Blair Collection > Galic antiquities

258 M A N O S:
daughter, and fought her love ; but fhe followed Morloch to the
ftreams of Glendivar. The rage of Calmar grew. He came with
war from Borba. Age was on the arm of Umad, and my fon was
young. The fpear which he could lift was ftill but light; and thin
was his youthful fhield. He heard of the fame of that friend of
ftrangers, the king of hilly Morven. He went by night to
feek his aid. But Calmar heard the tread of his feet. — My fon
untimely dies ! — The cry of death reached my ears. I took the
fhield of my flrength in my hand : but I found it heavy. I put
on the mail : but my knees trembled \mder its weight. I tried in
vain to unflieathe the fword. Calmar fent me to this defart ifle.
Gorban heard my fteps, where, for two days, he had fat on the
tomb of my fon. His tears were a ftream on his grave ; but his
dreams of night were not of dark-brown deer. The thoughts of
his lleep are of Morad : for him are his frequent lighs ; for he will
no more lead him to the chafe, nor bound with him through the
defart. — He heard my tread, and followed ine. But his fteps were
heavy, like mine, when penlive I bore to his narrow bed the fleep-
ing Morad. — ^^Three years have lince, with all their lingering days,
failed by me on the deep. My foot too, by a fall in the chafe, hath
failed. But the burden of life, though heavy as the arms of his
ftrength to the warrior of age, I ftill could bear, if thou, my Gor-
ban, hadft remained with me. But now that thou art gone, I foon
expe(n: to follow."
We felt for the aged chief. The king promifed to reftore him
to Stramora. He looked to Gorban ; and we heard his figh. " O
that thy tomb were near the dwelling of Umad !" — We promifed
it fliould ; and glad was the face of the aged.
Tim.