Ossian Collection > Fingal, an ancient epic poem

PREFACE.
t)ie gallant propofal of Calmar, refolves to accom-
pany him, and orders Carril to carry off the few.
that remained of the Irifh. Morning comes, Cal-
mar dies of his wounds ; and, the fhips of the Ca-
kdonians appearing, Swaran gives over the purfuit
of the Irifh, and returns to oppofe Fingal's land-
ing. CuchuUin afhamed, after his defeat, to ap-
pear before Fingal, retires to the cave of Tura.
Fmgal engages the enemy, puts them to flight ;
^ut the coming on of night makes the vi6lory not
decifive. The king, -who had obferved the gallant
behaviour of his grandfon Ofcar, gives him advices
concerning his conduct in peace and war. He re^
commends to him to place the example of his fa-
thers before his eyes, as the beft model for his con-
du8: ; which introduces the epifode concerning
Fainasollis, the daughter of the king of Craca,
•whom Fingal had taken under his protection, in
his youth. Fillan and Ofcar are difpatched to ob-
ferve the motions of the enemy by night ; Gaul
the fon of Morni defires the command of the army^
in the next battle ; which Fingal promifes to give
jbim. The fong of the bards clofes the third day»
* The afiion of the poem being fufpended by
night, Offian takes that opportunity to relate his
cwn actions at the lake of Lego, and his court-
ftiip of Eviraliin, who was the mother of Ofcar,
and had died fome time before the expedition of
Fingal into Ireland. Her ghoft appears to him>
and tells him that Ofcar, who had been fent, the
beginning of tjie night, to obferve the enemy, was
* Book IV,
engaged