Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

Sa CARTHON:
hears it in the vale, and retires to the cave of
the rock. Carthon flood in his place : the
blood is rufhing down his fide : he faw the
coming down of the king ; his hopes of fame
arofe *; but pale was his cheek : his hair flew
loofe, his helmet fhook on high : the force of
Carthon failed ; but his foul was ftrong.
Fingal beheld the hero's blood ; he ftopt the
uplifted fpear. " Yield, king of fwords !
faid Coronal's fon ; I behold thy blood. Thou
haft been mighty in battle ; and thy fame
fhall never fade." Art thou the king fo far
renowned ? replied the car-borne Carthon. Art
thou that light of death, that frightens the
kings of the world ? But why mould Carthon
afk ? for he is like the ftream of his hills ;
ftrong as a river, in his courfe : fwift as the
eagle of heaven. O that I had fought with
the king ; that my fame might be great in
fong ! that the hunter, beholding my tomb,
might fay, he fought with the mighty Fingal.
But Carthon dies unknown ; he has poured
out his force on the weak.
But thou (halt not die unknown, replied the
king of woody Morven : my bards are many,
O Carthon ! Their fongs defcend to future
times. The children of years to come fhall hear
the fame of Carthon ; when they fit round the
* This expreflion admits of a double meaning, either
that Carthon hoped to acquire glory by killing Fingal ;
or to be rendered famous by falling by his hand. The
laft is the moil probable, as Carthon is already wounded.
10 burning