Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

BOOK I. T E M R A. 207
" Are his heroes many on the coast ? Lifts he the spear of battle ?
Or comes the king in peace ?" " In peace he comes not, Cairbar.
I have seen his forward spear.* It is a meteor of death ; the blood
of thousands is on its steel. He came first to the shore, strong in
the gray hair of age. Full rose his sinewy limbs, as he strode in
his might. That sword is by his side which gives no second f
wound. His shield is terrible, like the bloody moon ascending
through a storm. Then came Ossiaii king of songs ; and Morni's
son, the first of men. Connal leaps forward on his spear : Der-
mit spreads his dark-brown locks. Fillan bends his bow, the young
hunter of streamy Moruth. But who is that before them, like
the dreadful course of a stream I It is the son of Ossian, bright
between his locks. His long hair falls on his back. His dark
brows are half-inclosed in steel. His sword hangs loose on his
side. His spear glitters as he moves. I fled from his terrible eyes,
king of high Temora."
" Then fly, thou feeble man," said Foldath in gloomy wrath.
** Fly to the gray streams of thy land, son of the little soul ! Have
not I seen that Oscar .? I belield the chief in war. He is of the
mighty in danger 5 but there are others who lift the spear. Erin
has many sons as brave, king of Temora of Groves ! Let Foldath
meet him in the strength of his course, and stop this mighty stream.
My spear is covered with the blood of the valiant ; my shield is like
the wall of Tura."
" Shall Foldath:}; alone meet the foe ?" replied the dark-browed
Malthos. " Are they not numerous on our coast, like the waters
of many streams ? Are not these the chiefs who vanquished Swa-
ran, when the sons of Erin fled ? And shall Foldath meet their
C c ij bravest
* Mor-annal here alludes to the particular appearance of Fingal's spear. If a man,
upon bis first landing in a strange country, kept the point of his spear forward, it
denoted in those days that he came in a hostile manner, and accordingly he was
treated as an enemy ; if he kept the point behind him, it was a token of friendship,
and he was immediately invited to the feast, according to the hospitalif y of the times.
f This was tlie famous sword of Fingal. made by Limo, a smith of Lochlin, and
after him poetically called the son of Luno: it is said of this sword, that it killed a
man at evei-y stroke ; and that Fingal never used it but in times of the greatest danger.
\ The opposite charaders of Foldath and Malthos are strcugly marked in sub-
sequent parts of the poem. They appear always in opposition. The feuds between
their families, which were the source of their hatred to one another, are ir.eation-
ed in other poem;.