Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal > Volume 1

40 A DISSERTATION CONCERNING
fpeaks with great tcndernefs of the daughters of the cotf
r^ient, and throws out feme hints againfl the Enghfh na-
tion, it is probable he lived in too nioucrn a period to
be intimately acquainted with the genealogy of Cuchul-
Jin.
Another Irifh Ofiian, for there were many, as ap-
pears from tlieir difference in language and fcntiment,
Ipeaks very dogmatically of Fion Mac Comr.al^ as an I-
rillirnan. Little can be faid for the judgment of this
poet, and Icfs for his delicacy of fentiment. The lii-
itory of one of his epifodes may, at once, ftand as a fpe-
cimen of his want of both. Ireland, in the days of
J'io"^ happened to be threatened v>'ith an invafion, by
three great potentates, the kings of Lochlin, Sweden,
and France. It is needlefs to infill upon the impropri-
ety of a French invafion of Ireland ; it is fufiicient for
me to be faithful to the language of my author. Fion^
upon receiving intelligence of the intended invafion,
fent Ca olt, Ofiian, and Ofcar, to watch the bay, in
•which, it was apprehended the enemy was to land.
Ofcar v.as the v,'orft choice of a fcout that could be
inade, for, brave as he v.-as, he had the bad properly
of falling very often ailec-p en his poll, nor was it pof-
fible to awake him, without cutting off one of his fin-
gers, cr dafhing a large ftone againll; his head. When
the enemy appeared, Ofcar, very unfortunately, was
afleep. Ofiian and Ca-olt confulted about the method
of wakening him, and they, at lafi, fixed on the itoue,
as the lefs dangerous expedient.
Gun thoRCaoilte h chlach, nach )»3n,
^ Afus a u' aishai'ciiicaiig-.n hhi:;iil;
Tri mil au tulloch gun cliri', iic.
<* Ca-ol* took np a heavy flone, and fl;i-uck It againfl
the hero's head. The hill fhook for three miles, as
the fuone rebounded and rolled away." Ofcar rofe in
Vrath, and his father gravely defired him to fpcnd his
r-:\'gc on his enemies, which he did to fo good purpofe,
that he fmgly routed a wliole wing of their army. The
confederate kings adi,-anced, notw ithltanding, till they