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

66 T E M O R A:
I BADE my white fails to rife, before the roar of Cona's wind.
Three hundred youths looked, from their waves, on Fingal's bofly
fhield. High on the maft it hung, and marked the dark-blue fea.
—-But when the night came down, I ftruck, at times, the warning
bofs : I ftruck, and looked on high, for fiery-haired Ul-erin *.
Nor wanting was the ftar of heaven : it travelled red between
the clouds : I purfued the lovely beam, on the faint-gleaming deep.
— With morning, Erin rofe in mift. We came into the bay of
Moi-lena, where its blue waters tumbled, in the bofom of echoing
woods. — Here Cormac, in his fecret hall, avoided the ftreneth of
Colc-ulla. Nor he alone avoids the foe : the blue eye of Ros-
crana is there : Ros-crana -f-, white-handed maid, the daughter of
the king.
Grey, on his pointlefs fpear, came forth the aged fteps of Cor-
rnac. He fmiled, from his waving locks, but grief was in his
foul. He Lwv us few before him, and his figh arofe. — I fee the
arms of Trenmor, he faid ; and thefe are the fteps of the king !
Fingal ! thou art a beam of light to Cormac's darkened foul. — Early
* Ul-erin, the guide to Ireland, a flar bards relate ftrange fi£lions concerning this
known by that name in ihe days of Fin- princefs. The charafler given of her here,
gal, and very ufeful to thofe who failed, and in other poems of Oflian, does not
by night, from the Hebrides, or Caledonia, tally with their accounts. Their ftories,
to the coaft of Ulfter. We find, from however, concerning Fingal, if they mean
this paflage, that navig>tion was confide- him by Fian Mac-Comnal, are fo inconfift-
rably advanced, at this time, among the ent and notorioufly fabulous, that they do
Caledonians. not deferve to be mentioned ; for they evi-
f Ros crana, the beam of the r'fmgfun ; dently bear, along with them, the marks of
ihe was the mother of Oflian. The Irifli late invention.
is