Ossian Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

An epic poem. 15
The fens of Erin fnw it fur diftant; they trembled in their fouls.
They knew that the wrath of the king arofe : and they forefaw
their death. We firft arrived ; we fought; and Erin's chiefs with -
flood our rage. But when the king came, in tlie found of l)is
courfe, what heart of fteel could ftand ! Erin fled over Moi-lena.
Death purfued their flight.
We faw Ofcar on his fliield. We faw his blood around. Si-
lence darkened every face. Each turned his back and wept. The
king flrove to hide his tears. His grey beard whifl:Ied in the wind.
He bends his head above his fon. His v/ords are mixed with fighf.
And art thou fallen, Ofcar, in the midft of thy courfe ? the
heart of the aged beats over thee ! He fees thy conung warf .
The wars which ought to come he beholds, but they are cut off
from thy fame. When fhall joy dwell at Selma ? When fliall
grief depart from Morven ? My fons fall by degrees : Fingal fliall
be the lail: of his race. The fame which I have received fliall
pafs away : my age will be without friends. I fhall fit a grey
cloud in my hall : nor fliall I hear the return of a fon, in the midft
of his founding arms. Weep, ye heroes of Morven ! never more
fhall Ofcar rife !
And they did weep, O Fingal j dear was the hero to their fouls.
He went out to battle, and the foes vaniflied ; he returned, in peace,
amidft their joy. No father mourned his fon flain in youth ; no
brother his brother of love. They fell, without tears, for the chief
of the people was low ! Bran * is howling at his feet : gloomy Luiith
* Bran was one of Fingal's dogs. — He in the trandatoi's hands, has given him the
was Co remarkable for his fleetnefs, that fame properties with Virgil's Camilla. Brnn
the poet, in a piece which is not juft now flgnifies a monntain-Jiream,