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

i64 C A T PI L I N o F C L U T H A :
field of grafs, fo various is Cathlln's cheek. It was fair, within
locks, that rofe on Rath-col's wind. I did not rufli, amidft his
foul, with my words. I bade the fong to rife.
Oscar of Lego, I faid, be thine the fecret hill*, to night.
Strike the fhield, like Morven's kings. With day, thou fhalt lead
in war. From my rock, I fliall fee thee, Ofcar, a dreadful form
afcending in fight, like the appearance of ghofls amidft the ftorms
they raife. Why fliould mine eyes return to the dim times of
old, ere yet the fong had burfted forth, like the fudden rifing of
winds? But the years, that are paft, are marked with mighty
deeds. As the nightly rider of waves looks up to Toh-thena of
beams : fo let us turn our eyes to Trenmor, the father of kings.
Wide, in Caracha's echoing field, Carmal had poured his tribes.
They were a dark ridge of waves ; the grey-haired bards were
like moving foam on their face. They kindled the flrife around,
with their red-rolling eyes. — Nor alone were the dwellers of rocks ;
former paflion, upon the approach of Duth-
carmor's danger. — I myfelf, who think
more favourably of the fex, inuft attribute
the agitation of Cath'iin's mind to her ex-
tream fenfibility to the injuries done her
by Duth-carmor: and this opinion is fa-
voured by the fequel of the ftory.
* This paQage alludes to the well known
cuftom among the ancient kings of Scot-
land, to retire from their army on the
night preceding a battle. The ftory
which Offian introduces in the next para-
graph, concerns the fall of the Druids, of
which I gave fome account in the diflerta-
tion prefixed to the former coiledlion. —
It is faid in many old poems, that the
Druids, in the extremity of their affairs,
had folicited and obtained aid from Scandi-
navia. Among the auxiliaries there came
many pretended magicians, which circum-
ftance Offian alludes to, in his defcription
of ihs fin of Loda, — Magic and incanta-
tion could not, however, prevail ; for Tren-
mor, affifted by the valour of his foil Tra-
thal, entirely broke the power of the
Druids.
a fcu