Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

IJ-8 C AR T H O N :
Carthon, he fell ; and his heroes fled. Connal^refamed
the battle, but he broke his heavy fpear : he lay bound
on the iield: and Carthon purfued his people. " Clefsam-
morl" laid the kin2;f of Ivlorven, " where is the fpear of
thy ftrength ? Wilt thou behold Connal bound ; thy
friend, at the ftream ofLora? Rife, in the light of thy
fteel, thou friend of Comhal. Let the youth of Balclutha
fee] the llrength of Morven's race." He rofe in theilrenglh
cf his fteel, il\aking his grizly locks. He fitted the fliield
to his fide ; and ruflied, in the pride of valour,
Carthon Hood, on that heathy rock, and faw the heroes
approach. He loved the terrible joy of his face : and
his ftrength, in the locks of age. " Shall I lift that fpear,"
he foid, " that never firikes, but once, a foe ? Or Ihall I,
with the words of peace, preferve the warrior's life ? Stately
are his ileps of age I lovely the remnant of his years.
Perhaps it is the love of Moina ; the father of Car-borne
Carthon. Often have I heard, that he dwelt at the echo-
ing ilream of Lora."
Such were his words, when Clefsammor came, and
lifted high his fpear. The youth received it on his fliield,
and fpoke the words of peace. " Warrior of the aged
locks ! Is there no youth to lift the fpear ? Hall thou no
fon, to raife the fhield before his father, and to meet the
arm of youth ? Is the fpoufe of thy love no more ? or
weeps llie over the tombs of thy fons ? Art thou of the
kings of men ? What will be the fame of my fword if
thou Ihalt fall r"
It v.ill be great, thou fon of pride! begun the tall Clef-
sammor, I have been renowned in battle; but I never told
my name* to a foe. Yield to me, fon of the wave, and
then thou fiialt know, that the mark of my fword is in
many a field. " I never yielded, king of ipears 1" replied
the noble pride of Carthon : " I have alio fought in bat-
tles ;
* This Connal is very much celebrated, in ancient poetry, for his -wifdom and
valour : there is a irnall tribe ilill fublifting, in th^North, who pretend they ar?
defcendoj from him.
f Fin5;;al did not then know that Carthon was the fon of Cleffammor.
I To tell cue's name to an enemy vvas reckoned, in tliofe dnys of heroifTTi, a
manifell evafion of fighting him ; for, if it was once known, that friendfliip liib-
fjfted, of old, between the anccllors of the combatants, the battle immediately
ceafe«* ; and the ancient amity of their forefathers was renewed. A man ivbo
tdh his name to his eiumy, was of old an ignominious term fpr a coward,