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

194 C A T II'-iLl O D A:
of heroes call forth the fteel. — Shall the fword of Fingal arife, or
fhall a warrior lead ?
* The deeds of old, fiid Duth-niaruno, are like paths toour
eyes, O Fingal. Broad-niielded"Trenmor, is ftill fcen,-amidll: his
own dim years. Nor feeble was the foul of the king. There, no
dark deed wandered in fecret. From their hundred ilreams came
the tribes, to graily Colglan-crona. Their chiefs were before them.
Each ftrove to lead the war. Their fwords were often half-un-
fheathed. Red rolled their eyes of rage. Separate they ftood,
and hummed their furly &ings. " Why fliould they yield to
each other.'' their fathers were equal in war."
Trexmor was there, with his people, llately in youthful locks.
He faw the advancing Ibe. The grief of his foul arofe. He bade
* In this fhort epifode we have a very they themfelves fhould alternately lead in
probable account given us, of the origin battle. They did fo, but they were unfuc-
of monarchy in Caledonia. The Caci, or cefsful. When it came to Trenmor's turn,
Gauls, who poflHled the countries to the he totally defeated the enemy, h)' his fupe-
north of the Firth of Edinburgh, were, rior valour and condu<3-, which gained him
originally, a number of diftind tribes, or iuch an intereii among the tribes, that he,
clans, each fubjeiSl ta its own chief, who and h.is family after him, were regarded »s
was free and independent of any other lyings ; or, to ufe the poet's expreflion, ibe
power. When the Roirans invaded them, t^ordi of p!u.er rvjhed forth fiom Selma vf
the common danger might, perhaps, have ^/"^J-— The regal authority, however, ex-
induced thofe ngmi to join together, but, cept in time of war, was but inconfuier-
as thev were unwilling to yield to the com- able ; for every chief, within his own dif-
n.and of one of their own number, their trifl, was abfolute and independent. — From
battles were ill-condufted, and, confe- the iirene of the battle in this epifb-Je,
quenily, unfuccefsful. — Trenmor was the (which was in the valley of Crona, a little
firft who reprefcnted to the chiefs, the bad to the north of Agticola's wall) I fliould
confequences of carrying on their wars in fuppofe, that the enemies of the Caledoni-
this irregular manner, and advifed, that ans were the Romans, or provincial Biitonj.
2 the