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

A N
EPIC
P O E M.
49
On his fpear flood the fon of Clatho *, in the wandering of his
locks. Thrice he raifed his eyes to Fingal : his voice thrice failed
him, as he fpoke. — Fillan could not boaft of battles : at once he
flrode away. Bent over a diftant flream he ftood : the tear hung
in his eye. He flruck, at times, the thiflle's head, with his inverted
fpear.
addrefs to the fpirit of the deceafed hero,
is the only part now remaining, of a poem
of Offian, on the fubjeft. I (hall here lay
it before the reader.
Gaul.
" Breaker of echoing fhields, whofe
head is deep in (hades ; hear me from the
darknefs of Clora, O fon of Colgach,
hear !
Noruftling, like the eagle's wing, comes
over the courfe of my ftreams. Deep-bo-
fomed in the mift of the defart, O king of
Strumon, hear !
Dwelled thou in the (hadowy breeze,
that pours its dark wave over the grafs ?
Ceafe to ftrew the beard of the thiftle ; O
chief of Clora, hear!
Or ridefl thou on a beam, amidfl: the
dark trouble of clouds ? Poureft thou the
loud wind on feas, to roll their blue waves
overifles? hear me, father of Gaul ; amidft
thy terrors, hear !
Theruftlingof eagles is heard, the mur-
muring oaks fhake their heads on the hills:
dreadful and pleafant is thy approach, friend
of the dwelling of heroes.
MORM.
Who awakes me, in the midft of my
cloud, where my locks of mift fpread on
the winds i' Mixed with the noife of
ftreams, why rifcs the voice of Gaul ?
Gaul.
My foes are arojnd me, Morni : their
dark fliips defcend from their waves. Give
the fword of Strumon, that beam which
thou hideft in thy nighr.
MoRNI.
Take the fword of refounding Strumon ;
I look on thy war, my fon ; I look, a
dim meteor, from my cloud : blue-(hielded
Gaul, deftroy."
* Clatho was the daughter of Cathulla,
king of Iniftore. Fingal, in one of his
expeditions to that ifland, fell in love with
Claiho, and took her to wife, after the
death of Ros crana, the daughter of Cor-
mac, king of Ireland.
Clatho was the mother of Ryno, Fillan,
and Bofmina, mentioned in the battle of
Lo'-a, one of the lelTer poems publifhed in
the former coIle(Slion. Fillan is often cal-
led the fon of Clatho, to diftingui(h him
f:om thofe fons which Fingal had by Ros-
II
Nor