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

An epic poem. 33
ing on the field. I go forth with the crowd: I return, without
my fame. But the foe approaches, Offian. I hear their mur-
mur on the heath. The found of their fteps is hke thunder, in the
bofom of the ground, when the rocking hills ftiake their groves,
and not a blaft pours from the darkened fky.
Sudden I turned on my fpear, and raifed the flame of an oark
on high. I fpread it large, on Mora's wind. Cathmor ftopt in
his courfc. — Gleaming he flood, like a rock, on whofe fides are the
wandering of blafts ; which feize its echoing ftreams and clothe
them over with ice. So flood the friend * of ftrangers. The
winds lift his heavy locks. Thou art the tallefl of the race of Eiin,
king of flreamy Atha !
First of bards, faid Cathmor, Fonar -f-, call the chiefs of Erin.
Call red-hair'd Cormar, dark-browed Malthos, the fide-long-look-
ing gloom of Maronan. Let the pride of Foldath appear : and
the red-rolling eye of Turlotho. Nor let Hidalla be forgot ; his
voice, in danger, is like the found of a fhower, when it falls in the
blafled vale, near Atha's failing flream.
They came, in their clanging arms. They bent forward to his
voice, as if a fpirit of their fathers fpoke from a cloud of night.—
* Cathmor is diftinguiihed, by this ho- not impofed upon any perfon, till, he had
nourable title, on account of his genero- diftinguiflied himfelf by fome remarkable
fity to ftrangers, which was (o great as to aflion, from which his name fhould be de-
be remarkable even in thofe days of hofpi- rived. Hence it is that the names in the
tality. poems of Oflian, fuit fo well with the cha-
t Fenar, iht man of fong. Before the raiters of the perfons who bear them,
introdudlion of Chrlftianity a name was
F Dread*