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

Book in. AN EPIC POEM. ^^J
rin's race lie here on the dark bed of death. The chil-
dren of the ftorm are low; the fons of echoing Crom-
la."
The heroes flew hke two dark clouds; two dark
clouds that are the chariots of ghofts ; when air's dark
children come to frighten haplefs men.
It was then that Gaul f , the fon of Morni, flood like
a rock in the night. His fpear is glittering to the ftars;
his voice like many ftreams. " Son of battle," cried
the chief, " O Fingal, king of fhells ! let the bards of
many fongs footh Erin's friends to reft. And, Fingal,
fheath thy fword of death ; and let thy people fight.
We wither away without our fame ; for our king is the
only breaker of fhields. When morning rifes on our
hills, behold at a diftance our deeds. Let Lochlin feel
the fword of Morni's fon, that bards may fiug of me.
Such was the cuftom heretofore of Fingal's noble race.
Such was thine owti, thou king of fwords, in battles o£
the fpear."
" O fon of Morni," Fingal replied, " I glory In thy
fame. Fight ; but my fpear fhall be near to aid thee in
the midft of danger. Rall'e, raife the voice, fons of the
fong, and lull me into reft. Here will Fingal lie a-
midft the wind of night. And if thou, Agandecca, art
near, among the children of thy land; if thou fitteft on
a blaft of wind among the high-lhrowded mafts of
Lochlin; come to my dreams f, my fair one, and fhew
thy bright face to my foul."
Many a voice and many a harp in tuneful founds a-
rofe. Of Fingal's noble deeds they fung, and of the
noble race of the hero. And fometimes on the lovely
found M^as heard the name of the now mournful Of-
fian.
Vol. L D
t Gaul, the fon of Morni, was chief of a tribe that difputed Ions the pre-emi-
nence with Fingal himfelf. They were reduced at laft to obedience, and Gaul,
from an enemy, turned Fingal's bed friend and greaielt hero. His character is
fomething like that of Ajas in the Iliad ; a hero or more Itrength thin conduct
in battle. He was very fond of military fame, and here he demands the next bat-
tle to himfelf The poet, by an artifice, removes Fingal, that his return may be
the more magnificent.
li 1 he pott prepares US for the dream gf Finjal in the next book.