Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

3C6 The Poems of Ossian,
mauJeJ the Irish armv (for Cathmor, after the example of Fingal,
kept himself from battle), fights gallantly ; kills Connal, chief of Duu-
lora, and advances to engage Gaul himself. Gaul, in the mean time,
being wounded in the hand, by a random arrow, is covered by Fillan,
the sou of Fingal, who performs prodigies of valour. Night comes
on. The horn oi Fingal recalls his army. The bards meet thera,
with a congratulatory song, in ^vhich the praises of Gaul and Fillaa
are particularly celebrated. The chiefs sit down at a feast ; Fingal
misses Coimal. The episode of Connal and Duth-caron is introduced ;
wliich throws further light on the ancient history of Ireland. Carril
is despatched to raise the tomb of Connal. The action of this book
takes up the second day from the opening of the poem.
" Who is that at blue-streamiiicr Lubar ? Who,
by the bending- hill of roes ? TisU, he leans on an
oak torn from hig^h, by nightly winds. Who but
Comhal's son, brightening in the last of his fields ?
His gray hair is on the breeze. He half-unsheaths
the sword of Luno. His eyes are turned to Moi-
lena, to the dark moving of foes. Dost thou hear
the voice of the king ? It is like the bursting of a
stream in the desert, when it comes, between its
echoing rocks, to the blasted field of the sun !
" Wide-skirted comes down the foe ! Sons of
woody Selma, arise ! Be ye like the rocks of our
land, on whose brown sides are the rolling of streams.
A beam of joy comes on my soul. I see the foe
mighty before me. It is when he is feeble, that
the sighs of Fingal are heard : lest death should
come without renown, and darkness dwell on his
tomb. Who shall lead the war, against the host of
Alnecma ? It is only when danger grows, that my
sword shall shine. Such was the custom, hereto-
fore, of Trenmor the ruler of winds ! and thus
descended to battle the blue-shielded Trathal !"
The chiefs bend toward the king. Each darkly
seems to claim the war. They tell, by halves, their
mighty deeds. They turn their eyes on Erin. But
far before the rest the son of Morni stands. Silent
he stands, for who had not heard of the battles of
Gaul ? They rose within his soul. His hand, in
secret, seized the sword. The sword which he
brought from Strumon, when the strength of Morni
failed. On his spear leans Fillan of Selma, in the