Ossian Collection > Fingal

Book!. AnEPICPOEM. 7
But where are my friends in battle? The companions of my
arm in danger ? Where art thou, white-bofom'd Cathbat ? Where is
that cloud in war, Duchomar * : and haft thou left me, O Fergus -f- !
in the day of the ftorm ? Fergus, firft in our joy at the feaft ; fon
of RofTa ! arm of death ! comeft thou hke a roe | from Malmor.
Like a hart from the ecchoing hills ? Hail thou fon of RofTa !
what Ihades the foul of war ?
Four ftones ||, replied the chief, rife on the grave of Cathbat.
-Thefe hands have laid in earth Duchomar, that cloud in war.
Cathbat, thou fon of Torman, thou wert a fun-beam on the hill.
And thou, O valiant Duchomar, like the mift of marfliy
Lano ; when it fails over the plains of autumn and brings death to
the people. Morna ! thou faireft of maids ! calm is thy fleep in
the cave of the rock. Thou haft fallen in darknefs like a ftar, that
fhoots athwart the defart, when the traveller is alone, and mourns
the tranfient beam. Say, faid Semo's blue-eyed fon, fay how fell
the chiefs of Erin ? Fell they by the fons of Lochlin, ftriving in
the battle of heroes ? Or v/hat confines the chiefs of Cromla to the
dark and narrow houfe -j- ?
* Dubhchomar, a black weli-Jhaped man. and, if a warrior, his fword, and the heads
+ Fear-guth, — the man of the wo'd; o# of twelve arrows by his fide. Above they
a commander of an army. laid another ftratum of clay, in which they
J Be thou like a roe or young hart gn placed the horn of a deer, the fymbol of
the mountains of Bether. hunting. The whole was covered with a
Solomon's Song. fine mold, and four flones placed on end
H This pafTage alludes to the manner of to mark the extent of the grave. Thefe
burial among the ancient Scot?. They are the four flones alluded to here.
opened a grave fix or eight feet deep : the + The grave. The houfe appointed
bottom was lined v/ith fine clay ; and on for all living. Job,
this they laid the body of the deceafed,
Cathbat,