Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

Book V. AN EPIC POEM. 275
thus have I feen two dark hills, removed from
their place, by the ftrength of the burfting
ftream. They turn from fide to fide in their
fall ; their tall oaks meet one another on high.
Then they tumble together with all their rocks
and trees. The ftreams are turned by their
fide. The red ruin is feen afar.
" Sons of diftant Morven," faid Fingal :
" guard the king of Lochlin ! He is ftrong
as his thoufand waves. His hand is taught to
war. His race is of the times of old. Gaul,
thou firft of my heroes ; Oflian king of fongs,
attend. He is the friend of Agandecca ; raife
to joy his grief. But, Ofcar, Fillan, and Ryno,
ye children of the race ! purfue Lochlin over
Lena ! that no vefTel may hereafter bound, on
the dark-rolling waves of Iniftore !"
They flew fudderi acrofs the heath. He
flowly moved, like a cloud of thunder, when
the fultry plain of fumrner is filent and dark !
His fword is before him as a fun-beam ; ter-
rible as the ftreaming meteor of night. He
came toward a chief of Lochlin, He fpoke
to the fon of the wave. " Who is that fo
dark and fad, at the rock of the roaring ftream ?
He cannot bound over its courfe : how {lately
is the chief ! His body fhield is on his fide ;
his fpear, like the tree of the defert ! Youth
of the dark-red hair, art thou of the foes of
Fingal 1"
" I am a fon of Lochlin," he cries, " ftrong
is my arm in war. My fpoufe is weeping at
home. Orla fhall never return !" " Or fights
T 2 or