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

220 SUL-MALLA OF LUMON :
the bow. Why dost thou wander in deserts, like a
light through a cloudy field? The young roes are pant-
ing, by their secret rocks. Return, thou daughter of
kings ; the cloudy night is near.
It was the young branch of Lumon, Sul-malla of
blue eyes. She sent the bard from her rock, to bid us
to her feast. Amidst the song we sat down, in Con-
mor's echoing hall. White moved the hands of Sul-
maila, on the trembling strings. Half-heard, amidst
the sound, was the name of Atha's king : he that was
absent in battle for her own green land. Nor absent
from her soul was he : he came midst her thoughts by
night : Ton-thena looked in, from the sky, and saw
her tossing arms.
The sound of the shells had ceased. Amidst long
locks, Sul-malla rose. She spoke, with bended eyes,
and asked of our course through seas, " for of the kings
of men are ye, tall riders of the wave *>." " No un-p
known," I said, " at his streams is he, the father of our
race. Fingal has been heard of at Cluba, blue eyed ,
daughter of kings. Nor only, at Cona's stream, is Os-.
sian and Osc^.r knov/n. Foes trembled at our voice,
and shrunk in other lands."
" Not unmarked," said the maid, " by Sul-malla, is
b Sul-malla here discovers the quality of Ossian and Oscar from
their stature and stately pait. Among nations not far advanced ift
civilization, a superior beaaty aod stateliness of person were insepa-
rable from nobility of blood. It was from these qualities, that those
o^ family were known by strangers, not from tawdry trappings of
State injudiciously thrown round them The cause of this diatin-
guishing property, must, in spnie measure, be ascribed to their un-
niiKcd blood. They had no inducement ro intenwarry with the vul-
gar : and no low notions of interest made them deviate from their
choice, in their own sphere. In stat«6 where luxury has been long
established, I am told, that beauty of person is by no means the
characteristic of antiquity of family. 'I'his must be attributed to
those enervating vices, which are ioffeparable from luxury and
wealth. A great family, (to alter a little the words of the historian)
it is true, like a river, becomes considerable from the length of its
course, but, as it roils on, hereditary distempwi, as well as property,
fj jw iucc6*ively into it.