the noise
of the mountain - stream ? when the feeble sons of
the wind come forth , and , scarcely seen , pass over
the desert ? »
The soft- voiced Connal rose, in the rhidst of
his sounding arms. He struck his shield above
CuthuUin. The son of battle waked. "Why,.,
said the ruler of the car, "comes Connal through
the night? My spear might turn against the sound,
and CuthuUin mourn the death of his friend. Speak,
Connal; son of Colgar, speak; thy counsel is the
sun of heaven ! ,. " Son of Semo ! „ replied the chief,
"the ghost of Crugal came from his cave. The
stars dim -twinkled tlnough his form. His voice
was like the soiuid of a distant stream. He is a
messenger of death ! He speaks of the dark and
narrow house ! Sue for peace , chief of Erin !
or fly over the heath of Lena. ,.
" He spoke to Connal, „ replied the hero, " though
stars dim-twinkled through his form ! Son of Colgar,
it was the wind that murmured across thy ear. Or
if it was the form of Crugal, why didst thou not