Ossian Collection > Fingal

Book III. A n E P I C P O E M. 47
The heroes flew like two dark clouds : two dark clouds that are
the chariots of ghofls ; when air's dark children come to frighten
haplefs men.
It was then that Gaul *, the fon of Morni, flood like a rock in
the night. His fpear is glittering to the ftars ; his voice like many
ftreams.
Son of battle, cried the chief, O Fingal, king of fliells! let the
bards of many fongs footh Erin's friends to reft. And, Fingal,
fheath thy fword of death ; and let thy people fight. We wither
away without our fame ; for our king is the only breaker of fliields.
When morning rifes on our hills, behold at a diftance our deeds.
Let Lochlin feel the fword of Morni's fon, tliat bards may {mg of
me. Such was the cuitom heretofore of Fingal's noble race. Such
was thine own, thou king of fwords, in battles of the fpear.
O SON of Morni, Fingal replied, I glory in thy fame. Fight;
but my Ipear fhall be near to aid thee in the midft of danger. Raife,
raife the voice, fons of the fong, and lull me into reft. Here will
Fingal lie amidft the wind of night. And if thou, Agandecca,
art near, among the children of thy land ; if thou fitteft on a blaft
of wind among the high-fhrowded marts of Lochlin ; come to my
dreams -f-, my fair one, and fhew thy bright face to my foul.
* Gaul, the fon of Morni, was chief of a more fttength than condud in battle. He
tribe that difputed long, the pre-eminence, was very fond of military fame, and here
with Fingal himfelf. They were reduced hedemands the next battle to himfelf.— The
at lad to obedience, and Gaul, from an poet, by an artifice, removes Fingal, that
enemy, turned Fingal's beft friend and his return may be the more magnificent,
greateft hero. His character is fomething f The poet prepares us for the dream of
like that of Ajax in the Iliad ; a hero of Fingal in the next book.
Manv