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

34 T E M O R A:
Dreadful flione they to the light; like the tall of the ftream of
Brumo *, when the meteor lights it, before the nightly ftranger.
Shuddering, he flops in his journey, and looks up for the beam of
the morn.
^- Why delights Foldath, faid the king, to pour the blood of
foes, by night ? Fails his arm in battle, in the beams of day ?
Few are the foes before us, why fliould we clothe us in miil: ?
The valiant delight to fhine, in the battles of their land.
Thy counfel was in vain, chief of Moma; the eyes of Morven
do not fleep. They are watchful, as eagles, on their mofTy rocks.
— Let each colledl, beneath his cloud, the ftrength of his roaring
tribe. To-morrow I move, in light, to meet the foes of Bolga ! —
Mighty X was he, that is low, the race of Borbar-Duthul !
Not unmarked, faid Foldath, were my fleps before thy race.
In light, I met the foes of Cairbar ; the warrior praifed my deeds.
* Brumo was a place of worfhip (Fing. open Cathmor. Offian is peculiarly happy
b. 6.) in Craca, which is fuppofed to be in oppofing different characters, and, by
oneof the ides of Shetland. It was thought, that means, in heightening the features of
that the fpirits of the dcceafed haunted it, both. Foldath appears to have been the
by night, which adds more terror to the favourite of Cairbar, and it cannot be de-
defcription introduced here. Trie hsrrid ^xsA but he was a proper enough- minifter
circle of Brumo, where often, th.y faid, the to fuch a prince. He was cruel and impe-
ghofls of the chad haoled round the Jione of tuous, but feems to have had great martial
fear. Fing. p. 80. merit.
■|- From this paflage, it appears, that it % By this excIama;ion Cithmor inti-
was Foldath who had advifed the night- mates that he intends to revenge the death
attack. The gloomy chara(2er of Fok'ath of his brother Cairbar.
is properly CoiurafteJ to the generous, the
—But