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

An epic poem. 53
battle move.— The tribes, like ridgy waves, dark pour their ftrength
around. Haughty is his ftride before them : his red eye rolls in
wrath. — He called the chief of Dunratho * ; and his words were
heard.
CoRMUL, thou beholdeft that path. It winds green behind the
foe. Place thy people there ; left Morven fliould efcape from my
fword. — Bards of green-valleyed Erin, let no voice of yours arife.
The fons of Morven muft fall without fong. They are the foes of
Cairbar. Hereafter fhall the traveller meet their dark, thick mift
on Lena, where it wanders, with their ghofts, be fide the reedy
lake. Never fliall they rife, without fong, to the dwelling of
winds.
CoRMUL darkened, as he went: behind him rufhed his tribe.
They funk beyond the rock : Gaul fpoke to Fillan of Moruth ; as
his eye purfued the courfe of the dark-eyed king of Dunratho.
Thou beholdeft the fteps of Cormul; let thine arm be ftrong.
When he is low, fon of Fingal, remember Gaul in war. Here I
fall forward into battle, amidft the ridge of fliields.
The fign of death arofe : the dreadful found of Morni's fhield..
Gaul poured his voice between. Fingal rofe, high on Mora. He;
l\, * Dun-ratho, a h':U, with a plain en its end of this fpeech, we find the opinion of
Up. Corm-uil, blue eye. Foldath dif. the times, concerning the unhappinefs of
patches, here, Cormul to lie in ambufli the fouls of thofe who were buried without
behind the army of the Caledonians. This the funeral fong. This doftrine, no doubt,
fpeech fuits well with the charafler of was inculcated by the bards, to make thiir
Foldath, which is, throughout, haughty order refpedable and neceffary.
and prefumptuous. Towards the iaUcr
faw.