Ossian Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

An epic poem. 141
broad-fhielded Cairbar, from Ullin of the roes. He liftens to the
voice of Condan, as, grey, he bends in feeble h"ght. He liftens,
for his foes dwell in the echoing halls of Temora. He comes, at
times, abroad, in the Ikirts of mift, to pierce the bounding roes.
When the fun looks on the field, nor by the rock, nor ftream, is
he ! He flums the race of Bolga, who dwell in his father's hall.
Tell him, that Fingal lifts the fpear, and that his foes, perhaps*
may fail.
Lift up, O Gaul, the fliield before him. Stretch, Dermid,
Temora's fpear. Be thy voice in his ear, O Carril, with the deeds
of his fathers. Lead him to green Moilena, to the dufky field of
was killed. — Cairbar, to ufe the words of
the poem on the fubjeft, darkened for his
fair-haired f>i. He turned to the young
heam of lights the fin of Beltanno of Co-
Tiachar. Thou Jhalt be Ferad-arlho, he f aid,
« pre before V>y race. Cairbar, foon after,
died, nor did Anho long furvive him.
Artho was fucceeded, in the Itifli throne,
by his fon Cormac, who, in hts minority,
was murdered by Cairbar, the fon of Bor-
bar-duthul. — Feradartho, fays tradition,
was very young, when the expedition of
Fingal, to fittle him on the throne of Ire-
land, happened. During the fhort reign
of young Cormac, Ferad-artho lived at
the royal palace of Temora. Upon the
murder of the king, Comhn, the bard,
conveyed Ferad-artho, privately, to the
cave of Cluna, behind the mountain
Crommal, InUlfter, where they both lived
concealed, during the ufurpation of the
family of Atha. All thefe particulars,
concerning Ferad-artho, may be gathered
from the compofitions of Oflian : A bard,
lefs ancient, has delivered the whole hif-
to.-y, in a poem jufl now in my poffef-
fion. It has little merit, if we except
the fcene between Ferad-artho, and the
meflengers of Fingal, upon their arrival,
in the valley of Cluna. After hearing of
the great actions of Fingal, the young
prince propofes the following queftions
concerning him, to Gaul and Dtrmid.—
" Is the king tall as the rock of my cave ?
Is his fpear a fir of Cluna ? Is he a rough-
winged blaft, on the mountain, which
takes the green oak by the head, and tears
it from its hill ' — Glitters Lubar within
his ftride, when he fends his ftately fleps
along. -Nor is be tall, • faid Gaul, as
that rock : nor glitter fireams within his
flrides, but his foul is a mighty flood, like
the ftrength of UUin's feas."
^hofts ;