Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 2

34 T E M O R A: Book II.
ought to be two beams of light, near the fteps of
his departure."
*' Son of FIngal," replied the youth, " it Is
not long fince I raifcd the fpear. Few are the
marks of my fword in war. But Fillan's foul is
fire ! The chiefs of Bolga * crowd around the jhield
of generous Cathmor. Their gathering is on that
heath. Shall my fteps approach their hoft ? I
yielded to Ofcar alone, in the flrlfe of the race,
on Cona !"
*' Fill AX, thou llialt not approach their
hoft ; nor fall before thy fame is known. My
name is heard in fong : when needful I advance.
From the Ikirts of night I ftiall view them over
all their gleaming tribes. Wliy, Fillan, didft
thou fpeak of Ofcar! Why awake my figh? 1
muft forget f the warrior, till the ftorm is rolled
away.
fifth age : a full century after the death of Offian. The ge-
nealogy of his family is recorded thus by the Highland Sena-
chies ; Fergus Mac Arcath Mac Chongacl, Mac- Fergus, Mac-
Ficn-gdlna buai' ; i. e. Fergus the fon of Arcath, the fon of
Congal, the fon of Fergus, the fon of Fingal the n;iiiorious.
This fubject is treated more at large, in the diflertation an-
nexed to the poem.
* The fouthern parts of Ireland went, for fome time, under
the name of Bolga, from the Fir-bolg or Belgas of Britain, who
fettled a colony there. Bolg fignifies a qui-ver. from which pro-
ceeds Fir-ho}g0, e. boiAi-men ; fo called from their ufing bows,
more than any of the neighbouring nations.
■\ After this paflage, Ofcar is not mentioned in all Temora.
The fituations of the charafters who aft in the poem are fo in-
terefting,