Ossian Collection > Fingal, an ancient epic poem

A P O E M. 137
lar, Is lovely in mine ear. Dofl thou not be-
hold, Malvina, a rock with its head of heath ?
Three aged fira bend from its face ; green is the
narrow plain at its feet ; there the flower of the
mountain grows, and fhakes its white head in
the breeze. The thiftle is there alone, and fhades
its aged beard. Two ftones, half funk in the
ground, fliew their heads of mofs. The deer of
the mountain avoids the place, for he beholds
the gray gholt that guards it * ; for the mighty
lie, O Malvina, in the narrow plain of the rock.
A tale of the times of old ! the deeds of days of
other years !
Moina, who had been left with child by her huflband,
brought forth a fon, and died foon after. — Reuthamir
named the child Carthon, /. e. the murmur of 'waves^
from the fiorm which carried off Clefsammor his father,
who was fuppofed to have been caft away. When Car*
thon was three years old, Comhal the father of Fingal, in
one of his expeditions againft the Britons, took and burnt
Balclutha. Reuthamir was killed in the attack : and Car^
thon was carried fafe away by his nurfe, who fled farther
into the country of the Britons. Carthon, coming to man's
eftate, was refolved to revenge the fall of Balclutha on
Comhal's pofterity. He fet fail, from the Clyde, and,
falling on the coaft of Morven, defeated two of Fingal's
heroes, who came to oppofe his progrefs. He was, at
lafl, unwittingly killed by his father Clefsammor, in a
fingle combat. This ftory is the foundation of the pre-r
fent poem, which opens on the night preceding the death
of Carthon, fo that what pafTed before is introduced by
way of epifode. The poem is addreffed to Malvina th«
daughter of Tofcar.
* It was the opinion of the times, that deer faw the
ghofts of the dead. To this day, when beafts fuddenly
ilart without any apparent caufe, the vulger think that
they fee the fpiritsof the deceafed.
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