Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

88 theWarofcaros:
it to the winds of heaven. Bid him in fongs to advance,
and leave the rolhng of his wave. Tell to Caros that I
long for battle ; and that my bow is weary of the chafe
of Cona. Tell hkn the mighty are not here ; and that
my arm is young."
He went with the foutid of his fofig. Ofcar reared his
voice on high. It reached his heroes on Ardven, like
the noife of a cave ; when the fea of Togorma rolls be-
fore it ; and its trees meet the roaring winds. They ga-
ther round my fon like the ftreams of the hill ; when,
after rain, they roll in the pride of their courfe.
Ryno came to the mighty Caros, and llruck his flam-
ing fpear. " Come to the battle of Ofcar, O thou that
littefl on the rolling of waters. Fingal is diftant far ; he
hears the fongs of his bards in Morven : and the wind
of his hall is in liis hair. His terrible fpear is at his fide ;
and his fhield that is like that darkened moon. Come to
the battle of Ofcar ; the hero is alone."'
He came not over the flreamy Carun* ; the bard re-
turned with his fong. Gray night grov/s dim on Crona.
The feaft of fliells is fpread, A hundred oaks burn to the
wind, and faint light gleams over the heath. The ghofts
of Ardven pafs through the beam, and iliew their dim and
diftant forms. Comalaf is half unfeen on her meteor;
and Hidallan is fallen and dim, like the darkened moon
behind the mift of night.
" Why art thou fad ?" faid Ryno ; for he alone beheld
the chief. " Why art thou fad, Hidallan, haft thou not
received thy fiime ? The fongs of Oftian have been heard,
and thy ghoft has brightened in the wind, when thou didft
bend from thy cloud to hear the long of Morven's bard.''
" And do thine eyes behold the hero," faid Ofcar, " like
the dim meteor of night ? Say, Ryno, fay, how fell the
chief that was fo renowned in the days of our fathers ?
His name remains on the rocks of Cona ; and I have of-
ten feen the ftreams of his hills."
Fingal, replied the bard, had driven Hildallan from
his wars. The king's foul was fad for Comala, and
his eyes could not behold Hildallan. Lonely, fad, along
the
• The river Carron.
+ This is the Iceiie of Comala's death, which is the fubje£l of Uie dramatic poem.
The poet mentions her in this place, in order to introduce tlie I'cquel of Hidallan's
fiory, who, on account of her death, liad been cxpellftd from the wars ol Fingal,