Ossian Collection > Galic antiquities

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received thy fame. I will retire and give the name of Gaul to the
fong. — Harp of Selma, where art thou ? And where art thou*
Malvina ? Thou wilt hear with joy of the companion * of thy
Ofcar.
The night was ftormy and dark: ghofts fhrieked on the heath:
torrents roared from the rock of the hill : thunders rolled, like
breaking rocks, through clouds ; and lightnings travelled on their
dark-red wings through the iky. — On that night, our heroes ga-
thered in Selma's halls ; the halls that are now an heap ! the oak
blazed in the midfl. Their faces fhone in its light, joyful between
their dark locks ; and the fhell went round, with its fparkling joy\-
The bards fung, and the foft hand of virgins trembled on the
firing of the harp.
The night flew on the wings of gladnefs. We thought the ftars
had fcarce meafured half their way, when gray morning arofe, from
the troubled clouds of her repofe in the eaft. The fhield of Fin-
gal
* The difparity of age between Gaul
and Ofcar was confiderable. Yet the
fimilarity of their characters might na-
turally attach them to each other. The
original word, however, which is render-
ed companion, is obfolete, and may only
import that they went hand in hand to
battle. I infert fo much of the paffage
as may enable thofe who undeiftand the
langage to judge of the meaning of the
expreffion.
Sa choppain eigheach nam blar!
Is far-aoibhin learn fathafd t fhuaim ;
Tha e dufga' nan laidh chuaidh feach :
'Sa dh'aindeoin aois, tha manam a 'leimnich.
< Ach nam fmuainte nam blar,
'S mo fhleagh air fas na liiirg;
An fgia' cboppach turtle tha bhuail [;
Ach (iod fo'n fhuaim a dhuifg i i
Bleidh fgeith air a cairhe le haois !
M»r ghealach ear-dhu' a cnith.
Sgia Ghuill ft a t'ann
Sgia cho'lain mo dheagh Ofcair !
f There are feveral opinions with re-
gard to the liquor ufed in thefe feafls of
fiells. The moll probable is, that it was
made of a juice extracted from the birch-
tree, and fermented. This would be
more palatable than that which it is faid
they made of a certain kind of heath, and
more fuited to their exigencies than any
fpoils of wine which they might, at times,
carry away from the Roman province.
Or they might poffibly have malt-liquors
from other parts of the ifland before they
tbemfelves paid any attention to agricul-
ture.