Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

Book III. F I N G A L. 203
480 They fought the Battle in their youthful Days,
The Songs of Bards now celebrate their Praife.
Be what they were j againft Oppreilion ftand,
Refift the ftrong, but fpare the feeble Hand.
On the Invader of the People's Rights,
485 Rufli like a Torrent roaring from the Heights ;
But
far back, and given a Lift of his Aneeftors to Cuamnor nan Ian, or Conmor
of the Swords, who, according to them, was the firft that crofled the Great
Sea to Caledonia, from which Circumftance his Name proceeded, which
fignifies Great Ocean. Genealogies of fo ancient a Date, however, are
little to be depended on. Though few of the Adlions of Trennwr are
mentioned, he was the moft renowned Name of Antiquity. He was the
firft who united the Tribes of the Caledonians, and commanded them, in
chief, againft the Incurfions of the Rowans. The Cael or Gauls, who
poflfefTed tiie Countries to the North of the Frith of Edinburgh, were, ori-
ginally, a Number of diftinft Tribes, or Clans, each fubjeft to his own
Chief, who was free and independent of any other Power. When the
Romans invaded them, the common Danger might, perhaps, have induced
thofe i?f_g-«// to join together; but, as they were unwilling to yield to the
Command of one of their own Number, their Battles were ill condufted,
and confequently unfuccefsful. 'Trenmor was the firft who reprefented to
the Chief?, the bad Conlequences of carrying on their Wars in this irre-
gular Manner, and advifed, that they themfelves Ihould alternately lead in
Battle. They did fo, but they were unfuccefsful. When it came to
Trenmor's Turn, he totally defeated the Enemy, by his luperior Valour
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