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

An epic poem. 33
ing on the field. I go forth with the crowd : I return, without
my fame. But the foe approaches, OfTian. I hear their mur-
mur on the heath. The found of their fteps is like thunder, in the
bofom of the ground, when the rocking hillg fliake their groves,
and not a blaft pours from the darkened fky.
Sudden I turned on my fpear, and raifed the flame of an oak
on high. I fpread it large, on Mora's wind. Cathmor flopt in
his courfe. — Gleaming he flood, like a rock, on whofe fides are the
wandering of blafts ; which feize its echoing ftreams and clothe
them over with ice. So ftood the friend * of fi:rangers. The
winds lift his heavy locks. Thou art the tallefl of the race of Erin,
king of ftreamy Atha !
First of bards, faid Cathmor, Fonar -f, call the chiefs of Erin,
Call red-hair'd Cormar, dark-browed Malthos, the fide-long-look-
ing gloom of Maronan. Let the pride of Foldath appear : and
the red-rolling eye of Turlotho. Nor let Hidalla be forgot ; his
'voice, in danger. Is like the found of a fliower, when it falls in the
blafted vale, near Atha's falling flream.
They came, in their clanging arms. They bent forward to his
voice, as if a fpirit of their fathers fpoke from a cloud of night. — .
* Cathmor is diftinguiflied, by this ho- not impofed upon any perfon, till, he had
nourable title, on account of his genero- diftinguifhed himfelf by fome remarkable
fity to ftrangers, which was fo great as to aciion, from which his name fhould be de-
be remarkable even in thofe days of hofpi- rived. Hence it is that the names in the
tality. poems of Oflian, fuit to well with the cha-
t Fonar, the man of fong. Before the raclers of the perfons who bear them.
introdu>Sion of Chriftianity a name was
F Drcad-5