Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

88 Critical Dissertation
to the wind ; and faint light gleams over the heath.
The ghosts of Ardven pass through the beam ; and
show their dim and distant forms. Comala is half-
nnseen on her meteor ; and Hidallan is sullen and
dim." — *' The awful faces of other times, looked
from the clouds of Crona." — " Fercuth ! I saw
the ghost of night. Silent he stood on that bank ;
his robe of mist flew on the wind. I could behold
his tears. An aged man he seemed, and full of
thought."
The ghosts of strangers mingle not with those
of the natives. " She is seen; but not like the
daughters of the hill. Her robes are from the
stranger's land ; and she is still alone." When the
ghost of one whom we had formerly known is
introduced, the propriety of the living character is
still preserved. This is remarkable in the appear-
ance of Calmar's ghost, in the poem entitled, The
Death of Cuthullin. He seems to forbode CuthuHin's
death, and to beckon him to his cave. Cuthullin
reproaches him for supposing that he could be
intimidated by such prognostics. " Why dost thou
bend thy dark eyes on me, ghost of the car-bonie
Calmar? Wouldst thou frighten me, O Matha's
son ! fiom the battles of Cormac ? Thy hand was
not feeble in war ; neither was thy voice for peace.
How art thou changed, chief of Lara ! if now thou
dost advise to fly. Retire thou to thy cave : thou
art not Calmar's ghost; he delighted in battle;
and his arm was like the thunder of heaven."
Calmar makes no return to this seeming reproach ;
but " He retired in his blast with joy ; for he had
heard the voice of his praise." This is precisely
the ghost of Achilles in Homer ; who, notwith-
standing all the dissatisfaction he expresses with his
state in the region of the dead, as soon as he had
heard his son Neoptolemus praised for his gallant
behaviour, strode away with silent joy to rejoiu the
rest of the shades.