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

An EPIC POEM. 93
dazzled with that beam of light, which came, as iffuing from a
cloud, to fave the wounded hero. — Growing in his pride he flood,
and called forth all his fteel.
As meet two broad-winged eagles, in their founding ftrife, on
the winds : fo rallied the two chiefs, on Moi-lena, into gloomy
fight. By turns are the fleps of the kings* forward on their
rocks ; for now the dufky war feemed to defcend on their fwords.
— Cathmor feels the joy of warriors, on his mofly hill : their joy in
fecret when dangers rife equal to their fouls. His eye is not turned
on Lubar, but on Morven's dreadful king ; for he beheld him, on
Mora, rifing in his arms.
FoLDATH -\- fell on his fliield ; the fpear of Fillan pierced the
king. Nor looked the youth on the fallen, but onward rolled the
* Fingal and Cathmor. dition. Whether the legend is really an-
+ The fall of Foldath, if we may be- cient, or the invention of a late age, I
lieve tradition, was prediaed to him, be- fta'l "ot pretend to determine, tho', from
fore he had left his own country to join the phrafeology, I flioulJ fufpecfl the laft.
Cairbar, in his defigns on the Irifh throne. „ j, rr i r ■ ■ r i ■
° tOh-DATH, addrejfmgtbe Jpirits of hi
He went to the cave of Moma, to enquire - ,
' Jaihers.
of the fpiritsof his fathers, concerning the T~k i t /i j • r , .
^ . . Dark, 1 itand in your prefence ; fathers
fuccefs of the enterprife of Cairbar. The , t- , . .u u cu n n r
^ of roldath, hear. Shall my fleps pafs over
refponfes of oracles are always attended . . ^ tth- c u -,
^ ' Atha, to Ullm of the roes ?
with obfcurity, and liable to a double
meaning : Foldath, therefore, put a favour- ^''^^ Anfivir.
able interpretation on the prediclion, and Thy fteps {hall pafs over Atha, to the
purfued his adopted plan of aggrandizing green dwelling of kings. There (hall thy
himfelf with the family of Atha. I fliall, ftature arife, over the fallen, like a pillar
here, tranflate the anfwer of the ghojh of of thunder-clouds. There, terrible in dark-
en ar.cefors^ as it is handed down by tra- nefs, fhalt thou ftand, till the repaed
learn,-