Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

The Battle of Lora. 337
distant in the desert. The grey-haired chiefs talked
of other times; of the actions of their youth; when
the aged Nartmor came, the chief of streamy Lora.
*' This is no time," said Nartmor, " to hear the
songs of other years : Erragon frowns on the coast,
and lifts ten thousand swords. Gloomy is the king
among liis chiefs ! he is like the darkened moon
amidst the meteors of night ; when they sail along
her skirts, and give the light that has failed o'er her
orb." " Come," said Fingal, "from thy hall, come,
daughter of my love ! come fi-om thy hall, Bosmina,
maid of streamy Morven ! Nartmor, take the
steeds of the strangers. Attend the daughter of
Fingal ! Let her bid the king of Sora to our feast,
to Selma's shaded wall. Offer him, O Bosmina!
the peace of heroes and the wealth of generous
Aldo. Our youths are far distant. Age is on our
trembling hands !"
She came to the host of Erragon, like a beam of
light to a cloud. In her right hand was seen a
sparkling shell. In her left an aiTow of gold. The
first, the joyful mark of peace ! The latter, the sign
of war. Erragon brightened in her presence, as a
rock before the sudden beams of the sun ; when they
issue from a broken cloud divided by the roaring wind !
" Son of the distant Sora," began the mildly-
blushing maid, "come to the feast of Morven's king,
to Selma's shaded walls. Take the peace of heroes,
O warrior ! Let the dark sword rest by thy
side. Choosest thou the wealth of kings ? Then
hear the words of generous Aldo. He gives to
Erragon an hundred steeds, the children of the rein ;
an hundred maids from distant lands ; an hundred
iawks with fluttering wing, that fly across the sky.
An hundred girdles * shall also be thine, to bind
* Sanctified girdles, tUlvery lately, were kept in many families in the
Ktorth of Scotland ; they were bound about women in labour, and were
inipposed to alleviate their pains, and toaccelerate the birth. They were
impressed mth several mystical fig^ures : and the ceremony of binding
them about the woman's waist, was accompanied with words and ges-
tures which showed the custom to have come originally from the Druids.