Ossian Collection > Galic antiquities

A P O E M. 287
In one hand he flill grafps the fword ; in the other he firmly holds
the moiTy oak. Cuthon wildly runs. He lifts a mournful load.
He bears his father to his hill : the rattling of his arms, and the
voice of his fighs, are mixed.
We flowly returned to the king. A little rill met us on the
heath. Curach tries to bound over it on his fpear : but acrofs it
the hero is ftretched. The gurgling flream climbs his boffy
fhield ; and leaps, gray, over his wounded breaft.
Give, Oman, he faintly faid, give this fword to my fon. In
the green rufhy vale of Sliruth he purfues the tufted down, as it
flies on the wing of fporting ghofls. Near him the water leaps
from the height of rocks : between two woody banks it falls ; the
found, deep-murmuring, rifes on my boy's ear. " I hear," he
fays, " the fteps of my father." — With the unequal pace of joy
he runs to meet me ; but he fees the gray flream. — Return, my
child, and purfue thy down ; my eye will gliflen with joy, as I
behold thee from my hovering cloud. — Tell him, Oman, how his
father died ; that the battle may grow in his foul, when the years
of his flrength fhall rife. — Oi-lamin f prepares for me the robe.
Her tears fall as fhe bends over the loom. A thought comes a-
crofs her foul, and her white hand fupports her waving head. —
Oi-lamin, thy fears are true ; thy hero lies now on Moruth's *
heath! — Spare then, my love, thy toil. The gray paffing milt
jhall yield a robe to Curach.
We opened the tomb for the chief; andraifed, amidft the voice
of the bards, the flones of his fame. The found reached the ear
of his father ; as, bending forward, he liflened for the return of
his
\ Oi-lamin, " foft-handed virgin." * Moruth, « great flream,"