Ossian Collection > Fingal

PREFACE.
IiUli. Morning comes, Calmar dies of iiis
wounch; and, the fliips of the Caledonians ap-
j'^earing, Swaran gives over the purfuit of the
Irifh, and returns to oppofe Fingal's landing,
CuchuUin afnamed, after his defeat, to appear
before Fingal, retires to the cave of Tura. Fin-
gal engages the enemy, puts them to flight ; but
the coming on of night makes the vi6tory not de-
clfive. The king, who had obferved the gallant be-
haviour of his grandfon Ofcar, gives him advice
concerning his condu6t in peace and war. He re-
commends to him to place the example of his fa-
thers before his eyes, as the befl model for his con-
duct: ; which introduces the epifode concerning
Fainafollis, the daughter of the king of Craca,
whom Fingal had taken under his protection, in
liis youth. Fillan and Ofcar are difpatched to ob-
ferve the motions of the enemy by night ; Gaul
the fon of Aiorni dcfires the command of the ar-
my, in the next battle ; Vv'hich Fingal promifes
to give him. The fong of the baids doles the
third day.
* The action of the poem being fufpended
by night, OHian takes that opportunity to relate
his own actions at the lake of Lego, and his
courtfhip of Evirallin, who was the mother of
Ofcar, and had died fome time before the expe-
dition of Fingal into Ireland. Her ghofl: appears
to liim, and tells him that Ofcar, who had been
fc-nt, the beginning of the night, to obferve the
enemy, was engaged with an advanced party,
and
♦ Book IV.