Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

THE WAR OF CAROS. 2l9
' He spreads them, Oicar," replied the bard, but
it is behind his gathered heap ''. He looks over his
stones with fear, and beholds thee, terrible as the gnost
of night that rolls the waves to his ship."
" Go, thou first of my bards/' savs Oscar, " and
take the spear of Fingal, Fix a flame on its point, and
shake it to the winds of heaven. Bid him in songs to
advance, and leave the rolling of his wave. Tcil to
Caros that I long for battle ; and that my bow is weary
of the chase of Cona. Tell him the mighty is not here ;
and that my arm is young."
He went with the murmur of his song. Oscar rear-
ed his voice on high. It reached his heroes on Ard-
ven, like the noise of a cave, when the sea of Tongor-
ma rolls before it, and its trees meet the roaring
winds. They gather round mv son like the streams of
the hill, when, after rain, they roll in the pride of their
course.
Ryno came to the mighty Caros, and struck his flam-
ing spear. " Come to the battle of Oscar, O thou
that sittest on the rolling of waters. Fingal is distant
far ; he hears the songs of his bards on Morven : and
the wind of his hall is in his hair. His terrible spear
is at his side ; and his shield that is like the darkened
moon. Come to the battle of Oscar; the hero is a-
lone."
He came not over the streamy Carun'; the bard-re-
turned with his song. Grey night grows dim on Cro-
na. The feast of shells is spread. A hundred oaks
burn to the wind, and faint light gleams over the heath.
The ghosts 'of Ardven pass through the beam, and show
their dim and distant forms. Comala f is half unseen
on her meteor ; and Hidallan is sullen and dim, like
the darkened mcon behind the mist of night.
'* Why art thou sad?' said Ryno; for he alone be-
held the chief. " Why art thou sad, Hidallan, hast
d Agricola's '.rail, which Carausius repaired.
t The river Carron.
/ This is the scene of Comala's death, which Is the subject of the dramatic poem :
The poet mentions her in this place, in order to iutroduoe the sequel of Hidullan'i »t*.
ryj wis, ©a account of tier death, had been expelled fmm tlje wsk gf i'ingal.