J. F. Campbell Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

32 T E M O R A:
came, in his ftiength, the chief of cloudy Morven.^ — Nor did he
come alone ; Colgar * was at his fide ; Colgar the fon of the king
and of \vhite-bofomed Solin-corma.
As Trenmor, cloathed with meteors, defcends from the halls of
thiindir, pouring the dark florm before him over the troubled fea:
fo Colgar defcended to battle, and wafted the echoing field. His
father rejoiced over the hero : but an arrow came. His tomb was
raifed, without a tear. The king was to revenge his fon. — Ha
lightened forward in battle, till Bolga yielded at her ftreams.
When peace returned to the land, and his blue waves bore the
king to Morven : then he remembered his fon, and poured the
filent tear. Thrice did the bards, at the cave of Furmono, call the
foul of Colgar. They called him to the hills of his land j and
he heard them in his mift. Trathal placed his fword in the cave,
that the fpirit of his fon might rejoice.
-f- Colgar, fon of Trathal, faid Fillan, thou wert renowned in
youth ! But the king hath not marked my fword, bright-ftream-
* Calg-cr, ficrcdy-lookin^ ivarrior. Su- dark. This impartiality, with refpe£l to a
lin-corma, bl„e e\es. Co'gar was the eld- charaiHer fo near him, reflefls honour on the
eft of the fons of Trathal : Comhal, who poet.
was the father of Fingal, was very young f The poet begins here to mark ftrong-
when the prefent expedition to Ireland !y the charader of Fillan, who is to make
happened. It is remarkable, that, of all fo great a figure in the fequci of the Poem,
his ancefiors, the poet makes the Icaft men- He has the impatience, the ambition and
tion of Comhal ; which, probably, pro- fire which are peculiar to a young hero,
ceeded from the unfortunate life and un- Kindled with the fame of Colgar, he for-
timely death of that hero. Fi-om fome gets his untimely fall,— From Fillan's ex-
paflages, concerning him, we learn, indeed, prcflions in this paflage, it would feem, that
that he was brave, but he wanted condud, he was ncgleded by Fingal, on account of
and, as Odian exprcfles it, hh foul ivas his youth,
1. ing