Ossian Collection > Fingal

A P O E M. 155
We pa{rcJ the night in forrow. The light ot
morning rofe. I fhone in the arms of battle. The
gray-haired hero moved before. The Tons of Sc-
lama convened around the founding fliield of
Colla. But few were they in the plain, and their
locks were gray. The youths had fallen with
Truthil, in the battle of car-borne Cormac.
Companions of my youth! faid Colla, it was
not thus you have feen me in arms. It was not
thus I flrode to battle,, when the great Confadan
fell. But ye are laden with grief. The darknefs
of age comes like the mill of the defart. My
fhield is worn with years; my fword is fixed * in
its place. I faid to my foul, thy evening fnall be
calm, and thy departure like a fading light. But
the ftorm has returned ; I bend like an aged oak.
My boughs are fallen on Seldma, and I tremble in
my place. — Where art thou, with thy fallen he-
roes, O my car-borne Truthil! Thou anfvverell:
not from thy ruHiing blaft ; and the foul of thy fa-
ther is fad. But I will be fad no more, Cairbar or
Colla mull fall. I feel the returning flrength of.
my arm. My heart leaps at the found of battle.
The hero drew his fword. The gleaming
blades of his people rofe. They moved along the
plain. Their gray hair ftreamed in the wind. —
Cairbar fat, at the feali, in the filent plain of
Lona f. He faw the coming of the heroes, and.
he called his chiefs to battle.
Why
* If was the cuftom of thof* thiies,. thr.t every var-
rior at a certain age, or vv^hen he became unfit ibr the
field, fixed his arms, in the great hall, v/here the tribe
feafted, upon joyful occafions. He was afterwarcs ne-
ver to appear in battle j an J this ftage of life.wa.s called.
the time of fixing of I'.e arms.
t Lona, a marjhy ^Idln, It v/as the cuftom, in fie
da^ 3-