Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

THE
WAR OF CARDS:
A POEM.
THE ARGUMENT.
Caros is probably the noted ufurper Caraufiiis, by biith a Menapian, who affumed tlic purple in the
year 284; and, leizing on Britain, defeated the emperor Maximian Herculius in feveral naval en-
gagements, which gives propriety to his being called in this poem the king of /hips. He repaired
Agricola's wall, in order to obftruil the incurfions of the Caledonians; and when he was employed
in that work, it appearr he was attacked by a party under the command of Ofcar the fon of OiTian.
This battle is the foundation of this prefent poem, which is addreffed to Malvina the daughter of
Tofcar.
JjRiNG, daughter of Tofcar, bring the harp; the Hght
of the fong rifes in Offian's foul. It is like the field, when
darknefs covers the hills around, and the Ihadow grows
flowly on the plain of the fun.
I behold my fon, O Malvina, near the mofly rock of
Crona* but it is the mill of the defart tinged with the
beam of the well : Lovely is the mifl that affumes the
form of Ofcar ! turn from it, ye winds, when ye roar on
the fide of Ardven.
Who comes towards my fon, with the murmur of a
fong ? His llafF is in his hand, his gray hair loofe on the
wind. Surly joy Hghtens his face ; and he often looks
back to Caros. It is Rynof of the fong, he that went
to view the foe.
" What does Caros king of fhips," faid the fon of the
now mournful Offian I " fpreads he the wings | of his
pride, bard of the times of old ?"
" He fpreads them, Ofcar," replied the bard, " but
it is behind his gathered heap §. He looks over his
fliones with fear, and beholds thee, terrible, as the gholl
of night that rolls the wave to his Ihips."
" Go, thou firfl of my bards," fays Ofcar, " and take
the fpear of Fingal. Fix a flame on its point, and fliake
it
• Crona is the name of a fmall ftream which runs into the Carron. On its
banks is the fcene of the preceding dramatic poem.
t Ryno is often mentioned in the ancient poetiy, Hq f5?ltU tO hftY5 been X b?,rd>
of the lir{l rank, in the days of Fingal.
t The Roman eagle.
§ Agricola's wall, wliich Caraufius repairecl,