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

An epic POE M. s5
near. Thy blood mixes with the ftream; thou breaker of the
rhiclds !
*■ I TOOK the fpear, in my wrath ; but Gaul rufhed forward
on the foe. The feeble pafs by his fide j his rage is turned on Mo-
ma's chief. Now they had raifed their deathful Ipears : unfeen an
arrow came. It pierced the hand of Gaul ; his fteel fell found-
ing to earth. Young Fillan came -f-, with Cormul's fliield, and
ftretched it large before the king. Foldath fent his fl:»out abroad,
and kindled all the field: as a blafl that lifts the broad-winged flame,
over Lumon's | echoing groves.
Son of blue-eyed Clatho, faid Gaul, thou art a beam from heaven ;
that, coming on the troubled deep, binds up the tempeft's wing. — Cor-
mul is fallen before thee. Early art thou in the fame of thy fa-
thers. — Rufh not too far, my hero, I cannot lift the fpear to aid.
I fland harmlefs in battle : but my voice fhall be poured abroad;
-—The fons of Morven fhall hear, and remember my former deeds.
His terrible voice rofe on the wind, the hoft bend forward in the
light. Often had they heard him, at Strumon, when he called
them to the chace of the hinds. — Himfelf flood tall, amidlt the
war, as an oak in the fkirts of a florm, which now is clothed,
* The poet fpeaks in his own perfon. of that chief. The poet being intent upon
+ Fillan had been difpatched by Gaul to ^he main aaion, pafles over flightly this
oppofe Cormul, who had been fent by '^^^ <*' Fillan.
Foldath to lie in ambufli behind the Caledo- $ Lumon, bending hill; a mountain in
nian army. It appears that Fillan had killed Inis-huna, or that part of South-Britain
Cormul, otherwife, he could not be fup- which is over-againft the Irifh coafti
pofed to have poflef&d himfelf of the fhield
on