Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal > Volume 2

174 ■ temora: BookVL-
nior's words, en every side, poured his warriors forth.
Nor silent on his hill is Fillan ; he mixed his words
with his echoing shield. An eagle he seemed, with
sounding wings, calling the wind to his rock, when he
sees the coming forth of the roes, on Lutha's f rushy
held. Now they bend forward in battle : Death's hun-
dred voices rose ; for the kings on either side were
like fires on the souls of the people. I bounded along :
lugh rocks and trees rushed tall betv/een the war and
me. But I heard the noise of steel between my clang-
ing arms. Rising, gleaming, on the hill, I beheld the
l-.ackvv/ard steps of hosts : their backv/ard steps on either
side, and wildly looking eves. The chiefs were met
in dreadful light ; the two blue-shielded kings. Tall
and dark, through gleams of steel, are seen the striv- i
ing heroes. I rushed. My fears for Fillan flew, burn-
ing acros my soul.
I came ; nor Cathmor fled, nor yet advanced : he
sidelong stalked along. An icy rock, cold, tall he seem-
ed. I called forth all my steel. Silent awhile we
strode, on eithersideof a rushing stream : then, sudden
tiirning, all at once, we raised our pointed spears. We
raised our spears, but night came down. It is dark and
silent around ; but where the distant steps of hosts are
sounding over the heath.
I came to the place where Fillan fought. Nor voice
nor sound is there. A broken heln-j«t lay on earth ; a
buckler cleft in twain, " Where, Fillan, where art thou,
yoimg chief of echoing Morven r" He heard me lean-
ing against a rock, which bent its grey head over the
stream. He heard ; but sullen, dark he stood. At
length I saw the chief.
" "Why standest thou, robed in darkness, son of woody
Selma ? Bright is thy path, my brother, in this dark-
s Lutlia was the name of a valley in Morven, in the days of Ossi-
d-i. '1 hfre dwelt Toscar the son of Conloch, the father of Malviiv,
,v w ho, iiy-oiiihat account is often cftUed the maid ofLutba. Lucj^a
fitnit'.vs ' oV>:ft !(tfe«m.'