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

A POEM. 24/>
from oce»n*s nightly wave. My course was towards
the isle of Fuarfed, woody dweller of seas. Fingal had
sent me to the aid of Mal-orchol, king of Fuarfed wild :
for war was around him, and our fathers had met at
the feast.
In Col-coiled, I bound my sails, and sent my sword to
Mal-orchol of shells. He knew the signal of Albion,
and his joy arose. He came from his own high haii,
and seized my hand in grief. " Why comes the race,
of heroes to a failing king ? Ton-thormod of many
spears is die chief of wavy Sar-dronlo. He saw and
loved my daugliter, white-bosomed Oina-morul. He
sought : I denied the maid ; for our fathers had been
foes. He came, with battle, to Fuarfed. My peoplo-
are rolled away. Why comes the race of heroes to a
falling king r"
I come not, I said, to look, like a boy, on the strife.
Fingal remembers I'.ral-orchol, and his hall for stran-
gers. From his waves, the warrior descended, on thy
woody isle. Thou wert no cloud before him. Thy
feast was spread with songs. For tins my sword shall
rise ; and thy foes perhaps may fail. Our friends are
not forgot in their danger, though distant is our land.
" Son of the daring Trenm.or, thy words are like the
Tcice of Criith-loda, when he speaks, from his parting-
cloud, strong dweller of the sky ! jMany have rejoiced
at my feast ; but they all have forgot Mal-orchol. I
have looked tov/ards all the winds, but no white sails
were seen. But steel ^ resounds in my hall ; and not
in which be lived. One thinj; is certain, that the CaleJonians of;£U
madethejrway throiigli thedangercu-sand tempeb u usse.vof Scan-
tlinavia, which is move, pfhaps, tf an the rr.ore poiishai np.ticn ,
iubsistinj; .'n those fmcs, daied to venture Ji; esriiDating tlie d"
pree of knowL'dge of arts am .nig the ancients, we ought not to faring
it into compariso i wi'h the improvements of modern time .
Our advantages over them proceed more from accident, than any
merit of ours.
c Til ere is a severe satire couched in th's expression, against the
fuests of Mal-orchol. Had liis feast been still spread, had joy cct j
tiniiv (i in his hsU, his foimer parasites would not fail to rcsert t& hln,^