Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 1

376 THE WAR OF CAROS:
Ryno ^ of songs, he that went to view the foe.
*' What does Caros king of ships?" said the son
of the now mournful Ossian, " spreads he the
wings" of his pride, bard of the times of old?"
" He spreads them, Oscar," rephed the bard,
" but it is behind his gathered heap. "^ He looks
over his stones with fear. He beholds thee ter-
rible, as the ghost of night, that rolls the wave
to his ships ! "
" Go, thou first of my bards!" says Oscar,
^' take the spear of Fingal. Fix a flame on its
point. Shake it to the winds of heaven. Bid
him, in songs, to advance, and leave the rolling
of his wave. Tell to Caros that I long for
battle ; that my bow is weary of the chase of
Cona. Tell him the mighty are not here ; and
that my arm is young."
He went with the murmur of songs. Oscar
reared his voice on high. It reached his heroes
on Ardven, like the noise of a cave ; when the
sea of Togonna rolls before it; and its trees-
meet the roaring winds. They gather round
my son like the streams of the hill ; when, after
rain, they roll in the pride of their course.
'' Ryiio is often mentioned in the ancient poetry. He
seems to have been a bard of the hrst rank, in the days of
Fingal.
c The Roman eagle,
* Agricola's wall, which Carausius repaired.