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

An epic poem. 93
dazzled with that beam of hght, which came, as ilTuing from a
cloud, to fave the wounded hero. — Growing in his pride he flood,
and called forth all his fteel.
As meet two broad-winged eagles, in their founding flrife, on
the winds : fo ruflied the two chiefs, on Moi-lena, into gloomy
fight. By turns are the fleps of the kings * forward on their
rocks ; for now the dufky war feemed to defcend on their fvvords.
— Cathmor feels the joy of warriors, on his moffy hill : their joy in
fecret when dangers rife equal to their fouls. His eye is not turned
on Lubar, but on Morven's dreadful king ; for he beheld him, -on
Mora, rifing in his arms.
FoLDATH -j- fell on his fhield j the fpear of Fillan pierced the
king. Nor looked the youth on the fallen, but onward rolled the
war.
* Fingal and Cathmor.
t The fall of Foldath, if we may be-
lieve tradition, was predi£led to him, be-
fore he had left his own country to join
Cairbar, in his defigns on the Irifli throne.
He went to the cave of Moma, to enquire
of the fpirits of his fathers, concerning the
fuccefs of the enterprife of Cairbar. The
refponles of oracles are always attended
with obfcurity, and liable to a double
meaning : Foldath, therefore, put a favour-
able interpretation on the prediction, and
purfued his adopted plan of aggrandizing
liimfcif with the family of Atha. I fhall,
here, tranflate the anfwer of the ghoJIs of
hii ancejhrs, as it is handed down by tra-
dition. Whether the legend is really an-
cient, or the invention of a late age, I
fliall not pretend to determine, tho', from
the phrafeology, I fliould fufpe£t the laft.
Foldath, addrcjfmg the fpirits of his
fathers.
Dark, I (land in your prefence ; fathers
of Foldath, hear. Shall myfteps pafs over
Atha, to Ullin of the roes ?
The Anfvjer.
Thy fleps fhall pafs over Atha, to the
green dwelling of kings. There (hall thy
ftature arife, over the fallen, like a pillar
of thunder-clouds. There, terrible in dark-
nefs, (halt thou ftand, till the ref-^ed
ieanty