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

An epic POE M. 41.
was a beam towards Cathmor from his ftormy foul -, like the moon,
in a cloud, flmidll the dark-red courfe of thunder.
Son of Erin, I replied, my wrath dwells not, in his houfe*.
My hatred flies, on eagle-wing, from the fge that is low. — He Ihall
hear the fong of bards j Cairbar fhall rejoice on his wind.
Cathmor's fwelling foul arofe : he took the dagger from his
Ade ; and placed it gleaming in my hand. He placed it, in my
hand, with fighs, and, filent, ftrode away. Mine eyes followed
his departure. He dimly gleamed, like the form of a ghoft, which
meets a traveller, by night, on the dark-fkirted heath. His words
are dark like fongs of old : with morning flrides the unfiniflied
ihade away.
'}- Who comes from Lubar's vale ? From the folds of the
morning mift ? The drops of heaven are on his head. His fteps
are
* The grave, often poetically called a mora. His cafual appearance here enables
houfe. This reply of Offian abounds with OJian to fulfil immediately the promife he
the moft exalted fentiments of a noble had made to Cathmor, of caufing the/u-
mind. Tho', of all men living, he was r.eral fong to be pronounced over the tomb
the mofl injured by Cairbar, yet he lays of Cairbar. — The whole of this pafla^e,
afide his rage as the foe was low. How together with the addrefs of Carri! to the
difFerent is this from the behaviour of the fun, is a lyric meafure, and wa?, undoubt-
heroes of other ancient poems ! — Cjnthius edly, intended as a relief to the rainJ, z^-
aurem velUt. ter the long narrative which preceded it.
t The morning of the fecond day, from Tho' the lyric piece?, fcattered throuah the
the opening of the poem comes on. — Af- poems of Oflian, are certainly very beauti-
ter the death of Cuchullin, Carril, the fon ful in the original, yet they mufl appear
of Kinfena, his bard, retired to the cave much to difadvantage, (tripped of num-
of Tura, which was in the neighbourhood bers, and the harmony of rhime. In the
ofMoi-lena, the fcene of the poem of Te- recitative or narrative fart of the joem,
G . tlx5