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

^4 THE WAR OF INIS-THONA :
fpear fhook its bright head in his hand : he fpokc to
Morven's king.
" Fingal ! thou king of heroes ! Qfiian, next to him
in war ! ye have fought the battle in your youth ; your
jiames are renowned in fong. Ofcar is like the mifl of
Cona : I appear and vanifh. The bard will not know
my name. The hunter will not fearch in the heatli foi-
iTiy tomb. Let me fight, O heroes, in the battles of Inis-
thona. Diflant is the land (# my war ! ye fiiall not
lijfiar of Ofcar's fall. Some bard may find me there,
and give my name to the fong. The daughter of the
ftranger fhall fee my tomb, and weep over the youth
that came from afar. The bard fhall fay, at the feaft,
hear the fong of Ofcar from the diftant land."
" Ofcar," replied the king of MorA-^en ; " thou fhalt
fight, fon of my fame ! Prepare my dark-bofomed fliip
to carry my h/i-ro to Inis-thona. Son of my fon, regard
our fame : for thou art of the race of reno^^ii. Let not
the children of firangers fay, feeble are the foiis of
JVlorven ! Be thou in battle, like the roaring llorm :
Tnild as the evening fun in peace. Tell, Ofcar, to Inis-
thona's king, that Fingal remembers his youth ; when
vc flrove hi the combat together in the days of Agan-
clecca."
They lifted up the founding fail ; the wind whillled,
through the thongs f of their niafts. Waves lafhcd
tlie oozy rocks : the ftrength of ocean roared. My
fon beheld, fi'om the -wave, tlie land of groves. He
rufhed into the echoing bay of Runa; and fent his
fword to Annir king of fpears. The gray-haired hero
rofe, wh.cn he faw the fword of Fingal. His eyes were
full of tears ; and lie remembered the battles of their
youth. Twice they lifted the fpear before the lovely
Agandecca : heroes flood far diftant, as if two ghofts
contended.
" iiiit now," begun the VJng, " I am old ; the fword,
Jics ufclefs in my hall. Thou art of Morven's race !
jLc-Atjcr ttonjSMcrc uCd in CT.a:.". liinCi itulcad of ropes.