Ossian Collection > Fingal, an ancient epic poem

A POEM. 151
ing down his fide : he favv the coming down of the
king ; and his hopes of fame arofc * ; but pale was
liis cheek : his hair flew loofe, his helmet fliook
on high : the force of Carthon failed ; but his foul
was flrong.
FiNGAL behold the heroe's blood ; he flopt the
uplifted fpear. Yield, king of fwords ! faid Com-
hal's fon ; I behold thy blood. Thou haft been
mighty in battle ; and thy fame fhall never fade.
Art thou the king fo far renowned, replied the
car-borne Carthon ? Art thou that light of death,
that frightens the kings of the world ? — But why
fhould Carthon a(k ? for he is like the ftream of
his de fart ; ftrong as a river, in his courfe: fvvift
as the eagle of the Iky. — O that I had fought with
the king ; that my fame might be great in the
fong ! that the hunter, beholding my tomb, might
(jLy, he fought with the mighty Fingal. But Car-
thon dies unknown; he has poured out his force
on the feeble.
But thou fhalt not die unknown, replied the
king of woody Morven : my bards are many, O
Carthon, and their fongs defcend to future times.
The children of the years to come fliall hear the
fame of Carthon ; when they fit round the burn-
ing oak t, and the night is fpent in the fongs of
* This exprellion admits of a double meaning, either
that Carthon hoped to acquire glory by killing Fingal ;
or to be rendered famous by falling by his hand. The
laft is the nioft probable, as Carthon is already wounded.
f In the north of Scotland, till very lately, they .:':rnt
a large trunk of an oak at their feftivals j it v/as caii ;J
//'<? trunk of the fen ft. Time had, fo much, confecrated
the curtom, that the vulgar thought it akindoffaciikge
to dlfufe it.
H 4 old.