Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 2

ARGUMENT to Book VI,
This book opens with a fpeech of Fingal, who fees Cathmor
defcending to the affilUnce of his flying army. The king
difpatches Offian to the relief of Fillan. He himfelf retires
behind the rock of Cormul, to avoid the fight of the en-
gagement between his fon and Cathmor. Offian advances.
The defcent of Cathmor defcribed. He rallies the army,
renews the battle, and, before Offian could arrive, engages
Fillan himfelf. Upon the approach of Offian, the combat
between the two heroes ceafes. Offian and Cathmor pre-
pare to fight, but night coming on prevents them. Offiati
returns to the place where Cathmor and Fillan fought. He
finds Fillan mortally wounded, and leaning againll; a rock.
Their difcourfe. Fillan dies: his body is laid, by Offian,
in a neighbouring cave. The Caledonian army return to
Fingal. He queftions them about his fon, and, under-
ilanding that he v/as killed, retires, in filence, to the rock
of Corraul. Upon the retreat of the army of Fingal, the
Fir-bolg advance. Cathmor finds Bran, one of the dogs of
Fingal, lying on the fhield of Fillan, before the entrance
of the cave, where the body of that hero lay. His reflec-
tions thereupon. He returns, in a melancholy mood, to
his, army. Makhos endeavours to comfort him, by the
example of his father Borbar-duthal. Cathmor retires to
reft. The fong of Sul-malla concludes the book, which
ends about the middle of the third night, from the opening
of the poem.