Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

196 tingal: Book IV*
member, my son, to place this sword, this bow, and
the horn of my deer, within that dark and narrow
house, whose mark, is one grey stone. Oscar I have
■no love to leave to the care of my son ; for grace-
ful Everallin is no more, the lovely dau^jhter of Brau-
no."
Such were our words, when Gaul's lOud voice came
growing on the wind. He waved on high the sword
of his father, and rushed to death and wounds.
As waves white bubbling over the deep come swel-
ling, roaring on ; as rocks of ooze meet roarmg waves:
so foes attacked and fought. Man met with man, and
steel with steel. Shields sound ; men fall. As a hun-
dred hammers on the son of the furnace, so rose, so
rung their swords.
Gaul rushed on like a whirlwind in Ardven. The
destruction of heroes is on his sword. Swaran was like
the lire of the desart on the echoing heath of Gormal,
How can I give to the song the death of many spears ?
My sword rose high, and flamed in. the strife of blood.
And Oscar, terrible wert thou, my best, my greatest
son 1 I rejoiced in my secret soul, when his sword fi.im-
ed over the slain. They fled am.ain through Lena's
heath : and we pursued and slew. As stones that bound
from rock to rock ; as a.xes in echoing woods ; as thuiide/
rolls from hill to hill in dismal broken peals; so blow suc-
ceeded to blow, and death to death, from the hand of
Oscar " and mine.
But Swaran closed round Morni's son, as the strength
of the tide of Inistore. The king half rose from liis
hill at the sight, and half assumed the spear. " Go, L'l-
lin, go, my aged bard," begun the king of ?.Iorven.
" Remind the mighty Gaul of battle ; remind him ol
his fathers. Support the yielding fight with song ; for
song enlivens war." Tall UUin went, with steps oi
age, and spoke to the king of swords.
c Ossian never foils to pive a fine character to his beloved son. Ili.s speech to his :
Iher is that of a hero ; it contains the submission due to a parent, and the warmth tt
becomc'j a young warrior. There is a propriety in dweUing here on the actions of
scar, as Uit btautiful Malvina, to whom the book is addrtesert, was ia Iotc with tfca'